Rochester, NY is filled with wonderful things to do during the holiday season! They offer a multitude of activities for all celebrations, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. The activities are for all age groups, very kid-friendly, and many of them are free! I was able to go to the Eastman House last week to see the Gingerbread House exhibit and attend “Holiday At The Public Market,” a tradition that has been happening for 25 years! Holiday fun at the Rochester Public Market. The first thing I saw, were the garland boughs and boxwood wreaths. The prices were amazing! I will definitely be back next year to get greens for my holiday flower boxes and a wreath for the front door. After the greens you enter the outdoor vendor area. Yes, that is snow, also it was windy and very cold! But that does not keep Rochesterian’s away! They were giving rides in an old horse-drawn carriage. How fun is that! This ornament was made from a gourd; look at the detail! The giraffe was also from the same booth. They were all made by artisans who are part of “One World Projects”. “One World Projects” strives to reduce poverty, restore balance in nature, and promote peace by giving artisans around the world a chance to earn fair wages and improve their lives and communities. For more about “One World Projects” go here. Ho-Ho-Ho! I saw more signs and Santas than you can shake a candy cane at! Now I've got my sights set on finding an old sled to recreate the one I saw here! When I entered the indoor market, I immediately began to salivate from the amazing aromas that filled the air. There is something for everyone! The aroma as I entered the pavilion made my mouth water! “Cosimano e Ferrari” Olive oil company offered free Olive Oil tastings. Delicious! They also sell lotions and soap. Cosimano & Ferrari website. “Taste of Supreme” offers 100% gluten free baked goods. I would serve these to everyone, not just my gluten free friends . Taste of Supreme website I purchased this pot pie for my son at “Newbury Park Pastries”. It did not stand a chance! Newbury Park Pastries website I had lunch at Hettie’s Delites Café ! The food was delicious and the portions very generous! The Rochester Public Market Holiday celebration is a diverse multicultural experience that everyone should enjoy. It will definitely become an annual tradition for me! Happy Holidays to all! May your New Year bring peace and joy! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

Sometimes I am minding my own business, and BOOM, an idea pops into my head. Once the idea is in my head, it just will not go away. I was at my mother-in-law's house trying to find something for her in a storage room when I came across something called a window mullion. BOOM! An idea hit me! As soon as I saw the mullion, I knew I wanted to use it to make a piece of artwork. I asked her if she needed it; she said no, and my project was born. This is a mullion. It goes in a window as a decorative divider. I plan on putting an image in each pane and making a frame to go around it. The first thing I did was spray paint it black. I knew I wanted the images to be black and white. When I started researching, I fell in love with an Italian artist named Piero Fornasetti. The images were on plates, but at $40 each, that did not fit into my budget. I knew there must be an inexpensive alternative and found it on Etsy. They were selling digital prints of the Fornasetti images for just $10. The download included two files with 20 prints. I would have more than enough prints for the project and could pick and choose the ones I wanted. These are examples of the images. I think they are so cool! After printing the photos on photographic paper, I had to find something to mount them on for added depth. I came across cake boards that were inexpensive and sturdy and the perfect size. I also searched for poster board to adhere the images to, but couldn't find a large enough piece, so I purchased two and plan to join them together. Upon returning home, I used decoupage to attach the photos to the cake boards. To conceal the corrugated interior, I used hot glue to attach black cording around the edges of the board. . With the pictures done, I laid them in the window mullion to figure out which pictures I would use, their placement, and background. I knew I was going to use black but could not decide on the second color. My friend Laura suggested gold, and I loved it. I marked out the pattern and decoupaged each of the black and gold squares to the grid. I attached all the faces using Velcro tabs and began working on the frame. My husband helped me by cutting the wood since I'm not skilled with the chop saw yet. I applied wood glue then used a corner clamp to hold it in place. After it dried, I reinforced it with finishing nails. To attach the mullion to the frame, I used screws, then painted it black. To complete the look at brought it to a frame shop and had glass put in. The finished piece. I love it! I managed to create a substantial piece of artwork for under $100. I am going to put it in the hallway upstairs. I promised my husband I would not hang it on the wall outside our bedroom. He said seeing the faces on the wall at night might freak him out! I f you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Products Used: Rust Oleum Matte Blak Spray Paint TiteBond Wood Glue

Life's defining moments can reignite dormant parts of you. This past weekend was one such moment for me. The overwhelming response to my work was truly heartwarming. Creating is about passion, not praise, but appreciation reinforces your purpose. Sharing this experience with supportive family and friends was the ultimate joy. Thank you all for your love and support! If all this was not enough, I met Annie Sloan. She came to my booth, we spoke for a little bit, and she took a picture with me! She even came back a second time and asked to take a picture of me with one of my pieces! Later I was able to have her sign my book. On to the Festival…. Setting up my tent was so exciting! Staging all my pieces and getting ready for the masses to view them was intimidating! But watching over 300 artists also putting together their tents and seeing them come together was mind blowing. So many people wanted to know about my furniture pieces. They asked about my techniques, what paint colors I use (Annie Sloan of course), and where I get my inspiration. By the end of each day, I was losing my voice (I also did not realize how much I use my hands when I talk). My first experience as an artist in the Purple Painted Lady Festival was beyond anything I could have imagined! I do not know what is next, but if it is anything like this, I cannot wait! If you liked this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are e created.

With just 6 days left I am focused on making sure everything is ready for Saturday and the Purple Painted Lady Festival! I hope to see you there, make sure to stop by booth # 56 and say hi! Can’t wait to tell you about it in my Blog next week!

