ArtWalk San Diego 2016

My ArtWalk San Diego 2016 space from this past weekend. 

HONING IT IN

You must have thought I died. Naaa, I'm very alive over here. Between the extensive home remodels and forcing myself to explore and stretch myself creatively, I've been a busy girl. For me painting is a spiritual experience; what connects me to my Creator. My goal is to find what I was created to create. A journey I feel privileged to experience. So honing, exploring and feeling those deep emotions that go along with the ride are where I've been for many months now. 

Right now I am in the midst of last minute preparations for ArtWalk San Diego which is just a few days away. A huge sigh, which my husband says is my silent scream. Sigh....

That's my abstract painting named "SHUT. THE. FRONT. DOOR."... what my daughter, Jennifer Storey, said when she first saw it. When a favorite family member has that kind reaction the title comes easy. 

If you are in the San Diego area and planning to attend ArtWalk, I'd sure love for you to pop in and introduce yourself. Remember #945. And lately I've been more frequent on Etsy and Instagram, so please follow me there for my latest creations. 

THE CREATIVE CONNECTION 2011

I just returned from a packed few days at The Creative Connection.  I had no idea what to wear, but one thing I knew for sure is I had to have one of the clutches that Simone creates out of my Botanika fabrics.  She whipped this baby up just in time.  LOVE!  Go check out some of the other ones.  Simone rocks Botanika.

Couldn't find my business cards (you know my moving saga), then realized my info would have been all wrong anyway.  Didn't want to lug my large camera and intended to borrow Tim's smaller one, but geez, somehow I forgot that in the middle of the night. So, I'm about to reveal a few really bad photos of some awesome ladies.   

Us sewing gals quickly found each other like moths to flame.

 From Left: Kim and Kris (The DIY Dish); Patty Young; Jana Nielson; me; Betz White; Lizzy House. 

Here is one of the reasons I participated in The Creative Connection.  The particular roundtable I  was involved with was packed, both with experts and women hoping to glean invaluable information.  Several women were able to pitch their ideas and art to the top gift companies and ask questions to some of us licensed designers working with these companies.  What an incredible opportunity, certainly one I would have loved to have had myself many years ago. 

I took a few classes.  Two classes from Traci Bautista.  Funny, because her style is so very different than mine, but I was there to stretch myself.  And boy that stretched me.  I ended up in the same classes and at the same table with Brenda Pinnick a couple times.  We became fast painting buddies, sharing supplies and fabric scraps.  We quickly realized the fabrics we were sharing were our own designs and complimented each others.  What fun!  My hair gets wild when I get creative. 


Brenda Pinnick and me

Me and Traci Bautista

I was quite happy to meet Holly Becker of Decor8, finally.  She has sent some love my way over the years and I've followed her design blog since 2005.  Studied her new book DECORATE from cover to cover on the flights home. 



Me with Holly Becker

 Okay, that's all I can talk about today, but I will be picking a winner of the Pillow Giveaway this week.  If you haven't already, click here and leave a comment for a chance to win this pillow from The Paula Prass Collection for Demdaco:

BEFORE + AFTER DESIGN STUDIO

As promised here are very amateur photos of my new studio. I didn't promise Amateur. That's just what you get. Awhile back I told you the story of needing to continuously find new areas of the house as Paula Prass Designs and Mimi's Collection grows. We didn't even make it all fluffed and polished. There's still so much I want to do, but I think those projects will show up in future blogs.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:

My huge inspiration board! My Mini McGyver husband (anyone remember that show where McGyver could make anything with gum and a string? Okay, that's my husband). I imagine it and he brings it into being.
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Galvanized bins over washer and dryer! More inspiration will soon stick there as well.

Lots of storage boxes everywhere! The green containers up above the sink cabinets have tags that are actually discontinued Formica chips. I slapped some paint on them and decoupaged magazine letters to describe the contents. Fun, huh?

The half finished paintings I started of my kids when they were little. They've been in the storage room for years. My husband hung them. Now I really want to finish them. Who wants to stare at unfinished projects. We even still have the original photos attached, so no excuses. We'll see.

My Country Living canvas bag. I got it a couple years ago at the Country Living Women Entrepreneurs Event and I use it for everything. From the Farmer's Market to Design jobs.

