I'M BAAAAAAAKKKK!!!!

Whew!!! what a whirlwind of time, I cannot even believe it has taken me this long to
post....Geezzzz. I should lose my blogging priviledges.
The hands of time have been moving extremely fast. You know what they say, the older you get the faster it goes....It is a fact. No truer words have been spoken.
Well.......I have been ever so busy, and excited would be an understatement.
I have been like a little elf working and designing the new spring line for peacock park. I must say, I am sooooo excited I cant stand it.
I have really blown up the "garden" and "girlie" sections of the line.
As for Garden, we are going to have amazing new crusty painted lanterns of wonderful pastel paints in shades of pink and green patina, with distressed copper roofs. These are sure to be all the rage this season, I have a prediction, the lantern will become the new "cloche". I can see them housing not only candles, but statues, florals and of course, the perfect nest that has just revealed itself as the leaves have fallen off the trees.
I make it a tradition to go in the woods on my property as the leaves fall and scour the low laying trees and shrubs for a quest for the latest addition to my collection of "natures nests". They are works of art, spun from weeds, string, feathers, and sometimes the unexpected treasure of a newspaper word, or some trash turned treasure that the architect has deemed worthy of her latest creation.
I display these in a collection cloches that I have from the streets of paris, but now I can't wait to house them in my lanterns for a new spring look.

Our show season for PPD was beyond our expections, I must say, I have met so many amazing people. I have found myself wanting to rent an RV and travel the country and visit these amazing people. They are so creative, and freindly. I truly have made many more freinds that I think I will have for life, I am truly blessed, I want to do this job for the rest of my life. I am truly enjoying it.
I told my friend, I feel like Tinkerbell. I wave my wand, and create things of my dreams. SOMEBODY PINCH ME !!! My family and freinds are so supportive, withouth them this truley would not be possible........

Who Doesn't recognize this style icon????? Rachel Ashwell.
WOW what a wonderful lady. I enjoyed working with her. She and her assistant were such an inspiration to me, I have an incredible amount of respect for Rachel, she made her british little phrase "shabby" a household name. She singlehandedly changed the way the public perceives tattered and worn items. She paved the way for people like me who adore all things old, to market them to the masses and have the consumer understand that that little chip in the paint...IS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE !!!
Thank You Rachel !!!!!

And last but not least.....I cant tell you the excitement I had to actually SEE the boxes of my mats arrive out of their container. FINALLY!! My dream has become a reality.....REALLY. Wow, what a great feeling, and then the re-orders are already coming in.. That means you like them too. I am forever grateful to any of you who actually purchase my products. Thank YOU for allowing me to do what I love.....
CREATE!!!
XOXOX
gina

I think I am FINALLY getting the hang of this blog stuff.......

Okay, watch out.....I think I FINALLY am getting the hang of this blogging world....I couldnt figure out HOW to put pictures "throughout" my ramble, and not just on top.....WELL .....I just got a quick tutorial from the cyber sleuth aka :Cathy from Avalon Rose.....She is amazing on a computer. So Now I can post pics inside the test....watch this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHECK IT OUT.....HAHAHAHAH I feel sooooo smart...."not really" but at least more accomplished.
This picture is of a display that we did for a retail store.
Anyway, can you tell that I LOVE moss???? I think it is such a cool look. On anything...I am sure EVERYONE knows the secret sauce to grow moss, but I will tell you again , just in case you forgot.....Take a blender , mix a big tub of yogurt and just add some real moss, but if you dont have any, add some vine leaves that green seems to get the process going quickly then paint a thick coat on any cement or terracotta surface....Make a "tent" over it with plastic,and keep it moist in the shade.....give it a couple weeks and VIOLA....it looks like you dug it up in an abandoned garden in England somewhere.....MAGIC !!!!

I have always loved this armoire....It is made with the "antiqed Mirror"...such a cool look. I know you probably know how to make mirror look old too....but I found a really good and easy way to add instant antiquity....... Take the mirror out of the object you found it in......pur some paint stripper in a spray bottle, or just dip a THICK bristle brush in the stripper and "flick" the stripper in thick splats on the back of the mirror. After about 20 minutes or so the backing will release from the glass... I like to do it a couple of different times, so it doesnt look to contrived and precise. Then when that is done, wipe on the back, black shoe polish, old english furniture polish and maybe watered down paint in the color of your choice. It will age it beautifully.....What REALLY looks good is to take out the entire "center" of a mirror....but destressed looking...NOT perfectly...then add a picture into the frame, and it gives you an amazing distressed mirror "mat" around your artwork or print......Oh, you will love it.....

Stop and smell the roses.
Gina

Planning for New York........

Well today was an incredibly gorgeous day !!!!! I cant even express how much I adore Summer. My daughter (in glasses) played dressup with her friend Katie...Creative forces in the making.

It is by far thee most wonderful time for me....I love when my kids are out of school...they are a blast to have around...and they crack me up all the time. I think my favorite time of the year, is the first day I get to drive barefoot......I just LOVE not wearing any shoes...I know , I know, that sounds disgusting...but that is when I KNOW summer is here......I have gone out to a store before, and realized that I dont have any shoes.....do you know how that can be an inconvienence.....I think that rule : no shirt, no shoes, no service was written for me.....

