Have you heard the news?

 Picnik has announced they are shutting down on April 19, 2012.

 Picnik gone?

Every picture I take is run through Picnik for some sort of edit.....color and brightness adjustment, cropping, rotating, cloning out distracting background, adding text.  I use the collage feature for my "before & after" shots and compiling pictures of my grandsons.  I am still discovering new ways to use all the fun and creative special effects. 

It's ease of use makes Picnik an INVALUABLE tool, especially for bloggers.  

So why are they closing?  

Is it a publicity stunt...the announcement is getting attention on Twitter and facebook and there's even a petition to sign - is this a way to get more exposure?  (I've signed, of course)

Is it merely a transformation...are they just changing their brand over to google?

"We are excited to bring even more photo-editing fun to Google products, like Google+, where you can find many of your favorite Picnik effects.  Just look for them under Creative Kit."

Maybe Picnik won't be "gone" but just relocated.  I went looking for "Creative Kit" and I couldn't find it.  I'm not the best at learning new things and I haven't spent any time in Google+ yet except to add friends to circles (and I have no idea what's happening in those circles).  I haven't had a reason until now to have any interest in Google+ at all.  I guess sometime before April I'm going to have to figure it out.

Bottom line:  I'm sick of losing products I LOVE and having to find replacements.  I hope the petition works, or the whole thing was a huge marketing ploy or "Creative Kit" is just as good and just as easy to use because right now the thought of losing Picnik frustrates me.

UPDATE:   Thank you Steve Loynd!!

Steve found iPiccy

It's free and very similar to Picnik!!  After a very quick review of iPiccy, I think the only thing missing is the ability to make collages.  If you visit iPiccy, they are taking a poll on what feature should be added....I voted for collages with hopes they will add the feature by the time Picnik is gone.

There is hope! 

New Hampshire Home Staging - Feeling The Love

You've probably heard that once you list your New Hampshire home, it's no longer a "home" but now a "house" for sale....a product.  Although it's important to remember that selling a house is marketing a product, it's also important to make sure that your product is emotionally appealing to buyers. 

Janice Ankrett, professional Home Stager in Canada, suggests feeling the love when it comes to real estate preparation and I totally agree!

Think Like A Home Buyer if You Want To Find a Buyer For Your Home

Listing your New Hampshire home?  For the best outcome, you need to do your "home work" BEFORE listing.

Greg Gillespie is an agent in Jackson, TN and he wrote this great post detailing some important questions you should be answering in preparation of marketing your house for sale.

 Preparation is key to creating perceived value in the eyes of buyers.

What Will I Find If I Google Your Business Name?

As many of you know, we have recently listed our house for sale. Shortly after listing, we started receiving solicitations from moving companies....post cards in the mail and phone calls from movers who are looking for our business.

I received a call from a very friendly woman asking if I would like a free estimate.  She assured me that I would be very impressed with their representative, Dan...."everyone loves Dan!"  I agreed to have Dan call me to set up an appointment.

I decided to google the moving company before Dan called to see what I could find out about them.

Page 1 on Google:  The first link has 10 reviews, 7 are very negative.  The second link has 4 reviews, 3 are very negative.  Everyone may "love Dan" but not too many people love the moving company he represents.  

Two days later when Dan called I told him that based on the reviews I saw online, I would pass on the estimate.  He appeared to be surprised and said he would inform his manager that there are negative reviews out there.

I would hope that Dan's manager, and the owner of this company, already know about the reviews...if not, they should.  

I would hope that someone in this company has a plan to overcome the negative reviews and change their reputation for the better.

When a company rates as poorly as this one does online, it's pretty hard to overcome it. 

I google every service, company, and/or product I am considering.

 I take reviews very seriously.  Do you?

  Do you think a business can survive bad reviews on Google?  Would you have given them a chance?

What will I find if I google your business name?

Using Home Staging To Define Each Room

It's very important when preparing your house for sale to clearly define the purpose of each room for potential buyers.  Here's a post written by Kathy Strader listing some easy ways to make your house's true potential shine through.  When selling, it's best to leave nothing to chance!

Twenty Five Different Ways To Wear A Scarf -  This is a Brilliant Video!

Scarves aren't just for Winter and they aren't only for keeping warm....they are a wardrobe staple, worn all year long.

Men, women, old and young, use scarves to add a splash of color and personality.  

I enjoy scarves too, but like many people...don't know a whole lot about different ways to wear them.

I had no idea that there are twenty five different ways to wear a scarf, not until a friend shared a great video on facebook.

The video is more than a tutorial... it's also very entertaining and fun to watch.

 Wendy Nguyen had this idea to create a video on scarves, and her co-creator, Mystery Man, had the brilliant idea of creating a "Brady Bunch" like format...you know where all nine Brady's are in boxes looking at each other....

In this video there are 25 Wendy's interacting and watching each other tie their scarves. 

Wendy is so adorable, and the video is so creative and well made...I just had to share it!

Wendy also wrote a post on the making of the video explaining exactly how it was done....beyond my comprehension, but very interesting!  

One more thing....

while watching the video, you can click at any time on any one of the 25 scarves for a full tutorial....brilliant!

Being a professional Home Stager in Portsmouth, New Hampshire I'm no stranger to giving advice to sellers.  Now that my house is on the market I can honestly say, I prefer giving the advice to actually living it.

Living in "sell mode" is not for the faint of heart!  Keeping your house show ready is a lot of work!

When you list your house for sale, you are transported from the real world to an uncomfortable, inconvenient  fantasy land where soap and towels aren't used and cabinets and closets now carry only a fraction of what you actually own and need to survive.

 Your giant TV and excercise bike are banished from the bedroom and your favorite chair has gained a slipcover and pillow and lost it's ottoman.  It's no fun having to make the beds, pick up laundry, and sweep the floors every day!

As stressful as it may be to live this way....I believe it beats the alternative.

I would rather suffer a bit more pain for the short term than suffer less pain but have it go on for eternity!

Once you decide to sell, your next decision is whether you want to sell the hard way or the easy way.

The hard way is living in show mode...very inconvenient, but much higher odds of selling sooner.

Higher pain - Shorter time period

The easy way is not giving up your conveniences.  "You gotta live" right?  

Less Pain - Longer time period

It's ultimately your decision as the seller.

This Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Stager) Seller prefers the hard way!

Is This Funny?

 I think it's hysterical, and I'm not even sure why.  All I know is it makes me laugh every time I watch it.  

We just found it...he doesn't remember making it, and I don't remember ever seeing it before.  We think it was taken several years ago.  

There is just something about him sitting there in the car recording this....it just makes me laugh!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....although I seriously doubt that's possible.

Twas the week before Christmas

and all through the house

every room had been cleaned and prepared 

by the Stager and her spouse.

The furniture had been placed...each accessory chosen with care,

in hopes that a buyer, very soon would be there.

The Home Stager has become the Seller!

It's the week before Christmas and my Portsmouth NH home is for sale.

One thing is for certain, I'm a woman of my word.  I practice what I preach! All those times I said to a client "if it were my house I would..." have become a reality.   This selling business is no fun....especially when you are as serious about preparation and presentation as I am.  There has been no rest and will be no rest until a buyer is found.

Pray for us!  LOL!

One very important thing I've learned....don't let Winter or the holidays scare you away from listing.  We have seen a lot of action this past week.  The people looking at houses the week before Christmas are very serious!

All I want for Christmas this year... is a BUYER!!