I don’t know about you, but I believe there are angels among us. They give us words of encouragement when we are down, step in to prevent something unfortunate from happening to us, and bring us smiles when we would rather frown.   The angels in my life have names. Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Husband, Daughter, Grandson – all are my special “angels”!   Merry Christmas! 12/12/2012

  I recently had the pleasure of meeting Sharon Shih, a delightful Friendswood artist. Sharon had a booth at the most recent Christian Women’s Club event where she was selling some of her three-dimensional artwork. Sharon creates such lovely pieces by painstakingly cutting out hundreds of small portions of pictures and building them up in layers to create a 3-D effect. The pictures are beautifully framed in shadow-box frames. Everyone at the networking event loved Sharon’s pictures, and we all told her that she needed to charge more for them because they were all so beautiful. I purchased a pretty Victorian print to use in our guest bedroom. It fits right in with the antique theme in that room. Sharon gave away a gorgeous picture she created of Santa Claus, as a door prize. I sure wante... 12/11/2012

Ho, ho, ho! Kids of all ages in Friendswood will want to watch out for Santa this coming Saturday, Dec. 15, as he makes his way through the neighborhoods, riding on top of a Friendswood fire truck. The Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department gives Santa and a few of his helpers a lift every year as he rides around town, passing out candy and good wishes to children. This is a picture of Santa as he traveled through my neighborhood last year. Santa will be getting an early start and should hit the first neighborhood around 8 a.m. He never has a specific route planned in advance, so it’s hard to know when he might be on your street. He just heads out on the fire truck and somehow manages to go down every street to greet the children. You will know when he is getting close, however, because ... 12/11/2012

  Classic Christmas cards often portray families skating on outdoor skating rinks or frozen ponds, dressed in their Christmas coats and fur hats. Well….here in Friendswood, the weather is warm and it is highly unlikely that any pond would ever freeze over for ice skating! But, we have the next best thing! Space City Ice Station is a Friendswood area ice rink where you can experience the closest thing to wintery Christmas fun. Even though it may be 80 degrees outside, the ice rink must maintain a surface temperature of 50 degrees or less. It’s cool in the building. So, skaters should wear long pants and dress in layers to stay warm. Space City Ice Station is open seven days a week, and is located at 18150 Gulf Freeway, near Baybrook Mall. So, put on a Santa hat for some Christmas spirit,... 12/09/2012

Frosty the Snowman didn’t like the warm weather we have been experiencing in the Friendswood and Alvin areas, so he decided to cool off in the bath tub!     I found this cute guy in one of the homes I toured during the Alvin Christmas Home tour. The owner of the home said her daughter saw the idea on Pinterest, and they thought it would be cute for the tour.   I loved it!   12/07/2012

The City of Friendswood is hosting "Home For The Holidays" at Stevenson Park on December 8th.  Bring the whole family and plan to spend the day!  3:00pm - 5:00pm Photos with Santa (bring your own camera) Local Dance Groups Friendswood Animal Advocates Animal Adoption Concert in the Park - The Revelators 3:00pm - 8:00pm Snow Hill Train Rides and Hay Rides Blue Santa Holiday Toy Ride Coloring Contest Face Painting 6:00pm-7:00pm Chamber Christmas Parade (starts at Heritage Drive and ends at Stevenson Park) 7:00pm Lighting of the 20' Christmas Tree in Stevenson Park 12/04/2012

A friend of mine is one of the directors at Home Town Bank.He wanted to make sure I knew about their Banks sponsorship of the Christmas holiday activities in Friendswood. I recently received this information and it sounds like it is going to be fun for the entire family! Festivities start on December 8th with pictures with Santa, then followed with a concert that starts at 3 P.M.  At 6 the chamber’s Christmas parade starts and ends with the lighting of the new 20-foot Christmas tree! Now that is what I want to see! I have attached the flyer for your perusal. 12/03/2012

