Enchanting Play of Light

2013-01-20T19:18:00.001-08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!! I will no longer be publishing in this space. I have moved my blog to another site, my former site. I hope you will follow me there as my life and business continues to develop and grow.

February Workshops

2013-01-18T20:28:00.001-08:00

This noon I finally got around to updating my workshops for February. I posted them in the Events & Workshops tab (above) and on my website if you are interested.

Last Saturday, I taught a furniture painting/3 technique workshop to Janice, a very lovely and very creative woman. She decided to paint a shelf in Provence with the Rustic Waxed technique. I love the way the color looks with a rustic finish and the dark wax. Beautiful!

Janice loved her results, and so did I! Around 4:00 pm, closing time, I was feeling very feverish and weak. Little did I know I was consumed with this awful, torturous flu. I have honestly never, ever had a flu that was unrelenting in its grip. I have been in bed all week, still am, and tonight I still am fighting a semi-high fever. I cannot get it to go away! Just when I think I might be getting better and I go downstairs "pretending" I am well, it is within a matter of minutes I am back in bed.

Some of you may know I have three cats. They all have loved having me home. For a person who never takes a nap, they all think this is such a marvelous change in their lives. No only am I home, I am in bed constantly! They are in for a jolt when I finally get back on my feet because I am never one to sit still unless I am sitting by the fire reading a book. And then they invariably find my lap a nice place to be cozy as long as I am residing there.

This is my man, Solon, the one who has greeted and helped anyone who walked in the door all week. He has the perfect Southern hospitable manner, bar none, and patience galore. I have to thank him here in this forum because many of my customers read this blog. I had originally hoped to get to my shop no later than Wednesday, but little did I realize the fierceness of this virus. Now I am shooting for Tuesday. I hope I make it. Solon needs a break too! Thank you for all your patience in my absence.

January Whites

2013-01-13T19:36:00.002-08:00

When I was thinking about taking the holiday decorations down and settling into the new year for the new location (which I love by the way), I was thinking about white and snow and lights reflected in that magical winter light. I grew up, for the most influential part of my childhood, in Massena, New York, a small town near the Canadian border where it could start snowing around Halloween and begin a melt down in late April. Now, living in a milder climate for the majority of my adult life, I never seem to get over the longing for this magical snowy existence and beauty.

So after I took the tree down and all the decorations, I decided a snowy existence or a semblance of one, was just what I needed for a transition from holiday to winter. This last Thursday when I was in my front room restocking paint, I heard some young boys walking home from school with a question...."why is that store all white?" I had to laugh. Well, I guess I did get my point across.

I love ambient light in a room and this was a chance to show one of my lampshades that I made and soon will be featured in a class with Annie Sloan's beautiful fabrics!

I love the store at night just when I am ready to shut off the lights and lock the door. I always leave three lamps on so people can peek in and wonder what is there on the shelves and way beyond. I think we all love to walk in our neighborhoods at night and peek into windows to see how people decorate and live their lives.

One discussion I had with my husband and a customer this last week was of past memories. We all recalled when January was a month when all of the department stores featured "white sales", and then in February there were the men's suit sales around the President's birthdays. In March everyone looked forward to appliance sales. I think these indelible memories for many much younger are long forgotten.

We are nearly to another holiday, Valentine's Day. I am hard-pressed to give up my white decor right now, but I may hang a few Valentine hearts somewhere in the shop. For now I am enjoying the imaginary beauty of snowflakes and magical light cast on snow at twilight. There really is nothing more beautiful.

January Warmth and Inspiration

2013-01-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

There is something about January and the adjustment of being so busy in December and the holiday tempo that makes it seem a little forlorn. Leaving my grandchildren is always hard and it never seems to get any easier even as some of them are reaching their teens. It was a nice boost this year to return to my fairly new location and shop and plunge right into a workshop with inspiring and energetic women. What a fun way to begin a new year.

What I love best about workshops is the mingling of mutual passions and ideas and ways to hunt for bargains whether it be furniture or hardware. There is always someone in the group who has a secret way to find the best deal. Everyone talks about design, color, and technique in a refreshing and sharing manner. We all love paint and being creative, but we also love a chance to share and know we all belong to a mutual group that loves design and improvement and recycling neglected pieces of furniture.

After we were done painting our wood samples, we decided to try painting some metal hooks. This is what I love most about Chalk Paint™. You can paint on absolutely anything and these decorative hooks took to the paint as any refined hook would do given the same opportunity!

