Annie's Home Staging Blog

Staging for out of doors...curb appeal and first impressions

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:58:00 +0000

It’s the middle of the summer in Minnesota, which means if your home is on the market, you've got more acreage to keep show-ready: A few points about outdoor staging. First and foremost, it doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. I remain a true believer in less is more, and use what you’ve got to make it work. The point of staging is to give prospective buyers a sense of scale (can I fit my table and chairs there?); to illustrate possibilities (oh, a dining area, a sitting area, a garden); and to sell the space not the stuff (wow, that's a big yard, the deck is nice...). So hint at what you can't show...make sure the yard looks great from inside the home as well.

Three quick and easy tips for maximum curb appeal with little to no investment:

Just like inside:

1. Repair, repaint and replace: take special care with the front entrance. This is where prospective buyers are standing (and noticing everything) as their realtor is unlocking the door… there should be no missing or loose bricks, the exterior light should be clean and in working order, the door should be in good condition.

2. Clean, trim and green: the view from the curb is the very first impression prospective buyers will have of your home-it will color how they perceive the interior as well. The goal here is a to show a home that is well maintained and cared for. Shrubs should be trimmed, the grass mowed, the sidewalk swept and gardens weeded.

3. Finally the Punch: one well cared for pot of color, an updated welcome mat, a lawn chair with a pillow, table and chairs… it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated (simple is always better) but it should be easy, well-maintained and timeless-just like your house!

Holiday Decorations Officially Stale

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:47:00 +0000

I believe that February marks the official and final end to the prolonged holiday season...this means that indoor Christmas trees should come down,seriously! And outdoor, lit up decorations of the elf and reindeer variety must remain dark. Our backyard boasts a beautifully tall evergreen that we enjoy lighting up with old fashioned colored lights. We have not been lighting it since the middle of January. It seems wrong, somehow. And now, some wild animal (perhaps the same overgrown mutant rabbit that has been eating all the bark off of all our bushes) has pulled a portion of the string of lights off the tree. It now lays in the snow across our backyard...another hint that holiday decorations should be put away until next year.The pots of green and brown can stay, just no colored lights please!

Recycle and Reinvent

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:55:00 +0000

As a stager, I am a recycler, meaning, I like to use what is already in the home in a re-invented arrangement. In many ways, using "what you got" is easier than staging an empty home...there is really no need to re-invent what works, or to purchase show-room new furniture.(Remember, we are selling the square footage and potential in a home, not the furniture.) Of course, updated and sparse help to create a feeling that buyers will be attracted to, but a staged home does not have to be a perfect home. A well-staged home can have a similar impact as a total make-over without the expense of purchasing anything new. This can be very rewarding...

After minimizing the clutter, cleaning and painting, packing and donating, I enjoy the process of reinventing your space. I'll re-arrange your furniture to maximize the feeling of space. A few decorative touches go a long way-a pillow, a throw, a candle. I look for new uses for old things. A pretty bowl makes a nice centerpiece. Sticks and stones, when arranged well, look rather zen. Do you have an old (fill in the blank) that you'd like to look at for a awhile...put it on the shelf (after you've removed 50% of your personal photos, books, and knick knacks). So please, don't think that a well-staged home is a remodeled, perfect home...because it is not. A well-staged home is clean, sparse, in good repair, and hosts a few decorative accents that aim to feature, promote and sell your home. Recycle, Re-invent and be Rewarded.

Keeping it Real: The power and simplicity of three

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Whether your home is on the market or not, decorating for the holidays can be overdone, overwhelming and overly complicated. It need not be. My ideas for keeping your home festive without too much effort, expense, or fluff:

If you add something to a room, take something away. This maintains a sense of open space for peace of mind as well as practical maneuverability. (Especially if you are showing your home during the holidays, maintain that sparsity that sells square footage.)

Stick with a simple decorating thread---pine cones and greens, berries and silver, brown and green, white candles, red accents, etc. Remember, not all the decorations need to come out every year.

Think textures... of shape, scent, shades of color, finishes (shiny, matte).

And always...keep it real! I like fresh pine arrangements, real candles, dry berries on twigs, fresh cranberries in water, growing herbs, clove scented oranges, cinnamon scented pinecones, pinecones and more pinecones, amaryllis, clear glass, shiny silver and gold candlesticks...

