28th Annual Old Town Cinco de Mayo
Old Town comes alive with a celebration of art, culture, and history of the 1800’s. Ride in a horse drawn stagecoach, enjoy music, carnival rides and games, car show, chalk art, riding and roping show, Mexican wrestling, and other activities. Visit museums and specialty shops, and dine on delicious food and drink. Free.

Time: Fri. 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm / Sat. 11:00 am – 10:00 pm / Sun. 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Old Town State Historical Park, San Diego Ave.

For more information visit www.fiestaoldtown.com

May 5

The Salvation Army 3rd Annual Spring Fling Festival
This festival will feature dozens of local crafters in indoor and outdoor booths. There will also be live musical entertainment and a fun carnival zone for the kids. A special feature will be the Silent Auction featuring donations from many San Diego businesses.

Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: The Salvation Army, 4170 Balboa Ave., Clairemont

For more information visit www.sandiegocitadel.com

May 5-6

Escondido Renaissance Faire
Travel back to the 16th century and the glories of the reign of Elizabeth the First. Activities include several of Will Shakespeare’s new plays, battle pageants, music in the streets, jugglers and hundreds of costumed re-enactors performing in this giant outdoor play. There is an admission fee, which covers all entertainment.

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: Felicita County Park, 742 Clarence Lane, Escondido

For more information visit www.goldcoastfestivals.com/Escondido.html

May 6

16th Annual Festival Cinco de Mayo – Chula Vista
Festival guests will receive a true cultural experience as they sway with Mexican dancers, peruse the work of local artisans and taste authentic south of the border cuisine. Tune in for a Mariachi Band Battle at one of the two festival stages in addition to the popular Kids Fun Zone. Come join the 30,000 community members who enjoy this celebration of Hispanic culture.

Time: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Location: Downtown Chula Vista, Third Avenue

For more information visit http://www.thirdavenuevillage.com

May 6

Carlsbad Spring Village Faire
The largest one day fair in California. Features hundreds of exhibitors with a little of everything such as arts and crafts, antiques, clothing, a large variety of food stands serving International foods, and children’s rides.

Time: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Carlsbad Village

For more information visit www.kennedyfaires.com/carlsbad

May 11-13

11th Annual Gator by the Bay

A family event featuring Zydeco and Cajun bands, Blues bands and community musical groups performing on multiple stages. Enjoy Cajun and Creole food, cooking demonstrations, strolling entertainers, dance lessons, and more.

Time: Refer to website for schedule
Location: Spanish Landing Park at Harbor Island – Harbor Drive – San Diego Bay

For more information visit www.gatorbythebay.com

May 12

Asian Cultural Festival of San Diego
Enjoy musical performances, costumed dancing, martial arts, craft-making, merchandise booths, cultural exhibits and cooking demonstration. There will be a food court, picnic area, and a kid’s area.

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: Liberty Station – NTC Park, near Cushing & Roosevelt Rds, Point Loma

For more information visit www.asianculturalfestivalsd.com

May 13

4th Annual Mother’s Day Fancy Dress Swim
Fundraiser for World Swims Against Malaria. Mothers will “dip” in the ocean wearing their Mother’s Day finest. A five dollar donation is all that is needed for this World Swim Against Malaria.

Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Location: Oceanside Pier, Oceanside

For more information visit www.onesandiego.org/

May 16-20

Ocean Beach: Beach Ball Festival
An outdoor live music, action sports, and microbrew festival. Lots of food, merchandise, beach volleyball games, a big ferris wheel, a waterslide, mechanical bull rides and a human hauler contest.

Time: Wed.-Fri. 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm / Sat. 10:00 am – 10:00 pm / Sun. 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Ocean Beach: Saratoga Park, Veterans Plaza, Lifeguard & Municipal Pier Parking Lots

For more information visit www.oceanbeachsandiego.com

May 19

24th Annual Tierrasanta Patriot’s Day
Celebrate Armed Forces Day with a delicious BBQ dinner under a shaded canopy while listening to pleasant music. There will be a beer & wine garden, game area for kids, raffles, dancing, plus a fireworks show.

Time: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Tierrasanta Recreation Center, 11220 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Tierrasanta

For more information call 858-268-0044

May 19-20

7th Annual Encinitas Sports Festival
Join 300 of your closest friends and family for two days of sports and fun in Encinitas. The City becomes a sports destination the weekend before Memorial Day and you don’t want to miss it. Triathlons, Duathlon, Bike Tours, 5K Run, Kids and Family 1K Walk/Run, Moonlight Beach Paddle & Swim, and a 2-day sports expo.

Time: Refer to website for schedule
Location: Encinitas – various locations, refer to website

For more information visit www.encinitasrace.com/esff.html

May 20

Annual North Park Festival of the Arts
An explosion of arts, culture and entertainment with live entertainment, specialty booths, food court, beer garden, Kid’s Art Beat, and tons more!

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: North Park – University Ave. & 30th St.

For more information visit www.northparkfestivalofarts.com

May 20

26th Annual Navy’s Original Bay Bridge Run/Walk
A running and walking event across the Coronado Bay Bridge is a rare opportunity, and now is the time to do it! The route begins downtown and proceeds across the bridge to the Coronado Island to Tidelands Park, concluding with fun festivities.

