Janetsville

Newton North High School graduate wins ABC's Oscar designer contest

Newton North High School graduate, Shawn Reddy, designer and winner. Congratulations, Shawn! You have a bright future ahead.

Three amazing design school graduates competed in the contest to design the perfect Oscars dress for Robin Roberts. An eggplant-colored one shoulder gown, designed by Shawn Reddy, graduate of Newton North High School, was the winning design. Over 40,000 people logged in to vote and more than half preferred Shawn's design.

"Thank you all for making me feel like a princess on Oscar night." - Robin Williams

Read more at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Oscars/robin-roberts-oscars-dress-red-carpet-challenge-winner/story?id=10039157.

Brookline home tells a story

 "Home is the centre and circumference, the start and the finish, of most of our lives..." -Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Some open houses are more eventful than others. Last Sunday I assisted my colleague, Susanna Stiefel, at her open house at 67 Winthrop Road in Brookline, MA.  This gracious home is a terraced Philadelphia style condo with a spacious front-to-back layout.  The home is absolutely beautiful with lots of architectural details and seasonal views of the Boston skyline.

See www.67winthrop.com

The open house was busy with buyers and agents exploring the amenities of the home. A delightful gentleman, named Mr. Solomon, signed in and told us grew up the house. He quiety wandered through the rooms with his companion and spoke of warm childhood memories. I've witnessed this phenomenon before at other open houses--people love to return to the homes of their childhood. 

Mr. Solomon was full of details about 67 Winthrop. He talked about how his brother's toe got nailed with a hammer on this step and how they had a special machine set up in the pantry for soda. He  made a point of telling us that the house was in a book by E.L. Doctorow. I headed to the library and re-reading the passages, I completely enjoyed the description of this home and the surrounding neighborhood. I love Doctorow and appreciate how he wove this home in Brookline into his story.

"The three-story house, grey stucco with maroon trim and a roof of slate, was situated on Winthrop Road. This was a quiet residential avenue that curved up the hill from Beacon Street with its stores and trolley tracks. ..:Like many of the houses in the neighborhood, number 67 was built for two families and designed to look as if it contained only one..."  -excerpted from The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow

There is more but this gives you a feel for the accuracy of the description. It is amazing the surprising connections that occur on a day to day basis!   

Mr. Solomon of the Solomon Family, former resident of 67 Winthrop Road reminising about the pantry of his childhood home.

Chief Economist For National Association of Realtors spins optimism

On Feb 1, 2010, I attended a presentation by Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the NAR to Boston area Realtors on the Spring Housing Market.  The housing price bubble has passed and we can expect continued recovery in the year to come. Illustrating this point was a chart with the red line for 2009 indicating that sales have almost returned to the pre-boom sales volume.

He continued to note that "consumer fear" has contributed to the delay of the recovery. He clarified that some buyers are holding off on buying because they fear that prices will drop further. Hopefully as we move into the spring and this fear passes, we can move into a solid recovery period.

Dr. Yun believes that the Massachusetts Housing Market leads the nation, although I found that curious since I have heard other economists say the reverse. Yet we are all in agreement with his point about the shortage of housing in Massachusetts, as well as the "bifurcated recovery" with the lower end properties moving more quickly.

After reviewing the many charts and statistics and listening to words about a hopeful recovery, Realtors must return to the realities of the field. We are working with buyers who are motivated to make a move, yet may be unable secure a mortgage commitment and to find a property in their budget. On the other hand, we need re-emphasize to sellers the importance of pricing and condition to attract qualified buyers. Closings are still happening and we sense an early spring market.

The crystal ball is tucked away in the wicked witch's castle and no one really knows what will happen once the housing stimulus package expires. I enjoyed Dr. Yun's presentation of existing market data to paint an optimistic view of the future. Judging from the market activity I see myself, things are really starting to move.

Girl 2 Girl Leadership Conference at Simmons College

Last Sunday, Jan 31, I was please to participate in The Girl 2 Girl Leadership Conference held at Simmons College located in the beautiful Fenway. Sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, the lively events targeted to girls in the 6, 7, and 8th grades, featured a variety of creative arts, dance, local and global women's issues, service and the environment. What an amazing day.

The class I taught was called "Show Me the Money!" The course was designed by my partner Judy Moses and me to help teens become financially literate. Topics include personal values v. dollar value, earning power, banking, and budgeting. The underlining message was that by setting goals and developing a plan, you can live your dream, get what you want, be who you want to be, and give back to your community. It all begins by digging down deep and deciding what you what. What are your priorities?