How about Florence with Antoinette and a little distressing and some dark wax?

And then there is the regal beauty of a Primer Red with some dark wax and a distressing.

A Fleur-de-lis with Chateau Grey, a little distressing and softening with dark wax is pure elegance.

And who does not love Provence in any form? Here it is ready to hang in the warmth of a little distressing and dark wax.

And here is Antoinette in all her beautiful subtle refinement. I love the warmth of the dark wax and a little distressing to give this piece an extra charm.

At the ending of the workshop we all shared our information on Pinterest and Facebook. There will be more pins to pin and more friends to add to all of our pages and isn't this the best way to begin a January that at the onset seems a little calm and remote from families and friends where the miles may seem a bit long. I am warming up to a wonderful year at The Purple Pear. The wind may seem cold and the temperatures chilly but there is much to warm our hearts and keep our creative pulses beating.

From San Francisco to The Lost Coast

2013-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

We left LA on December 29th, and arrived in San Francisco on the 30th to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had a drink at the bar in the Huntington Hotel, a classic and beautiful bar, and I loved the lamp that was there....the lights dim and the ambiance very special. We spent a lot of time visiting our favorite haunts, places we loved to visit when we lived there...

Our favorite bakery was at Pine and Fillmore, La Boulangerie.

And Nest, my favorite boutique for home decor and inspiration was on Fillmore Street and Washington. If you have a chance to visit the bay area don't miss the chance to visit this magical place.

On our anniversary, the 31st, we headed over to the SF Giants Ball Park to see the brick we had to commemorate our place of marriage in San Francisco and to memorialize our years there together.

We were given a small bowl of fruit from the hotel and I had to take a picture of it. The stem was so wonderful, such a statement. Grace Cathedral is in the background.

From the time we arrived until we left the weather was spectacular. This was a view from our room. The Flood Mansion is in the forefront, now the Pacific Union Club. On the way north we headed up through Mendocino and The Lost Coast, Humboldt County. We stayed at The Benbow Inn.

I could spend hours on their front porch even though the weather was very cold and foggy.

This inn was built around the 1930's and has the most amazing collection of antique furniture. I went around taking a few photos. This hall tree was on the second floor near our room.

This detail barely does it justice. I was so drawn in by the beauty of it every time we passed by.

This amazing statue was of an angel in flight holding a hot air balloon filled with people. Where in the world did they find these incredible pieces?

And what about this beautiful swan table with the intricate carving?

I think they had the most original and lovely light fixtures I have seen in some time.

This fixture was actually a standard one seen through out the hotel. We are back in Portland now and returning to The Purple Pear in the morning. I can't wait to re-do the store and update the look for 2013. Happy New Year!!

"Levitated Mass"

2013-01-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

The day before we left LA, our daughter wanted us to see an outdoor exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She described it as a huge displaced mass of rock (boulder?) that was poised over a structure that one could walk under. It sounded strange and fascinating at the same time.

The grounds and buildings of this museum are energizing and contemporary, fitting and appropriate for a city that sets trends in fashion as well as design.

When I approached this "rock" I was astounded, not only about the size and mass, but the way it had been set above this passage. The dimension of it as well as the feeling that it conveyed was one of awe and reverence. How something so massive could seem so majestic and balanced.

My grandson and I are standing next to the mass that is set above the tunnel, so you can see how massive this structure is in comparison to our sizes.

As we walked up to the museum there was another outdoor display with strings of yellow tubing, a visceral and tactile change of experience.

Jeanette, my daughter is in the foreground with her youngest son, and I am in the background with her oldest son. It is funny how this kind of experience seems to create a feeling of inclusion and security.

What a memorable experience this was for us to have as individuals as well as a family. And it reminds me how important it is to support our museums whether they are local or distant. The art is there for us to experience and whether it is visual or interactive, it is a gift for us to embrace. It is a time to feel and reflect and memorialize the experience. And it is always within our reach. It is an opportunity to recall and remember this gift as we approach a new year knowing that art is the one constant in our lives in a world that is in constant flux.

Marion Davies and the Beach House

2012-12-31T08:48:00.001-08:00

My daughter knows my love for museums and fascinating people highlighted through history and so one morning we loaded the car with the boys, the dog and headed off to the Santa Monica beach to a place called The Annenberg Community Beach House. Originally it had been owned by Marion Davies and had been a huge mansion with many columns, a large swimming pool and a smaller beach house for guests.

These chairs were outside the beach house and reminded me of the Chalk Paint™ color Paris Grey.

This was a photo that was inside Marion's beach guest house. This was the back of the mansion on the beach side showing the expanse of the estate and the surrounding buildings. The beach guest house, the only original remaining building is to the far left in this photograph and this is the house we were able to tour.

This was a close-up photo of the mansion from the front with the swimming pool and beach on the back side.

Marion Davies was the stage name of Marion Douras, a daughter of a New York magistrate. She was the chorus girl at the Ziegfeld Follies when Hearst noticed her late in 1915 or 1916. Hearst's infatuation with her was enduring and caused his estrangement from his wife and family. Marion was a comedienne and a movie producer as well as a shrewd business woman.

Davies was a fascinating and intelligent woman who loved staging elaborate parties at the mansion. She owned this property through the generous salary Hearst paid her, but also through her own wise real estate investments. The mansion was demolished sometime after her death by a developer who had other visions for the property.

Over the years the property changed hands several times, but the last contractor installed these large posts to commemorate the placement of the original pillars of the mansion.

This was the original swimming pool.

These were some of the tiles that were in a bathroom of the beach guest house, so one can only imagine the interior of the mansion as being magnificent and filled with beautiful paintings, furniture and other fine art as Hearst was a consummate and discerning collector throughout his life, and many of these collections were shared with Marion in this property.

It was such a lovely morning and enjoyed by all, including my grandson who loved watching the water feature outside the swimming pool.

A walk through Hancock Park

2012-12-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I love going on walks through the neighborhood of Hancock Park in LA. The homes and gardens are so beautiful.

We both loved the simplicity and elegance of this garden.

This home could be off a street anywhere in France.

Sometimes when I walk through this neighborhood, I am taken back to some of the books I have read over my lifetime with descriptions of beautiful homes. What would it be like to live in a house with such stature and beauty?

I have noticed on Pinterest that many pinners have boards under the category of stairs. I can see I am going to have to create another board for this. I would hope that if I lived in this house I would climb these stairs a few times a day for good exercise!

And "gates" might be a great Pinterest Board as well. Tonight I will write about two museum points of interest, but this afternoon we will arrive in San Francisco for the new year and our anniversary as we were married in San Francisco 15 years ago.

LA Style

2012-12-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have to say I have never been a fan of Southern California for a number of reasons and always avoided LA because of the traffic and freeway congestion. However, since my youngest daughter moved there with her husband and two little boys, I have gotten to know it a little better. I have to admit, I have enjoyed the experience, and each time I go I find something surprising and fun. Where else could you pose with Santa on a street corner and not feel the least bit self conscious?

Jeanette and Ben seem to have a knack for finding the best coffee shops in the area near where they live. The Sycamore Kitchen has the best pastries and coffee drinks, and I loved the decor.

What a great way to use color for an exterior wall to designate privacy and a special place to retreat from the life of the busy street of La Brea.

I find it quite amusing that they serve Portland's famous brand of coffee, Stumptown.

Our next visit along La Brea was to a contemporary design store featuring colorful and trendy accessories as well as some furniture. This rug was such a great splash of color and texture.

Jeanette loved the look of this clean, contemporary chair.

Across the street, we came upon a museum with a statue of Lenin at the entrance. Always expect the unexpected in this city.

A few blocks down from this museum we walked into the store American Rag. I had not been in one of these stores since I moved away from San Francisco. They had a section that housed the most beautiful collection of housewares as well as furniture.

I loved the way they displayed their glassware, really colorful and beautiful.

In this gorgeous display cabinet, which I will show you in the next photo, they displayed an arrangement of fun pink pottery. It reminded me of toile designs, very fresh and updated.

This was the detail on the cabinet. Beautiful piece. I keep studying it, wondering how I will find a way to duplicate the technique and tones.

As we headed back to Ben and Jeanette's home, we walked by the store that sells all manner of items from the movie industry. I think this pretty much sums up the diversity of LA. One can go from the truly kitschy to the sophisticated and sublime all within a few blocks.

As the new year approaches

2012-12-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Purple Pear will be closed through the holidays and will re-open on January 3rd. On January 5th I will be teaching a "Basics" workshop and there are still openings if you want to join us and get a early start on your furniture painting ideas for 2013.

I have many new ideas for the shop including new workshops with Annie Sloan's new and beautiful fabrics. We will be making lampshades as well as easy pillows with her fabrics that I have in my shop.

