Well... the past few days the G-Kid Force and I Worked like Crazy to get the New Showroom #133 up and running before the Big 4th of July Sale THE BRASS ARMADILLO WEST will be having Thursday thru Sunday July 4th-7th. Still have a LOT of Inventory to bring in... but this is a good enough start to Open the Showroom to Customers... since they were coming in each day we were working on it anyway and seemed Enthusiastic about Shopping once I got it readied... so I didn't want to delay any longer than we had to.
Armed with buckets of Black and Gold Paint and Exotic Gypsy Trim and Tapestries, we got to work the day I Signed the Lease... and decided to keep the hideous Green because after coupling it with Black and Gold, it grew on us and we actually liked it... go figure! *LOL* As you can see by the Orbs that kept showing up in all the Frames, Spirit was with us too, joining in... and that always chokes me up because I definitely 'Feel' the Spirit of my Dad and other departed Ancestors Celebrating all of our Opportunities... and to have it captured on Film to visibly 'See' and Validate their Presence as well, definitely Encourages me. I don't have to Wonder if they could have seen, Rejoiced and Participated in what we're doing... I KNOW they already have because the Evidence is Clear!
Just a little 'Before' and 'After' Shot for ya... though we'll be Sourcing much more for the Vibe of this Room that I want to have and it will eventually Transform into when the appropriate Inventory is 'Picked' over Time. The Vision of which will be Weird and Wonderful... Cabinet of Curiosities and Museum of Oddities meets Bohemian Mad Botanist and the Gypsy Addams Family. Yes, I Plan to go Full Tilt on this Showroom and have it be the 'Real Me' no holds barred... if anyone's ready for that?! *Winks* Don't know how that will be Received in the Far West Valley of the Arizona Desert... but we'll see? The Feedback I'm already getting, particularly from the Twenty-Something Age Group Goth Lovers, is that they can hardly wait... so I'm Encouraged I'll have my 'Following' eventually of those that 'Get It' and Love it too. *Smiles*
Some Close-Ups of the Fab Hand-Worked East Indian Sari Trims I Sourced from SAS to trim the Shelves with...
Every single one had been marked down 50% or MORE from the already low SAS Price, so I was Stoked! I got four different Trims but the Close-Ups of the other two didn't turn out so great so I'll have to Share them in another Post so you can see how Beautiful they are too!
This third one was my Fav of the Four... lots of Heavy Gold Detailing on the Hand-Work... causing such a Fab Reflective Glare that it blinded the Camera Close-Up! *LOL* And the fourth Trim has those tiny East Indian Mirrors in the Beadwork, which also caused Reflective Glare... so I might have to use my better quality Cameras to capture the Close-Ups of them.
That first day... the Day of Painting and Construction... the G-Kid Force and I were there from 9:00am to almost 5:00pm and they Worked their little keisters off... so much so that they took a Nook Break and actually fell asleep amid the Crocheted Linens and Tapestry piles I had all over the floor! *LOL* The Young Prince had put the 'Andrews Sisters' Style Music on PANDORA in his Nook so that was Soothing for us to Work to... and then them to Sleep by. *Winks*
Nothing like Hearing such Tunes as "Mr. Sandman" to send the Wee Ones off into Slumber... *Winks*... tho' these were taken while they were still awake. The Young Prince rolled himself up in the Algerian Tapestry Display you saw in Image #1 as his 'Sleeping Bag' when he was ready to conk out... and then helped me hang it once he woke up. *Smiles* It's one of my Fav Family Heirloom Tapestries {of which I have many in my Personal Collection}, but since I'm out of Wall Space at Bohemian Valhalla... I decided to make it a NFS Showroom Display backdrop for my layers of Styling of that wall. I will be Selling Vintage Tapestries too... but gotta get those I'm willing to "Let Go" of and don't have Sentiment, out of Storage and my Old Studio Cottage that The Son is Living in.
