Vision Quest II: The Prequel

Last night I wandered into zillow.com and looked at houses. I drive by a few and I wanted to know how much they cost. And maybe look inside. I found this awesome house I want to marry. You have to ignore the furniture. It looks like Ruthless People up in there. Most homes had the WORST furniture. Red stained woods, black leather, glass coffee tables...Maybe everyone's selling their homes because they really want new furniture?

All that home lookin' made me think about the guy in The Secret movie who bought the exact house from his old vision board without realizing it. Which reminded me of the house I had on a "vision board" when I was in high school. Which was actually a book, an awesome Young Women style puffy book. With edgy fabric and lace...

The house I wanted in 1994 is not in anyway like the 2011 house I want. And that's best.

Also? Tucked inside that very book were pages and pages of clothing I had designed. Tons. On any scrap of paper I could find.

Would you like to look inside? Brace yourself...

 Guess where I worked?

 It gets worse, here's the bad...

The red one in the top left is actually the dress from "Fancy." Satin dancing dress, split from the side clear up to her hip, velvet trimmin', and a heart shaped locket.
That crazy orange one is a redesign from an orange velour thrift store find.  And let's just not talk about the red hearts over boobs number.

My brother went to The Citadel.

Dresses I actually made. The one on the left was for my sister.

This one was for Jill. I think she had shoes that were green and gold. She loved those shoes...

This was my prom dress. I didn't design it, Bill Blass did. I think it was the first time I manifested shoes. I really, really wanted navy Kenneth Cole shoes, but the ones I wanted were sold out. My mom and sister found the last pair in my size at a random Robinson's.

Here are some notes from Economics. I got a pity D. I wonder why...

And now, My Dream House:

Ah...back when I was headless. I didn't count on all the cake haters. 

Here is the floor plan of my Georgian Mansion. I still love that staircase.

Next, I give you the decor for The Gathering Room. Do you like neon? 

 

At least the purple couch is still awesome. I've always loved a curved sofa. What is with that dog table? And the matching light up phones? 

Oooh! next is the marshmallow sofa....

And a wheelbarrow full of flowers? That seems Elton John excessive. But those wavy lamps are keepers. I'm positive I've seen them at a thrift store lately. Next to a The Club and a Bedazzler.

Oooh! Bathroom! Do you like marble?

It's labled "Tinkle Room." What was I, a babytalking bombshell? Gross. 

Moving on to the Kitchen. Actually, shockingly close:

Wainscot, pretty dishes. No blue, but still!

Here we have the Den...wait for iiiiiiiiit...

Zebra wallpaper, leopard carpeting, a sofa made out of cartoon animal fabric. If it weren't for the fact that I still want the camel sofa and leopard carpeting, I would be really embarrassed. Maybe the stuffed animal monkey is a bit much...

Let's go upstairs and check out the master suite.

My moms words still go through my head when I see this. "Looks like a Victorian whorehouse." Never has she been so right. I guess I really wanted to be an unmarried romance novelist. In fact, there is no trace of a man in any of these plans. (Except my dad, that's later). I love high school feminist Courtney, she was awesome!

Take a right and we enter the kids room. Please look at how I labeled the page.

 

Kiddie Room (I think). Didn't want to scare off any potential mates!  I better put, "I think." Now this crazy book won't freak them out! Also, Hartwell would frickin' LOVE that Barbie car.

Let's relax in the backyard, shall we...

A hammock for my dad. And a birdbath? I lived in Arizona, it's too hot for birds in Arizona. That thing would boil a bird. We had lizards. That's it. But! I did marry a birder. So there's that.

I'm actually really glad I still have the book. It's embarrassing, but sort of affirms where I am now. I'm a designer, interior, not clothing and I still cut out pretty things I like and keep them in books. Or on pinterest. Turns out I've always been a very visual person. Something I learned only recently even though I've been doing it forever.

Also? The past is awesome. I don't want to go back, because, really, the clothes are crazy! But, I look at that book and remember what I wanted to accomplish and think, I have so much to do now.