This is one of Annie's beautiful toiles, Normandie. Wishing you all a relaxing and safe holiday and I will see you in the new year!

Work Book Inspiration

2012-12-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

The lights were dim, but I was waiting and ready for the launch of Annie Sloan's newest book, Work Book!

I love this little book on Doodling in French by Anna Corba's. It seemed a perfect match for Annie's book too.

We are just beginning here....

There is something about the Rococo style that captivates me. I think it is because the palette is so soft and serene.

I guess I am a little hesitant to categorize a style other than what it is, Classical, but when I look at this palette, I think immediately of something a little more complex, sophisticated, and thoughtful. I want to pick up a book and read or simply sit and think within this palette. I find it invigorating as well as introspective.

When I page through Annie's Work Book and I arrive at the page that says "Asian style" I am immediately transported to my brother's home in San Francisco which has the most wonderful collection of Asian art and furniture. These are the colors that you see when you enter his world, the colors of Imari, Chinese reds, beautiful greys and golds. It is a world that gives one balance and peace and a sense of the earth.

I have to admit, I am not one to lean toward a Modern style in furniture. However, I appreciate the artists whom I am familiar that have stimulated my thinking and allowed me to go beyond my predictable palette. Annie knows how to introduce a person to another style, another way of seeing. I love her for this. I don't want to live a warm and cozy life in my secure corner of the world. Occasionally I want to see other designs and be exposed to other ways of thinking. This is why I have had this fascination with Annie for a very long time. She is an artist who will nudge you toward another way of seeing and feeling and interpreting. And so this is why all of her books are so inspiring and prolific and perennial.

In the weeks ahead and into the new year I will be spending a little more time with her fabric and working on my new Work Book with doodles, paint swatches, magazine clippings, and my own stylistic explorations!

Annie Sloan's Work Book Launch

2012-12-12T22:15:00.001-08:00

I am really excited about the Work Book Launch Party tomorrow night. All the Stockists in the US are going to join Annie Sloan in celebrating the publication of her newest book. She will be celebrating in her own shop in Oxford, England while we are having our own parties. This is such a fun book and one where you can actually paint swatches, draw or sketch inspiring ideas, collect fabric swatches and magazine inspiration, and share what you love on Pinterest at the same time!

Today in my shop, I spent some time painting in the swatches for the different styles that Annie has designated in this delightful, useful, and fun workbook. What I discovered as I was painting the various pages was that I was drawn to a specific palette. I love all of Annie's colors, but I have never sat down in this way and categorized them in terms of periods or style. What I was strongly drawn to was the colors of the Rococo Style. These definitely resonated with me in so many ways.

I am guessing this just might be the experience of many who buy this gem of a book and find themselves immersed in the ideas and colors and how they are represented in this unique and inspiring way. Hope you all are able to find a class close to one of the stockists in your area so everyone can participate in this fun and exciting event!

A City Store Window

2012-12-10T21:00:00.001-08:00

Last night my husband and I went to see a movie, a rare event these days. On the way to the parking garage, we stopped in front of a store window display selling some very unusual painted furniture. It was in one of those "pop-up" stores right in the heart of the city near Pioneer Square.

I kept staring at this paint and the application....

But when I turned to look at this bedside table I was really stumped. It looked like it was a piece that had originally been painted and someone had decided to strip it, but tired of the project and left it as it was. My other thought was that the whole set: screen, table, and coat rack were designed to look patinated. Hmmmmmm, it could also be a very avant garde look, a trend, something that is weathered by years in an old castle with musty interiors.

I love the colors, but the look seemed contrived. The other side of me says it is an expression of what is a popular style with a sort of advanced or over-the-top expression. Should we take this seriously or is this a tongue-in-cheek adaptation?

Raffle Winners!

2012-12-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

When the last person left the shop and we had poured a glass of sparkling wine, we sat down with our friend Leslie and proceeded to draw out the shuffled cards from our large glass jar. Leslie pulled the cards out one at a time and announced each winner. It was fun and a little exciting at the same time. The winners are: • Grand Prize #1 Annie Sloan Gift Basket: Bonita Hanggi, Vancouver, WA • Grand Prize #2 The Purple Pear Gift Basket: Cyndi Anderson, Brownsville, OR • $25 Gift Certificate: Ilisha Helfman, Portland, OR • $25 Gift Certificate: Kate Cronkhite, Portland, OR • Book and Candle: Regina Petersen, Aloha, OR Congratulations to all of our winners!

