It's taken a few days to collect my thoughts as to what I would like to say at the beginning of this blog adventure.
For over twenty years, while raising two children and renovating a colonial (c. 1800 /Victorian (1889) home, I operated a gift store. With our youngest leaving for college last fall, I decided it was time for a big change. We have closed the "brick and mortar" store and opted for a website as well as continuing to operate an Ebay Store and opening an Etsy shop. It was creating my own designs that originally led to opening the store, but over the years the time that remained for my own "creating" dwindled to a trickle. Customers were always asking..."remember the arrangements...wreaths...pillows...jewelry...bibs...etc...that you used to make?" So now we will continue to liquidate store merchandise while I re-build my own handcrafted lines.
As anyone will tell you, I love to collect and have an awful time letting go of anything. Consequently, the full floor attic of our Victorian home is filled to the brim...no matter how many attempts we have made to "clean it out." So not only do I have the small farmhouse, that we used for our store, to empty, but I have tons to sort and clean out from our home.
My favorite past-times usually involve auctions, estate sales, thrift and consignment shopping. No matter where we travel, I will map out the possibilities for thrift shopping along the way and throughout the area where we stay. Buying for the store demanded frequent trips to "Market" in Atlanta and many regional gift and craft shows. These buying trips were very tempting and many times my husband would ask, "Is this for the store, or for you?"
Another big change in our lives is the upcoming wedding of our son this coming November. He and his fiance will be graduating from law school this spring and then begin to cram for the bar. Plans for invitations, bridal showers, rehearsal dinner, etc. are growing and because it is a destination wedding in Florida, many of the planning is long distance. I welcome anyone with prior experience as "mother of the groom" or "wedding planner" to offer any tips or advice. More about this in future posts. Our youngest child is female, and this will be great experience and practice for that future (far, I hope) event!
We are also finishing a large addition to our old home. Most people have said, why do you need more room? These people have never lived in an old house. For over twenty-five years, I lived without a modern kitchen, adequate bathrooms and laundry room. It seems like it will never be finished, but it's getting there. More on the progress later....
I have found many entertaining and delightful blogs as I researched decorating techniques, etc. and will include them in my "Legacies From Others" section. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with blogging and still run our new fledgling web businesses.
For over twenty years, while raising two children and renovating a colonial (c. 1800 /Victorian (1889) home, I operated a gift store. With our youngest leaving for college last fall, I decided it was time for a big change. We have closed the "brick and mortar" store and opted for a website as well as continuing to operate an Ebay Store and opening an Etsy shop. It was creating my own designs that originally led to opening the store, but over the years the time that remained for my own "creating" dwindled to a trickle. Customers were always asking..."remember the arrangements...wreaths...pillows...jewelry...bibs...etc...that you used to make?" So now we will continue to liquidate store merchandise while I re-build my own handcrafted lines.
As anyone will tell you, I love to collect and have an awful time letting go of anything. Consequently, the full floor attic of our Victorian home is filled to the brim...no matter how many attempts we have made to "clean it out." So not only do I have the small farmhouse, that we used for our store, to empty, but I have tons to sort and clean out from our home.
My favorite past-times usually involve auctions, estate sales, thrift and consignment shopping. No matter where we travel, I will map out the possibilities for thrift shopping along the way and throughout the area where we stay. Buying for the store demanded frequent trips to "Market" in Atlanta and many regional gift and craft shows. These buying trips were very tempting and many times my husband would ask, "Is this for the store, or for you?"
Another big change in our lives is the upcoming wedding of our son this coming November. He and his fiance will be graduating from law school this spring and then begin to cram for the bar. Plans for invitations, bridal showers, rehearsal dinner, etc. are growing and because it is a destination wedding in Florida, many of the planning is long distance. I welcome anyone with prior experience as "mother of the groom" or "wedding planner" to offer any tips or advice. More about this in future posts. Our youngest child is female, and this will be great experience and practice for that future (far, I hope) event!
We are also finishing a large addition to our old home. Most people have said, why do you need more room? These people have never lived in an old house. For over twenty-five years, I lived without a modern kitchen, adequate bathrooms and laundry room. It seems like it will never be finished, but it's getting there. More on the progress later....
I have found many entertaining and delightful blogs as I researched decorating techniques, etc. and will include them in my "Legacies From Others" section. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with blogging and still run our new fledgling web businesses.
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