The shirt I will never forget, but those shoes..yikes. I was born in California, lived in Iowa for a year in 6th grade, and that is where I met my best friend Teresa...We are STILL freinds after all these years... She is a wonderful gal.....her family is terrific, and her husband......W_E_L_L.... He is another story...hahah Actually he is a good guy, but definately different...I dont think I have EVER seen him without a beer in his hand....He cracks me up, and I think when he and I get together it drives Teresa crazy, we are like 2 brats...and we think each other is soooooo funny but noone else does. I will certainly discuss him later.

I dont know how I got onto Iowa, I think it was the living in Iowa part, anyway, I think my love of animals was just zoomed up in Iowa....I had a pair of EVERYTHING that was MY own personal barnyard.....I used to bring them all in the yard, and make those daisy chains, and the would all have these flowers in their hair, around their necks you name it, I even decorated my pets....pathetic isnt it???? But they looked sooo sweet. What I wouldnt give for a picture of that now!!!!

I guess in a nutshell, Ellie Mae Clampet is my Hero. So today was an amazing day, It was beautiful with just the right mix of blue sky and clouds. The weather was Hot...that is how I like it....very hot. I cant stand airconditioning but my family loves it, so I usually go outside to get comfortable. I did some weeding, sketching of new designs, and sat in the grass with Molly the sheep , a stray dog that wondered on my property while I was in Chicago...(poor thing) he is sooo sooo skinny. But looking better now.

My Partner Adam...we pronounce it AHH Dum......came over today, and we mashed the numbers and planned out our attack for the New York Show....My Husband....who is Einstein with numbers gave us some of his advise and comic relief...he is so funny sometimes, and doesnt even know it..... Adam doesnt want to be photographed, so I have given you the best shot of him ...you can visualize him through the hands , or just come to the booth in New York and see him for yourself!!!!! I showed him my prototypes for the spring line..and thankfully he liked them too..... I finshied my chores, and should really be working on the website...but Geez....Noone said it would take so long...besides it is soooo boring, and frustrating...I didnt know that pictures sizes made a difference. I have a new respect for the people who really are up to date on their sites.....I will be too....VERY SHORTLY....I have to follow through with my promises that the site will be up in August.....I am the kind of person who really needs a deadline, or I will put it off till doomsday.........

TONS OF LOVE

GINA

Country Living Here we come................

My dogs are in BIG trouble This is where I dream !!

I just recieved an email from a freind in Atlanta, stating she saw me on the editors blog for country living magazine. Susan is a dear freind and has been for many years. She and her husband Lee, have hauled my many, many treasures of antiques, and architectural goodies for a long, long time. Through all of this we have become super friends. We went on a week long tour to Paris last spring with the "Peahens" . (a group of gals who I adore) and needless to say, we laughed until we cried. We hit the city with reckless abandon, went on many different side trips and rented a van and drove to visit my dear friends in belgium to see his incredible antiques and gardens. I will link to his website later....Anyway, a long story longer........

We went into Belgium had waffles, and chocolate. Went up to Montegue...this is a mount that Mary appeard to the shepard. There is an incredible shrine and cathedral....it is sooooooo moving.

I have a funny story about Susan and Lee....I happen to live on MANY acres and have a license to rehabilitate exotic animals....including LIONS AND TIGERS OH MY>.......Anyway, I did have two mountain lions, but of course the area around me was thinking Micheal Jackson moved in and the toungues were wagging. Soooooo Susan and Lee had a HUGE bright yellow banner made that said..."CAUTION WILD ANIMALS".....I have large barns up on the road.....they parked the semi up on the road at 5 oclock friday nite....(after city hall closed)....and we sat back and waited.....OH we had more fun....I think it took all of 8 minutes before there was a ring at the gate with a squad car......asking about the complaints of 'WILD ANIMALS" ....we explained it was a gag. The officers didnt see the humor, however, we told them to explain to the people, there wouldnt be WILD ANIMALS LOCKED IN A SEMI WITH NO WINDOWS IN THE SUMMER....DUH!!

The complaints kept coming all weekend, and I guess the phone system jammed with complaints from the weekend. We had alot of fun with the NOSEY neighbors. WE cant see them, but they are always VERY concerned about what goes on "Behind the gates".

Anyway,.....as I was saying, you can view the blog from Jane the country living editor on her blog at country living.com

When I met Jane, it is like I have known her for YEARS....we have so much in common. She is a complete blast of a person and an obvious free spirit...It was really great for me to meet her.

http://www.countryliving.com/

Jane just did a quick blog on the wholesale line we have....peacock park design

http://peacockparkdesign.com/

HERE GOES.............

This is my VERY first Blog......

Everyone has told me, "YOU need to blog girl !!"

Okay, so I am now a blogger, after a quick search on the internet, I stumbled upon a blog site, and here I am .....1 hour later. I am going to call my Blog a Blogatorium....I am hopeing it will be an audotorium of sorts, and bring many many people together, to mash ideas, share thoughts, dreams and experiences.

I promise to share all my escapades and wacky wonderful days.

I cant wait to talk about the new wholesale gift line I have just created, and all the fun on the "show circut " that we had, not to mention all the amazing people that came into our booth. It was a wonderful adventure, that gave me such energy to keep this up, and I just hope that the ideas dont dry up.....