New York, NY

Home staging does work! A two-bedroom apartment in New York City needed to be sold, and sold quickly, because the owners were being relocated down south. And it happened in 8 days!

But, let's start at the beginning of this amazing success story.

The furniture in all of the rooms was not showing off each room to its fullest potential (see the before and after pictures below):

• The dining room had a sofa in it
• The living room had two dining room chairs and not much else
• The master bedroom suite had a bunk bed for the children
• The children's room had a full bed and a desk set up as a home office

In my home staging consultation I recommended that the sofa be moved to the living room in front of the bookcase and that a dining room set be rented from a furniture rental company.

I also recommended that the furniture in the two bedrooms be switched. A master bedroom with ensuite bathroom should be shown to its fullest potential.

Rather than repositioning their existing furniture, they decided to move themselves and their furniture out to temporary quarters in their new location, and rent furniture so that the home could be shown to its fullest advantage.

The transformation was so dramatic and enticing that...

• The real estate agent had 35 appointments in one week!
• The homeowners received 3 offers at the first open house!
• They ultimately sold it 8 days after the first showing!

The homeowner said:

"We had a very tight open house deadline with no room for error, but Donna still pulled off the staging beautifully - and it was completed with the given monetary budget. The apartment was not priced low, yet we received 3 offers and it sold 8 days from the first showing."

The real estate agent said:

"....[this was] an amazing staging job...for my two-bedroom exclusive. I know [the] staging helped my sales process tremendously."

Home Staging Works!

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Internet STALKING.....I'm Being FOLLOWED Wherever I Go! A RANT...

Be CAREFUL who you do business with! I was recently contacted by a Company that "specializes" in SEO and getting ‘Your Name to the Top'. They are a Sponsored Search Company that also has ANOTHER SPECIALTY: For only a "small" (LARGE) per month they will pull blogs and articles from all over the Internet that relate to your site.

They said all the major Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo endorse it. It adds "fresh, new content" to YOUR site and pulls you up higher in the ranks. When I specifically asked about if this "service" credits the ORGINAL AUTHOR I heard hesitation.

Finally the answer she gave me was "sometimes." I wondered aloud if in NOT crediting the Original Author wasn't that illegal?....In fact, isn't it called Plagiarism? The phone call ended abruptly by her when I turned her down on her ‘generous' offer to help me climb to the top.

Well, someone else didn't! I just signed on hoping for a peaceful day and saw my Blog Contents coming up. I'm usually thrilled as I believe it's either a re-blog or at least someone who gives me credit for MY work.. NOT THIS TIME. I was now placed under a Community called "FXeng XShui TiXs" and while there noticed that this person had other accounts as well.

This leads directly to this person's website. Did I mention it is another New York City Feng Shui Consultant? Did I mention that just last night I had to email an Activerain member to please remove LINKS left by this person in her Feng Shui Posts in Activerain? ADDING LINKS in the Comment Section of Activetain GOES AGAINST THEIR GUIDELINES.

Whenever I sign onto a new service, write an article for a company such as Selfgrowth, Ezines for some of my other favorite places (which I am NOT naming because they will be all over them in a New York Minute), an alert comes up for this person shortly thereafter. I am truly being STALKED all over the Internet! Apparently by another Feng Shui Consultant in New York too lazy to write their own material or work on Organic Searches.

How's THIS for a novel idea: Write your OWN material, use your OWN pictures and stop following me to every single site I sign onto and write for? Especially if you're another NEW YORK FENG SHUI CONSULTANT..........

Here's a partial content of the Email I received from this Company:

"We are currently experiencing very solid results for our clients with our automated Search Engine Optimization product called XXXX." and "It automatically pulls in information specific to your Business through RSS Feeds using your most relevant keywords."

"Our SEO-BLOG XXX is an automated website search engine optimization program. It automatically pulls in information specific to your business through RSS Feeds using your most relevant keywords.'