After two sessions, with somewhere between 20 and 30 girls in each class, I walked out of the Fenway totally energized. I had a blast. I was so impressed by the attendees who were so engaged especially on a Sunday afternoon when most teens want to be "chillin'." They were cheerfully attentive and we had some really good discussions about whether money was good or bad and how to develop good money habits. Beginning with some brainstorming what do you want?

The event was so rewarding, we plan on offering this class to the community on an on-going basis, extending the curriculum for older teens as well. If you or your organization is interested, please let us know, we would love to come and talk to you about setting up a class. Many thanks to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and Simmons College for sponsoring such an enriching event.

Specialty Asian Food Shop in Newtonville MA

Jin Mi Co.,
Specialty Asian Food Shop
313 Walnut Street
Newtonville MA
617.964.2668

Jin Mi translates to "Truly Delicious". This is a very good name for one of my favorite foods shops in Newton. You can find many Asian foods and condiments in the delightful shop. There are many fresh produce items like bean sprouts, ginger, baby bok choy, and lemon grass. The freezer case is stocked with delicious variations of dumplings and raviolis.

I love cooking and eating Asian food because it is both healthy and delicious. My pantry is always stocked with the necessary condiments for a decent stir fry. My son is learning to stir fry and made an amazing stir fry pork a couple of weeks ago. He put in little shitake mushrooms at the end which picked up all the flavors.

I bought my wok and most of the ingredients at Jin Mi Co. Mr. Chough Cho is the owner and proprietor and will answer any questions you might have about how to cook certain items. In a time when I have seen one small business after another fade away to the chains we all love to hate, Mr. Cho's shop is a hidden gem. Please go there and cook Chinese often. Let's keep him in business. If you are looking for a gift, browse the lovely selection of ceramics, pottery, teapots, woks, and more.

If you don't know how to cook Chinese, this is a great time to learn. In this economy, eating at home is the new cool. I taught myself to cook Chinese with the help of Nina Simonds, author of A Spoonful of Ginger, and several other asian cookbooks. She has a terrific video blog if you want to explore this cuisine. See http://spicesoflife.com/. If you love sushi, Mr. Wong has a great sushi cookbook and there's no time like the present to try something new.

Want an easy and delicious dinner? Check out this recipe for Chicken in plum sauce from the Smoky Mountain Cafe. Fabulous! I bumped into this great blog while searching for a chicken stir fry recipe with plum sauce. I never found it but the Smoky Mountain Cafe recipe for plum sauce chicken thighs was a yummy alternative.

I only came for one book!

The tag line for New England Mobile Book Fair, "I only came for one book..." is perfect.  Since I was little and got my first library card I couldn't get enough books to read. I love to read and a trip to the bookstore is my way of taking care of myself. It is better than taking a nap! I can never leave the Book Fair with just one book and I always get a bargain.

The Book Fair is one of the largest discount bookstores in New England. All books are at least 20% off every day, New York Times bestsellers are 30% off. The cookbook section is hard to resist especially when you see a best seller available at 40% off.

The Book Fair has a unique layout. The front of the store has best sellers, best selling cookbooks and other featured books. The remainders section is full of out of print treasures. The tricky part is that each section is then organized by publisher which can be a little tricky. However, the excellent customer service is cheerfully available to help you navigate the store to find what you want. The ambiance is very practical with rows and rows of books. It reminds me of my home town library where I worked in the stacks for several years during high school and college. Once I get into the store, no matter how expedient I had hoped to be, I usually end up pulling up a stool somewhere with several books to browse in order to narrow down my selection.

While living in Cambridge for over 10 years, I grew to love independent bookstores. Harvard Square has two of my favorites. I love browsing the "staff picks" and I enjoy evaluating the "culture" of the particular shop. I love them for their differences and their uniqueness. Even when two major bookstore chains opened up shop in Newton in 1995, the Book Fair's profits grew 10 percent that year." (And they don't even sell coffee!) Read more about the history of the New England Mobile Bookfair. 

Take a hike across the Pike to the new and improved YMCA

Take a hike across the Pike to the new and improved YMCA

Why I love the Y!

The West Suburban YMCA in Newton, MA has everything you need for a good workout. I couldn't wait to try the amazing brand new fitness equipment just brought in to launch the New Year. I've tried the Steppers, the Arc Trainers, and the Elipticals and I feel it in new places. Some people were heard to complain about how hard the new machines were. Funny, I thought that was the idea!

Here I am on the Eliptical watching the Ellen Show. I'm getting a double hit of health with exercise and laughter. Read Norman Cousin's book, Anatomy Of An Illness, about the power of the mind and laughter therapy. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughter

Jane Carroll, Fitness Directory and Patrick Palmer, President and CEO, ham it up on the new weight machines. Way to go, guys! Keep up the good work.