My thought this year...remember the power of three:

three vases in graduating heights lined up on the mantel, each with one tall sprig of greenery

three candles on a silver platter with cranberries as a bed

three different types of greenery in one long-lasting bouquet: pine, spruce, and cedar (for a party a few white or red accent flowers can really fire up this arrangement at a very minimal cost.!

three different types of sticks-white birch, redwood, and brown barked...in rocks, or tied with burlap...

You get the picture!

Its a most wonderful time of the year...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Well here we are again at that point in November when we like to say, "I can't believe that Thanksgiving and the holidays are just around the corner." Luckily this November has felt more like October, with the balmy, sunny days lulling us into thinking that we have plenty of time to "spruce" up our front entrance...Whether you have your house on the market or just want to be festive, fun and timely, it really is time to get your Holiday on. Fill those empty urns, compost your dead mums and rotting pumpkins, and go green (and brown and red and white...): Cut some redwood twigs from your dogwood bush; Snip a few swags of evergreen, and mix it up with cedar, pine and spruce; Use a branch of birch, some sprigs of berries from your hibernating garden, or dried brown hydrangea blossoms; Nestle some pine cones,sticks or grasses in and "Tis the season"...all of these natural, long-lasting items make for a great winter pot. Do it now while the weather is still without windchill!

Springy, Green and Budget

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:22:00 +0000

To me, a seasonal change at the front door says Welcome. First Impressions are so important. A calendar-conscious urn or pot implies many things: this home is cared for...the details matter... and timeliness is important...all crucial impressions for potential buyers. How to make that great, fresh, and welcoming first impression without too much time and money?

I am the first to complain about Christmas trees in March, or heat-stroked pansies in July. But it is hard to find a pot-filler that is approprite for all seasons. I weather out our Minnesota "spring" (fear of frost season) with sticks and stones(they never die or need water, but are not plastic or fake). I have used forsythia cuttings and pussy willows with success in years past, but those are relatively short-lived. Now that it is May...I would love to put in some fresh and springy pansies or cool-loving flowers...However, soon it will be 85 degrees and humid, with my front step baking like a brick oven, killing even the most sun-loving flowers. I am also conscious of the expense of changing out living plants from spring to summer and then to fall. In an affort to be frugal and minimal I am trying to make smart purchases that will weather well from spring until late fall...through cool and heat and cool again...here is what I came up with.

Think about potting ornamental grass, Autumn flowering perennials, herbs, and late harvest vegetables...these plants change from little springy greens to grand autmnal hued plants, providing interest in changing color, texture , and size hrough the seasons...the herbs and veggies can be enjoyed through Thanksgiving and the perennials could be re-planted in your landscape. An environmental and economical thriftiness with an asthetic appeal that refreshes itself with change over the months...Happy Potting!

Color my World and (pay for the good stuff)

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Painting a room is the least expensive fix...Big bang for your buck...Huge change for cheap...okay already, we get it. Its not news to us that painting a room refreshes everything. Unfortunately, there are some potential obstacles to this easy home improvement job that can block even the best of us:(1) making a color choice; and/or (2) procrastination (understandable!). I have suffered from both indecision and sheer laziness to the point of absurdity in this realm of painting-"I want a neutral that complements my salmon,brown and taupe tile, but does not match exactly; and I want it to look modern, yet be true to the original mid century fixtures; and I do not want white or a shade of eggshell, but browns/taupes would be a bit much...." You can see the dilemma of expecting too much magic from a fresh coat of paint. Finally this past winter, I re-painted my bathroom the same shade of egg shell it has always been. Not what I had in mind, but 7 years of waiting for the color inspiration of a lifetime was just plain silly. I figure a fresh coat of the old color is an improvement, because who knows how many more years it will take me to be sure of the right color. Here is my advice, Just Do It (isn't that a catchy slogan).

Here are some color trends for the season/year...I am not endorsing them necessarily, especially not for staging a home for sale where wall color should be neutral and less personal, but here they are for you paint warriors-

shades of plum and mauve

goldish-yellow and oatmeal-neutral

shades of blue

Once the paint color has been chosen, please, don't scrimp on quality when buying paint...the more expensive paint covers better.