Future possibilities to use my upcoming Flights of Fancy fabrics. My husband took a shot looking in the window. Not much privacy...calling out for some cute curtain, don't you think?

BEFORE OR AFTER? I don't keep the door closed anymore.

So, there you go. What do you think?

CL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WEEKEND

I was still not feeling my best and totally lost my voice for the entire weekend. That didn't stop me from having a wonderful time, as you'll see. Such an incredible weekend in Chicago at the 2008 Country Living Womens Entrepreneur Event. So many great women all in one place. Here's gorgeous Heather Bailey who was on a panel talking about the internet and the blogging world (of which Heather rules for her blog Hello my name is Heather).

Vicki Mote Bodwell owns Warm Biscuit and was a 2006 Country Living Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. Vicki, Polly and I all have the same awesome web designer, Ron Giusti, whom we all absolulely adore. We boast being members of our fan club "Ron's Peeps".

Below, I wanted to show you my Jennifer's wedding invitation from almost 10 years ago. This was one of Anna Griffin's Imprintables which put her on the invitation and stationary map. We saved money by purchasing Anna's kit and doing the work ourselves. Oh so many bows to tie!!
Why do I show a 10 year old invitation? Because Anna Griffin was a guest speaker at the event and an absolutely delightful person, so down to earth. Felt as if we'd known her forever.

On Sunday some of us met up to do shopping and lunch in Lincoln Park. Here Heather and I stopped talking 90 mph long enough to get our photo taken.

From left to right: Bari J Ackerman of Bari J, who makes handbags and accessories. Anita Hopper of ReFind Originals. She uses discarded leather to design one-of-a-kind handbags and Woof Packs. On the other side of me is Joanna Figueroa, owner of Fig Tree Quilts, filled with her own fabrics, patterns and other goodies. Heather Bailey, fabric designer and blog queen. Jennifer, my daughter, my pride and joy and my right hand gal.

So now we are all back in our various parts of the country, but fond memories and new friendships remain. An event that's well worth attending next year.

SHOW + TELL MASTER BEDROOM

Okay, I think this will be the last of my Before and After Decorator Show Houses from a few years ago. It's been good to get organized, but I'm ready to move on to some other projects.


I'm showing you the AFTER image first. Even though this was the Master Bedroom it was indeed a 3rd floor converted attic. Once again...the low ceilings were a challenge. It was necessary to use one color to camouflage the numerous ceiling and wall angles. The colors in the images aren't accurate..instead think of raspberry and lime sherbet with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I suspended a chandelier over the bed and hung a small shelf on the wall with a narrow reading light. I designed the headboard and everything else was hand painted and upholstered.

below is a Before, then the After of how I handled an outdated fireplace insert and hole above it for a tv. I covered both of them up. As a designer I can do that, but afterwards, as in this case, I had to remove everything and repaint the walls back to white. Yes, that's tough when it happens, so I had fun while I could. Made a mirrored fireplace front and also covered a side table in glass, giving the room the illusion of having more space. Then I hung a painting over the tv opening. I replaced the old blue carpeting with a cream color, and no, the owners didn't require me replace the old blue. Hmmm. I would've just pulled it up, and used the floor underneath, but there was only a subfloor, so they received very nice new carpeting.

I designed this round rug (below) using the tulips and circles in the fabrics as my inspiration. It cost me more than I wanted to spend, but I did it anyway. I wish you could see a couple more angles of the room and closer details since this room was filled with nooks and cubbies.

Here's a couple closeups of the After window seat area. I was so anal I even painted the little table and in another corner had a draped silk tablecloth in the same wagon wheel pattern with scallops draping on the floor.

It was another difficult room to photograph. I only did one other Show House after this before I decided it was just too costly and time consuming. My customers were being neglected and I was getting quite serious about manufacturing my own line of accessories. I also enjoy a variety of projects and couldn't always show my full abilities in this historical restoration venue.

I am very grateful for the 7 years that I participated in the St. Margaret's Guild Decorator Show House and the benefit this project brings to Wishard Hospital. Hopefully, you have had a glimpse into a small portion of what it takes to get from the Before to After.

I'm also really looking forward to sharing recent projects and sneak peeks into The Person Behind The Blog.

