“Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together.”

I was browsing through my Facebook friends this morning and thought to see what my old friend Liz is up to. I went looking through some of her photos and was amazed by what I saw. She had traveled to Spain for a semester which a huge group of friends and taken over 1,000 pictures! I saw her dancing, site seeing, just living really and you could tell she had been having the time of her life. I also saw my younger sister's vacation to Italy and all of her adventures there. It amazes me! I feel like I have skipped that part of adventure in my life and gone straight to responsibility and hard work, like I'm going on 30. I'm only 21 years old and I have kept my mind set on whats going to happen next, how we're going to pay the bills, worrying about everything instead of doing the things that I WANT to be doing with my life. So in a sense I haven't been living, I've been dealing, and maybe dreaming of things but always putting them off for another day. What if I don't have another day? What experiences am I going to remember most?

I've heard the saying, "...that's on my life list..."and thought maybe it's time I put my own life list together showing all the things and goals I'm determined to make happen before I die. I'm not setting a limit or anything, I haven't actually thought about it until now so I did a little research on how to create your "life list." It can be tricky because you can get carried away writing down all the things you can imagine to do and they aren't always realistic which can set you up for disappointment. Everything I write down I want to seriously make it happen and if I know it's a long shot I'm going to take it off. I know some of my goals will change as I get older but for now here is what I put together:

In no specific order...

-Vacation in Italy or Ireland
-Go on a cruise
-Para sail
-Perform a dance routine in front of an audience
-Get into a form of exercise (whether it be running, pilates, kick boxing, cycling...etc) and get in the best shape of my life doing it.
-Graduate college
-Pose for a pin-up girl photo shoot
-Go to NYC for New Years Eve
-Get a tattoo and never regret it
-Horseback riding, anywhere! I just want to ride a horse.
-Buy a fixer upper home, remodel, and make it my dream home
-Take tons and tons of pictures and put them together in scrapbooks

That's all I can think of right now! I'm sure I'll be adding to it as things cross my mind :)

Tag, I'm it!

OK well no one actually tagged me (sad) but I saw it on Nicki's post and wanted to try it :)

Four places I visit over & over:
1. RE/MAX Results
2. Burger King
3. Home
4. Hailey's

Four People who e-mail-txt me regularly:
1. Josh
2. Alecia
3. Hailey
4. Heather

Four favorite foods:
1. Rodeo Cheeseburger
2. Cafe Rio's soup
3. Crunch Wrap
4. Mom's meatballs

Four places I'd rather be:
1. Drinking espresso in Italy
2. Relaxing on a Rhode Island Beach
3. Playing beer pong in Bristallll my home town
4. Canada... to take advantage of the legal substances :)

Four movies I'd watch over & over:
1. My Best Friend's Wedding
2. Thelma & Louise
3. The Little Mermaid
4. Half Baked

Bands/Groups I love to listen to:
1. John Mayer
2. Jack Johnson
3. Blink 182
4. DMB

Four People I am tagging:
1. Heather
2. Hailey
3. Josh
4. Thats it!

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”

About a month ago I was asked by one of the agents in my office if I would like to stage a house for one of her clients. I had expressed to her my passion for design a few times before so I was so enthused that she wanted to give me this opportunity! I gladly accepted the offer and went to see how bad of shape the house was in that afternoon.

I must say, it was pretty bad- bad because of 2 things- dated decor and bad energy.

Jerri Snarr (the agent) told me about the situation her seller was in. His wife had recently passed away due to depression that she had been dealing with for a long time. They had a lot of kids together and had been married for something like 30 years. The family is very religious and had pictures of temples, family photos, and religious sayings EVERYWHERE. It was very cluttered and very personalized, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but when you're trying to sell you need to de-personalize as much as possible.

We started de-cluttering and tried to make it look as good as it could for the time being by doing some basic staging. Here are some photos of how it looked before:

Where is the color?! You can't really tell but the entire house has a chair rail. Painting would have been a huge plus but the budget was limited and the seller wasn't interested in painting.

A common misunderstanding that sellers have is the thinking that if you leave your walls white, the buyer will like that they won't have to paint over everything and it will just be a blank canvas for them. It's actually not a good thing to ignore your walls and keep everything white. Buyers have zero imagination. They need you to create it for them by painting and adding inspiration. I knew I needed to add pops of color in the couch, mantle, and above the entertainment center and somehow tie it all in with the kitchen and dining since it was such an open floor plan.

Nice kitchen but take a look at the heart wreath. Those kinds of silk floral arrangements were literally everywhere. Look at the gorgeous hardwood floors! That dark green colored rug isn't doing anything to accent it. And that window doesn't look very appealing either.