The window treatment and cure...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:42:00 +0000

I love the word "treatment" for window coverings...like a prescription to make the window healthier, a cure, a fix. So what is the primary ailment of windows? Its dirt, dust, water marks, and/or an unsavory view. Window shades, blinds, curtains and draperies can indeed save a room from a less than ideal view, and they can mask the dirty window problem. My problem with window "treatments," however, is that they are often worse than the original ailment. They block light, can get way over-done, over-decorated, over-coordinated, and can be so-so-so fussy. I am a big fan of simple, simple and more simple. I would love all of my windows to sparkle with the sun shining through, completely naked of treatment. Unfortunately that is not always practical... for the sake of privacy, and temperature. (The summer's heat and the winter's cold can be an issue in untreated panes. )Even me, a purist and true minimalist has to admit that asthetically, sometimes the right window treatment makes a room feel RIGHT...it may balance the "weight" of a room, provide "support" for a floating ceiling, or finish the open "hole" a window may leave in a wall

Here are my suggestions: Simple drapes that can be drawn open and shut; neutral shades that go up and down, blinds that are wide enough to make cleaning possible. Try making a window appear larger by over-hanging the rod on either side of the window. During the daytime, open your curtains to the framing. Also, try changing up textures and colors on larger windows that might require more panels. sometimes darker on the outside and lighter on the inside gives a stage-like impression...

Stay away from multiple layers of heavy draperies (dusty, heavy, yucky), and also those mini-plastic blinds (also dust collectors).

Dont gross me out the door...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:46:00 +0000

"A little bit of elbow grease goes such a long way," I always say. For all you home shoppers, home show-ers and home owners out there, there is nothing worse than coming in from the cold and wet, taking off your shoes (as we like to do here in the snowy Midwest), and feeling a greaz-y carpet, sticky linoleum or grubby tile floor permeating the protective layer of your socks. How about the hard and sticky dried up food bits, not to mention hair of all unmentionable varieties and rocks that we also feel when walking (usually on tip-toe) through the house. In such a case, I have decided not to go into a room or down the stairs due to this "gross me out the door" phenomena. Filth is a huge turn-off...and so easily avoidable.

In the grand scheme of things...clean sells better than dirty! Clean allows a potential buyer to take note of the important selling features, and not the disgusting smelling creatures...If you can't paint, repair or even clear the clutter...Clean your house, it's the least you can do in preparing a home for sale. It doesn't have to cost a cent, although you can hire the job out if cleaning isn't for you (a 1- time deep clean can run anywhere from $100-$500). Don't gross me out the door, literally. Don't distract me from the features of your home by scaring me with its dirt, dust and yuck. Clean it ! Especially the floors, bathrooms and kitchens...these need to sparkle!

Moving from one "eye stop" to the next....

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:01:00 +0000

You hear these elusive, almost upper crusty terms..."focal point" "balance" "sense of ease" "spatial harmony" "traffic flow" ...what? To some of us these terms mean something real, but hard to pin down in a formula for success. For me, trial and error is my most tried and true method for furniture and accent arrangement. These initial staging steps are easy...

1.Clear the extraneous (all of those personal knick knacks, chotchkas, collections);
2.Clean; and
3.Repair, Restore and Repaint.

Its the furniture "rules" that are hard to come by. Every room is different: a different size, a different shape, a different purpose, a different style...so MOVE IT, look at it, and MOVE IT AGAIN. Keep at this furniture dance, until it feels "right." Nothing should feel in the way. Nothing should feel too crowded. Once you have it, punctuate your room with "eye stops." These color pops throughout the room move the eye (and eventually the buyer) through the room. RED is a great "eye stop" color. I use it in most rooms, no matter the color scheme.

Real books, real plants, real life staging...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:09:00 +0000

Book shelves are often seen super-staged, in a way that I feel is a bit contrived. Instead of fake plants and fake books, please use real, live and authentic books, plants and art. Leave at least half of the shelves “open” to show room for more. In the open areas, a few decorative items are good. The key here is neatness (organize books by size) and balance (place some horizontally and others vertically.) The entire shelf should look functional and pleasing, not prop-like.

Don't let lint burn you out...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Here is a tip from I received via my sister-in-law...and it makes sense. I hope it saves a dryer or two.

"The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something, and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material. The hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets create a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't see the film, but it's there. That “film” is what makes your clothes soft and static free, nicely fragranced too. You know how dryer sheets feel waxy when you take them out of the box? Well, this film builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This film build-up is what can potentially burn out the dryer’s heating unit and burn your house down. The best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months."

