My Creative Passionate Mess of Happiness

Creative passionate mess of happiness on a chair

 

My online brocante started because my armoires, cupboards and shoe boxes were stuffed. My passionate pleasure could not continue because I did not have room for it. The need to de-clutter was absolutely unavoidable.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness desk

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness pieces

 

An overstuffed house was a big part of the truth but not the complete truth. The second part of the truth was/is that I love going to the brocante. Creating a business out of my passion seemed natural also considering that my nest was emptying. I wanted a passionate project to compliment my time.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness on top of a dresser

 

At first I worked out of my bedroom. Have you ever worked out of your bedroom? Not so fun. I was becoming the sandman digging through old things around the clock. I would rather have my bedroom be a place for dreaming… instead of finding rosaries, books, wine bottle openers, upholstery tacks, bits and pieces of brocante stuff on the bed, under the bed, in the bed, resting on my head…not so fun.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness in baskets

 

When Chelsea left for school she thoughtfully offered her room for me to use. Though a few years later she had an internship to do and moved back home. Hence, I was happy she was moving back home, and booted myself from her bedroom, moving my stuff here, there, everywhere…  eventually setting up my shop in the dining room.

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness brocante stuff

 

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness on the table

 

But that lead to craziness. Made musical chairs look like a slow motion game. Constantly I was moving things from one chair to another, off the table, on the table, under the table, on the buffet, in the cupboards again… dining around boxes that aren't chocolate… not so fun.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness ...linens

 

 

Nevertheless the Brocante Bug kept on biting.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness ...everywhere

 

Later Sacha left for school. He offered me his room. I swallowed that offer whole and delightfully moved in.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness...space

 

 

Then I broke my wrist.

Packing boxes was literally impossible. My mother in law came to help. I think the bug bite her. She doesn't want to go home…she is having too much (!) fun packing packages… I tell you the Brocante Bug loves to bite.

 

 

Creative passionate mess of happiness brocante madness

 

Basically, what I am saying is that for a neat freak that I am, my "work space", nor my passion, is far from tidy.

It is a ongoing happy hurricane of activity.

 

 

Crystal with flower

 

 

Isn't it amazing when we can focus on what we want, and seeing it guiding us through the obstacles.

Now you know why I take photos of details and not the whole picture… decluttering the photo allows me to see the sweet and not the sour.

 

 

 

Beeswax-candles

 

 

Constant brocante stuff coming in and going out. Never enough time to organize it, or I should say not enough room to organize it. I am happy that it moves! Those of you who have the Brocante Bug too, allow me to keep my creative passionate mess of happiness going.

 

 

Brocante passion

Where does your creative passionate happiness lead you?

 

 

 

 



Comments

28 responses to “My Creative Passionate Mess of Happiness”

  1. Okay, I’m going to have to recommend that my friend Sheila come to France and organize your online Brocante store. She’s amazing at organizing, but you have to watch her like a hawk because she does declutter too. She may not recognize the value of an empty chocolate box. But then, she loves the thrift store and has been known to trash pick tables and lamps from the curb. Now that I think about it, she’d probably see all your treasures from the brocante and make some sort of art from it. Enjoy living in the precious clutter you’ve collected.

  2. Where does it lead me? Oh lots of dreaming of how I would love to feed all of my neighbors meals all of the time and how I would love to knit, knit, knit and clothe so many!

  3. Like you, a spare bedroom has become my studio/work space. I am constantly organizing, constantly re-arranging. It’s a never ended process that drives me mad but I love it.
    I recently told a fellow creator friend of mine, when we are creating we never know what direction we will go, so we need all of our supplies and collections in front of us. Not tucked away in boxes or closets. Hence, MESS.
    Ah, to live your dream is wonderful. I love what Paulita said, living in the precious clutter, brilliant!
    p.s. I also think it is very sweet your mother in law loves to pack and ship, she is adorable

  4. Must remember Happy Hurricane of Activity.. .. I can only imagine what that is like. When I worked from home, my place was more like the aftermath of a typhoon! have a great day.. xo marlis

  5. rae.lange@maac.com

    Corey, would you ever consider posting a tour of your lovely home? Most of us are living the southern France experience vicariously through you! Please consider this if you have the time, of course!! Hope your wrist is healing well!

  6. Corey, your piles of “work” are gorgeous. I can’t tell you how much I love the Virgin Marys in the big cloche draped in rosaries! I have my grandma’s Mary statue and her rosary. I might have to cloche her to protect her from my not-so-devout cats…
    My passion takes me to hoppping over and walking around piles and piles and piles of sheet music, music books, harp journals, manuscript paper with notes scribbled on them (songs for finishing someday), harp strings, tuning wrenches, thank you notes from brides, wedding programs from ceremonies past, notes about my upcoming holiday concert on November 26th, music arrangements for my ensemble…and a photo of the black lace dress I’ll be wearing at the concert.
    And sometimes, there’s a cat sleeping on top of it all.

  7. Why to your blog of course! I also read craft/artist blogs like Cathe Holden’s “Just Something I Made” which inspire the creation of crafty artsy things around here.

  8. Where does my creative passionate happiness lead me?
    Well, I recently came across a great essay about the legendary Peter Café Sport [sic], watering-hole to the sailing world in Horta, Faial, that I can’t resist translating as a gift to the author, a friend from Brazil (although we met in the Azores, where both of our families have roots):
    http://www.rtp.pt/icmblogs/rtp/comunidades/index.php?k=Peter-Cafe-Sport-a-paragem-do-mundo-Lelia-Pereira-Nunes.rtp&post=36036 (lovely photos)
    And for five days before this, I was proofreading a writer-friend’s first novel about growing up Azorean-American on a dairy farm in California’s Central Valley. The book is brilliant, and scheduled to be published next summer — so I’ll keep you posted, Corey, as I’m sure you’ll be able relate to many parts of it!
    The only problem with all this “creative passionate happiness” is that it’s taking me away for yet a few MORE days from the novel I’ve been trying to translate off-and-on for the past year-and-a-half, that keeps getting interrupted by other small projects.
    Ooooh look, a shiny object! A squirrel!

