Running is Good for the Heart!

Hello! Have you ever really thought about the way we use the word "running" or "run" in our everyday language? We run to the store to get some milk. We run into a friend we haven't seen in a while. We run out of time. We run ourselves ragged. We run up our electric bill while we run out of patience. We run out of excuses, we will run for our lives, and we never stop running our mouths. An idea can run amuck as we run around with our heads cut off. Sometimes we seem to just run in circles when all we really want to do is run away from it all. We will run an ad in the paper to get rid of all the stuff that seems to be running our lives. And while a politician will run in a campaign, we will run in the opposite direction to avoid talking about it socially. Before a big purchase, we will run the numbers to see if we can afford it. And if we can't, then we will usually just run our credit card and get it anyway. We run here and run there and eventually, we run out of gas. We run our kids around to soccer practice or ballet and while they play we run and do our errands. And when we rest, we watch "reruns" on TV to relax. While at work we run the rat race and tend to run away with an interesting project if we are given the proverbial ball and are told to "run with it." So with all this running around we do, it is not surprising that it was on one of my Sunday morning runs in the park that I run into a man who will become my husband someday. Little did I realize how running is truly good for the heart! :-)

Yes, I am going to tell you a little tale...the tale of the

Barber of St. Louis and the Designer.

Many months ago, on a beautiful Sunday morning, I decided to take a run in the park, as I usually do every Sunday. As I headed for Forest Park, a beautiful park located in St. Louis, I realized that I forgot my baseball cap (to cover my unwashed, messy hair) and my sunglasses (to hide my mascara-free, liner-free blurry eyes). I have never, ever ran in the park without my cap and sunglasses, but on this particular day, I forgot them both. I ran a short trail and I thought about all that took place in my life the prior two years. You see, exactly two years earlier, on this very day, my ex walked out of our home and left me and our marriage of almost 22 years. And two years ago on the day he left me, I went to Forest Park and found "my tree" and I called my sister and cried and cried and was so fearful for the future. I stayed at "my tree" for over nine hours, fell asleep under it out of sheer exhaustion and was convinced in many ways, that my life would never be the same, ever again.

And it wasn't - Thank God.

Fast forward two years and there I was, running, thinking, and thinking and running. So much had happened in such a short time. I ran two marathons, performed in a play, became contributing editor to Romantic Homes magazine, getting ready to close my store and move on to explore other opportunities, traveled to NYC, Texas, Ohio, Florida, and other places. I began my professional photography, had a new nephew, got a small tattoo (yes, really!)and did a mini triathlon. I thought of all these things as I ran through the park and how far I had come and how much my life had changed in a short amount of time.

I came upon a bench and stopped to stretch my hip, as it was a little sore. I had the volume of my ipod up loudly and I bent over to stretch out my hamstrings...then when I popped up again, I was startled because out of no where, and I mean no where, a man was at the end of my bench, stretching as well. I turned down my volume in case he asked me a question (it is common for someone to ask the location of the zoo, the art museum and so on). And it wasn't long before this man simply smiled and said,

"It feels good to stretch, doesn't it?"

I replied, "Yes, it sure does."

It was my friend, Evelyn, who, upon hearing this story, told me how profound that statement was: "It feels good to stretch, doesn't it?" Because my life has stretched so much; I stretched myself in many ways, experienced many things, and not by the stretch of my imagination did I ever think I would meet such a wonderful man at a city park bench.

His name is Randy and he was training for the Chicago marathon. I told him that I ran that race the prior year. He asked if he could jog with me and off we went on what was the first of many runs together. He told me he liked my hair (to my horror, it was not washed) and that he always liked short, choppy styles. As we jogged, I asked him what he did for a living, and he said he was a barber. I jogged, and looked up at his shaved head and pointed at it and said, "now that's not good advertising, now is it??" We laughed and little did we know that we would be teasing each other many, many more times.

Randy gave me his email and asked me to email him should I want a running partner. It was several days later I emailed him asking if we could meet for coffee. A week later we met for coffee, which turned into a pizza dinner, which turned into a movie. And we haven't stopped talking since. The second time we met was for ice-cream, a drive about town, a quick game of pool, and more coffee. The third time we met was to have a picnic in Forest Park and watch the annual Shakespeare Festival performance at the outdoor venue. However, a very heavy and sudden rainstorm had us scrambling for cover, soaking wet, laughing, and gathering our picnic basket, running to his car and headed to his home. There, he was a perfect gentleman, got me a pair of warm pajamas and we salvaged our picnic food and ate in his little University City home and watched movies. That was three weeks after knowing each other. Yes, it was like a hokey Lifetime movie, but it was real fun, real simple, and real friendship.

Much later, Randy told me he fell in love with me that evening at Shakespeare in the Park. He said that the rain was pouring down, and as we held the blanket over our heads, and as I stood there laughing and blinking water out of my eyes, he fell in love with me at that moment because I laughed at the situation instead of griping about it. I fell in love with him when he gave me dry pajamas and left the room to give me privacy and he had our picnic dinner all served on a plate when I went into his kitchen.

Okay, so you have the story of our meeting and falling in love. Let me tell you a little about this man, if you don't mind. He is a licensed cosmetologists who just happens to now cut and color my hair. He is also the new owner of the Big Bend Barber Shop and now owns his own business. He is a brown belt in karate, plays guitar, has a bass boat and loves to fish, and makes the best bar-b-Que ribs you have ever tasted! He is a romantic at heart but loves to tease. He loves to make fun of "my quirks" as he likes to say. But he takes me to the opera, even though he is not a fan. His love for God is comforting and his sincerity in doing the right thing is humbling. Basically, he is a good man. A very good man.

And the most romantic thing he has done? Six months after I met him, he asked me one day to go for a run with him, which I did and we stopped at "our bench" to stretch. It was at "our bench" he asked me to marry him and he gave me the most beautiful sapphire and diamond platinum ring in an Art Deco design. I was floored. I was even more floored when he told me that he bought the ring only after knowing me four weeks. He said he knew in his heart that we would be together forever, but he wanted to wait at least six months before he asked me. Randy has never married (and no children) and as he likes to tell me: "I waited a long, long time for you." A couple of days after he asked me to marry him, he whisked me off to Marco Island, FL to celebrate. There we walked on the beach, rested, talked, ate out, and spoke of our future together.

Over the holidays I got to meet some of his family members, and I flew him to Texas to meet mine. His family is very loving and his mother is the most generous woman I have ever met. The love she showers me with is overwhelming at times and I appreciate all that she does for me. I am very blessed to be a part of such a loving family who cares so deeply for me and I for them. My family took to Randy right away and one would think we all have been together for years. What a joy!

As most of you know, it was only last month that I endured a horrible car accident with a drunk driver and unfortunately, Randy heard the whole ordeal over his cell phone. You can read about this ordeal in my posting, "Hugged by an Angel." That wreck took a lot out of me and so many emotions went through me over time. To give you an idea of what kind of man I am in love with please let me share one more thing with you and I will then close.

It was a while before I went back to work after the car accident and I was working in my workshop, about to start a paint project. I started to look for my paint apron and realized that I had lost it in the wreck. It was in the car at the time and I forgot about it until that moment. Right then Randy called me and I started to cry and told him that amongst a lot of other items lost in the wreck was also my beloved apron (shown at left). I had that apron, covered in paint, for over 6 years. It was like a photo or an imprint of my work over the years. It saw me through some hard times and I never painted without it. I cried and cried. I was so angry and got mad about everything. He just listened patiently and told me that I am allowed to have anger over the wreck and while I am so grateful to be alive, and I know it is just a dumb apron, it is just one more reminder of what happened to me and another yet another loss.

Of course, I realize the outburst over the apron wasn't about the apron at all, but an emotional release of the fear, trauma, the near death I had only weeks prior and not finding my paint apron was just the trigger I needed to vent it all out. After I cried some more and Randy just listened, I told him I needed to get to work and assured him that I was fine and then I hung up the phone. About an hour later, Randy shows up and hands me a bag. In it...was a new paint apron. He said, "I know it isn't like your old one, but you will have paint on it before you know it." Well, you can imagine the tears that welled up again as he tied it on me and adjusted the straps for me in the back. He said he hoped I liked it and I told him that it was the best apron in the world. I know he thinks he "just gave me an apron" but he gave me so much more. What came with the gift of an apron, also came security, came love, came compassion, came no judging, came a sense of truly being accepted for who I am. I am happy to say that my new apron is now covered in paint and yes, I wear every time I paint and every time I put it on, I think of the wonderful man who gave it to me.

Thank you for allowing me to share my life with you. It is an honor to have so many who take an interest. My next post will be some "after photos" of a design project that I showed you "before" photos many months ago...so stay tuned. In the mean time, if you are lucky enough to have someone special in your life, maybe take a moment tonight and just simply tell them how much they mean to you. Not only will you fill his or her heart, but your heart will beat a little stronger too just for telling them how you feel.

From my house to your house,

Elizabeth

Hugged by an Angel

While I promised to show you a sneak peek of a photo shoot I did for the April issue of Romantic Homes, I decided to post an event that I experienced that truly touched me on many levels. I promise design photos in my next post!


Last Tuesday, December 11th, was my 44th birthday - and it very well could have been my very last one at that. Having celebrated my birthday the prior evening, I was free to do some painting work for a client. I painted a couple of bathroom cabinets at my clients' home and took the drawers and doors of cabinets in my car to be painted in my workshop. It was getting late, but I wanted to get in a short run.


I was in West County (St. Louis proper) and unfamiliar with the location of the YMCA so I called my fiance, Randy, to get directions. Yes, you read correctly - I have a fiance and I was hoping to introduce him at another time and tell you how we met and so on, and I will, but just not in this posting. I was wearing my bluetooth and listening to Randy's directions and as he directed me, he told me to look for the bridge that goes over highway 40.

I then said, "Oh! I see the sign for 40 and the bridge...." and that was the last thing I said to him.