In with the new (Year) and out with the old (Junk)...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Are you a purger or a hoarder? It seems to be a black and white issue for most. Some of us love to periodically purge our homes of our "stuff." We like the look of scarcity, minimalism, sleekness and order. On the other side of the fence, some of us love the feel of abundance and coziness. We like to look at our "stuff" as reminders of where we have been and who we are. Both camps have merit, and both entail their own set of problems...and of course compulsivity in either camp can become clinical. Oops, I didn't mean to delve into the darkness of the human psyche, or to pontificate on matters meant only for professionals. Its just that I have had some personal experience with the butting of heads between minimalists and those who prefer abundance...that is another story for another day.

For today, I would like to offer some options for those who need a place for their stuff that they no longer need or want.

For your honest to goodness junk/trash, renting a dumpster or tub is a great way to get started on a big project. There are even companies who will come and haul away all of your junk, at a price.

Most of our junk is still viable and completely usable (outgrown clothing, household products, books, toys, gear): Give this stuff to anyone who can really use it. There is no worse guilt than looking at an outgrown snowsuit in my storage room during a a winter cold snap...if you don't know someone who can use your hand me downs, please donate, and donate seasonally! Lots of charities schedule pick-ups periodically in your neighborhoods-schedule your clean-up day to coincide with a pick-up. ARC's Value Village is a great option for drop-off donations.

I personally have struggled with the dilemma of what to do with my more expensive items---do I try to sell them? Unless you love spending long hours/days sorting, cleaning, and pricing your "stuff," and at least a couple of days in a lawn chair on your driveway bargaining with shoppers over nickels and dimes, a garage sale is not typically going to make you rich in anything other than experience. Maybe Craig's List or E-bay, or maybe donation is still the ticket. For me, donating something that cost a lot of money is a real world reminder of my wastefulness. It causes me to at least pause before purchasing.

Check with your County for drop-off facilities for recycling of appliances, TVs, computers, tires, and hazardous chemicals...

The Re-Use Center in Minneapolis accepts many large household items and tools...

Home for the Holidays

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:54:00 +0000

Whether your home is on the market or not, decorating for the holidays can be overdone, overwhelming and overly complicated. It need not be. My ideas for keeping your home festive without too much effort, expense, or fluff:

If you add something to a room, take something away. This maintains a sense of open space for peace of mind as well as practical maneuverability. (Especially if you are showing your home during the holidays, maintain that sparsity that sells square footage.)

Stick with a simple decorating thread---pine cones and greens, berries and silver, brown and green, white candles, red accents, etc. Remember, not all the decorations need to come out every year.

Think textures... of shape, scent, shades of color, finishes (shiny, matte).

And always...keep it real! I like fresh pine, real candles, dry berries on twigs and fresh berries in water, growing herbs, clove scented oranges...

This year my love of pine cones is taking center stage. Over the years I have collected bags of pine cones from the big and sappy to the tiny and brown. I have cinnamon scented ones (great in a bathroom). I have a line of tiny, brown and frosty pine cones on my mantel. I have a lone pine cone, a group of three, a pine cone and a simple candle, a textured green wreath and ornamental pot accented with huge pine cones...you get the idea.

Winter Greens-More than spruce in your pots

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:27:00 +0000

Its hard to believe that Monday of this week was over 75 degrees, and now on Friday we have snow falling and sticking to the trees. Only in Minnesota! I guess that puts an end to the fall leaf project, which is never ending until the snow blankets the lawn!!! I think that I have it in me to blow and mulch one more time before retiring inside for the winter. Which brings me to another subject I often visit---those front step pots. My mums and pumpkins are ready for the compost bin. With this morning's snow, I am ready to dive into the winter greenery, berries, and sticks. I like a lot of texture in my greens: spruce, fir, cedar, boxwood, pine. I also like contrasting twigs:white birch, redwood dogwood, yellow curly willow. Berries are great for color accents, however come January they are usually squashed into my welcome mat...citron, red, deep purple,...some years greens and twigs are just enough.

Something Green and Unusual

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:16:00 +0000

What is it?

CLUES: At one time you may have read these. Now it is a piece of pop-art.

It is made from recycled magazines...it is modern, green and great!

Don't Get Backed into a Corner or Up Against a Wall

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:44:00 +0000

I just wanted to share the simplest of staging "rules." Never line up the furniture around the perimeter of the room, pushed right up to the wall. It would seem that this would be the best way to maximize space, especially in smaller rooms, BUT it is not! Always leave a little room between the furniture and the wall. Just that little shadow of space allows the feeling of ample room and breathing space, instead of congested and backed against the wall. Following this same line of thought, even in a tight bedroom, there should always be room on both sides of the bed for that feeling of ease and peace.

