New Digs!

As you probably already know

(because I complain about all the time!)

We've been looking for a retail space

Our criteria was making it difficult:

Lots of charm

Preferably an old building

great natural light

cute downtown location

studio space for teaching classes

AND...

doesn't break the bank!

Needless to say, the search was NOT going well!

Enter our friend Sarah...

Sarah has a cool company called

Tipsy Candles

using recycled wine bottles

(they smell AMAZING!)

She has more space than she needs,

and she doesn't do retail

(only wholesale right now)

so much of her gorgeous, CHARMING space

located DOWNTOWN with loads of NATURAL LIGHT and STUDIO

was going to waste

She offered to let us take over most of the shop

and we couldn't say YES fast enough!

The "before"

(honestly, we don't even have to do very much!)

Double doors (necessary for moving furniture in and out!)

Huge front windows...that cute awning

brick walkway, new benches and old-fashioned street lamps

the front area is ideal for retail sales

(including paint sales!  Which brand, you ask? That will be a surprise!)

In back, a fabulous area for retail mixed with studio space

for classes and such

 (that window!)

The back alleyway is even full of character, as well as great spots for staging photos!

If you're not swooning yet...

it's even on a brick road!  

We will be working hard in September getting the space ready

and we're hoping to be open in early October

We'll keep you posted!

Lush...

I grew up in the late 70's and was a teenager in the 80's...

you know what that means, right?

Lots and lots of PURPLE!

Purple eyeshadow, purple eyeliner, purple leg warmers,

purple jumpsuits with big shoulder pads...

purple bikinis with matching sunglasses

and of course, His Royal Highness of Purple...

If it wasn't purple, I didn't want it!

It's taken me quite awhile to come back around to purple...

but now I favor a more bohemian version...

with a touch of grey for a sexy vibe

This sure isn't 1980's purple!

We custom mixed this color using a little of this, and a little of that

The hardware is divine, don't you agree?

We really wanted the smokey grey trim to stand out, 

so we outlined the top and bottom lips in 

glamorous silver leaf...the contrast is dramatic and eye-catching

Wondering about that fabulous grey metallic?

It's from Modern Masters!

How lucky am I to have found these gorgeous lavender roses?

The dresser is so lush, a dozen just wouldn't do!

Love this dresser?  You can find it in our Etsy shop!

Murphy's Law

Our day started out normal enough...

we got up early to drive to Sarasota

for an AMAZING bedroom suite

We arrived without incident

the set was gorgeous

the people were lovely

on the way out, Kenny noticed the front tire needed air,

so we stopped at the gas station and filled it up

We stopped at the outlet mall

were I ogled handbags at Coach and Michael Kors

and bought an adorable shirt at Saks

(half off the clearance price, yeah baby!)

Did I mention the heat index today was 105?

Clear skies meant no rain...and also no reprieve from the sun beating down

To get from our studio to Sarasota, you have to cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge

The original bridge was hit by a barge or tanker  in 1980

the new bridge is VERY tall...

(431ft tall)

We paid the toll, and started up the bridge

Midway up, Kenny said

"that tire isn't good, I hope we make it across the bridge"

We did not

The tire blew

AT THE TOP OF THE FREAKING BRIDGE

There is an emergency lane, but it is very narrow,

and you are right up against the concrete barrier wall

(less than waist high on me)

It's a LONG way down...

did I mention I'm afraid of heights?

The bridge is part of the Interstate, so cars are FLYING past you,

very close

We decided to keep rolling on the tire until we reached the end of the bridge

or until the rubber gave way and we started riding on the rim

If that happened, we'd call AAA

otherwise, we're capable of changing a tire!

Basically, I had a bird's eye view off the side of the bridge, all the way down

We saw a pod of dolphins playing, 

which lessened my panic about being so close to the edge a LITTLE

We drove the entire span at about 3 MPH

not even kidding...

about an hour later

not even kidding...

we reached the bottom, and found a spot to pull off safely

(doesn't get much flatter!)

Changing the tire on an F250 is not fun, and it's not easy

one problem after another presented itself,

and an hour later, we were finally on our way

(I had the important job of standing over Kenny w a golf umbrella to block the sun)

As we were riding along on the Interstate, Kenny laughed and said

"Hope we don't get another flat...I don't have another spare"

Well, you can guess what happened next! 

Five miles from home, a different tire blew!

We had no choice but to throw in the towel and call AAA

All this drama for what, you ask?

Made by Dixon Powdermaker, out of  Jacksonville, FL
Circa 1961

(see those details in silver?  Its' carved, not painted on!)

The Triple Dresser was simply too large to get a decent photo of
(I was willing to invest about two minutes in photos before I spontaneously combusted!)

Was it worth it?  

Heck yeah, man! 

A Chair Affair

I think, perhaps, we **MIGHT** have a little problem...

a penchant for chairs

Big, little, upholstered, wood...as long as they are curvy

we want them!  

Today, we purchased an entire dining set

because we wanted the chairs

Is that wrong?  

Well, if so, I don't want to be right! 

(that's my upholstery fabric...it's linen)

Yeah, I love them!

The table is gorgeous, but we love ours more

Big deal, right?  It's just 8 chairs...that isn't so overwhelming!

Take a gander about the studio, though....

Still not Hoarder-territory, right?

Well...

LOOK UP!!

Chairs! 

Art is subjective, yes?

We purchased some LOVELY pieces from an Estate this weekend...

the inhabitants were enamoured of all things French

Every room was full of French Provincial furnishings

and other lovelies

As you can imagine, I was having a hard time focusing...

who wouldn't?  

We worked out a deal on several pieces

and we were loading up the truck when Kenny said

"I'm surprised you don't want that painting of Paris"

UM...WHAT PAINTING OF PARIS?

This one:

Oh, I wanted it!  I just hadn't seen it...

I was too focused on furniture!

It's HUGE (at least 5ft wide)

After I bought it, I asked about it's history

Turns out, the owners parents had purchased the oil painted canvas

(minus a frame)

from a street artist when they were in Paris in the 1960's

Don't you LOVE that??  

Here are some details:

I just love the moody grey tones

and the watery, soft vibe of the painting

I have no idea if it has any value beyond aesthetic, 

but who cares, really...

I ADORE IT 

and I think I'm keeping it!  

(with a much cooler frame, of course!)

Not to be outdone,

Kenny came home with some original artwork of his own...

BEHOLD:

Now, before you say "oh Michele, it's not THAT bad"

allow me to point out...that is a CORD dangling down in the first photo

Yes, this picture LIGHTS UP

Yes, that is textured paint, too.

It's so kitschy, it's almost cool

ALMOST

And it is technically an original oil painting...

we can pretend the couple purchased it when they were in Venice

(but somehow I doubt it!)

Michele