Linda {Calling it Home} 4/3/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 4/3/13

My Inspiration Entry

It's a balmy 44 degrees here in New Jersey. I'm outta here....come see me at Laura's blog, Gracefully Searching.

I'm telling you all my inspiration secrets I used for creating my new entry.

While you are on her blog, make sure you poke around. Laura is the one who creates some of the best design boards out there. Remember when she did a tutorial for us?

Yeah, that Laura!

Linda {Calling it Home} 4/1/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 4/1/13

A Happy Accident

Hi Everyone, I hope you had a nice long weekend celebrating whatever it is you celebrate. I am happy to announce that I was able to finish receipt hunting, and my taxes are in the mail.
Last week I headed over the Tappan Zee Bridge to Connecticut. I was on a Craigslist mission that had great promise. You know I'm a CL addict, and I like to think that I prequalify potential purchases long before I set out on an hour drive. Well, I was lied to.....many of you may be thinking "that's exactly why I don't do Craigslist". If my average wasn't so good, I might be inclined to quit hunting.
I wanted a 38" round table, and the one listed did not have measurements. I called the owner and he said it was 36"....at $60, it was close enough. When I arrived and measured the table it was 32"....so I walked.
Luckily, Sandy was familiar with Connecticut and pointed me in the direction of some fun shopping. I ended up at Hidden Galleries in Stamford, Ct. I spent over an hour walking around and looking at all of the beautiful vignettes. The prices were not as outrageous as you might expect. In fact, some of it was reasonably priced.

And this is when it is time to go home...

I'm actually happy that the CL table didn't work out. I had a great time exploring a new place. I didn't purchase any of these items, but I did buy another rug from the Turkish Rug Seller I told you about.
Have you stumbled upon any hidden treasures lately?

Linda {Calling it Home} 3/29/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 3/29/13

Blog Business...Why Do You Blog?

I thought I would be telling you about my blog name change, today. But, I have been receiving so many emails with blog business questions, it felt like this post should come first. Next week I will tell you all about my name change.
Let me start by saying, if you blog for the sole purpose of "fun"....click away, now...this will be so boring for you.

The best place to start is with YOU. Why do you blog? Be honest with yourself. Are you using your blog to grow a business...Etsy store, Design service, Retail location, Photography, etc...? Are you building your blog because you want the blog to be a place of business...sell advertising, Consult, Sponsored Posts, etc...? Are you not sure where you are headed with this, but it is not "just for fun" you would like it to grow into something?
The sooner you have a clear vision on where you are headed, the faster you will get there. The reasons why I blog and my goals are based on my own personal situation, and yours should be based solely on your situation.

I see blogs as Industry Trade Papers. As a reader, I visit certain blogs expecting certain things. Some of the groups I have defined in my own head are "Mommy Blogs, Fashion Blogs, Home & Garden Blogs, Food Blogs, and Lifestyle Blogs. Obviously there are so many more categories, but this gives you an idea of what I am referring to. I would suggest that you define your subject matter and stick to it 80% of the time. It is really fun to read and share some personal things every now and then and we should all have some flexibility with our posts. If you are the type of person who wants to blog about "whatever moves me in the moment"....good for you. You can stay true to yourself. You may also have a much harder time finding a loyal readership.
Now that you have a focus for why you blog.....take a close hard look at YOURSELF. Look at your blog. Does your blog reflect what you are trying to accomplish? Have you branded your business in a professional manner? Is your background an appealing color? Is your font easy to read? Can the reader get a feel for what you are about at the first click over to your site? This is almost impossible to do on your own....family and friends who don't understand or read blogs are useless. Ask other bloggers. I consult with several bloggers behind the scenes. I listen to what they are saying even if it isn't what I want to hear. I pick people whom I trust and I know have my best interest in mind. This is not a competition...we all win, when we all win.

