About Hardin County, KY

This Saturday June 6th, Marsha Booth & Associates is participating in the Annual Repair Affair Day here in Hardin County. As a team we will be helping one family do much needed repairs to their home with the help of Home Depot who will be helping with supplies and several Professionals who have also volunteered their time to help us make this project a success.
The leader of our team, Sandy Wallace has been involved in the Repair Affair for several years and is dedicated to helping those in the community who need it most. The home we will be working on needs things like upgraded electric, winterizing of windows and doors, floors repaired, plumbing, and lots of painting and trim work. We have a team of 16+ people involved on just this one home. There are several other teams that will be working Saturday also on different homes with different specific needs. We are excited to be a part of this program that will improve the lives of a few families in our community. If you have questions or would like to help with future projects like this, please contact Sandy Wallace at 270-766-8175 or Marsha Booth & Associates at 270-735-1353.

Whenever I conduct seminars in the community about Staging, I frequently get asked the question:

"Do I have to buy all new stuff?"

I can't help but smile when I think about why the person asking me that question has that idea. More often than not, people associate Home Staging as they see it on television. With shows that tout: "You too can get your house ready for sale with only $2000!" or "I spent $950 on Staging and it sold in less than two weeks!", it is hard not to have the impression that one must spend plenty of money before selling a home. Some of the designers on television replace the homeowner's possessions with all new furniture and accessories because the "look" they are after cannot be delivered with the homeowner's current possessions.

I am here to tell you the goal of professional stagers is really not to cost you thousands of dollars to Stage your home. In my accreditation course, I was taught that using the homeowner's current possessions is the best course of action in saving them money and gaining the most profit from the sale of their home. The goal is to use creativity to repurpose what homeowners already own to fit the vision for a home. Granted, that doesn't always work and sometimes there do need to be purchases made, but that is where the vendor discounts come in. Most professional stagers have a host of vendors that they receive discounts from and can pass those savings on to their clients. That really helps take the bite out of having to purchase new items.

Creativity here is key! It is so important to look at what you already have and discover new ways to make them work for your space. I recently read a blog post from a Teresa Meyer, owner of Stage A Star in Cincinnati. She had a house that was filled with antique furniture. She reused the homeowner's existing antique sofa and made the living room look fabulous! It saved the homeowners a ton of money and oh, by the way, did I tell you it sold within a week. Teresa repurposed and repositioned furniture and accessories that the homeowner already possessed! That is getting the most bang for your Staging dollars!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When furnishing a home, there a few ideas that I would like for homeowners to keep in mind - whether they are selling or staying. Keep big items neutral whenever possible. No one wants to replace a sofa every four years! Bring pattern, texture and color in with accessories and smaller upholstery pieces. It will save money in the long run. Neutral pieces can be livened up with just a change of color on the wall or the addition of throw pillows or area rugs.

When purchasing accessories for the home, keep adaptability in mind. Target accessories that can be updated for the seasons or color changes quickly. It is easy and inexpensive to update the color of a candle as opposed to purchasing a whole new table vignette.

It can be quite daunting to purchase accessories for a home. Having a professional to assist with making informed choices goes a long way in saving money. If you would like additional information about choosing transitional accessories for your home, I will be at Whitt's End: Home and Garden on May 28 at 6:30pm. Refreshments will be served and there will be a short demonstration on how to choose the right accessories for your home.

If homeowners make good choices to begin with, they will not have to ask their Stager if they have to "buy all new stuff". They will be confident knowing that they have items in place that will create an inviting atmosphere that buyers will be interested in. This ultimately creates good news for one's living environment and wallet.

This article was posted in The News Enterprise, May 22, 2009 by Sheila O'Mara

I just had to share this recipe with you! It is divine and I usually make it for our annual luau, but had this craving for it today. Can't wait to take a bite - it is super rich - have a glass of milk handy!

Charlotte's Kahlua Cake:

1 box of Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate cake mix (I have never been able to find this, I use Devil's Food)

3/4 cup of oil

1 pint of Sour Cream

4 eggs

1 small pkg of instant chocolate pudding

1/3 c Kahlua

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

powdered sugar or chocolate frosting

Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour in greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 - 60 minutes. Cool ten miutes and remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate frosting.

Courtesy of Sandy Barth, from Cook To Glory, Fort Drum Officers' Wives' Club Cookbook

Have you ever walked into a furniture showroom and loved everything you see? Forget the measurements you took, you want that oversized, overstuffed sofa that just envelopes you when you sit down. What about those killer tables that look great in the warehouse, but once you get them home realize they are way too big for your space? What about the patterned uphostery pieces that are so cool right now, but will be outdated in a few years?

