thoughts: The Golden Rule for Staging Consultations… - 01/18/21 04:43 PM
The Golden Rule for Staging Consultations…
 
While there are many principles stagers follow when staging a home, there is one I call the Golden Rule of Staging Consultations that I followed. And while I am now retired, that Golden Rule served me well.
 
What was that rule?  
I always put myself in my clients’ shoes.  How would I feel if a stranger came into my home and proceeded to tell me what was wrong with my home? It’s hard to hear someone tell you that those beautiful figurines or collectibles you have are clutter* and need to be removed. 
 
Being honest…
Yes, the truth often … (29 comments)

thoughts: From the Mouths of Babes...Just What I Needed - 01/04/21 04:27 PM
From the Mouths of Babes...Just What I Needed
 
Larry and I dropped off some homemade brownies for my niece’s family yesterday. It was a special treat because they’d been down and out with allergies last week. We were afraid that my niece had come down with the virus but after two negative tests, it was just what she thought it was...a bad sinus infection. 
 
While dropping off the brownies, Mini-me took me aside and asked if we could have Easter this year. And if it could be at my house. 
I wanted to cry because Easter 2020 was the first major holiday we … (32 comments)

thoughts: Motivational Monday...It’s Not What You Say or How You Say It...It’s Why You Say It - 12/20/20 05:04 PM
Motivational Monday...It’s Not What You Say or How You Say It...It’s Why You Say It
 
This is that time of year when our tongues flap about when we’re trying to wish someone Merry Christmas without inadvertently offending them.

This happened to me quite often when we lived in South Florida. When we passed someone while walking on the beach or in the park, we would often hear people stumbling over whether to wish us Merry Christmas. 
 
 
Were we Christians, Jewish, Buddhists, non-believers?  The thing is no one wanted to risk offending us and (dare I say it?) being politically incorrect.
 
First of all, … (38 comments)

thoughts: Touch a Heart Tuesday...Let’s Do It Everyday! - 08/24/20 03:01 PM
Touch a Heart Tuesday...Let’s Do It Everyday!
 
There have been so many posts and articles written about the importance of being kind to others and sharing our smiles. I know because I’ve written many of them. 
 
And so on Touch a Heart Tuesday, here is another gentle reminder that those seemingly little things you do can touch someone’s heart and have a lasting impact. 
 
 
I remember when I found out I was moving to Florida...away from my family and home. I was depressed for days. Well-intentioned friends commiserated with me, which made me feel even worse. 
And then a co-worker totally turned my attitude around … (17 comments)

thoughts: Are You SURE You Want Your Name on Everything? - 05/18/20 05:45 PM
Are You SURE You Want Your Name on Everything?
 
OK, I couldn’t resist.  On our daily walks, there is an agent who walks and rides a bike.  How do I know that this person is an agent?
 
They arrive and get out of a car with signage on both sides that bears their photo and name. 
 
The agent and friend are friendly and always wave and say “hello” to all they pass.
HOWEVER...with physical distancing being practiced, this agent seems clueless. As they walk in the middle of the path, everyone they pass is forced to go off the path onto the grass and … (28 comments)

thoughts: How To Keep Your Posts From Sounding Too Buzzy/Stuffy - 05/07/20 06:00 PM
How To Keep Your Posts From Sounding Too Buzzy/Stuffy
 

Today I was listening to someone speak and the first several minutes almost put me to sleep. It felt like I was sitting through someone presenting a paper before a very formal academic group.  Unless this is your purpose, refrain from using terms and words that you think make you sound like a professor. 

Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z
 
We live in a world where information comes at us 24/7. Most of us here rarely will read a post that is all words and more words. It’s important to remember that our readers feel the same way. 
 
Get To The … (49 comments)

thoughts: Are Your Ducks in Order Or Are They Still Quacking Around? - 05/04/20 12:26 PM
Are Your Ducks in Order Or Are They Still Quacking Around?

There have been many stories about businesses and what they are doing to try to reopen. Recently I read about two owners of similar businesses and it made me think about the age-old saying about ducks and having them in order. 
 