SHOW + TELL BUTLERS PANTRY

Hopefully by now you trust the ugliness below will be transformed in the very next photo. This is the 4th room in a series of my Before and After extreme makeovers. Images are a bit dark.

VOILA!! Before your very eyes is another in my series of personal Before and After makeovers. This space is what I turned into a butlers pantry, assuming this tiny room had a more noble purpose other than holding cleaning supplies (that didn't get used?). The designers and St. Margaret's Hospital Guild took over the Levey Mansion and held another amazing Decorator Show House, this one took place in 2000. It takes us designers 6 months to do our magic, and I was always working up to the last minute.

The first set of B & A above is the sink area. What you can't see is the huge hole in the think plaster wall under the sink, or the tremendous amount of mold on the walls when we pulled the wallpaper down. I wondered if there was an award given for dying in the line of duty.

The ceilings were so low that some people were too tall to come in. It was said that I was given this space because my husband and I were the only ones that could stand up without hitting our heads. Not so in the closet. I had a near concussion more than once (B & A below).

I hand painted the tiles above the sink; wish I had a good image because that was a pretty big undertaking and turned out quite nice. Notice the cake?

Next images below are Before and After of the counter area across from the sink. Replaced the formica with wood on this side. I wish these colors weren't so dull. It was actually a crisp maize yellow and cobalt blue accents.

Below are Before & After of the wall cabinets. I had to do some real fancy talkin to get permission to paint the insides of the cabinets and the ceiling, but it made a huge difference in lighting such a dark area. I also added lighting inside the cabinets. Stuccoed the walls and applied a maize Tuscan finish.

For my next trick, I will go inside this tiny closet and not come forth until I've hit my head at least a dozen times real hard. Most sane designers would have locked that door and called it a day. Not I. My husband actually conversed with an authentic British Butler, who helped us know what the duties and responsibilities of a butler would have entailed in this mansion. So we decided to turn the closet into an office of sorts. We do realize just how short or hunchbacked this butler would have been, but just work with me. We got an antique typewriter, phone and an actual Butler's certificate. I actually wish I had a little nook like this, except I'd still hit my head frequently.

I won a First Place ASID Award, First Place Key Award and the Maggie Award. The darn room was too small to photograph, so it didn't make it into any magazines this time. So there you have it, and I'm that much closer to organizing my old photos.

SHOW + TELL MORNING PORCH

Okay, I thought I'd shock you with another of my lovely Before and After Show House rooms.

I'll start off with an After photo so you won't be too frightened to read further. You can click on this one to get a closer look. Now here's a couple Before's:

This Show House was all the way back in 1999. I was told by some of the other designers that if they had been given this room to makeover they would've shot themselves. Okay...thanks, I actually picked this. It was a long, narrow space that more resembled a bowling alley. It was a boarded up porch on the back side of a neglected mansion. While I scratched my head and wondered what I'd gotten myself into, my husband Tim went outside to investigate. As he tredged around he tripped on some wrought iron that was buried in overgrown ivy and weeds. To our amazement, someone had unscrewed and pushed the original wrought iron railings over the hillside before boarding up the back of the house. The railings were rusted and in sad shape, but after huge amounts of loving care, they were restored to their former glory. And I was able to locate a wedding photo of someone who had actually lived, got married and threw her bouquet off the very porch of this mansion quite a few years earlier.

This is what the porch looked like from the outside before I started the restoration process. I'm just sorry I can't find an After picture. It was beautiful. I had the 3 outside walls removed, replaced the restored decorative iron railing, and not only added screens, but had a remote control, retractable awning installed and topped it off with plantation shutter doors on the inside. So awesome, since the St Margaret's Guild Decorator Show House starts in a usually very chilly and rainy April.

I hand painted the floor and trim just below the ceiling, and hand made and painted 2 privacy screens. I used an antique french daybed, vintage wicker and planter full of greenery and flowers. There were so many details that can't be seen from these angles, but it really did turn out nicely for the time. I won the Maggie's Award which is given each year to one designer (interior and landscape) who goes above and beyond the "call of duty". I also got 2nd Place People's Choice Award. The Indianapolis Star did a huge write-up and I was interviewed on TV. Good thing it was way too early in the morning, so if I said "um" or "absolutely" too many times anyone up wasn't really awake yet.

This Before and After journaling is a great way for me to take a walk down memory lane.