In The Park....From The Start

In March of 2010 I moved to Massapequa Park NY with my husband and my 20 month old son.  I didn't know much about the area other then the rent price was right. We took our first walk in town when the weather got nice, taking in the area, visiting stores etc.  We past by a store, Yours To Treasure, that had a cute little sign in the window...it said "Massapequa Park.  Home is where your story begins."  I got to chatting with the store owner who asked.....Are you in Massapequa or "In the Park"?  I laughed and said I guess "In The Park"  I didn't realize there was a huge difference.  She said to some people there is, she mentioned she had no idea there was a difference either till she too move "In The Park".  It was funny, I was happy, I started frequenting her store often.....and then later realized she lived 2 houses down for me.

In the Summer of 2013 I was at my wits end.  In the three years that passed I had 2 more children, my husband had lost his job a couple times, my son was diagnosed with Autism, we had debt up to our eye balls....I could go on.  I had always been crafty, I can crochet, for a while i made baby headbands and diaper cakes I became a senior consultant with Thirty-One, but it was never enough and we were stuck.  I couldn't afford to go back to work full time and my husbands schedule was never permanent so I couldn't even figure out a part time job.

One night I was laying on the couch telling my husband how I see furniture in great condition on the curb all the time and how we should pick it up and sell it at a garage sale as is for $10...whatever it was because $10 was better then nothing.  As much as I believed the idea was golden I was still unsure.  If you know me, you know that I have a deep rooted belief in God and signs from him.  For 2 years I had been in search of window panes from an old house to make into mirrors or wall decorations.  I had thought they would be great to sell if I started this business, but again, I was flip flopping and doubting myself.  On my way to a friends house I took a wrong turn.....I was on this dark road semi freaking out asking God to help me out here when out of the corner of my eye in the garbage were THREE Windows, in perfect condition.  I snatched them up and took it as my sign to start this business up....I later had an amazing woman from church offer me 14 MORE windows she had in her garage!  God is good!   It was then the wheels started spinning......Just like Stress and Pressure turn Coal into a Diamond.....Stress and Pressure turn an Idea into "In The Park"

My First Before and After

 I decided my best bet was to Paint furniture I found or that was donated to me because then I could charge a bit more then $10.  I took the name from that encounter I had with my neighbor and built a Facebook Page.  I started painting little things here and there.....and then the requests came in.

As much as people liked the stuff I was taking into inventory, most people had furniture of their own that they wanted custom painted.  I never really thought I would do custom work and the idea was intimidating but I went for it.   So in the fall, having the worlds largest anxiety attack I began painting a Curio Cabinet and told the client I would be SURE i could match it to her Buffet table made by Hooker.....on the inside I was not so sure but, I took the leap of faith. 

 

I got the color and glaze to match perfectly.....best feeling ever.  The rest is History.  I took a leap of faith in all of this and people had faith in me.  

This blog was mainly to tell the story of where I came from, but its also to say THANK YOU!  Thank you to those who had faith in me.  Thank you to my original clients who hired a girl with a tiny portfolio, Thank you to my friends for bringing me old furniture, photographing furniture and sharing me.  Thank you to my mother and stepfather who let me keep furniture in their living room for months at a time.  Thank you to my kids for helping mommy prime. Thank you to my In-Laws who watch my children on weekends so I can go paint in peoples homes.  Thank you to my husband who let me start all this with funding from his paycheck, for letting me keep furniture in our kitchen, for watching the kids on his ONE day off  during the week so I cant paint, and for only being a little upset when there is paint on the kitchen tiles and brushes piled up in the bathroom sink.  Lastly Thank You God.