SPRUCE - "It's all in the details"
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Happy 2012!
MERRY, MERRY, PEACE, PEACE, MERRY, MERRY, PEACE
Is It Really Already That Time Of Year Again?
Happy Fall Y'all!
Live With What You Love!

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Design/Decorate
Holidays
Organize
Real Estate Staging
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Spruce Street

Happy 2012!

My 2012 is off to a fully Spruced year (so far, so good). After all the outside holiday lights are carefully stored away for use next year and all of our interior Christmas decorations have been gone through, sorted, organized, edited (very important!) and again stored away for next years use...WHEW!!...it's then time to get down to the other list of "To Do's". 

This year, we decided first on the "To Do" list was pressure washing then painting the exterior of our home.
That done (awesome) lead to all of the windows being cleaned inside and out.

MERRY, MERRY, PEACE, PEACE, MERRY, MERRY, PEACE

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season. Peace and blessings for the New Year!

Is It Really Already That Time Of Year Again?

"My how time flies", my grandmother used to always say. My grandmother was a little over 100 years old when she passed away so I always thought of this saying as an older persons saying. Guess who is evidently an older person now? Or at least feeling very much like an older person! 
It's not just me. On a nearly daily basis I over hear some version of this same statement, especially this time of year. Why is it that the holidays always seem to sneak up on us?
Even as organized as I pride myself on being (almost to a fault if that is possible) this time of year is still always somewhat stressful.

Happy Fall Y'all!

I absolutely love this time of year. Finally, fall is in the air...YIPEE! Here in Florida, it is a welcomed relief from the hot, muggy, dog days of summer (which creep into late October, early November here). I actually get a little gittie the first day I actually need to put on a jacket or sweater. 

Okay, I also have to admit that I have a thing for pumpkins. This year instead of going all out with the Halloween gear, I only put out my little witches (about 6 here and there...all very cute in their own right if I do say so myself).

Live With What You Love!

My best advice that I can give to anyone is, to live with what you love. No cookie cutter design. You want your home to reflect you and your style. Interesting trumps perfect every time! 

Now having said that...edit, edit, edit. If you have LOTS of things you love, you have to reign it in so that your pieces stand out and become special, not just another piece. You may want to consider rotating your things at different times of year or for special occasions (holidays, etc.). If that sounds like too much work or you have a storage shortage problem, go through your pieces and pick just the things that truly speak to you (and jive with the whole design scheme too) and the things that really make your home unique and special.

SPRUCING INTO SPRING

Happy Spring! We are now a couple of days into Spring 2011, and not a minute too soon. Wow...it seems it was a really long winter (even for Florida).
 
I have been spending a lot of time digging up, replacing, redoing, repotting and generally SPRUCING up both my place and others in great appreciation of the wonderful weather we have been blessed with over the last few weeks.
 
I am a great lover of potted plants. I love to have several varieties of plants within one pot. I believe the trick is to find plants that work together color and texture wise (and, of course shade or sun wise too).

Happy 2011

Well, we are now 10 days into 2011...Happy belated New Year!! Like so many others, I am deep into cleaning out closets, and "junk" that has been cluttering up my spaces and mind.
 
So many blouses, pants, shoes, home decor, etc., that I have not worn or used in recent months (or ever, tags still attached) will soon find a new home with someone who hopefully will put these things to good use.
 
I try every year as I put away my Christmas decorations and ornaments to go through all of them as well and weed out the things that are not used or no longer fit into my holiday theme/decor.

SPRUCE YOUR HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays to all.
The decorations, stockings and tree are all up. Most of the shopping is even done (wow)! Now the wrapping, shipping, baking, etc. can begin.
 
The goal this year is to be finished (or mostly so) weeks before Christmas so that I can actually take a breather, relax and enjoy the holiday season... instead of running around like a crazy person. Our son will be home from college the second week of December and I truly look forward to having a stress free, slow stroll into the thick of the season.

Staging To Sell

You have decided to put your home on the market to sell. It can be a nerve racking time to say the least!
 
First, you will need to decide which Realtor you want to list your home with. If you want to sell your home yourself, be aware that you must market and show your homewheneversomeone wants to view it. The more people through the door, the more likely you are to sell it. It is a lot of work to sell your home yourself! Plus, you must price and market it correctly. You can not sell your home if no one knows it's on the market or if it is over priced for the market.

Living An Organized Life

It's a task that not many people want to take up their weekends or evenings tackeling...organizing that closet, kitchen cabinet, garage, etc. Most people just don't know where to start.
 
We all have "stuff" and most people have too much of it! My best advice is to have a plan of action. Some people are better motivated by starting with the areas that need the most work and then moving on to the next area. Others like to start with an area that isn't too bad so that they can get an immediate sense of accomplishment.