If you have ever had dilemmas like these, you need to visit Corvin's Furniture 5284 Dixie Highway in Elizabethtown this Saturday! Corvin's is having a dynamic sale on most of their inventory - (I just saw the new shipments and they are awesome!)! Staged SO Right's Sheila O'Mara will be on hand at 10:30 am and 2 pm to help you choose furniture that will work for your home. She will perform a live demo on furniture placement and scale for the furniture for your home. She will answer questions and tour through the store to talk about different areas in your home and what type of furniture will work best for certain areas.

Linda Lindsey of Bling & Fling will also be on hand to sell SpringHaven Scarves and Jewelry. A portion of the proceeds of all scarf and jewlery sales will go to benefit the Staging project that Staged SO Right has planned for the SpringHaven renovation this summer.

Don't miss out on this great opportunity. Take advantage of the fabulous staging info, the opportunity to support a wonderful community service project AND the huge sale that Corvin's will be having this Saturday, May 16th. Looking forward to seeing you!

Have you ever been part of something that was so much better than you expected it to be? This happened to me this past weekend. My friend Linda Lindsey, another small business owner in Elizabethtown, and I co-sponsored a charity fashion show called Sassy Fashion Cents this past Sunday. I am still on a natural high from the events of that day.

SpringHaven, inc., our local domestic violence program and shelter was the recipient of our charity show and is something that Linda and I feel particularly called to be a part of. We have both supported the shelter in the past, but never quite like this. This was over-the-top fun and has blossomed into something we never anticipated.

SpringHaven unfortunately is going through an expansion this summer. They currently house up to 18 children and five adults in five bedrooms, two bathrooms with one bath tub. The dining room can really only fit one family at a time and is dark and depressing. The expansion will build 6 new bedrooms with shared bathrooms and bathtubs. The old bedrooms will become the dining room and the current dining room will become a "moms only" living area. (The kids already have a beautiful play area from a previous expansion project.) When I heard about this expansion, I knew I wanted to be a part of it, so I volunteered to stage the new spaces. My plan is to get the community involved and together create a great living space for these families. That one desire has blossomed into something I never imagined. The fashion show was just the first in several fundraisers that will be held.

The fashion show was fun and positive and uplifting. It was certainly a celebration of life and all of the treasures it can hold. Everything for this show was donated - the community response to this was amazing. Given the economic climate of our area, I thought for sure that we would have a problem furnishing all of the refreshments, door prizes, etc. I couldn't have been more wrong. As soon as we walked into businesses or talked to people about what we were doing, they were on board. Not one person that we approached said no and more often than not the response was totally positive. Linda and I have been so blessed to experience first hand the generosity of our community and the total pride that comes with knowing and living with great people. I am embarrassed to admit that I got so much more out of this experience then could give.

We had twenty models that came from all walks of life - some were celebrating that they were survivors, some had experienced loss, some were fresh and new and just starting out. The show was about hope more than anything else. All of the clothes were provided for by local consignment shops - we tried to tell the story of looking good for less, hence Sassy Fashion Cents. The hair and make up services were provided for by two local salons. We had a free venue and free stage decorations from Whitt's End: Home and Garden. Three Radio stations did free interviews and PSAs. We had over twenty door prizes that were all donated. All of the food and drinks were donated. Two different photographers took pictures for us. The music before the show by the pianist was a donation and the DJ services were free as well. To top it all off when we arrived to set up on Sunday morning, there was a wedding the night before at the Brown-Pusey House and they left the floral arrangements - they were the same colors that we were decorating with. How amazing is that? Even the programs for the show were done for free and in full color. More than all of that though - we had a great turn out!

Linda shares my vision for the shelter and wants to help in any way she can. She has a company called Bling & Fling and she sells accessories that get you noticed. Aside from the fashion show, Linda has developed a line of scarves and jewelry that have either the SpringHaven logo monogrammed on it or a tulip charm, the tulip being part of the SpringHaven logo. A portion of all proceeds will go to the renovation project. We sold them that day with great success. We sell them at everything we do and have a few store owners that have agreed to sell them for us. Linda has already sold over forty scarves in a little less than a month. How cool is that!

I know this has turned out to be long winded - but the part that has fascinated me is the response from the community. Before people walked out the door, they wanted to know when we were going to do the next one. Next year's show is already in the works and will be even bigger and better. There are a host of small business owners that want to contribute and we can't wait! It is so awesome to be a part of something that people want to also be a part of. Linda and I have been so very blessed which makes me feel guilty in a way because that wasn't the intention. The intention was to bless others - especially those families that need to reside at SpringHaven. The money that we raised was sorely needed the day we brought it to the shelter. The water heater had died that night and the repair people were trying to fix it. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

I would recommend community service to everyone. It is such a pleasure to help out and like I said earlier the benefits far outwieghed any of the drawbacks. I have met amazing people and have seen goodness and hope where there wasn't before! What a blessing I have been given.