Hello, hello! Yes I am still alive. A bit buried in a cloud of yellow pollen, stacks of boxes, and a to-do list that has actually become a to-do notebook at this point. 
I hopefully will have a house/moving update post for you very soon but want to make sure things are truly officially before I share too much.
So since this weekend was the first day of spring and I also have selling/moving/staging on my mind let’s talk a bit about seasonal decorating and also how to stage your house when you are trying to sell. You know I love my seasonal decorating and seasonal mantels BUT when I took down all the Christmas décor and knew we were putting on our house on the market before the end of January, I didn’t do or keep anything out that was specifically seasonal (like winter or Valentine’s décor)
But I did have fun creating this fun pallet sign and painted pendant banner for DecoArt!
You can get the full tutorial on how I created the pendant flag sign here on their blog. The pendant banner is actually painted and could be used for so many things. SUMMER and EASTER or even AUTUMN have the same amount of letters so you could flip over the banner and make it 2-sided for 2 different seasons. The banner could also be hung on a mantel, across an old window or mirror – lots of options!
For the rest of the house I just did bright and cheery décor – so yes, I had a yellow wreath on my door in January. 
(I think I read or heard on a home show that yellow flowers or yellow accents help your home sell faster. Probably just the bright color catches your eye.)
I didn’t do much “staging” other than removing seasonal things from our house and then just mostly decluttering. Maybe you deal with that box sitting in the floor in the closet or I was ok with the stack of diaper packs I was stocking up in the corner of our bedroom but all that stuff got boxed or put in attic or under bed and out of sight. I also cleaned – baseboards, cobwebs in corners, ceiling fans, vents, scrubbed bathrooms from floor to ceiling – and then of course just your general everyday cleaning. We cleaned up the outside – raked out flower beds, mowed the grass to get it nice and even and cleaned up from the fall/winter, cleaned out gutters, pressure washed house, and I added a few winter to spring flowers (petunias) to a pot by the front door.
And I made sure surfaces were clear and nicely and simply decorated. This is the way my mantel looked like the rest of the time.
I just did some simple décor with a pretty center object. And although I do love my seasonal mantels, I have quite enjoyed this simple staged version as well.
Have you decorated for spring? Share some pictures on my facebook page!
Any staging tips? How did you prepare your home to sell?
Glad you are ok. Was wondering about you! Hope all is well. The mantel is beautiful.
Yes, love the ideas for spring. I have staged 3 homes lately and they all sold above list price Yes clean, clean ,clean,and declutter, Bathroom rules are no more than 3 items on the counter,matching or coordinated towels,nobody wants to see your personal stuff. Less is more so no more than 3 items on a bookshelf or in a small arrangement.
Kitchen is spotless, nice flowers or potted plant, cookies in a cookie jar or a bowl of citrus fruit smells nice, and realtors like clean clear counters so the buyer can visualize their stuff in the home. If you have large furniture that is too big for a room. remove one piece and put in a smaller sitting chair or footstool. Store all seasonal clothes, take some items out of the closet or dressing room so it looks larger and cleaner. Paint your front door or a wall if you need too, if you have bright flashy colors in a room, you may need to repaint or decorate with some very cleverly arranged furniture to downplay the color.Make sure each room is staged as a family would use it, office as office or nursery or small bedroom, TV room, etc. Front door and curbside appeal is very important, rake, clean, wash windows. set out some nice flowers on the porch, set up the patio furniture and put out the picnic plates or footstool and open up the barbecue or not. !!!!
Fresh air , no strong smells or sprays and put the bread maker on or the coffee pot. Make it look and smell like an inviting place. Your pets and their accessories belong somewhere else or at grandma’s house for the day or evening. Open all drapes and blinds to let light in and leave the main lights on. Any responsible realtor will turn them off when he leaves. Borrow toss cushions or throws to stage a sitting room and bring some color in, even if it is not a color you like, but if it shows well, use it. Organize the pantry, clean the oven and the fridge, make everything look bigger and spacious, you are moving so pack up what you do not need. Attend to the lighting and heating, fix smaller things that need repair and voila you are done.
Wow you are so full of energy. Glad you are doing well and hope your house sells soon so you can show us your new one and all the wonderful projects. The mantel is beautiful.
Glad to see an update. You have inspired me to do some spring cleaning!!!
The fireplace and mantel are beautiful. If that was in the house being sold, what an amazing selling feature of the house. Thanks for sharing!
Love this gorgeous spring decoration. I like the spring palette sign and stunning embroidered cushions/pillows. Thanks a lot for inspiring us.
Love your mantel! And love the wall color! What is the color please! This will look fabulous in my new home! Thanks.