Age of Life – Stage of Life

The good and bad news about living in an older, established neighborhood: large trees with lots of leaves. I love the enormous Oak trees that shade The Home Idea Factory, but trying to get all of the leaves removed every year from this elevated area has taken weeks. I’d rake them up, put them into bags then out to the curb, but this year I wanted to try something much more environmentally friendly so the Lifestylist® put her gloves and boots on and decided to make a compost pile. After dragging about 10 loads downstairs in a muck tub I decided there had to be a better way, so I went off do discover something that would be more time friendly.

In a dusty corner at my local Walmart I found my solution – a 10′ x 12′ tarp with handles sewn into the sides! This was a product I could do some damage with. Fortunately the leaves were still dry, and by using a large carabiner that I found at The Container Store I was able to complete the job in under 2 hours! Our rescue dog Jack isn’t very happy that I took his leaves away, but I assured him there would be more soon.

If you can’t find this very cool tarp near you, try just feeding some rope through some of the grommets in a traditional tarp that you can then gather up the corners with. You’ll be amazed how much time this will save you.

Happy New Year from the Lifestylist® family! I’m really excited about 2012, and the opportunities that come with it.

A lot of being a Lifestylist® is about being a trend tracker and doing research. Today I read something that was written by someone else titled “Social Media Lifestylist Guidelines for 2012″ – boy does that sound dull! The first thing that comes to mind is a big dusty manual full of rules and regulations, and that is exactly what social media (and being a Lifestylist®) is not about.

The tag line I have always used for my Lifestylist® brand is “It’s All About You”. I didn’t want the brand to be about me telling people what to do – I wanted to listen to people’s wants, needs, and dreams, and help them achieve those even when they didn’t know that’s what they were really searching for. I don’t want to dictate, I want to educate. I’ve learned that listening is so much more important than anything I will ever have to say, because sometimes if you let people express their thoughts they will find their answers.

Social media is such an exciting new frontier because it gives everyone the chance to tell their story to the universe. It’s become a great equalizer because almost anyone  on any budget can get access to a computer and a free site and share their thoughts.

There’s a down side to this though as well -there’s not as much editing as we’ve seen in the past. We have to learn that even though someone may have written it, there is the possibility it might not be true. Before we share or depend on information we find we have to be sure and check the facts. As the guardian of the Lifestylist® trademark for almost 10 years now I’ve seen how many people want to tie into my brand but aren’t willing to go through the legal process to acquire a brand of their own.

So what are the real Lifestylist’s guidelines for 2012? Never call them guidelines, live your life to the fullest, listen to those around you and you can never laugh too much or have too much great food and wine!

Here’s to a boisterous 2012!

Anyone who reads this blog knows this Lifestylist® is not keen on mixes, but I’m going to make an exception with this recipe.

Breakfast is a hard meal for me, and I know that my daughter has a tough time getting something healthy into my grandkids before they all head out to school. This is the LifestylistFood® version of a recipe I found on Pinterest, and I’m crazy about it! It’s easy enough that the kids can make them themselves. By adding the ham and cheese you get some nutrients that can hold you over until lunch, and these are so moist you don’t need butter or anything else on them. Be sure not to substitute something else for the buttermilk – it gives these the moistness and kick that makes these so special.

Breakfast Biscuits

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lean ham, sliced and chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups Bisquick®

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put all ingredients into a bowl and stir just until combined. Scoop into buttered muffin tins, and bake 15-18 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

One of the questions I get asked the most is how I ever decided to become a Lifestylist®, and where did I get my training.

I’ve been called a storyteller many times and it’s an accurate assessment – I use my talents and materials to tell a story in a home. Hopefully this story explains to the potential homeowner why their lives would be better by living in this home, and what they can expect from the community, the builder, and from the experience. To tell the story, I collect thousands of items – old and new – that I incorporate into my LifeStyled homes.

This weekend I decided it was time to go through some of the things I’ve collected, and it’s been quite a trip down memory lane. I discovered a trunk I forgot about that had family photos from the early 1900′s that gave me a glimpse into my family history I hadn’t been aware of. Through this discovery I’m finding I come from a very artistic family full of risk takers. This ostrich photo with my great aunt will now always be one of my favorites.