Out of no where, and I mean no where, a car slammed into me full force on the driver's side. No braking, no slowing down. I was so shocked because I had no warning. It was as if I was calmly walking down a sidewalk, looking straight ahead, and large football player came bolting out of an alley and slammed me to the ground. I never saw it coming.

I saw headlights, bright lights coming through my driver's side window. I spun, then flipped (twice I believe) and landed upside down, smashed against the guard rail and lamp post at the side of the overpass bridge. That is the short version of what happened in a nutshell.

Now let me tell what really happened:





Upon the first impact and seeing headlights coming right at my door, I immediately, without thinking, threw both of my hands up over my face and tucked in my elbows across my rib cage and curled up my knees to my stomach - sort of like a fetal position. I held that exact position for the entire ordeal. I was shocked first, then I realized I was rolling, and then I realized I was rolling towards the edge of the bridge and I let out a blood-curdling scream because in my heart, I knew I about be tossed over the bridge and fall to my death on the highway below.

And in that split second, time seemed to stop.

As I continued to roll, I screamed in my head, "I am going to die! I am going to die!" I believed that with all my heart, that I was truly going to die in that moment. The entire time, my eyes were shut and my hands firmly planted over my face, but I still saw a very bright, solid white light. And for just a millisecond I told myself, in a very calm voice this time, "I am going to roll over the bridge, and land on the ground and will be killed instantly, and it will be over. And that is okay." For just a fraction of second, I felt a very calming peace.

I was actually okay with it being my time.



And at the very moment I was "okay" with what was happening to me, the noise stopped, the rolling stopped, and I found myself hanging upside down by my seat belt. I immediately began to shake, cry, and started screaming, "Help me! Help me! Help me!" over and over again as I listened to glass clinking to the ground. I was convinced that I was on the edge of the bridge, ready to go over any moment. The real fact is that I was at the edge of the bridge, but "safely" smashed against a very strong guard rail.

Several people stopped to help and a man unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me out of the crushed window. I was shaking uncontrollably and tried to walk, I just wanted to get away from the car. The people helping me had me lie down and they started to cover me with their coats. Then I heard my phone ringing from my smashed car. I thought, Randy!

You can see in above photo how on the other side of the sidewalk, it drops down to the highway.

Randy, unfortunately, heard the entire crash over his cell phone while he was driving home from a business seminar. He said that one moment I was talking with him and the next moment he heard the whoosh noises and banging noises. It took him about five seconds to realize what was happening to me. He said heard me screaming, then crying and then very faintly calling for help over and over and over again.





He didn't want to hang up, but he did to call 911. This dispatcher told him that the accident had already been reported and asked him, "you mean the overturned car?" He couldn't believe what she said. He called his mother and raced to wreck site and all the while, he believed I was dying or already dead. He was about 5 miles away and even at 9PM, the traffic jammed the streets. He then finally approached the bridge only to see firetrucks, ambulances, police cars flashing all their lights. As he slowly approached the scene he saw a very smashed car, upside down and thought it was someone Else's. Then with a closer look, he realized it was my car. Police wouldn't let him see me as they worked on me and he just about lost it. Some bystanders were trying to convince him I was okay, but he didn't believe them. He finally got a chance to see me on the stretcher and saw that I was awake and not bleeding. His mother pulled up, sees all the commotion and her son leaning on a bystander, crying, and of course she thinks the worse as well.






As I am loaded into the ambulance people are wondering what happened because there were no other cars involved - or so they thought. I told a policeman that I was hit. I am 100% sure of that. I never lost control of the car, as in slipping on ice (there wasn't any ice anyway) and I was hit. It appeared to be a hit and run. However, a little later, Randy saw a woman at the end of the bridge being given a sobriety test, seemingly failed, and was handcuffed and taken away. Her car was way down the entrance ramp to the highway. At this time, we do have not any official report other than she did in fact hit me. We do not have any official report stating it was a DUI or that she left the scene.





I was taken to the emergency room and the EMTs and doctors could not believe that I had NO broken bones, NO cuts, NO internal bleeding, NO broken teeth, and not even a broken fingernail. I did however, have a huge, huge lump on the back of my head, mostly likely from a gallon paint can flying about and knocking me from the back. It was (and still is) so painful that they couldn't even put a neck brace on me because it barely touched that part of my head. They did a CAT scan and it was clear. I couldn't stop shaking and I never shook like that before. The doctor gave me a couple of pain pills to calm me and to help stop the shaking.


Now I ask you: by looking at these photos, how, how, how in the world did I literally walk away from it all? I will tell you how....I was hugged tightly by an angel. And I firmly believe that. Remember when I said that upon impact that without even thinking, I covered my face with both hands, tucked in my elbows and curled up my knees? And through the entire ordeal, my arms and hands remained in that very tight position, never budging once. Had my arms and legs thrashed about, they surely would have been broken or cut up. I believe my guardian angel is the one who held my hands, arms, and legs securely around my body. No one, and I mean no person could possibly have the strength to remain in that position during such a crushing slam, hard roll and slammed against the guard rail. But I did - with help from my angel.