Notice the rug in the dining. Pale greens & pinks. Ewww. The sad thing is that the hardwood floors aged and changed color, but under the rug they looked the same as when they were put in. Which means that a rug now always needs to be covering that space. I also had to figure out a way to work with the light woods in the kitchen, floors, and living and still make the harsh dark mahogany color of the dining set look good together

We didn't take pictures of the master bedroom before but this picture of a bedroom downstairs will give you an idea of how ugly is was. The picture to the right is of the master bathroom. Notice the burgundy, dark green and gold color scheme. Yugh. Very nice tile though. Staging is all about accenting the best features of the home so I knew I would really have to show off the tile and hardwood floors.

All in all, the home itself wasn't that terrible, it was the decorating that was bad. I told them that they needed to do some serious cleaning. Every counter space was cluttered, little newspaper cut outs posted all over the side of the fridge, just all together very "grandma." Kind of creepy too because his deceased wife was the one that decorated everything, so I knew it would be a very difficult task to get rid of all her stuff that she loved. They cleaned out everything, got rid of all the silk arrangements, took down every personal picture, and left me a blank canvas to work with. It was awesome to have that done and really helped me think of the big picture.

As you can see, I had my work cut out for me. I was to stage the main level including the entry, the family room, kitchen, dining, master bedroom and master bathroom. Phew! I was very nervous to go shopping. Ron, the seller, gave me $1,500 to start out with.

I wrote a list down of things I needed to get:

The kitchen needed some new rugs, some kind of kitchen art on the walls above the cabinets, and some window treatments. The dining room needed a new rug, a table runner, and centerpiece. The family room needed some new throw pillows, a centerpiece for the coffee table, and lots of random decor for the mantle and above the entertainment center. The master bedroom needed a completely new bedding set and accents for the end tables. The master bathroom needed new towels, new bath rugs, and some kind of bath decor.

I had a limited budget to work with so I went to TJ Maxx, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pier 1 Imports, Tai Pan, and Target.

I thought the shopping would be fun but it was honestly the hardest task to complete. Maybe if I was focusing on one room at a time it would be a bit easier but I had 5+ rooms I was trying to think of at the same time. I kept doubting myself, picking things up and then putting them back, I knew I would probably return some stuff so I just went with my gut and got things that I wasn't really sure where I was going to put it, I just knew I would somehow make it work. It took a lot of confidence and reassurance of myself to do it but I got it done!

I found the most amazing bedding set for the master bedroom and got it approved by the seller, I was relieved that they loved what I picked out and mostly that I wouldn't have to return it!

I went to go stage for the first time with my husband (he helped with hanging things on the walls and measuring, I couldn't have done it without him!) and I stayed there for a good 3 hours trying to make it look perfect. I realized the kitchen rugs I got were too small, found a rug in their garage that worked perfectly in the dining room, and went through dozens of original artwork and picked out what I could use. All in all it went really well. I knew there was more work ahead though.

That Monday when I went to work, Jerri approached me and told me that Ron was very pleased with what I had done so far. He was so impressed! PHEW. I was so nervous that he wouldn't like it and especially nervous for Jerri to see it too. I had a lot of pressure on me, this was my first time ever doing this and would be the deciding factor in whether I would want to continue on this path and decide if whether I would do this for the rest of my life! So yeah. You could say pressure again. But I kept my confidence up and was determined to do an amazing job.

I ended up shopping on 4 different occassions and staged the house 3 different times. I did run into a couple problems like the new comfortor for the master bedroom... we tried putting it in the dryer and it came out with 3 dark brown spots in the middle of it. EEEK! I freaked out. Since I had been keeping all of the receipts I called Bed Bath & Beyond and they switched it out for me! Problem solved. Oh and don't leave candles in your car when it's hot out. They melt. Who knew?

After all the fussing and freaking out, I decided that I did a pretty damn good job. I was proud of myself and it felt so amazing and rewarding afterwards. Plus it was so much fun! Decorating and designing is what I love and it was so awesome to show my talent to someone who was actually paying me to go shopping!

Here are the AFTER photos, let me know what you think!

The family room doesn't look like much has changed but I added some throw pillows, some items to the mantle, and a decorative centerpiece. You can't see what I did above the entertainment center which really was the statement of the room. If you would like to see the panoramas you can visit:

http://www.Obeo.com/483619

I really love how the kitchen turned out. I thought red would be the perfect color to incorporate in here so I also added touches of red in the family room as well. I just don't understand why they took out 2 of the 3 red rugs I put down in the kitchen. And replaced it with that ugly green one again. Whateva! How fabulous do those curtains look though? Love it!

My favorite thing about this dining room is the rug switch! So much more colorful and luxurious! It went with my color scheme perfectly. I was trying to bring out neutrals through golds, greens, and browns and then added pops of red. I added a gold table runner to the table with a cute candle votive. The clock in the kitchen has a mahogany finish so it ties in the dining table with the light wood of the kitchen. It looks a lot more balanced to me.

