Monday, October 03, 2016

Day Two: Endless Possibilities

January 1, 2016 I wrote on my black board in my kitchen:  2016 Endless Possibilities

This morning Abbey sent a picture to me via her Aunt Laurie.  She was coloring by her cousin during church and made this masterpiece especially for me.  When I opened it, my spirit quickened as I read it and saw her picture she drew.


The real key word here is THINKING.  We hear of this term thinking "outside of the box" but to open our thoughts to imagine there IS no box is to open ourselves up to ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES!

Our pastor reminds us often with a question we should be able to answer:  "What has God been telling you lately"?  "What is it that you have felt He has been talking to you about"?

Recently for me, I was reminded in a sermon by Pastor Jason Sciscoe that we limit ourselves.  We live so far below what God really has for us.  Yes, we just live in our happy little box, sometimes looking out of the window and wishing we had a better job, a new home, a better vehicle, more friends, a more secure future, etc. etc.  All the while God which has our "endless possibilities" at hand, we limit ourselves with stinking thinking.

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.  What are you thinking?  How do you see yourself?  Are you ready to not only think out of the box, but imagine no fences, no doors, no box at all?!

In a little research online, I found this one tidbit that can be a little launching pad to break away from the same ol same ol and get some movement into a new direction:

Change up your routine. Creativity thrives when you don't stay stuck in the same old routine. Even the littlest changes can have good consequences for getting you out of a rut and encouraging creative thinking.
  • Get outside your comfort zone. Doing new things, especially things you haven't planned for helps you to cope more easily with new situations. It also helps to open your mind and introduce you to new ideas and situations which can help you come up with new or unusual ideas.
  • Be spontaneous. Do things that you haven't planned for, occasionally. This will force you to adapt to the moment and overcome problems on the fly. You could even tie this in with an ongoing project.
  • Change little things. For example: walk home from work a different way each day. Change up which coffee shop you go to in the mornings.
View entire article here.  Actually some good stuff.

Finding solitude, a quiet place, without our cell phone, tv, radio and even people can get your spirit in touch with the voice of God that is reaching and wanting to commune with you.  This huge God of the universe wants to come, sit with you and listen to you, cleanse you, refresh you and show you your fullest potential, YOUR endless possibilities!




Sunday, October 02, 2016

Day One: A Small Gesture


I sat down to my desk after a super busy day of doing some painting in my living room.  I began to think of what I would write about on my first day.

I looked down in front of my computer, and there I found this little flower my sweet Abigail Summer Madden left there for me.

This week end wraps up a special week with Abbey getting to be with her 24/7.  Abbey is my granddaughter who normally only gets to come see us every other week end, Thursday evenings and some holidays.

So this little flower is a ray of sunshine on the first day of October and the end of a busy day.

Don't over look the tiniest things in life.  This small gesture was her love language to tell me show loved me and thought of me when she picked this flower.  According to "Focus on the Family", when you learn the love language of someone you love, then for that person to feel loved back will also like your love to be expressed the same way or they may not realize you are saying you love them.

Have a blessed Sunday!  See you tomorrow night.  Smiles.


Abbey, yesterday helping me work in the living room.

31 Days of Writing | 2016


This is my third year to join The Nester's 31 Days of Writing.  I actually begin looking forward to October and writing as it keeps me in focus for 31 days on one subject.  As an Interior Designer, I have normally chosen to write on my days of creative work.  This time, I want to focus on how I will make this month AWESOME!

Being a person who frequently post on Facebook, Instagram and blogging, I love to go back and review my days of my reports of beauty around me and each positive segment I am able to take away from that day.

I hope you will enjoy tagging along with me this month.  I promise I will work hard to not bore you.

Let's just see what unfolds this October 2016 and we attempt to make October AWESOME!!

Click on the link to open each day:

Day One:  A Small Gesture


Day Three:  Green Inspirations

Day Four:  Learning to Relax


Day Six:  Seeds in Your Day

Day Seven:  Priority

Day Eight:  Lucky Five

Day Nine:  Abundance


Day Eleven:  Groves

Day Twelve:  A Cool Shopping Spot

Day Thirteen:  This Week's Find

Day Fourteen:  Smocks of Love

Day Fifteen:  Bigger Than Yourself

Day Sixteen:  Make It Great

Day Seventeen:  My Mini Sketch Gallery

Day Eighteen:  Beta Academy Design Work




Day Twenty-Two:  Comfy and Cute

Day Twenty-Three:  The Powder Room

Day Twenty-Four:  Monday

Day Twenty-Five:  Optimal Health Care

Day Twenty-Six:  Sarah's House

Day Twenty-Seven:  kat-er-foil



Day Thirty:  Fruit Cocktail Cake Recipe

Day Thrity-One:  We Made It!

