After years of helping clients and teaching on how to prepare a house for sale, last year this teacher became the student. I sold my house, downsized and moved. You don’t know what you don’t know until you are in it. The moment you decide to sell is the time to start prepping for the move. The contents of a large house will not comfortably fit in a smaller house. Read more
Chef Cathy Vogt recently held a Summer Taco Cooking Party at Watergrasshill Bed and Breakfast in New Paltz, NY. Attendees learned how to chop, pan sear, season and work with local ingredients to create a delicious meal. I participated in this hands-on cooking class. My task was to make 2 salsas, tomato-pepper and mango salsa. We all worked as teams and shared a delicious meal of Summer Squash & Basil Soup, Pan Seared Chili Lime Cod, Spicy Mushroom Walnut Taco filling, fruit salsa, guacamole, crunchy vegetable slaw. The food was fresh and flavorful. Read more
Smudging is a multi-cultural ritual that clears the energy of a person, place or thing. It can be done regularly or when needed. Let’s keep it simple, break it down and clear the air.
When it comes to window treatments, personal taste, style of home and privacy are considerations for selection. As a professional stager, I’m usually suggesting my clients remove heavy window treatments and layers of coverage before listing their home for sale. Why? Those layers hide the architectural features of the home. Read more
As temperatures rise during the summer months, keeping cool becomes a priority. Air conditioning is ideal, but not all homes have it. When my former house was being building in the late 80’s, we added central air with multiple zones and the builder thought we were crazy. Crazy or not, it is a necessity in my life and well worth the investment. In my new house, which is 3 levels with one zone, I’m getting adjusted and finding ways to cool my house. Here a few of my tips followed by shared tips from readers.
The annual Country Living Fair was held in Rhinebeck, NY, on May 31-June 2, 2019, at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. The Fair brings the magazine’s content to life and gives readers access to a unique shopping experience. The fair features 200+ vendors from more than 30 states and draws more than 20,000 visitors from across the country. Vendors include: antiques sellers, food purveyors, artists, furniture makers, crafters, and more. Read more
Don’t know how to do something? You can get the answer by using Google, social media, ask friends or ask your mama. Here are some tips you may find helpful. Read more
A few years ago I featured Stikwood in this newspaper column after seeing the product at the Architectural Digest Home and Design Show. In a high-tech world, people are craving more natural elements inside. Stikwood makes the high-design trend of bringing the outside in more accessible. Read more
Happy Mother’s Day! I associate this weekend with flowers and planting. Maybe not this year with the chilly weather, but it is usually safe to plant flowers on Mother’s Day weekend. Gift me a live plant to put outside or a hanging basket and I’m a happy woman. Flowers just seem to brighten any day.
This Spring Real Estate Market, I find myself repeating the same instructions during pre-listing staging consultations. Homeowners have their own decorating style making every house unique. Besides personal taste, how people live and maintain their house makes a big difference when preparing a house for sale. Read more