What Does Sex Trafficking and Home Staging Have in Common?

That isn’t a question just to get you wondering what this post is about. This post really is about sex trafficking and Home Staging.

They have a lot in common. Really.

Even more so, it has to do with using your God given talents to help others. I use mine to help women coming off the streets that have been caught in the horrific sex trafficking trade.

My latest was to volunteer my time to a Non-profit organization that provides apartments to women that were able to escape this horrible situation. This apartment was to be for a young 18 year old girl who had given birth 3 months prior while she was just 17.

These are not luxury apartments, they are not in nice apartment buildings and they are not in a great area of town. They are places that most of us wouldn’t want to enter.

But to them it is a palace.

This is pretty common what I see when I enter. One room…it is the kitchen, the bedroom, the dining room and the living room. But hey….I am a Home Stager. I see potential! Ha.

The bathrooms are usually disgusting.

These women coming off the streets have nothing. And I mean nothing. It takes very little to help.

Let’s create a dining room shall we?? A donated table and some cafe chairs from a flea market painted a fun color.

Dishes from the dollar store, artwork from ,my warehouse and a Dining Room fit for a Queen.

The only thing I make sure of is that the mattress, box spring and bedding is brand spanking new.

The bed has not been a safe place for them and now I want it to be a place of total comfort and peace.

A little touch of chocolates on the bed and fresh flowers on the dresser to make them smile.

A donated bedroom set and a chair and that really is all there is room for but it is so much more than she has had. Really….she has nothing.

Donated kettles in the cabinets, a few groceries to get her started.

A new shower curtain and towels from Kmart.

……….and now there is a home for a girl and her baby.

Do you agree? Does Sex Trafficking and Home Staging have a lot in common?

What are your talents that you can share with someone?

Good with numbers? Help a new widow reconcile a checkbook for the first time.

Good with organization? Help a single Mom organize her child’s toys.

Good with paperwork? Help an elderly person fill out medicare or social security forms.

***Interested in how and why I started donating my time? Check out my original post “Do You Have A Dream? Let Me Tell You a Story”

Our Baby Elephant Died….I am so Sad.

About three weeks ago we chose to foster a baby elephant. His name was Rukinga and was rescued when he was about three weeks old.

When he was found, there was no evidence of any wild elephants remaining in the area, and he had obviously been alone for some time as his ears were becoming tender and sun burnt.

The scouts monitored him for a further three hours to be sure that his herd or mother was not going to return. In this time it was evident the calf was desperate for company, joining a herd of cattle that had come in to water.

He was only a few weeks old with the dried remnants of his umbilical cord still showing on his underside. Given the increase in poaching in this area it is possible his mother was poached as elephants rarely leave their young.

Rukinga being transported to the refuge:

Rukinga’s flight to the Nursery:

Rukinga receiving some nourishment:

We were notified today that Rukinga had died during the teething process which is a very difficult time for baby elephants in captivity.

Baby elephants cut their molars between the age of 1 – 4 months and have an easy process of it in the wild but not so in captivity. They don’t know why but they are very susceptible to infection during this process in captivity. The milk formula received in captivity in place of their mother’s milk may be a key.

After telling us the measures that were taken to save Rukinga, the email ended like this:

“And so, the earthly remains of precious baby Rukinga, who died at dusk amidst the tears of his adopted human family, breathed his last as darkness took hold. He was deeply loved and is deeply mourned, not only by us but by all his foster parents who supported and loved him in life and so wanted him to live.

But, it was not to be. He now rests in peace alongside many others who have not made it, within the tranquility of the quiet forest environment of Nairobi National Park. We are sure that his spirit will now be reunited with that of his beautiful Elephant Mother. Somewhere in the Great Somewhere because even here on earth he was so very angelic. Following grief, the page has to be turned, for there will be many others in need of help and care, and we all have to be there for them as well. ”

We will be fostering another baby elephant soon and will keep you posted. If you are interested in the Fostering Program for Orphaned Elephants please check out:

The David Shelrick Wildlife Trust 

Fall Is The Perfect Time to Go! Is is the perfect time to go to on vacation, the perfect time to go bike riding but it really is the perfect time to go to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market!!