It seems I’ve been in the media longer than I remembered for my decorating skills. My mother and both grandmothers were very talented in the design fields, and I was lucky enough to be nurtured and inspired by them. This article from 1969 shows me as a 13 yr old showing off some of my skills with my mother and sisters. Apparently I also had my own booth at the church bazaar selling paper flowers and copper enameled jewelry that I made. What’s funny is that after seeing this, I may have to try this again – it’s really a fun idea!

I’m honored to be a Lifestylist®, and I love having the opportunity to help others find their passions in life. This holiday season remember what makes you happy, and share that passion with your friends and family – you might even find a new career by doing it!

Happy Thanksgiving! This holiday is about food and family, but even more than that I like to use it to remind me how thankful I am for what I have, and for those around me.

For over 25 years my parents were very active doing disaster relief with The Salvation Army, and even raised the money for a state of the art canteen for the Tyler Texas location. Whenever there was a disaster or need and my parents got a call they dropped everything and hit the road. One of the most memorable phone calls I ever received was when Hurricane Katrina hit and my parents answered the call. They called me when they were outside the Super Dome not having a clue what was going on inside. For six weeks they were in the French Quarter feeding the volunteers – my Dad always joked he always wanted to have a restaurant in the French Quarter and he finally got his wish!

Whenever this Lifestylist® could I joined them on the road helping my Mom cook up to 2,000 hot meals a day and seeing first hand what mother nature can dish out. People were so sweet and hospitable, even though many had lost everything that they had. It was always hard to leave – I wanted to stay there and help rebuild.

This year I have been blessed to be involved with three amazing organizations – Shared Housing, Genesis Women’s Shelter and HomeAid/Homebuilders Care. I am always so drawn to the kids – many of them have seen things we can’t even imagine, but they always have the best manners, always say please, thank-you and give the best hugs

It’s harder than ever to make a living, but even if you can’t make a donation to a worthwhile charity think about donating your time -you’ll be very thankful that you did.

It’s been a busy year, and this Lifestylist® has spent quite a bit of time traveling to visit clients and homeowners. Because of that I haven’t spent as much time at The Home Idea Factory, but today I got to make up for that and experience again why I love living and working here.

Visiting The Workroom yesterday really got me inspired and I looked at what was around me with different eyes. Things I would have thrown away are now going to be recycled – just wait until you see what I am planning on doing with the two birds nests I found!

It may be Fall and we are almost to the middle of November, but things are still blooming. Daisy – my rescue dog helped me explore – take a look at some of the special finds we made today.

Even though it’s been a very busy month, we made a point of catching up with one of our favorite Jr. Lifestylist’s to see what he was doing for his annual Halloween party.

Sam Davis’ parties are legendary, and this year was no exception. With over 75 kids attending this year’s bash we wanted to create fun, themed treats that he could serve outdoors. Take a look at what we came up with  - Witch Hats and Krispy Pumpkin Treats.

We also worked on some tabletop ideas for the Fall holiday season that were inexpensive but would put our guests (and ourselves!) in the mood. The Lifestylist® Designed homes for SE Homes of Texas were full of ideas that visitors could do in their own homes.

While we were on the road we discovered the Great Pumpkin Patch in Clarence Center, NY – if this doesn’t get you in the mood nothing will!

Have a wonderful Halloween and be sure to “like” our videos on our Lifestylist® YouTube Channel.

It’s hard to believe that I used to look like this, but I wouldn’t go back to those days for anything. I’m open to meeting in the middle though, and a lot of what’s important is not necessarily looking good but feeling good. Even if you look amazing but don’t feel that way, what’s the point?

I’m fortunate enough to have the resources to find people who can help me achieve my goals, and I’m going to start working with a very special individual that there isn’t a set category for. Dr. Larkin Page has made a name for himself in the Miss America network by training quite a few of the girls who have been Top 10. He understands that beauty comes from within, and I’m looking forward to his help. Don’t worry, there are no pageants in this Lifestylist’s future, I’m just looking forward to feeling like a winner

Lifestylist® Beauty is all about feeling beautiful inside and out, and we’ll be sharing our journey there – join us!