I'll Be Right Back....

I'll be right back...after we welcome a very special new member to our family.

The Nursery: Ceiling and Light

After a long search for wallpaper for the nursery walls, then wallpaper for the ceiling we decided to paint the ceiling. I went through several designs (these were just the beginning).....

I could have (and might have, ahem) gone a little crazy with the design but since Patrick volunteered to take on the challenge we decided to keep it somewhat "simple"- straight lines.

I knew I wanted to do tone on tone and gray, but after that I was relatively open to the exact shade. We had trim paint left over so I decided to use that as the darker color. I also liked that is was a gloss finish, something unexpected since the lighter color was an eggshell finish

I know the light fixture above was a favorite of many of you but don't worry, it went to a good home- our guest bedroom (which reallllly needed it). For the nursery light I knew what I wanted from the moment I saw it a year and half ago at Market.

I instantly loved the whimsical feel of the recycled styrofoam fixture but I knew it would have to be the right room. When we found out we were pregnant I knew just where it would find a home.

I know it is a little out there, a sentiment many, including the electrician, have conveyed to me but I could not love it more. It is unique and adds a playfulness the room needed.

Here is a picture of the full ceiling and light.

No, it is not your eyes playing tricks on you, it does look like the lines to the right are slightly uneven. I can assure you, after hours of taping, leveling and measuring the lines are perfect. It turns out that sometimes you don't know you have a huge dip in your ceiling until you decide to draw attention to it. C'est la vie.

So while I do still dream of wallpapered ceiling I could not be happier with the way things are looking overhead.

Side Table Needed- Bring In The Stump

There are still some items missing from the nursery, one of them being a side table for next to the rocker. Bring in this beauty...

A few months ago a wonderful client called to tell me that there were stumps on her street and volunteered to grab some for me. Of course I said yes and she has been holding on to these for months for me.

Last week I picked them up and this brings us to the part of the story that really Patrick should narrate. I had warned him of my next plan for the nursery- a stump side table- but what he was thinking when he opened my car and found the trunks I am sure would be a great comic relief.

Apparently there is a lot that goes into getting a stump from its natural state to a state suitable for home use, especially when the space it will be used in belongs to a baby. I will let you know what I find out and how this progresses. Needless to say this will be one of those things that will completed post baby arrival. I can't wait to for the finished product though, the lines in this one I hope will be fabulous!

Love The One You're With- Veranda Interiors

Today I am thrilled to welcome Melissa from Veranda Interiors as my guest blogger. I can't remember exactly when we became blog friends, but everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend like Melissa.

Her interiors are gorgeous, following her own home's progression is envy inducing and I have even made a special trip to H&M thanks to her post; but her kindness and support outweighs all of that. I feel very lucky to have met her in the crazy blog world!

I am SO thrilled to help out our expectant mother, workaholic, incredibly nice, favorite blogger Marianne by participating in this great series. When she first asked me to do this post we were hunkered down in our crappy rental while our new home was under construction, I sent a note back telling her that I could only do a 'hate the one your with' post. I really wanted to share images of our new home with you but we moved in and a week later we were off to our cabin at Tablerock Lake for the summer...so here I am, featuring the cabin since it is a place that we completely overhauled and we are now able to create so many wonderful memories here.

To ensure that the growth of the boys is documented as well as the fun that we have while here I set up this wall across from the front door so it is the first thing you are greeted with. I picked up the adorable growth chart off Etsy and have put some of our favorite images around it. They can change out from year to year...or I may just cram the frames closer together and add more.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and even here it is the same case. We are constantly seated at the island, creating yummy cookies with the boys, and cooking up a storm for my family when they come for the weekend, all 22 of them! The kitchen has come a long way, here is an image of what we were working with when we took possession of the home.

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The family room on the main level of the home gets a lot of use from guest and our little guys. All I have to say is thank goodness the cream sofas are slip-covered, ha! My favorite item in this space is the antique teak bench from Bali that we use as a coffee table. The patina is wonderful and it just gets better with use.

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The dining area of the home is right next to the great room so it had to all flow together. Once everything was drenched in white I started the hunt for decorative items. While I am still in search for many more things the space is working for me...for now.



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Since we are never here during the winter months I needed to fill the fireplace box with something. The pillar candles were perfect since it is a darker space of the home and the ambiance it gives off is perfect. Tucked away in one corner of the room is Nemo, our glass fish from Roost, he is our cork collector at the cabin and the only fish I can seem to keep alive.

