Another winner ...

CONGRATS, ELLEN C!

The winner of my second Rodan + Fields Giveaway has now been notified and will soon receive a FREE box of Redefine Acute Care for Expression Lines! These overnight “fill a wrinkle while you sleep” self-adhesive strips are a real game changer in the skin care industry. They have received numerous awards and the before + after results are truly amazing! Just search #countwrinklesout and you will see how everyday users are softening the expression lines that they prefer to live without, achieving a more youthful appearance, and gaining a new level of confidence! They are so worth a try! Contact me at yblacker@verizon.net if you would like to learn how you can incorporate these into your skin care routine.

If you are looking for ways to share great products like Rodan + Fields with your friends and followers, reach out to me at any time and I will share what I have learned from my own R+F journey! When I find a brand I love it makes perfect sense to me to let others know about it, and the fact that I can achieve financial goals while improving my complexion and gaining valuable support from my Rodan + Fields team members makes it even more worthwhile! Visit my business page to learn more about this life-changing opportunity. 

While I have been learning about skin care and getting to know the R+F brand this summer, I have still been working on a number of interior design projects. Stay tuned for a future post which will feature the final touches on a brand new powder room in my own home (it has been a long time coming!) 

Before + After Giveaway, Part 2

ACUTE CARE with proprietary Liquid Cone Technology targets expression lines with an advanced wrinkle treatment featuring line-defying hyaluronic acid and peptides for visibly reduced expression lines in just 4 weeks.

Since my last Rodan + Fields blog giveaway was such a big hit (congrats to the winners!) I am hosting a round two! This time, the big prize is a full box of Redefine Acute Care Skincare for Expression Lines (includes 10 pairs with a retail value of $220 per box). I will let the award-winning dermatologists behind the brand, Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, explain how their proprietary liquid cone technology works to transform skin while you sleep ...

{Click here to watch video}

As seen in ...

“Attacks expression lines while you sleep …

for a noticeable difference by the morning.” 

–Harpers Bazaar

“Ranked No. 1 as an alternative

to skip the injections.” 

–Totalbeauty.com

“One of 2014’s Most Innovative

Beauty Products.” 

–Forbes

Try it for yourself ...

Clinically proven, Acute Care’s DIY needle-free delivery system is causing quite a stir in the world of beauty care products. And these age-defying problem solvers are not just for women ... 

{click here to watch video}

Enter to win! 

Want to give a month of Acute Care a try? To enter to win a FREE box, simply do the following:

1. Visit my R+F independent consultant site and give the online consultation Solution Tool a try. Email yourself the results of the skin survey to qualify (takes a few minutes to answer a number of questions about your skin type).

2. When you receive your personal recommendations via email, forward them to me at yblacker@verizon.net with “Enter Me To Win” in the subject line of the email. Include your mailing address in the body of the email (a US address must be provided to receive prize.)

Enter by midnight EST on Tuesday, August 31st. The winner will be notified via email on September 1st and I will send the prize along with a few other at-home-beauty-care goodies.

2ND CHANCE TO WIN

FOR BLOGGERS ONLY!

Have a blog of your own and want a second chance to win? Post a link to this giveaway on your blog (feel free to use my Acute Care giveaway photo at top of post) after completing the two enter to win steps above and send me your post link. I will draw one winning name from all bloggers who post.

And just for sharing Rodan + Fields with your readers, I will send all participating bloggers a special Mini-Facial sample pack to try out 4 separate Rodan + Fields products that will make your skin glow!

Good luck!

Follow these hashtags to learn

more about Rodan + Fields:

#changingskinchanginglives

#countwrinklesout

Curious how you could benefit from sharing Rodan + Fields with others? Contact me directly to hear more about this forward-thinking business model based on washing your face and spreading the word! More on how to join my team here.

And the winner is ...

The winners of my first Rodan+Fields product giveaway have now been notified! Thank you all for visiting my Consultant site and checking out the Solution Tool.

I have 5 pairs of Redefine Acute Care strips left that I would like to share. If you have never tried them yourself, they offer amazing results! If you would like to receive a pair (via mail or local delivery) send me your name and address via email.

Email yblacker@verizon.net  //  While supplies last!

A Beautiful Before + After Giveaway!

