The Beauty of a Woman

 When asked to reveal her beauty secrets, Audrey Hepburn wrote this, and later it was read at her funeral.

All women should seek this type of beauty.
′′ To have attractive lips, speak kind words.
To have a loving look, look for the good side of people.
To look skinny, share your food with the hungry.
To have beautiful hair, let a child cross it with his own fingers once a day.
To have a beautiful poise, walk knowing you're never alone because those who love and loved you accompany you.
People, even more than objects, need to be fixed, spoiled, awakened, wanted, and saved: never give up on anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a hand, you'll find them at the end of both your arms. When you become old, you will discover that you have two hands, one to help yourself, the second to help others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, in her face, or in her way of fixing her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes because that is the door open to her heart, the source of her love.
The beauty of a woman doesn't lie in her makeup, but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the tenderness that gives love, the passion that it expresses.
The beauty of a woman grows over the years ′′

THE BAD NEWS IS "TIME FLIES"

Lately, I have had to stop and remember to time block for myself and work toward finding a happy balance between work, family, and friends.  I have found that planning helps me map out how to plan and prioritize my time between my busy real estate career and myself.  I have been trying a new plan..At the beginning of each week, I add to my planner a date night with my husband and some alone time for me.  I am one of those people who loves to work, but I also do my best work when my house is in order.  How can you be a success in business if your home life is in shambles?  Jonathan Huie said there should be time for everything: "A time to relax and a time to be busy, a time to frolic and a time to labor, a time to receive and a time to give, a time to begin and a time to finish."  That "time to finish" is sometimes difficult for me.

I have started reading THE MIRACLE MORNING  by Hal Elrod.  The basis of the book is how you set yourself up in the morning determines the rest of your day.  As a realtor, you could work 24 hours a day: however, I am learning to set work hours for myself and do my very best to keep them. I would never dream of calling a customer at 9 o'clock on a Sunday evening with a problem that will keep them up all night when there is no way it could be addressed until Monday morning.  I don't make calls before 9 A.M. or after 8 P.M.  If you set your boundaries, others will respect them.  Don't you think that sentence applies to most things in life?  Don't just spend time, invest in it wisely, and give yourself permission to enjoy life and a little binge-watching TV never hurt anyone.

“I had once heard the quote, ‘The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.’  And I always think about this when I get busy or overwhelmed.  It is empowering that I am the only one in my life that is in charge of my time and how I invest it.” — Sara Rose Kennedy

SHRIMP SCAMPI MADE EASY

 This Shrimp Scampi Recipe is so tasty, it tastes like you have cooked all day.  The wonderful combination of shrimp, herbs, and white wine is a perfect combination to serve over Angel Hair Pasta.

This recipe serves 2 nice size portions

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. of peeled large fresh shrimp.  If your shrimp is frozen, just put them in a bowl and pour 2 cups of cold water over the shrimp and let thaw.

1/2 Lb. Angel Hair Pasta

1 1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup of a good quality olive oil

2 cloves fresh finely minced garlic 

2 envelopes of Good Seasoning Italian Dressing Mix

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup Panko ; Japanese dried bread flakes

3 Tbs. of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp. red pepper 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and mix the pasta with enough of the cooked pasta water to prevent the pasta from sticking together.  Set aside to keep warm.

Peel and devein your shrimp.  Melt 1 stick of butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the minced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until the garlic is golden.  Stir in the dressing mix along with the water and white wine, and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. You can add more liquid to the sauce if needed, water, wine, or both.  Add the shrimp to the thickened, simmering sauce along with 1/4 cup of the chopped parsley and remove from the burner and transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.  If the pan you are using is oven proof, you can just leave everything in the same pan.

In a small pan, melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter with the lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss in the Panco crumbs until well combined.  

Top the shrimp with the Panko topping and bake for 15 minutes, or until the topping begins to turn golden, and the shrimp is cooked.

Serve over the Angel Hair with an additional 1/4 cup parsley for garnish.

