If you're looking for a graphic designer in Westchester County, I highly recommend Teri Elefante of Absolute Perfection Graphics and Design.  Whether you are looking to design a logo, imagery for your website or a brochure for your business, Teri can help you.  She can design it for you, and believe me, she is super talented. She has won countless awards, but honestly, I think her works speaks for itself   Teri has done a bunch of work for the NY Yankees - check out these pictures. This is an example of what she created for a local spa and skincare business.   This is an example of my favorite health food...Chocolate.   Of course, when it came time to create my new logo, who did I call?  Yes, of course, Teri.  I was so happy with the results that I also had her redesign the header for m... 06/27/2012

If you are a woman owned business...or just a woman who does business, I'd recommend that you check out the Professional Women of Westchester. The Professional Women of Westchester is a fun, welcoming and innovative group of women.  Jamie Imperati is the founder, and she is quite an entrepreneur herself.  In fact, she is being honored as one of Westchester's 40 under 40 for her leadership.  Jamie along with Lisa Kaslyn and Rose Colonna lead this talented group of women.  They usually have at least 1 event each month.  Some of the events are luncheon round tables, some of them are evening educational topics (along with networking) and some are just fun networking.   Everytime I go to one of these events, I learn something new, I reconnect with friends and I meet some new ones.  Women lov... 06/23/2012

About a week ago I wrote a short blog about the White Plains business district.  Many people don’t understand what a large commuter population White Plains NY plays host to each day of the work week. Curb Appeal For the Business District: One of things that make White Plains as popular a destination for businesses is that it is actually a pleasant place to work.  Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.   As a real estate agent, I often harp on “curb appeal”  siting landscaping, hanging plants and window boxes to create a punch of color and a visual impact.  Well, it works for the business sector as well. I took these photos last year on a bright sunny summer day in the downtown business district.     White Plains Zoning and Planning Determines Setbacks and Open Spa... 06/14/2012

Many people think of White Plains mostly as a either a place to live or a place to go for fine dining and first-class shopping.  However, White Plains has  two populations.  A live-in population that is a bit less than 60,000 and  a much larger commuter population in the downtown area.  In truth the business district is somewhat scattered with a portion of it being along the eastern edge of  town hugging the access road to I-287.   But the center  of the White Plains business district is in the western portion of the downtown area sandwiched between  the train station and the residential area of downtown of White Plains.   With easy access via the train,  the Bronx River Parkway and I-287, I-95, and the Hutchison River Parkway,  its small wonder that White Plains would be a desirable  l... 06/07/2012

Curb appeal is not a trivial issue.  Buyers often decide within seconds whether they have any interest in your home at all, and be it rational or not, that’s the reality. Let’s face it, between photographing homes and selling them, I spend a great deal of time looking at homes.  I spend a great deal of time with buyers who are looking at homes.  After a while you get a feel for what rocks and what flops.  Sometimes less is more and often it just takes a few extra touches here and there to make a home really “pop” in the eyes of a buyer. Here are a couple of homes that I photographed recently in Gedney Farms.  I didn’t take photos of the entire facade.  I took them to show how some plantings or even simple hanging baskets can add a welcoming feel to a home and really change that first im... 06/02/2012

That's what my customer from last night told me.   Yesterday, my office manager begged me to take an appointment.  She knew it was a crazy week and I already had 2 more appointments more than what I like to have (plus have been spending time catching up after my computer crashed).  She said it was an Angie's list customers (and they tend to be better and nicer customers) and it sounded like the timing was urgent and he sounded nice and just wanted to "pick my brain."   Apparently, he had just moved into his new apartment that day and pulled up the carpets (since his wife was allergic) and was hoping to just use the parquet floors underneath.  Before he closed on the place, he had pulled up a corner and they looked fine...but apparently they weren't when he ripped up all of the carpet.  ... 05/24/2012

Remember “Kicking and Screaming in White Plains NY”? Well, this property went on the market on April 26, 2012 after 9 months of very hard work.   After receiving multiple offers they signed contracts on May 4 for $20k over asking price.Needless to say, they are more than delighted.  And when I received this note in the mail today, so was I:Dear Joanna,Thank you so much for all of your expert advice and for your patience.  Your incredible vision and all the support you gave us during this difficult time made the process of getting our house ready for the market, relatively painless.  The results speak for themselves and you will always be a welcome friend in any home we live in. Vera and Eddie Can you see me beaming from ear to ear? 05/12/2012

