15 tips: staging your bathroom + some healing truths

Tonight I mentioned to a couple friends how behind I am with some things I have to blog on.....staging tips & pictures being one of them....so here you have it. 

Our Master Bath quick fix---staging for sale.

OK, lets dive right in.  MESS, right?!? 

I mean for starters the color is boring "builder beige"

TIPS: 

1.  always leave the toilet seats down....if your home is on the market "always" means ALWAYS

train your husband as you go--(consistency in training really does make a difference)

2.  always close closet doors....just get in the habit now

3.  too much on counter tops--never have brushes, tooth maintenance type stuff, anything personal or yucky to anyone coming in---"neat and tidy"

 Clean up---Just after paint process is complete....Marc decides to join in....observe...then leave:) 

thx Babe!

more TIPS:

4.  clean clean clean folks....get in the habit of always wiping down your mirror, closing the shower curtain if you have one, empty bits of trash & tidy up each inch of that house

5.  use 100 watt bulbs in light fixtures but leave 40-60 watt in all lamps (which will be on when buyers arrive, right? yes!)

TaaDaa

Finished...somewhat...still need to paint base boards, remove favorite scriptures from the mirror, get one more white towel to match others, change out shower curtain to white and of course deep clean

and yet again...TIPS:

6.  use this opportunity to buy new towels for display, yes, it really does make a difference

7.  paint is usually a great, cheap way to change a room.....so do it.

if color scares you get some help

selling your house is BIG so put some thought, time & money behind it

8.  did I mention toilet seats down?  GOOD!

9.  keep counter clutter to a bare minimum

10.  I recommend leaving all your lamps on for any showing---the house just shows better with mood lighting (not just overhead)

I bought a vintage hanging lamp at an estate sale last year---fits great in this space & takes up NO counter space.  Think outside the box---notice the lamp in the before pic took up space--see tip 9:)

11.  flowers add such a soft touch, especially for this space---don't overwhelm the space though

12.  an artsy display of things you love becomes an interesting focal point without being too distracting from the home's features---I may surprise you with some things I'm doing in some other rooms....more to come on that.

13.  clean out your linen closet as well...fold towels neatly, organize toiletries & personal items...see video for hands on examples

14.  use baskets, bins, plastic containers, even cigar boxes (houses my makeup) work great to hide stuff

15.  use a neutral shower curtain...one of my to-do items is buy a new shower curtain for this room.  Now that I painted a muted plum this blue one no longer fits....go with the style of the bathroom.  Target has some pretty fun yet sophisticated shower curtains.  Myself, I'm gonna hit Tuesday Morning where I buy a load of my linens...better brands, great prices as well....white is good for us because the window is hidden by the shower curtain & white allows more light to stream in.

Things we SHOULD do but don't have it in the budget:

• replace the sink to a double vanity
• paint the cabinets white
• add garden tub
• change light fixture
• add bulky frame-out to the mirror (may still do this one)

Just a few staging tips from the laundry list of tips....don't have time to finish them all so step back into my world in a bit (a day,a week or a month later) & I'll  have much more for you:) 

Remember, this is a journey, right?  

Our journey called "life"....so let's decorate it:) 

Joyce Meyer has a daily devotional book out "Love Out Loud"  I've been trying to read it each day (at the breakfast table in my perfect world).  I admit, I just now read today's message... "Let God do the Healing".  It tells the story about how President James A. Garfield in 1881 was shot in the back (after only 6 months in office).  They probed the wound to find the bullet but couldn't.  He died 2 months later, not from the wound but, from the doctors messin' with it.  She goes onto say "when you have a 'wound' of some sort, whether it's a disappointment, a betrayal, being abandoned or rejected, or some other hurtful situation, don't keep probing it.  Go to God and ask Him to heal you in the way He knows is best for you.  Then take your hands off.  Don't try to "fix" yourself, but do follow the Holy Spirit as He leads you into healing & wholeness."  Thanks Joyce!

Well my healing process for me has really been this blog....and videos.  In case you have no idea what I'm talking about (you're new to my blog and me) check out My Daddy page.  I lost my father, tragically, only 2 months ago.  God's hand has been on me every step of the way, when I didn't feel I could get up off the couch or stop crying around every turn. 

Let's go back a bit,  the afternoon we found out, (after taking 10 minutes to figure out how to add socks & shoes to my feet while trying to process the news) while on our way to his house, I felt a little nudge to film....can you believe it????   I thought....nope....I'm going crazy....on my way to a nervous breakdown & I want to pick up a camera.....NO WAY!   film this madness???  I didn't listen.  I mean I was a MESS of a MESS of a MESS & I didn't want everyone in the world to see me this way.  So the next day, Saturday Jan 28th on the way to his house (skipping loads of details, of course) I told Marc I had to record.   I knew it was strange, I didn't even a little bit want to record, especially considering the huge chance my husband might find out how truly strange I am:)

teasing..........only slightly:)

So I thought to myself, maybe this isn't for anyone to see, just for me....one day far away.  After talking myself down, I held Marc's iPad in front of my face and hit record. 

Words were impossible.....I tried.   I just wept uncontrollably...for what seemed an eternity.  "What are you, crazy?"  came to mind.....again.............but I kept going. 

I had to record this ugly, angry, unbearable moment for some reason beyond my thinking.  " I know it's God telling me to do this crazy thing......I've gotta obey....but this is hard!"    Then all of a sudden....out of the clear blue (yes, it was a clear & captivating blue sky)....the pain left..... just for a few moments.......... we all laughed (after I gave my Dad a few choice words I'm sure).

Right then  there......God started my healing process.  Through one solitary moment of obedience.

  

So I tell you....follow Him!

He knows what's best for you & He can walk you through an impossible situation or hurt in your life with victory....and peace....in Christ.  His way is so much better, eh!???

Alright, last night 2:30am hit me hard so gotta get there quicker tonight:)

Kisses n cake balls ....T

(ooooh, come back soon for the blog all about my adventure tonight...meeting my new gorgeous, young cakeball making genius...more to tell...(with pictures)

I feel like I'm missing something....a link or something.....oh well....set this for auto post so you'll have no idea what time I finally hit the land of pillows and crisp white sheets.