Arugula salad with a light dressing with freshly shaved parmesan cheese is a nice accompaniment.  I recommend for a dressing, 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 cup of good, light olive oil ( I use Bertolli Extra Light), and 1 tsp of kosher salt.  Put in a jar with a lid and shake well.  This dressing will keep forever in your refrigerator.  This will become a favorite dressing, and it also makes a nice marinade, tasty and healthy as well.  Add some crusty bread to dip in that amazing sauce, and enjoy a nice glass of Meiomi Pinot Noir and.....

~Bon Appetit

A Repurposed Curtain Rod

 I had been hanging on to this quite outdated gold rod from the '80s.  It was hard for me to replace it as it was an expensive purchase and one of those things that I just couldn't bring myself to let go of. The rod just didn't fit with my decor and my draperies.  Chalk painting was the way to save the rod and give it an updated look.  It was such a simple project that it only took me about a half-hour to do both rods and rings.  I used Dixie Belle (you can tell I use that frequently as I love the way the paint just glides on), The color was Putty with nothing else.  I only gave it one coat, as I liked some of the color from the original rod peeping through.  When it was dry, I gave it a quick coat of my stand-by Dixie Belle Gator Hide to seal it.  This was about a 3-hour project and what a difference it made to the room.  Below you will see the before and after.

In Tough Times, Highly Motivated Realtors Survive and Thrive

When I became a Real Estate Agent almost two years ago, I was constantly being told that many real estate agents will NEVER make it thru their first two years.  As I found myself attending Real Estate University, I was wondering "how" I was going to ever retain all the information that was coming at me day in and day out.  I will never forget our Regional Director who is an amazing realtor, telling me it was like "taking small bites from an elephant"  Well, that elephant was HUDGE!!!  Lots of advice from all different directions was coming at me on a daily basis and I must admit, I felt doomed to fail.  

Every day, I got dressed and went into the office.  My Broker actually gave me an office.  The first time in my life, I ever had my own office.  I was so proud and me being me, my first job was to decorate it.  I listened to all the successful realtors in my office share their success stories and I was in AWE of everyone.  How long did it take them to learn all those contracts and do all that math in their head?  In the beginning, I was left to rely on my soft skills which included my people skills, my self-motivation as well as being a pretty good mediator and I knew how to think on my feet.  How far were those skills going to take me? 

I knew I had to market myself.  That seemed like a pretty daunting task until one rainy day while sitting in my office, I began to look at some of the qualities that I valued most in myself, and having a good heart and wanting to help others was top of the list, but how does having a good heart in this highly competitive field help sell real estate?  By the end of the day, I had decided to take my chances and become "An Agent With Heart", and that quickly took off as I began doing weekly videos and while these videos were real estate oriented, I always talked about women and heart disease as well as developing a healthy lifestyle.  I began to feel some confidence.  That first year, I only had two sales but those two sales taught me so much.  These two sales came from taking floor time, one was a single mother with four children who was tired of renting.  I immediately was taken with her and her family as that was me and my story 50 years ago.  I was able to get them into a brand new home and be present to see their new life begin.  Next was a retired gentleman and his wife who wanted to purchase a manufactured home.  I knew NOTHING about selling manufactured.  He was in another State and I visited every park that we were permitted to sell.  To clarify, as a realtor, we are not allowed to sell on rented land.  I put so many miles on my car, took pictures, sent emails, and narrowed down to about ten homes before he and his wife came for a visit in March.  Sam was my assistant then so he drove and I showed property.  To my surprise, I sold my first manufactured home and met a potential customer along the way.  I was learning a very valuable lesson that has since served me well.  RELATIONSHIPS OVER TRANSACTIONS.  So that is how this Agent With Heart spent her first year as a realtor, two sales and two failed listing appointments due to lack of experience.  I certainly didn't set the world on fire but giving up never entered my mind.  The end of the year also gave me a solid partner as Sam got his real estate license and I knew we could become a force to reckon with.

