October 14th, 2011
What A Red Door Means In Scotland
Months ago I had come across this great post..sent myself a link to the page, marked it with purple flag (meaning urgent follow-
up, HA!), then it slid right off my radar. Until this past week, when talk of door-painting suddenly seemed to become a very hot topic.
What Does Your Front Door Say About You is a broad look at some of the colors that front doors are painted, and what they mean. Went back, re-read the post, then trolled around Susan’s own site, and it was absolutely delightful.
Between Naps on the Porch is a blog Susan Herin created out of love for all things home: Decorating, tablescapes, recipes-you name it.
I like it for several reasons-it’s professional, detailed, creative and tasteful. Like M*****, without the whole smug-thing. And this was before we had even e-connected, she is just as delightful. live and in person!
Visit, enjoy, even bookmark, and may a red door be in your future, too!
Tags: choosing paint colors, listing photos, Marie Graham Westchester County Decorator, trivia
Posted in Decorating, GTK, Home Selling and Home Staging, Smiles | No Comments »
September 1st, 2011
September 1st: Did You Know
Recently I wrote about Labor Day as the new New Years’ Day. Turns out September 1st is quite an interesting day in history, LOTS of firsts, and auspicious new beginnings. For example-did you know:
-It’s Hero’s Day in Tanzania, Revolution Day in Libya (!!), and Independence Day in Viet Nam
-The first yacht race took place (1661), between England’s King Charles, and his brother James
- Phillis Wheatly became the first African-American poet to be published (“Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”, 1773)
-William Becknell left Independence, MO with other traders, for Santa Fe, creating what would be known as the Santa Fe Trail (1821)
-First American settlement was established in the northern Oregon Territory by Marcus Whitman, and his wife, Narcissa. She was also the first woman to have made that trip.
-Joseph Lister performed the first surgery using antiseptics (1865)
-Emma Nutt of Boston became the first female telephone operator (1878)
On September 1st-the first Pullman sleeping railroad car was put into service (1859), first Labor Day was observed in NYC (1882) by Carpenters and Joiners Union, then declared a national holiday by Congress (1894).
September 1st also saw the first triple-header was played (1890, Boston vs. Pittsburgh). Helen Keller graduated with honors from Radcliffe (1904), WWII ended with Japan’s surrender (1945).
VERY INTERESTINGLY, Mommar Gaddafi deposed then-Libyan ruler Kind Idris (1969), Bobby Fischer of the US defeated Boris Spasky ofRussia for the world chess title (1972), and the wreck of the Titanic was found, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland (1985).
All this courtesy of a daily email drop called On This Day, from Reference.com. You can subscribe for free, they don’t spam you, and in about 45 seconds you can be smarter, every day.
Tags: good idea, Marie Graham Westchester County Decorator, smarter in 45 seconds, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Smiles | No Comments »
August 3rd, 2011
Students Would Choose Ebooks Over Sex And Dating-REALLY!!
A recent survey determined a stunning 73% of college students would give up sex or dating…
IF they could get their textbooks in a down loadable, easy to carry e-book format.
Two thoughts:
As a professional re-working my marketing approach, I am fortified, knowing where and how to find my next market.
DAMN!! Are they making text books with lead-lined covers these days???
Tags: fun and smiles, Marie Graham Westchester County Decorator, trivia
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July 29th, 2011
The Wisdom Of Sir Winston
Been thinking about Winston Churchill a lot lately…HA-bet you’ve never read that opening line before!! 
Always found his quotes both intriguing and centering…direct and succinct, yet often personal and witty. No matter his context, they seem contemporary, and are perfectly suited to help me keep my focus and equilibrium perfectly calibrated.
Last year, for my birthday, I asked a learned friend to pick me out a simple biography. It is currently occupying the ‘on-deck’ position in the pile of my ‘to-reads’, but maybe this will be the weekend…
Meantime, with all the drama in DC, and this housing market, it’s been hard keeping some distance, and not feel the life-force get sucked out of me…. maybe you need a bit of a boost, too? Here are some of my favorites to ruminate on:
-Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.
~A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.
~You have enemies? Good. That means you stood up for something, sometime in your life.
~We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
~If you are going to go through hell, keep going.
~To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
~Solitary trees, if they grow, grow strong.
~However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.
~I never worry about action, only inaction.
~The first quality that is needed is audacity.
-Meeting Franklin Roosevelt was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing him was like drinking it.
And of course
~ Never ever ever give up.
Tags: Marie Graham Westchester County Decorator, owning a business, the right attitude, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Better Health/Better Life, Smiles, Words We Like | No Comments »
March 13th, 2011
I love trivia.
Sometimes just little bits of information, easy to remember can add to a conversation, or fill in some blanks to a story or situation, bettering your understanding.
Other times it’s a simple fact that you just find thought-provoking, something that puts a new spin on how you see or think about something.
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous and easily-recognized artist of all time: we all know his sunflowers and his irises; his starry nights and his cafe scenes.
DID YOU KNOW….
Vincent Van Gogh sold exactly one painting while he was alive, Red Vineyard at Aries.
In his lifetime he created upwards of 1100 drawings, and 900 paintings…yet sold only one, and he died never having any sense of his impending success.
In our real-time-is-not-fast enough mindset, that is an awesome thought. Persistance…Confidence…Faith…Purpose….all worth remembering if success is not ours when we think it should be.
Tags: trivia
Posted in Ruminations, Smiles, Words We Like | No Comments »
February 28th, 2011
You know those things you come across from time to time that just make you say an inner ‘wow’?
Simple statements, thoughts or bits of trivia that are intriguing enough to fill in a blank, or put things into a perspective you just never thought of before.
They may make you smile or make you think. Perhaps make your day a little brighter, even make you feel a little smarter.
Welcome to Ruminations… the new home for all these neat, thought-provoking ideas ( that are now on pieces of paper on my desk…on the dresser…on stickies, attached to my mirrors…) and yes, your comments and contributions are welcome!
Did you know the 2010 Best Picture of The Year-The King’s Speech came from an un-rehearsed reading of an unpublished play?
In his acceptance speech, Tom Hooper, the film’s director, explained that in 2007 his mom was to meet friends for lunch and then attend this reading, to be given in a small town in her native Australia.
She did not find the subject matter appealing, or even of interest, and almost didn’t go.
She decided to go, and was struck by the telling of this heartfelt true story. On her return home, rang up Tom and said: “Son, I think I’ve found your next movie”.
Greatness is all around us…looking past hyperbole, we free up brain space so we can be open to new ideas and opportunities.
Tags: a-ha!, good idea, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Smiles | No Comments »
December 19th, 2010
Thank you to my friend Deb Yaciw, in Oneonta NY for sharing this story.
A man named Robert L. May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap, quietly sobbing. Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.
Little Barbara couldn’t understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad’s eyes and asked, “Why isn’t Mommy just like everybody else’s Mommy?”
Bob’s jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob’s life. Life always had to be different for Bob.
Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to
compete in sports. He was often called names he’d rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in.
Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn’s bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.
Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn’t even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn’t buy a gift, he was determined a make one – a storybook!
Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal’s story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again, Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
Who was the character? What was the story all about?
The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.
Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.
But the story doesn’t end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print and distribute “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” it to children visiting Santa in their stores.
By 1946, Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned al
l rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller.
Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn’t end there either.
Bob’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. The song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , but was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of “White Christmas.”
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn’t so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.
Wishing you and your family the light, and goodness of the season. MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Tags: being different, everyone is gifted, holiday traditions, trivia
Posted in GTK, Ruminations | No Comments »
December 11th, 2010
Beyond ‘because’, I never knew why…
“Red wine has a higher molecular weight, and gives off vapor less readily. The more solid and substantial the wine, the more the release of its aroma and bouquet depend on gentle warmth.
The lighter and sweeter white wine is better when chilled to around 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Above that temperature range, the subtle aromas of the wine may be masked by those given off by the alcohol as it vaporizes.”
And ohyes, on 
this day, Venetian blinds were patented (1796), Indianna became the 19th state (1816), Nitrous oxide was first used in dentistry (1844), Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson (1936), UNICEF was established (1946), and the the Concorde was unveiled (1967).
If you are looking for quick bits of trivia, information and history, Reference.com sends out a daily ‘On This Day’ email to it’s subscribers. Free and spam-less, I’ve subscribed for years. Quick links to follow up on if you’re interested, otherwise, 30 seconds will gift you with unique and timely bit of info.
Enjoy!
Tags: trivia
Posted in GTK | No Comments »
November 13th, 2010
…at Alice’s Res-tau-rant“ Come on, admit it, you know the words..probably have that damn tune stuck in your head now, too…
As long as I have been an adult, I crave listening to this Arlo Guthrie classic every fall. Folk music is generally not my favorite genre, but it’s different when Arlo sings. The urge starts early November, and goes thru Thanksgiving weekend. Never before Halloween, or after Thanksgiving weekend. And this year, he will be riding in the Macy’s parade!
A number of years back, Doug and I started going to his annual Carnegie Hall concerts, always held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The rest of the cast varies, but usually several generations of friends and family, talented musicians all.
He can weave a story and a song together like no one else. Like a child who is enthralled and comforted by the ritual, long after they know the story by heart, I never get tired of listening.
The play list varies, but he almost always ends with “This Land is My Land”, and encores with“‘Goodnight Irene”-my middle name, I reme
mber it being sung to me when I was growing up.
ANYWAY-some years back, on the 30th anniversary of ‘the event’ he sang another version,” the massacre revisited”. New ending, it’s clever and really funny.
The only YouTube versions come with bad video and in 3 parts- kind of disruptive, but worth it, give it a shot. There is also a site where you really can get anything you want…
Meantime, sit back and enjoy the original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_7C0QGkiVo.
“With feeling”, a big thank you to Arlo and the whole Guthrie family , and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!
Tags: fun and smiles, holiday traditions, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Smiles | No Comments »
September 27th, 2010
50 years ago today politics and technology combined to make history.
Give up? The first presidential debate was televised. 70 million people watched in black and white, countless others listened on the radio.
It was the first opportunity for the country to see the candidates side by side, in a competitive arena. While experts proclaimed them evenly matched in substance-in fact, those who heard that debate on the radio felt Nixon had won-we all know how it worked out.
Kennedy had been campaigning on the west coast and was tan and appeared relaxed; Nixon was just coming out from 2 weeks in the hospital for a knee injury; he had lost weight and was pale. His clothes did not fit well, and worse, he did not shave again prior to this late day event, and passed on make-up at the studio. On air, he was sweaty and his 5 o’clock shadow stood out in stark contrast to his skin.
Kennedy looked his best, Nixon probably his worst; subsequent polls of viewers showed they perceived Kennedy to have won that first debate handily, and this momentum kept him going all the way to the White House.
The lessons learned here are unambiguous, and the parallels are clear. As much as some would like difficult decisions like picking a President-or buying a house-to be an intellectual pursuit, more easily compared on paper, there is another dimension. In big decisions, people trust what they see. They choose what they like, are attracted to, and are comfortable with.
In a competitive market, a professionally Staged house stands out. It converts online traffic to more
showings, and attracts the attention of buyers and other agents-who represent buyers.
Simply, it gives you the best shot at selling your house quickly- on your terms, for the best price. If no one wants to see your house, or if offers are not coming your way, we should talk. REALLY.
Tags: good idea, home selling, listing photos, taking action, trivia
Posted in A Day In The Life, Home Selling and Home Staging, Ruminations, Smiles | No Comments »
