Luxury Clues

Funny Pumpkin Ideas for Halloween

If you're up for some holiday fun, there's nothing quite like Halloween. If you're staying at home sharing candy with the kids, here are some great ways to enhance your front door step with some unique pumpkins. 

Also, you might want to search your local dentists to see if any of them are giving cash who turn in their candy. It's an option to post on your blog that a lot of your clients may appreciate. 

Pumpkins that need no carving and never go out of style. 

The balance of the photos below are from ExtremePumpkins.com. This site has more weird pumpkins than anywhere else on the web. If you need creative ideas,  ExtremePumpkins.com is the place to go.

Garlic forms the teeth--legs are composed of carrots and potatoes or peppers

 

A different scream              
 Fire breathing dragon?

Apparently soaking a roll of toilet paper over night in kerosene and then lighting it gives off a 3-foot flame that burns for 30-45 minutes. (This can be dangerous--keep your fire extinguisher nearby and don't leave the flame unattended. If it's windy or very dry, don't even think about doing this.) 

Happy Halloween!

Posted by Bernice Ross. Join us this week on RealEstateCoachRadio.com to learn how to use video in your business. 

The Right Wine with the Right Food at the Right Price

 Have you ever wondered exactly what wine goes with what dish? Do you want to get a good bottle of wine to give as a gift but don't want to break the bank? If so, check our the article on Epicurious "Twelve great wines for under $12.00." This is a great article since it suggests 12 wines for under $12.00 as well as telling you which type of food each wine fits best.

In addition to these great wines, keep your eyes open if you shop at Costco or at Sam's. Most stores list their wine's rankings and you can often find a great bottle at a greatly reduced price. Our favorite winery in Sonoma is Etude. (BTW, if you're in the Napa-Sonoma area, make sure you do a tasting at this winery. Their tasting is limited to 20 people and the cost is about $50.00. We tasted ten bottles, a number of which were $100+ per bottle and that are not generally available to the public. I don't have that great of a palate, but I could taste every single flavor they described.) In any event, we were in Costco several months ago and found two bottles of Etude Heritage (this is heaven). It's normally $150 per bottle if you can find it. We paid about $90. 

Eat, drink, and be merry--works for me!

Posted by Bernice Ross, co-host of the RealEstateCoachRadio--launching 1-25-2010. The best place to get the best advice in the real estate industry five days a week at no charge to you!

The Best Honey You Have Ever Tasted

When we were in Savannah for our Executive Women's Leadership Conference (AFIRE--Awesome Females in Real Estate) we were introduced to the most wonderful honey that I have ever tasted anywhere. Winter White honey from the Savannah Bee Company is to the world of honey what a fine cognac is to those who enjoy drinking. According to the Savannah Bee Company website, 

Winter White comes from the delicate wildflowers near the North Pole. This exquisite honey has a creamy color and a smooth texture that feels like snow melting on your tongue. 

I have to agree. They suggest putting the honey on scones or in hot chocolate. My preference was taking a small teaspoon and having it directly from the jar. The flavor and consistency are amazing. We also like the Tupelo and the Acacia, but they aren't close from my perspective to Winter White. 

A 12 oz jar of Winter White retails for $15.00. If you know someone who is a honey aficianado or who is just a honey of a person, this makes a great gift. 

Posted by Bernice Ross--if you're looking for some Real Estate Dough to go along with your Winter White honey, check out the book that can your business buzz in any market.

Cool Wine Cellars

While many wine cellars are dark, dank,and dusty, the folks at Dornob have come up with some gorgeous ways to make that wine cellar into a show place. Click on the link above to see more of their designs.

Posted by Bernice Ross, www.RealEstateCoach.com, the place you go to make Real Estate Dough!

The $1,400 Bottle of Grappa

When is a bottle of Grappa worth $1,400? When it's in a Baccarat bottle of Crystal. At Real Estate Connect we stayed at the Marriott Marquis hotel which is just steps from the theaters on Broadway and from Times Square. There are two wonderful little Italian restaurants just about two blocks from the hotel. The first of these is La Revista. We had as magnificent 5 course meal for only $38.00 per person, which was the same price the hotel charged for room service bacon, eggs, and coffee. The service and the food were both exceptional. On our way out, the owner explained about the various liquors in their locked case. An expensive bottle of Grappa (the cheap versions are similar to drinking white lightning or "everclear") is $200-$300. Obviously, the owner explained that this was more like a fine cognac. Good for warmth on a 22 degree, windy January night. 

BTW, this is my first post using my MacBook Pro and my iPhone. Taking pictures with the iPhone is very easy and the quality is similar to that of our regular digital camera. "MobileMe" automatically synchs the photos to my computer so I don't have to download them. It also dates them which my Palm didn't do--you had to go in and rename the photos, save them to a file, and then upload them to your computer and do your post. 

Posted by Bernice Ross, author of Real Estate Dough, Your Recipe for Real Estate Success--the #1 Selling Book at the National Association of Realtors(R) Conference in 2008.