And since Budget was Small because I snagged this Showroom Unexpectedly and had to make an End of Month rash Decision the moment I saw it Available... we mostly used whatever we already had to Remodel and Decorate it... so yes, that's Vintage Urban Industrial Chic with Original Graffiti on it on that back Wall that has been Sourced off of our Acreage and came with the Old Property! *LOL*
I'll have some Vintage Industrial Inventory as I Source it, so this Galvanized wavy Tin Awning that came off one of our Outbuildings was Perfect and fit like a Charm where I wanted it to be! No telling how Old it really is since it's been laying there on the back Acreage for the last 13 Years we've owned the Property. The Man had wanted to throw it all away YEARS ago and I wouldn't let him because I knew I'd find a Purpose for it Eventually... and that Time was obviously NOW! *Winks... you know how us Hoarders of Cool Old Stuff are!*
In fact, everything came Together seamlessly so we got the Room Decorated in Record Time and we really Liked how it all looked when we were through with the Main Room! The Bonus Room was completely Painted by The G-Force, but still needs Gypsy Trims and Inventory... so that will be a Work In Progress and Hope to Open up that Room to Customers within the Week too.
Since Time was of the Essence and I was squeezing in the Showroom Overhaul with a mass of Medical Appointments and Labwork for The Man and G-Kids too... I was Jazzed when another Sweet Dealer at the Mall agreed to Sell me one of her Gorgeous Displays that I'd always Admired. It is just 'My Style' and the piece couldn't have been more Perfect for this Showroom's Vision I had anyway, so that Saved me a lot of Work to NOT have to Construct the first one... and I can add more Displays in a Similar Style as I'm Able to find the Time to Create some.
I'll be hanging my Bohemian Bling Inventory off of it eventually... both Vintage pieces and those I will Create when I have Time to devote to Jewelry Creations again. What I Love about this Display is how lightweight it is... because Believe it or not, that Gorgeous Detailed Frame is Plastic! And of coarse I Love Crocheted Lacy Fabrics so the Lining of it was PERFECTLY ME too!
And though this Display won't be for Sale... since so many Customers have asked for this Style and also my Hand-Made Gypsy Curtains that Grace the Entrance to my other Showroom, I do Plan to make some to offer for Sale too when I begin Creating. I can hardly wait to get into the Studio and begin Creating for all my Retail Spaces now that I have Room to Showcase it all. Now... just finding the Free Time to get to it is the Greatest Challenge! *Le Sigh* But Prince R already knows how to Sew and Create Adeptly so he is Jazzed to Help Gramma Create some Inventory and we'll Train the Wee Princess too. Once they recognize the Earning Potential this will have for them, as well as the 'Pickin' they Love to Help with, they'll be all over it and give Gramma some Creative Time as well! *LOL* See... there's Method to my Madness of Including them in the Process! It's the only Assurance I shall have to GET Creative Freedom whilst also Full Time Caregiving! *LOL*
Here's the 'After' Shot of that Corner... that Mirrored Trim is on the Side Wall above the Wall Map.
"Before"...
And "After"... I must say that Last Night the Young Prince exercised his budding 'Man Muscles' considerably helping Gramma schlep the larger Furnishings over here from the other Showroom! We spent almost three hours at it and now the other Showroom #114 is De-Cluttered and Re-Styled too for the Big 4th of July Sale! *Booyah!*
The Grandson also Helped Style the Entire Room and over half the Vignettes... he knows what Gramma's Vibe is and it's good Practice for him to be allowed the Freedom of Creative Expression... he did a Really Good Job! So it was more Pizza and Wings... and Goodwill Hunting Trip for Small Toys for The G-Force as Payment for all their Dedication and Tireless Hard Work as my Design Team! *Winks* You see, if I keep them Busy 'Pickin' and 'Stylin' they almost never fuss, whine or fight... they really Enjoy doing it all, so it's definitely Quality Time Shared as well.
And when we got Home at 9:00 pm the Work Continued as we Priced New Inventory that shall be Showroom Bound after Prince R's Therapy Appointment this Morning... like this Adorable Complete Vintage Retro Japanese BBQ Set!
Though Worn from Countless Years of Use at Bar-B-Ques, enough of the Vintage Adorable Retro Graphics remain to make them a Sweet 'Score' and I've Priced them Individually so that you can buy all or some of the Set. I know... some Purists would say don't do that with a Complete Set... but that would mean a more Expensive Purchase all at once and I like to give my Customers the Option of a Good Deal or just buying part of or all of a Set... I've Sold Sets quicker that way too... and my Mantra is Price it Affordably for most folks and Move it Out to make room for MORE!!! And we're not the only ones Expanding The Vision... my Friends Myko and Brett... and Pamela... also bought New Retail Spaces and are busy as Bees getting them ready... Photos to follow in other Posts... so be sure to come back for the Reveals...
Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian