Cheryl's Blog

Well I don't remember if I have mentioned this before but last month I was asked to be a bridesmaid in a friends wedding.  I am very honored because I have never been in a wedding before and it just makes me feel valuable to my friends, like I have made a difference in their life somehow.  With the sense of honor I feel a strong sense of responsibility to be the best bridesmaid ever!  I just really want to be there for her and never complain or whine about the time or financial commitments like I see so many other bridesmaids do.  Its not right and I personally would be devastated if I were planning a wedding and my bridesmaids made me feel like I was imposing on them.   

That being said, one of the obligations I am most excited about is to help the maid-of-honor plan the bachelorette party!  Woo-hoo!  And since I know the maid-of-honor really well I know I will really get to have my say about what we do.  The bride-to-be has already said she wants the party to last an entire weekend- one night a smaller slumber party with closer friends and some family, and the other night more wild at Atlantic City probably.  I was looking around on the internet for some ideas for bachelorette parties and what we can do to make the night all the more wild and exciting.  I didn't realize in other areas of the world they are called stag or hen parties.  Apparently there are companies that will orchestrate the whole event for you, and you can have one all over the world!  Can you imagine?  I saw some of the photos of tropical islands where you can have your 'hen party'.  That would be so amazing, and if it were my hypothetical wedding instead of my friends, it would fit in great with the destination wedding I am really dying to have. 

cheryl @ 11:53 | comments(0) | Permanent link

I was listening to NJ 101.5 on the way to work this morning, and they were talking about the real estate market and how the price of homes has really taken a nosedive.  They were saying a few years ago you could your home on the market and buyers would be lining up at the front door to buy the home.  Well, not quite.  I was in fact a real estate agent a couple of years ago so I knew the market pretty well, although I was a beginner so I couldn't really speak in terms of how it compared to the past.  At the time I was a real estate agent prices were so high that buyers often wanted to wait or wanted special discounts from the seller.  They could not fathom paying so much and in a way I could agree with them!  That is why I never felt very good acting enthusiastic about a property that I didn't really believe was worth it.  Plus people really did not give me a lot of credit and I admit I was a bit immature at the time.  I really had no place selling anybody a home. 

I imagine nowadays real estate agents have to do a lot more when looking for new and loyal clients.  Many people are not ready to buy still cause they are afraid of the home value going down.  One valuable way to stand out in prospective buyer's mind is in the use of promotional marketing products.  I am sure everyone has seen calendars or pens with a business name or logo on them.  I am not sure how well things like pens work, but other products can really be appeciated by clients and seen as fantastic corporate gifts.  I remember my mentor at the real estate office where I worked would hand out packets of flower seeds for clients to remember her in the spring when they are planting their garden (also a popular time of year to be getting your home ready to sell).  Another great and appreciated gift were the rubber jar openers. 

As I was taking this trip down memory lane this morning, I decided to look up some business promotional products to see what is out there nowadays.  While a lot of the things you can get are pretty much the same across the board, it is important to look for unique marketing products that are affordable and good quality.  You don't want the very gift that represents your quality and service to break on the potential client!

cheryl @ 12:01 | comments(0) | Permanent link

I was actually in the bathroom early this morning, about to take a shower, when I was looking around my bathroom and wondering how it appears to friends and strangers.  I am so used to it looking the same for all my life, since I live at my grandparent's house that they built.  My bathroom has green avacado colored tiles and white fixtures.  It looks very 1960s to me.  Maybe a bit earlier as it is not quite so ugly as the green appliance hues of the 1960s.  To me it seems pretty comforting and we can even get the tiles and tub pretty sparkling.  But ever since my party a few weeks ago I have been wondering how the decor came off to people who haven't seen how I am living, and I am wondering if too many it would appear outdated.

When I think of bathrooms nowadays, I think of updated shower stalls that are all one piece and even go over what is already existing in the bathroom.  I also think of pedestal sinks and brightly lit vanity mirrors above the sinks.  I have even seen some funky faucets on those home decorating shows on tv.  I am not sure where on my list of priorities updating the bathroom falls.  On the one hand, I don't really like the colors.  On the other hand, there is a real old-fashioned comfy feel I have going on right now and I don't want to mess it up too much by making the wrong decorating decision and coming up with something that looks cold and space-age. 

One thing I have been thinking about every day since I have been spending time taking baths with oils and bubbles that I got for Christmas, is getting a heated towel rack.  Right now I drape my towel on the radiator but it doesn't warm the towel up that much.  I would love love love a cozy hot towel right after the bath on those freezing winter days.

cheryl @ 11:44 | comments(0) | Permanent link