Silent Sunday::Blown Away at the Beach

Blown Away at the Beach from Heather Powers on Vimeo.

Very windy Friday evening at Pawleys Island, tornado warnings were in effect.

Friday Fieldtrip::Mary Jo’s Fabric

This place is huge and has an amazing selection!  It’s a bit south of Charlotte and I went on my most recent trip while visiting a friend.  I’ve seen a lot of textile stores but this one impressed my by the sheer volume and selection!  There were your typical calico’s, suiting fabrics, upholstery, patterns, etc…but there were some jem’s hidden in those rolls!

They also had a wonderful selection of bridal and evening wear laces and silks at pretty reasonable prices.

We (a fellow textile design friend and I) totally loved one particular line of printed upholstery textiles by Spanish company Textiles Vilber.  They were whimsical, large in scale, funky, fun, bright and playful as well as well designed!  As we walked by the US textile upholstery manufactures designs we just wondered why we can’t design better, more original designs here domestically?

Circus

Mock Crewel

Grafiti

Tarot Cards

Frogs

Snakes

And Paper Dolls!

Oh My!

Trim

Buttons…

And a whole lot of NEON!

Mary Jo’s is worth a trip if you are in the area and I spotted the infamous lady in the store, her reputation precedes her!  She certainly knows how to run a fabric shop!

Wednesday Wellness::Granting yourself permission

Do you really give yourself permission to do, be, feel who you are?  As I’ve been traversing the path of the Mondo Beyondo Big Dreams course I wrote myself the following permission slips…personal get out of jail free cards.  It’s liberating and maybe you would like to try it to?

I give myself permission to make mistakes.
I give myself permission to take it slow, take my time.
I give myself permission to be compassionate towards myself so I can do the same for others.
I give myself permission to accept my faults and be imperfect.
I give myself permission to be an explorer and try new things especially if I’m afraid.
I give myself permission to be sad and grieve.
I give myself permission to be self confident.
I give myself permission to be happy and silly and fun!
I give myself permission to love and be loved.
I give myself permission to listen to my intuition.
I give myself permission to follow my dreams even if they are not always clear.

“The gift of honor unwraps the gift of permission and together these two establish a place for you to stand in confidence in regards to the future unfolding before you.”- Andrea Scher and Jen Lemen (Mondo Beyondo)

Texture Tuesday~Filled with Love

Happy Valentines Day! 

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”– Anonymous

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” — Zora Neale Hurston

I was very close to spending today with out my dear valentine but alas fate swept in at the last minute and changed our plans so we will be together.

“Whoso loves, believes the impossible.” — Elizabeth Barret Browning

“We need not think alike to love alike.” — Francis David

I hope each of you has someone you love to share this special day with.  If they are not with you in person, please always remember none of us are ever alone!

“Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it, let’s fall in love.”– Cole Porter

Today isn’t so much about romantic love, dates, sharing greeting cards and the media filled attention that Valentines day gets as it is about really appreciating the love we receive from others and inviting love into our hearts and lives on a moment by moment basis.

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.  -Peter Ustinov

PS. Don’t you just love these tulips?  They came my way via a dear friend who works for a florist and she was thoughtful enough to share them with me.

Makeover Monday::Painting Studio Organizing

Today is the first Monday I will feature before and after images of recent organizing projects.  I was excited to begin working with this artist and be able to help get this beautiful new home studio space set up!

The project encompassed mainly sorting items into categories for usage and designating spaces for each.  I also assisted with placing furniture and other items for use and Inspiration around the studio.  To give you an idea of time needed for this type of project, I worked mainly alone (due to this clients health condition) for about 6 hours to complete the space.

Studio Entrance Before (left) and After (right)

Sink Area Before (left) and After (right)

Studio Looking In Before (left) and After (right)

Studio Opposite View Before (left) and After (right)

This artist now has ample room, light and a well thought out space where each item is closely stored in zones created based upon their designated use.  For example the paints and paint brushes are near the palettes and easels, the drawing tools are near the drawing table, the frames are stored in an out of the way area and there are two comfortable chairs set up for reading (with books nearby for inspiration and research), placing models and sitting back to evaluate ongoing work.  I’ve suggested a couple small projects that will allow for better storage of certain items in the space (paper bins and an area for hanging extra frames).  As I always do with my clients, I will follow up several times to be sure that the space and placement of items is working well and if needed we will make adjustments so the client will be able to maintain a certain level of organization on their own.

Working with artists is a particular passion of mine.  I am so excited for this artist to begin to work in this new space and allow the creative process to flow unhindered by clutter!

Silent Sunday::Living Conch Shell

Living Conch Shell from Heather Powers on Vimeo.

I found this beautiful live conch shell on the beach at Pawleys Island recently. It moves so gracefully.