GOT A DIFFICULT COLOR?

Every color, yes every color, has a complement that will help integrate it into a good looking color scheme. This is such a fun challenge for me to find the complementary colors that work well together, and really, all you need is a very good color chart. There are bad ones out there, so be careful. Some of you have heard my story about the distraught woman at the HD paint display practically in tears. Using that store's color chart, the maroon and the gold she had chosen were supposed to work very well together but she ended up with a room the Minnesota Gopher sports team boosters would've loved. Her son was hysterical as he gladly offered to paint over it for her!

Color theory isn't an easy subject to learn. There are some great books available on the subject as well as some tricks include finding fabric that includes your difficult color (think tricky brown cupboards that are expensive to replace). This is just one more area that getting some professional consultation can save you a lot of time, aggravation, and money.

FINDING VALUE IN ALL OF OUR EXERCISES

Like most everyone, I feel pulled in many directions most of the time, and having more than one job isn't helping the confusion. Luckily, I have my yoga, which helps me with the complexity of life, but I do find myself wondering, AM I MISSING SOMETHING?? With the many tools I have for simplifying life, could I be doing a better job?

So by habit, I first put on my Zen hat. I take the deep breaths and remember to 'let go' on the exhale of everything that isn't serving me at present- the anger, resentment, jealously, confusion, etc. I feel my shoulders relaxing, my breath lengthening, and my neck releasing. Next, I put on my coach hat. I try to separate out what's most important and break it down into bite sized pieces. I start a list for the day (and yes, blogging is on my priority list) based on goals I revisit regularly. By then, at least I'm feeling a little more focused. I'm curious to know if everyone functions as I do- that once I have things scheduled, written, and planned for, I'm confident they will be accomplished.

Perhaps regularly asking the question - could I be doing a better job? - is a healthy exercise for all of us although there's a risk of judging ourselves too harshly. I'm reminded of what I always tell my students. "Get help for the tasks that you don't do well yourself." In the end, you will save yourself more than time and money.

ENJOYING YOUR ENVIRONMENTS

With discontentment everywhere in our world, improving the spaces where you work, live, and play can only be a good thing. The environments around us set the backdrop for business, pleasure, efficiency, creativity, wealth, power, and energy, just to name a few. We are humans so we are influenced by the energy and colors in our presence. We assign value to all sorts of things, and we can't help but be impacted by their positive or negative vibrations. So have fun with your spaces. Understand why we improve our homes. Be glad for the inspiration to add more beauty to the world.

FINDING OURSELVES / BEING HOME

There is something so precious about being home, feeling at home, knowing where we are, and being at ease with our surroundings. I heard Frank Gearhy speak this evening and he is absolutely the most modest man when it comes to the effect of his dynamic spaces on the lives of so many. He was musing about the "why" of it all. Why do we create, what motivates us? And his conclusion was that we create to have an impact on others. In his case, he feels rewarded by making people feel good.

I create to bring more beauty into this world. I pondered the question of "Why do I create?" many years before realising that I was making it way more complicated than it needed to be. So why would I help someone design a place where they can repose? Or why would I help an artist design a studio that stimulates the brain? Or why would I help create a garden that gives back based on what you put forth? Why not??

CLIENT SAVED $1000 ON THE CARPET ALONE!

Of course the homeowner was thrilled. She had muttered something to me while we were staging her home that she would need to take out a PT job to pay for the new carpeting before the sale. I referred her to my resource for quality, inexpensive carpet and after comparing prices, she was amazed at the cost reduction! Don't be fooled that some upfront costs such as staging can save a bundle!

SELLING TURN-KEY READY HOMES

I taught my last Staging class for the spring season last night, and it was, in many ways, like so many others classes I've taught. There were a few women considering moving out of town homes, a few in single family homes, a few with neighbor problems, one with the vaulted ceiling dilemma, etc. But one question comes up again and again. "Should I spend the money to get this (whatever their 'this' is) fixed before I list my home?" And although I qualify answers with "without seeing your home, I can't give you a definitive answer", the answer to that question is usually "yes".

There are plenty of "fixer-uppers" and foreclosures on the market these days, and unless you will be selling your home at a fire sale price, I suggest you have your home 'turn-key' ready. In other words, assume the next family will not have the time, money, or energy when they move into their new home to repair, repaint, or re carpet. They will be looking for a home that is turn-key ready so they can hit the ground running, so to speak. In time, people generally improve the homes they move into, but not prior to move-in. And if your listing is one of the few that is in excellent condition, you'll certainly draw a lot of attention.

A LIFE OF EASE

Is your life working for you, or are there too many days you feel you're fighting an uphill battle? Are you feeling supported by the systems you have in place, or are you forced to react at every turn? Are the places in your life designed to enrich your lifestyle, or are they adding weight to your overwhelm? These, and so many more questions, have been on my mind lately.

Remember when you were much younger, as young as your children may now be, and you were sure that as soon as you moved away from home/graduated/got your own car/had your own place/were making your own rules/ etc, etc, etc, you were going to be able to REALLY live! Life was going to be REALLY cool then! Life would be a beach!

But now we've grown up. Now we realize that it isn't where we live, it's not our possessions, the rules imposed by our community, or even our status in life. No, it's really about our attitude. It's our approach to life, challenges, and obstacles. It's about balance and stability, and these are often elusive states. Yes, it's about how we make the most of what we have and where we are and our state of mind.

And my role, as someone who helps to create the environments in which we live, work, and play, is to help you create spaces that support that balance, that ease, and that stability. "Surround yourself with greatness" was a phrase I heard many years ago and have pondered every day since. Make the places in your life great places to hang out!

TIPS FOR AN UN-CLUTTERED LIFE

Like it or not, I am experiencing the same process all homeowners must when selling a home. I am helping my partner divest himself of 25 years of accumulation in order to put his house on the market during one of the most challenging periods in recent housing history. I didn't realize at the outset how valuable this experience would be for me, and when I am the most overwhelmed, I remember that all lessons serve us well , if not now, then in the future. Some of the more obvious lessons might be:
*don't continue to transport to new homes information and goods you can either replace or no longer use
*limit holiday decor to what you use on a yearly basis
*charity is a good thing- donate all you can to those less fortunate
*have regular garage sales to encourage you to rummage through closets for items you no longer need or use
*store your memorabilia in one place
*keep the paper storage organized or at least keep it in one room
*encourage your children to donate toys and books to a charity of their choice to develop altruistic habits
*keep your home up to date- it will need to be spiffed up when you sell anyway, and you might as well enjoy the upgrades while living there