Dear Melissa,

Folk Fest 2007! Yes, I did get to attend this cornucopia of outsider art and den of untrained talent. It is always a fun show so I've included here some pics of the artist's vehicles decorating the parking lot. I did manage just a couple of minor acquisitions for my back fence. I'm a sucker for yard art that makes you grin. I promise to feature my garden of chairs in a future issue. After all these days it is all about brining the inside out!

WITHIT Success! I had a great time in Charlotte, NC keynoting and conducting a breakout session entitled Be The Change That You Want To See. It was a privilege being around such a talented group of women business professionals and being a catalyst for even greater achievements and life satisfaction. It was fascinating to see the level of depth created in vision boards and the unique interpretations each person made. I am excited to keep up with everyone's progress!

Off to Canada! Next stop is Toronto just after Labor Day. I am heading up to address the Canadian Staging Professionals conference on Lifestyle Selling: Taking It To The Top. I haven't been to Toronto since going on tour with Mom while she was on stage and I was in high school, looking forward to a new view.

Live Well and By Design,
MG

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
~ Albert Einstein

"You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do."
~ Henry Ford

Giving It Away

I have had two very disconcerting experiences in business relationships with contractors lately. The first was a contractor who I have worked with for some five years and when he invoiced on three jobs, he had suddenly gone from his quoted rate of $25/hour (handyman) to what looked like $200/hour. Clearly this wasn't acceptable and I opened a discussion, while reducing the invoices to my clients. He claimed that he had done so much “free” work for me over the years, that he never billed for, nor mentioned, and I was not grateful. Hmm, well since I had never asked for “free” work, nor was I aware of it this seemed very inappropriate and unprofessional and I sourced a new handyman of integrity and quality.

In the second instance, I had an agreement with an editor to edit a book in process. She had completed a couple of chapters and I had reviewed and requested a completion date. The date given was a month+ ago. The deadline had passed and I wasn't getting replies to queries on completion. When I finally heard back, she said she couldn't complete the project, other priorities had come up. When I requested a refund of my deposit, she said that over the last couple of years she had done so much “free” work for me that she had not billed for (and subsequently I was unaware of), that she felt it fair to keep that and also that I was ungrateful.

I looked hard at both of these and realized that the idea that anyone in business would “give away” their services and then anticipate the recipient to be unfailingly gracious while unaware and had not requested services given, seems wholly inappropriate. This creates a tremendous false expectation on the part of the service provider that somehow giving their service away when not requested will bind them to the recipient. Business is business, it is not about giving it away but about making clear agreements for fair compensation. When ever I have comped hours in design (very rare) I make it clear in my invoice what I am comping for and why. There is no expectation of extra gratitude from my client as the only reason to do this is to either rectify a challenge or build good will. This is a decision on my part with no expectation. When there is no charge, there is no perceived or real value. Charge fairly, with integrity, and don't give yourself away.

The Manual for Life Success

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The Power of Intention

The old adage goes “be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!” Well no truer words were ever spoken. It seems that sometimes we ask for what we want but aren't truly ready for it, and then feel pushed to either get ready or let the dream slip by to appear in another form later. What is it that you intend? More money? Business success? The right romance? Health and fitness? A trip to an exotic destination? The house of your dreams? Whatever it is, it is well within your grasp, but you do need to be ready to accept the opportunities that appear when you start asking for it. The universe has a way of delivering exactly what we request, particularly when we ask with no hesitation and no doubt. Often we aren't in charge of the timing on our requests and don't realize how quickly the magic will happen. Being ready inside ourselves is vital to the success of any of our “wishes.” Designing our desired experiences is being ready for those experiences to show up is vital.

One Midtown Kitchen - Atlanta, GA

Okay, now I know a lot of you have been here, I had too, but had not had a rewarding experience until just recently. Perhaps it was the company! Regardless, they seated us in a secondary room, a bit quieter than the main hall, and conducive to comfortable conversation. The main room really can be a challenge with all of its hard surfaces bouncing sound and inhibiting discussion. The music overall seems an odd choice for a contemporary hot spot, as it was danceable top forty hits from the 70's and 80's including Michael Jackson!

One Midtown Kitchen
559 Dutch Valley Road
Atlanta, GA 30324
404.892.4111
www.onemidtownkitchen.com/home.html

I'm a huge Hopkins fan anyway and have to say that this might just be the long awaited break Gosling has been seeking. He's always had a sort of quirky appeal with unplumbed depths possible and the persistence of a David in the face of Goliath. The short version is that Hopkins character finds his wife is cheating and he premeditates her murder complete with a way to waste the lover and get himself off the hook. It is a rather brilliant plan and we do feel for him as he is the jilted husband, but there is something dark that lurks beneath. Ever since he played Hannibal Lecter there is almost always a murky monster that Hopkins barely contains. He stalks Gosling pushing him just a bit too far and finds he is outsmarted and out maneuvered. Gosling has his own lessons to learn about blind ambition, the good of man (or not), and passion amongst traitors. This is a tangled web but woven well and with star power that is rare these days.

August 2007

This month is all about Leos and Love!! Bold design, elegant rooms full of dramatic furnishings, exotic accessories and fancy light fixtures dominate your design shopping this month. Regal colors, like golds, bold reds, purples and yellows, finish off your impressive spaces. You fill favorite rooms with candles, satin pillows and mirrors. A Lunar Eclipse on August 28th dominates the scene and opens the door for financially prosperous times ahead. The Lunar Eclipse will activate your dream life as well. If you dream of love, take that as a sign that your love life is preparing to unfold. Enjoy!