Please note: The "information" they are referring to are OUR works...OUR articles and blogs! They go on to claim both Google and Yahoo endorse this!

Here's the thing about Feng Shui (and in life) that some people just don't understand:

When you do the wrong thing, it comes back to you. When you do the wrong thing in something as spiritual as Feng Shui, it comes back to you DOUBLE. It's just a Universal Law.

*Disclaimer: This is Public as I am hoping this person will stop Stalking me and just "Do the Right Thing." Please ALSO note that most New York Feng Shui Consultants do NOT do this! This is a specific case and a specific person. And the very next time I see MY words on the Internet without credit, I finally have a lawyer ready to go.

MY NEXT POST IS ON THE CHINESE NEW YEAR for 2010! You won't want to miss it.

Feng Shui Long Island & New York

http://www.FengShuiLI.com

*Carole Provenzale is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island NY providing on site and distance Feng Shui Consultations for Homes, Businesses and Builders.

Feng Shui Manhattan New York NY

http://www.FengShuiManhattan.com

**Laura Cerrano is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant who has studied the Ancient Art of Feng Shui and has co-consulted on Feng Shui Consultations since 1998 when she began her own practice of Feng Shui Manhattan New York providing Feng Shui Consultations for all of New York City, Queens NY and Long Island New York.

It's Restaurant Week in New York City: Feng Shui Long Island's Favorite Pics

Restaurant Week in New York City! Who doesn't love this time of year? It's a chance to try a new place that you've wanted to eat in or return to an old favorite of yours. This year Restaurant Week in NYC is being held January 25^th through February 7^th but don't wait-many are taking reservations right NOW.

As a Feng Shui Consultant I am often in New York City but my fascination with this City goes back many years and I've been fortunate, through the years, to eat at most of the BEST places in New York City. I've been to almost ALL of the restaurants I've selected with the exception of two I've heard rave reviews on and would really love to try.

Sadly, some of my favorites are NOT participating this year : ( Perhaps the economy isn't quite as bad as we thought. In any case, it gives me the opportunity to try a restaurant people are talking about: Butter Restaurant From what I've heard about this place, it's GOT to be good!

There is a price fixe menu and some restrictions apply at different restaurants in Manhattan. Lunch is set at $24.07 per person and dinner is $35.00. Here's a list of the others and a few notes to go along with them:

Atlantic Grill (menu)

Water's Edge Restaurant (menu)

The Russian Tea Room (menu) This was remodeled several years ago but they left all the glitz and glamour. I have eaten there several times through the years and was never disappointed in their food or their service.

Redeye Grill (menu) As much as I enjoy this place, there is always a wait. Sometimes a very LONG wait. Hopefully with reservations that won't happen.

Brasserie 8 1/2 My favorite of the French Restaurants in New York City (and there are plenty of them!).

'21' Club (menu) aka The Jockey Club. An interesting RUMOR about this place is that it's one of the few clubs that thrived during the great depression. It's said to have an underground "wine" area where the rich and very famous were able to indulge in their pleasures during the prohibition. It's a New York City Landmark, having been around for 80 years.

The Oak Room at The Plaza Well, it's not "THE" Oak Room, it's the "new" Oak Room. I have to say I miss the original. This place is smaller and the menu is completely different. I was disappointed when I ate there. Sunday Brunch, however pricey, is still well worth it.

One if by Land, Two if by Sea This place too has been around forever. You KNOW that means it's good. It's also reported to be haunted which could make for an interesting evening!

Le Cirque I had eaten at this place in it's old location although it still has good Zagat stars. I did love the food. However, since I wasn't "someone" we were delegated to the far reaches of the restaurant. The food was good...the service was stuffy. VERY Stuffy. Still, I'm putting it down because you will enjoy their new menu and never know who you'll ‘rub elbows with' in here : )

Il Cantinori Restaurant Good food, friendly people. Large dishes so there's always enough to take home.