The City of Friendswood Library will host a Christmas Music Concert on December 10th at 7pm.  The Hope Lutheran Handbell Choir will perform "Christmas Bells - Music to Celebrate the Season".  This beautiful music will put you in the Christmas mood - even if it is 80 degrees outside.  Stephanie Royner will direct the choir and Amanda Gonzales and Carol Chew will be the guest vocalists.  Bring the whole family for this fun event.  On Tuesday, December 11th at 7pm, the Book Club will have a Christmas Party.  Bring a reading from your favorite poem or book and share it with the group.  The Library will have their annual Book Sale from December 15th - December 29th during regular hours.  All proceeds will go toward supporting library programming.   Please consider joining the "Friends of the... 12/03/2012

The real estate business is good in Friendswood, Texas. This bedroom community has been named one of the Top 100 Places to Live in the United States in 2007 and 2009, and was named one of the Best Affordable Suburbs in the United States in 2009.  In 2011, Family Circle Magazine named Friendswood one of the Best Towns for Families. Friendswood is a highly-desirable place to live!   It is not surprising that in November, there were 43 homes sold in Friendswood, ranging in price from $55,000 to $685,000, with an average of 77 days on the market. Five of those homes sold in 10 days or less. In fact, the house pictured below was sold in November by Rose King as the listing agent after just four days on the market!     Seven of the 43 homes sold had private pools, and six of them had five bed... 11/30/2012

DECK THE HOUSE HOLILDAY LIGHTING COMPETITION FOR RESIDENTS OF FRIENDSWOOD Today I received this email from the City of Friendswood announcing a Christmas house decorating contest for the residents of Friendswood.  Friendswood is a great city with many residences who already decorate each year. The displays can become quite grand! I look forward to taking my grandchildren to see all the lights here and in Pearland. (However, that is another post) Below is the email in its entirety.  I hope all my Friendswood friends will participate in this competition.   ***************************************************************************** The City of Friendswood and FFAI/Friendswood Fine Arts are pleased to announce Friendswood's new 2012 Deck the House Holiday Lighting Competition. The event i... 11/30/2012

Friendswood  Holiday Hustle 5K Fun Run/Walk Sometimes we need to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. We each need to release some stress and tension. A good way to do this is a good run!     Guess what! You are in luck! On Saturday, December 1, 2012, the City of Friendswood Community Services/Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the annual Holiday Hustle 5K Fun Run / Walk and Kid's K. This event will be held at Stevenson Park, located at 1100 S. Friendswood Dr. You can registration from  7 – 7:45 a.m. on the day of the event.  The Kid's K Fun Run (12 and under) will start at 8 a.m. and the 5K Fun Run / Walk will start at 8:15 a.m. and is open to all ages.  All 5K runners will be chip timed.  Kid’s K cost is $10 and $20 for the 5K, for registration... 11/28/2012

  Friendswood residents will be kicking off the Christmas season with the Fifth Annual Santa in the Park celebration on Saturday, December 8 from 3-8 p.m. in Stevenson Park. Kids will be out in droves to experience the ever-popular Snow Hill, amusement rides, and photos with Santa. There will be lots of food and beverages available for purchase, as well as a Christmas parade from 6-7 p.m. and the Christmas Tree Lighting at 7:30 p.m. The big event is a Friendswood favorite, with lots of local performers, dance groups, choirs and bands on hand to provide the entertainment. To get in the true spirit of the season, you can bring an unwrapped new toy for the Friendswood Police Department’s Blue Santa program. Come on out, meet some neighbors, and enjoy the festivities of Santa in the Park! S... 11/27/2012

                                                                GOT LIGHTS?  Today while driving from clients to listings and from listings to clients; I saw this truck in front of us.     Realtors can get really busy. We can get too busy to do some of the things that need doing around the house. I think it is awesome that there are people out there who will come to your house to set up your Christmas lights. Am I calling this guy to put up my lights? Maybe. I normally don’t do lights because I can no longer get my husband to hang them. Thank goodness I can now call this person to hang them for me. Monday I am calling to get the prices on hanging my lights.   11/24/2012

  I would love to have gotten some Christmas shopping done today, or to have gotten our tree put up and decorated, but there was no time for that sort of thing for me on this Black Friday. I was too busy keeping up with real estate!   Today I showed four homes, wrote and submitted an offer on one of them, negotiated a counter offer for a buyer on a contract we submitted two days ago (got it done), received an offer on one of my listings, and counseled my sellers on what to do with that offer. I have a showing scheduled for tomorrow, and I still need to do a CMA for that neighborhood and print out a few things to get ready for the showing. I also still need to order some JUST SOLD postcards for the listing I closed on Wednesday!   Whoever said that November and December were slow months ... 11/23/2012

