Alford Realty Group

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Lisa Alford

704-408-2834
Lisa@AlfordRG.com
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Easy Christmas Cookies

December 15, 2016 by lisaalford Leave a Comment

christmas-cookies

Thought I would share this easy Christmas Cookie and cookie icing recipe.

You will need:

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 cups white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then add in flour and mix until the dough is smooth.  Refrigerate for about 2 hours to let stiffen up. Extra flour can be added if the dough is not stiff enough to roll out (some people prefer to use sugar).

On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (or better yet on Parchment paper). Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.

 

For the icing either pick up some cookie icing, sprinkles, etc. at your grocery store, Wal-Mart, Michaels or anywhere that sells it.  But if you want to make your own,  this recipe is the BOMB of cookie icing recipes!

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp milk

2 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp almond extract

Food coloring

In a small bowl mix the sugar and milk until smooth.  Then beat in corn syrup and almond extract until smooth and glossy.  Then divide up and add in food coloring as desired.
Then decorate and enjoy!

By the way- if you are in the Lake Norman area and would like to head out and see some Christmas lights in our area, here’s a great post showing where you can find them!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Charlotte, Christmas, Christmas cookie, decorating, easy recipe, Lake Norman, Mooresville

A New Take on 50 Shades of Gray – for decorating!

August 25, 2014 by lisaalford Leave a Comment

Tired of the same old “real estate beige” in every Lake Norman, Mooresville or Charlotte area home you see?  Well according to Realtor.com’s recent write up here so are many others.  In fact, they say that gray is the new IT color for neutral.  Gray allows for a sophisticated look allowing one to blend in blacks, whites and I think a single pop or two of color would look nice too 🙂  It also allows for a relaxed atmosphere and you can either brighten it up or darken it up depending on your taste, furniture, etc.  just by adjusting the shade you choose.

According to the article, sum 58% of designers are predicting gray as the new go to color for neutral decorating.  Others are also suggesting stark white as their favorite.  In today’s market homes must appeal to the masses, be in top showing condition and look sleek and modern.  For most buyers, the days of looking for a fixer upper are gone.  They want a home that is ready to move into with very minimal (if any) changes/updates.

For years, we real estate agents have promoted beige for the best neutral color.  The reason is that it doesn’t offend anyone and with a good neutral color, families can more easily imagine their own furnishings in the home.  That’s the same reason we recommend taking down all family photos.  The minute a potential buyer sees your family pictures (as sweet as those baby/wedding/family photos are) they stop seeing themselves in the home and start seeing you and your family in the home.  That’s not what we are after, one of the biggest goals in showing a home is that the potential buyer will see themselves in the home.

For more tips on staging your home for sale, or to find out how much your home would sell for in today’s market, contact me today!

Kimberton_Living Room

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Charlotte, decorating, design, home, house, interior, Lake Norman, Mooresville, real estate, sell, selling, staging

About Us

My mission is simple - to provide you with the very best service possible.  After all, from beginning to end the whole process of buying or selling a home is about you and your needs.  I will do everything I can to make sure you not only get the best … Read more...

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