About Sunshine Coast, BC

It is 2 days before deadline and it is going to be tight. The kitchen was the biggest mess and needed the most work, which is on-going & hopefully completed late today or early tomorrow morning.

I am staging a vacant 1 bedroom condo for a gentleman who turned 100 in September. As his eyesight has failed, he finally had to move into assisted living nearby. He has actually come over a few times wanting to help with the renos, and has been wanting to choose the paint colours. NOT!!!

The funnest (have always wanted to use that word, altho not great english) part of this job is the contributions from our retail and artistic communities KERNS FURNITURE BOUTIQUE is sending over a queen bed, a dresser and night stand; KISS HOME & GARDEN BOUTIQUE has loaned me a lovely table and a gilt edged mirror as welll as decor items; ARBUTUS TREE INTERIOR has provided decor items; and one of the Coast's most renowned artists Anita Lundbloom has graciously loaned me 4 pieces of her art.

The realtor, Russ Qureshi of Remax, sold my services to the owner/seller and he is totally OK with notices that all of these lovely pieces are for sale.

I am going to have a draw for a free re-design or staging consultation in exchange for a minimum $5 donation to Habitat for Humanity.

Other members of this condo community have been dropping in, anxious to see what we are doing in Stan's suite, so we are having a special reveal for them and the owner. I have invited our local newspaper, the COAST REPORTER and hopefully they will follow up.

So, to refresh your memory, this condo had dated wallpaper in every room. I was asking for paint colour suggestions for a beach theme in a condo near the marina. I went with a lovely beach sand colour in the LR/DR/entry area; gossimer blue in the bedroom and ocean air in the bathroom and walk-in which connect from the bedroom.

The kitchen & laundry room are being painted Paie Moon and will have new terracotta tiles on floor. I have taken out the upper cupboards which were in very bad shape and due to budget, going with open shelving. The counter and bottom cupboards will be done in melamine paint to make up for defects and will all be Black Bean Soup.

I will be sorry to see this project come to an end.

UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES WILL ENSURE YOUR PROPERTY IS OPEN - HOUSE READY

www.upstagingyourhomes.com

604-885-6680

CANADA'S BEAUTIFUL WEST COAST - HOME OF THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS STARTING FEBRUARY 12TH

We don't usually get snow on the Lower Mainland or the Sunshine Coast of BC; we get rain. However the best part of the rain is that it means snow in our mountains.

We definitely want lots of snow for the Winter Olympics being held here in February, so that our athletes can get all the gold medals in competition. YEAH CANADA!!!!

Today, I have a lot of writing and editing to do and it is a perfect day to get at it. I never did get into the habit of using a desk when working at home; so I am snuggled up on the leather couch in my office with Gracie glued to my right side and my laptop on my lap. Yup, it is a cozy way to work and not worry about cold weather and rain outside. My husband did the bank deposit for me on his way to swimming.

Here is Gracie ready to play in the kitchen, on the director chair my husband uses when he is cooking. One of her favourite games is playing on chairs: you stick your fingers thru the back of chair and she attacks your fingers. She is getting warmed up in this pic and will soon be on the seat and reaching out with her paw as we walk by, inviting us to play with her.

And here she is sound asleep in my lap. Today she is lying on her stomach, with her paw across my stomach, snuggled against my abdomen. Hmmmm, nice and warm. She loves to snuggle and can't get close enough.

As the saying goes: "If you want the best seat in the house, you have to move the cat!" Luckily she is willing to share with me.

Can you think of a more pleasant way to get work done?! I can't. Oops, she just realized I have yoghurt so she is now wide awake, on the coffee table & helping herself to my yoghurt. Ya gotta love the little fur balls!

During the summer, we are out of our homes more than in them, enjoying the sun and sand and our gardens. However in the winter, we need a cozy, inviting place to cuddle up and ignore the rain and gloom outside for those of us on the West Coast, or the snow storm outside for the rest of you in the East and the mid-West.

This is the question we hear from sellers, realtors, while we are marketing our services & networking the public or at a friend's party. I think this quote sums it up nicely:

Home Stagers see what homeowners, realtors and potential buyers cannot see in an un-staged property for sale, especially a vacant one!

We bring out the design features of the property which make it unique, but are hidden by clutter, tired wallpaper or paint & poor furniture arrangement.

When there are no design features, we create them.

Our goal is the same as the homeowner and the realtor - to get the property viewed by as many potential homebuyers as possible, sold quickly and at list price or higher.

Home Staging is not an expense: it is an investment which ensures ROI!

2010 is the year to put aside old thought patterns which are probably not working and embrace ones that will ensure more positive results.

LET UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES BRING OUT THE BEAUTY IN YOUR PROPERTY THRU UP-STAGING OR RE-DESIGN

WWW.UPSTAGINGYOURHOMES.COM

604-885-6680

taking drab to FAB!

A friend introduced me to this group's music a few days ago and I am hooked. They are fabulous. Their version of Auld Lang Syne is the best I have heard.

AULD LANG SYNE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ujzd2STgfU&feature=channel

I could not get link for the song i want to work; so, if this link works, it will take you to video background info and from there you can play the video I am referring to.

This is my gift to all of you who have not heard of this incredible group up to now, STRAIGHT NO CHASER.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. HAVE FUN BRINGING IN 2010 WHEREVER YOU ARE AND GET HOME SAFELY.

ON THE SUNSHINE COAST OF BC, MY HUSBAND & I ARE JOINING OUR FRIENDS IN SENDING FIREWORKS INTO OUR COASTAL SKY AND SENDING OUR WISHES FOR 2010 AFLOAT IN THE OCEAN OUTSIDE OUR FRIEND'S DOOR. WE WILL BE HAVING A NAP THIS AFTERNOON TO ENSURE WE CAN STAY AWAKE UNTIL MIDNITE!!