Ending 2012 in Faith

Finishing up 2012 today with 

paperwork

filing

organizing

and reflecting about how I can improve and grow 

in

 2013

There's always a sense of starting fresh and doing a better job in the new year.

It's human nature to believe we will grow and improve

and become better with age and wisdom

If

 2013

brings personal challenges

(and you know it will)

I'd like to think I'm more prepared to handle them with a modicum of grace

less panic

less stress

less fear

more assurance

that in the end, all things will work out as they are meant to.

Sunday

in church service

my pastor spoke of the storm the disciples faced in their boat on the Sea of Galilee.

You know

the one that was raging

 while 

Jesus

was

 asleep

in the boat.

He spoke of storms that we're meant to ride out, 

because those trials test our faith

and bring us growth, endurance, maturity

and

greater faith

I've experienced

 many

 of the

 challenges 

life can throw at a person

and struggled through a fair number of trials

and

have come to believe 

that

God

is here

He's participating in it all

very close at hand

watching and guaging and coaching

and

hedging me about

and

providing and comforting

and

delivering

and

tenderly

discerning

what 

I

will

face

I'm thankful for the trials I have missed

due to His action of moving me out of the way.

Some folks have faced things much harder and more profound, 

and not because they deserve any tougher trials that I do.

I'm just

saying

I'm thankful

in

hindsight

for those 

He has allowed me to walk through

and

survive.

They grow us up

and

change us

and

sand off some 

rough edges

but

most importantly

they 

have taught me

that

nothing

is

uncontrolled

when we are relying on His grace and asking for 

His

guidance 

and 

direction.

My

 faith

 continues to grow

and

2013

will will be a year of growth

Road Trip Again!

I'm off on a

 road trip

 for a week

scouting the Midwest to see what

treasures I can find

for 

you!

Over the last 35 years in this business,

I have heard a million times,

"Ohhhh . . . you have the perrrrfect job!

That's what I want to doooo . . . ."

And

you know what?

They're right!

I DO 

have the perfect job!

I love my job.

I love traveling,

 searching,

 prowling through barns and attics . . . 

buying,

and

meeting wonderful folks

all over the country!

I love the thrill of the hunt

and

the surprise of what I might stumble

onto . . . 

Such a surge of adrenaline when I come upon some

 especially lovely item

 I never expected to find!

Pitter-Pat . . . Pitter-Pat

I love the excitement of packing my bags and loading the gear necessary for a road trip!

Trailer

totes

blankets

packing supplies

magnifying glass

M&M's

magnets

silver polish

bungees

and

a Thule

 on the top!

Hat

sunglasses

Wellies

rain gear

sunscreen

you name it - I may need it on any given journey!

I've been chased by tornadoes

swept off the road in high winds

rained out

mudded in

sunburned

barked at

chased

startled by snakes

tickled by mice

and

followed by strange men.

Or was that "tickled by strange men" ?

(Heck - I've bought antiques from some pretty strange men!)

Hi Mike - not you . . . 

There's a wonderful sense of anticipation as I set out on the road to hunt for treasure.

I have developed a network of friends and suppliers

 across the country

and

come to know a lot of wonderful folks who

share my obsession.

(Guys with 6 huge sheds full of who knows what.)

AND

I recently bought from a gentleman who'd been on the American Pickers T.V. show.

Before I leave town

I make a few calls

to determine who's got some fresh finds

and

plot my journey

accordingly.

It's pretty common for one picker to send me on to another,

so the trail can meander somewhat . . . 

but it's all good.

I may find things at auction or in someone's barn or attic.

There may be some farm sales

or

flea markets

or

junk shops.

You name it, I've shopped it.

There is a kinship among the group

and

I find I can be invited home to supper

or to share a glass of iced tea on the porch

as likely as not.

We may sit late and swap lies

or

keep on prowling by the light of a lantern.

It's always fun.

This trip is extra special

because my daughter 

Kellie

(who is my new partner)

is joining me on the trip.

We'll enjoy the camaraderie

and

kinship

as well as

the

journey!

I'll be back next week with a big truckload 

of sweet antiques for you to see

so

stay tuned!

I never know what I'll find.

I may head out with a desire for French Country

 or primitives

but find instead that I come upon a wealth of industrial chic

or

Italian Florentine and crystal chandeliers!

As the saying goes . . . 

"The worst day antiquing is better than the best day working!"

DWELL ANTIQUES & HOME

I've been keeping busy 

preparing for the new shop

DWELL

Antiques and Home

and

maintaining the quality and quantity of inventory

at

PATINA

Antiques and Home

and

neglected to sit down and share the journey

with you my

friends!

The delightful daily process of

 hunting, examining and choosing

 beautiful and soul nourishing treasures

 could 

consume all my waking hours!