Another reason why I love Newton MA.

West Suburban YMCA 

276 Church Street

Newton, MA 02458

(617) 244-6050

www.westsuburbanymca.org

How We Attracted the Perfect Buyer for this Spacious Family Home in the Albemarle Neighborhood in Newton MA

How We Attracted the Perfect Buyer for this Spacious Family Home in the Albemarle Neighborhood in Newton MA

If you were a buyer searching the Internet for your dream home, would this tag line attract you?

“Nine room home with over 2400 sq ft of living area located on a tree lined street in the desirable Albemarle neighborhood in Newton MA.”

Sounds nice on paper but would this pique your interest? Read on. "The rooms have good light and include five spacious bedrooms, two full baths, and three porches." If we captured your attention so far, you probably want to see some pictures, right?

Looking at the pictures, (see below), you ask.

“Why the two front doors?”

An excellent question voiced by many. Here’s the brief: the home was at one time a two family. The sellers had reconfigured and updated the space for single family living. The renovations included a sparkling cook’s kitchen, but the plan to change the entrance from two doors to one was placed on the back burner as plans often are when babies are born and young families grow.

So back to the pictures…this beautiful home was vacant and photos of empty rooms do nothing for the space, not to mention the imagination.

Our challenge was to artfully stage the home. This is where my years in drama class pay off. With some materials left over from the move and a carload or two of stock items, we went to work. Our team had a blast filling the space with charm. The goal was to arrange the rooms with enough furniture to give a good sense of scale and some fun accessories to give it life. A game room, a blissful yoga retreat, a sunny reading nook fills the picture frame. Potential buyers were left with a warm and welcoming impression which paid off with a promising offer within ten days.

These types of low cost staging techniques along with high quality target marketing are just some of the ingredients to contribute to a recipe for success in selling a home. Go to www.JanetPorcaro.net for more staging pictures.

Newton Gives, Newton Reflects, Newton Celebrates

Newton Gives, Newton Reflects, Newton Celebrates

The best of Newton MA came together in marking the new year with a series of service related projects, a lovely reflection ceremony, and finally an inauguration celebration to welcome in our new Mayor Setti Warren.

Newton Gives produced a skating rink for Newton Highlands playground. A tag sale was run by Newton South High School students to support a school trip. Quilts were created for Second Step.

Care packages for Newton Soldiers stationed overseas for the holidays were prepared. If you are interested in volunteering for this effort to support our tropps, please contact Tom Mountain at tmount117@hotmail.com.

Amanda and Samantha Smith invite visitors to sign the message board for Setti Warren.
Mural created by Amanda and Samantha's mom, Jeannie Smith!

Newton Clergy Association came together for Newton Reflects. The 45 minute service had readings from Hebrew Scripture, the Christian Scripture and the Koran.

On New Year's Day, Newton Celebrates, with an Inauguration Ceremony followed by a party attended by hundreds of citizens. Photo to the right are the historic figures who lived at the Jackson Homestead in Newton, MA. Read more about Historic Newton at http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/jackson/.

“It is the character of the people of Newton that gives us our true wealth.  No other city can boast the passion and commitment we have – to our neighbors, to our community, to our future…We can be the city that every other city wants to emulate.  Let us not squander our wealth.  Let’s put it to work.  Let’s truly come together to help Newton live up to its full potential.   No Mayor can do it alone.  I am certain that I can only do it with your help. “

Mayor Setti Warren

To read more of Setti's Inaugural speech, go to http://www.settiwarren.com/inauguration-speech.html.

Newton Celebrates Mayor Setti Warren's Inauguration

Newton Celebrates Mayor Setti Warren's Inauguration

The the Inaugural festivities, Newton Coming Together, was a series of upbeat events with an emphasis on community service and neighborhood pride. Judging from the excellent attendance, citizens saw this as a welcome opportunity to celebrate together.  

One of the greatest qualities of our fine city has always been an overriding committment to the common good. Newton is one of the larger cities in Massachusetts with a population of over 80,000 informally organized by neighborhoods which make up the villages of Newton. With these villages come the advantages of small neighborhood schools along with the luxury of economies of scale. The Newton Celebration was typical most city-wide events, and even smaller scaled celebrations, because many local organizations and businesses contributed. This outstanding attitude reflects a spirit of unity despite the many challenges facing our city.

For more photos of the events, see http://www.settiwarren.com/.  

Mayor Setti Warren with Sargent Geary and Officer Steven Dempsey from the Newton Police Department.