I cannot believe how much this Farmer’s Market has grown! It is no longer just about fruits and vegetables but that is still the main reason I go. YUMMM….

The FRESH CUT FLOWERS!!

The Minneapolis Farmers Market started in 1937 and has grown to 230 vendors!

It is the sites, the sounds, the people, the colors, the home made brats, the jewelry, the fresh honey, the artist booths. live music, cooking demonstrations and on and on!

Although it is open every day I recommend the weekends as that is when ALL the vendors are there and when all the fun hussle and bustle is going on. But go early to get a parking spot!

The Minneapolis Farmers Market is located at:

312 East Lyndale Ave North, Minneapolis, MN 55405 and open daily 6AM – 1PM May – October.

I think it will bring a smile to your face!

Do I Have a Problem? No…Seriously! Home Staging Minneapolis MN

Maybe I don’t want you to answer that but I really do think I have a problem!

I have been really busy lately. Super Busy. Especially with vacant home stagings.

So one day last week I was packing for another Vacant Home Staging job and I was picking out throw pillows for the sofa, chairs, benches, bed, etc. You get the picture.

I was going up and down the 4 aisles of throw pillow shelving in my warehouse (one aisle shown above) when all of a sudden I was like “Oh gosh…I am almost out of pillows! My shelves are almost empty! What will I do?”

For some reason I decided to count how few pillows I had left as my stock had never been this low.

Guess the number….No Really…Guess??

7 remaining?

16 Remaining??

Nope…102!!

I THOUGHT I DIDN’T HAVE MANY THROW PILLOWS LEFT TO CHOOSE FROM AND I HAD 102 PILLOWS LEFT.

So I can take it………Do I have a Problem??

What can I say…I love summer. One of my favorite places to be is on my patio with my husband and three St. Bernards. Why do I love summer? Look at what God created!! A little seed can become this……

The variety of greenery ….

The colors…..

The tranquility…..

I hope you are enjoying your summer and taking time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery around you!

No it’s not! It is just not fair!!

I just spent an hour and a half in my closet trying on:

 
1) Every pair of black pants known to mankind (yes I have many).

2) Every silk camisole (yes I have many).      

3) Every jacket long and short, crop sweater, and shawl imaginable.

4) Fourteen pairs of shoes.

5) Thirty-three pairs of earrings.

And…..drum roll please……982 combinations later I now have the best outfit possible from my closet that fits me to wear to a fund raiser tonight.

On the other hand….my husband will grab a tie on the way out of the house and call it good.

Not fair..not fair I tell you!!!

But hey…Martina McBride, I am looking as good for you tonight as possible! LOL

Is there a movie that relates to you or your business?

Think hard…..I bet there is. I was thinking about it when the answer hit me like a TON OF BRICKS. Literally. LOL

I am many things in Life but the most important are:

1) A Woman of God

2) A Wife

3) A Big Dog Mom

And duh….what better movie to depict a HUGE (another intended pun) part of my life than Mom to St. Bernards.   We not only have our own St. Bernards but my husband and I also are a part of “St. Bernard Rescue”, taking in Saints that have been abandoned and abused and nursing them back to health until they find their forever home.

Whether they are with us a week or six months….I cry when our foster kids leave. The only good part is we have final say in the home they are going to so that helps.

The Saints we have had as our very own forever kids: Baxter, Savanna, Princess Ann, Barkley, Roby, Ilean (she leaned on everything and everybody…”I Lean” …get it? LOL….she came with her own warning), Timber, Sally and our new addition as of Sunday, Annika.