After I was discharged from the hospital, about midnight, Randy took me to his home. We were pretty quiet on the way home and being in a car again made me very nervous. I had several cans of paint and stain in my car when it crashed, and a lot of it landed in my hair. Randy got black paint all over himself as he tried to retrieve my briefcase, lap top, files, papers, purse and so on out of my paint-filled car. Once home, he drew me a bath and as I sat in the hot water, hugging my knees and letting my tears fall freely, Randy very gently washed my hair, careful to avoid my bump, and slowly and carefully picked all the dried paint out of my hair. It was finally quiet...there was no screaming, no sirens, no flashing lights, no people, no doctors, no IV's, no CAT scans, no questions...just me, sitting in the tub, hugging my knees, silently crying, while my wonderful fiance gently washed my hair. I will tell you about this wonderful man in another, happier, post.

Once out of the tub, Randy got in it to soak as well. He didn't have the pleasure of silence that I had. He still heard the noise, my screaming and my cry for help playing over and over in his head. He choked up and just simply said, "I thought I lost you." My tears flowed as I got a wash cloth and gently washed the black paint off his head and neck and we just stayed quiet.

It was a miracle. Only hours before I was being tossed around in my car and lying in the street with broken glass all around me, and now, here I am, clean, in a fluffy robe, eating a bite or two of my birthday cake to settle my stomach for all the medicine I took. My head was (and is) very tender, my shoulders, neck, and back are tight, but I will be fine.

Yup, Happy Birthday. I would like to think that God isn't done with me yet and I have much more to do in this world and that is why I am still here. But there is a small part of me that thinks that in that very moment, when I thought I was going over the bridge, and I felt a second of calmness, that God might have changed His mind and realized that I am just too ornery for Him to handle at this time. He probably would have a handful of people who would agree with Him as well. :-)

Life is good, but living it is better.

Please be safe and live as if there is no tomorrow - because you know, there just might not be...and I personally know that it is all okay.

from my house to your house,
Elizabeth

Really Missing You...

Note: New posting on my Shop Talk series....please check it out...

Greetings!

Oh, how I miss you all and thank you so much for the kind and concerned emails you sent me. First, please allow me to apologize for worrying you and for just falling off the radar for a bit. I have a list of reasons (or excuses as some may call them), but the main reason? I just pooped out. I had a lot of adjustments, challenges, and personal issues that came full force these last 5 months or so. And sometimes, even the most energetic, optimistic, always-seeing-the-silver-lining-kind-of-person can hit a dry spell. I was simply spent. In fact, for a while, not only "spent" but sometimes I felt a deficit as well.



In this Dec issue of Redbook magazine, Shania Twain gives an interview in which I can relate to a certain extent. I don't have the article right in front of me, but she states that while she doesn't want everyone to "know her dirt" she still wants to "remain real." I totally understand her feelings. While I always want to be "real" with you all, I don't necessarily want to share (or rather bore) you with all my "dirt."

But I will share at least some "dust" with you. Several months ago I found myself suddenly flying home to Texas after getting a call from my sister that my mother broke her back and was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease - which seemed to affect her fairly quickly. She had to move out of my brother's home and into a nursing home and will be confined to a wheelchair the rest of her life. It is also sad to "lose" your mother and yet she is still alive. While sitting with her at the hospital, there were times she didn't know who I was or why I was there. I know I am not the only daughter who ever dealt with this, but it is never easy to witness what is to only become worse with time.

My own health has been a challenge as well. I have been in chronic pain for about a year now and the last several months the pain has been sporadic at best, and extremely unbearable at worst. I am a disabled vet and part of my disability is sciatica or performis muscle syndrome (caused during training from running 16 weeks on cement in combat boots). This pain can make just sitting unbearable at times, sleeping can be impossible, and forget running - which I love to do. I have been in physical therapy several times a week for weeks now and I seem to spend more time at the doctors' than in my own home. I am not used to living in chronic pain, and those of you out there that do...God bless you...I am use to being "healthy and strong" and not having my body work in perfect order is not fun....as many of you probably know first hand.

These things, along with some additional personal challenges and other life disappointments eventually drain a person and soon sleep deprivation takes it toll. Then focus, concentration, and creativity are the first to be tested. And once focus and concentration are drained, then even the most joyous of activities (like writing this blog) seem overwhelming. So having said that, rest, recluse, and reassessing the situation are in order. And so that is what I have been doing these last months...resting, staying under the radar, and reassuring myself that I am only in a tired slump, and that like most things, it is only temporary.

I then begin to wonder if I should share this with you, or just blog a design and photo blog and pretend that I never "disappeared" for several months, and continue as before...or...should I remain real (as I always tried to be) and share with you some of my challenges I have been experiencing these last months. I decided on the latter simply because I like to share but mostly because I know there are many of you out there that enjoy reading my blog for inspiration (thank you so much) but maybe it will comfort you to know that even a creative and very energetic person such as myself has moments in which the creative flow doesn't flow so well, or the energy level can drop off, or that sometimes, life hands you situations that simply take priority.

