Two Major Art Events Coming - Art Basel & Art Miami

I would like to share some of my favorite people on the outside of my associates here, as in the next few weeks we have two MAJOR Art Events! In Staging we are always utilizing Art!! I am always for the local art shows & artists...such as the Delray Affair & Las Olas Art Festivals. They inspire my creativity. These events however, kick it up to another level, & are exhibitors that you will only find either privately collected, in galleries, museums, or Sotheby's or similar auctions. The two events coming are Art Basel & Art Miami.
These events are timed just prior to the holidays when traffic is at its peak. Art Basel is an outstanding gathering of International Artists. Art Miami’s focus is modern, emerging & contemporary art of all ranges with a wide appeal to art dealers, curators, and collectors. I feel that Art Basel has a slightly varied international component, it consists of some rare pieces that are museum worthy, as well as the same (or more diverse) collectors, art dealers, galleries, artists, & curators pieces. These exhibits feature many prestigious artists & galleries across the world. Both events share dates, so I do encourage making a weekend of it, and a visit to both.
You will find our collaborative exhibit of a few of our artists at Art Miami 2000, when I was co-owner/founder of our former business Kaleidoscope Images. These artists were/are like our family, truly. We had approximately 50 artists of diverse style & passion. Kaleidoscope Images originated from my husband’s passion of his fine art photography when he traveled as a ship’s captain. I will blog about Kaleidoscope in the artist series of blogs in the future.
My purpose of this post is to help others mark the dates for these two wonderful events. Art Miami is November 30 - December 4^th (their 22^nd anniversary in Miami) & Art Basel is December 1-4 (the 10^th year in Miami). These two events are similar to Art Expo New York, which we also have participated. It was when my husband convinced me to convert to a mini van.... so we would be able to accommodate all of our artwork for the drive up there. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it until we made the trip...needless to say it was one of three that I owned before downsizing again. Chrysler can definitely make a comfortable car!
I urge anyone that is interested in art, or may be in town, to visit these two exhibits. I am sure that you will be amazed at the superior talent & creativity that you will be able to experience.
I previously had blogged about my friend & fine art photographer Alan Maltz. His studio & gallery are located right on Duval Street in Key West. (Alan shown below)

You will see in these photos below the former Peter Von Artens, we miss him tremendously.

Helen Morse (shown below ) (now residing in Arlington, MA)

(My Dad is on the right helping us that day, so I could attend to assist the other artists)

and Greg Hills work exhibited below.

(yes that is me above...)

I have few blogs in the makings: Karl Merklein & Gustavo Novoa & Greg Hills & Helen Morse are yet to come.

So, please look out for them later this month, as I couldn’t possibly put their influence on my life for all of those years into this blog. The main purpose is to give notice so you may put these two important & beautiful events on your calendar :)!  Thank you for visiting!

Time In A Bottle & Elf On A Shelf Elevator Speech

Hi, I’m like your “Time In A Bottle” & “Elf-On-A-Shelf” all-in-one. My name is Pam Hills, founder of Innovative Artistry. I am a “Comfort Stylist” for Your Property & “Event Engineer” of your valuable milestones.

(hand shake & you are?) (ask for mutual introduction & description) (give two or three cards) (hopefully they will offer a card)

My goal is to 'assist' you & your Realtor with making the sale of your home as painless & expeditious as possible.

My job is to help guide you to protect one of your greatest investments, by staging the initial presentation of your home to potential buyers. I go with you & your agent every step of the way to help you prepare for those monumental steps by putting your "best image" forward with the sale of your property & enhance the maximum appearance... I help you "Dress You Home For Success", much like dressing for a job interview.

I set the stage with your property for the sale...or afterward for your comfort. :) I try to save you time in preparations, as well as your hopefully having much less time on the market which saves you money. If you have property, home, office, or vessel.....or know of anyone that may use my services, please give me a call. (pause) I would love to show you results that may save you time, money & stress & go over the creative ways I can be of help. Here is my contact information and website address, so you may see our artistry at work. It was very nice meeting you! (shake hands) I look forward to hearing from you! (smile)

Are Gutters Important to Your Home??

How many realize why Gutters are so important to your home?? While they can be "upgraded" to be more cosmetic, they actually serve a very important function.