Grand Finale to Opening Week

2012-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

We had the most wonderful week celebrating our grand opening after the remodel and welcoming many former and new customers.

Today was a steady stream of customers and friends stopping in to see the shop and taste some goodies and see our latest offerings in paint and merchandise.

A beautiful bouquet of flowers in hues of purple, pinks, and mauves arrived from a special friend and in-law from Illinois. What perfect colors to compliment a shop called The Purple Pear. What a sweet surprise when they were delivered the day before the party! A look into the shop from the outside....

And Carole, the owner for our building walked in carrying this beautiful bouquet of fresh poinsettias in the most beautiful basket with a wonderful bottle of red wine and a celebratory card. She is such a gem of a person and we feel so immensely fortunate to have found her and this lovely space.

People mingled and enjoyed goodies and sparkling wine. We are so happy to be where we are in our new location and we are looking forward to the next event which is the Annie Sloan Work Book Launch Party on Thursday evening!

Grand Opening Finale Saturday

2012-12-07T20:54:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (Saturday) is the final day of our Opening Week and we end with raffle drawings and refreshments! If you are in the Portland area, please stop by and visit our new store.

Beautiful Pillows!

2012-12-05T23:29:00.000-08:00

I think I am pretty well known for my love of beautiful textiles. It has been a passion of mine for many years. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet a woman who makes the most beautiful pillows using antique trims and designer fabrics. She also brought in some petite Christmas stockings that would be perfect for gift enclosures. Below are a few photos.....

Painting Workshops at The Purple Pear

2012-12-05T23:17:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what a difference that 1) ample space, 2) tailored lighting and 3) an extra-large table can make when teaching a workshop! I am having so much fun teaching Chalk Paint™ techniques in my larger quarters!

I taught a furniture painting workshop tonight in this new space. They brought the wine. I brought the cheese and crackers plus a little paint and wax. I will post photos in a few days of their fun pieces.

Dressed for a Grand Opening Week!

2012-12-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say that the unloading, pricing, and displaying of inventory is done and the store is formally ready for its official grand opening week starting today and ending on Saturday evening! When I look at the construction photos, I realize what a long way we have come in a relatively short time.

In any remodel, it is sometimes hard to imagine if it will ever end. One tends to get lost in the mire of details, dirt, dust, and empty rooms with barren ceilings and holes in the walls. Yet when all is in place, it is hard to imagine what it looked like before the whole project began.

Every season offers something creative and fun, but during the holiday season any display is sparkly and dressy and magical. And now I am beginning to think about the window display for January and how it will look. My creative spirit has been energized, and I am ready to launch new ideas and looks. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello and take a peek at the newest look for The Purple Pear!

Work Book Launch Party!

2012-12-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about Annie Sloan's newest book!! I am hosting a launch party at my new location on NE Glisan Street in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, December 13 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We will paint swatches, jot down design ideas, cut fabric swatches and magazine clippings. This latest book is sure to bring you lots of inspiration as well as remind you of all your ideas that you might explore in the middle of the night. It will be a keeper of dreams and doodles. What fun!

Back to The Purple Pear

2012-11-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

I have had a few days to relax near Houston, Texas with my husband, oldest daughter, and three grandchildren over the Thanksgiving holiday. My grandchildren agreed to visit a home where their mother spent some of her childhood and then we were off to bake Christmas cookies and spend one last night together.

After we took the grandkids to school on Monday, we drove to Round Top to do some antiquing along the way before we headed back to Houston to fly out to Portland. As we headed back, I saw this sign designating Rachel Ashwell's prairie B&B and shop in the countryside near Round Top. I knew she lived near the area, but was surprised when I saw the sign designating the site.

In one of my visits to an antique shop in the town of Brenham I discovered the most delightful shop called "Gypsy Antiques". It had the most wonderful array of collections, and I saw this painted shelf and thought it was so beautiful!

Today I returned to my shop with the anticipated delivery of a new line of paint! I have added another decorative/furniture paint from Miss Mustard Seed! The packaging and the names of the paint colors are so delightful, "Tricycle, Typewriter, Kitchen Scale, Grain Sack, Luckette Green, Mustard Seed Yellow, Flow Blue, Shutter Gray, and French Enamel. Well let's see if we can't find our way to some expression and adventure with these enticing names!

Fun!!!

The move to this new location is coming into its own sort of peace and contentment. It all began with the incredible Annie Sloan and now it is "unfolding" and embracing all manner of new ventures and ideas and colors and dreams.