So my dear friends, I hope I didn't lose too many of you and I want to share so many things with you in the near future! And I will share more with you in future blogs, but for now, please know that I have an article out in the Jan 08 issue of Romantic Homes magazine as well as the Feb 08 issue and the April 08 issue. Below are some photos from the Jan issue - only a few - you will have to buy the issue to see the rest! :-) I will show you a sneak preview for the April issue in the next blog. I also have plans to do another shop talk posting as well. I have other big news to share - but that will come later as well.

Thank you so much for your concern - your emails truly touched my heart. And my heart is feeling a little more rested, a little more hopeful, and a lot more happier now. I hope to come back "full force" in the new year with inspirational blogs, ideas, photos, and more.

The photos below are from my photo shoot for the Jan 08 Romantic Homes issue (on the stands now). The feature is how to have an intimate private party for two on New Year's Eve in a little corner of your home. The article called "A Moment in Time."
Please enjoy the photos!

from my house to your house,
Elizabeth
P.S. Thank you my dear Sharon for strongly encouraging me to share my challenges...and to "dip back into the inkwell" again...

Meet My New Neighbors!

Welcome to my new neighborhood!
Well, I am almost moved - not quite complete, but getting there. As I shuffle my inventory, office equipment, workshop, design studio, photo studio and personal living items to six different locations, I am determined to find time to get out and meet my new neighbors!

Okay, first, I must tell you about a little shop called Francesca's located in South City St. Louis. The address is 5400 Nottingham. Actually, we are really on Macklind Ave - a very up and coming district. I have a small presence in this little co-op which is ran by eight dealers. We are open only Friday and Saturdays from 10-4pm. My local customers may stop by and get the usual Elizabeth House items such as baby clothes, soaps, lavender and candles. These items will be available on line as well once my online store is up and running. The other dealers carry a variety of items from retro to painted furniture, to fun flea-market finds....please stop by!

I just want to share a few photos of my new space...

Signage! I get to hang up my sign and no one is taking me to court! :-)





Yes, I am still custom designing baby crib bedding. This set, which is made of silk and chenille is $575. It includes a ruffled bumper pad, dust ruffle, diaper bag, and blanket. If interested, or you would like your own custom set, please just email me at Elizabeth House.
I would like you to meet some of my neighbors just a block away on Macklind Ave. If you haven't been in this area of town in a while, you really need to see all that is going on! First, one of my favorite new spots is a fabulous coffee house called Murdoch Perk. The owner, Stephanie Seemiller, is just about the hardest working business owner you will find. I am all for supporting women business owners. And it is easy to do when the business is top notch.

I LOVE her crepes! And, she has the best gooey butter cookies in town - I promise! Oh, yes, the coffee is wonderful too. The interior is nicely designed with stained cement floors, fireplace and free wireless Internet! She also has a wonderful deck on which to eat her scrumptious Belgian waffles or Chipolte Turkey sandwich or Asian Chicken Crepe....okay, I need to stop now and call in an order - I just made myself hungry. What do I really love to get on the run? A naked crepe - yup, just a hot crepe she cooks up for me and and I roll it up and munch on it while driving to my next appointment.

Another little gem on Macklind Ave is yet another, woman-owned business. It is St. Louis' first and only Green General Store called, Home Eco. Its owner, Terry Winkelmann, along with Phil Judd, have created a store that is so environmentally friendly, you will find yourself looking for the nearest tree to hug after you leave. Do you ever feel that recycling your paper, glass and plastic is just not enough sometimes? Well, visit Home Eco and your guilty conscious will be set free! The store carries alternative fiber clothing, locally made and Fair Trade gifts, Beeswax and Soy Candles, natural flooring, renewable energy products and zero VOC paints and stains.

After you are done saving the environment at Home Eco, go ahead and treat yourself and cross the street to Manzo Importing Company, owned by the Manzo family since 1956 but has been in this location off Macklind since 1967! This wonderful grocer imports food products from Italy, Greece, and the Middle East. Pete, one of the owners and brothers of the business, is very friendly and loves to share what he knows about his merchandise - which is a lot! If you are looking for authentic Greek olives, or 15 varieties of Italian olive oil, speciality meats, cheeses or just want a deli sandwich, you must stop in! I live only a block or so away which is both good and bad, if you know what I mean....I think Pete and I will become fast friends very soon. :-)

Below are photos of other neighbors....local sandwich shops, bar and grille and a wonderful retail space that is under construction - just wanted to show you what was going on in this part of town:

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little tour of my new neighborhood. There is always something exciting about "starting again" in a new location. Yes, my house is a wreck, boxes still need to be unpacked, and I couldn't find a stamp or envelope in my office to save my life right now...but even with all the packing chaos, there comes the fun side of having new adventures, new friends to be made, new sandwiches to be tried, new running paths to learn and oh yeah, find new places to park - I live in the city after all...and finding parking near your home is an art.

