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Sticks & Stones can... make you money

By
Home Stager with Home Star Staging

Funny thing happened while checking out at Target the other day...

I was purchasing a variety of items for my staging prop inventory. River rocks were some of the items because they were on sale and I like to use them for different things from spa like bathrooms to table scapes,

stones can be quite useful.river rocks 

The cashier made the comment, "isn't it too bad we have to buy rocks?"  My reply was, "these rocks are going to pay me." Huh?

I also had a short wooden (these are the "sticks") table runner in my stash, and she commented on "how neat that is" - I told her I was using it on a wall.... "Really???" she said, "aren't you clever!"

I went on to explain what I do - that I'm a Professional Home Stager and we use our creative talents to transform properties by a variety of means.  I look at things in different and unusual ways and I pass that on to my clients as well. We proceeded to carry on a lively conversation until I finally paid my bill. 

By the end of the transaction, I had her name, she had my card and was letting me know about a really good Real Estate agent she knew.

"I'll give her your card," she said.  "Or maybe I'll keep it for myself and give her your number instead"....

Let me help you get more money using sticks, stones and so much more.  It's only a click away.

 

 

Posted by

Home Staging Dallas - Karen Otto

Kathleen Lordbock
Keller Williams Realty Professionals - Baxter, MN
Keller Williams Realty Professionals

Girls behave!

Nice blog, Karen I love the challenge of using things in new ways  & the more I acquire the more conscious I am of  the flexibility of use of each piece. Place mats as wall art - sure!!

Aug 21, 2007 02:25 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

LKP - you know what they say about Texas - everything's bigger - including ting tings.. I got a long reach out to N.Cal girrrrl ;)

Kathleen - you know there is no fun in behaving... look how creative you are with your company name even Re$ale $$$

Aug 21, 2007 02:51 PM
Yvonne Root
rooms b.y. root - Prescott, AZ
Home Stager - Northern Arizona
Oh this looks like the party where I want to be. Karen I love your sticks and stones! LKP, I will lay awake tonight wondering how you use rocks. And ting tings. My oh my I learn so many new things here. I've even discovered things about home staging. :) Thanks for the great post Karen.
Aug 21, 2007 02:54 PM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes
Yvonne - grab your nearest ting ting and start on LKP until she gives it up - she's being mysterious.... and she's allowed but she's got me all in a flutter now wondering exactly what her "signature rock style" is.  I wonder if MM will spill?
Aug 21, 2007 02:58 PM
Jo Potvin
Design To Market LLC - Cincinnati, OH
Home Staging Cincinnati - Design To Market
I am cracking up as I read this.  I took my daughter to Target tonight to get school supplies...I of course had to scan the clearance shelves....What did I find but river rocks.  For some reason rocks in Texas must go on sale before they do here because I really wanted them but they were not market down!  I never buy full price....I'll have to watch those rocks!
Aug 21, 2007 03:37 PM
Michelle Aleff
Design 2 Sell Home Staging - Duluth, MN
Design 2 Sell
I too love sticks and stones. Here are a couple of ways to sew in-expensive placemats together or use table-runners for wall art. Picture 1 shows 3 table runners on a wall with high ceilings. Picture 2 shows place mats sewn together behind each tree to add a little warmth. Also, the vases are filled with stones.Table RunnersBehind each tree is sewn together place matts ( 4 each side )
Aug 21, 2007 06:32 PM
Sarah Eubanks
Hill Valley Financial Services - Oregon City, OR
Preferred Oregon Loan Consultant & Notary Public
So completely clever my dear!  Wow, I must give you a great score here.   It was catchy and entertaining while still demonstrating a great mission or value.  Great job!  Thanks for inspiring all of us to great heights in our blogs!!!
Aug 21, 2007 06:42 PM
Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
Stage it Right! - Melbourne, FL
Karen, off topic here, I still haven;t heard anything from fake furniture about my order.  I called early yesterday and left a message and my call has not yet been returned.  Maybe its time you take a road trip and scope out the place:-)  But seriously, I'm beginning to wonder about those people.
Aug 22, 2007 01:41 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Jo - the rocks were $2.99 for the bigger bags - the little bags weren't marked down for some reason. They were also still on their regular shelves not the clearance isle.  Here in TX, seasonal means just that - trying to find stuff like this in winter is a bear unless you go to Michaels or another craft store. Another place I found some cool colored stones is Smith Hawken (we have one store here) and you can buy them by the pound - not that cheap but oh so neat and different

Michelle - LOVE IT! What a great look, thanks for sharing the photos!

