My mom and I hit one of my favorite local antique shops last week in hopes of finding a few furniture pieces for the rooms we were working on while she was visiting.  As I shared earlier this week, we found a new art cabinet for my studio, which was on the list… …but we also found a few smalls.  (“Smalls” are just little things, accessories, that you find at an antique/retail store.) One thing I miss about having my studio, selling online, getting ready for an antique fair, etc. is shopping for smalls.  I really don’t need much for my current house, since I already have years of collected smalls.  I could probably stand to sell some, even!  So, I try to stay focused and not buy things just because I like them.  I try to think of how I’ll use them to make sure it’s not another thing

Remember the art cabinet I bought and fixed up last year?  I really loved that cabinet, but I decided to part with it when it came time for us to move.  I was going to consolidate all of the pieces in my home as well as in my studio and we didn’t know what house we would be moving into, so it made sense to let go of as many of the large pieces as we were willing to sell. Now that I’m settled in my new (much, much smaller) studio, I am learning how I use the space and where I need to make some changes.  One of the main things I needed to change was where my easel was located in relation to my palette.  My palette has been on my left, which is a little inconvenient, given that I’m a righty. I was also finding I needed

I have felt a little bit like I’ve been in a bubble since we moved here this summer.  I have the places I know and can get to without a GPS and then there is the rest of Minnesota.  When I lived in PA, I made a point to get out and about every couple of weeks.  It was important for creativity to step away from my computer, studio, and home for a while.  I’ve made little trips here and there, but there has been so much to keep me busy at home, that I haven’t done as much exploring as I would like.  So, that bubble is pretty small right now. I decided I really needed to get away from the house this week, so I checked out a local antique store and I am so glad I did.  Not only did I find some great stuff, but I