Cleaning up with unexpected results...

I'm sure many of you are in a flurry to get things organized and ready for the New Year. There's just something inspirational about a fresh new month, at the beginning of a fresh new year to make you want to tackle projects big and small.

The trick is to harness this energy for the greater good of your future year. Although, that perfectly organized and color sorted sock drawer that you spent two hours on feels so satisfying at the moment...I dare to ask the question, what will those organized socks do for you guys in 2016?

So on that note, I'm trying to tackle the big projects out the gate this year. The sock drawer can wait, most likely for eternity. 2016 is my year for action. After years of being a stay at home mom with a junk, painting, wedding staging hobby that "pays". I've decided to renegotiate my terms. So now, I'm a junk selling, painting, wedding stager who is also a mom and wife. Notice the title change? In print it seems subtle, but in life it feels giant!

So how am I making this "giant" leap from mom/hobbyist to profiting business owner/mom? Ummmm....I'm really not sure yet. Super inspirational I know. The reality is it took me six months, some failed ideas and a lot of family soul searching to just make the title switch. That's the thing about setting up and out on your own, sometimes the hardest part is just claiming it.

 I spent the end of 2015 pulling back on EVERYTHING in an effort to find clarity and make room for a business or job that best suits not just me, but my family. More than just the anxiety of making a leap of faith in business, it's the process of convincing your husband and children to make that leap with you. I left a collective that I belonged to  for almost 10 years and a budding job a Success coach at a local gym. I've sold out 90% of my  stockpile of goods and now I have an almost clean slate.

Now what?

Which brings me back to my New Years clean up. Since I have this lovely clean slate I'm trying to get focused on what I'm most inspired by. So this morning I dove into my Pinterst boards with a heavy edit button finger and started clearing out all the old. An hour in I had enormously paired down  my pins, but more important, I saw my new vision staring right back at me. Who knew? I even rediscovered this dusty old blog of mine.

I started this blog years ago with the half hearted intention to be a blogger, or because it was what everyone else was doing or because I was bored. All of the above probably. What it is now for me is just a way to share the process, maybe make some new connections and hopefully document my entapenueral journey this year.

As of today, I have a clear vision with no exact direction... And it's the best place I've been in quite awhile.

"Every single problem that you have in your life is the seed of an opportunity for some greater benefit."

                                   Deepak Chopra

Who says I'm not tech savy?

Actually, me, I'm saying it....
"I AM NOT TECHNICALLY INCLINED!"

I've long said that I could shape you a swan out of tin foil any day, but ask me to program a VCR, never gonna happen. And if the mere mention of a "VCR" gives any indication to my limited realm of tech awareness, then you know I might be a lost cause.

At any rate, Hello! I haven't blogged in quite awhile...that's how long my Internet connection has been down. And today was the day I finally picked up the phone and called my provider to figure out the problem. Since my last post was in late March, you can tell that I am:

A.) A procrastinator

B.) Not hooked to all things online

C.) Content to do most things on my iPhone

The answer being all of the above. I live in a low tech household and it suits me just fine. We have one TV (which until this last December was not flat). In my entire adult life I have never purchased ink for a printer (because I don't have one). I didn't have an email account until I was 30......I'm now 34.
Needless to say, life in Bruhn household is pretty "unplugged".

So I'm back....I have lots of fun things to share, furniture projects, gardening adventures, decorating my chicken coop, planned shopping trips, baby projects for two (soon to arrive) nieces. I love summer and all the fun things it brings!

Spring!!!!

I know it isn't officially Spring yet...but it sure feels like it around my neck of the woods! I wish I had time to just play in my garden ALL DAY LONG but sigh, I have a laundry list of things to do today.

I'm very fortunate to have tons of space to plant, maybe a little too fortunate. The vision in my head for what I want to plant this year is a little daunting. I'm trying really hard to stay grounded in reality, but I keep having visions of gardens like this...

A girl can dream right?
Have you started your garden yet?