Coming Together - Inauguration 2010

Coming Together - Inauguration 2010
Newton Gives, Newton Reflects and Newton Celebrates

The Inaugural activities for the installation of the new mayor of Newton, MA, Setti Warren begin on Thursday, December 31st at 11 an with a number of service oriented activities sponsored by the Newton Community Service Center, Parks and Recs, as well as, several local charities.

The service project, titled Newton Gives, is organized by John Rice, newly elected alderman, and includes activities such as building an ice skating rink in Newton Highlands and collecting items to be sent to our troops.

Following Setti's campaign through his Twitter stream, he knocked on a lot of doors. I also heard from many of my friends about conversations they had with him. I personally had a chat with Setti early on in his campaign and I am delighted to hear about the tone of the upcoming Inaugural celebration - Coming Together. This is just what our fine city needs, a unifying energy. For more information see Setti Warren's web site.

http://www.settiwarren.com/

Best resource for technology consultation in Newton MA.

Best resource for technology consultation in Newton MA. 
Tech-Tamer, Newton, MA
617-202-3718
www.Tech-Tamer.com
I cannot sing the praises loud enough about the services I have received from Tech-Tamer in Newton, MA. I have a strong background in technology training but I'm become filled with anxiety when I need to go "under the hood." This is when I usually call Tech-Tamer, although their services include software training and consultation. Their ability to communicate to a wide range of users, from under-cover techies (like me) to computer neophytes (you know who you are) is a strength. The calm and confident approach inspires trust. Their accessibility is remarkable. Let me give you an example.

Everyone should know that technology can be a doubled edged sword. However, there are certain protocols that should be followed to avoid getting viruses, loosing data, possibly losing equipment. Everyone should use updated virus protection, back up their important data regularly, and carefully read messages and warnings when downloading content from the internet.

I hang my head in shame as I confess that recently in my zealous pursuit of social media madness, I allowed a Trojan (disguised virus) into my laptop. I made the classic error of simultaneously hitting the ok button while reading the warning. Horror of horrors, I immediately knew I did a bad thing.

This is the good part. I called Tech-Tamer and within a half hour I was reassured. By the end of the evening my computer was clean. Once again I could rest easy and life was good.

The folks at Tech-Tamer have invested their various talents and skills to develope a business to help people navigate the fast moving world of technology. They are up on all the best practices and technology developments including database and web site design. They can easily remotely manage your system or they can help you boost your personal skill level and they do it all with a cheerful confidence. Great people and another reason why I love living in Newton, MA.

Enjoy Holiday Thursdays at Looks Clothing in Cambridge

Enjoy Holiday Thursdays at Looks Clothing in Cambridge

Every Thursday in December from 10 am to 7 pm there is a party in Harvard Square! Visit Looks Clothing and receive 10% off selected items every week. Get on their mailing list and they will let you know the specifics for each week. Refreshments are served and the company is excellent. I hope to see you there!

As an added plus, there are lots of great shops in Cambridge and you can knock off your shopping list in a snap.

Looks
11-13 Holyoke Street
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-491-4251

www.LooksClothing.com

looksclothing@gmail.com

Home Affordable Modifications Means Fewer Foreclosures in 2010

Home Affordable Modifications Means Fewer Foreclosures in 2010

Treasury Department has released new guidelines which are designed to simplify the short sale process. This effort will help home owners extricate themselves before going into a foreclosure situation. A short sale is when the property is sold for less than the mortgage amount owed by the current homeowner. This is a better outcome for both for the homeowner and lender because not only does the lender have a better chance for recovery of debt, often the remaining debt is forgiven leaving the home owner's credit situation salvageable.

Read the new guidelines for the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA), part of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) released on November 30, 2009. Our communities will be serviced by these programs. To read more about Making Homes Affordable Program go to http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/index.html. 

Be Green and Earn Tax Credits

Be Green and Earn Tax Credits 

As we move through December, remember, you still have time to receive up to $1,500 in tax credits for energy efficient improvements or products for your home. The Stimulus Bill was not just designed for home buyers. Replace some windows, insulate your water heater, keep warm, save money and energy. Not to mention, this is a great time to replace some of your old inefficient appliances.

The Energy Star Program is a join venture of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Through this program, there are many possibilities to "be green" and save money. Go to http://www.energystar.gov/ to find detailed information about tax credit guidelines and qualified products. Program qualification say this must be your existing home (sorry, no new construction) and your primary residence. In addition, there are state specific appliance rebates which can be researched using the Energy Star Partners Rebate Search Tool.

For a more commercial perspective, Lowes has a Home Auditing Tool to help you research other ways to save by receiving rebates, reducing utility bills, and making home improvements.  Build your savings at Loew's. I found this website to be full of tips and credited articles about home maintenance.

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