I hope you find new adventures where you live too. Maybe a new store just opened not far from you? Or a new deli? There is something so wonderfully energizing about patronizing a new business. Believe me, the owners appreciate it very much. They just may be too pooped to tell you. So, set out and find a new business and welcome them to the neighborhood - and take a friend. After all, selling two sandwiches is always better than selling just one!

Thank you for allowing me to share my adventures,

Elizabeth

http://www.elizabethhouse.us/

If only I could buy an hour or two...

Is it just me, or do you also believe that you get more than 24 hours in a day, unlike the like the rest of the world? I am so pooped you can't imagine....wait....yes...I am sure you can. Like I am the only person who ever moved? Of course you know that lovely fact of life - moving. This photo is of me and my new best friend - the broom. I call her Helga. It is a sturdy name. And I lean on Helga a lot lately - mainly because my feet are tired. And dirty. And stinky, if you really want to know - I know, I know. TMI. (Too much information.)

But moving should be a snap for me, of all people because in the last 24 years, I have had 16 addresses! Some are from one country to another and some are from state to state and some are from one side of town to the other. After 16 moves, you'd think I would have it figured out. But then again, I use electricity 365 days a year for 43 years, and I still don't have that figured out either.

But, just a short update for now - as I am up to my eyeballs in boxes, files, paint brushes, bolts of fabric and deadlines. Yes, I am alive! And thank you so very much to all of you who have emailed me with your concerns and worries about me be "absent" for so long. How heartwarming to know that so many care.

I apologize for the long silence, but my technical world has been out of sorts for a bit. New office, hooking up phones, faxes, computers, Internet, wireless at that, and then a brand new cell phone and service carrier. My phone numbers can't be transferred and I have to do it all by hand - but my charger is packed somewhere in this place of mine, and I have no access to any of my numbers just yet. I've also been out of town quite a bit and in short - I just refuse to accept that I get 24 hours like the rest of the population.

But in short:

I am still living in St. Louis. I will have an online store - but that has been temporary delayed as my online store is still being "put together" and I promise, you will be the first to know when it is up and running. I have a small presence in a store called Francesca's located in St. Louis on the corner of Nottingham and Mackland (South Hampton Neighborhood). This is a wonderful little street with wonderfully new coffee house, stores, and grocers. I will post photos of the street for you. If in the area, you need to check this little section of town out. It is a co-op and is opened ONLY Fridays and Saturdays. It is brand new, and I am still in the process of stocking my space. So, my local customers can still get soaps and candles, lavender and baby items. These items will be available on line as well. I will get the actual address and photos of the space in my next blog. (It is 11PM, and I can only guess where my address book is at this time and I am too pooped to hunt it down right now....but I promise to get you information soon.)

I still paint, design bedding, drapes, and do design projects. I will still do photography as well. But it takes time to set up my office, my workshop with all my tools and equipment, my design studio, my Internet business space and of course, my living space.

Future postings to this blog will include updates on my new neighborhood, projects, before and after pictures, and yes, the after pictures of that bedroom that I posted the before photos for you. Oh, and I will post some photos of my bathroom in my old apartment. I have had that request several times now, and I finally took some time to shoot it before I took it all apart.

Well, back to work again. Helga awaits. The photo above is me in my bare studio. Moving out of this apartment is bittersweet in many ways. So many hours spent painting and designing it. So many memories. But as I stood in my empty apartment, all alone, and walked through it one more time, I felt contentment. Content that I did my best. Content that I will continue to grow. Content that my time spent in this apartment, was time well spent. As I walked down my favorite tree-lined hallway towards my apartment door, I ran my fingers across the beautiful trees that my friend, Sherrie painted for me so long ago. Along the branches I wrote in tiny, tiny letters my favorite quotes all along the limbs. My fingers stopped on a particular quote that has carried me well:

"It is never too late to become what you might have been." by George Eliot.

I thought about that for a moment and decided that whatever it is that I am meant to be, I will be it with all my heart and soul. And with that last thought, I left my apartment and trotted down the steps to the street (I never walk down stairs, always trotting). And as I pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced over to the paper-covered windows of my empty store front, and my bare balcony of my apartment and thought "it was good, really good. I am now ready for better. Much better."

Thank you for helping me to be better. Without you, being better wouldn't matter much to me.

Have a very safe and happy 4th of July. We are so fortunate to have our freedoms and our safe home. And I hope you join me in finding a way to thank a military member for their service. Without them, our way of life would be so very different. And frankly, I love my life.

from my (new) house to your house,

Elizabeth

http://www.elizabethhouse.us/

A Faint Echo Can Speak Volumes of Contentment

Hello!

I just wanted to update you on my moving up...moving on sale. It has been nice to visit and talk with my lovely customers this past week or so. At the end of the day, my voice is hoarse from calming down surprised customers who just discovered that I am leaving my location " oh noooo! You can't leeaaavvvee!!"

Once they understand that this is a good move for the business, I get smoothered with hugs, kisses, well wishes and promises to stay in touch. It is I, that is so touched. Touched by the emails, the phone calls, the visitors, and the out pour of love and wonderful memories.