Accumulating

Lately, I've been loading up on stuff for the upcoming Petaluma Antique Fair, which will take place Sunday, April 28th this year.

I've rented an entire space for myself, which means I'm going to be a busy girl getting things ready for the show. In addition to my space on the street, I want to make sure I have plenty of items in my booth at Summer Cottage Antiques, which always gets tons of foot traffic on fair day.

Right now, however, I'm just in the buying/day dream stage. I'm trying to gather the goods and then slowly piece together my displays. It's always tricky to predict what customers are going to want. In the end I think you just have to go with your gut and what you like, because until it's sold....you own it!

I've been trolling Pinterest, what a treasure trove of inspiration that is! It's been a nice project to focus on and I'm feeling like I'm starting to make some progress. But this isn't my first rodeo and I know it takes a TON of stuff to really fill a booth. If you would like to dive into antique shows, my advice would be to share with a more experienced friend first so you don't get overwhelmed. That's what I did and I can't tell you how many wonderful lessons I learned from the dealers who took me under their wings.

Here's a little round up of just a few of the pieces I have....they obviously all still need paint. But like I said, I'm still in the buying stage. It's soooo much easier to buy than it is to paint...oh well. Spending is always the easiest part ;)

I'm super excited to work on this piece!

This Armour is a bit of a risk for me...but I got it for such a screaming deal it's worth it!

This photo doesn't do this little cupboard any justice, but it's adorable both inside and out.

So those are my first projects, I also have a pair of arm chairs, three dressers, a set of six chairs and a handful of other pieces. Yes, I think I'm going to be a busy girl!

Is anybody else planning on showing at the Petaluma Antique Fair?

Deep thoughts Monday

Hello all....feels like forever since I blogged last. I've been busy with all that Spring seems to bring, mainly activities with my two daughters.

Spring tends to usher in so many new things. My life has definitely been changing with new projects coming and lots of fun things to do with my family. It amazing how much life can change from month to month or even season to season. I think that raising a family has that effect. My children are constantly changing and as each month passes it seems we are able to do more together than before.

My oldest daughter will be turning 10 this month and somehow the reality of having a ten year old in the house is totally blowing my mind. I'm realizing what a short and precious thing childhood is...it really is such a short season in life. And yet, it has such a profound effect on all your remaining "seasons" as an adult.

As a mother, I'm just trying to step back right now and really see my life, my children and the joy of raising a family for what it is....a wonderful season in my life.

What season of your life are you in? Looking back which ones had the most profound effect on your life....which were the hardest or your favorite?

Coloring outside the lines

What type of artist are you?

Even if you don't consider yourself an "artist", we all have some type of creative spirit that we administer in our everyday lives. Tasks like cooking dinner or putting on your make up are actually little creative endeavors.

So I pose the question again, this time in a different way. Do you color inside or outside the lines....metaphorically speaking. I know I have a definite creative style and its pretty much always outside the lines. There are many days I wish I had the discipline to follow the directions on a paint product or patiently watch a how to video online before diving into a project. But alas, that's just not me.....and that's ok.

I've been doing some regrouping creatively since I left my bigger space at French Hen Antiques. It's so nice to just be alone in my quiet house, working on my own to do list...which some days may include folding laundry while watching cooking shows and other days painting. Right now I'm just enjoying working at my own pace.

I have lots of "painting for hire" jobs lined up, so I thought I would include a few pictures of projects in motion. Sorry for no before's on this dresser...I forgot to snap one. I'm doing lots of experimenting right now with black as a base color, this piece is an example of that.



Here's the drawers I painted them using Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint

Fugley brass hardware? No problem....just paint it!
 

The details of this piece are the best part!

I painted this dresser first with Typewriter, then a custom blended grey blue and finished with Linen. Why three colors? When you sand all the layers come through giving your piece lots of dimension and interest. It may look unfinished...and it is. I've learned to trust the process, most times my pieces look ugly before they look good. ;)