• Gutters help to prevent foundation damage as a result of improper drainage surrounding your home. Too much exposure to water can create mold, cracks, & unnecessary shifting of the foundation.
• Gutters also help to protect your landscaping, pathway, or nice pavers from floating down the street by not allowing the pouring of the run off go straight onto your plants & hedges or walkways.
• Gutters help prevent water from going into your basement
• Gutters help water not accumulate on the roof which would create structural damage.
• Gutters also protect the exterior paint from water exposure which in turn may cause fading.
• They also help keep the exterior of your home clean so that you don't have that dirty splash against your stucco or siding chipping away or fading your facade.
• They can also assist with protecting you from the rain if you are walking on the outside of your home.

Gutters are definitely way over looked for their importance they serve in the upkeep & preservation of our homes. I personally love some of the creative aesthetics that they have now. However, I think that the "seamless" gutters take the lead for practicality & elegance.

I just love the simplicity & cleanliness of "seamless"versions.

When I went looking today for the value of Gutters, to further present the case, of which I found several comments from Real Estate professionals on Trulia, when the question was posed ~

"Does installing gutters add value to the home or is it something that buyers don't care about because it's not "fancy and shiny" ?"

I loved the comparison(s). It certainly helped me to bring home the necessity.

I have since found the source here in Miami for Gutters & if anyone is need of Gutters, I suggest Surfside Seamless Gutters (305) 552-9495 or 305) 382-2526 Albert Perez is a wonderful person & he will be more than happy to assist you with your needs!

Okay, I wanted to share my findings regarding various gutters & the expanded knowledge I gained, of just how much they are an intricate part of our home. I could go on & on with the really creative downspouts...but I will close with the link....there is a fairy, a horse & cowboy, & some very historical ones as well. I look forward to your feedback on any other information on this (or any subject) :)

http://www.collectionsetc.com/downspout/search.aspx?cm_mmc=PAID_SRCH-_-MNB-_-0-_-0&cm_lm=&mr:trackingCode=&mr:referralID=

What A Difference - A Tile Story of a Realtor's Business - Meet SaniGLAZE® Miami

I have been wrestling with a flooring problem. It was more than just an issue of needing new grout or grout restoration, as it had just been partially re-grouted the year prior, but it was also a matter of ease of upkeep, cleanliness, & maintenance with a home here in Miami. Many of these homes have this tile in the surrounding subdivisions, as it was the era they were constructed & with limited funds available for some homeowners, I sought a possible solution.

I called Sergio Barrero, C.B.S.E. who was kind (& patient) enough to give me a demonstration for a proposed project....This demonstration lasted approximately 1.5 hours & I am hopeful it will present many more projects of working together in the future. I guess it will depend on a few factors to come with the viability & the test factor. He says that longevity should be at least 2 years in a residential environment for the protective coating & the glaze should last for a lifetime.

Sergio's company offers a proprietary product with a franchise located here in Miami, Florida. Their headquarters are located in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't know it at the time I made the appointment, as I came to him when I found his franchise product, but Sergio also is an Agent. He was previously with Keller Williams. Sergio presently works with his Uncle's Brokerage Office. He had just finished taking a continuing education class before our appointment. So he can first hand attest to the value in this product in the resale market. I did invite Sergio join our Active Rain network and family :).

Their product does give the "Wow" factor of almost being brand new without the daunting tasks of tile replacement. If anyone has ever had tile taken out...then they know what a messy task it can be. SaniGLAZE® helps overcome the dirt getting embedded into the grout which causes your tile to age & accumulate dirt in a short amount of time. It assists by making the maintenance of a home, apartment or office that much easier.

These are the images that got me to make the appointment, as you can see what a difference. I already knew what re-grouting & restoration could do, but the constant battle is what weighed on my mind. I searched for a solution & it seems to fit the needs. As I mentioned, I am small potatoes to Sergio's business of Hospitals, Apartments, & Extended Living...but I am hoping to bring him another channel with staging the hope of many Home Owners as well as the Hotel Industry.

This process also gives a home a "fresh" look when placing it on the market either for sale or for lease. I was very thankful that he took the time with me today & I feel that there could be a great benefit to others in today's climate. Sergio's primary bulk of his business comes from Property Managers & Commercial Developments such as Hospitals, Extended Care Facilities,and Apartment Buildings all over the State of Florida.

I have the below photos of a small area in an entrance & a bath as an example & then there is a slide show below from their International Facebook Site.

I strongly suggest anyone needed such services give Sergio a call or I will be happy to coordinate.

Before Shot Sergio Barrero, C.B.S.E. Applying the Cleaning Product

He carefully masked the area off to show prep for the polymer glaze that was applied to the right

The left is the doorway after the glaze & hardened sealer & the right is the bath just after cleaning

This bath, believe it or not, had just been re-grouted less than a year prior.....a challenging area, lifestyle, & traditional sealing hadn't helped. Please feel free to contact Sergio or myself to schedule any appointments for his team's demonstration & I would love to get any feedback of anyone who has experienced this product.

Sergio Barrero may be reached (305)300-5393 or (305)396-1021 http://sgmiami.saniglaze.com/

How the SaniGLAZE Process Transforms Tile and Grout Problems

View more presentations from SaniGLAZE International

I Love A Story Of Hope & I Feel This One Will Warm Your Hearts

Hope is such a magical word. We all exist on "hope" whether we admit it or not.... In these times hope is more important than ever to share & spread inspiration. Today was an unusual story of hope; I stumbled upon, as it was very unique and right in my own native state.

This story is of a young man that has served our country & endured incredible battles.

Humbled by the fact he had returned home & felt lost, only to find that he retraced his roots to the home he had "rebelled & left from" when he enlisted...as many youth do. This was where the story took a turn..

The path he takes after is a remarkable renewed appreciation for his roots & how he uses this to

help others find the hope that was gifted to him by his parents following his return. I have to thank Parade magazine for sharing this story today for me to share with you.http://www.parade.com/news/2011/10/hope-grows-here.html

This story led me to share it with my father, who in turn is going to share it with his American Legion post for support efforts. I also am sharing with you as who knows what other inspirations may stem from your reading & thoughts.

I hope you enjoy & it warms your heart as it did mine! There are never enough ways to help our veterans & the "productive therapy" & "camaraderie" this shared was so moving emotionally. We often stretch our wings when we can be ourselves with nature. I have seen that happen even again recently with my daughter's move to a more "country" or nature zoned area of our region.

There is a tremendous message here in helping our veterans....but I also found that these veterans sent another message home (in my mind or JMHO) on what is a healthier way of life in considering the future....at least may be for my family.

I am grateful to them in so many ways, but this article just gave me another & my father another volunteer effort to explore!

These are the "many" efforts I found today:

www.veteransfarm.com

www.farmvetco.org

www.wvfv.net

www.ReMIND.org

www.hungrymotherorganics.com

I actually saw 'at least' 17 Farming Veteran organizations listed on the www.farmvetco.orgsite.

I am just so proud of Sgt. Adam Burke for what he has done right here in the state of Florida. I am wishing him an abundance of support.

I know I am a bit early....but I find this to be appropriate "every" day!! I am not going to wait to share this story.

Halloween Fun Impact ~ Part 1....

Just thinking of a few inexpensive tips that may be I could pass on to make it even "more" of a Happy Halloween & something that comes from my home. There is at least a Part 2 to this series....but we will start with Part 1 :)!!

Halloween has always been pretty big in my home....not because I like scary (I won't go to horror movies...) but because it was always something I thought I needed to make special for the kids. Especially when we moved into our "new" neighborhood while my daughter was growing up.

I found there were infinite options. I have 'alway's had to set limits, but I wanted to pull out a few that were of minimal investment for this year that may be helpful.

There are certain things that you may find that I focus on that put an "imprint" & this is one of them.... The rest of the "imprint" series will follow, but for now it is HALLOWEEN :)

My daughter became engaged on Halloween, as that was one of her most favorite times of year....I am not fully sure how that came about...but I guess it was "fun enough" growing up that it made her happy :)!

So, I wanted to try to spread some cheer & see if they may be of help to others that are of minimal expense, but have an impact in the community.

We have done many things....from stuffing small plastic grocery bags with leaves & then stuffing clothes with them to make scarecrows & people....to monsters....to foggers & noise w/ video. I wish I had more photos, but that was before this stage in life & if you are greeting you can't be photographing!

These two are at the top of my list though....Flags.... Full Size, Garden Size, or Wind Socks...all make a difference :)!!!

I used to always buy Windsport® Flags by Gantz - They used to be more plentiful, but the went out of business. I think their quality was so high that it made it difficult for the 'average' person to purchase, but they were the coolest flags & so dimensional. They had a product that was of amazing quality. I use www.justforfunflags.com to try to locate what I am able to of similar value now in quality.