A supportive husband!

2012-11-20T07:48:00.002-08:00

I just want to acknowledge my husband, Solon, in this post for all the work he has done and help he has given since he arrived home from the East Coast where he had been working for the last year and a half. He has been there in my new store since we first opened the door.

Never one to complain, he has helped so many customer during this remodel with saws blaring, ceilings falling down, and workers coming and going, all with the grace of his positive demeanor. Now he is beginning the clean-up of the store.

I have been trying to do outside shows to get the word out that we have been open all along and that we also have a new address!! On Sunday I spent the day cleaning up the space and today we bring in lots of new merchandise. Our "official" grand opening and party is December 8 from 4 to 7 PM.

When you are driving down Glisan Street, look for the yellow building with the purple door. The big Purple Pear sign will go up when the rain stops, hopefully soon!

Bragging Rights and Diane Keaton

2012-11-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

Diane Keaton has a new book out by Rizzoli that focuses on design and architecture. Now I am sure most of you are thinking that she is an actress and what does she know about house design and anything related. However, look at her style. Some may think her eccentric, but I have always loved her style because she exemplifies someone who knows what she likes and has stayed true to this focus for as long as I can remember. Besides, I am smitten with her hats and clothing and how she carries her style with grace, confidence and panache.

So after my nightly trip to Home Depot I came home to a husband hungry who wanted a quick and easy meal. We walked to a nearby restaurant, and just as we arrived home, our daughter sent us a text message saying she was at a book signing for her design company in LA featuring Diane Keaton and her new book and here was the photo. Seldom do I feature personal things on this blog, but really, it was difficult not to be excited about all of the above. Almost done with my remodel. A few more trips to Home Depot and then a day to bring in all the merchandise waiting for a cozy home in which to be displayed. Stay tuned. We are in the midst of planning our fun grand opening!

Construction Crunch

2012-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my kitchen!!! When there is remodeling going on in your place of business, it tends to sometimes transfer chaos to one's home life too. This Sunday my husband and I decided to take advantage of the store being closed and planned a one night trip up to Mt Hood, one of my favorite places to visit. However, before we left, I actually took several hours and cleaned my kitchen out of Chalk Paint and a little madness.

We did not arrive on the mountain until nearly dark, but in the morning the sun was on the mountain and it was majestic!

Yesterday I finally got around to painting two tables that I will finish today. It felt so good to pick up a paintbrush again and dip into a quart of Chalk Paint™ decorative paint.

After closing my store last night, I had to run out to Home Depot for a few items, metal stripping for the corner of a wall.....

And some joint compound. Unfortunately, the one that I was looking for was completely gone so I had to go to another store. Funny how one can be so oblivious to certain items in a store until you have to purchase them. I had no idea there were so many kinds of joint compounds out there. Some even come in a box already mixed and for some odd reason, it made be think of boxed wine!

Now I am busy getting ready for Plucky Maidens. This is always a fun show to participate in and equally fun to attend. Hope to see many of you there. I will be selling Chalk Paint™, painted furniture, pillows I have made, Christmas stockings and lots more!

Store Progress

2012-11-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

We're almost completed with my store remodeling, and my customers have been so gracious in spite of the sawing, hammering and other usual construction noises. We've enjoyed sharing our Annie Sloan products with so many of you at the new location at 6016 NE Glisan in Portland.

This morning, I made my first sale of Annie's fabric at my new store to a true lover of the French country look. Debra Ruggles, from Canby, Oregon, is shown in the photo below with her purchase of Normandy Toile. I wanted to capture this exciting moment for The Purple Pear and Debra was gracious enough to allow me to do that. Thanks Debra! Please stop in and take a look at the other three designs that I am offering. They are all beautiful and the quality is superb!

The Purple Pear will be the location for many exciting events during the remainder of 2012 as well as for the new year ahead. In 2013, we will be hosting an evening guest artist series. More immediate, several workshops are scheduled for November and December, mixed in between the holidays. Please check the dates on my website's "Welcome" page.

Also, a grand opening for my new store has been set for Saturday, December 8, from 4-7 pm. (More to follow in a subsequent blog.)

Finally, for those of you who have already stopped by The Purple Pear's new location on Glisan Street, I want to express my appreciation for your visits. The remaining touches of remodeling will soon be completed, and it is my hope that The Purple Pear will be a place to find joy and inspiration. As one of my favorite artists, Georgia O'Keeffe, once said, "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."