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Tips for having a Successful LuLaRoe Pop Up Boutique







Earlier in my life I have done Tupperware and Pampered Chef parties. From that experience I indeed learned what NOT to do as a hostess.

There are a few tricks to helping set the tone for your guest to feel right at home and comfy as soon as they enter your home or even your place of business if that is the venue.


But, there are also some keys for getting them through the door in the first place.


Getting Your Guest To Come:




  • If you are a Facebook user, you have a great tool.  Facebook has a place to set up "events".  Go to your home page, look in the left column, click on events, then you will see a +Create button that will allow you to set up an event, add a cover photo, invite friends, etc.  Don't be discouraged if you do not have a lot of response to this one. It is a great tool to make all of your FB friends and family aware of your upcoming event but I have found people hesitate to confirm until the last minute.  But keep going...
Here is a shot of a Facebook event set up:



  • Nothing like word of mouth.  Your friends will appreciate a warm personal invitation from you by talking to them and letting them know that you really would love to have them in your home and be a part of your event.

  • Emails can also be a good list to select from in inviting guest.  I would suggest using a pretty stationery that your account has available free.  I use yahoo and there is a little square near where you choose fonts, sizes, bold, etc. and it has some fun colors, etc. to choose from.  Spice it up and make it look like a fun event.  Always remember to include: who, what, when and where.
Here is a shot of a recent email I personally sent to my clients using a stationery decor on my email:


  • I love using an app called Phonto.  It allows me to use a photo and write my information on it and gives a great professional look.











  • Don't overlook using your phone and text those you are close to.  I used the above Carly invite to text to friends.  No words, just this pic that said it all.  Note:  DO NOT SEND IN A GROUP TEXT!!  Your friends will love to get the "personal" touch from you with their own personal invitation.  It does not really take that much longer to do.

Day of event:
I use this little guy or one that gives the same message.  He has helped me MANY times in many different ways.  PEOPLE FULLY INTEND TO COME, THEY JUST FORGET!
Again, if texting, you may want to use Phonto and put your message on this pic so it says it all.

Prepping Your Home:

You may think your pets are a part of your family, but please, put your sweet little pets away for the party.  Some people are very allergic to and uncomfortable around pets.  

The best decor is a just a clean house.  Most importantly is to have your restrooms really clean and counters cleaned that any clothing may get placed on when your guest are trying on Lularoe.

Nothing says party like soft music and a candle burning.  Just be careful to burn unscented candles unless you have just one scented to not be offensive to any guest.  Tiny tealights are a  great bang for the buck and if you light one, let it burn completely out.  Enjoy even after the party is over and you take in the essence of your home that is clean, some left over snacks and drinks to enjoy and the lingering warmth of the guest that was left behind.

Small votive candle holders are .50 and a box of tealight candles are 1.49 at Hobby Lobby.  Great choices.

When Your Guest Arrive:

Your guest will feel right at ease when you offer them something to drink.  Even if it is just water that has slices of fresh lemon and lime, it will be a welcoming gesture.  Ice tea can have slices of orange. 

Simple snacks as dry cookies, pretzels or cheese slices and crackers are suitable for a party. Personally, since I did all in my power to get these guest here, I ramped up just a bit and added a good pasta salad.  Just be conscious of clothing that is being sold and keep it from messy sticky items.


When Hannah Arrives:


Hannah will arrive one hour before your scheduled party.  She is happy and thankful for any help to unload and reload her items.  She has a certain way for all to come out and go back in.  Just follow her lead.  She is blessed that you are having her and happy for your assistance.

She will need:  a place to set up to check out.  If you have internet and she is able to connect to your wifi while there, you can give her the password.  Otherwise, she will use a connection on her phone if necessary.  

She could use a small table area for leggings.


A small snack and drink offered to Hannah during the party is nice.  Most of the time, she does not have time to help herself.







She will need room for about 5 - 6 racks.  No need to rearrange your home.  She is a pro at helping know how to fit in her inventory easily.

Encourage your guest to try on the clothing.  While they are going to try on, suggest other items they may want to try on while in the process of changing.

If you have full length mirrors available, having one available for your guest is great.

Remember:  lighting is really important in showcasing the Lularoe clothing.  It is to your advantage to see that all lighting has working light bulbs.  They are more apt to purchase items that really show up under the best of lighting.



Enjoy the perks!

A successful party means you, the hostess gets lots of your friends a the party, promotes a fun atmosphere and sell lots of Lularoe!!  YOU WILL ENJOY 1 free item of your choice for every 10 items sold at your party!!  