I had several customers who like to talk about when I "first came to town." They like to talk about the time that I didn't even have awnings yet, or even employees! They like to talk about all the open houses I threw, the store window displays and of course, the "infamous" sign issue I have had with the city for over two years now.

They also like like to remember the numerous times that I would "pop into" the store with my paint clothes on and they didn't even know who I was...then after a while, they got use to seeing me only in my painted apron, head scarf, stained fingernails and no make-up. Later, I would be "popping into" the store all dressed up, with make-up, and then my customers wouldn't recognize me then!

While I am excited for the change, it is bittersweet - as with any change.

Excitement and worries. Energized, yet tired. Inspired and overwhelmed. Hopeful and doubtful. Looking foward, yet looking back. Tears of happiness and tears of sadness. Looking forward to the last day I am open to the public, yet dreading it as well. Excitement of the unknown and fear of the unknown. But do you want to know what I am feeling right at this very moment??

Contentment.

I am very, very content with my decision, my goals, my direction and my life. And I am going to enjoy this feeling, because for me, it is rare to enjoy the true moment. I am usually so goal-oriented, or so self-critical, or so demanding of myself, I find myself at times, planning my "moments" instead of just living the moment at hand. And you know what? It ain't half bad - meaning - being okay with just today and let tomorrow just wait for me.

Wait for me.

How often do you ever allow yourself or give yourself permission to be important enough to have someone or something just wait for you? How often do you find yourself putting yourself last? Taking care of everyone and everything first? How often do you find yourself rushing, doing, planning, working, organizing all in the name of not having others to wait on you or for you? Why is this? Are we not just as important as those we do for, plan for, and work for? Why don't we have more faith that we truly are important enough that tomorrow really will wait for us - because without us - tomorrow would be so much less...so of course it will wait for us!!

So, today, I moved out some large items from the store and I am just now starting to hear a faint echo within the walls as my store empties. No doubt, as the days pass, the echo will increase in volume and I have faith that as the volume increases, my fears and doubts will faint away - making room for more goals, more dreams, more work to be done.

But for today...I am just going to be content with a faint echo...because quite frankly...I like what I am hearing.

May the quiet echos of your life bring contentment to your heart.

from my house to your house,
Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

Christmas Open House set for December 1st!

Can you believe that it is that time of year again? It is time for Maplewood's annual Christmas Tree walk! For those of you unfamiliar with my location, my shop is actually located in Maplewood, just two blocks outside the St. Louis city limits.

What is the Christmas tree walk? All the little boutiques in the area will stay open until 9 or 10PM on Friday, December 1st. We all decorate our windows and stores and stock them with gift items. There will be a trolley, a Santa, lighting ceremony and so on. There are hundereds of people who attend this event and St. Louis Magazine voted it last year as one of the top 10 things to do in St. Louis during the holiday season.

There is a window decorating contest and most shops serve food and drink. Last year, I did the store all up for New Years' - all chocolate and gold. I served champaign punch and everything chocolate. I even had a bubble machine on my balconey over the store. The entire ceiling was covered with gold and chocolate balloons. I also had about 400 glass balls hanging from lights and chandeliers to represent champaign bubbles. It was a lot of fun.

What am I going to do this year? Well, it will be much more simpler than last year. Last year was the first Christmas as a very newly divorced woman, and I decided I just wanted to skip Christmas all together and go right into the new year...remember what I said about having a personal theme when doing your displays? Doing a New Year's theme was very personal to me last year.

Well, this year, I have another personal theme that I will explain to you after the 1st. It will be different from year's past, but it will have real meaning to me, although not clear at all to anyone else. But that is okay.

I am excited to announce that I am starting my own line of Elizabeth House Products. This first batch is for the body: Bath Infusion, Soaps, Diffusers, and Body Butter. I designed these with an artisian who uses only pure and essential oils. I will have a new posting about my products in the near future. But I am very pleased with them.

I will also have many items on sale - especially my floor sample items such as my queen bed, dining set, and mantel. I am ready to restock the store with fresh inventory, but have no room! So, on the 1st, there will be some very good deals on the bigger pieces.

I will also have some gift baskets, lavender, French Soaps, candles, sachets, hand-crafted journals, hand-crafted charms on ribbon, locally made chocolate bark in many flavors, and gift books. I will have some seasonal items, though not a lot. And all seasonal items will be on sale as well. I usually stock gift items that are different, great price point, and special.

I will be closed the Tues -Thursday prior to the Friday the 1st in order to get everything ready. I will open on Friday, December 1st at 4PM and remain open until 9 or 10PM. The elves will be busy!

I am looking forward to spending the evening visiting with my friends and clients. I use this evening to catch up on what is going on and how everyone is doing. If you are able to stop by, I would love to visit with you. I will be the one holding the champaign glass, laughing and hugging everyone!

I want to wish you all a very special Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those who know me know that it is no secret that I give my greatest thanks to my Lord for blessing me with my friends, family, health, my talents, and my ability to help others. I am eternally grateful for these gifts.

I hope you feel blessed this season as well.

From my house to your house,
Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

Chicago Marathon Update....will I race?