When bloggers unite, we are a corporation. The more we site and credit each other for photos, ideas, and work... the stronger we become. If we protect each other from having our ideas copied, large corporations will seek us out to join our forces and not work against us. If we stab each other in the back, we are giving them permission to do so. Don't steal a good idea....create your own.

Giveaway's are a perfect example of how companies can work with bloggers. I see no negative side to giveaways, and you shouldn't either. If you don't like the giveaway.....click away! There is no reason to put fellow bloggers down for having one. If you do want to win it, play by the rules and be a good sport.
I was recently asked about advertisers. I should tell you that I spent a fair amount of time in sales and selling advertising was part of that. It's this simple.....first you build it, then they come. It might be hard to find an advertiser, but it is impossible to bring one back if they had poor results.
Now go get social!
This topic could go on forever. I recently read the book Blog, Inc. It has lots of tips and information you may find interesting.

Is there a specific blog topic that you are interested in?

Why do you blog?

Linda {Calling it Home} 3/27/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 3/27/13

Let's Wander to the Orchid Show

This is going to be total eye candy today. Sandy, from the blog You May be Wandering, is giving us a flower show tour. If you are not familiar with Sandy's blog, she writes about all things travel related. Her information is great, but I just love all the beautiful images she posts. Totally Pinterest-Worthy.

Wandering to...The New York Botanical Garden for The Orchid Show:

"A woman loves orchids because it makes her feel like she is floating on a cloud of possibility"

-from the movie, A Perfect Man

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is one of the great treasures of New York City. My family and I have been members for years. We enjoy strolling through the beautiful gardens and seeing what is in bloom - spring bulbs, azaleas and flowering trees; summer roses and perennial gardens; and fall foliage at the height of its color. And, while most people wouldn't think of visiting a botanical garden in the winter, the Holiday Train Show is truly enchanting. Another annual exhibit happens each March just when we have all had just about enough of winter in the New York area, The Orchid Show.

A few weeks ago, I stepped inside the large Victorian glasshouse also known as the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, where the 11th annual Orchid Show was being held. I was instantly transported to a tropical oasis and surrounded by thousands of spectacular orchids.

The NYBG Orchid Show is the largest curated orchid show in the United States and contains over 7,000 orchid plants representing species from Australia, South America and Africa. This years show was designed by one of the NYBG's own, Francisca Coelho.

The NYBG was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Coelho decided to bring some of the fallen trees inside to incorporate into the design of the show.

All photos are by Sandy at You May Be Wandering

The Orchid Show will continue at the New York Botanical Gardens until April 22, 2013. It is definitely well worth a day trip up to the Bronx to view this beautiful exhibit.

Thanks for the tour, Sandy. I love to stroll through Botanical Gardens.....wherever they are.

You can check out Sandy's blog and see all the travel related things she posts about, here.

Linda {Calling it Home} 3/25/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 3/25/13

Rug Sources

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I took two naps, and went shoe shopping with my teen. I would love to have spent the weekend gardening, but Mother Nature is treating me like her unfavorite child.

Before I tell you about my rug sources, I wanted to say a quick thank you to Falon from The Bees Times Three for this adorable tote. I won this along with a Target gift card in her giveaway. #ILoveAGiveaway.
My daughter gets the tote (I filled it with her favorite beach stuff) and I get the gift card. Wouldn't this be adorable as party favors for kids Birthday parties?

As promised, here are my rug sources for my entry. After you grab the sources, you may want to read on because I will be telling you how to spot an unethical Ebay seller.
This rug was from Esalerugs.com

I purchased it on an "extra 50% off sale. The price was good, and the rug was cleaned by the seller. I did think it needed a light cleaning when it arrived. No big deal, and many people might have been fine with it. I would buy from them again.

The next two rugs are from this Ebay Seller.