This is a bad shot of the master bedroom (again, you can view the panorama which shows the wall with the bedding) but it definitely looks a lot cleaner along with the bathroom which is more neutral and spa-like. You don't seem to notice the brass fixtures as much when you have neutral colors that go with the gold theme.


What an amazing experience this was!! I'm really grateful for having the opportunity and I hope to have more like it in the future. It was a tough first time job but I know it gave me what I needed: CONFIDENCE! I will be taking online classes soon to get certified and hopefully get a business started!

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

I've been thinking a lot about karma lately... and how it relates to my work place. I have to work with a lot of different personalities in my office, sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're demanding, sometimes very sweet, but definitely all very interesting.

For example, an agent (which I will remain nameless for their own good) called to get some postage information. The question was about the postage rate for postcards being sent by bulk mail. I asked around, no one knew the answer. While trying to tell the agent to go to a website for the information, he kept cutting out because of their cell phone coverage. Thus I kept repeating myself so they could hear, then was blamed for cutting out on my part and they blamed it on my headset (mind you I'm on a landline and I have never ever had problems before). I insisted it was not my headset but their cell phone. When they finally could hear me I explained that I did not know the bulk mail rate but they could go to usps.com to find out the--- then they rudely interrupted me and said,"Well have you ever mailed a post card before?!".......... I took a deep breath and responded, "Yeees...." and they asked, "Well how much is it?!" I told them the correct postage and they said thank you and quickly hung up.

What a bastard.

Needless to say I was PISSED. How rude of someone to call and interrupt what I am doing, ask a stupid ass question, and then when I try to help they treat me like I'm an idiot? Fuck you very much.

I think the main problem is that for agents, I am their source for all information, kinda like 411. They don't need any books, no looking it up on the internet, no effort at all really. All they have to do is dial a number and have someone else do all the work. Kristen, what's the number to the Board store? Kristen I need you to fax me something... Kristen could you unlock my office, get a cover sheet, fill it out and send it to this guy and then when they fax it back scan and e-mail it to me and give me a call when you do that so I know when to check my e-mail, or my favorite, Kristen there's no paper in the copy machine, or Kristen I need helping printing, blah blah blah. I just want to smack them and be like, "Do you have a brain?" I only graduated high school and I'm smarter than all your dumb asses!

Another example, an agent that rarely comes into the office came in one day needing to prepare a CMA report. I was in the middle of a closed door meeting when I hear *knock knock knock* Who could that be? This dude interrupts my meeting to ask me to make him a piece of paper with the words "SOLD LISTINGS" and another one saying "ACTIVE LISTINGS." My immediate thought, "What are you, retarded? You really don't have a clue how to type 2 words and print it?" I gave him the benefit of the doubt and said my over used response, "No problem." I gave him the 2 pieces of paper, and he was disappointed. He wanted it in red, and bolded, and then a border around it.

Are you f-ing kidding me?

Whatever, I bolded the stupid words, changed it to red and added a damn border. In addition, I saved both of the documents under the agents file AND e-mailed them to him. 20 minutes later he asks me to print off another one saying, "EXPIRED LISTINGS." .....I had enough of this bullshit. I told him he is very well capable of doing that himself. I told him all he needed to do was hop on a computer, open the file and type it in. "But I have to go nooooow." So cry me a river!! I told him I was now in the middle of a listing and that he needed to do it himself and that I had faith in him that he could do it. After he left I typed a message to my office manager saying what a douche bag this guy was being. She seemed to understand what I was talking about.

He shortly left all happy and I congratulated him on figuring it out. He smiled, said thank you, and walked out.

Little did I know.... after I sent him away he went to bother my office manager and asked her to do it!!! WOOOOW. The nerve of some people amazes me. Turns out, he didn't know where his file was, how to open a file (meaning not knowing how to double click), or TYPE for that matter! He had her do all of it. I'm sorry, but you cannot go around depending on other people to do everything for you and still be a professional. I wouldn't want a Realtor that doesn't know how to type, let alone know what the hell Microsoft Word is! IT'S 2008!!! I mean, take a class or something! Educate yourself! Half the time learning is doing. If you never try you will never learn. Gawd.

It sounds like I hate my job. I really don't, I thoroughly enjoy helping people, helping them out with their business, and providing great customer service. What I don't like is being taken advantage of. I learned very quickly that I had to toughen up and stop being such a pushover when I first started working here. Or in Hailey's words, I had to grow some balls. And I did! And it feels great. It takes a lot of patience and understanding to deal with all of it but at the end of the day I feel I am a great part of my company and I feel I have accomplished something and made a difference in peoples lives.

Alls I gotta say is that Karma will take care of it, and as long as I'm putting my good energy into the universe, only good Karma will return back to me.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”

This is an Ode to my precious little dog, Sammy
(pictured below at 3 months old):

I can honestly say without a doubt that I have the most adorable dog on the face of the earth! He is truly the light of my life and he has taught me things that I never thought I would learn from a dog.