Time: 7:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Bayfront Hilton Parking Lot, One Park Blvd., San Diego

For more information visit www.mwrtoday.com

May 20

19th Annual Sicilian Festival
Celebrate Sicilian-Italian American heritage and enjoy delicious cuisine from local restaurants in a festive setting in Little Italy. Music, beer, wine, dancing, ethnic art & craft items to browse. Free.

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: Little Italy, Downtown San Diego

For more information visit www.sicilianfesta.com

May 20

Escondido Street Faire
This faire will feature live entertainment as well as over 600 booths showcasing arts & crafts, unique clothing, and international foods. Children’s rides, rock climbing wall, and more!

Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: Downtown Escondido, Grand Ave. between Center City Pkwy and lvy.

For more information visit www.kennedyfaires.com/escondido

May 26

Santee Street Fair
Live bands, entertainment, food, arts & crafts, vendor booths, beer garden. In just three years the Santee Street Fair has become one of the best events in town. Over 300 food and vendor booths, 3 stages of live music and entertainment, and fun rides.

Time: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Location: Santee Town Center – behind Santee Trolley Square, Mission Gorge Rd., Santee
For more information visit www.santeestreetfair.com

May 27

Annual Ethnic Food Fair

A cultural food festival at Balboa Park will be offering a delicious assortment of ethnic foods along with entertaining costumed performances. Free.

Time: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location: Balboa Park, House of Pacific Relations International Cottages

For more information visit www.sdhpr.org

May 27

Vista Strawberry Festival
Strawberries will be the main event along with a 5K Fun Run and Kids Runs, as well as 200+ vendors at our street fair, carnival rides, a Strawberry Pie Eating contest, Strawberry Idol, Ms. Strawberry Shortcake, and much more! Free admission.

Time: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Downtown Vista, 127 Main St., Downtown Vista

For more information visit www.vvba.org

We have INFUSED the two and made San Diego’s Premier Design and Staging company even more hot and sexy!

As always we stage with emotion! We don’t strive to make your property look like a model or hotel! We dress your property up and use different styles and textiles to show a unique and beautiful property!

Leather is not the environmentally friendly product that the industry has suggested.  The adverse environmental and health impacts of the leather industry are huge.  Animal skin is turned into finished leather by the use of many dangerous mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and cyanide based oils and dyes.   These chemicals prevent the leather from being naturally biodegradable as the industry claims.  Leather products can last thousands of years and the toxic chemicals with which they are infused leach into the environment during that time.   Leather pieces found in Northern Germany were estimated to be 12,000 years old, dating from the Neolithic and European Bronze Ages!

People who have worked in and lived near tanneries have died of cancer from groundwater contaminated by the toxic chemicals used to process and dye the leather.   A New York State Department of Health study found that more than half of all testicular cancer victims worked in tanniers.

Sports use huge amounts of leather. It takes 3,000 cows to supply the National Football League (NFL) with enough leather for a year’s supply of footballs!  It takes the leather of 3.8 steers to make the 72 footballs used in every NFL SuperBowl alone.

It is so easy for us to break the chain of separation from nature that has allowed such cruelty to exist. All we have to do is stop buying leather.

1) Area Rugs

Whether it’s in the living room, dining room, or bedroom rugs define spaces. Sometimes a rug is even enough to define an entire room! Get a great area rug, grab a few big pillows, and a serving tray and voila! A room becomes a bedroom!

2) Throw Pillows

Sometimes changing the look of a room is as easy as adding (or subtracting!) throw pillows. For just a few bucks you can add a punch of color and a splash of fun to any room.

3) Side tables

Get creative! Any flat surface can be used as a side table? Have a great old suitcase? Turn it on its side and you have an instant and charming side table.

4) Lighting

Lighting changes the mood of any room, and you can change that mood with something a simple as little battery-operated timed candles. They’re inexpensive, safe, and can add the hint of drama every room needs.

5)  Curtains

Keep it sheer, keep it simple. Dressing up a window with a tension rod and white sheers means that, with no tools at all, you can cover a window while letting all the light in.

6) Fabric

From walls to beds to sofas and more, creating a cohesive look can be achieved with a few well-placed pieces of fabric. Decide your style, find your fabric, and use it throughout the room. Add the fabric to a canvas and hang it. Fold it neatly and add it to the foot of the bed. Drape it casually over the back of a chair.

7) Fresh flowers

Who doesn’t love fresh flowers? A bouquet in a vase says it all. Even a solitary bud can light up a room with its charm.

Looking for more home staging tips? Contact us here!

[via REALTORmag]

[image via]

According to Barb Schwarz, one of the founders of home staging in the 1970s, defines home staging this way: “Home staging is professionally preparing homes for sale so that they appeal to the most amount of buyers and generate the highest price in the least amount of time on market.”

But what to do and where to start? Here are Barb’s 7 Steps of Staging to help you out:

• Stand in the doorway of each room, and even outside the home, as if you were a home buyer, and
assess whether every area of the home best conveys what it would be like to live in the home for visitors
to an open house.
• Make a plan, and be open to change. We look at what the purpose of each room is, and what
scene we need to set.
• De-accessorize. Decide on what to pack and what to keep in each room and select which accessories you may use in different rooms.
• Remove unnecessary furniture. Again, less is more.
• Arrange the remaining furniture in the best way and re-distribute those you may be able to use in other rooms.
• Re-accessorize each room.
• Fine-tune each area of the home.

And Barb has some more advice to keep in mind: “The investment in staging is always less than your first price reduction.”

And keep in mind that here at Infusion Home Design, we can most definitely help you out!

(via SDAR)