Central Park Boathouse My absolute FAVORITE in the summer (especially if you're fortunate enough to get a table right on the lake). The food and drinks here are terrific. Just inside of Central Park, I have always found this place to be a delight!

And if you're not on a budget? If money is no object and you can eat anywhere you want, what would I suggest? The Rainbow Room will always be my all time favorite. I'd go there in a New York Minute! Spectacular views, an extensive menu, a revolving dance floor and a full orchestra. It's absolutely enchanting!

Can't afford that and happen to be in the heart of Times Square? Try Bubba Gumps Shrimp House. I have eaten there on more then one occasion and expected the old "tourist trap" type of place. It is all that but it is also GREAT Shrimp! To get to the restaurant you climb 7 or 8 staircases so when you're seated, you're actually looking down right into Times Square. It's a Neon Night for sure!

Those are some of my favorite places to eat, straight from a New York City Feng Shui Consultant. Try one or a few.

And remember to join the Group Activerain Link Love

http://www.LongIslandFengShui.com

*Carole Provenzale has been a Certified Feng Shui Practitioner in New York since 1997 and is the Founder of Feng Shui Long Island & NY with onsite Feng Shui and Design consultations available on all of Long Island including The Hamptons, Queens New York and New York City.

http://www.FengShuiManhattan.com

**Laura Cerrano is based in New York City and Long Island and is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 2000. She is the Founder of Feng Shui Manhattan and New York City providing personalized and affordable Feng Shui Consultations.

Memorial to Tavern on the Green, Central Park New York by Feng Shui New York Consultant Carole Provenzale

Another New York City Landmark Institution is gone. I couldn't be sorrier to see it go. It was our own Grace Safrin Indiana : Porter County : Valparaiso
who emailed me to let me know that Tavern on the Green would be closing. I hadn't heard and knew that Grace and Jeff had some very special memories of their time in New York City, Central Park and Tavern on the Green; it was the spectacular place that Jeff had chosen to propose to her!

Tavern on the Green in New York City had been around for 75 years and was probably one of the Cities best known restaurants. Located right in Central Park at West 67^th Street and Central Park West, it had spectacular views of Central Park if you were seated outside and incredible artwork and amazing glass images inside.

Well known for its Tiffany Chandeliers and somewhat "odd" but colorful objects, this historic landmark had become 8 million dollars in debt in just the last few years. It closed its doors for good on New Years Eve, Dec. 31^st 2009. Everything from its extensive collections of Stained Glass to all the pots and pans that have served many actors and other lovers of this restaurant are now gone, having been put on the Auction block.

When The Plaza was going co-op, I happened to be in New York City that day on a Feng Shui Consultation. I was heading up to Central Park when I saw a line...and went to investigate. It was the last day they were selling off their beautiful, extensive items from the furniture to The infamous Oak Room dishes and I was able to purchase one of the few remaining items....an old chafing dish. I was delighted to have what I considered to be a "small piece of history."

The Grand Chandelier that graced the entrance of Tavern on the Green went for only $15,000 and the still operating Vintage Wurlitzer Jukebox only $7.000. Most of the items auctioned went well below their estimates. The Name of TAVERN ON THE GREEN is estimated to cost 19 million dollars and is currently in dispute to see if the new owners have the right to take the name as well.

Many of us will miss this spectacular New York City Landmark restaurant. You can catch glimpses of it in many movies filmed there including "It's My Turn" with Michael Douglas and Jill Clayburgh. This New York City Icon will surely be missed.

**All Photos by Laura Cerrano--Feng Shui New York Consultant

http://www.LongIslandFengShui.com

*Carole Provenzale is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Founder of Feng Shui Long Island providing Feng Shui/Design Consultations on site for all of Long Island including The Hamptons and Queens New York.

http://www.FengShuiManhattan.com

**Laura Cerrano is a Certified Feng Shui Practitioner and Founder of Feng Shui Manhattan New York who provides Feng Shui Consultations for all of New York City (Manhattan), Long Island New York and Queens New York. She also consults through the Tri-State area.