Sarah - Thank you so much for that nice comment! I've learned over the course of my short blogging tenure to try and KISS - keep it simple sista! Glad you enjoyed it.

Terry - just sent you an email with some more info

Aug 22, 2007 02:05 AM
Kathleen Garvey
HomeSmart Cherry Creek - Denver - Denver, CO
Denver's Neighborhood Expert - Listings & Sales
WOW-some great ideas here!!! Thanks Karen and Michelle!  I LOVE the texture of 'sticks' and the idea of using runners or sewing the placemats together is fabulous!! Can't wait for my next opportunity to use these!!  THANKS!! Regards-Kathleen
Aug 22, 2007 02:23 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes
Thanks Kathleen - glad you can use it.  Another thing is the weight of these items is minimal and small nails work great without much more than a "pin hole" in the wall
Aug 22, 2007 02:25 AM
Lori Kim Polk
Premiere Home Staging : Home Staging Services - Roseville, CA
Home Stager - Roseville, Sacramento
MM isn't talking because I used some up Yvonne's duct tape on her.  She is a little tied up at the moment:) That secret will never be revealed!  Never! And I have more duct tape for Kathy and Mandi too if they get any ideas!!!
Aug 22, 2007 05:09 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate
Karen that is great. Stagers are always on the look-out.
Aug 22, 2007 06:36 AM
Karen Dembsky
Peachtree Home Staging LLC, Home Staging in Atlanta, GA - Peachtree City, GA
Atlanta Home Staging
I loved reading all the table runner ideas!  But, I gotta say, the story you told was a real tribute to your marketing skills as well as staging ability!  You just keep on talking about staging every where you go, and you will always have a great post for us to read!  
Aug 22, 2007 06:46 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Missy, that we are -always scoping stuff out!

Karen - I eat, breathe and sleep this - it's kinda scary actually, in my dreams I am constantly staging something or someone - I'm lecturing them in my sleep!, I wake up thinking about it - .... has it gone beyond passion? maybe obsession??? The more I talk about it the stronger my conviction - I believe in what we do so strongly.  I appreciate your kind comments!

 

Aug 22, 2007 08:24 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes
LKP - I'm watching you girl!
Aug 22, 2007 08:25 AM
Cindy Lin
Staged4more School of Home Staging - South San Francisco, CA
Host, The Home Staging Show podcast
Ladies -- what a bunch of creative geniuses that you are! I have tried putting up placemats on the wall before, but they keep falling off.. what is the best way to affix it? And how about the runners?
Aug 22, 2007 10:18 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes
Hi Cindy - small finishing nails work well - I've only used "natural fiber" type materials (wood, bamboo, reed type grass, thin metals)and they have holes and spaces to nail up. I've never tried to "affix" with those sticky tack glues or other non-invasive type products, they never work well - especially if there is humidity involved.
Aug 22, 2007 10:34 AM
Phyllis Pafumi
ReStyled to Sell Home Staging New Jersey - Old Bridge, NJ
ReStyled to Sell Staging Homes NJ

the rocks are great and I just recently used some in a bathroom, just a few arranged nicely by the candle made such an impact, it's nuts, right?

It is funny you mentioned hanging these placemats on the wall, I just got 3 old material sample books from a client for free and have been thinking of what to do with all these beautiful samples..thanks

Phyllis Pafumi

Aug 23, 2007 12:37 AM
Karen Otto
Home Star Staging - Plano, TX
Plano Home Staging, Dallas Home Staging, www.homes

Hi Phyllis - the rocks well, they rock! clean, simple and a great impact with minimal effort and for some reason I find them calming to look at - no wonder we see them in spa like settings - those sample books sound great - you could even matte and frame some in a series they'd make a unique piece of artwork

Aug 23, 2007 12:51 AM