Wow...it's been a while since I posted. However, this summer has been full of activity for us. First and foremost, we've been able to spend a lot of time with our grandsons while school is out - and I treasure every moment of that. The summer has flown by and school starts back up next week!
We spent some really great quality time together. :)
Don't worry...they got paid!! They were asking to earn money for their vacation. :) We've had a lot of fun just hanging out.
Dean and I did escape for a quick vacation to Virginia Beach in July, but a vacation it was not! So much went wrong during those few days, and to top it off, we were in the middle of a tornado that hit the beach. Luckily, we were refunded our last night's charge when we decided that it was seriously time to go home, even though we were still there after check out time. Thanks to Expedia and the hotel staff!!
The view from our room after the storm.
I've also kept really busy with the shops, making changes and working on tons of things. We've scaled back to only two locations (Through the Garden Gate Antiques and Unique Antiques). However, we've expanded our space at TTGG - for now. I'll explain more on that in a bit.
We are fully stocked and things have been selling well lately...keeping us busy backfilling. The bad thing about this is that arthritis is really wreaking havoc in my hands, wrists and shoulders. Painting has become a painful chore that I am beginning to dread. The good thing about Unique Antiques is that we mainly deal in unpainted furniture there, which I actually love and am seeing a big push towards the warmth of wood again!
So, what have I really been doing this summer?! My main goal was to clean out our garage...and this past weekend...we finished!!! YAY! Our "good" vehicle can finally be kept out of the weather! I'm telling you, I have had nightmares about that space. When we closed our antique/retail gift shop, it turned our garage into a storage area - along with my "hoarding" of lots of project pieces (I just couldn't pass up a "good" deal...which there was usually a good reason for that...). For almost two long years, we have not been able to move in there and I felt sick every time I opened the doors.
This is the after....there is no way I would take a picture of the inside before. Picture three large store showcases, plastic tubs and countless amount of furniture all over.... Sickening. Yes, I have one project in the works in the picture, but it's done and out. :) We're hoping to get the garage insulated and finished before the winter. I also hope to turn the upstairs into a studio...but that's down the road.
I can almost feel the relief in the air!
I started by not buying anymore "project" pieces this summer, finished the projects I had (or took to the dump or donated to Goodwill) and went through boxes, upon boxes, of stuff we had packed up from the store (it was like Christmas again!). This is why we rented an extra space at TTGG for a little while....
This was just the start. I am taking steady steps in making positive changes in our lives and am learning that less is so much more and so uplifting!!
I couldn't have said it any better.....
As we make our way through a total makeover - to include money management and healthy eating - I plan to post about our journey. It's a learning experience and I've been taking in so much information. With God's help and guidance, I have no doubt we will succeed!
