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How was your weekend? Did you stay cool and take on a box or two from your stash of stuff? I had a friend visit from Steamboat Springs, CO. We tried taking a selfie (I wanted to share) but could NOT get a good one--hee,hee it was fun trying, though! So, I will just report that we laughed a lot, ate salad and french fries and salad and chocolate (two separate meals), shopped and went for a long hike. Super Fun! Today I’m thrilled to share a work in progress from a session that Kelly and I had with a new client a few weeks ago. After one session, we already have amazing “Before” and “After” pics to show you! So, ‘Ms. Nameless’ called me for design. She really wanted to freshen up her living room and dining room, and someday wanted to tackle remodeling the kitchen. She showed me her condo--a really cute place with tons of potential--but never showed me THE BASEMENT! The next call from her was “a confession”... She said something like this, “I had dinner with my family, they know about your work, and they were surprised that we were starting with design because...to tell you the truth, I have a BASEMENT SITUATION that needs help before I do anything else. I moved into this place 11 years ago, retired 5 years ago and there are boxes down there that are still taped up from the move.” I was soooooo excited for her! We discussed the benefits of taking on the clutter first and made an appointment to get started. Because, really folks, if you start designing or decorating with no plans for beauty from the inside out, you will only be getting partial benefits AND results. As Bob Hoffman once said, “If you have a pile of crap and put whipped cream on it, you still have a pile of crap!” So, let’s get to work! Ms. Nameless warned us of a “creepy corner (or two)” in the basement, but we were not dissuaded from venturing down--nice try! In fact, we couldn’t wait to get started so she could feel better as soon as possible.  Long story short (Or as my husband says, “short story long”) in only ONE afternoon we have this to show for our team effort:
Kelly is scheduled to return in a few weeks to continue going through the boxes on the shelves clearing the tool/hardware/paint section and the holiday section. We are hoping Ms. Nameless’ daughter <ahem, you know who you are!> will also join us that day to take care of her belongings now neatly stacked on one side of the basement :) Here’s what we took out of the basement that afternoon: 1 car full of shredding 4 car fulls of donation items 1 car full of garbage/recycling AHHHHH! Now she can breathe again, find her stuff for the pool and start to wiggle free of the nagging “basement” monster! Ms. Nameless says she was so inspired that she took another load to the donation center the day after--can’t wait to see the final shots of this great big success story! Lots of Love, XO  PS: If you’re free Wednesday night and are interested in some “Closet Magic”, join me at the Velvet Button Boutique, 1925 Monroe St. for a Free Event with refreshments and door prizes! All you have to do is email: the girls@velvetbutton.com and let them know you are coming! Excited to see you there!
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Lots of my clients have this going on… little (and big) framed family photos everywhere! Some in the living room, bedrooms, hallways, kitchen, dining areas and propped up on windowsills, dressers and shelves. And, I get it! These are your precious people!!!! I am NOT suggesting that you declutter them. UNLESS...they’re faded, broken, or past their expiration date in some way or another! Gather them, dust them, and GROUP them in a central location. Usually a family room, a passage to the living room or the Family area of the bagua (Feng Shui map--if you want more info--email me). Side note: DO NOT hang them in your bedroom--not restful or sexy to have your loved ones watching. Then hang them free form on the wall, or use a shelf, like this one, to guide you.  The power of putting ALL of your treasured loved ones together is astonishing! Our shelf happens to be full of grandbabies right now ;) Now, sit back and enjoy--there they all are, dust-free & smiling down upon you! Logistics: I downloaded the Walgreens app and sent photos from my phone to the store where I picked them up an hour later for 29 cents ea. Soooooo easy! If you want assistance with a family wall, contact me--it’s one of my specialties! And, Wednesday, July 27th, I’ll be at The Velvet Button at 6pm giving a FREE “Closet Magic” talk! So, if you’re ready to uncover the secret treasure hiding in your closet, come over to 1925 Monroe St. and join us! Seating is limited to 25--email thegirls@velvetbuttonboutique.com right away to save your spot. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your week. It's one of my greatest joys! Lots of love, XO  SUCCESS STORY:
Kristi: “We love walking past our family gallery everyday. It was fun to refresh the frames, choose some new, fun photos and watch you create such a charming arrangement. We love it!” Kristi S. RN, Madison, WI Last Friday I continued my work with Jill (pseudonym :)) on her SO IMPORTANT family “Control Center.” You know, the little desk in the kitchen where life flows through…
