|
February 2009 E-zine |
|
Turquoise Décor LLC |
|
From Drab to Fab! |
|
425 463 8415 |
|
Photography © by Skedonk.com |
|
Proudly serving clients from the following communities: Seattle, the Eastside, King County, Snohomish County, Pierce County, Tacoma, Bellevue, Renton, Seatac, Shoreline, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Kent, Auburn, West Seattle, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodinville, Kenmore, Fife, Federal Way, Edmonds, Brier, Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Greenlake, Carnation, Duvall, Everett, Monroe, Lake Stevens, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Copyright © 2008 Turquoise Décor Newsletter.
|
|
Happy Valentine’s Day! |
|
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you still haven’t found the perfect gift for your loved one, a fabulous make-over for their home or office is always a welcome and practical gift. If you schedule any of our décor packages before March 14th, you’ll receive a 20 % discount! And if you’re considering a remodel, read the helpful tips from our contributor, Adam Seyler of Creative By Design. As usual we have some free, easy, and fun decorating Tips & Tricks for you - after all, we all own furniture that needs some love! And we’re featuring some very unique cabinet pulls in our Hot Products this month.
Another great way to say “I love you” is to preserve the record of your precious memories with Scan Digital. Read more about their awesome service in our Featured Articles. If you think your significant other would like to see money you would spend on flowers and candy benefit the needy in the community, then please consider a donation to Hopelink in their name. This is a donation that will have a lasting impact long after the flowers have wilted and the candy has been eaten. For information go to www.hope-link.org/donate. And if the décor in your space is being ruined by your paper clutter, Elizabeth Bowman’s article is a must-read. To help you manage those piles of paper, the File It and Find It™ (FIFI™) Color-Coded Filing System™ may be for you.
Wishing you a truly special Valentine’s Day! |
|
If you'd rather not receive messages from us, you can opt out at any time.
Remember to add Nicole@TurquoiseDecor.com to your address book so you don't miss any of our special updates or offers. 1) Unsubscribe the old email address here. 2) Subscribe the new email address here.
© Turquoise Décor LLC
View our PRIVACY POLICY.
|
|
Issue 4, February 2009 |
|
n Turquoise Décor will be participating in the 21st annual North West Womens Show at the end of March. |
|
Featured Articles
How Precious Are Your Memories? by Michele Marckesano Paper - Keep It or Toss It? by Elizabeth Bowman Remodels - Some Things to Consider by Adam Seyler
|
|
Contributors to this edition: |
|
Hot Products The pulls used in our Tips & Tricks example were obtained from Te-Ma - check out their unique, hand-made collections crafted from ceramics; Venetian, Murano and Millefiori glass; and the very unusual Columbian Tagua Nut knobs:
These one-of-a-kind knobs from Pacific Shells are the former habitats of mollusks that have moved on. Now they add a touch of the seashore to cabinet drawers:
Notting Hill has a beautiful collection of period knobs and pulls, including Victorian, Prairie-style, and Renaissance designs. We like the Pearly Pea Pod pull and the Victorian Jewell pull (multiple finishes available):
Or, if you like Asian-inspired designs, check out the possibilities from Ann At Home, which include Harmony, Tranquility and Happiness (also available in multiple colors and finishes): The Bundled Twig pull and the Botanical Leaf knob are just two of several nature-inspired designs from Michael Aram:
We also think the playful manhandles from Soko Studio are adorable! Or for a wealth of other shapes, styles and options, try:
|
|
Decorating Tips & Tricks
Updating Old Furniture Most of us have an old cabinet or dresser that is solid but boring, old-fashioned or simply in need of a little LOVE... here's an easy way to update an old piece of furniture. BEFORE:
AFTER:
For recommendations on unique hardware products, see our Hot Products section.
|
|
Remember that our referral program enables clients and friends to earn money by referring new clients to Turquoise Décor. For every new client that you refer to us, we will give you 10% of the project's value (up to a total referral bonus of $1,000). |
|
Giving Back:
Support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound at the BIG OSCAR BASH on Sunday, February 22nd.
Hopelink has launched a new employment program to provide services including: job coaching, resume building, interview preparation, counseling on attire and conduct, job development and placement and post employment support. Go here for more information.
Redmond’s Hot Off The Press printers is committing to printing the resumes, at no charge, for 100 people who have recently been laid off. All they ask is that the resume is print ready, and they request only a reasonable number to be printed. They even have a box of assorted premium paper set aside if you would like to print on something other than standard white paper. Hot Off The Press are also donating $2.00 from each of their new children’s book “Crabby Baby” sold over the next three months via the internet to Hopelink. |
|
Here’s how: 1. Remove all the drawers from a dresser. 2. Remove all the pulls/knobs from the drawers (by unscrewing them). 3. Lightly sand the surface of each drawer. 4. Apply one layer of paint primer (available in all hardware stores in spray or paint form, whichever you prefer). 5. Allow to dry for the time specified on the product’s instructions. 6. Choose your desired paint color—pick a color that will contrast well with the frame of the piece for more pop! 7. Paint the surface of each drawer with two or three coats of latex paint, allowing sufficient drying time in-between (usually 3 - 6 hours). 8. Once the final coat has dried, apply a protective layer of polyurethane (also available at all hardware stores in spray or paint form). 9. Replace old pulls/knobs with new hardware that adds style to your piece. |
|
Providence Artworks’ Old Souls collection include these cabinet pulls - no two are alike, but they’re all elegant and, of-course, rock solid: |
|
We also like Anthropologie’s colorful and imaginative pieces: |
|
February 2009 Featured Articles
How Precious Are Your Memories? By Michele Marckesano
Valentine’s Day is a time we often reflect on the wonderful times we’ve shared with loved ones. But too often the record of those memories are moldering in boxes or curled up at the bottom of drawers. Wouldn’t it be great to organize and preserve all of your pictures and home movies so that you can enjoy them for years to come? And what better way to say “I love you” than preserving those cherished memories forever?