Moving in and making it mine...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:31:00 +0000

As a realtor representing both buyers and sellers, I see the sale/purchase of a home from both sides of the transaction.

On the Seller side, we talk about staging, de-cluttering, de-personalizing, cleaning, repairing, cosmetic painting, floor fixing, neutralizing and appealing to many while offending no one.

On the flip side of that sale is the home buyer who has just purchased a home. Ideally the home is in good repair. Chances are what made the property marketable makes a home feel a bit like an insane asylum...sterile, unobtrusive, devoid of any strong statement, color or homey feeling. In a sense, moving in and re-decorating is the opposite process from staging. Making a house a home is about all about the personal, the embellishment, the unique ambiance that appeals to your own family. De-neutralize the color scheme, frame those family photos, and if you like it use it.

Sometimes staging and decorating get co-mingled in the case of the allure and perhaps over-use of "pottery barn" colors, furniture...in homes both on and off the market...When making a house your own, trust yourself. When staging a home for sale, trust the experts.

Autumn, glorious autumn

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:45:00 +0000

I love the fall. Bright, blustery, nippy...apples, sunflowers, and pumpkins...bonfires, homemade chili and hot tea...blue sky, warm sun and cool fingers. There is something comforting about mowing for the last time of the year, putting the garden to rest, and aerating and over seeding in preparation for next spring. There is something bittersweet about those end of the season chores. Its nice to know that yard work is coming to an end, with more time for indoor exploits. It is also great when I can truly relish in the glorious feeling that comes with working outside in the fresh air. It is the juxtaposition of these two feelings, the in-between summer and winter, that makes fall so special. Every year I have a similar fall moment...a moment of frustration and elation...raking on a windy day when all your leaves are swirling about your head like a personal tornado, and you just have to laugh at your sweaty, ineffectual self. That is the moment to relish the out of doors before we all head inside for hibernation.

Notes to self on last outdoor projects before winter:

a) Good job in painting the wooden lawn furniture before winter; although a bit sad that it rained within hours of completion and tarps were thrown over the dripping mess of Adirondacks. We painted out the bubbles and the second coat looks great now. Word of Advice: Check the weather forecast and the sky before painting out of doors.

b) Good job on stripping, sanding and power washing the deck in preparation for staining before winter; too bad our stain choice was so terrible that we got to strip, sand and power wash again, and again. Now the deck looks great, in its natural state, and we are just awaiting 48 hours of 50-plus degree weather for oil staining application. Word of advice: Finish outdoor painting by September in Minnesota if you don't want to worry about the thermometer dipping too low.

c) Don't forget to aerate and over seed.

d) Empty all gas out of lawn mower at the end of season. (We had to repair both mowers this spring because of old gasoline.)

Ladies and Gentlemen, rev up your snow blowers...

A stinky high efficiency front loading washer...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:26:00 +0000

This is both a word of warning and a fix for the already afflicted...

If you are in the market to buy a new washer I highly recommend avoiding the HE (high efficiency) front loaders. Despite how sharp and hip they appear, beware of foul odors, mold and mildew, detergent build up and towels that smell.

If you already own a front loading washing machine and the mildewy towels that accompany them, I have a solution. (I previously tried everything, with no luck. I painstakingly washed out the machine with bleach and Q-tips, I washed my towels with baking soda, with bleach and hung them out for days in the sunshine. I bought new towels only to have them smelling mildewy after washing.) There is a product out there called SmellyWasher available at http://www.smellywasher.com/. It does the job by cleaning out the washer, and by cleaning the towels as well...This makes me happy!

Setting the stage does not only mean furnishing...

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:19:00 +0000

Staging has become such a buzz word in today's real estate market. The word is thrown around a lot, but at the end of the day, what does it really mean? I look at staging almost literally...when you "set the stage" for a theatrical production, you are setting the tone, conjuring emotions and suggesting a place in which something happens. Similarly with staging, we are setting the scene...hopefully a clean, well-cared for, updated, easy to live in and visually pleasing home. This staging does not necessarily mean completely furnishing (in the case of a vacant home), nor does it mean interior designing (a lived in home). A good stager knows that there are degrees of staging...and every home/owner/situation calls for differing degrees of staging depending on time/money/and return on investment. I like to break staging into two parts:

(1) condition:

Repair, repaint, and replace all the permanent features of the home. This includes walls, fireplaces, light fixtures, windows, banisters, carpet, pavers...the list is yours.