Be happy in knowing...

that your friends loved coming to your home, not only for shopping but meeting new people, maybe a few hours for a much needed break and best of all, feel fabulous in the most comfy clothing that makes them feel beautiful.





Tuesday, September 13, 2016

How Did You Get Started??



When starting a new business, this is the question that often you are asked:  How did you get started? How do you ever get customers?

First I want to start with natural talent coupled with learned information.  

I personally love what I do. I had the natural talent to do decorating.  My decision to polish this talent with taking every class available in college on interior design brought everything I did to an entire new level.

My personal belief on the contrary is I really don't think the best designer is one that just decided to go to collage to become one.  It really takes both, talent and information.  

College helps me to have confidence to know WHY a certain thing works, floor plan, the right rug, the right color choices, fabric selections, fine tuned room arrangements, etc. etc.  Natural talent makes items jump right off the shelf into my basket, create solutions, make a room look expensive on a small budget, understand people, lifestyles and needs.

So how did we get it all to a starting point and get a business moving to a busy consistent designer life?

Here is my theory:  I remember as a child in Louisiana seeing an old car with a scrubby looking old guy driving, obviously on his way to go fishing.  In the right front seat and going out of his back right rolled down window was not a fishing pole, but a bunch of fishing poles.  You see, the serious fisherman knows that if he is going to go fishing, he is going to use many poles!  

As this fisherman, I am a believer that in marketing a business there is not just one thing that you do to generate customers. Like the fisherman, we have to use many poles, many marketing tools.  It is never just one thing.  We can't just build a website and hope someone stumbles across it on the worldwide network of traffic.  It takes many poles.  This photo is a sample of the many poles I have personally used to promote what I do.

The real beauty is when you grow a clientele that will use your talents over and over.

I would love to hear your input on this subject!

Friday, September 09, 2016

The Spring Color Palette

If you have been analysed by a color consultant and not convinced of your diagnosed color, take a look at these gorgeous colors of the Spring Palette.  I have been inspired and know when we do indeed wear colors that flatter us most, we can be confident we are at our best.  Here are some combinations you can try.

Some palettes of Spring forces you to feel washed out, not enough punch and just not you.  Here is a good example of a True Spring that gives you some shades of Spring that would look fabulous on you and compromise color!


Simply gorgeous!  Really, anyone in the warm family groups could pull off these colors.


This collection seems to reach towards the softer tones of summer but could still be worn by the Springs.


Interesting combination.


This is one of the hottest colors out!  Watch for it!  It is everywhere.



  

AAAdorable!!


We can get an inspiration of this guy's color scheme.  I can see this with a skirt and exact tops.



Imagine this with a mint skirt.





Deeper colors you may love.


Blondes and fair skin, here ya' go. Remember, all Springs can wear these colors.


Here is one I would steal from the Spring category.  Love.


Note:  the most pricey things in your closet should be your basic nuetral.  Here are some ideas.







Just remember, unique you "spring" can rock these colors like no one else.  Wear it and know you are beautiful.  Be confident.











Saturday, June 04, 2016

When Do You Stop Dreaming??

I have often thought, if I were the teacher for a senior citizen's class, the main thing I would remind them is to never stop dreaming.  When you stop dreaming, you die.



As our lives begin to push towards that category, it really makes you think.  Gary and I have had 3 major areas of focus and as we see these things finally coming to pass.  Then you begin to think, what's next?

Life changes when you are an empty nester. Lucky for us, our prodigal son came home 2 years ago.  We are thankful he is here and watching him recover from the scars of sin in his life has been rewarding.  You know, when the prodigal returned home in the bible, it did not give us details of his possible recovery time period and all he had to do to get recovered from his possible acquired addictions. We just have to rejoice in the fact that he is home and we know in time, he will be all God has purposed him to become.



Pastor preached last Sunday how frustrated God can become with us when He paid for so much and we believe for so little.  We must mix faith in our prayers to activate His promises in our lives.

Now for some things, what we have learned is sometimes He is indeed going to say yes to your prayer, but, we have to wait.  Now this is hard to do.  But, strong faith is when you stay at peace and KNOW that HE WILL do it in HIS time.

"When your faith is stronger than your fears, you and make your dreams happen".


We have seen these kind of prayers first hand.  Trust me, He is indeed faithful.  Just wait.  But while waiting, occupy.  I mean do all you know to do with each day.  Live your best life and try to grow, 

Find the best thing in your day and think on this.  Be thankful.  Take every negative thought, and we have many of those, and turn it into a positive affirmation.




Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8







Be blessed and have a great week.