2020 started out amazing, we shared the first sale of the new year on January 1st with another realtor in our office.  Next came two listings and one more sale. COVID 19 then decided to rear its ugly head.  Thank goodness we were already used to virtual tours as the home we sold the first of the year was done virtually.  We learned to be flexible and bend with the changing times. I made daily calls to for sale by owners and expired listings.  I could see the market was changing but I was changing as well and determined to protect my business that had started to grow.  I continued to educate myself during this time on skills I lacked.  One of those skills was learning to write a good description of a listed property. I still kept hearing, "If you don't list, You won't last."  I don't believe that is necessarily true, as working with buyers was giving me confidence.  Now, I am developing diversified skill sets and am comfortable with both.  Remember one bite at a time out of the elephant.  Sam and I take floor time whenever we can, we continue to make calls and focus on our social media presence. The pandemic has not hurt us as we continue to grow with two more listings.  One sold in less than 24 hours, (good creative writing as well as beautiful pictures) and the other a little longer but just sold yesterday and we have a buyer closing on another home in two weeks, plus yesterday, a new walk-in from floor time. Sam has become the Lot King with what started as one customer, and from that one customer, he has had four referrals for a total of sixteen lots that he has sold.  Perseverance, as well as dedication, has served us well during this pandemic.  These "Agents With Heart" have mastered the 5 skills that every real estate agent needs to have to be successful.  Those skills are  Knowledge, Professionalism, Kindness, Responsiveness, and Helpfulness.  We are about to celebrate those two years that many don't make.  Need a Realtor, Call your 'AGENTS WITH HEART"

Be Fierce, Be Strong..

  “And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” – Mark Anthony

What a statement!  How did I arrive fierce and strong?  Looking back over my life, I think the moment I became a mother if someone or something put my children at risk, I became a fighter...some might even say a "Super Hero." 

 I was a single mother at 27 with three little boys to provide for.  Life has knocked me down more than once, and I have experienced sadness and failure but one thing for sure, I always have gotten back up.  I was never afraid to try anything. That was most apparent when I learned to talk my way into jobs that I had little or no qualifications for.  My attitude was, "They can always say no but maybe they would say Yes instead."  Not to have tried in my way of thinking would have been to have failed.  Why not reach for the moon?  I needed those jobs to support my little family, and for the most part, I heard "You have the job."

Back in those times, it was extremely difficult to find a place to live when you were a single mother with three little boys and heaven forbid you own a dog.  It seemed that life was testing me at every corner of the road but that road became like a mountain with every step I took and the higher I climbed, the stronger my legs got.  I was learning to be tough and ambitious while still maintaining a gentle spirit.  I believe today that would be called a Steel Magnolia. Our first home was a government housing project.  For us, it was a palace, and I used such ingenuity to decorate our little home.  It was pretty cute if I do say so myself.  One thing that remained constant was despite no car, and three jobs, we always ate dinner together every night. Our meals were pretty simple but they were healthy and I learned to put together some pretty amazing recipes from whatever was in the refrigerator or cupboard.  Our favorite was the"Wednesday Night Special," everything that was left in the refrigerator.  I was beginning to instill strong family values into the lives of my little boys. 

We had very little but we had a lot of love.  God was beginning to become the heart of our home.  I knew He was watching over us, as He was teaching me to be secure in the woman he made me, and despite everything happening, I kept faithful and even with tears in my eyes, I always tried to keep a smile and assure all those around me that I was just fine.  I was becoming a strong, fearless, and independent woman who never backed down especially when it came to my little boys.  I've learned to forgive the people who hurt and insulted me.  I just hung on and kept believing in myself.  

Well here I am 50 years later, the salt in my wounds isn't burning anymore, it's not that I don't feel pain because I still do, but I have learned through the years that no one will take away or dim the light from within me.  I am Fierce, Strong, and Independent and have become the heroine in my own life instead of the victim.

