SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

I have photographed my progress in the studio as part of my renovation - but all you ribbon and hat junkies will have to visit my Carolyn Hats blog for your next fix ......you'll find that and all the loveliness of the millinery business over there. It is so exciting for me to have made the decision to re-open the hat shop. Though it will be mainly on-line ........ it is a vocation that feeds my soul. Please visit Carolyn Hats as I "re-invent the wheel".

Marys Church will continue to be the saga of this huge renovation project. Again, it is something that makes my heart sing and there will always be updates on the progress. ....and I imagine that will continue for years!!

Finally - all other personal musings, OMG moments and general silliness will come from the Verandah.....that is my home base. My family and friends like to know what is going on out here in the Midwest and this is my way of reporting to all of those interested parties without boring the rest. HEY! not that my life is boring by any stretch....but it's not for everyone.

Back to the studio !

STUDIO PROGRESS

And the tassels just keep on coming !!

I am actually putting them all in a closet so they will stay relatively clean.















For any of you ribbon junkies .......I found this shoe rack and it works for big spools of ribbon - and then the smaller rolls or the delicate vintage pieces go in the shoe boxes. I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to get this done - and also that there is still MORE.













12 rows - each row a different color














All these beautiful things have made me realize I need to re-open Carolyn Hats












Aren't they so lovely?

TASSEL ISSUE

I would always laugh when the kids would tease me and tell me I "had issues" ....... well, after unpacking these boxes of shop inventory I would have to admit that I had "tassel issues" - oh, yeah.

I love these with the bee-skip on the top and little bumble bees buzzing around.

Back to the studio!

PROGRESS PART DEUX

Still unpacking and sorting in the studio......
let's talk TIARAS. Can't have too many ! Sometimes I wore them cleaning house - ( in a ballgown......). I always had an assortment at the shop for that last minute birthday lunch

so far I have found eight.














The supply of vintage hats is endless

I've unpacked most of the wooden blocks so I can begin to prepare for the big clearence

they all need a bit of TLC








another of my favorite models
















the taupe hat with ribbons was one made by Grandma - my aunt found it at Goodwill.












The studio is 15 x 28 and one end will be for all my hats and supplies. I LOVED making hats .... there is not a big demand for them these days - but I will always be prepared !

I haven't even begun to unpack the ribbons - they will make you weep. I have a fair stash of both new and vintage trims , some are even left from my mom and grandma.














I love this photo of Grandma - it was in the early sixties and this is the shop where I would decorate the windows with Genevieve.


I will do posts about Carolyn Hats some day soon - but on my other site - on the Verandah.

PROGRESS REPORT

Such a gloomy day here.......and after reading comments to my last post I realized I was falling into the old habits.......waiting and WANTING things to be done. I have to relish the small things - so that's what I am going to do for the rest of the day !

This is my favorite painting done by my girlfriend Barbara - The Little Geisha was my gift when I left Laguna.









I love coral - always have........I know it goes in and out of fashion - but I am a junkie, can't help myself and I'll always be addicted. I have these pulls on my closet doors.








This morning I hung the shade over my bed - after scraping and cleaning the ancient glass block window....WOO HOO
another small job done!

As some of you know I spent some years working in Anguilla and kept an apartment there for awhile. This little guest suite where I am living is where all things Caribbean have come to rest. Normally orange, hot pink and aqua blue would not be in my living quarters - but it worked at the beach !!











I love these beaded lampshades in the stylized coral pattern.....I am a bit of a magpie.
Need to find new bases for them - but at least I found the shades !


Another small victory!


more to come............

DADD

I have DADD :
Designer Attention Deficit Disorder

I am jumping around from room to room depending on what gets delivered - or which rooms are warm....
so today was my little kitchen in the guest suite

I am living in this 450 sq foot area - it is great for a guest room - but a bit tight as a living quarters

I have functioned with these two shelves for 8 months

Today I finally have cupboards !!! Didn't get the lower cabs in - but it is a start

HOW HAPPY AM I ??!!

"AFTER ALL..........

Tomorrow is another day. " (said Miss Scarlet)

I have been hunting and gathering, collecting, buying for my shop and design business, hoarding and storing for 35 years.
I packed things away 4 years ago.............
and I thought I was going to get it all sorted out and pretty by tonight?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA