My adventure to Donna Downey Studios

So it's been ohhhh 10 days since I posted a blog! 

My 1 year blogiversary came and went... I did have cake that day, but it was for my nephew's 19th birthday!  Yeah!  Happy Birthday De de!

So as you may know I have been on vacation! 

I came home tan and sick... yep, sick... it seems I almost always come home from vacation sick.

Probably because I just go go go on vacay, and then bam! I'm sick...

So tonight while I home sick from work, I figured I'd catch up on my blog.

I'm not saving the best for last, this very first post is the best I've got!

 

My parents are lucky enough to live about 20 minutes (or less!) from the Donna Downey Studio

in the beautiful Huntersville, NC.

About a week before vacay I mentioned to my mom that I'd love to check it out if we

had time one day.  That time came on my last full day in NC. 

We started the day cleaning (my mom owns a cleaning company, and I helped her out at her job)

Then we headed to the Hobby Lobby, stopped and had lunch with my dad, then we ventured over to the Joanns, and finally the time had come..

I loaded the address into the GPS (or what I thought was the address... see I had written it down on the back of the Joann's coupon that we had just surrendered!) and we headed on our way.  The GPS said it was 15 minutes, and it seemed we knew where we were going.

We came to the address I had loaded, and there was nothing but an old house there...

Sigh, I don't have a smartphone, so we kept driving...

About 5 - 10 minutes later I saw this

I apologize for the sorta crappy picture, if you can't tell, this is the Donna Downey Studio logo!

We had arrived!  I was excited, and I grabbed my camera from the back seat.

My mom said, are you gonna ask her for a picture.

I was feeling sorta shy (not normal for me!) and I said well, if she's available.

We entered the store, and the paintings are amazing!

I'm kicking myself now for not taking more pics, but this is what I snapped of the paintings!

Just rest assured, there are lots and lots of them... up and down the halls, ect ect.

 

We were promptly greeted by a lady that we would come to know was Melissa.

She welcomed us to the store, and let us know if there was anything we needed she was available.

On the Studio part of the store we could see a lady and another male employee that we found out was Stephan. We perused some of the merchandise, and Melissa was there again asking if there was anything we needed help with.  Mom took the lead at this point and said well, my daughter is here from Arizona, and was just so excited to see the Studio.  It had become apparent that Donna was not at the Studio. Melissa so graciously showed us around, and even let me get a sneak peak at the project that Donna had just been doing with Dina Wakley (a local Arizona artist!)

She said it was still a secret, so I didn't snap a pic of it! 

She showed us the Pantone and Paintbrush Bathrooms (that will be tomorrow's blog!)

I was blown away! 

And then she showed us all the fabulous paintings!  WOW!

If I had an extra couple hundred bucks hanging out, I'd have brought something more fabulous home!

 

Melissa then said "I'll call Donna and see if she'll come down"

I was so excited! 

A few minutes later after browsing some more, Melissa said Donna would be down in 10 minutes,

but that she was wearing her painting overalls

I certainly didn't care!

About 20 minutes later Donna came in the store, (Not in her paining overalls,) but fabulous none the less!  I had mom snap this picture. I LOVE the peacock in the background!

Let me tell you all, this was a fabulous treat, and if you are ever in the Charlotte, NC area,

it is definitely worth the stop!  Donna is fabulous, and her studio is as well!

 

Tomorrow I will show off the bathrooms! 

Lets just say I think there might be some bathroom changes in my future!