Come On Down!!!

Shannon Myers...come on down...you're the next winner in a giveaway on the blog by Michelle Lynne!  You have just won a $50 gift certificate to any of the 200+ on line CSN Stores.  Here are just a few examples of what you can buy:

Hmmmm....

No comments on my giveaway post?  Hmmm....what to do?  

Obviously, this blog is highly popular and creating lots of buzz.  ;o)  

I'll just have to wait for my hubby to wake up and help me randomly pick a follower to send the $50 gift certificate to.  So stay tuned all of you readers in the blogosphere!  I know you're anxiously awaiting the news but it will most likely be tomorrow before the final decision is posted.  My sweet hubs isn't a morning person and I'll be out of the house by 7am today so I'll wait until this afternoon to get him to close his eyes and pick a winner.

Be back soon!

Here's the Scoop:

I'm about to tell you how to win a $50 gift certificate to spend as you please at any of the CSN Stores.  

The scoop:  just visit any of the 200+ on line stores and find what you might want to purchase with the GC and leave me a comment describing the item and at which of the on-line stores you found it.  That's it.  And I will randomly choose from the list of comments.  Pretty simple, eh?  (And if you win, I won't hold you to purchasing the particular item you described in the comment because there are so many to choose from that you might change your mind when perusing at a later date.)  The winner will be announced in my June 28th posting.  Oh, and you don't have to limit what you would buy if you won the $50 - you could dream big and plan to contribute the difference.  And don't fret, I won't be grading your comments on grammar or spelling....

Vanity, Shopping & Cashola. No, it's not a sitcom but a GIVEAWAY!

So I have been working with a client who since we have met, has had his entire downstairs living area painted (including the HUGE entry), installed gorgeous hardwood floors, also throughout the first floor, AND tiled his wet areas upstairs and downstairs.  It has been a lot of fun so far and thankfully, he has been a great client to work with (I love my job!).  If I was a good blogger, I'd post some "before" and some "so far" pictures for your reading enjoyment...but I was remiss in my photography when I was there last week so you'll just have to wait for the "after" pictures.  

Anyway, on to my main point and that is that it's time for another giveaway!  

How does that relate to the client mentioned?  Well, in order to tile the entire upstairs guest bathroom floor, we removed the old, builders vanity and are currently on the hunt for a replacement.  Of course, in this scorching, Texas heat, I don't want to be out schlepping the big box stores so of course, started shopping on line.  Look at what I found while searching for the perfect vanity on line:

I think we'll possibly go with this last one as the house is rather traditional but the oval shape will add a bit of a more modern feel.  

ANYWAY since I love the CSN Stores (did you know there are more than 200?) and they came through for me yet again, I'm going to give away a $50 gift certificate that will be good to ANY of their on line stores to one lucky reader!  Stay tuned for the exact details in my next post later this week....

Entrepreneurial Spirit!!!

Pillow Talk

My husband turned me on to this great TV show called Modern Family. And if you haven't seen it, I do suggest checking it out - it's hilarious.  But the first time I watched it, I was distracted by those gorgeous, floral throw pillows and want some - or at least something similar - for myself.  

Does anybody know where to find these pillows?  Or at least the fabric?!  I am obsessed....  I walked two warehouses of fabric this week and couldn't find anything similar enough to fulfill my desire.  Sad. And yes, I have googled every imaginable phrase related to finding them.  Most people are looking for the striped pillows seen in the intro so those pillows are what come up in the searches:

Cute.  But not what I'm looking for.  

Check the show out.  There are three main houses on set and all three are distinctly unique in their design styles.  All are VERY cool.  Very.

So if you have any suggestions, or better yet, the solution - I will be forever grateful.  (My husband will be too because I make him pause the TV to stare at the pillows every time a scene with them comes on.) Please.  Help. 

Mirror, Mirror On The...Server?

I was haunting some consignment shops on behalf of a client project yesterday and as I got to the back of the store that was to be my last stop of the day, I see a magnificent, mirrored buffet / server / console piece of furniture heaven.  It was love at first sight.  I imagined using it in a high end property for staging and then I imagined it in my office as a console. Hmmm....  My husband & I were just talking about reviewing our budget since we've just completed a swimming pool renovation and landscaping our front & back yard so I probably shouldn't get it for my office.  But it was such an amazing price that I could not NOT buy it.  I mean it was priced conservatively at about 25% of the original price!  What a steal....  And it was high quality - none of this particle board stuff - real wood, thick glass mirrors, great construction and as long as I didn't break the mirror, would be a piece I could use for a long, long time.  A great investment for my business.

So I got it.  For my home staging inventory, of course.  But it's being stored in my office. 

This is the stock photo from the manufacturer Bassett Mirror Company:

 

GORGEOUS!!!!!

Summertime Safety!

Memorial Day is a great kick off to the summer season.  It's hot.  The days are long and kids who will be out of school soon are going to need some way to burn that endless energy.  You KNOW that I'm a fan of "checklists" and that I use seasonal reminders to review the necessities.  So heading into the summer, I am reminded to check a few of these pointers off my list:

• Bike Helmets:  
• Check the fit - kids grow and will need to get the appropriate sized helmets regularly.
• Has the helmet been involved in an accident?  If so, toss it out and replace it as the "internal" support has likely been damaged protecting the head of the person wearing it during the accident.  Better to replace the helmet than the head, right?
• Ditto on replacing it if there are some dents / large marks on the exterior - regardless of whether an accident was reported or not.  

• Swimming Pools
• Never leave a child unattended!  And instruct babysitters to never leave the child unsupervised - whether indoor or outdoor.  Secure doors & windows.
• Swimming lessons are a great idea but they do not "drown proof" young children.
• Flotation devices / toys / etc. do not substitue for supervision.
• Keep a phone outside with you to prevent needing to go inside and leave children unsupervised.
• Keep toys away from the pool area - kids playing with them could fall into the water.
• Install a safety fence.
• Learn CPR.

Take just a couple of minutes to review these points before June gets away from you and rest well knowing you took some active steps to keep your kiddos safe while they are enjoying summer vacation!