Junebug Furniture & Design: For the Love of Creating

This last October Dena Abdallah editor of Spokane Area Metro Women Magazine contacted us and asked us to write a story for her magazine. We had just finished designing Sweet frostings. Blissful Bakeshop, so as it was fresh in our mind we sat down and wrote a story about this sweet shope. We would like to share our story with you and some of our most recent photos from Sweet frostings.

For the Love of Creating

When I think of creating, I think of my greatest creations...my children. Of course, God is The Great Creator, but it was no accident that He chose woman to be the bearer of new life!

From the moment of conception, the idea, the baby, our body and our mind becomes one with the process. We begin to create. We imagine it as a boy or a girl, what color hair, eyes, personality, and what he or she will look like, and how we will dress her or him. We even continue the creative process as we sleep in our dreams. We begin to create the child long before he or she is born.

We choose the name, the most uncommon name or perhaps we create an original of our own. We then begin to gather the things we will surround our child with. We create the nest, the baby's room. We surround ourselves with the best, also at this time, we listen to music, we read, we exercise and eat healthy. We go to great detail to prepare a place for him or her in our home. God made woman like this. An eye for detail, a tenacious and determined spirit is what he needed and it is why we continue to create in all areas of our life.

It is this process that I use with each project, or each piece of furniture I find. It is as though I have another child in a sence....I dream of what it could be with the right amount of love and devotion. I lovingly and willingly sacrifice my time and energy into the creation of it until it too has new life. Upon completion of each project, I feel joy that I have taken something that had stopped being loved and appreciated long ago and have given birth to a new purpose for it.

Recently I was blessed with the opportunity to create for the newest cupcake venue in our town....Sweet frostings. Blissful Bakeshope located at 15 S. Washington in downtown Spokane, Washington. When the owner (Judy Rozier) asked me to design this abandoned space, my thoughts immediately went to pastel, pastel, and more pastel. To create a bakery decor and dessert display that would surprise and delight all....ladies, men, and children, a sweet oasis away from the hectic pace of "to do lists."

My vision, a glow of childhood nostalgia, with beautiful floral wallpaper in an array of muted hues of blue, pinks, corals, and fun lime greens, complimented by crisp whites, and vintage furniture painted the color of cupcakes. My daughter (Celia) and I carefully selected the colors for the walls, ceiling, wall covering and each piece of furniture. We painted the ceiling a soothing tiffany blue that opened up the room. The color added visual interest to an otherwise boring ceiling. Painting the ceiling a beautiful color brought the ceiling into the overall design scheme, the ceiling became a beautiful focal point, and created magic!

A vintage tiffany blue and white stripe umbrella was placed in the front window to welcome guests, vintage furniture that we searched out added character and personality to the space, we had so much fun dressing up this little bakery. We skirted the chair cushions on the mix and match vintage chairs to look like little girls dresses. We created an oversized menu chalkboard, complete with a scalloped border. Colorful banners were hung in the windows, and we used vintage silver serving pieces on the coffee bar to hold straws, napkins, tea, sugar, and creamer....this is what my daughter and I refer to as vintage sensibility! Gorgeous cake plates were placed to hold the many varieties of cupcakes, beautiful apothecary jars were filled with cookies and penny candy. Paper flowers were hung from the unbrella, chandelier, and ceiling, all to create a sweet shop that is cozy without being cluttered; and most importantly is visually charming and comfortable...full of fun, function, and color!

This must be what our creator feels each time he blesses us with something of beauty, the anticipation for our reaction is such a joyful feeling. I watch with pride when my clients look longingly at a creation and I say to myself..."That's my girl!" But it doesn't stop there, now my thoughts go to how I am going to decorate it for Christmas this year, wouldn't it be great, if we could bring back the "Christmas Windows" of our childhood memories, and this little cupcake store would be where it all starts.

Please put this little bakery on your list of MUST SEE and of course, MUST EATS!!!!!