AGENTS WITH HEART

Sam and I, your "Agents With Heart" have a beautiful new listing coming on the market as soon as Friday. Whether you are a CAR COLLECTOR, BOATING ENTHUSIAST, OR TRAVEL BUFF, or a BAND looking for an insulated place to practice, this lovingly maintained and newly renovated home has a POLE BARN that can hold 9 cars and includes a car lift, and yes....a large boat or RV can find its way into this spacious outbuilding that is state of the art. Fully air-conditioned and a new 75" TV is just waiting for your entertainment. Did I mention a big back yard with a screened lanai home to an 8' deep pool? Haven't even touched on all the upgrades in this charming home. Just need to make an appointment and see for yourself. Don't forget to watch for beautiful professional pictures coming tomorrow. Just wanted to wet your whistle. We will be marketing this property located in a much sought after neighborhood in North Port that surrounds Blue Ridge Lake that goes out to CoCo Plum Waterway on several media sites. It won't last long!!!! Give your ❤️Agents With Heart❤️a call at 239-410-4431 and schedule your appointment. $289,900

A Shabby Coffee Table transformed to Chic Country French

Anything old can be made classy and beautiful with a little ingenuity as well as patience and time.  This table was banged up pretty bad which was what attracted me to it.  I cleaned it up with Mineral Spirits as I always do.  Then I took a putty knife and stripped some of the loose pieces of wood off to really give it a gouged look.  Next came one coat of Dixie Belle Burlap chalk paint all over the table to include the gouged places.  I used a dry brush technique.  What is the dry brush technique?

One of the key elements in using the dry brush technique with chalk paint is offloading. Offloading is the process of wiping paint off of the brush after you have dipped it in the paint. You can do this on a paper towel or other material to prepare your dry brush.  Then you just paint as normal.  You will be able to see some on the paint underneath which can eliminate the sanding process.

After the paint was dry, I used Annie Sloane's dark wax in the gouged places to achieve the dark color I was looking for.  I then taped the dark wax gouges with blue tape so they would not lighten up while I finished the project with a mix of dark and white wax all over the table to seal the paint.  Start with a little dark wax and keep adding white wax (I use a plastic knife and paper plate for this process) until I achieved my desired distressed color.  Remember you can always go darker but changing back to light can be a bit more challenging.  Apply your wax with a round waxing brush, then after the wax is applied, it's time to buff your wax.  I use my husband's old tee shirts that I cut up for my polishing cloths.  Next, some elbow grease to polish until you feel a smooth surface.  A cut piece of granite on top and now you have a beautiful Country French Coffee Table.

Looking Forward

 My thoughts today are with all young families facing the dilemma of "Do we go back to school, or continue virtual learning?"  My heart💗 goes out to all these parents, having to make that decision, and I also think of the amazing teachers having to learn an entirely new way of teaching without socialization.  I have tried thru this pandemic to look for a ray of sunshine in all of these challenges., so here goes...  While COVID 19 has turned all our lives upside down, the crisis could be a much-needed opportunity to improve family life for the better, forever.  This virus has brought hardships for most of us, and at the top is economic insecurity for many, and tragedy for those who have lost a loved one. Think back to an ordinary week with the kids, there were school and daycare drop-offs, pickups and those hurried meals without the family being present just to get back in the car to drop-off all over again for dance lessons, piano, sports and a long list of after school activities.  Do you remember the times you wished to just take a breath from it all?  Well, now you have an empty calendar and here you are, no more school, no day-care, no after school activities and you are faced with the challenge of just being able to work.  In talking to a lot of young families, all those after school activities have been replaced with much simpler things like family walks, bike rides, horseback riding, and a resurgence of family game night.   Zoom meetings have provided an opportunity to be with all our long-distance family and friends as well as those that live close by.  With more time to plan meals, dusty cookbooks have come off the shelves and old family recipes, as well as healthier meals, are being prepared.  The family is sitting together and talking These are positive changes toward more of family life and while COVID 19 will continue, perhaps day by day we will get just 1% better and soon reach a "new normal," while still remembering how it felt to lead a much simpler life where you were actually able to sit back and watch how a family can interact with one another with joy and happiness just spending time making cookies with flour all over the kitchen.  Yes, we can still look forward to smiling faces.