Choosing a Design Professional

 

We've had an abnormal spring with late freezes and flooding in various parts of the country. Down here in Houston, it's way odd to have a freeze, but one in late February? Here in my house, we sat for four days without heat or power. Then the pipes burst, and we had to carry water from the neighbors to flush toilets. A nightmare.

This traumatic event caused many of us to renovate, replenish, and fix up a mess. When driving the neighborhood, we saw old sheetrock and soaked, moldy carpet at many curbs.

Finding someone to help in a hurry was impossible. Those broken pipes made a major mess, and even months later, people are in line waiting for helpers.  New construction and design wannabes are jumping into the fray to help, but finding a professional who knows the industry can be a daunting experience.

 I decided to give a bit of advice from my days when I worked as a designer, and I hope it helps someone. I'm listing a few things to think about.

Consider: budget, style, experience, personality, and fees.

 BUDGET. Convey to your designer/decorator/contractor your budget. Setting a financial plan prevents heartaches and quarrels later. Some interior designers/contractors present furniture, accessories, and ideas that are too costly. This can be embarrassing to you and time consuming for the designer.

 EXPERIENCE. How long has the professional been in the design field? Does he or she have access to manufacturers, retailers, and contractors? Does a portfolio exist? Can he or she give references?

 PERSONALITY. Is the professional willing to work with your temperament? Does the designer understand the needs you pose? Is he or she critical of your existing surroundings? Does he or she make you feel inadequate? You should always feel comfortable with your designer.

 STYLE.  Is the designer up-to-date with a variety of styles?  If you prefer Art Nouveau, ask if the designer knows that motif.  If the professional doesn’t like that style, or doesn’t seem to know enough about it, ask him or her to recommend another designer. Most designers can do this. If they can’t, why can’t they? People in the business should know each other. If you don’t know your style, is the designer willing to help you find one?  

 FEES. Ask the designer how much the rate is. When and how is it to be paid? Some designers/contractors “double dip,” that is to say they charge a fee on top of commissions they receive from vendors. Others choose an hourly rate, while some markup acquisitions they buy for you. Make sure you understand the costs. Is there a retainer required for the professional’s services? Approve a contract, and include fees in the budgeting process.

 Working with a professional is a rewarding experience. It saves money, time, and relieves a client of distasteful choices. The designer can accommodate your style, bring harmony and beauty to your home while staying well within your budget.

Blessings to all who need their home and lives restored!  Now here's a bit about me.

Sarah: Laney's Angel, is a book I wrote shortly after I retired as a full time designer. 

Many of the experiences in the book came from my days as I worked with a builder and clients. In the first chapter, Laney is alone in a house when an unwanted vagrant enters. She is saved by an angel. 

I experienced a similar incident. I didn't see an angel, but I know one had to be there.  Since I'm hard to manage, the angel probably had several around to help with the situation!

Sarah: Laney's Angel, available in print, eBook or audio

 

Mothers Not Birthing People

 

Women are females and they can be mothers.  I'm fortunate to be both...female and mother. I'm not gonna call myself a birthing person. 

What's a little guy like the one pictured supposed to call a "birthing person?"  They can't pronounce words well as they learn to speak. If the mom says to him, "I'm your birthing person," the child would probably call her "Birper."  That would make the woman sound like she had too much gas in the tummy and was constantly expelling it. As in Burp, burp, burp.

Mom is a great name.  "Mama." is usually a child's first words. Hearing it for the first time thrills a mom's heart.

A lot of women can't be birthing persons. Their body and health won't allow it. What are they to be called? "Nonbirthing Persons?" This day we set aside to honor mothers is difficult for those who can't give birth.

Most women are nurturers, and even if they don't have an offspring, they naturally respond to children. What would we do without the ladies who can't be a birthing person? The aunts, teachers, neighbors who long for a child, but their body said, "sorry, no."  I've seen many of these dear females give of themselves to someone else\'s child.

 Anna Jarvis began a “Mother’s Work Day.” way back in 1908. The day became "Mother's Day." The day turned into a commercial one, and Anna came to resent the day. It became a money maker, and she regretted making it famous.

Anna Jarvis loved her mother dearly, and there's no way on earth, heaven, or the other place that she'd say to her mom, "Hi birthing person. I love you."

Faith, Humor and Politics

Thrown Away Women

Thrown Away Women

Have you read about the women in the Bible who were thrown away?  They were discarded. Treated worse than trash.

These women had little value to the men in their lives. They were used for sex, and the examples below are horrifying.

Remember Lot? The one whose wife turned to a pillar of salt? God got tired of the city of Sodom’s evil ways, so he sent to angels to destroy it. Lot invited the angels to stay overnight in his house. During the night, the entire male population of Sodom surrounded Lot’s home and demanded the two men be brought outside. The male citizens of Sodom wanted to have sex with the new men. Lot refused, but offered his two virgin daughters instead!  He told the mob, “You can do what you like with them, but don’t do anything to these men. They are under the protection of my roof.” Genesis 19.

And the daughters weren’t under his protection? Lot was willing to throw away his daughters! Lot was a faulty thinker and isn’t eligible to win any Father of the Year award.

How about the story of the Levite and his concubine?

This Levite was lonely up there in the Ephraim hill country and acquired a concubine. He must not have been a very good companion because the concubine was unfaithful. She finally ran away and went home to her father in Bethlehem. After four lonely months, the Levite went after her. The Concubine’s father persuaded the desperate-for-sex Levite to spend the night. After spending five days and nights there, the Levite wanted to take his concubine and head for the hills. The girl’s father pleaded for him to stay, but the man took his concubine and left. (I’m guessing the dad knew something of the Levites character. He may have been protecting his daughter.) When night came, the Levite stopped in the town of Gibeath and was in need of shelter. A local man invited him and the concubine to stay in his house. Sometime in the night, men of the city knocked on the door and demanded the host bring out the man. They wanted to have sex with him but instead, the host offered his virgin daughter. (Another nomination for Dad of the Year. NOT.) The wicked male horde preferred the Levite, so in-order-to protect himself, the Levite threw his concubine out the door.

The wicked men abused her all night and left her for dead on the doorstep. The Levite put her on his donkey, returned home, and then cut up her body into twelve pieces. He sent the pieces to each of the twelve tribes asking them to partake in revenge. A war ensues. Judges 19. The early Israelites “did what was right in their own eyes.” Judges 21:25.

These two ghoulish incidents, Lot, and the Levite, demonstrate how women were often thought of as nothing in the early days of civilization. Except for the concubine’s dad, the other fathers had little regard for their daughters. Can you imagine offering your virgin daughter to appease a horde of men?

Jesus elevated women when He came to live on Earth, but there are many today who continue to abuse women. Sometimes the abuser is a dad, a husband, a boss, or a human trafficker.

Women are thrown away in today’s world. Abuse of women is now considered a crime instead of sin. But indeed, they are both: Crime and sin. When humanity ignores civil and moral laws, Godless actions happen.

My heart hurts for the abused woman. I’m sad for the women who are abducted into sex slavery by a human trafficker.  Laws exist for a reason, but they get ignored. Officers of the law also exist for a reason, but anarchy occurs in many American places. Folks, people need to give accountability to God. We need to honor our national laws. We can’t and shouldn’t allow ungodly incidents to occur, and we shouldn't let women be abused or thrown away.

 Mattie's Choice in Print or eBook