  Carlson’s Floral and Gift at 625 Dobbs Ferry Road in White Plains always has wonderful arrangements for all seasons and occasions.  I was there shortly before Easter and though the offerings I have photos of are probably no longer  seasonal  I thought I would share them here as I somehow never had a chance to earlier. Its always fun to see what Nancy Schellhas has on display.  Even if you are not looking for a gift, it is a wonderful place to get ideas for your garden. If you are thinking of selling your Westchester home, curb appeal is absolutely essential and Carlson’s is always chock-o-block full of ideas for enhancing curb appeal and making a home “pop”.  Even if you aren’t moving  - or even thinking about moving – enhancing your curb appeal can be fun. Its a gift that most of us ... 05/10/2012

A while back I wrote about a local real estate agent who got left high and dry by a contractor.  I helped "bail her" out by finishing up her carpet job as the previous contractor left in the middle and stole some of her stuff.    It was a very small project that was a lot of work trying to track down the right carpet.  But, I figured I would help her out...both because I wanted to help her (and felt badly about what happened) and I figured later if she had a client that needed flooring, maybe she would recommend me.  I gave her a discounted price because I felt so badly...and now she had to delay putting her house on the market.   Today we got a call from her.  It seems she sold her house very quickly...in 1 week in fact and over listing price (so I guess the carpeting and the staging h... 05/01/2012

Luxury vinyl plank and tile flooring - Westchester NY  Vinyl flooring has come a long way, baby!     When most people hear the vinyl, they think about sheet vinyl...or maybe peel & stick tile...or maybe even Vinyl composite tile (VCT) - the type you might see in a supermarket or a school.     But, the latest trend in vinyl is Luxury vinyl. This is a high end durable vinyl that looks real! Luxury vinyl can be made to look like real hardwood or even tile. The designs use real digital pictures and use registered embossing for the wood grains and tile textures. They are truly amazing in how real they look and feel - in fact, many experts are fooled by how real these look.    Not only does Luxury vinyl look great, but it's waterproof, so it's a great option for areas with water and moisture ... 04/25/2012

It was a cruel twist of irony that this shutterbug was trapped indoors during the glorious weather last week taking her real estate CE classes.  Though the classes were terrific, weather-wise this would have been a better week to be indoors!   But I was able to take advantage of one of my lunch periods to get some shots of Downtown White Plains in its spring glory. The White Plains Beautification Foundation is responsible for many of the floral displays that are carefully tended in the downtown area as well as suburban sections.    White Plains has been called “the City in the Park” and although some of the downtown buildup over the past 10 years has tended too much towards the concrete and steel (that’s just one person’s opinion)  you still see the “green” influence throughout the down... 04/25/2012

Yes, I'm so excited to unveil my new logo....drumroll please.... The Flooring Girl has come to life!  This was designed by one of good friends, Teri Elefante who is a graphic design artist.  She owns Absolute Perfection Graphics and Design.  I think she has done a phenomenal job on capturing the essence of the brand.  I love how she has clearly communicated the equity of the flooring girl - straightforward w/ a hint of elegance and even used a wood background in here.   Teri had a lot to contend with here...first, dealing with me.  LOL.  Second, I already have a website that has a purple background.     The next phase is to adapt my website header.  And, we are incorporating this into signs, shirts, biz cards, stationery, etc.  This is just in time for next week when I have a table at o... 04/15/2012

I'm looking forward to our 2 Active Rain MeetUps this week. This afternoon, we have one at Dagny's in Wilton CT at 4pm. 20 Windy Ridge Place, Wilton CT 06897.  Because she is hosting at her house, everyone is should bring one item - food or drink - so we can all share.  It should be a beautiful day, so maybe we'll hang out by the pool. Tomorrow, we are having one in White Plains NY at Uno's at 6pm.  14 Martine Ave, White Plains NY 10606.  Free parking next door at the Seasons (4 Martine Ave). Hope to see you there! 04/15/2012

