Hi, I’m Diane
A rebellious traditionalist!
I adore timeless style with an unexpected twist, a modern punch, a wow factor. Nothing beats a solid balance of style, function and persnickety detailing.
I gravitate toward rich textiles full of character. For me, it’s always been about the textiles – I’ll grab for a scarf over a necklace everytime, well, unless we’re talking pearls and that’s a whole other love affair.
A handsome houndstooth, a floral linen, rustic burlap can all tug at my heartstrings; a fabulous pop of color can make me weak in the knees.
A bargain, a garage sale find or curbside treasure that’s loaded with potential — that’s always fun.
I’ll pick a veggie over fruit — crazy, I know!
And jelly beans over chocolate — even crazier!
And tea over coffee most definitely — the rest of you are the crazy ones!
I did have an obsession for every shade of green, but now I’m in a blue era. But blue and white are timeless so I may be here for a while!
I love eating outdoors, playing games outdoors, just being outdoors.
Where This All Began
Over 35 years ago, my creative career adventure began with South House Designs. It allowed me to escape the Corporate Jungle and sprout my entrepreneurial wings while nurturing and guiding three amazing young people from their cribs into productive, happy young adults.
Initially, my home decor accessories were sold from four wholesale showrooms around the country.
This evolved into designing sewn textile products for mail-order catalogs (Victorian Papers, Horchow, Sugar Hill, Hall’s) and large traditional retailers. Generally, these retailers also hired me to act as the general contractor handling purchasing and production.
That was the essence of South House Designs.
That was all fine and good (and supplemented my dear hubby’s teaching salary), but I was still entwined in the Corporate Jungle. Once the youngest was in Middle School, it was finally my time to RAMP UP THE FUN FACTOR!
So What Drives Me?
A crazy compulsion for puzzles for one.
Yes, I’m addicted to Sudoku and cryptoquips and absolutely mad about Ken-Ken. Crossword puzzles, not so much. It’s the reasoning, logic and visual that gets me tingling – not so much knowing the ancient coin of Lithuania.
Maybe this explains my devotion to creative problem solving – which is really what puzzles are all about.
I love figuring out how to make something — rarely if ever have I followed a pattern to the end. If I start with a pattern it’s a pretty quick detour down my own path. But I thrive on inspiration from others and the creative DIY-er/Maker/Crafter community I have found throughout the internet.
I’d love to learn more about you! Drop me a message. What drives you?
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