For years I have been posting Before + After photos from my client’s home makeovers. Creating beautiful living spaces that are comfortable and inviting, while adding designer touches that they might not have thought of on their own, has been a rewarding process. I love when my clients are happy with their makeover transformations!

Recently I experienced a transforming before and after of my own. A friend of mine invited me to try Rodan + Fields, a top-selling skin care product line formerly sold in fine department stores, now sold exclusively through independent consultants who share the benefits of the products mainly through social media and sometimes at hosted events.

Soothe Regimen for Sensitive, Irritated Skin and Facial Redness

Before R+F, my sensitive skin had been acting up for years, and I was having a hard time finding the right combination of products to address redness and irritation. Makeup helped, but constantly covering up the problem wasn’t addressing the underlying poor condition of my skin. Topical medications hadn’t alleviated the problem either. I figured if the Rodan + Fields Soothe line for sensitive skin could solve my skin challenges, I would share the product with others, just as my friend had with me. 

“To see real changes in your skin’s appearance, you need to use the right concentration of clinically active ingredients in the right formulations and in the right order.”

Rodan + Fields formulas offer a multi-med therapy approach to skin care, utilizing a tested combination of cosmetic and active over-the-counter ingredients “in the right formulation in the right order” to visibly improve the complexion. Almost immediately after starting my new Soothe regimen, the texture and condition of my skin improved dramatically. And I have to admit, I really like having this new morning and evening self-care routine as part of my daily ritual. The multiple step approach (wash, treat, moisturize, protect) feels very spa-like and I am definitely impressed with the results.

After five weeks of using Rodan + Fields, my skin now has a healthy glow, and I am not feeling the need to cover up with foundation as soon as I wake up. An added bonus is my typically dark under eye circles are becoming less noticeable, too, and I haven’t even switched from Soothe to the more powerful anti-aging regimens like Reverse or Redefine yet!

True to my word, I now want to share these fabulous products with others. As a brand ambassador for Rodan + Fields, I’d like to treat my blog readers to a special giveaway. To enter to win, all you have to do is visit my R+F consultant page and give the Solution Tool a try. By answering the questions provided (it should take less than 5 minutes) you will receive (via email) a customized skincare routine recommendation for your specific skin challenges. It’s like having a complimentary consult with a dermatologist without an appointment (Dr. Kathy Fields and Dr. Katie Rodan are the board certified dermatologists behind Rodan + Fields success). Couldn’t be easier!

Rodan + Fields Solution Tool

ENTER TO WIN!

Everyone who answers the Solution Tool questions will be entered in a drawing to win one of the following giveaway prizes (entry period from July 27th through August 3rd). Be sure to email yourself the results to count as an entry!

MINI FACIAL  //  A 5-minute Mini-Facial sample pack that includes Micro-Dermabrasion Paste, Redefine Night Renewing Serum and Redefine Lip Renewing Serum. 

ACUTE CARE STRIPS  //  One pair of super effective Redefine Acute Care self-adhesive skincare strips for expression lines, that “fill a wrinkle while you sleep.”

MULTI-FUNCTION EYE CREAM  //  One jar of Redefine Multi-Function Eye Cream (a $60 value) that utilizes powerful peptides to minimize the look of crow’s feet and reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

REGIMEN OF YOUR CHOICE  //  And one winner will receive a complete Rodan + Fields skincare regimen of their choice (close to $200 value!) Based on your needs, you could try out a two-month supply of Redefine, Reverse, Soothe or Unblemish. I know you will love these products as much as I do, and I’d love your personal feedback on them, so enter now to win and I just may be showing your Before + After photos next!

Enter now by visiting my

Rodan + Fields consultant page

and try the Solution Tool!

{click here}

– last day to enter is 8.3.15 –

Fall Home Fashion Trends via Bassett

Compass dining room collection

With the fall season approaching, Bassett showrooms are being decorated with new collections that inspire entertaining at home while getting warm and cozy. Granted it’s still in the 80s outside here in New England, but if you’re considering hosting Thanksgiving or out of town guests over the next few months, now is the time to figure out a design plan (or order that sleep sofa for the in-laws) in order to have your home ready for the holidays. If you’re in my area and need help with your design decisions, I’m happy to assist with floor plans and furniture recommendations (email me to arrange an appointment).

