Home & Garden Show Seminars
(Door prizes will be given at all seminars)

Saturday, March 6

9:30 AM
Lights, Camera, Action … Stage It to Sell
Kay Lynn and Susan Vandergriff, STAGING SPACES
In capturing buyers’ interests, staged homes sell 30-50% faster and realize 6-10% greater profit. If you are selling or dwelling, see how your home could benefit from being staged.  Home Staging, while new to Cookeville, has been in larger markets for many years as an enhancement service for home sellers and real estate agents.  Home Staging focuses on spotlighting the positive features of a home and generating a higher percentage of buyer acceptability. 

11:00 AM
Fun Ideas for WOW Tables 
Eileen Steele, The “Fresh & Frugal Guru”
Learn several simple, inexpensive, but outstanding ideas to make folks say WOW when they see your table. These festive, fun and frugal ideas can work for quiet dinners at home to elegant wedding receptions or dinner for the boss.


12:30 PM
Easy Tips for “Greening” Your Home
Bob Faulhaber, Faulhaber Engineering & Sustainability
A green home is so much more than environmentally friendly. Green homes provide a living space that is more healthy, comfortable, energy efficient, environmentally friendly and less expensive to own and maintain.  There are many simple steps that you can take to make your home more healthy and green.

2:00 PM
Growing Container Plants
Evelyn Breyer, Putnam County Master Gardener
Plants add life to any area, and it’s easy and fun to grow spectacular plants in creative containers.  Learn to grow plants under various conditions and in different types of containers to enhance indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Putnam County Master Gardeners are trained through UT Extension to provide research-based home horticulture and gardening information to the public.

3:30 PM
Decorate a Nursery that Grows with your Child
Hollie Childress
Planning for the arrival of a new little one is an exciting time, but it can be a challenge to design an attractive and well-organized nursery that is easy on your budget. By using materials that you already have in unique ways, you can create a beautiful environment filled with double-duty furniture and coordinated accessories for your baby to sleep and grow in.

4:30 PM
Sharing Secrets – Useful Design Tips For Your Home
Elle Lenhart, Lenhart Designs
Look at your project, whether new construction, remodeling or a “facelift” of an existing space, through the eyes of a design professional.  Ellie Lenhart will share “top secret” design tips to consider when decorating your home.  Informative handouts and examples of favorite design reference books also will be shared.

5:30 PM
For the Love of Old - Living, Loving, and Protecting Antiques, Heirlooms and Collectibles
Sarah Hawlik, Vintage Rose Antiques/Legacy Appraisal Services
How old does something need to be to be considered antique? How are values determined of different categories of antiques and collectibles?  Learn different resources and techniques for research and valuation.  Avoid being scammed when you buy antiques and know what to do if you purchase something that has been misrepresented.  Know who needs an appraisal and how to choose an appraiser.

6:30 PM
Aging by Design: Design strategies for Aging in Place
Valerie Wells, Sassy Southern Designs
Home is where the heart is. Americans are living longer, more active lives, and as they age, they are looking for ways that will allow them to maintain their independence by living at home as long as possible. This seminar will look at the unique challenges that face the aging and evaluate strategies for designing, adapting, building or remodeling a home where you can safely and happily age in place.

Sunday, March 7

1:00 PM
Cool Season Vegetable Gardening
CB Coburn, Putnam County Master Gardener
Starting your own plants from seeds, cuttings, and tubers saves money and increases variety selections.  Be prepared for spring planting by learning techniques to get a head start on annuals this year.  The demonstration will be followed with a "hands-on" opportunity, so each participant will leave with a starter plant or planted seed.

2:30 PM
Backyard Barbecue Tips & Techniques
Tony Stone, Papa Tony’s Southern Foods
Grillmasters, get ready to fire up the grill with tips and techniques for successful grilling that will help you avoid the pitfalls that “get you in trouble.”  There are many alternatives to traditional hamburgers, steaks, and chops for entertaining friends and family with a backyard barbecue. Marinades, seasonings, rubs, and butters can add flavor and tenderize meat on the grill.
Tony Stone is a national Barbecue Champion and is the former president of the Kansas City Barbecue Society.

Are you interested in becoming an exhibitor? Contact us!