Darling Dressing Table Makeover

Here is an old dressing table that was once a warm gold.  Definitely not appealing to the eye.  Annie Sloan once again to the rescue.  I taped off the drawers where I did not want to paint and did the rest of the table in Duck Egg Blue and finished with Dixie Belle Gator Hide for endurance. 

You Don't Have To Wait For The Perfect Time

"Do Not Wait," because the perfect time will never come along.   There will never be a perfect time to start, so why not today, right now, this very minute where you stand.  There is only one thing standing between you and you're becoming your best self and that one thing is "YOU."   No more time for excuses like I need more money, more time, more experience, more research, and the cycle continues with every trip around the sun as you continue to fill your head with empty excuses.  Many people live their entire life looking out the window watching everyone else have all the fun.  Maybe we were told as a young person that a goal we had was ridiculous and unachievable.  In my case, I was an adult when someone told me I was too old to achieve what I had always aspired to be.  Shame on me, I was only forty-nine at the time, and looking back, I regret that I didn't listen to my own heart but foolishly let someone else's opinion influence me.  That caused me a lot of self-criticisms and doubt.  I am happy to say that I overcame that image of myself, I took the first step and while I was not able to achieve my perfect dream, I achieved much more for myself.  Step by step I became more confident, smarter, and more successful. It didn't matter to me if I failed, the important thing was I tried and I keep trying.

I take and still do, regardless of my age, every opportunity that comes along to grow and grow as I am on the path to living the best me.  It's not achieving the dream that's important but rather the journey you will take to continue reaching for whatever it might be that you are in search of.   When we look back on our lives, studies show the most common regrets are not the chances we took but the ones we didn't.  Today I search for the path that brings my heart the most happiness, I work as hard as I can toward it and ask God to guide my steps.  I once read, write your plans in pencil and give God the pen.

Live Well and Prosper

~Helen Ann  

Teriyaki Flank Steak or London Broil

This recipe is from a collection from my "If Recipies Could Talk" cookbook.  I recalled many times my children would call me for a "special" recipe or two.  I would either try to recall it from the recesses of my memory or try to locate it in one of many cookbooks or scratch paper where I was known to scribble recipes.  It occurred to me that if I put together a potpourri of my favorite recipes, it would be a meaningful gift to give my family.  That being said, in 2000 I spent eight months painstakingly working my way through more cookbooks than I ever thought I owned.  I would type a recipe and remember (I was an empty nester by this time) a memorable family time when we would enjoy this dish together at our dinner table.  These beautiful memories of family times became the threads that wove my cookbook together.  While writing this book, I asked my children to share some of their favorite recipes.  The following was and still is my son, Cliff's, favorite.  I hope you enjoy it and create your own memories around the table.

Teriyaki London Broil

1 (1 1/2 lb) London Broil or flank steak

5 green onions

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. crushed ginger (I chop it finely and then use a fork to crush it)

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3 tbs. honey

2 tbs vinegar

Place the london broil in a large shallow dish.  Combine all ingredients, mixing well.  Pour over the steak, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours, turning occasionally.  Drain the steak, reserving the marinade.  Grill, basting with the marinade, 5-10 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer registers 130-135 degrees for rare, 140 degrees for medium-rare, and 155 degrees for medium.  It is best to let your meat rest approximately 5 minutes after removing it from the grill.   To serve slice the steak across the grain into thin slices.

~Bon Appetit

Home-Selling Checklist: Things to Do Before Selling Your House

Prepare your home and your family by knowing the things to do when you are getting ready to sell your home. Here is a list that I normally use to help my customers.

Call your 💓Agents With Heart 💓 (239) 410-4431.  Naturally, I would say this since it is my blog but it is important to call a good Real Estate agent to help with the process.

Make your living space as uncluttered and attractive as you can.  Less is always best.

I don't feel the need to tell my customers to totally depersonalize their space as you want it to look like a home.  Family pictures here and there are a nice touch.  Even model homes have a few pictures of people around.  You are just looking for a clean palette that buyers can visualize living there.

Bright blue could be your very favorite color but it could be a buyers least favorite.  You are always safer with neutral tones.  Try to clean up scuff marks on the doors and baseboards.

Fix broken handles, broken glass or screens.  Even a missing lightbulb could be a turn off to a buyer.  The more light you have, the better.  Don't close windows with dark curtains..bring in the light.  You want a happy home.😀

Do a clean sweep of tables, countertops, windowsills.  Clean behind closed doors, straighten out closets and cabinets.  If you have too much "stuff" laying around it might make the potential buyers think there would not be enough room for their things.  Closets and cabinets will be opened.

You don't want any odors.  In helping my sellers, I always do a "smell test."  It helps to have a third party do this as you might have gotten used to a certain smell that others will notice immediately.   It is a lovely touch to have a small pot of potpourri simmering.  I would recommend electric so it is not on the stove.  I do not recommend candles but try baking some bread or cookies.  Around the holidays, use some fresh greenery.  Nothing beats the smell of fresh pine.  A DIY peppermint spray is lovely as well as lavender in the bathrooms.  The smell you are looking for is "cozy."

You might want to consider a bowl of fresh fruit or a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen counter along with a plate of cookies, I would avoid chocolate or nuts...sugar cookies would be perfect.  A treat for your guests.

Curb appeal is also important.  Some people will drive by and not even come in if they don't like the way your home looks from the outside.   Buyers do tend to judge a book by its cover.  If you are unsure of how to improve your curb appeal, ask your realtor for help.  That is what he or she is there for and they help sellers with this all the time.

Next clean, clean, and clean some more.  Don't leave beds unmade and dirty towels in the bathroom.  Your realtor will want to take professional pictures so you want your home to look its Sunday best.  Naturally, you will always want your home to look like the pictures.

Hide your medications and valuables.  Sometimes things can disappear during an open house and you don't want that to happen.  Better safe than sorry.😕

If your home screams the '70s or '80s you might talk to your realtor about helping you stage it.  I once sold a home for a customer by finding some vinyl furniture in the garage and by the time we finished, the living room rocked the retro look of the '60s and sold immediately. 

There are many types of good luck traditions in selling a home.  Below you will find a website with many ideas and perhaps you will find one suitable for you.  Best of luck to you and I hope this post has been helpful.

https://www.homego.com/blog/these-superstitions-might-help-sell-your-house/