THE JOURNEY

toward creating a shop

is more than

 licensing, legal documents,

 leases, list making,

 signage, 

contracts, 

operating agreements, corporate docs and construction.

It's more than

stress,

financial statements

and

restless nights.

It's even more than choosing 

the flavor of inventory

style

and

personality of your shop.

It's about 

making life decisions

and long term commitments

and

choosing

to

lock into a lifestyle

that,

once chosen,

is

there to be lived with

day in and day out.

Like marriage or child bearing,

these decisions

change your life,

for a 

long, long, long time.

There are no vacations from retail.

No

 "unsigning"

 of long term leases,

no

divorce from obligations

no way to 

opt out.

WHEW!!!!!

I've lived for 35 years in a retail lifestyle.

Owning a small business is an everyday challenge.

The shopkeeper's holidays are geared around 

what customers desire

and

the hours they prefer to shop.

Price competition from the big guys is unbelievably fierce.

Consumers cannot always afford to make a choice to own

 a one of a kind, 

handmade or antique item,

 when a mass-produced lookalike is readily available at a fraction of the price.

(Who could blame them?)

That said,

I would not dream of any other approach to life.

I have chosen who I am comfortable being.

I have chosen to be content with a small portion of the retail pie.

To present a tiny portion of the population 

with a

  small and select range of wares 

which I hope will

 enhance their live and nourish their spirit.

Limiting?

Challenging?

Thought provoking?

Time consuming?

(Questionable logic?)

Yep!

Worth it?

As the saying goes,

"PRICELESS"!

If you know me, 

you know that my life revolves around my belief system.

Being a blessing to

God

family

all others

then,

working hard to do my best 

to be self sustaining

and

to have something left over to give away.

I'm sharing with you because many ask.

. . . . YES . . . .

The new shop is coming along,

slowly

but no doubt in perfect 

time.

Prayers !

Neutral Position

I've been collecting textiles and other items of interesting texture 

since I was about . . .

well,

never mind how long,

but 

for a

  really

long time.

I'm a lover of textures,

and this, 

possibly,

is why I live in a world of

limited color and pattern.

Many of us collect "things" and then struggle to find the way to show these "things",

without being over run with clutter.

Containment, organization and appropriate display

are not always easy.

Harmony is delicate . . . requiring a trained eye.

A subtle and limited color palette is one solution.

I'm currently

in love

with

concrete

putty

dirt

mud

stone

and similar

"greige"

shades of taupe - y

grayish

brown.

These

 "dirty", 

muddied tones 

are

simple and calm.

Easy on the brain.

They are found everywhere in nature.

They are the neutrals I'm using in many spaces

and

 upon which

I am able to display

many collected treasures.

I find my eye searches for 

innuendo and detail

in this neutral palette.

Weathered 

barn wood

galvanized metal

river rocks

gray seashells

heather

flax

twiggy bird nests

Ahhhh . . . 

More Random Thoughts

As I continue the work of opening another shop in south Denver

I have moments when I wonder

just

how I think I'll ever be able to accomplish everything

that

I 

need

 to accomplish

in

life.

I'm not talking about the biggies

********no*******

I'm talking about the daily chores

 of

laundry

and

housework

and 

having my car serviced

and

keeping up with 

shredding junk mail.

Hair cuts

and

dentist appointments

and

birthday parties

for

my

grandchildren.

I have a plan.

I'm going to give up housework.

........No........

my mother would never approve of that.

I 

AM

taking advantage of 

buying

bakery bread

instead of 

pulling out the breadmaker.

Great Harvest is just across the street from 

my existing shop

and

they are awesome.

Some days I believe I COULD live on bread alone.

OK, and some butter.

A

 LOT

 of butter please.

I have tried to get off all the junk mail lists,

but,

they keep sneaking up on me,

filling my mailbox with

more catalogs

and

insurance offers

and

restaurant

fliers.

If I had the time

I'd do something creative with all that paper - 

like

 weave baskets.

But

I'd rather go on an

 antique buying trip.

So,

I continue trying to simplify life and multi task

and shred

and occasionally

sleep.

My game plan is like this:

1.) Spend one day a week just enjoying family and church.

(Also perhaps, a little nap.)

2.) Whenever possible, have a second cup of coffee in the morning.

(This may involve that bakery I was mentioning . . . )

3.) Relax each evening before bed with a good book.

I'm scheduling an hour into my plans.

4.) Go for a walk.

(Or sit still and envision myself going for a walk.)

5.) Do you think I can entice my grandchildren to clean my house???

5.) Give up trying to shred the mail and just trust that no one wants my identity.

I sometimes put it in the trash and then clean out the fridge on top of it.

If anyone has the strength to sort through that - more power to them.

6.) Stop fretting about being organized and clutter-free 

and just do what I feel like doing.

There,

I have more energy already!

July 4th

Happy July Fourth

to

all 

Americans

everywhere

!!!!

