Sacramento, California October 18, 2008 -- When it comes to selling the "big boxes" it may take more than just thinking outside the box; that's why most mornings you'll find Noel Strand standing in front of one of the big chain hardware stores, handing out samples of her new invention and passing around a petition asking the big boys for a shot at the American Dream.

It was the recurring frustration of trying to repair the textured walls in her Sacramento home and never quite being satisfied with the results that lead Strand to invent her own solution, a simple stencil tool dubbed "texture-fix" that enables almost anyone to restore "knock-down" texturing like a pro.

Says Strand: "My little tool works like a champ, it's something everyone needs and it's super affordable (about $2.00). It seems like a slam dunk"; but after spending considerable time and money fine-tuning the design and hammering out manufacturing issues, she is now faced with what turns out to be the really hard work - getting the big retailers to even take a look at it.

Strand has had a fair amount of success locally with independent retailers like Sacramento's Emigh Hardware, where the stencils are in high demand, but these days the vast majority of home improvement stores are owned by huge corporations and they tend to buy from other huge corporations, "and unfortunately, that's where I need to be if I am going to keep the price low".

Strand goes on to say "America is supposed to be the land of opportunity, where anyone who has a good idea and is willing to work hard can find success, but people in the business keep telling me that I am wasting my time, banging my head against a wall, that I should give up and license the idea to one of the big boys. Well I'm not ready to do that yet. Not until I've given it my best shot. I want to do the American thing and get out there and make it happen."

Strand is collecting signatures on a petition asking Lowe's and The Home Depot to try out her Texture-fix product in one of their stores. She maintains a website @: http://www.texture-fix.com

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Noel Strand, please contact her at (916) 223-6535 or email @ noelis4real@aol.com