This World Needs What You Hold

“This world needs what you hold.” – Amy Howard in her book A Maker’s Guide

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity (along with 13 other bloggers) to travel to Memphis and spend time with Amy Howard, her husband Gene, and the Amy Howard team.

Along with designing and manufacturing luxury furnishings, Amy Howard has created an artisan paint line.

Our first evening in Memphis, Amy graciously invited us into her beautiful home to eat and spend time together.

And I was in total awe of her talent. (I apologize for the quality of my photos.  We were at Amy’s home in the evening, and I’m a terrible photographer when there isn’t natural light available.)

Amy’s the most amazing designer.  Not only does she have an eye for antiques and a vision for space, but she’s a true DIYer.  She gives life to forgotten pieces.

This world needs what you hold.

This room and bed were absolutely to die for.  The walls were upholstered!

And the bed was DIY’d to match the walls.

As I walked from room to room, I was greeted with unexpected and beautiful surprises.

The half bath had a mirror she repurposed from a dresser with her lacquer paint.

And the dining room was beyond gorgeous

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Amy playfully mixed chairs around a pretty table.

Not all of Amy’s rooms had patterned walls, but I found that I was drawn to those spaces, like this bedroom.

Amy created a sophisticated but playful room for her granddaughters.

I loved the mix of the fabrics.

And the attached bathroom left no detail untouched.

Perfection.

The kitchen had these amazing old sliding doors that opened to reveal pantries.

This was a group shot of all of us the first evening.  After a fun evening, we went back to the hotel and woke up bright and early for the painting workshop at the Amy Howard headquarters.

We spent the entire next day painting, and anyone who knows me knows there are few things I love more.

It’s peaceful and therapeutic.

And if the day could get any better, I was being trained by Amy Howard herself.

We learned about her huge line of different paints.

She taught us techniques and details.

And the color options were endless.

The Amy Howard office was filled with pretty displays and painting ideas.

This little trip filled my cup.  Not only am I excited to share my newly discovered painting knowledge, but I feel so refreshed after spending time with other creatives. I’m not quite sure how I got to the place where I am now, but I am so thankful.  I love creating.  As I’ve said before, I know God created me to create.  And, I love sharing what I’ve learned with you all, and I hope I give you the confidence to create. Besides being amazing gifted creatively, Amy Howard is an intelligent businesswoman.  In her book, A Maker’s Guide, Amy says, “Embracing your talents is accepting the gift of opportunity… Taking this opportunity to heart requires courage…Singers want to sing, painters want to paint, and teachers want to teach.  The most unnatural path in life is to not do what you were made to do.”

What were you made to do? This world needs what you hold!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

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