One of the greatest things about the spring and fall seasons is that the blossoms and foliage create a vivid color display.  On a bright sunny day, they sight is amazing…but sometimes storm clouds create a contrast that makes the seasonal  colors appear more vivid.  This is particularly true when the sun is peeking through heavy cloud cover – just as it was today.  This photo was taken in White Plains near the Gedney Farms neighborhood.  I actually pulled the car over to capture the moment.  I’ll admit that the composition isn’t what it could be, but really, its more a color display than anything else. © 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved.   Fotos on the fly: Spring Blossoms & Storm Clouds…. 04/12/2012

Word Of The Week: QUIET A singular word can be very powerful. Doesn't have to be extraordinary, either. There are SO many words available to us, sometimes we don't hear them anymore. That's one of the reasons I do this series, to focus on all that a single word can be. The word I've chosen this week is QUIET. Instinctively, the first images that come to my mind are harried parents, or a library. Both cases admonishments, a forced condition. But today I'd like to ruminate about QUIET as A CONCIOUS CHOICE. In a career-in a life-heck, in a WORLD where you get ahead by the number of connections, and degree to which you are connected to them all, QUIET would seem to be counter-productive. It's hard to turn off the noise, and slowing down the flow of adreneline feels awkward. Years ago I was... 04/07/2012

  Carlson’s Floral & Gift on 625 Dobbs Ferry Rd. in White Plains is always an uplifting place to visit at any time of year, but with spring in the air and flowers blooming everywhere, it is particularly inspiring.  There is plenty to choose from for your Easter or Passover celebration.  This week there is particular fun for the whole family when the Easter Bunny will be making a special visit to Carlson’s.  So while the adults can shop for florals and plantings for the season, the kids can enjoy  themselves as well.   Right now is the perfect time to shop for  daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and pansies.  The photo here were taken by me a few years ago, but the greenhouse always has beautiful and unique finds. © 2012 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserve... 04/04/2012

The next Professional Women of Westchester meeting sounds rather intriguing.  It's callded "How to Market your Business like a Rock Star."  Robin Newhook of Newhook Marketing Solutions will be the guest speaker. So what is so special about Rock stars? They exude confidence and are passionate about what they do.  And, they do this while showing their true artistic talent They focus on the relationship with their fans.  They empower their fans to participate and help spread the word for others (so their fans become a marketing tool). They are always looking for the next "big Idea."  Sometimes this is a song, sometimes it's a marketing approach, but they are always keeping it fresh.  They use multiple types of media and new media channels When - April 18th Noon - 2pm Where:  Webster Bank, ... 03/29/2012

Who doesn't love jewelry?  Come view and buy something special - either for yourself or a loved one.  You'll find exhibitors around the world - both with finished jewelry and loose gems.  There is a huge selection and you'll get many special discouts - many range from 20-40% off regular retail price.   When: Friday 12:00pm-6:00pm, Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm Where: Westchester County Center 198 Central Ave White Plains, NY 10606 Cost:  Admission $8 or $6 with a coupon For additional information:  914-995-4050 Westchester County Center Website: www.intergem.com 03/28/2012

  White Plains Beautification has held a special place in the hearts of White Plains residents and commuters for many years. White Plains NY has often been called “The City In the Park” and with good reason. Gardens dot the landscape everywhere from the downtown, to our historic monuments to our parks and suburban enclaves.  Much of this is due to the good offices of the White Plains Beautification Foundation. The following is a press release sent to me by White Plains Beautification regarding the Holocaust Memorial Garden on Martine Ave. The memorial Cedar of Lebanon evergreen that was dedicated in 1992 has died, but plans are being made to replace the tree with the help of Alan and Mary Jane Goldman:  More information is below in the press release: Ruthmarie Hicks     On Sunday, Octob... 03/27/2012

Experience Matters, and Kindess Counts: Meet the Staff of Bond Animal Hospital, White Plains NY 10606 A few weeks ago I was doing some long-overdue updates of online profiles in my various media outlets. Time to take it a step further, and more succinctly put what I, and my business stand for, black and white. One statement I came up with was Experience Matters, and Kindness Counts. My business is much more about people than it is about stuff. Often, people who are in pain of some sort. A change or loss, there is confusion, stress and sadness. I consider alleviating distress to be a big part of my solutions. It's not how all Stagers or Decorators work, but it's what I do. So while it was accurate, it sounded...well, I wasn't sure the tone was quite right-maybe too ponderous? too prissy?... 03/27/2012