Dream Come True!

Finally!! I can finally tell you what I have been dying to tell you for months now! I am so excited that I couldn't even sleep last night.

I just got my advanced copy of my first book that I ever styled and photographed! Quilts from The House of Tula Pink.

And in honor of the advance copy, I am writing this post in pink!

I have so much to tell you and so many stories that go with this book, that I don't even know where to start. So for today, I will just share some quick pics that I took when I tossed the book down on my table and snapped the pics so I could show you. I don't even have any PR materials to upload yet. I didn't even wipe the crumbs off my table, as you can see, I was so excited!! I am so very honored to be a part of this book. I hadn't planned on writing about this book for about a month, as I was told to wait, but then I suddenly started to get congratulation emails from some people who didn't know a thing about it...and I wondered how in the world did they know? Then I discovered that Tula Pink finally announced the book...and I thought...I better let my readers know about it now! 

Before I go into some of the details, I first must thank some very key people. First, I want to thank Nancy Soriano who recommended me to the publisher for this job. It all started out way back when I attended the book signing in NYC for Where Women Cook, and Nancy approached me (I was floored that she even knew who I was) and told me that she may have a project for me the following spring. That was I all I knew. I am so grateful that she and the F & W Media team took a chance on me and hired me to do this job. By the way, if you haven't been to Nancy's site, you MUST stop over...it is fantastic!

Next, I must thank the publication team that I worked with personally, Kelly Biscopink, and Julie Barnett, for giving me complete freedom in my choice of location, styling, and shooting style. Having never met them before, they gave me complete control of the shoot and provided only technical direction of what shots were needed for the quilt projects. Everything else they trusted to me completely, and for that, I am so very grateful.

I have never met, nor spoke to the author and designer-extraordinaire, Tula Pink. I will admit, if I designed such fabulous quilts, I am not sure if I could just turn them over to a complete stranger for several months and let her shoot them without not even knowing what in the world she is doing with them or if she even gets my vision. But she gave me complete control over her babies, and because she had a name for each of them, I felt a bond with them and finding a "home" for them in each setup was not hard to think of. (Now accomplishing it is a whole different story....)

Finally, I have to say, in all honesty, if it weren't for Debbie McReynolds, Renee Gaska, and Cindy Engelhart, and Rusty at Forever Antiques, this shoot would have never happened - ever. Seriously. These gal pals, business women, (and Rusty) came through when I really needed them. They let me hold their items hostage (more on that later), they gave me keys to their homes and businesses so I could just come in take what I needed, when, and they put up with my crazy hours, fearful days, and encouraged me when I thought I just would not be able to do some of the things I eventually got done. They will be forever in my heart and a big part of this beautiful book.

Like I said, I have so many, many funny and amazing stories to tell, but for today, I just want to show you how excited I am and share with you what I have sitting right next to me as I type this. The book will be available in April, I believe. And I hope to have a button on my blog and WEBSITE soon. Yes, my website was supposed to be done by now...so very excited... but my web guy is waiting for updated software to come in from the company so I wait....I am thhhiiissss close to finally having my website done!

But for now, please take a look at Tula's book. Her quilts are just super amazing...and I'm not even a quilt person. Tula designs fabrics that aren't "grandma" and she is super cool...go look at her site and you will see. 

Thank you for letting me share my joy with you. I so appreciate it and appreciate you...

A special thank you to Tiffany and Alan Smith who lent me their barn for the day...total strangers. I just knocked on their door and moments later, I was unloading my car....a story for later.

Don't you just love the little graphics, font, and the little stitching graphic that Julie and Kelly chose for the layouts? They are perfect, I think. Very talented editors...

I just love the font that they chose and graphic print...

Isn't this little stitching graphic perfect?

Over the next few weeks, I hope I don't bore you, but I will be showing some photos that weren't used, as well share some behind the scenes photos and tell you some really interesting stories and how I felt during those hot months that I shot in this abandon building...and what I experienced.

Oh...you didn't think I forgot about my wonderful barber husband, did you? You've heard of saving the best for last, right? I must thank my fabulous BETTER half for not only loading and unloading many truck loads of furniture...but for putting up for my many bad moods after many hot days in the sun, for my cranky long nights at the computer, and for my many,  many nights of not being home to make dinner or keep him company for my being on the road. He and I don't always do well under stress, but he sticks around and deals with it and for that, I am most grateful. I love him so much. 

Best of all? He plops down next to me on the sofa, positions the lamp just so...and slowly turns each page of my first book and points at each photo as if it is the first time he's ever seen it(and believe me, it isn't) all the while making me feel like Annie Leibovitz.

from my house to your house,