I fell in love with this detail

The prices are good, and I was able to negotiate for free shipping on both. There were a few glitches in the process. Federal Express notified me that I needed to fill out a form required by Homeland Security. There was also an additional $31 for custom/taxes. I notified the seller of the additional fees, and he immediately refunded me the $31 to my pay pal account. Getting the legal document to Federal Express was another story.
I purchased the rugs last October. They arrived during Hurricane Sandy. I had no way of electronically receiving or sending documents. Days were going by, and Federal Express was informing me (via cell phone) that they would need to ship the rugs back if I could not get the paperwork to them in the next two days. I made it happen, and I can't even remember how.....I think my husband hacked into my email account from a remote location....it's all a blur.
The Ebay pictures of the rugs are shown on the streets of Turkey. They needed to be cleaned, and you should figure that expense into your decision. I had my rug cleaner clean them. I would and am currently planning on buying from him again.
Here are my tips for spotting unethical Ebay Sellers.

I really don't care if the seller says I can return an item if I am not satisfied. We are talking about International Shipping......the likelihood of me returning an item overseas is slim to none, and they know it.
First - the legal disclaimer - I am not accusing anyone of anything illegal or inappropriate. The views I am about to share are solely my own. The examples I am giving are merely examples, and do not clam to be anything more than hypothetical situations.
Now look out for the following:
The reviews on Ebay can be manipulated. Shocked? I was, when my husband pointed this out. There was an article in some business publication that I would have never found. He gave me the article, and here is what you need to know:
Sellers can open fake accounts and make purchases in their own stores. This will give them the ability to rate themselves A+ and thus increasing their percentages against negative or neutral ratings. How can you spot one? Here are some red flags for me.
When you see an item that you are interested in, go check out the ratings. Pay attention to these two numbers
Neutral & Negative

Make sure you read what the people said about the seller. Then, go look at the sales, and check out the buyers. This buyer jumped out at me.

He has a low number of purchases...so far, that's ok. Let's go check out this buyer. Here is part of his purchase history.

On July 14, 2012...this buyer purchased 9 rugs from 2 sellers. What is even more concerning to me is that the actual item and the price it was purchased for, is missing or "private".

I would not buy from either of the sellers listed. In fact, I do a "save seller" and make a note to myself in the comments section.

Another thing to look for: Ebay Seller's can change their name and start a new store. One way to question if this might be the case is to look at how long they have been on Ebay in relation to their sales. An example of this is below. This seller has multiple listings at very high prices. I would not be comfortable buying from this person.

I love Ebay, and will continue to make purchases from the site. It never hurts to be a little cautious when you are not buying from a company, but rather an unknown individual.

Do you have any Ebay experiences you want to share?

Linda {Calling it Home} 3/20/13 Linda {Calling it Home} 3/20/13

One Room Challenge..the Finale

Hello, and thanks for coming by. This is the final post for this round of the One Room Challenge. You can start at the beginning of the challenge, here.
I want to thank you for coming by each week and leaving your supportive comments. I really appreciate all of your feedback. You don't know it, but you kept me going. I tried to reply back to everyone who was not a "no-reply" blogger. If you wrote about the challenge or read anything about it, I would love it if you sent me the link. I would like to link back to all of those people.
Enough writing, let's get to the pictures.
Remember how it started?

A colorful Turkish rug (post with sources to follow)

Love this detail.

I went shopping online at The Pink Pagoda for the blue and white ginger jars and the planter. They were delivered in less than a week.

The chandelier is up. I love the round bulbs with the rectangular glass.

The ceilings feel much taller with the simple columns and crown.

Yes, a Craigslist mirror and console table.

Mirror details.

I love the coral pagoda.

And a pop of coral on the inside.

The marble top that I was telling you about.

The paint is BM Ebony King. It is Porch & Floor paint in oil.

My favorite part, this section.

Love the rug.

The lamps after a little bit of spray paint.

The breathtaking fabric designed by Jennifer.

One more rug.

It goes really well with the San Francisco prints.

She wanted to come home with me.

He was not impressed.

I'm off to go see the others and after that I will be spending so much quality time with my kids, they will be begging me to go start another project.

Here are my rug sources

Hodge Podge

Kim Macumber Interiors

Little Black Door