You can sometimes find them on ebay like this one for summer or anytime for fun

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=220870512532

If you can chase down the Windsport® Flags then these little garden ones will do nicely....your local Lowes usually keeps some in stock. I LOVE the people at Just For Fun Flags....so nice & the ship it in a flash.

FOG

The next thing that I usually do regularly is a fog...now I noticed this year that Lowe's has a very reasonable fogger for $29.95 (now 20% off) but you can also use dry ice to accomplish much of the same effect. Dry Ice runs about $1.25-$1.50 per pound & can be pre-ordered through your local grocer (Publix, Winn Dixie, Kroger, Walmart (super w/grocery)) I find that 5-10 pounds should more than last the few hours of trick or treating & nightfall.

If you follow the instructions you should be in good shape...just be careful as you could burn yourself with it. I has restrictions for transport, etc. as well. However, there are some links below that should be helpful for this GREAT Halloween use. If you have a fountain then even better. I used to put it in our waterfall by our front door as the guest arrived at the porch & I also had a larger fogger as they approached.

You can add vanilla or a scent to the water to make it have a smell if you wish. We have used this with hot towel delivery.

http://askville.amazon.com/buy-dry-ice/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=6855194

http://how-to.ask.com/make/how_to_make_fog_with_dry_ice

There is a webbing & tiny spiders, that is glow in the dark with a black light. The black light can screw in to a spot light or other light & then adds further dimension to the web ;-)!! The light is less than $5.00 & the webbing from Lowes is less than $3.00.

They have dremel adapters & templates for Pumpkins....

There are so many things....Okay, this is a start as I have to get up at 4am again, but wanted you to be able to order flags & ice if you wish. One lady placed it in a cauldron & then put the candy in it for the kids....for a very spooky experience. The fogger I had to reduce because it did give the tiny ones a start. I just put it to the side, so it was not as intense to scare them.

Happy Halloween :)!!

What Are Your Thoughts On How to "Fix" Us Economically?

This may be my shortest blog ever for me....but what do you think about these two articles...they just happened to arrive after suggesting Vegas Bob's Blog http://activerain.com/blogsview/2550350/i-think-it-s-criminal-for-home-property-values-to-go-down-but-property-taxes-don-t- (you will see my comment there on "this economic issue".

I think that the protests are growing, but what are your ideas on the "fix". My feelings may be controversial to many right now....but I don't have much time to watch television between working both of my occupations, family @ home, "&" my family in the "Rain". I turn it on for the news & a few campaign updates have worked their way in as well.... I have some feelings in a nutshell.

Our problems started long before this term was elected & when this president took office he took office with a freight train coming at him 100 mph. It would have been the case with either presidential candidate I feel.

• I think more frequent that ever, that "all" new presidential terms should be 6 years, as it takes the first two to get solid footing & find out the overwhelming amount of information that has been kept on the "inside" of who has what or acted on what & to be "briefed". May be a re-election term of shorter duration. It is not like in our professions (present or former) where you may have a 2 week training period or turnover. I think it takes a bit longer to learn the turnover of the US?
• I do not think that campaigning should be allowed to go almost two years before the present term is barely even up?? When was that decided?? It makes me feel ever more annoyed with the candidates that they can't see the distraction they are creating. It is not a positive light for them in my eyes. It is a terrible distraction from the work that needs to be of "focus" without a mass of outside rhetoric from others in glass houses.
• I don't ever wish us to have another president that has an interest in a natural resource/commodity that we depend on as a nation. It is no offense...I just think it is too tempting. (I don't care if it is fertilizer....corn, wheat or coffee...but especially I am not comfortable with "oil")
• Don't you ever wonder why more presidents don't quit since no one is appreciative for what they try to do with all the internal political controversy ongoing amongst them? (I have patience, but don't think many have that much patience)

I vote independent & I am NOT standing for a "party" so much as the position of responsibility of which we have as an elected position.

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/another-corporate-outrage-golden-parachutes-failed-ceos-153646807.html

http://news.yahoo.com/insight-bankruptcy-ripples-may-emerge-tough-economy-215646170.html

I do see how the protesters started.... Just my thoughts...to get your thoughts on how do you feel it could be "fixed" so we can begin to find some normalcy??? Some in the protest felt there should also be a "maximum" wage...as there is a "minimum" wage? Should there be more protection for the "golden" parachutes"??