Both owned salons with a medium-sized staff and had been open for many years. They were concerned for their business as well as their employees. 
 
Salon Owner A was waiting for the word that salons could reopen. She was concerned about being able to get supplies once they were allowed to reopen. … (56 comments)

thoughts: Masks...What Say You? - 04/20/20 03:47 PM
Masks...What Say You?
 
When this whole thing began there seemed to be a larger concern for what we touched.  Wash your hands with soap and water. And that’s a good thing!
 
But what has become a concern for many is the reach of the virus as well as the length of its “hang time.”
 
So besides doing our best to physically distance ourselves from others, we are very much aware of the air we breathe and pass through. 
 
Masks are a bit like social media...to some extent they allow us to be semi-anonymous when we’re out in public...kind of like a masked ball. (I’m channeling … (36 comments)

thoughts: Friday Thoughts...Words Buzzing Around - 04/09/20 04:50 PM
Friday Thoughts...Words Buzzing Around
 
Many years ago I started working in business development for a company that marketed to health-care-related companies.  I had to learn a brand new lingo. Not the medical terminology but the business buzzwords that seemed to have popped up in the years since I’d worked in Houston. 
 
 
Where do these words come from?
 I’ve been listening to the daily COVID-19 briefing (BTW... Dr. Deborah Birx reminds me of Larry’s mother) and two words leaped out at me.
 
Granular and Mitigate.
 
It’s not that I don’t know the meaning of these words but I’ve not seen them used in the context that they … (31 comments)

thoughts: Food For Thought Friday - 04/02/20 05:17 PM
Food For Thought Friday
 
Yesterday I caught some of Dr. Oz and one of his guests was Mel Robbins who offered some excellent Emotional Resiliency Tools (or Inner Strength) to help us cope.  
 
I was not familiar with Ms. Robbins but I thought I’d pass it on to you to use as you will or even share with someone you may know who is finding it hard to deal with our world being turned topsy turvy. 
 
Bear with me while I paraphrase and add to her suggestions.
 
“Emotional Resiliency Tools” to help you cope…
 
Accept Where You Are
One of my favorite phrases that my husband uses … (42 comments)

thoughts: Tuesday's Thoughts... - 03/16/20 05:45 PM
Tuesday's Thoughts...
 
Social Distancing...

In college, I remember learning in sociology about social distancing. However, at that time,  it related more to different cultures. For example, if you were doing business with someone from Japan, you would make sure that you kept at least 3 feet between you.

Social distancing has taken on a somewhat different meaning now in light of the Coronavirus.  We are asked to maintain at least a 6-foot separation from each other and to avoid large crowds.  (by the way, I’m ok with that)
 
I have to tell you that the earlier version of me was a natural social distancer. … (32 comments)

thoughts: A Shout Out for Ring Customer Service - 01/16/20 04:18 PM
A Shout Out for Ring Customer Service
 
We bought our Ring Pro Video Doorbell several years ago and love having it. In fact, right after we installed it, it came in handy during the Christmas holidays. 
 
Recently it stopped working.  We went through all of the “try this first” stuff that is recommended on the website but still nothing. 
 
I called Customer Service and was hoping that even though we were out of warranty they might offer a discount off of a new Ring. 
 
The representative was very concerned and went so far as to tell me that he bought two for his mother who … (38 comments)

thoughts: Funky Friday...The Rest of the Story - 01/09/20 04:52 PM
Funky Friday...The Rest of the Story
 
December’s Challenge Your Craziest Transaction hosted by Carol Williams  and Anna Banana Kruchten Broker/Owner, CRB, CRS was so much fun to read. If you missed some of the posts you can head to the challenge post and scroll through the comments. 
 
Just for fun, I thought I’d fill in the rest of the story for my most unusual and eye-opening consultation. 
 
 
To set the record straight the whole story was true, with one exception... this wasn’t a staging consultation, it was a home that the agent was showing me when we were looking for a house on a lake. 
 
