The "ides of March".....

I can totally identify with the "ides of March" this year, wow, what a whirl wind the next two weeks are going to be and what the last two weeks have been.

I leave on Friday for New Orleans to meet Annie Sloan in person for the first time and to join the other U.S.A. Stockists for our first annual business meeting and workshop. It will be fun and informative.
I return on the 3rd and tie up loose ends for the book signings, demo's and all day workshop scheduled for the 6th, 7th and 8th. Annie flies in Saturday the 5th and maybe we can sneak to the wine country in Temecula for a some fine dining and wine tasting before we begin the Southern California tour.

Come one come all......please mark your calendar and come join us at various locations for these events in March.

Sunday March 6th from 1 - 3 P.M. Book signing and Demo, Orange, CA

Monday March 7th 1 - 3 P.M. Book signing and Demo, Solana Beach, CA

Monday Mary 7th 6 - 8 P.M. Book signing and Demo, Temecula, CA

Tuesday March 8th from 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Hands on Workshop by Annie Sloan in Santa Monica, CA

I'll be back soon and share future workshops and demo's at various locations throughout the West Coast.
 I'll also share some new "where am i?" and a day  that was shared with Vicki Shoemaker from 3 Oaks Studio in Clovis, CA.  Paint was flying and wax was buffed...what fun we had with all the products.

Ok all....until next week...keep on painting...

Time is flying and so is paint and wax!

Already it's the middle of the week.....I don't know where time goes but I wished it would slow down just a bit as I have so much to do in preparation for New Orleans next week and the Annie Sloan book signings, demo's and hands on workshop when I return.

Many exciting things are happening....I will be in Roseville, CA on April 10th for a workshop at The Tattered House.  I love this shop and I'm looking forward to introducing the Chalk Paint and products in this area.  Also, I will be at the Retreat Vintage Market event on June 25th on Camano Island in Washington for another introduction.  I love what I do and I'm so excited to demonstrate just how easy and wonderful these paints are.

Yesterday five lovely ladies from Serendipity Antiques in Temecula, CA came up to Canyon Lake to "the room" and engaged in a workshop using the paints and waxes.  We had a great time and they went away
hooked on the ease of the applications.  I will be setting up dates/times/techniques to demo at their shop over the next few months so I invite anyone to drop on in.

I wish everyone a great day and remainder of the week.  Remember to take time and smell the roses and get that paint brush out and have a little fun bringing a tired old piece of furniture to "life".

Good Morning......

My thought for this wonderful Sunday morning, my favorite day of the week.

Most mornings I try to start my day with a look within myself. I also reflect and try to remember "who I am". I found a writing years ago I recite to myself, sort of a clarification and confirmation of what my purpose in this life is. I want to share it with you and then I'd like to share someone elses confirmation I found in a little shop in San Diego.  Is there really a big difference?

Life is really so simple, words may change, times may change but our values, our basics are still the same.

Don't ever lose sight of the gift that is you.
When life seems to weigh you down, get back
up and get back in the game.

Remember what you're made of.  Remember
what's flowing in your veins. Remember
what you were given, and remember what
you went out and created on your own.

Like any great masterpiece, you're not done yet.
Inside you is the best of everyone who has
ever come before you - and the best of
everyone yet to be.
You can forget some of what life hands
you, but never, ever forget
WHO YOU ARE.

Another day another list.......!

I'm going to make this post short and sweet and then I will post again the first of the week and really go into all the "happenings" in the world of "House of Anne".

Every morning I make a new list of things I have to do and want to accomplish. Most of the time I can cross off action items til my little heart desires but lately I have had a lot of carry overs. Does this mean I am not as efficient as I used to be or does it mean I'm becoming super busy and wearing many hats?

It won't be long now until I fly away to New Orleans to meet Annie Sloan in person and attend our "stockist" workshop. When I return I will have ONE day to load up and haul up to Santa Monica for the hands on workshop on the 8th of March. It seems like I have so much to do to make that happen but I just know my "lists" have helped get me organized more than I realize.

I try to tell myself if something falls through the crack it won't be the end of the world and besides, I am known for my impetuous and spontaneous nature, it could make things interesting and even more fun than what is logically planned if something did happen unexpectebly and didn't get crossed off my lists.


March 6th from 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. Book signing and a Demo at
Country Roads Antiques & Gardens, Orange, CA.

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March 7th from 1:00 - 3:00 P.M. Book signing and Demo at
Out of the Blue, Solana Beach, CA

March 7th from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. Book signing and Demo at
Serendipity Antiques, Temecula, CA

March 8th from 10:00 - 5:00 P.M. Annie Sloan hands on workshop at
Annette Tatum's Workroom in Santa Monica...we still have a couple seats available.

PLEASE mark your calendars and come and meet Annie Sloan and learn about the wonderful Chalk Paints and waxes that have hit the U.S.A.  You will be HOOKED with the ease, the colors and the fun of her products

Annie Sloan at her studio in Oxford, England

And me, taking more photo's of Chalk Paint pieces.....wahooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!


Back to my lists now until the first of the week when I'll post all the wonderful "happenings" scheduled
for the West Coast, a workshop at The Tattered House in Roseville, CA and a booth and demo at The Retreat Style on Camano Island, WA.

My Super Bowl Hero's

Super Bowl Sunday is here again, am I excited, I think not....something got left out of my brain when it comes to sports...don't ask me why, I wished it was different. Don't  get me wrong though, I love to watch my grandchildren engage in sports and I used to love to watch my children....then it just goes away. I guess I'd rather see the $'s that are spent on professional and sports in general go to something a little more substantial, like hungry and abused children in our own country.

I woke up thinking about the super bowl hero's in my life and it didn't take me anytime to know the answer. So here is yet another "smile box production" of the hero's in my LIFE. Enjoy.

Free slideshow design created with Smilebox

More on Annie Sloan's book signings and events on Wednesday....Have a great Sunday.

Out of The Blue Invite

Happy Friday, it's the weekend at last....wahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

I am posting a "smile box", yes another smilebox. You have probably figured out by now I love putting photography to music....if I could just learn how to put a "play list" on my blog then I'd have my favorite music playing all the time, but for now, you'll have to just put up with the little slide shows.

I visited Debi at Out of the Blue yesterday and chatted about Annie Sloan's upcoming
Demo and Book Signing event that will be hosted in Solana Beach on March 7th from
1 - 3 P.M., you got it, at Out of the Blue. What a wonderful funky place and if you haven't visited there it's well worth a trek to the coast. The shop has the energy and fun that Debi and her team share with any customer that walks through the door or better yet, walks in the sand. What other shop is surrounded with sand and history of the area?

So, thank you Debi....we are going to have so much fun and Annie will love to being there on her American Tour In March.

Slideshow design created with Smilebox

Happy weekend everyone and please leave your comments. 

My home is not a "house".....

My grandmother loved moving furniture around. It seemed like every time we went to visit, she had pulled the sofa, tables, and chairs into different positions. I think she felt that if a room stayed the same too long, it became stale. Changing it around made it feel new. That went for fresh paint, wallpaper, bedding and window treatments. She would remove everything from a room and begin one item at a time, it was like a mini treasure hunt to find my "favorite" items when she finished.
I don't change things as often as she did, but I do enjoy giving myself novel views from time to time, hanging pictures/items in varied combinations, creating new displays and yes, rearranging the furniture, not to mention painting and my favorite, changing the bedding. The satisfaction that comes from waking up tired rooms with a few simple changes is what I LOVE.
I'll show you just a few things I have around me, although, they do move when the urge takes over. My home is not a "house", everything I have around me I love and when I am through appreciating them, they move on to other family members or you got it, garage sale 101.

Head board are old french doors from Roslyn, Wa.,  the table is from Sweden, wait til you see the base and the cloth is from a small shop in Belgium.

Base of my little Swedish table

Another sweet little table and a vintage bedside lamp

Meet my life long friends...Amanda and Patsy.  They have traveled with me where ever I've lived.  They sit on a shelf in the guest room, where sometimes they get covered up or turned around.  Spooky?  I don't think so.

Photo's I took of each of my grandchildren at the same age, you got it, buck naked.  I want to reach out and just give them all a pinch, especially since they are no longer running "free".

A beautiful china clock that belonged to my Grandmother Lund.  I love it!

A Danish chair I painted and love

A picture of my Norwegian relatives framed by old Swedish barn windows.  A silver tea service given to my parents 45 years ago sitting on a Norwegian runner my grandmother hand made.  The buffet is from the 40's which was painted and waxed.

A little cabinet that came with the buffet...another 40's vintage piece redone.  Notice more hand made lace and gilded pears that were done in one of my workshops

An old sifter from Sweden and a window lace hanger from Belgium

More Belgium lace frames my dining windows

The Lord's Prayer in Norwegian, framed and matted to be displayed in the dining area

I don't have a traditional bar so I've used a double tray table with vintage cut glass decanters and a vintage picture that I found in a 2nd hand shop

Enough for now....you have a little feeling of my treasures that make my home a home.....next time I'll take you in the front door and show you just how eclectic I am.

  Until the next posting when I really will address Annie Sloan and her U.S.A. events.