Parade of Homes 2009

What a fantastic weekend the Parade of Homes kicked off with!  There are so many fantastic houses throughout Wilmington and Leland.  I spent Sunday touring the majority of what can be found on this side of the bridge.  If you are looking to buy or just love the opportunity to see beautiful homes, I recommend you spend part of your upcoming weekend on the tour!  While visiting, be sure to check out Nature's Walk - we staged the model for Jernigan Homes.  Hope you have fun!!!

Relay for Life Benefit Concert

Relay for life was last weekend in New Hanover County and Whiteville.  A friend Russell Smith, with Equity Mortgage, raises money and performs in a benefit concert where several men dress up and sing as women.  It's a hilarious and fun event and I had the opportunity of attending this year.  For an incredible cause, these guys raised around $12,000...many of them, including Russell, over $3,000 individually.  I went down with another friend, and we started to worry on the drive that we weren't going to make it in time.  Fingers were crossed that they were behind schedule a little.  We finally got there, got lucky with a parking spot, and ran to the stage beside the track.  There were so many people there - it was awesome!  We caught the tale end of another performer and then they announced that PINK (Russell) would be on next as the last performer.  Talk about timing!  It was so great!  'She' had a manager, back up dancers/singers, a costume change (sort of), special effects/smoke, and raving fans!!!  Of course, with all that, PINK had to win Best Performance!  I wish I could remember all the names of the other contestants, that alone was funny, and I'm sure they all put on a great show (hate we missed them).  Check out PINKs performance for yourself in the video below!

Palmetto Creek Garden Home (Opaca #41)

Palmetto Creek is a lovely community near Southport.  Any resident you talk to will rave to you about how much they enjoy living there.  It's quiet, practically in Southport, not far from Wilmington, has a pool, clubhouse, nature, and it's the "best deal in Southport, guaranteed!"

Great floor plans available, including this home below.  Contact information can be found at the end of the tour.

101 Tillington Court is Now Staged in Wedgewood!

Wedgewood is a nice neighborhood in Leland, NC with a community pool and playground.  Logan Homes is a builder in the community and has homes available under $200,000.  Enjoy the tour below!

Compass Pointe

If you have not heard of Compass Pointe, it is definitely something you need to check out!  A rather amazing new development that is set about 10 minutes across the bridge down 74/76.  They had their Swing into Spring event over the weekend, and I don't think they could have asked for better weather.  I had been to their sales center downtown (108 Market St) several times and was impressed with the plans...amenities galore.  They have separate lanes for golf carts throughout as well as wide sidewalks.  I love this - it was always one of my favorite things about Bald Head - carts replacing cars... it would be awesome to see that be the primary transportation within the development.  They also have a walking trail around the perimeter, which you are starting to see more now and I am a big fan of!  

While I had been to the sales center and thought it was going to be a fantastic community, last weekend's event is the first time I actually saw the property.  Wow.  The land itself, is absolutely gorgeous.  There are creeks throughout, the grass is green as  can be, beautifully landscaped already, and water features in place.  The gated entrance is up and a few bridges along the way...  The weather of course just made it even better.  Seriously though, you need to at least go look at this development.  I wanted to move there just being out there this weekend.  The landscape is not flat either like you see around Wilmington typically.  Rolling hills that like I remember running through as a kid.  They have a manmade beach too, which is kinda cool.  A lot of people felt the same way I did this weekend, as I believe there were over 40 tours given!  Several lots were already sold, and even more went over the weekend.  There was a lucky winner on day two that won the putt off and earned himself a FREE HOMESITE!  It was a great location within the development too.  I believe he was local, which is awesome!  

I forgot my camera when I was out there, but will definitely shoot some photos to post next time I am there.  I also found out I am going to have the opportunity to stage a gorgeous home out there too!  So I am excited.  In the meantime, check them out at www.compasspointenc.com.  My good friend Angela Batchelor is their Realtor Liason and has great information for agents at www.pointesouthnc.blogspot.com

Happy Easter!

I love holidays!  All holidays!   I grew up with holidays and family being a really big deal and am so grateful for that.  I always have something to look forward to at least 5 times a year.  I moved to Wilmington to be closer to my family, and always get as excited about going home to my parents farm for the weekend as I do for vacations or weekend trips.  We always have a full house for each holiday, which can be stressful sometimes, but I'd never want it any other way!  My sister and her boyfriend come home with me and sometimes my grandmother  comes over early (she spent the night on Friday because of the potential storms).  My cousin comes home from UNCC and the entire family on my mom's side comes over for Easter Sunday.  All the "big kids" (me included) still dye easter eggs the night before and then stuff and hide eggs on Sunday before lunch.  There's lots of hiding places being on a farm, so we usually limit it to between the house and the barn.  We typically hide about 100 eggs for my younger cousins (ranging in ages from 3 to 11).  Then they get their baskets or grocery bags ready and are off... the 10 dogs follow them around sniffing things out, and the parents end up joining in the hunt as well.  All the while we're cracking up and loving every minute of it.  We inevitably loose eggs.  Even the "hiders" cannot find them or remember where they all are.  3 and 6 months later sometimes, the dogs usually show up with them.  We have a big lunch with turkey and all the fixin's... my aunt is bringing desert this year.  My cousin Alexis, who is in middle school this year, is missing her first Easter with the family because she is going to Williamsburg with a friend.  It makes me sad, it's the first holiday in 11 years that she has not been with us.  She is so much fun and is growing up so fast!   So we'll miss her this year.  With my mom or my uncle saying the prayer before we eat, I am so grateful for the love and family that surround me and for the joy and thanks and togetherness that holidays bring.  We are so blessed.  I wish you a Happy Easter!  

Not Quite the Perfect Trip.

So if you saw my Twitter and Facebook updates last weekend, you heard about my car dilemma.  I was driving down I40 W and had a blowout, I was able to pull over, and got out to look at what happened.  It was more than I could have ever imagined!  It was quite a shock for me.  It's amazing what a tire can do!

It looked like my tire shredded like a tractor trailer's (and reminence of my tire, wheel well and bumper were spread across the road 20 ft back)  It got towed back to Wilmington and it was interesting getting around last week as busy as I was.  Luckily my sister was here and I was able to share a car with her.  I just heard back from the insurance company and my car went from being perfectly fine to having over $4,500 worth of damage.  I am waiting for them to determine whether the suspension is messed up too... if it is, my "Just Perfect!" CRV will be considered totaled, so you may be seeing me in something new in the near future.  We'll see.  Anyway, glad there wasn't a lot of traffic and all worked out!  I'll keep you posted.

A New Approach on My Blog...

So, I have been thinking lately about my blog and I think in an earlier post I mentioned that one of my goals this year is to post more regularly.  I have researched "blogging" and read lots from locals.  I have decided to write one post each week that is business related, and then throughout the week, I will just write about whatever I am thinking about, involved in, heard about, excited about, want to know more about, places I think you should know about, and things/places I love.  I just thought I would go ahead and set the tone for my blog now, so you know what to expect.  You will see a broader spectrum, but can always count on something related to home staging, redesign, organization, Just Perfect! etc. regularly as well!!!  

Stay tuned... let's have fun!