Have a real celebration today and remember what America was founded upon.

See Our Brand new Store

Yes . . . 

I'm back to blogging again

following a hiatus 

while I recovered from the best show I've ever had!

Old Glory 

Rocked

!!!!!

The new venture I've been working on was premiered at the show:

Dwell Antiques & Home

It was a huge success, and the compliments were awesome.

SO,  
MY ANNOUNCEMENT:

With new partners Kellie Brown and Melanie Everhart,

Joy will be opening
 a second shop!

DWELL ANTIQUES & HOME

While I continue to grow and upgrade my inventory 

at

PATINA ANTIQUES & HOME

in

Greenwood Village, Colorado,

we three will create a fresh and innovative shop

in the same neighborhood.

(Yep - Joy will be at both locations)

As you may imagine, this is quite a challenge

with the beautiful boutiques and antiques shops already in the area!

We're working hard to design a store you'll want to visit on a regular basis.

We want to energize and excite you.

We want to be the place you visit whenever you have the urge to be inspired!

It is our dream to present you with a joyful environment
where you can breathe in the ambience
and release all the stresses

bask in a peaceful and pleasant
shopping experience

and have your spirit refreshed
*!*

We are juggling the brick and mortar facility

and

our website/online store

as

we prepare
this
special place.

There are weeks and weeks of preparation before we'll be ready. . . 

but

we're working hard for you!

Travelling

Buying

Inventorying

Designing

Painting

Sewing

Sanding

Polishing

(you get the picture)

I'll keep you posted, right here . . . 

and,

you can follow us at the
Dwell blog

http://www.dwellantiques.com

Come Visit!

http://www.dwellantiques.com

Don't Miss The Fun

Joy says:

"Find a way 

to get to the show!"

Old Glory Antiques Fair

this weekend

Clement Park

Colunbine neighborhood

Friday 9-5

Sat 9-4

(I'd get there at 8:30 Friday morning, 

if I was you)

Best Show!!

Best Dealers!!

Best Antiques!!

Best get there!!

Don't miss the fun!!

What Is This Woman Up To Now???

It's a little confusing, but I'm just one person, 

attempting to do several things at the same time, 

and to do them all correctly

 I've become something like an onion.

There are suddenly many layers of Joy.

My legal business status

 is my limited liability company

called

Antiques by Joy.

(Hence, the blog you're reading . . . 

http://antiquesbyjoy.blogspot.com)

and 

Antiques by Joy

on facebook. 

As 

Antiques by Joy

I do business in several locations.

I have a delightful shop in a sweet neighborhood 

in which I sell all the treasures I search out and drag home.

The shop is called

 PATINA ANTIQUES & HOME.

(you may follow Patina on facebook . . . )

My friend Deb and I have filled Patina

 to the brim

and

it's got it's limitations.

Size-wise,

and parking lot-wise.

We have the perfect clientele,

and we love them oh so much!

They support us and love on us

and 

it's a happy

life.

But growth,

in this case,

requires additional space.

The landlord said, 

"no . . . you may NOT raise the roof to add a second floor".

"No."

So, 

I am opening another shop called

DWELL ANTIQUES & HOME

{like us on Facebook too!}
not so very far away from

 Patina.

Now, 

Antiques by Joy

will be doing business 

in

two locations.

That's not so complicated.

You'll have even more fun shopping in 

two stores

that are filled to the brim with

found objects

naturals

antiques

home furnishings

and

luxurious treats!

******

There will be two new partners joining

 Joy

at 

Dwell Antiques & Home.

Melanie Everhart

and

Kellie Brown

which gives

 Dwell

 a new and exciting flair

......and......

 a fresh slant on providing

 an awesome shopping experience for you.

We believe you're going to like what we three are cooking up!

and . . . you can follow us 

on facebook 

and on our blog.

Until we're open in our brick and mortar shop,

you can see us at the 

Old Glory Antique Fair

Friday June 15th and Saturday June 16th

at

Clement Park

in the Columbine neighborhood;

and keep up with us at

dwellantiques.com

Hunting and Gathering

It's early, but I'm on the road again

to seek and gather

some timeworn 

mellow

patina



It's what I do.

dwell antiques & home

The news is 

big

and it's good!

I have been working alongside

 my friend

 Melanie Everhart and my friend, (and daughter), Kellie Brown,

for some time,

 to develop a fresh design concept 

and venue

called

DWELL

We are proud to share our joyous news

with you today . . . 

dwell antiques & home
@

dwellantiques.com

For the moment, dwell is a concept, 

without a brick and mortar

home,

but our new location will be announced very soon.

We ladies have put together a business plan we're proud to share,

and we hope you'll follow us on facebook

and on our blog

until our sweet shoppe is open.

We're out collecting and compiling and editing,

(and doing our happy dance)

and

will share more details with you in a day or two!

Thankful!