Puppet String

My sister-in-law, Regina, made these adorable animal hand puppets for Nick and Linus from a Martha Stewart craft kit. They were just too cute to get lost in a toy box or stuck at the bottom of our kid craft drawer, so I strung up twine and hung the puppets with clothes pins. Now we can take them down anytime we want to play with them, and when we aren’t playing Old McDonald they serve as a great decoration. Thanks Aunt Gina!

Staging: Phinney Ridge

When it comes to staging your home before it goes on the market, there’s no need to rent an entire house full of new furniture. The key is to edit and work with what’s already there, maximizing the existing space with fewer knick knacks and perhaps opting for a smaller dining table or sofa.

That’s exactly what we did with this 1927 Phinney Ridge bungalow. The original Mahogany trim, hardwood floors, leaded glass windows and coved ceilings are the real star of the house. In the dining room we moved out a buffet and replaced the large square table with a smaller round one to improve flow and make the room appear larger. Two foot stools and several end tables were removed from the living room and the fireplace mantel was reworked with vintage pottery. For the rest of the house it was a matter of de-cluttering and de-personalizing spaces so a potential buyer could picture themselves living in this beautiful home.