The USA Film Festival

When the weather gets balmy in Dallas you know that the
USA Film Festival can't be far behind.

This Dallas Institution has been around for over 30 years and has hosted directors, actors, and filmmakers ranging from Miss Piggy to Anthony Hopkins. This year the festival will be hosted at the new theaters at NorthPark and will be held April 28 - May 4th. Stay tuned to hear which films and stars will be in attendance!

Re-Moving

My home is a live-work space that was built in the 40's to house a printing company. When I drove past it the first time it was love at first sight - a large building (I originally thought it might have been an old YMCA) with a Southwest feel. It had only been owned by 2 owners and needed quite a bit of work but I had to have it. It has lots of light, cement walls, high ceilings and land that I can grow things on but it is also very close to Dallas.I've now owned "The Home Idea Factory" for four years and have accomplished some of the major remodeling projects that I wanted to do - a new kitchen and bath. Before I could start on those projects I had to rewire and plumb the home which lead to the bathroom being in the only area that had plumbing to it when I bought it - the kitchen. Finally, I have a real kitchen and a real bathroom! Thanks to the miracles of IKEA, there is hope that for the first time in years I can be organized. I'm also realizing that I am a creature of habit. When you move to a new home you don't have the history of where you "expect" something to be - when you remodel, you are used to going to the same spot for something for a number of years. I'm still going to the old spot where the refridgerator was even though it's now across the room, but it's a small price to pay for having my new, organized kitchen and bath.

I've seen Elvis

I've seen Elvis and he was in Tunica, Mississippi this week at the South Central Manufactured Housing Show. Not only was his nearby home Graceland designated a Historical site that week but he was there in the flesh to welcome people to the show.

I was chosen to do the interiors for 5 homes built by Patriot Homes of Alabama for the Manufactured Housing Show and I had a blast! The weather held out and for the first time that I can remember we had no rain.

With all of the news coverage about the Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a team consisting of Architect John Carricarte, Marketing Guru Sam Weidner and the Patriot Homes group. They were able to showcase homes that were ideal to fit into existing neighorhoods that were ravaged by Hurrican Katrina as well as homes that would fit into many neighborhoods in that region.