I grew up not really liking dogs at all. We had a family pet, Scout, and I didn't pay much attention to him, which now I really regret.

It wasn't until me and Josh got our first dog, a lab/heeler mix named George, that I realized how amazing these creatures are. I had learned that from the moment you have them as a puppy, you are responsible for the rest of their life. They are completely innocent and unknowing and it is up to you to make their life filled with happiness, while making sure they are obedient and good. After a year of George growing up in our small 1 bedroom apartment, we knew we had to give him up to give him the life he deserved. I was really distraught about it for a long time until we saw him with his new owner going for a jog on one of the main roads closeby. I knew at that moment that we had made the right decision and George was happy.

Our 2nd dog was a miniature dachshund named Charlie
(pictured below at about 4 months old):

Charlie was so cool and so chill. He didn't like to play much, he just really liked to be around you. I remember us cuddling on the couch, or as I was on the computer, it didn't matter. I learned that no matter how long I was gone for, even if I forgot to put food in his bowl that day, I knew when I came home he would always be waiting for me by the window waiting to jump up and say hello and give me a big kiss! He loved me so much. I knew I was his preferred owner to be around, we just had a deeper connection that him and Josh. Sadly, Charlie was killed in an accident when he was about 10 months old. I never knew heartbreak until this happened to me. It was so tragic, to this day I still cry about it every now and again when I think about him.

*Rest In Peace My Sweetheart*

After tragedy you need something, or someone to get you through it. For us, it was our precious Sam! Our house just felt so empty and sad without Charlie, we knew we needed another dog. We went online and found our man on KSL. The next day we went to pick him up and it was love at first sight! He was so small, about maybe 2 pounds, and so so happy! I was already sold, but the thing that amazed us was him walking out the front door and popping a squat on the lawn. A potty trained 2 month old puppy?? Unheard of!! We scooped him up and brought him home with us. Our lives were instantly filled with love and happiness:

Here are a few words that describe Sam:

Adventurous*Playful*Smart*Loving*Cuddly*Happy*Excited*Obedient*Curious*Sweet*

and best of all....MINE :)

I just love you Samma Jam!!

"A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, big or small, young or old. He doesn't care if you're not smart, not popular, not a good joke-teller, not the best athlete, nor the best-looking person. To your dog, you are the greatest, the smartest, the nicest human being who was ever born. You are his friend and protector."

Laugh as much as you breathe, love as long as you live...

Well... I finally did it. I can officially call myself a "blogger." I honestly don't know why I haven't done it before since I love to write so much, I guess because I don't think my life is very eventful. But I see all my friends at work joining the blogger world so I thought what the hell!

From now on I'm going to make a goal to take more pictures, mostly because I need to entertain you guys with some visuals, but also so I can somehow remember my twenties! (wink wink)

Maybe I should summarize my life highlights so far...

I'm originally from Bristol, Connecticut (East Coooooast- HOLLA!! ... by the way I'm 1/2 ghetto, 1/2 white girl). I graduated from high school and moved all the way out here to the lovely state of Utah. I had my doubts of whether I would like it here or not. Starting out in Brigham City, then attending Utah State in Logan... lets just say I had a major case of CULTURE SHOCK! Needless to say I ended up dropping out cuz I'm too cool for school, moved down to Orem with a few roomies and shortly after moved in with my boyfriend of 2 years, Josh. We grew closer and closer until we decided we wanted to get married. That following Christmas he proposed :) And we lived happily ever after!

Well kind of.

Oh and let me give you some background info... we had known each other much more than 2 years. He was actually a missionary when I met him, believe it or not, and served in the Hartford, CT mission, which included serving my small little New Britain ward! I had a huge crush on him right off the bat... even joined the choir and invited him and his companion over for dinners just to be near him. When I first saw him, not even speaking yet, I got an overwhelming feeling that I was meant to be with him, I would always say, "I'm going to marry Elder Roberts!!" Little did I know he felt the same way but had to be a good, obedient missionary for the time being. A few years had passed and I was going to Utah to look at colleges. I decided to give him a call, what was the worst that could happen?

Well.... you can guess what happened after years of built up sexual tension! We fell in looooooove!! And we've kept falling for about 4 years now! :)

Anyway, I've always been into art, hence the blog title. I'm currently employed with RE/MAX Results and I'm in love with my Sex & the City co-workers! We all get along because we have what I'm going to call "Slut Connection." We're all just a bunch of whores really, who happen to work together!

Someday I'm going to start my own interior design/home staging company. I love everything about decor and design- it's really become a huge passion of mine ever since I started renting. So let me know if you need some decorating help, I could use the practice!

Anyway, thats it's for now! Mostly because I have to get back to work, hehe!

Stay tuned!