Annika is 8 1/2 years old and her previous Dad is losing his home to foreclosure and the house he will be renting does not take dogs. Annika needed a place to spend the last few years of her life but it is really tough to place a dog that is 8 1/2 years old when their life expectancy is 8 – 10 years.  After living outside in a dog run for 8 1/2 years, within an hour of being with us Annika had found a blankie in my husband’s office and was snoring. AAhhh…I love that sound.

The Saints we have fostered are: Jake, Brutus, Scooby, Belle, and Benjamin. (not as many as our fosters tend to become our forever kids, ha).

So we now have three St. Bernards in our home. We have six in Heaven.

Take a look at who I am as a person through my family photo album:

We have Birthday Parties:

We drink wine (Dog House wine if you take note):

We take naps:

We have bath time:

Take Sunday drives:

And get into trouble…….(“Oops…that open container on the counter wasn’t for me?”)

The movie Beethoven has nothing on me! It could have been filmed at my house. LOL

Take a look at this movie trailer to get a glimpse into my life! LOL

So, this morning I wake up, stumble to the coffee maker and as my beans are grinding and I start smelling the fresh aroma of coffee, I pick up my phone and check out the junk emails that I need to delete that came during the night.  

Well, I came upon this one left late last night from a Realtor and I won’t be deleting it!

“I just want you to know how much you rock! I listed the home on 90th ave on Friday. They took the last 3 weeks to do everything you asked. I mean everything! By 6pm Saturday we had 15 showings, 8 offers and now one sold house!!!

Your abilities as a stager go far beyond that of decorating knowledge. That’s only a portion of what makes you incredible at your job. Your ability to easily connect with people and create an immediate sense of trust allowing them to accept what needs to be done and approach all tasks with an open mind versus the emotions that consistently tell sellers that they know better and your recommendations wont make that much of a difference. When people accept and trust the process of the professionals they hire, the results always come. ALWAYS!!!!

Thank you again for your wonderful demeanor with my clients and of course….allowing me to share your talents with them. You make me look like a rock star!”

Now if that isn’t the nicest thing for the Realtor to stop and write after an extremely hectic day with 8 offers in one day! What a great guy and it reflects why I like working with him as well.

It made my day! So a reminder to us all, in a culture where we hear only the negative…..if you like what others have done for you, tell them!

And when you are working with others, put yourself in their shoes and be kind. Just be kind.

Yup….Must Be January!

New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, get in better shape, blah blah blah. Don’t get me wrong, it is all wonderful! I commend you and I hope you stay with it.

But boy or boy it is hysterical come January to see the parking lot at my health club.

I work out at Life Time Fitness,    an extremely large facility. The one by my home is one of their largest in the country I believe with something like 350,000 sq. ft or some crazy number. Plus four pools, spa, cafe, 4 water slides, outdoor umbrellas, outdoor grill, yoga room…..you get the picture.

So yesterday I go to work out about 8:30 AM (I don’t normally workout on Saturday unless I haven’t gotten there much during the week); and oops, forgot it was January! I had to park in the back forty literally!

The parking lot is huge as you can imagine with a facility that size and it was packed. I had to park at the furthest end instead of in my normal 4th or 5th row. I easily walked a block and a half from my car to the front door. Granted I am there for the exercise but when it is 12 degrees and even lower with the windchill it is BBbrrrrrr.

When I came out of the facility about 10:30 it was even worse! Cars were circling watching for people to leave because there weren’t any spaces, cars were parked along drive paths. It was crazy!

But, it will be a little better in March, and much better come April. Then we will see the phenomenon all over again next January. But for the short term….I’ll be walking a little further each day!

If the gym is part of your New Year’s Resolution stick with it! Make the rest of us walk a long distance the rest of the year, not just January!

Do You Need A Silent Night?

My life has been nuts lately….what about yours?

Business as usual, shopping, wrapping, baking, blogging, year end planning, marketing, business planning for 2012, and on and on and on.

So maybe you need a Silent Night too.

Let the words and music of Amy Grant give you that….at least for a few minutes.