Just two weeks now before the Purple Painted Lady Festival! I know I have told you repeatedly how excited I am to be in this festival. What I have not emphasized enough is how over the moon I am to meet Annie Sloan. She has requested to meet all the vendors who refinish furniture using her paint. It will be such an honor to meet her, not only because she is such a successful businesswoman, but also because she truly inspired me. When I was a stay-at-home mom and desperate to decorate my home while on a budget, I discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It allowed me to take used and hand-me-down furniture and make them beautiful! It also gave me a way to express myself creatively, an outlet I really needed! Let's get back to making more product for the show: We purchased this desk on a buying trip to North Carolina. I had already started to strip it in the photo. This is the inside with the desktop lifted up. As you can see, it was in bad shape. Annie Sloan Graphite Chalk Paint was used to paint the body and shelf, followed by a finish of Annie Sloan Black Wax. The desktop was stained with Minwax Dark Walnut. It even has the original key. It doesn’t lock, but it adds so much character. I just used Old English wood repair on the inside, and it came out great! This desk would be perfect for an entryway, office, or bedroom. . The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind. I plan to practice setting up my tent, making sure everything works properly. Once the tent is set up, I will arrange my items and take photos that I can use as a reference when I am on-site. I also have a checklist the length of my arm, but I am confident that everything will get done in time. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

Most of the time, my creative endeavors are directed toward furniture, interior design, and creating art. But sometimes I am drawn to something, and I have to have it. Today, I want to share one of those items - a wooden train I came across at a garage sale. It brought back memories of a book my mom would read to me as a child, "The Little Engine That Could." Despite its rough shape, I knew I had to try and breathe new life into it. I had already started to paint, but you can still see how rough it looked. One of the wheels was missing on the engine and needed to be replaced. I bought the book to give me inspiration ("I think I can, I think I can, I know I can"). If I wanted the train to work, I had to replace the wheel. I found one just like it at Michaels. I painted the cars with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Aubusson Blue, Emperor’s Silk, Versailles, and a mixture of Antibes Green and Graphite, ending with Athenian Black on the wheels. I loved the colors but thought it needed something that shouted "Circus". When I looked online, these images popped up for "Barnum and Bailey Circus". I decoupaged them on the train and sealed everything with Annie Sloan Clear Wax. In addition to the train, peg people were also included. Wanting to add to the peg people's clan, I discovered similar ones at Michaels. Then I started creating my circus characters like those on the front of "The Little Engine That Could" using acrylic paints. I had so much fun creating my circus peg people! Meet the Clown, Trapeze Artist, Ringmaster, Fortune Teller and the Strong Man. I really hope someone buys this for their child so it can be used and loved again! If you liked this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

When we were in Boston visiting my cousin Nancy, I came upon a dresser I thought would be perfect for the Purple Painted Lady Festival. Unfortunately, it would not fit in our car. My cousin was going to see her mother the next weekend and offered to drop it off there, where we could then pick it up. What a supportive family I have! This is the dresser. The width was fine, but the height that would not fit. We took the drawers, and my cousin Nancy and her husband Wally transported the shell. Having thoroughly cleaned and assessed the piece, I decided to strip, sand and stain the top of the dresser and paint the base. I chose a green chalk paint (products used will be mentioned later in the post). After letting it dry, I applied a coat of teal paint over it. Not really certain of the direction I was taking, I just wanted to lighten up the dark and heavy feeling of the piece. Again, not sure where I was headed, just knew the piece was screaming for some fun. I started sanding to let color and wood show from underneath. I liked the result and kept going. I finished with clear and dark wax and added some amazing knobs I found at %50 off. Here is the before and after. It was most definitely given another, more fun lease on life! This week, I am headed to North Carolina to pick up some unique home décor items for my booth at the Purple Painted Lady Festival on September 21st and 22nd! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always, I love to hear your comments. Keep them coming! Products used: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Aubusson Blue Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Antibes Green Hobby Lobby Knobs Citristrip Minwax Stain

Sometimes I look around and I am in awe of the beauty I see! Everywhere I look, there is inspiration to feed my creative soul! It can be a color, pattern, words, music, or architecture. Sometimes it comes in the way something has aged. The rust, the cracks, the patina. I was recently in Saratoga Springs, NY and took some photographs of things I found to be not only interesting and beautiful, but very inspirational too! I would like to share some of them with. you. Upon spotting these statues on both sides of the walkway at the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga, NY, I immediately asked my husband to stop the car. The symmetry and color took my breath away. Just think about the effort required to align them so impeccably! Some of the homes I saw were so beautiful… I love how the flowers lining the pathway guide you in. In the next house, I appreciate the intertwining of stone and brick on this building; it adds depth to the simple brick pattern. Here, I like the arched windows and doors, but find it interesting that not all openings have arches, yet it still works! There is even a place devoted to inspiring creativity! "Yaddo," in Saratoga, NY, was established by Spencer Trask and his wife Katrina, who was an author. They bequeathed their fortune and estate to the establishment of a residency program for artists. It became a place for rest and refreshment for authors, painters, sculptors, musicians, and any other men or women selected for their creative gifts. The litany of artists who have stayed there is amazing! Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, and Leonard Bernstein, to name a few. Click on the link if you want to learn more about this spectacular place: Yaddo The public can visit the gardens at "Yaddo" for free all year round. It's difficult to put into words the feeling you experience while walking through the grounds. The gardens are truly spectacular; beauty greets you at every turn. The use of symmetry, natural light, spacing, and materials, along with the thought of it being imagined in someone's mind and brought to life, is truly awe-inspiring to me. I understand why artists go here for motivation; it's simply impossible not to be inspired! While I may never have 400 acres of gardens filled with beautiful statuary and fountains, nor will I be a famous artist living at 'Yaddo', but I too have been inspired to take all the beauty I've seen and knowledge I gained and apply it in my garden and home. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Links: Yaddo