We tend to party it up with a bevy or two by the camp fire or on the dock so we needed a space for a bar but we are a little cramped. To accommodate the storage we required I found a great antique armiour that I adore. It is tucked away nicely in a corner and serves a great purpose.

So this is where we have been hiding out this summer. Thank you so much for visiting and do come again, I promise to make you a wonderful meal we can share. Mel xo

Thank you Melissa, of course I love it. Now I can't wait to see the house progression in the coming months!!!

Class Dates, Registering and Ordering Books

DATES:  SALESPERSON classes:

2013 - October 8-11, 15-18
2013 – November 5-8, 12-15
2013 – December 3-6, 10-13
2014 – January 7-10, 14-17
2014 – February 4-7, 11-14
2014 – March 4-7, 11-14

NUMBER OF DAYS:     8 – Tuesday-Friday for 2 consecutive weeks
TIME OF DAY:  8:30-4:30 daily

COST: $315.00 plus books (approximately $100) ___________________________________________________________________

BOOKS:  Real Estate Sales and Pre-Exam Review.
(I do NOT have the books, they must be ordered)

ORDER BOOKS:  CALL 800-279-1972 – ask for Education Dept. and tell them you’re taking my class.  The books are NOT sold locally. (Overnight delivery by UPS if ordered before noon.) ____________________________________________________________________

TO REGISTER BY CHECK: Send check ($50 non-refundable deposit - balance is due first day) to 8515 Sauby Road, Larsen, WI 54947

TO REGISTER BY CREDIT CARD:  Email LaurelStoneSchoolofRealEstate@gmail.com to be invoiced online.

LOCATION: 303 South Bluemound Drive, Appleton WI 54914.
WANT MORE INFO?    920-428-0146 or LaurelStoneSchoolofRealEstate@gmail.com

For a more detailed explanation about registering, click here.

What's in the course?   click here.

Welcome

Laurel Stone School of Real Estate has been Northeast Wisconsin's recognized leader in REAL ESTATE EDUCATION for over 20 years offering:

• Live Wisconsin Pre-License SALES Class
• Online Wisconsin and Minnesota Pre-License Courses
• Online Training in Over 20 States:
• Continuing Education
• Advanced Training

Please take a few moments to explore our site where you will find information on our school, our location, our course offerings and my experience and background.
If you have questions, please contact me anytime!

Thanks for stopping by!
Laurel Stone
LaurelStoneSchoolofRealEstate@gmail.com
920-428-0146 (call or text)

About Laurel

Laurel Stone, owner of Laurel Stone School of Real Estate, teaches pre-license sales classes and offers online courses for pre-license sales and broker courses, Wisconsin’s mandatory continuing education and post license training courses.

First licensed in 1977, in addition to selling homes, she was active in various aspects of real estate, including attending Real Estate Exchange and Marketing Sessions in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., representing buyers of investment properties and managing property for those investors. During this time, she joined Toastmasters International which led to numerous public speaking engagements and ultimately was the catalyst that inspired her to begin her teaching career by instructing a property management course at Penn State University, York Campus. In addition, she served on community boards such as Historic York, actively participated in local politics and in 1979 was a participant of Leadership York, a program begun in 1978 designed to prepare men and women for volunteer leadership positions in York County.

From 1981 - 1984, she owned and operated her own real estate company specializing in property management and was a buyer’s agent for investors of small residential and commercial properties. Upon relocating to Wisconsin in 1984, she began teaching part time at Fox Valley Technical College along with working for a property management company and assisting an independent appraiser. Eventually, she returned to real estate sales and assisted in the management of a residential real estate office. Her association with Fox Valley Tech led to teaching pre-license sales and broker classes and also continuing education. In September of 1991, she taught the first of what was to be monthly, accelerated real estate sales classes and quarterly real estate broker classes.  In 2009, she began writing Wisconsin’s continuing education and pre-license courses for Continuing Ed Express, a national leader in providing real estate education online.  As an affiliate of Continuing Ed Express, Laurel can offer many advanced training courses for licensees and continuing education courses for licensees in other states.

On personal note, Laurel has two daughters, Candace and Sharon, both living in Pennsylvania. Candace has a son Kyle, and a daughter, Miranda. Sharon has a son, Zachary, and a daughter, Samantha.

Laurel is also known for her love of dogs, especially German Shepherds. To read more about that part of her life go to her dogs' "Home Page".