While you are putting together your wish list, here are some of my favorite new pieces now available at Bassett. 

Compass bedroom collection

“Compass represents the Casual Luxe design trend that works on both coasts and everywhere in between. The sophisticated design and finishes paired with knotty oak veneer brings an everyday softness to this collection.”

Sutton blend-down U-shaped sectional

with Compass accent pieces

Compass Cocktail Table with nailhead trim

Malachite inspired fabrics and canvas prints

A few of my favorites from our new rug offerings ...

Maddox: Hand Knotted 100% Wool

Manor:  Hand Tufted 100% Wool

Zahra: Hand Knotted 100% Wool

Gibson Accent Chair

Customize your own version online ...

Fabulous new fabrics from Robert Allen

Corinna Accent Chair: now available as a swivel glider

Gray geometric prints (another from Robert Allen)

My instagram sneak peeks ...

New “key” arm style with nailhead trim

Premier Custom Collection

Sutton blend-down U-shaped sectional

on display in our Burlington showroom

The artwork above, White Heron I, was featured in

Design New England Magazine, March/April 2014

 {see the article here}

design by Amber Price // photo by Joel Benjamin

My next project is to put together an album on my interiors facebook page to show all the room makeovers I have worked on over the last year. “Like” my page to see future updates!

And don’t miss your chance to win a room makeover of your own. Bassett is giving away one $5,000 makeover a week now through October 26th (with complimentary design service, of course!) Enter here. I have also heard that the next HGTV Dream Home giveaway is being built on nearby Martha’s Vineyard. If I can’t enter to win it, maybe I can at least help decorate it?!

The Summer Nursery: My Inspiration

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

I used this image of a vintage decoupaged screen
circa early-to-mid 20th century to illustrate
my design concept for “The Summer Nursery.”
Screen available through Vintage and Modern.

Now where were we? Oh yes, I left you yesterday with a glimpse of my proposal for the summer design show at Tapley Hall: Reflecting upon Danvers History through Interior Design, plus some before photos of the large public space that would later be transformed into a series of smaller vignettes by a dozen-or-so design professionals. I had decided that a summer nursery would be fun to put together, and I
had a good idea on how I wanted to do it.



My plan was to create a modern interpretation of the Victorian screen above using decoupaged story book images that I have collected since my children were small. When I was young, my mom made a big impression on me when she decoupaged our refrigerator (I have mentioned this story before, I know!) with clippings from magazines, books, and whatever she could rip out and Mod Podge down. I knew I wanted to create the same type of memory for my own children, using the images from our favorite stories. The most difficult part of this process was locating all of the book jackets that I had saved over the past decade for this very project (they were finally discovered in three different places). I would like to say that my house is completely organized and well-edited, but my storage area could probably be featured on an Oprah show about “not being able to let go of the past.” But you know, when I need something, I always have it even if it takes me hours to sift through still-packed boxes from our last move or from new boxes that now store the memories of my own four children. I am working on getting rid of some house clutter this summer, and will report back after a future yard sale, but for now let’s get back to our story ...

While I originally envisioned using a baby crib for my vignette (yes, I still have one and am saving it for someone – other than myself – who may need it someday) I was given a tour of the Danvers Historical Society archives and they had this ...




Could anything be more perfect for a vintage summer nursery??? White wicker, aged yellow linen, delicate ruffles, trimmed with ribbon. So my crib stayed home and this lovely bassinet became the main character of our story. While I was checking out the large collection of vintage treasures donated by Danvers-area families to the historical society’s collection, I saw these
cuties that almost made it into the show ...


Staffordshire Dogs, circa 1850


I put in a request to borrow them for my space, but a few weeks later, while out shopping for finishing touches, I caught sight of a pair of these ...




Doesn’t he look just like Rainbow Fish? This was another bedtime favorite of ours. For the show I hid two of them in my nursery-by-the-sea vignette. Can you find one below and do you recognize any of
the storybook images on the screen?




I will be back later in the week to share more
pictures and ideas. For now, the winner of my
Design Show/Birthday Gift giveaway is ...



Mary B!

I will be in touch with you soon
to deliver your crown : )