Hello

If you know us already... Welcome to March 2010 Newsletter. March is here and hopefully we are on a fast track to wonderful spring weather! As always our aim with our monthly newsletter is to fill it with great articles, information and stories that will inspire and educate you.

Notable Thought: The greatest gifts are those we create ourselves 'Sophocles'.

Tips to Enhance your Home:

• Pick some branches from a tree, spray paint them any colour you like and display them in a large vase on the floor. You can also do this and place it outside by your front door. We don't want to forget about the entrance to our home. It sets the stage for what people will see inside!
• Frame an old doily on a background that co ordinates with your room, and it now becomes a piece of art. My mother in law, liked this idea so much she made her own.
• Instead of buying expensive curtain rods, make your own, Buy a long 1½ to 2" piece of wooden dowel. Cut it to fit your windows and then screw drawer knobs into each end... stain or paint the dowel... presto! New curtain rod!
• Use tiered decorative boxes or vintage suitcases as an end table to hold CD's or videos.
• Use a large vintage crocheted tablecloth as your shower curtain. Or you can hang towels from an antique wooden ladder
• Use a collection of mismatched brandy snifters or wine glasses, with votive candles inside as an accent to your décor
• Another fantastic idea is to take an old wheelbarrow, turn it upside down, place a piece of glass on top, and you have a conversation piece as a coffee table!

Safety First... It's Important

Pre-sale home inspections have gained traction in the depressed market because buyers are trying anything and everything to outdo one another. David Tamny, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors, admits these inspections may not identify ways to add value, but they can certainly prevent a loss of some.

"Because of the do-it-yourself movement, people do things that are unsafe," he says, citing botched ceiling fan installations and improperly spliced wires as examples. If these problems are not detected when the home is sold, some sale contracts allow buyers to renegotiate prices if inspectors find them after signing. Read more of article

Great Resource:

www.oliveandelle.com

Olive and Elle is here to provide our community not just with beautiful things, but also things that give your home a personality, whether it's an extension of yours, or one all its own.

If you know of a great article, story you would like to share with us or perhaps a business that has a product or service that blows you away, let us know as we would be happy to showcase them in our newsletter.

Sincerely,
Kym Tarr