Check out what you can find on Craig's List.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen.com

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:50 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (0)

Less is more; avoid all types of clutter

More stone flooring versus hardwood surfaces

Use of color on the ceilings; it creates more continuity in a room.

Indoor and outdoor living are closely integrated, creating a more casua approach to everyday living

Master bedrooms are quiet, serene retreats with large master baths and closets for both bathing and dressing

Sustainable products are used more throughout homes

Cleaner architectural moldings and simplified lines, as well as a comeback for numerous wall coverings. Look for bright, garden-reminiscent colors, too.

Rather than basic neutrals, a variety of bright, bold colors will be used for accent pieces and trims to brighten up a room.

Lighting is also getting more attention; a wider selection of lamps is on the market, so choose a unique piece for each room.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Courtesy of D Home Magazine

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (0)

John Seiter and Eric Dutson of Utah State University, recruited two hairstylists who, after cutting their customer's hair, randomly pulled one of three pennies from their pocket. This was to ensure that customers were not treated differently during the haircut itself.

If the penny was marked with a 1, they gave the customer no compliment. If it was marked with a 2 they told the customer: "Your hair looks terrific". If it was marked with a 3 they said: "Any hairstyle would look good on you." The amount tipped by each customer was then recorded by the hairstylist.

To be able to compare across differently priced haircuts, the tips were converted into a percentage of the total price for the haircut. Here are the average tip percentages in each condition:
"Your hair looks terrific." - 12.83% tip
"Any hairstyle would look good on you." - 12.51% tip
No compliment - 9.14% tip

As you can see the average tip percentages are one third higher in the compliment conditions than the no compliment condition. Over the months and years this can add up to a substantial difference.

This is a good practical demonstration that a simple method of ingratiation - a compliment - can actually have a persuasive, and easily measurable effect on people. Indeed, this finding could well be applicable across a wide range of service-related jobs.

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (0)

The 10 items on Tim Gunn's essential shopping list for women:

Basic black dress
Trench coat
Classic dress pants
Skirt
Blazer
Jean
Classic white shirt
Day dress
Cashmere sweater
A comfortable alternative to a sweatsuit
Bonus: an indulgent trendy item

Courtesy: The Washington Post

You can catch Tim Gunn's show, Guide to Style, tonight on Bravo. Or you can check out his book, Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style.

I am going upstairs right now to take everything in my bulging closet that is not on the above list to the charity shop! Imagine the feeling of freedom to walk in your closet and know where everything is and almost no choices to be made about what you wear. If only I could.....

Gillian Parrillo
SacWomen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Can you digg it? | Comments (0)