I have had several emails lately asking me about my progress with my training for the Chicago marathon this coming weekend, October 22nd. I appreciate it so much that you are even interested!

If you have read my blog, you will know that I did my very first marathon last March in NYC. It was so very hard, but I am crazy enough to try it again!

I have been training and eating right, but the last four weeks or so have been a real challenge. I have been living with severe pain in my left arm, hand and my left butt cheek down the back of my thigh. At first, I thought I just pulled a muscle in my thigh, but the pain is not going away with stretching and rest. My left arm and hand, I am afraid may be more serious.

In 2001 I had neck and spine surgery due to the pain in my left arm and hand. Basically a bone chip was cut from me and fused into my neck to allow the spinal fluid to flow as it should, thus relieving the pinched nerve. I had to wear a neck brace for five months. No driving! I had to sleep sitting up. It was terrible. Really terrible!

Now, about a month or so ago, the pain returns. Some nights it is so fierce that I just can't take it. I get an average of 2-3 hours a sleep a night for weeks now. (That is reason, if you look, you see several of my posting published in the wee hours of the night - I can't sleep due to the pain.) I went to the doctor last week, and she gave me a splint for my arm and some meds. Monday I go for an MRI and bone scan later this month. At the end of October I go and see a neurosurgeon.

Obviously, I am frustated, as I wanted to improve my race time. I wanted to feel good and healthy. I have ran only an average of 4 - 6 miles a few times a week the last several weeks. Not good training. I did manage to get in a 10 mile run right before the pain really set in. So what does this mean?

Well, I need to go to Chicago on business anyway. I have hotel room anyway. And I really, really want to "run" this race. So, I am going to do it. I may not finish it, or I may have to walk it, but I want to be a part of the crowd. I worked for this. I want to be inspired by all the women who are older than I and be amazed at their strength, their health, their speed, and their passion. Like everyone else, I look for and need, inspiration too.

So, just in case you are interested, my bib number is 19335. I will be starting with the group that paces about 10 minutes a mile....much slower than I want to start, but at this point, I just need to take it slow. If you log on to the
www.chicagomarathon.com I believe, I am told, that there is a way to track runners as they cross check points. I would love it if any of you are going to be in town and want to cheer on a "crickety old woman" (inside joke with my honey) and see if she can run across the finish line or not.

If this turns out not to be the race I hoped for - then there is always the St. Louis marathon or the NYC marathon. Yes, I am nutty enough to train, yet again, for another race. Why? Oh, I don't know. Maybe I just like the idea that at age 42 that I can even walk 26.2 miles, much less run it. Maybe I like pushing my body to its limit. Maybe I just need something in my life that has nothing to do with my business - something I do just for me. No one else. Just me.

Or maybe I just don't have the good sense to spend the little free time I have to take well-needed nap.

I have never been one to nap though.

Thank you again for asking. Your well wishes are appreciated and I will give you a post race posting to let you know what happens. And yes, I will let you know what the MRI says as well. And as I cross the finish line, I can tell you this: I will be thanking God for my health, I will be grateful for all that I have, I will feel blessed to have so many well-wishers and I will be needing a really good massage. :-)

from my house to your house,

Elizabeth
www.elizabethhouse.us

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

Big Leaps for Little Boutique

Just a note to let you know that my store, Elizabeth House, www.elizabethhouse.us, was selected as one of the top 50 retail stores nation-wide by the retail trade journal, Home Accents Today. My store was selected out of 23 stores in the category with sales less than a million dollars. The award reads as follows:"Try to define a Star of any kind is tough, as true in retail as any place. The star store has its own distinct personality, usually a strong entrepreneurial owner who puts his or her stamp firmly on the product mix, the merchandising and the store's role in the community. This year, the Home Accents Today's 50 Stars share all of the these characteristics, but also are fiercely independent in their approaches to retailing. We congratulate the 2006 Stars."

How exciting and what an honor to be selected. Also, congrats to my dear friend, Debbie Dusenberry for having her store, Curious Sofa, selected as well. Visit her store in Kansas City and give yourself a real treat! She is one very talented lady. Her website is www.curioussofa.com .

I feel truly inspired by so many of you and continue to challenge myself as a business owner. I thought after being open for almost four years now, things would be easier - but they aren't. New challenges, issues, and problems to solve face me every day. But living a creative life and trying to make a living from it has its worries and its rewards. I choose to focus on the rewards.It is my dream that one day I will be a true inspiration for other women searching for their creative side and living their passion. I have been inspired by many women who shared their wisdom and encouraged me when I felt defeated.

I hope someday that one of you will write me or (or call into my national design show!) to tell me how much I inspired you to live your dreams as well. Someday, I hope to be in a position of not only inspiring others, but to actually be able to help make those aspirations a reality. Who knows? Maybe that will really happen.For now, we creative women need to support and give to one another as we continue our journey.

Basically, we all have same need: we just want to be accepted for who we are. The challenge? To discover who that person is. I am up for a challenge, are you?

from my house to your house,
Elizabeth