Clean, clean clean until it shines. This includes a deep cleaning of windows, grout, porcelain...especially bathrooms and kitchens

Remove "stuff." Think tasteful hotel...just a hint of home, nothing too personal, too loud or too soft, too pink or black...this is all that clutter that makes a home yours. Remove what makes the home yours so that someone else can mentally move in...

(2) Feature: Once these condition items are done, a seller can consider traffic flow with furniture arrangements that maximize square footage(that is what we are selling); accents that move the buyers eye from feature to feature; furniture to give a sense of scale (yes, my dining set will fit); and little "stages" that suggest a homey scene...

Sellers are in the drivers seat here...they can choose to do none, some or all of the suggested staging...weigh the pros and cons and work out what you want and what you can do...Happy Home Staging!

Cutting your Coleus, brown and green, the power of three

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Nothing says fresh and pretty like a vase and greenery...I like herb cuttings, coleus cuttings, and anything else from my backyard that will root and stay green for weeks into months. As much as I love fresh flower arrangements, they are not practical nor cost effective when it comes to home staging. On the other hand, I have found that my coleus clippings root right away and can last into December. This keeps my mantles and tables green and fresh with little upkeep!

Also note, the very simple arrangements. I love the color of amber-brown glass, it complements the greens of nature so nicely. I have a collection of these vases in different sizes and shapes. I use them throughout my home, with or without greenery, in groups of three most often.

Crabby over crab grass

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:22:00 +0000

One component of home staging is cultivating curb appeal. Fresh paint, a bright front door, pots of color and green are especially showcased by a neat, trim and hopefully green lawn. That can be a bit of a chore when there hasn't been but a drop of rain in...forever. It seems that hot and dry conditions are just right for the proliferation of crab grass, that indestructible, green, crabby little weed that cannot be mowed,and will overtake many a lawn before Labor Day. My husband and I are trying an experiment with our crabby little patch of grass. We are being very green (of that I am proud) and hand-pulling the crab and quack grass, stem by stem. We plan to over seed this fall and hope that next year we will not see our crabby friends. So, if you drive by and notice two adults splayed out on the lawn for hours at a time, behaving much like snow monkeys, painstakingly removing insect-vermin from fur, it is just our green effort to maintain our lawn. And, despite the ant bites, blisters and dirt beneath our fingernails, we are not too crabby about our 10 plus hours spent weeding.

August Abundance and chaos...How our garden grows

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:30:00 +0000

I wanted to share my excitement at my family's little patch of heaven in our own backyard. We feel very green (thumb-ish) and proud of the bounty of our crop this summer. The success of our garden is due in large part to keeping the furry critters from the backyard free lunch program of years past...My husband built the screens, and later the fence with the screens on top, to protect our salad fixins as long as we could. So far, I have yet to see any squirrels or rabbits in the garden...we did however trap a chipmunk in our garage that scared the living daylights out of me...and we have already harvested our first crop of spinach and mesclun lettuce! Our corn needs to be tassled, we eat a few delightful cucumbers everyday, and our vines are heavy with large, still green tomoatoes. Our pumpkins, and sunflowers are coming along. Our herbs are just now becoming large enough to use, finally. I just wanted to pass this sequence of photos along to show the transformation from humble beginning to the abundant present...

Bobby Scissorhands?

annie@annieandbob.com (Annie Pacieznik) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:44:00 +0000

This is the time of year when the grass stops growing and the weeds begin to rage, when your neat little vegetable plot becomes a veritable jungle of greenery that needs to be tamed, and everything looks a bit overdone and under kept. Mowing, weeding, harvesting and watering sometimes need the added boost of a day in the yard. I suggest an August afternoon of edging and hand pruning to bring order back to your yard.

We recently spent the afternoon trimming some large shrubs in our front yard, and the difference in the overall appearance of our lot is noticeable. We shaped the tops and the overgrown undergrowth of both evergreen and shrubbery so that both the foundation and the shutters are now vi sable. My husband used a hand pruner and the result is more organic than sculpted. I am so pleased by the easy neatness of the job. I am no longer distracted by the chaos of greenery, instead I can see the lovely house and its complimentary landscaping.