New Blog Is Introduced

I decided to separate my A McInnis Artworks blog from my Dwellings Re-fined blog. The new blog will strictly deal with items that are being featured at the shop, "Dwellings". Please, go here to check out the new blog! If you are in the Florence, MS area, please, stop by and visit!

Greetings from Dwellings! Another fun weekend...however, I am not sure that a 12-13 hour day is exactly what I had in mind...even if I am having fun..lol.

If you read my blog yesterday, you know that my sister and her husband came to the rescue by helping me paint and rearrange Friday and Saturday. Below is BEFORE painting and rearranging the back wall. Oh, yikes!

Below is the AFTER shot of the same area. Now see how happy the crystal looks after a new "make over"? Much better....ahhhhh!

Introducing a rusty brick red in the entrance makes a big statement....POW!


Baby sister noticed that the shelf below was backlighted by the ceiling lights and insisted on placing the colored glass throughout...glad she spotted it...I never noticed. I was too busy rearranging the frogs and the ducks.

Below is the vintage baby section.

(Sorry this was taken at night...sort of dark.

As night generally is.)


Like the burlap cloth with dressy dishes?

Below...more happy hutches.


And now something for the man cave...

an old oak desk with lots of manly trinkets.


The Indian corner above with friendly critters in the shelves below.

A new rug and painting makes a definite difference in the living area...

Every coffee table I put there moves immediately...that is a lucky spot.

Burlap is the new Southern linen....

with Hull pottery and ceramic pumpkin and old brass candlesticks and tassels.

This is what the Coach and I looked like after two days of painting and rearranging.

Come by and visit when you have a minute!! I'll be the one asleep at the front desk.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzz,

Angela

Second Saturday: Dwellings

We had a great second Saturday at Dwellings. I will post pictures tonight.

My sister (who, BTW, is the best sister on the planet!) and her husband came down this weekend. I was in a total quandary as to how to accomplish anything...hundreds, maybe thousands of collectibles were everywhere, dust, general chaos...I couldn't get a grip on the situation...so I called in the Big Guns! They arrived with paint (in 5 gal. drums), painting equipment, drop cloths and determination. They became a painting and decorating machine..I just did as I was told! (I told you, I was totally 100% overwhelmed.) Buying someone else's vision was not my original vision when we agreed to purchase all the previous owner's "stuff".

Before they arrived, I just ran from one pile of things to another, accomplishing NOTHING. When they left after two days, things were so much better and the vision I had became more real. Before, all I could see was a million bottles and ceramic frogs, neither of which had been in the original "vision". Seeing it come together is really fun...however, I am always impatient to get to the bottom line of things...cleaning one frog (swan, duck, bottle, fishing lure...) at a time is not what I bargained for. Now that things are taking shape, I can actually look toward cleaning and arranging.

I told everyone who came in that we would have a holiday open house the second weekend of November. Now, I did this for two reasons. One, I want to do it and two, it will make me "get 'er done" faster. I am going to have to realize that things won't be perfect (far from it)...but they will be better and the "look" will improve over time.

Thank you, to all who came by. Thank you for the encouragement and friendship you've always shown me. Biggest thanks of all to my sister and her husband for their support and being willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Pictures to follow tonight!


May your vision always be clear,

Directions to Dwellings...

Someone requested directions to "Dwellings"...here goes:

Travel south on highway 49 south to Florence. There is a stoplight at the intersection of highway 49 and highway 469. (On each corner there is a gas station. If coming from Jackson, keep going straight. If coming from hwy 469 (Monterey area) turn left at the light onto hwy 49. If coming from downtown Florence, turn right.)

On the left you will see an igloo structure (Jerry's Catfish). Continue a short distance south on hwy 49. Donna's Produce #6 will be on your right. Begin looking for the blinking sign just up from Donna's. It will be on your right. My building is brick and has a tin front porch and is on the right side of the road. It is just before Magnolia and Hwy 49 flea market buildings.


Disclaimer:
I generally can't find my way out of a wet paper bag...so use these directions with caution. I tried to write them for the directionally challenged.