Organized top desk drawers! We focused on:
This work is a process. It doesn’t just magically happen one day--it’s created step by step. In this home, we used what was already working to build a preliminary system. And there were some great ideas already in place! We’ve already made a couple of adjustments, and as we continue to other areas of the home: Attic! Basement! Kids’ rooms! Bookshelves! We will continue to check into this important area to make sure it continues to support their busy life. Because, what if…
Your stress level went down and you could take a breath or sit down and read a damn magazine? I would love that for you, too. And I believe it’s possible!!! Enjoy your week and thanks for reading! Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested. New members receive my FREE Design Essentials Kit HERE. Lots of Love, XOXO  This week, I’m eager to continue the tour and share my office uplevel with you. If you remember, from a blog post at the beginning of this year, moving my desk FIVE FEET into the middle of my office is what precipitated our Big Move. Never underestimate the power of moving the furniture! Here’s my new office:  The Desk--One simple piece of glass, I’m sitting here right now! A cactus from my bonus daughter, Tammy (cuz she knows I can’t keep plants alive--this one from Christmas, so far, so good!) and SPACE. Nothing to distract me from whatever it is I’m working on. Files in one drawer behind me, and two drawers for office supplies. It has taken many renditions of editing and refining to get to this balanced place of enough/not too much. The Red Sofa--Folds out into a double bed for guests--daughter and baby and hubby arriving on Wednesday(!). Power art by artist Marko Spalatin over the sofa, and luscious relationship art by Lauren Paradise on the wall behind me (The office is in the Feng Shui “relationship corner” of our home). The Paint--Well, WOW! The chocolate color on the walls contrasted by the cobalt color on the ceiling--what’s not to love? The Chandelier--A total Estate Sale “find” with a bazillion glimmery crystals. There is a constant Fourth of July fireworks going on with this gorgeous thing overhead. Long story, short...I get tons of work done in this office, it totally supports me with the streamlined, beautiful vibe. And, I find I need less and less paper these days, how about you? If you need or want assistance getting your office in shape, taking a step toward going paperless, or help sorting out your technology clutter, hit reply to this email, Kelly (amazing assistant) and I are standing by! We loooooooove working on offices!!! Lots of love, XOXO  SUCCESS STORY:  ”Before Jane, there didn’t seem like there was any place to hang out at our house, so all my kids just stayed in their rooms. After Jane came and redesigned our living room with beautiful colors, lighting and furniture, my kids started to come out of their rooms! We now have a beautiful place to gather and my 3 teenagers are actually talking not only to John and I, but to each other! :) Thanks Jane!“ -Kelly Kenyon, DeForest FENG SHUI DESIGN: Jackie Patricia PHOTO CREDIT: Janice Laufenberg Today we continue the tour of our apartment--with the dining room! The old, round, oak table is in front of the screened porch overlooking Elver Park (the biggest park in Madison) and the fireplace. We just moved this spring, but a cozy meal in front of the fire sounds delicious this winter, non? The table’s solid and sturdy and the chairs are intentionally soft and cushy--keeps us (and our guests) lingering at the table just a bit longer. The walls are painted a soft orange, Harvest Moon (Benjamin Moore) The green chandelier is also old and made of wood--a total Etsy score! The art is powerful, a Marko Spalatin canvas that gorgeously balances the energy of the lively wallpaper in the entryway. This geometric art supports high energy, clarity, empowerment and passion. Let me know if you need this kind of boost in your life, I can hook you up :)  The TV is tucked off to the left of the fireplace on a credenza with wheels so it can be rolled into the perfect position when it’s movie night! And then, WOW, we had some fun putting this fancy Venetian mirror with an old beat-up dresser behind the table. John Urban’s photograph, “My Lady Friend,” is hanging in the relationship corner of the room as a symbol of happy love :)  Last week I asked for feedback on my new Design Essentials Kit--WOWOWOW! Thank you for the comments, I soooooo appreciate it! Carol Mays is the winner of the drawing and will soon be receiving a $25 gift card in the mail to the Firefly coffee shop in Oregon, WI! Thanks to all who attended and participated in the Q&A call last Wednesday, It was an awesome turnout and SO MUCH FUN! Start collecting your questions for July--we will be adjusting the date a bit, so mark you calendars for W, July 20th at 8pm CST. If you want to listen to a replay of the call, dial: (712) 775-7089 and enter 626584# for access. Hope to see you at the Dreambank tomorrow, 6/29, at noon! For details, see below… Lots of love, XOXO  FENG SHUI DESIGN: Jackie Patricia
PHOTO CREDIT: Janice Laufenberg |
Jane Antonovich
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