My … (26 comments)

thoughts: 2019...Great Moments of Gratitude - 12/26/19 05:54 PM
2019...Great Moments of Gratitude
 
On occasion, I’ve compiled a list of my most memorable moments for the year and what I have to be thankful for. It serves no purpose other than to remind me of the blessings I’ve had throughout the year. To some, they may seem ho-hum or big woo, but as I look back at the year, these are the top 10 things I am grateful for. 
 
The 10 things I am most thankful for in 2019
 
1.  Moving back to Houston. It was time and I had had no regrets.
 
2. Rafael officially became a part of the family. This beautiful … (29 comments)

thoughts: Thankful Thursday...My Cup Runneth Over - 12/25/19 05:15 PM
Thankful Thursday...My Cup Runneth Over
 
Christmas 2019 is over but my wish is that the spirit stays with us all for quite some time. 
 
I was with my family or at least part of them, and for that I am thankful. The weather was gorgeous, sunny and no need for sweaters, and it would not have been a family gathering without more food than we could ever eat. 
 
 
My niece used Marco Polo so we got to see her 3 tykes trip over each other as they bounded down the stairs and headed for their stockings. My mini-me found her bicycle, then immediately noticed … (30 comments)

thoughts: We’ve Resorted to Picking Through Trash - 12/19/19 06:19 PM
We’ve Resorted to Picking Through Trash
 
No, Larry and I have not fallen on hard times.  I had to share something that happened this week that could have been a scene from (enter the name of your favorite comedy show)   
 
For years as a way of thanking the men and women who help make our lives easier, we like to give them a little something during the holidays. 
 
It’s a lot easier to thank people you know you’re going to see, such as your hairdresser or the people who help with your lawn or house but not so much if you’re trying to … (32 comments)

thoughts: Fat Friday - 11/28/19 08:09 PM
Fat Friday
 
No, I am not doing any Black Friday shopping. It is almost 10 pm Thanksgiving night and my family just left. That’s 10 hours of non-stop talking and eating. 
 
 
I am talked out and pooped!  This dessert table full of goodies is missing 3 pies and a large birthday cake (we also celebrated 3 birthdays.)  No one was allowed to leave without a big doggie bag! 
 
Loved it...had fun...everything went well!  I don’t want to see mashed potatoes for a year!

… (26 comments)

thoughts: Thank Goodness For Post-It Notes! - 11/21/19 04:47 PM
Thank Goodness For Post-It Notes!
 
As much as I love my devices and using my iPhone for everything that I can, there are still times when I have to have an old-fashioned legal pad, my pen, and a bunch of post-it notes. 
 
I’m a big list maker. If I write something down, the chances of remembering it are greater. I have post-it notes for each task I have to do for the day on my vanity. 
 
I do use the Notes App on my phone, as well as Google Keep, and Evernote. However, when I have a long list that keeps growing as well … (28 comments)

thoughts: My Apologies...Road Trip and Limited Time in the Rain - 10/21/19 05:20 PM
My Apologies...Road Trip and Limited Time in the Rain
Larry and I took a short road trip to see the grandsons in Omaha. Before I left I decided that I wanted to limit the time I spent with my face staring into a computer, iPad, or iPhone screen. 
 
And so I wrote my posts days in advance and scheduled them to go live while I was gone. The only thing left was to find posts to add to my Sunday series. 
 
Unfortunately, while I was able to read many posts I had to limit my commenting and responding to comments left on my post.  … (26 comments)

thoughts: Funky Friday… No Gills Yet - 09/19/19 04:47 PM
Funky Friday… No Gills Yet
 
Dear Imelda has been visiting us for a few days. For residents to the south and closer to the coast, the rain has been heavier. Streets have flooded and people have had to be rescued. 
 
We’ve been lucky. Today (Thursday) was the heaviest day of rain for us but nothing like what people in Beaumont have experienced.  We were able to get out for short walks the past two mornings before the rains came. 
 
 
Houston is called the Bayou City and there’s a reason for that...bayous or incredibly large ditches everywhere. Our soil is clay so unlike in Florida … (31 comments)

 


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