The Adventures of Elizabeth

Elizabeth House meets Chicago!







Well, I finally took my own advice. Remember how I advised about Dream, Plan, then Do? Well, this Chicago venture has been in the planning stages for about a year and finally it was time to "just do it."

Elizabeth House has expanded and now housed in an upscale gallery called Vintage Pine, located in the Lincoln Park district. Very "warehousey" area of town, but yet, only two blocks from Crate and Barrel, Anne Taylor, Bed Bath and Beyond and more.
The address is 904 Blackhawk. The website for Vintage Pine is www.vintagepine.com. Now, the website is not representative of what they have to offer and they are working on updating the images. However, the site will give you directions and contact information should you find yourself in Chicago.

This first post of my Chicago adventure is about passion. Here you see the "before" shot of the space. It is very small, about 20 x 20. However, my very first space I ever had, located in Texas, was only 5' x 8' and little did I know that my "hobby" would someday turn into having a space in Chicago! But I digress. Back to passion. Those of you who know me know that I can "see" things very, very clearly way before it ever happens. I just knew this little space could be something special. And while my life may seem "glamorous" it really is anything but. These photos were taken about 10PM after a very long day of prepping, painting, taping, aging, and countless times up and down a ten foot ladder. I will say though, my passion for what I do and how I express myself, makes me feel glamorous, even in my paint clothes. Why? Because, in my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone in their element, doing what they do best, and loving every minute of it.

Look at very young children...how beautiful the little girl is who is so very content coloring in her coloring book and quietly humming as she does it. She does it so effortlessly, with confidence. She doesn't hesitate at which crayon to pluck from its box - she just knows which one. And when she is done, she confidently shows her art to her mother, who in turn, proudly posts it on the fridge with a special magnet. I guess I could say that you, special readers, are my special magnet to which I proudly post the results of something I planned for, dreamnt about, and then confidently hummed and navigated my vision into a reality. As we age, our "box of crayons" get more complicated. Criticism, examination, and doubt prevent us from just "plucking from our box of crayons" with confidence.

Thanks for letting my "post" my creation for you to see. And remember, we all get a box of crayons...we just need to remember to color our passion once in a while. Next posting will be my "after" photos!

from my house to your house,

Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us