Hours:
At the present time, we are open 7 days a week. (We may re-visit that after the holidays.) Monday through Saturday 9:30-5:00; Sunday 12:30-5:00.
If you get lost, call me...I will come lead you there!

May your drive down hwy. 49 south be uneventful,

Welcome: First Saturday Opening of New Shop

Welcome to the first Saturday of "Dwellings".
We had a great first week and are grateful to all those who came by, shopped, and wished us well. I'd like to give you a pictorial tour (and only a few comments)!

Great old hutch above with top doors open and below, with doors closed.


A chalkboard welcomes you to our new business.

A fun fall table filled with Hull.

This neat old radio works, as does the record player. All it needs is a needle.

Bottles, anyone?

Or how about enamel-ware, aluminum coffee pots or crocks?

"Man" stuff...who knew?


Boys' toys...


Girlie stuff...

French enamel canning table.

Heavy etched granite (or marble?) top table with cast iron legs.

Hutches, hutches, everywhere...


Funny old pantry..

and dishes...

I didn't even photograph one whole room!

A wise old owl once said, "If you want to see everything in their shop you must take a road trip to highway 49..." (or something like that.) See you at Dwellings!

Always follow wise old bird's advice,

Angela

Dwellings...the first Saturday

I worked my first full day at "Dwellings" Saturday and it was quite an eye-opener.
I have let everything else go...my house is a wreck, my car looks like I'm a cast member of the Beverly Hillbillies, I don't know when I've ever been so tired (teaching from 7:30 - 3:30, then working at the new store until 8 or 8:30) HOWEVER...I am one happy camper! This endeavor is what I've wanted to do for a long time. A shop of my own (with my co-partner, son, of course.)

The process is in reverse, at the moment. No blank slate to start with, but that's half the challenge. (See post before this one for details.) Taking it to where I want it to be. I can't tell you how much fun it is to listen to people relive happy memories..."My grandmother had one of those" or "Do you remember when Daddy had that in his shop?" That's why people love old things, it reminds them of better days gone by.

My "vision" is evolving, even at this early stage. I wanted lots of the old stuff out so I'd have room for newer exciting things. That is still a player, but now I'm thinking of how I can incorporate the older with the new. Old stuff with a new twist, if you will.

I was slightly embarrassed when some of my friends came by Saturday and saw the "raw work in progress" until one said, "This is going to be wonderful!" And one lady who entered the shop as a stranger and left as a friend said, "I like these smaller shops so much better than the large ones." Well, that set my heart singing a different tune.

Anything worthwhile, takes time and effort. That's what I always say. I will try to post pictures later today.

Dream big, dwell in possibility,

Not Exactly My Vision...YET

Ok, I admit it...I'm overwhelmed. When I turned the key to our new store this afternoon, I almost fainted. It was such a mess...things everywhere, I didn't know where to start. My vision was to come into a business with a blank slate and make it ours. When we decided to buy out the present owner (and in the process, inherit all his stock), we immediately owned HIS vision.

Now, for the next few weeks, we have to weed through and do all I wanted to do (paint, clean, restyle) with all this "stock" underfoot. HOWEVER, I will say...there is a very fun part of owning all this good stuff...a wonderful old hutch, lots of newer hutches, metal 1950's tables, vintage kitchen gadgets, bottles, "man style collectibles" and so much other "stuff". I can't believe it's all ours!

My son keeps saying, "Don't get "married" to anything, Mom." But that is really hard to do. I already have found myself loving the pink plastic canister set and pink Sunbeam hand mixer. The crocks and bowls are wonderful! Several beautiful large mirrors are heavy and substantial and will be wonderful additions positioned throughout the store. I have a massive bank of lower cabinets from an old farmhouse that will eventually be my work station. How can you NOT love what you love?

I so hope that my "dreams" come true...maybe not tomorrow or even next month, but eventually it will be what I've had dancing in my head all these years. It is, indeed, an exciting time in my life. Who knew that I'd start in a new direction at this age? Most people are winding it down and I'm ramping it up. (As you have already surmised,I have always done things backwards!)Keep us in your thoughts, I'll keep you posted on our progress!

May the best days of your life be ahead,