Why is the turkey the main dish at Thanksgiving?   I don’t know why turkeys are usually the main dish at Thanksgiving. Someone said it is because in early England serving the biggest bird meant that the host was wealthy. I also learned that turkeys are called turkey because they were supplied to England from America through the country “Turkey”. Almost all domesticated turkeys are bred to have white feathers. This is because their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed. If you have ever dressed a chicken or turkey, you know that you have to dip the bird in boiling water to soften the skin so that the feathers can be plucked off easily. When doing this, the really small “pin” feathers can be left behind accidently. If the bird is dark they will be more visible. I hope ... 11/20/2012

  The Saturday after Thanksgiving has been designated as Small Business Saturday in an effort to support local business. Here in Friendswood you can shop for Christmas, and keep your dollars in the community. There are several small businesses that I love in our friendly little town. Here are just a few: STYLE JUNKIE BOUTIQUE – Oooo-la-la, Style Junkie has the lastest fashions for women of all ages, and they always have good sales leading up to Christmas. They are even having a pajama party Thanksgiving night from 10 p.m. to midnight – what fun! Style Junkie is located in the shopping center at the corner of FM 2351 and FM 518 near Tuesday Morning.   A-PLUS PACK AND SHIP – When you stop in to have your Christmas packages packed and shipped, you can spend some time shopping in the cute g... 11/19/2012

One of my favorite Friendswood stores, Friendswood Frame and Gallery, is hosting a Christmas Open House on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  They will be donating 20 percent of the proceeds from sales that day to the Hope Village Foundation.   Hope Village is a non-profit, non-sectarian foundation in Friendswood, which has been providing affordable residential and support services to children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1967.   Most people in Friendswood are familiar with the Hope Village Tea Room, a local favorite. Residents of Hope Village work in the tea room as waiters, waitresses, and table cleaners, helping to build their self-confidence, self-esteem, and sense of independence. They are a very friendly and fun bunch of people to be a... 11/17/2012

  The Southeast Christian Women’s Club will hold their Christmas-themed luncheon and shopping event Thursday, Dec. 6, at Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Everyone is invited to join in on the shopping fun, make some new friends, and enjoy the luncheon with area Christian women. The luncheon will feature guest speaker Deb Cerkovnik, whose topic will be “How the Three C’s of Curiosity, Crisis, and Control Can Affect and Change our Lives”. Cerkovnik is a Distinguished Toastmaster, choral singer, and mother of four children. She is originally from Oklahoma, but now makes her home in Katy. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. when guests can do some Christmas shopping and networking with some exciting area vendors who feature home décor, clothing, fashion accessories, ... 11/16/2012

2823 Heritage Colony Dr. is located in Heritage Park. This established community is located in Webster and is zoned to fantastic Clear Creek ISD schools. The community features parks and community pools with sidewalks and shaded sidewalks. The mature trees give this area a beautiful park-like feel! The home itself has over 1700 square feet of living space with a formal dining room and so much more. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home has an attached 2 car garage. The formal dining room has a beautiful bay window, crown molding and gorgeous laminate wood floors. The family room is spacious and features high ceilings, built-in bookshelves and a wood-burning fireplace. French doors lead from this inviting family room to the covered patio in the backyard. The family room is also open to the kitchen... 11/15/2012

Before you put your home on the market, you should take a look in your attic and see what needs to be removed. If you’re like most people, you have a lot of stuff up there that you may have forgotten about. A buyer will look in the attic, and will want you to remove not only your personal belongings, but also anything else that shouldn’t be there.   One of my clients recently sold her home and cleared everything out of the attic…everything that is, except the old hot water heater. It seems that when she replaced the hot water heater in the attic, the people who installed the new one just moved the old one aside and left it there. The old hot water heater wasn’t in anyone’s way, since the attic was very large, and she just forgot about it.   The buyers of her house didn’t forget about it... 11/13/2012