I am grateful for:

My insatiable need to cobble, fiddle with, modify, improve, change nearly every object I come in contact with.
My close friends; plentiful, gracious, supportive and brilliant.
My family who are a constant source of joy, love, hilarity and comfort. They are my anchor, without them I'd be adrift.

The joy I get from pursuing my many passions.
The weather, all of it.
The smell of clean bleached sheets as I crawl in to bed for a long night of sleep; the calm before the Atlanta Storm.
The dreams I will have tonight, the places I will go, the fantasies of living my life to the fullest as I do in my dream world.
I keep journals for things I'm grateful for. Thanks for reading this random assortment.

And now, a little R&R.

I finally am having a couple of days of breathing space, getting caught up on rest & chores and generally enjoying not feeling so under the gun.
Trip to the Awesome Junk Compound!
Here's the office where they tally up what all your wares cost and you pay cold hard cash on the barrel head, or the table you just bought.
Although I'm partial to overcast, moody, cozy soulful weather, I did enjoy this sunny February day in all its blue-skied splendor.
This junk compound is way up a country highway from Charlotte, it is gorgeous up there. Would make fantastic horse country.
I can't express through this humble blog the enormity of this place. Once again, another sensory overload with color, texture, shape, composition and light that delights every which way.
As a woodworker I am completely enamored of wood carvings, wanting to take each one home and just clean it up a little, rub in some oil or a coat of wax to really bring out the rays in the Spanish beech or white oak, the mahogany's chatoyancy...just enough to let it sing.
There were so many pieces I wanted to bring to next month's Atlanta Market, but I am careful about what to invest in; many of these pieces I would be able to do no less than professional quality restoration on, thus setting my self up for a financial loss....but I'm certainly still learning the ropes of being a dealer rather than a restorer.
Next time I have an idea involving spool beds I'll know just where to go!
This is a gorgeous white oak headboard & foot board with what appears to be a monkey face carved on top! It had some serious lamination and veneer problems on the bottom panel that in truth I'd love to address.... the mantra that my woodworking mentor Mr. Alan Williams oft repeated to me "Dusti, this is not a museum quality piece" comes to mind and I focus on things that don't need as much attention. P.S. My other favorite Al quote is "Dusti, don't make a career out of this piece!"
Cool stuff errywhere...
"They're creepy and they're cooky, mysterious & spooky, they're all together ooky..."
But they sure had good taste in furniture & objets d'art! Doesn't this look like an Addams Family bed?
I did pick out two things, one for revamping & selling and one for my own selfish greed (rubs hands together).
More pictures to follow!

Pilgrimage to Chattooga

Every month on the way home from Atlanta, my sister & I try to stop by the Chattooga and recharge, reflect and refill our spirits in the cold & swift waters of this Georgia river.
It is an absolute paradise and it has me spoiled. The Laurel crawling all over these foothills envelopes you in its Magnolia-like deliciousness. The constantly wet woodland floor is magic, I always want some in a terrarium. If I had my 'druthers, the floor of my entire house would be covered in the layers, textures, colors and fragrances of these woods by the river.
Everywhere you look is abundance and richness to delight all six senses.
As we watch the reflected light of the setting sun upriver I can't help but reflect on the progression of my life since our last pilgrimage to this sacred place...
I get camera-greedy with the waning sun, trying to snatch up as many photos as I can while what little light remains.
This was February 13th, just before Valentine's Day. It was almost too dark to shoot when I spotted this naturally occurring heart shape in the Mica flecked sands under the clear, cold water.
When I think of how my life will have unfolded by next year's Valentine's day, my heart swoons...
World Domination is coming together nicely.

Vintage Persian Rugs

Doing Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta monthly has allowed me to meet so many fascinating characters and have access to their extensive knowledge of their trade.
Brandi & I got to have a behind the scenes look at our friend Jubin Tavakol's new showroom on Atlanta's prestigious Miami Circle.
I can not describe the layers and layers of color, texture and patina that makes these works of art so rich.
I just took lots of photographs.
Jubin is a master of his trade (in addition to holding his MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University in San Francisco) and can walk you through the specs, origin, history and provenance of each piece in his showroom, leaving you wanting to see more.
The walls are all linen white, the concrete floors finished in a clear gloss, the ceiling is black and holds rows of incandescent spot lights which all serve as the perfect backdrop for the neat piles, stacks and rolls of fine are. Walking on one literally gives you the feeling that you're rich beyond your wildest.
I couldn't resist one vain self portrait with this work of art as my background.
Here Jubin weaves a tale of this Tribal beauty that was once at auction at Sotheby's.
Towards the end of the viewing there were rugs flopped out all over the floor, rugs rugs rugs rugs!
Brandi & I were held captive in this museum environment and enjoyed every minute.
Jubin's new office, towards the back is equally as tasteful and rich as the showroom itself.

He was a most generous host and indulged our every whim, question and spastic episode of laughter shared throughout the visit. His hospitality, taste, eye and work ethic will surely bring "many blessings" as he always says.
What a bunch of characters I am so lucky to know! I'm truly blessed.

Harlan McKenna Designs World Domination Part III Act I

I just finished our third consecutive month at Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta GA!
Harlan McKenna Designs is of course the business my sister Brandi McKenna (Of She's Off Her Rocker) and I have been working hard at. Things are lining up in place and we've got everything right where we want it!
This month our booth was about twice the size as last month and we brought much more to our space. It was delightful finding out what works, what doesn't what we want, where we want it to go, what we want to create.
Here is an ATLAS jar with little tidbits of nature inside, one of a pair of vintage industrial lamps with a killer patina, a landscape by my Dad Dennis Pearson that perfectly captures the setting sun lighting up the pines at the Farm, all in front of a Depression Era vanity mirror.
Here is a small French Provincial drinks table that I painted my own Frenchy light blue and Brandi painted the soft landscape on three panels all the way around. She did a beautiful job of designing and painting a Rococo shaped decorative frame around the landscape.

