On the Wagon..again.

Making a commitment has never been a problem for me...I have been married forever and I have  friends from grade school that are dear friends to this day. But follow through is a bit of a problem.

I always have a lot to say. (Right now anyone who knows me well who is reading this has just snorted.)  So, I am back on the blog wagon..and hope you will join me for the ride! Stay tuned!

Divine Intervention.

I believe that there is a divine plan and the events of the last few months prove it. When we moved to  West Virginia, I had to figure out a bunch of things...which dentist, hair stylist, who does shoes repair, which paper to subscribe to...and lots of other things you just take for granted when you have lived in a place forever. In my past life as a Realtor in Florida, I used to joke that I was a walking yellow pages!

I needed a tailor to put make two pairs of curtains into one pair. (Because our house has a monster picrture window and I was just too cheap frugal to special order ones that fit). I asked three absolutely unrelated people and they all said "Teresa Carson"

Fast forward to today. I am sitting in the actual location of Flamingo Girl Studio...a space I share with Tailoring by Teresa (yes, the above mentioned Teresa). I really wanted to open a shop to sell my repainted/repurposed furniture but I was more than a little nervous at starting a business in a new town. Teresa has been here forever. She has done her fittings, drop offs and pick ups at many places in town but was looking for a permanent spot.

It just fell into place like it was meant to be! I could not be more happy!

My half of our window display

The shop is open Thursday thru Saturday from 10-5. It is a darling little space (the operative word is little!) so I do all of my painting off site. It has been a lot of fun AND the added bonus is that I am getting to be part of the "fabric" of Charles Town. Moving to a new place has been a challenge and trying to figure out where I fit in has been tough until now.

The shop is crammed full of goodies, the front door is wide open to enjoy the spectacular weather. Life is Good! I am blessed!

 

 

True LOVE

I am the Girl in Flamingo Girl Studio but I sure couldn't do this without "The Big Man". Many years ago I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. My Dad had it, his Mother had it. It is a crappy thing to inherit but I have learned to work around it. A lot of that "work around it" happens with the help of my husband who lovingly gets called The Big Man. I have been crazy about him most of my life, he is a wonderful Father and husband and he is also pretty handy!!! He does all the things that require 'muscle" because the biggest issue I have because of the arthritis is hand strength.

 

(Doesn't The Big Man look like an old rock and roll guy???) 

Did you know that the average woman has a grip strength of 40-60 pounds? Well I am excited to tell you (with the help of a pretty amazing Physical Therapist) I am up to a whopping 15 pounds. Huge improvement from my worst but still kinda puts a crimp in my rehab "style" I need him to do a lot of my cutting and repairs. But I have found a tool that makes a lot of my projects go faster without his help.

This is not a commercial but I really think everyone should have the Black and Decker Mouse in their toolbox! .

It is such a help when I am working on bringing a unloved piece of furniture back to life (and use). It has a little catch bin thingy (that is a technical term) that holds most of the sanding mess. It gives my weak hands the horsepower I need to do what I want. AND it was also very reasonable.

I could not create/repair/rehab the things I do with out both the Big Man and The Mouse! Love them BOTH!

A Plan comes together ...sorta.

Things are starting to fall in place. The people who know me well have always known that I am a creature of habit and I really like order. Chaos makes me cranky, really cranky.



The last 4 years have been quite chaotic. The hubs...lovingly referred to as "The Big Man" only had 2 jobs in 39 years and then he joined the ranks of the unemployed. His first career was in the Navy, we were used to moving but after 27 years in the same spot and 11 in our last house, he was let go from his second career and after 13 months of unemployment got a fabulous job offer and we moved...from sunny Florida to the frozen tundra of West Virginia. I left a place I loved, a career I was pretty good at, everything that makes a place HOME.

I am not complaining, just explaining. In today's world, if you have a job, can pay your bills and keep a roof over your head, you are blessed. We ARE blessed beyond measure but I personally have been at loose ends for quite a while. Going back to Real Estate in an unfamiliar place was not an option. I kinda like staying home and playing June Cleaver...to a point. But boredom had set in, I wasn't getting much done in a day even though I seemed to stay busy. I had no sense of accomplishment.

The third bedroom where I have an office/craft room has been a disaster since we moved into Chateau Stinkbug (that is a subject for another post).  There have been times where walking into it should have required hazardous duty pay. That really isn't like me. I need order. I like order. Order makes me  happy.

I have finally not only gotten the office in order, my painting projects are being completed at a fast pace. this seems to be the start of tying up my loose ends.

To quote Colonel "Hannibal" Smith.......from the A-Team, I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

Great Bones!

In my previous life as a Realtor when we would see a neglected/shabby/unloved house sometimes the only positive thing we could say is: "It has good bones". I now see furniture like that. Stuff that would not have gotten a second look is now an exciting opportunity!

 

 

This little gem was pretty sad when she came home with us from a yard sale and it was D-I-R-T-Y. It was quite apparent that it had been a kid's room....a kid who was allowed to eat and drink in their room! After a good going over, lots of elbow grease, the miracle that is Simple Green and a coat (or two) of snappy blue paint it no longer has only good bones! It has a new home and a new life.

 

So much furniture...too little time!

Our garage is now filled with rescued pieces of furniture and accessories which I see great potential.  This little picture frame was so sad! It is now a chalk board that will be a great addition to a kitchen, office, laundry room or whatever! I have several of these that I am taking to the first fair I am doing.

 Right now I am doing a few quick pieces to brighten up my own basement and test out the different paints to see about finishes and durability!

 

 

 

I am going to put this little patchwork of color at the old enamel table where I fold laundry

 

 

Even a whirling dervish with  paintbrush has gotta do laundry, I might as well do it surrounded with  COLOR

Let the painting begin...now!

I actually like "saving" something. Today, everything seems to be throw away, created for a temporary existence. Take for example this mirror...a plastic beauty in all it's gold splendor!

                          It certainly had style! Just needed a little paint to calm it down!

 

The paint made all the difference! One item saved from the landfill has found a home where it is loved!