People are often times put off when I introduce myself as an Interior Designer/artist/feng shui student/home staging instructor (not necessarily in that order). They actually take a step back especially here in the small town of Selma CA. "I Color YOUR World" really says it all for me. Pleople want to know HOW? Finding a simple and understandable one liner to identify ones profession is a thrill and what a lucky find and solution to a common problem when I came across the following article. Please pass it on...it could make introductions more enjoyable and colorful for all of us. Please share us know what you come up with for yourself or any profession for that matter! Double Your Income With an Unlimited Number of Highly-Qualified Prospects For Free By: Raymond Aaron The way to get an ... 07/26/2009

Anyone can follow instructions, right? Well, save a few people who are completely intimidated by a cooking recipe, but really, we have all followed footprints in the sand when we were kids and we still follow footprints in our lives today. Perfect for real estate agents who want to help their clients prepare their homes and perfect for FSOB's; Here is what you will find at www.how2homestage.com to prepare a home for a successful sale... • Home Staging Evaluation Checklist Forms (21 pages) - Leave your worries behind! This is a complete 21 page checklist that identifies every aspect of a standard 5 bedroom home from the mailbox to the door pulls. All the work has been done for you...all you do is circle the action to be taken and it becomes your to-do-list. The checklist also helps you e... 08/30/2008

Selma...I Love Living Here! There, I said it!  May the comfort gods find peace at last...at least for the moment... My problem? Perfect weather vs. ultimate convenience; As an example; I picked my brother up from his new little house is Selma to take him to the bank. In those days I was still smoking so he lit up a cigarette in the car and when I pulled up to the bank, he looked at me and asked "Are we here already? I smirked and replied with "Yep!" Then without any warning he coined a phrase for Selma I have used over and over again, He said "Man, this is a two puff town!" Size is relative, I know, and so is the level of convenience on experiences. I come from Los Angeles and there, convenience was the freeway and the beach. Living in Denver; snow plowed streets early in the day meant ... 06/20/2008

  I love cooking with fresh herbs from my own garden. I love braking off an aloe vera leaf, split it open, and rub it on a burn to ease the pain or a cut so it won't scar. I love adding rosemary and mint to my bath (and mojito's). I crave a deeper understanding of their healing powers and uses. Active Rain has become my journal of sorts, for keeping track of certain information that would otherwise be lost. I dream of living a life where I run to herbs as my remedies. If you have insight or information that you would like to include, that would be great! Rosamary - has a long history as a memory-enhancing herb. rosemary tea and rosemary sprigs in bathwater have an anti-Alzheimer's effect...and it also improves circulation in general. Basil - is a member of the mint family, and contains ... 05/30/2008

I can't tell you how stunned I was when a forty something woman said she had never heard of global warming And quite honestly, I believe she would never have found out had she not dropped by my home Saturday night. All my lights were out and candles were glowing all over the house. She asked "whats up?". When I told her that it was Earth Hour, you would think I just told her they found a new planet with people on it and she was the last one to know. She came in and sat down anxious to hear all the details.How could an American with two children not know the plight of the polar bear or what the new squiggly light bulbs are for? How can this be!!! My friend said she does not watch TV...nor does she read the newspaper. (I wondered how many people really don't know about global warming?) I ... 03/31/2008

Today is the day I weed out what I want to write about and what I will just toss. I have always had piles of torn pages from decorator and food magazines but now, because of my awareness gained through Active Rain and the Eco group, I have a GREEN pile and it is the tallest of them all.At the top of this pile of greenness is an article from one of my AARP magazines and have been hanging onto it for a few weeks now. The photo depicts a tree standing on the side of the road with it's suitcase in one hand and the other with a thumb out. It speaks volumes to me of our grave global warming situation even though it makes me laugh every time I see it. I often think about our early blooming trees here in the San Joaquin Valley and how fragile fruit and vegetables are. The farmers fear frost eve... 03/11/2008

Growing up in LA meant that you did your shopping within a one mile radius from your house. We did our grocery shopping, clothes shopping, went to the dentist and doctor on the corner and belonged to the closest church We were loyal to our local businesses and they trusted our loyalty and often laziness. Selma, Ca where I live now, is very much the same way. With a little more than 24,000 residents, I would say most of them grew up here, went to school with the local store owners, and a walk down the street is reminiscent of Mayberry or Little House on the Prairie with howdies and did you hear the so and so died. Everyone does their business within a one mile radius here too or they stick to whomever they have used till the end. Now check this out these new guys from elsewhere; I have b... 03/01/2008

I am glued to the TV this weekend watching "Planet Earth" and other shows celebrating Green Day. Our beloved planed is in trouble because of us and we are the only ones who can do anything about it. I have Tivo'd everything I could find. The red light was on last night when I went to bed and on this morning when I woke up. We have come a long way since the first economy car was introduced way back when.  I am also overwhelmed at how stuck I am to old patterns. I cannot believe that I went to the supermarket yesterday and came home with my groceries in plastic bags again. We have been posting all week here in the rain about what changes to make and bringing my own bags to the market was going to be my big new contribution to my color green. I am stunned how thick headed I am! I completel... 04/22/2007

My backyard has turned into an aviary this year for several reasons...here are some sure fire elements if you want to attract birds to your backyard...I am building a water feature with a waterfall, bubbler, and a fire pit  aka bird bath!Birds eat dry dog food as evidence is left behind on the bowl Who knew!Patio draperies are perfect for nesting   (Excuse the disheveled panels, we just had a wind storm blow through here and yes, those are x-mas lights I leave on year round...they make great mood lighting in the evenings...better than candle glow.)I love birds and used to spread bird seed in the back half acre just for them but they have moved to the main house for the above reasons. Why not? Everyone is looking for spa bathrooms, 24/7 gourmet buffet dining, and a room with a view! Howe... 03/18/2007

Do you have mockingbirds? I don't know about anywhere else in the world that has as many as we do in California, but in Central CA we have many, possibly one per household.  When I lived in Colorado, I had one that had the most beautiful songs and felt blessed that it sang outside my window. Now I am in the country and our mockingbirds have a very limited vocabulary of sparrows and finches and it is driving me nuts.  A couple of years ago there were two that lived in the tree in the back yard and sang all night. Did you know they sing till 4 a.m.? They do. I swear I wanted to kill that bird and lo and behold it left. It really did...for a whole year. We were kind of freaked out around here thinking I had super powers. The mockingbird did finally return (maybe not the same one) the next ... 03/06/2007

Last night my granddaughter was tested for her yellow belt in Karate. Why am I posting about this in AR? These ceremonies are a celebration of success. No, she is not a black belt yet but she is testing for the yellow belt. My friend and my mother watched on with me as Haley (my granddaughter) was tested and she didn't miss a beat. "I am so nervous for her" said my friend. But Haley was not nervous because she has been learning for one year, in little pieces, all the techniques that flowed seamlessly into a perfect exhibition. Haley was, however, nervous about how hard she was going to get hit in the stomach and if she would cry. I did not know what she was talking about until the end of the test. Each new yellow belt would get punched in the stomach by the black belt instructor. The in... 02/01/2007