VISION

Being in the real estate business I know that many buyers have trouble seeing the potential in another person's home (the BEFORE photo). Your agent tells you to remove all the extraneous stuff, paint the walls in a nice neutral (white) and put away all signs that you live there – all in an effort to help the prospective buyer envision themselves in the house. So I am twice blessed as both a real estate professional and an artist, that I can see possibilities in everything and am experienced at turning a sow's ear into a silk purse. We absolutely love our new house, and we still don't even have any art hung on the walls. (the AFTER photo).

The move went very well and fast, especially with the help of 5 very strong, muscular, buff, tan, hot, sweaty, shirtless men. Sorry, no pictures. But you can see the same hot guys in the Bethany Beach album.  Nope, I didn't touch my camera all week until today when I took this AFTER photo today. I can't help but smile every time I see this room. It's even better than I envisioned when I was mocking it up before the move. My new canvas slipcovers, Martha Stewart's Vintage Map paint color on the walls. Sitting in the kitchen today eating lunch with Dad, I watched the walls change from green to blue to aqua all within a matter of seconds as the sun filtered through the picture window. Everything else is old, years old, from the decorating I did almost 20 years ago when we moved to the other house. I was into pinks then. And the green armoire goes back even further to the previous house, but here in this house, they all come together so perfectly. This move was meant to be. I'm sure you'll agree, decorating is just another version of mixed media art, and I'm lovin' it.

There's only one problem…my studio is all packed away. I have one project I kept out that needs to be completed this weekend, a class sample for Art & Soul. Did I show ou a preview of one of my other Art & Soul classes for next year?

And speaking of classes, I still have spaces left in my class in the Catskills of New York next month at the Hudson River Valley Fiber Art Workshops . The class is actually written up in the current Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine (page 150) as a destination vacation for a great art class and gourmet food. But (and isn't there always a but) the article doesn't mention my name (boo hoo), nor any of the other teachers in the other featured classes. So I made it into Rachel Ray's magazine, but I didn't.

The class is the weekend after Labor Day, a lovely time to head to the Catskills by car train or plane.  we begin with a wine & cheese reception Thursday, September 4th and then continue on for 3 days of classes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I taught there 2 years ago and have been looking forward to returning again. Won't you join me and create a book or two?

Stay tuned this weekend for the results of my last blog quandry. I received some amazing ideas and have finally made a decision on how to dispose of my superflueous stash items. PLUS I'll be picking a randomly generated number to decide who the winner of the quiltlet will be.