  9. My creative passion leads me to always having more projects than I have “baskets” for!
    Our lives are full and overflowing for sure!

  10. Creative passionate happiness? It doesn’t matter what I am creative at as long as each day I am doing something creative. It might be taking a walk with my camera or a walk through my house to change something there. It could be sorting through my fabric to create or pulling the paint box out. I am just happy when I can create. It does make my heart sing.

  11. i was bit a very long time ago. i don’t expect i will ever give it up. it is part of who i am. besides it is my pleasure. i have to admit that it is hard to organize,but i have figured it out that before i get more treasures, i must rid myself of some items. my daughter organizes a yearly garage sale. so, that is my outlet. everyone that knows me know my love for unique little treasures. yes,i have the disease,but it sure beats other diseases i have in my life. and it not change. Bestest,Denise

  12. I must say that your mother-in-law
    and Chelsea have done a wonderful
    job of packing every treasure that
    I have received from your brocante.

  13. Do you sing: “Brown paper packages tied up with strings
    These are a few of my favuorite things” when you wrap? Or do you rap when you wrap? 🙂

  14. I love these photos, especially the last one. Yep, passions are like that…they cannot be contained! Your mother in law in very kind to help you.

  15. oops. I meant *is* very kind

  16. We bought a new home 3 yrs ago and I took a spare bedroom as my “Inspiration Room”. It was all nice and neat originally but 3 years later it is now the “Woman Cave”. Creativity is a wonderful disease. I literally can say my cup runeth over. You are blessed to have your MIL helping you. I have enough projects for a lifetime. It seems to me that when one loves or is passionate about something, God seems to bless those things with abundance. Thank you God for my “Inspiration Room!”

  17. corey-can you please keep an archieve of the sold items…sometimes i go back to look for something and poof gone…HAPPY it has sold sometimes disappointed because i desired it but you have to REALLY go back to make a comparision etc. i know some readers/buyers did not like when they stayed marked sold maybe a separate trasures sent off section eye candy-inspiration just a thought.

  18. Where does it lead…hmmm…pretty much in the same direction as yours. I have been shopping “antique stores”, second hand and thrift stores for 40 yrs. I did not buy very much until these last few years since I “retired”. Like you, I have way too much to store; all kinds of odds and ends (mostly linens and silver) and I too like to take pictures of the details and avoid seeing the clutter. My pictures are not as wonderful as yours, however it has become very important to me because I can finally visually express what I see when I look at all of these things. For me the photos tell a story. Thanks for sharing YOUR story.

  19. I can’t name one creative passion, I have many. From travel, taking pictures, cooking, antiquing but mostly quilting. It makes my heart sing. I have takin over my children’s playroom as my studio and have made little studios in homes, apartments, hotels and trains all over the world. Creativity can happen anywhere!http://americanhomestead.blogspot.com/2011/10/building-empire.html
    Here is my current project:

  20. It’s clutter if it’s outside of my room (commonly called The Shed). Inside my room it’s necessary supplies, projects begun and knick knacks sprinkled on shelves between buttons, threads, scissors and teddy bears. My passion is embroidery and I want to learn every style before I’m too old to see tiny stitches. Like you my house is neat but Shed is beautiful chaos. Even the dog (little one) backs away when she sees the floor space disappearing.

  21. A truthful and delightful post that brought a HUGE smile to my face. Yes living surrounded by the things we love and create all around us is pure JOY. It is what makes our homes so warm, cozy and interesting. Blessings!
    Joie de Vivre

  22. My creative passionate happiness extends from my bedroom, the spare bedrooms, the garage and my yard! I create live topiaries and sew lavender sachets. After much urging from my friends, I now sell my products at Bleu in Fair Oaks, CA! The owner has a spectacular eye for the brocante, so my plants and sachets are nestled among antiques and all things French! I love reading your blog and seeing your pictures. They evoke fond memories of past visits to France.

  23. Looks like a beautiful mess to me. Thanks for a glimpse into your real (and charmed) world. Hope your wrist is healing well.

  24. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I agree! Great idea!

  25. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I was looking at all the details, considering writing and asking for some overview photos so I could see how all these delightful details jumble together into a messy but lovely whole.
    So funny then that you have already answered me: “Now you know why I take photos of details and not the whole picture… decluttering the photo allows me to see the sweet and not the sour.”
    But I’d still like some overview photos sometime please.
    Also: how fun for someone to see their just-ordered items in the Clients basket!

  26. All I can say is ” I’m glad I’m not alone”! Give it all you have, Corey, remember to say to yourself…”Do My Best, and God Will Do The Rest” You have a Marvelous Mess! I love the Brocante through you!

  27. Lovely pictures! My passions make my house a mess too! At least your mess is valuable! I keep junk in the hopes of making something valuable! But then my mother and sisters are the same, we see treasure in trash! Patsy from HeARTworks

  28. looks a bit like my house – only my Hero Husband seems far less generous with my ‘chunk I so love’…. 🙂
    You can now use Chelsea’s room for a bit too (as of December….)!!!
    Love your interpretation of detailled photos. I’m the same… It’s called ‘looking closely at a detail without loosing oversight of the large picture!’

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