Let ScanDigital help de-clutter your basement of your old shoeboxes of photos and home movies! They allow your archive to be stored and organized digitally, creating some much needed storage space by creating neat digital files for your memories. ScanDigital’s service also guarantees that your most precious memories are protected against decay and disaster and preserved for your future generations to enjoy.
ScanDigital is an exciting photo and movie transfer service that converts prints and old movies to digital format in just one week. Just send ScanDigital your photos, slides, and negatives and they will scan, crop and color correct them, post them in an online gallery for sharing and organizing, and return them to you along with a CD/DVD or hard drive of JPEG files. Their Video and Film Conversion services will convert your home movies, including video tapes and reel to reel film, to DVD, so they can be more easily edited, organized and enjoyed.
Receive 14 % off all orders placed by February 18th, 2009 by using Discount Code: Sweetheart14.
For more information, visit www.ScanDigital.com or call their awesome customer service team at (888) 333-2808.
Paper - Keep It or Toss It? By Elizabeth Bowman
Do you often get stuck when deciding what to do with this paper or that paper? Are you tired of just tossing the paper to the side onto the top of that ever‐growing pile? Are you baffled with where to put each piece of paper when you’re done with it? Should you keep it or toss it?
These are some of the most frequent questions I get as a professional organizer. It seems like at least once a week someone says, ”How do I know which papers to keep and which to toss?” Well, hopefully I can provide you with some easy tips to help you battle your paper piles…
Paper Tip #1: Make an immediate decision with any paper you come across and place it into one of these filing zones:
1) Active: Files you use often (daily, weekly). This should be paper that represents an “action” that you need to take. 2) Reference: Files you access regularly but do not require an immediate action. These files should be sorted into categories for easy, quick retrieval. 3) Archive: Files you need to keep for historical purposes but you don’t need to access more than once a year. These files are prime candidates for off‐site storage if you have a small space. Consider scanning these records too!
Paper Tip #2: Keep a master list of all your files and carry it with you. This list will come in handy the next time you are trying to remember what filing categories are in your drawers. You will save yourself the time of search through your filing cabinets by using your quick reference or “filing cheat sheet”.
Paper Tip #3: Delegate your filing to someone else. Time is money, right? Once you have your initial filing system in place, it will be easy to delegate the tedious task of filing to someone else. Maybe you need to hire a temp or an assistant to help with this task. Paying their lower rate to file papers away into their proper locations will ensure you are still productive and billing clients at your higher rate at the same time. It could be a beautiful thing!
Paper Tip #4: Review a list of Paper Retention Guidelines. This will help to refresh your memory on which papers you should keep and which you should toss. Here are a few of the most common: 1) Personal Tax Returns: Keep for 6 to 7 years 2) Medical Records: Keep forever 3) Credit Card Statements: Keep for 2 to 3 years
The next time you find yourself stuck at a cross‐roads with the decision of “what do I do with this paper?” remember these tips and hopefully the choice will be easy!
(NOTE: Be sure to double check with your personal accountant or tax advisor for paper retention guidelines that are specific to your situation as well. For businesses, double check with your auditor and/or information management specialist too.)
Elizabeth Bowman is a professional organizer and the president of Innovatively Organized, a professional organizing services company. She has a passion to help busy professionals streamline their homes, work spaces, and schedules. Visit www.InnovativelyOrganized.com for more information. You may also contact Elizabeth directly at 206.369.8853 or elizabeth@innovativelyorganized.com.
Remodels - Something to Consider by Adam Seyler With the market being what it is nowadays, many homeowners are focusing on improving their own homes rather than moving when wanting to upgrade. Because money is tight and homeowners aren’t as eager to throw it around, an investment-savvy contractor can be of enormous assistance. A contractor that has had success with their own real estate investments will have first-hand knowledge of what intelligent improvements to perform on a home. They will know the most important rooms to focus on, what types of products to choose to create the best value, and most importantly they will be able to give expert advice based on their own personal experience. Remember that quality of products and installation will ultimately help the value of any home and excellent customer service will improve the entire remodeling experience. A few key things to consider when planning a remodel: 1. Magazine clippings are an easy way to show your contractor the styles and materials you like. 2. Know what you can comfortably afford before you call your contractor. 3. Plan ahead keeping in mind if you need permits it takes a little time to acquire them and a good contractor is generally booked out at least a month or two in advance. As always, it is important to ensure you choose a contractor who will do the work right, and that the work performed can stand the test of time. Adam Seyler is a licensed general contractor for Creative By Design, LLC serving the greater Eastside and Seattle areas. Find out more at www.creativebydesignllc.com or contact Adam direct at 206 354 3568 for your home remodel needs. “Remodeling Kitchens, Baths, and Everything in Between...” |
|
n Don’t miss local glass artist Barbara Sanderson of Glass Gardens NW who’ll be exhibiting at the annual Northwest Flower & Garden Show Feb 18-22 at the Washington State Convention Center.
|
|
n Join us at the amazing seminar series called Work Smarter Forum. Turquoise’s Nicole Wexler will be presenting a workshop entitled Rejuvenate Your Office & You Without Breaking the Bank on March 12th. |
