As if on cue...

Just as the make-ready on the Studio is winding down (photos coming very soon), a great opportunity has presented itself...! I was just wondering (OK, fretting) out loud on this post about not having a clue as to what to do with all of this...

...and this...

...and this...

...and this...

...well, now I know what we are going to do!

This past Saturday, Hubby and I paid a visit to the new home of Whispering Willow Gifts and Antiques (you may recall, that was the shop in which we had vendor space last Summer...but it closed early in October after sustaining damage from Hurricane Ike). The owner and many of the vendors regrouped and opened a new shop in nearby Tomball, Texas with MUCH better exposure and MUCH greater traffic. But, during that time, I was just finding out about my corporate job being outsourced, and our whole focus necessarily shifted to downsizing - rehabbing the mobile home, leasing our home, etc, and there was just no way to be able to carry on effectively in the new shop...there was just no time.

Sometime last Spring I stopped in at the new shop to say hi and I heard that business was brisk and that they had a waiting list now for vendors. I was happy for them, but it just was not time yet to pursue shopkeeping again...I was fully focused on illustration and we were still knee deep in remodeling.

Well, now, as if on cue (illustration work going well, Studio rehab winding down, mobile home restoration virtually complete), a SWEET spot in the FRONT room of the new shop is coming available October 1st and we are IN!! Goodness, we are just so excited!! I met with the owner today and we discussed the space and all the particulars (price is very reasonable...just a bit more than what we have been paying at our storage unit...plus there are just 2 workdays per month required, which I can now easily do since I don't have a "day job")...I left a deposit, so we are a GO!! She was so very sweet and told me how excited they were that we were ready to shopkeep again and how much they liked our merchandise, etc. I was so humbled and happy to hear that...

SO, we have the direction from the Lord that we had prayed for...thank YOU Lord!! I truly did not know what to do with all the stuff we had...there were a number of possibilities, but none of which seemed the right path. But now, for reasons only the Lord know fully, we are stepping on to THIS path by faith and with great peace and joy! We can't wait!!

Needless to say, September is going to be a BUSY time around here as we finalize the Studio, unpack all the goodies that have been packed away since last year, sort, fix, shabby and fouf it all, price and inventory it all, and pack it back up for moving to the shop..whew!! But it's going to be so much fun!! I will be sharing photos and updates of all of this as we go! I hope you'll follow along the path with us!!

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"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." Proverbs 16:9