Where do I start...?

(click any image to enlarge)

Don't worry - everything is fine here, but there's just been several things going on that I haven't had time to write about. So let me catch you up a bit on what's happening in my neck of the woods...

The image above is just a little taste of the design work I have been doing since I got back from the CHA show in early February. I am so happy to announce that I have received my first new art licensing contract from a manufacturer I met at the show!! I wish I could show you the design(s) and tell you all about it, but I just can't right now (it's a 2013 thing). Suffice to say the deal has pretty great potential and the products may show up in quite a few large retailers around the country! We'll see...  

I'm so excited, and very grateful to God for all the opportunities He's provided! One of the best outcomes of all this work I've been doing, and one of the things I am most grateful for is how much I have been stretched. I have been making some changes to my style that will make for better for product printing and more style diversity (and hopefully more cuteness!). Growing is great...learning new techniques is great...and the growth in confidence that comes from that is...priceless.

(our "Woodland Cottage")

In other important developments, my hubby and I and Maddie our dog are moving...back! We are moving back to the house we had to leave 3 years ago when my corporate job was outsourced (I can't believe it's been 3 years already!). For those of you new to the blog, hubby owned a paid-for mobile home on a paid-for acre before we got married in 2007, and it was there waiting for us when the need arose. We rented out our house in The Woodlands (north of Houston) and remodeled the old mobile home and moved in. Our little mobile "country cottage" has served us well these past three years, but it is so very far from hubby's job in Houston, and the gasoline costs are high and growing higher. The Woodlands house is half the distance to his job, so that right there will be a significant savings. Combined with refinancing and new income prospects from my art licensing and this move is now in the realm of do-able - Thank You Lord! It's still a pretty big faith step, but we know the Lord will provide every resource we need...

(we will keep the mobile home as a weekend place, and it's possible that we may rent it out at some point, but that's not on the radar at the moment)

 So, the next step after our current tenants are out of the house on March 19th is to assess the condition of the house, put new flooring in the bedrooms (probably just carpet at this point), paint where necessary, and begin the process of moving/decorating! The advantage we have now is that we can move at out leisure since we will remain at the country house during the make ready. That way we can go room by room and get it the way we want it before moving all our stuff in. And, for perhaps the first time in my life, I am going to go all out with my decorating style which I call "Colorful Cottage". You can take a look at my Pinterest board called "My Colorful Cottage Style" to get an idea of what I mean...

When I look at the board, I see a few common themes - color as well as black and white basics, painted furniture, lots of gingham, lots of florals, vintage goodies, lots of quilts, mis-matched china, a dose of whimsy, a touch of kitsch, and a ton of casual comfort. I can't wait take my inspiration and make it reality...on a budget...should be a LOT of fun!!

As I wrap up a lot of the design work that has had me working 7 days a week for a month or more, I will welcome the change of pace that will come with moving and redecorating.  I am planning to blog much more during the whole process of making out little "Woodland Cottage" come to life - lots of befores and afters, lots of thrifting finds (most of which will be from my own massive stash from my antique store days), and lots of fun DIY decorating projects...I can't wait!!

Thanks to all of you my dear friends for your support and encouragement to me in the various seasons of my life that have played out here on the blog! I treasure you all and can never thank you enough for the prayers, well wishes, and kind words! I am seeing my dreams come true and it is amazing and humbling and wonderful!! I am so very blessed...