January Warmth and Inspiration

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.

Grand Finale to Opening Week

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

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.

Getting close.....

It is a funny thing, but when one is on a road trip and you start seeing colors, you realize twenty nine colors have been prevalent in your life on a daily basis, and you start to search for objects that reflect a certain hue. This must be Florence, the color that is. Or it could be Provence. I had been seeing Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan everywhere and then when the driving was more bland or the colors more subtle I would still be combining colors or mixing them to create new ones.

The gradation of color in this wall along the highway in Wyoming caught my eye because of the softer tones in Annie's palette that are similar to Old Ochre, Country Grey, Versailles, and Cream. In the middle section, I even see CoCo and French Linen. The color at the top of this wall would be a great one to mix, but right off hand I would need to figure this out. I am guessing a little Scandinavian Pink added to one of the colors above with a mixture of another. The mind never stops thinking about Annie Sloan's beautiful palette.

The drive West from St Louis was long at times but also enjoyable. I can't recall sitting so much since I became a Stockist so it was a little hard to be patient at times and not be doing something every minute. Once we were home and had unloaded the car, I felt I was off and running and have not stopped except to sleep at night. I am narrowing my search down for a retail space and feel I am getting close.

In the interim, I have been taking calls and delivering product. As a reminder for those that use the Quick and Easy Paint Transformations book by Annie Sloan, please remember some of these colors are no longer current. It is best to go to my website Purple Pear Shop to view the 29 colors that are available in the current palette in the U.S. I will keep you posted on my new retail location!

Henry meets The Purple Pear

Well today was my final day at this location for The Purple Pear. We are off now to new adventures, looks, and fun! But today was the day I unexpectedly realized I needed a soothing presence......Henry!!!

This day began as usual. I hurried through coffee, emails, shower, loading of the car, including Henry who had an appointment at the vet for his final booster for feline leukemia. Oh I forgot. I also went to my storage unit to pick up paint before the vet. It is the constant ritual of planning too much and running out of time. So guess what? Henry had to go to my store because I did not have time to take him home and get there to open by 11:00 AM.

First of all, you have to understand that Henry is the newest addition to my cat family, and he is an absolute love. He is the easiest, most uncomplicated cat that has passed my way, and I knew he would adapt immediately to The Purple Pear. He decided he looked particularly debonair against a backdrop of CoCo. Bless his heart. He knows fine colors and the best Chalk Paint™ colors when he see them.

I worried about him being bored, but he immediately nestled against Gina Brown's beautiful pillows because he knows they are all about beauty and love!

And of course I panicked when I realized I was taking him to my shop, and he did not have his own commode. I figured a solution quickly with some cat litter and a shipping box. It was perfect.

Henry finally decided that I was not entertaining him enough so he settled in and nestled against Gina's fine pillows.

Then Henry was pushed and shoved into this completely unattractive carrier and crammed into a car that was already full to the brim!

But he was promised a little compensation... no more retail time for the moment, a treat, and some catnip, and a time to be the Henry that he is....loving, silly, unpredictable, and lots of company on a final day that called for a celebration and a respectful good bye. We will be keeping you posted on our newest and most exciting location so please keep us close. We are almost there. And who knows, Henry might be the gentleman that periodically greets you at the door!

A Move is Underway

Today I spent the day moving a lot of my things into a storage unit. I made two trips with this van. I will have someone help me with the larger pieces. A move is something that is not unfamiliar to me. I have done this so many times, not for business but for personal reasons. It gives you a chance to sort through and get rid of things that don't seem to be all that important.

I have kept all the colors, extra quarts as well as waxes and brushes and everything else that is related to Chalk Paint™ decorative paint in the store until I officially close this location.

And don't forget I will be at the Camas Street Faire this coming Saturday. I will be selling lots of textiles and trims plus some other small things. Please come and visit me and attend the show. It will be fun and the town is so charming!

Getting Ready

Moving a retail space into another is completely different than moving one household to another. In some ways it is similar, and in other ways it seems altogether different. I am very excited about this move! I have been in my location for a year now, and this move marks the beginning of something new as well as continuous.

This year has been full of surprises, longings, and uphill climbs. I love metaphors, and this seems quite fitting for the journey. I really love hiking and setting a goal to reach a mountain top. It is the ultimate high. The journey is really the best part of it. Whether you reach your goal is sometimes not a moment of disappointment, but rather that you strived to attain it.

Will I attain my expectation and goal? One never knows, but the exhilaration of the goal and the promise of effort and achievement is really what counts.

I have two sides of my personality (yes, I am a Gemini), and that is why I live in Portland, Oregon. The mountains and hiking are always at my beck-and-call but so are the creative longings. And really aren't they the same thing? Please visit me before I move, and if you cannot I would love to have you venture into my new location and say hello!

Meeting Jeni

I am so excited to introduce Jeni Barackman as a new member of our Annie Sloan group of retailers in Oregon. Jeni is a woman of many talents, inspiration, and creative energy. She has opened a wonderful store in the charming downtown area of Hillsboro.

This is one of the many pieces that Jeni has painted with the Chalk Paint™ decorative paint, Emperor's Silk. When I visited Jeni in her beautiful location, I was amazed at all the furniture she had painted and the beauty of each piece.

This eye-catching table was done with the most beautiful lettering, and if Jeni wants to share her secret, I will leave this up to her!

Here is the detail of the table top. She told me that this piece sold so quickly that she barely had time to photograph it.

I have always loved the color Cream in Annie's palette, and Jeni has surely exemplified why this color is so soft and easy to use in any room. Please take some time to stop by and introduce yourself to Jeni in her new shop. She would love to have you visit, and she has every color in stock as well as the waxes. Her hours are as follows: Sun/Mon closed, Tues 11-7, Wed-Fri 10-5, and Sat 9-2. Please visit her at 158 NE 2nd Ave, Hillsboro, OR. She will inspire you and you can welcome her to her new position as retailer of the greatest paint in the world, Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan!

Bragging Rights

It is rare that I devote a post to my personal life, but the last week I have been so absorbed and focused with the birth of a new grandson. Jeanette gave birth to Cade Maurice Fischer around 1:20 PM on Tuesday, the 12th. This is her first picture holding Cade just a few minutes after he was born. This is one of the first family photos. Lincoln gets introduced to his new baby brother, Cade. There is nothing like holding your newborn grandchild, holding your cheek against theirs and staring at their tiny little features, hands, and fingers. I am always amazed at the miraculous creation of a child. I know the next time I see him, most likely in the fall, he will be totally different and blossoming into his own unique personality. It is always so hard to leave.... I will be back in my shop, The Purple Pear on Wednesday morning. I will not be open on Tuesday as I usually am, and I apologize for this. I would love to bring you anything you need if you came by the store, and I missed you. I will also be getting the new Chalk Paint™ decorative paint color, Florence, in the shop very soon. It is an exquisite, exotic color. I already have a project in mind. Looking forward to getting back and organizing my workshops and getting them going again. I also have a new website that is almost ready to be launched. See you soon!