Yes, it truly is!

Moving SUCKS!  I’ve spent the better part of this week, in between sessions, getting my new place settled.  I have far too much “stuff”.  Leading up to the move I took three car loads to the Salvation Army and this week I took another two loads.  I thew four HUGE garbage bags away prior and another FOUR this week.  Moving makes you really take inventory of your stuff, what you keep and why.  It was s good purge.  All the boxes are empty, the closets full, everything in its new place.  My biggest challenge now is to remember where I put things when I actually need them.

The new & improved Second Circle Studio is in place and I’ve had a few sessions.  I’m still working on the layout of everything.  I used to know where everything was and could blindly reach and grab, without a second thought, any toy I wished.  Not so much these days, but it won’t be long before I have that worked out.  Of course it would help if I stopped rearranging things.  All in all I think my special pets are going to love the new location and the new Studio.

I love my new place, it’s home, and I don’t plan to leave it for a good, long, while.  This place is full of love, the love of good friends that gave their time and talent to make it MY home.  Tonight I’m hosting a house warming party to thank the wonderful people that made it possible, I’m looking forward to honoring them for all they have done to honor me.

Life is good.  Very, very, good.

xoxox

Dea

© 2010, Dea. All rights reserved.

Moving Party

Happy New Year!

As you know, it seemed that my year ended on a low note when I lost the lease on my space, but, it turned into a wonderful blessing.  2009 really was an amazing year for me, 2010 will be even better~

On Saturday 25 amazing friends showed up in below freezing weather to move me into my new live/work space.  But, before that could happen the new space had to be renovated and made into a livable space.  This meant building out a space for my new studio, gutting and rebuilding the bathroom from the top down, converting what was once a darkroom into a laundry room/walk in closet, running what at times seemed like miles of electrical, setting tile and painting.   Typically one could expect a job of this caliber to take about 8-12 weeks to accomplish under normal circumstances, but thanks to Jeff, my wonderful friend and contractor, we managed to get it all done in four short weeks.  FOUR WEEKS, during the holidays to boot!  It was also made possible, to quote Margret,  with a “fucktonne of man hours”!  Not only did we (Jeff, Elaine & I) work 12-15 hour days, it wasn’t unusual to find a number of members of the lifestyle community here pitching in with their time and talent.  They gave up their nights, their weekends, their vacations, to be here creating a beautiful new home and studio for me.  Who does that?  We do, people who love, respect and support each other do that sort of thing for each other.

I am an incredibly blessed woman.  There is no doubt in my mind that I am loved.

I’ve spent the last few days getting settled into my new space.  I LOVE the new studio, it’s larger and more user friendly and has some cool new features I didn’t have at the other place.  I’m ready to get back to work.  I look forward to seeing you soon, come experience the new space.  I love it, I think you will too!

Dea

© 2010, Dea. All rights reserved.

After DomCon my calendar filled up with sessions, presentations, a heavy travel schedule and some happy, unexpected, surprises.

And, then, one not so happy unexpected surprise.  I lost the lease on my current studio space.  As it turns out, there is a gaggle of middle aged women in my building who decided that I wasn’t the sort of person they wanted living/working here.  As a result of their meddling, I lost my lease to a little known, seldom enforced, bylaw in the association rules.   After a heavy two week travel schedule, I returned to Atlanta to begin the search for a new place to call home and relocate Second Circle Studio.

Last week, I’m relived to report, I found it.! Just 2 miles from my current space, this old factory is now an active artist community situated on 12 acres of property in what started out as a cotton gin in 1889 and was later used as a munitions plant during WWII.  It’s been recently acquired by pair of young, hip, developers who have a vision of a great artist community in West Midtown Atlanta.  The potential for the property is amazing.  They offer small, day use, spaces for artists as well as large, vast, live/work spaces such as mine.  Some of the old buildings will have to be rebuilt, others will need new roofs and still others are unsafe and will have to be completely dismantled and rebuilt.   They also offer large event spaces (I can’t wait until I host my first large play party there!), a community run coffee house that roasts its own coffee, an organic farm where one can purchase seasonal fruits and veggies and organic, fresh, free range eggs and best of all, an amazing backdrop & setting for photo shoots.

Today my project manager is on site and the renovations have begun.  We have a three week schedule to make the space work.  That includes building walls for the studio space, electrical work, renovating the bathroom, getting a washer/dryer hook-up, kitchen overhaul, painting, cleaning and most important, getting the studio set up!

I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a community of people that love, respect and support each other.  There are a number of wonderful men and women who have volunteered their time and talent to make this move as simple and easy as possible.  If you’d like to help, let me know.  I’d be thrilled to have your capable hands or, if you’d prefer, you can pitch in with a gift card for Home Depot, Lowe’s or a GreenDot MoneyPak refill to offset the cost of renovations.

I will be updating on the progress and posting photos here.   Sometime in Late January or early February I will host an open house for the new space.

xoxox

Dea

The view from Second Circle Studio

© 2009 – 2010, Dea. All rights reserved.

© 2009, Dea. All rights reserved.