Here is one of my favorite trumeaus I made with Brandi's painting and my woodwork and hand carving. See my reflection? Okay, now see the gentleman standing next to me? That's Robert who is the self proclaimed "Mayor Of This Place" (and after 20+ years he is) but we call him Grumpy Bear. He has a thriving business or two, one of which puts him at Scott's every month offering up some really stunning pieces to people of taste. This is our second time being his booth neighbor and we look forward to feeding him more yummy baked goods, mixing up Greek yogurt, berries and almonds and serving it to him in a pewter goblet, listening to him tell tales of working in the graveyard for his father's mortuary business as a kid, watching his twinkley eyes dart side to side and his left eyebrow twitch when his gears are turning, taking his sage advice and agreeing with him when he says "See? I told you so! What'd I tell ya? I told ya he was gonna bore-ass ya to death over here!". He really enjoys saying "What'd I tell ya?"
I told him we're going to make him a Mayor's sash. You know the kind, like in the period movies? I want to dress him up in really pimpin' WWI era Mayor's regalia and photograph him so bad! He would look super cool photographed like that in sepia or black & white. I'll have to ply him with more treats but just you wait...
Here is a little Colonial Revival vanity I've been working on, all set up in our booth.
Here is the rack where we display Dad & Connie's paintings. Connie is Dad's girlfriend of 20 something years, so "girlfriend" isn't the right word. She's a member of the family and a fabulous artist.
Here's one of my favorite lamps and an Art Deco urn in front of one of Connie's still lifes.
After I cut up my home made brownies and fudge and arranged it all pretty under my best cake cover, I attached this sign as an afterthought.
If I had a nickel for every time someone stopped to look longingly at the tasty treats, I'd be rich right now! We did give them away to our booth neighbors (who really enjoyed them) and I am a softie for anyone who looks like a Dad and wants one, so I was flexible with my own rule. After lots of cutting up with Grumpy Bear I was mightily pleased to see him helping himself whenever he pleased. I said "Oh that means you really like us now!"
He likes us enough to hire us to paint this bed on site! It was this 60's, distressed French yellow and it really looks better in this photograph than it did in real life. So this is the "before" shot.
And here is the after! The photo doesn't do it justice. We did a 4 step painting and glazing process to build a soft and rich patina in silvery-blue hues that was subtle enough to allow the strong lines of the piece take center stage.
We had a marvelous trip and it can't be covered by one blog post. So please, be patient and "stay tuned" for the next installment of HM Designs World Domination!

T-6 days...

We leave for our next show in 6 days! As you may or may not know I am a vendor at Scott's Antique Show in Atlanta the second weekend of every month. Together, my sister Brandi & I are planning the design world's domination!
Last year my landlord came in my house, looked around and said "Are you an antiques dealer?" because I had a lot of work, furniture and stuff at home in various stages of repair. I replied "Sort of, I do antique restoration." I thought about it long after he left though..."Why not? Why not be an antiques dealer", after all I draw furniture and objets d'art to me like a magnet. Why not make that my job?
Above is a beautiful Colonial Revival piece I bought over a year ago for a "song" as they say. It needs a little TLC and I am the person for the job. Now the trick is to identify and address the important problems without "making a career out of this piece", as my wood mentor Alan Williams was always telling me. "Dusti, don't make a career out of this piece" and "Dusti, this isn't a museum quality piece!". Just like my high school art teacher Mrs. Vanhecke was always asking me "Dusti, is this piece over worked?" True, it's my fondest wish to go full OCD on everything and obsess on every detail, but to make a profit you have to know the finer points of prioritizing repairs and getting the biggest aesthetic bang for your labor buck. I've just about got it.
Here is a sneak peek of some wares I've conjured up for next week's show. The Louis Phillipe mirror and antlers are not going, they're a permanent part of my collection. I have lots & lots of pairs of really gorgeous lamps. Lamps are like the jewelry of decorating and I have a weakness for them.

Here is a shot of "Our embarrassing snack evidence" as Brandi put it at last month's show! I think it was coconut cake and fruit or something. It was worth the embarrassment. This time we really will bring more food of our own so we don't raise our cholesterol just by being there.
We've got a solid tradition going of Brandi "Vanna White-ing" our wares. As she says "I can really ham it up huh!"
We sold this sweet little piece to an Atlanta designer for her own house. I had to get a picture of it with its "SOLD!" sign.
The previous two times we had only trumeaus and paintings. This time we have a nice array of console tables, lamps & lighting and an assortment of crystal & silver to draw in the customers. I'm thinking you have to present a booth chock full o' goodness to draw people into the orbit of your fanciness. We must create an irresistible pull of style.
This is our new friend and an anchor dealer at the show Jubin, the Persian rug dealer. Last time we went out for pizza & beer after Saturday's show and then off to see his old & new showroom at Miami Circle in the fanciest part of Atlanta's dealer area. His new showroom is much bigger and will get more street traffic, surely it will bring him many blessings indeed! He has been extra nice & helpful to us, sending his return customers our way and sharing insider knowledge.
The antiques market has a fascinating sociological group of traveling "antique gypsies" as I've come to think of them. Some do the circuit all year long: Atlanta, Texas, California, Las Vegas. That is a bit too far and wide for me, but I'd love to go to them all just once and make my own documentary!
Alas, so many good ideas, such a short life.
I better go get back to it! Be sure to enjoy every day.