A tale of 3 houses... and studios...

I mentioned in my last post that a lot had changed over the past few years and it HAS. One of the bittersweet thing that has happened over the last 18 months is that we have moved.. TWICE!

First, we sold our first home, which was really emotionally hard. It was where we moved after we got married and brought our baby home to. We spent all her school yeas tucked into this cute little cottage and leaving it was really difficult. Partially because I had turned one bay of our garage into a pretty cool studio (and can I find any pictures? NO) 

Anyway, we made the decision to move to a small community about 20 minutes away, into my Mom's house. The house was AMAZING, gorgeous views, more space, beautiful gardens, quiet. BUT.. it was my Mom's house. I could not escape her spirit there and not in a good way. I always felt the weight of her. I could not find "my" space or make it mine. It was alway's "Mom's house". I gave it a year, as I promised my husband, I drove our daughter back to Hollister to school for her 8th grade year and we REALISTICALLY discussed our future. I wasn't happy, our daughter wasn't happy being so far from her friends and was preparing to start high school. We didn't have the right kind of layout to have our animals, we were paying board. EVERYONE was commuting, I didn't REALLY have a studio, just my Mom's old office (note: "my Mom's"), we were isolated.. we discussed selling with my brother and he gave his blessing to let the house go. It was always "Mom's house" and while we had good memories there, it was never our family home. We put it on the market and began the search for our DREAM HOUSE.. 

Fast forward a couple months.. which were FAR from fast. I swear that was possibly the longest "90 day escrow" of my life. We finally found our dream property. 5 acres, little farm house which had been COMPLETELY remodeled, horse ready!! We anxiously awaited the day we'd get the keys and move in.  And then we got them!! and we moved in.. and what I THOUGHT would be a great little space to work in until we built a studio space quickly turned into this...

ARGH!! Ok, so THAT didn't work..

I've been relegated to this...

Yup! A TV tray! I balance notebooks and pieces of wood on a pillow on my lap and use a TV tray to hold my lettering supplies. SOMETHING has got to give!!

Stay tuned!