We are in Romantic Homes Magazine!!!

Our Maison Decor stores were featured in the June issue
 of Romantic Homes magazine in the shopkeeper section!
A big welcome to all the readers coming to my blog from Romantic Homes!
I am so glad you are here! 
And of course to all my blogland friends~
thanks for all your support over the last three years.
What a thrill for us~we knew it was coming out and everyday
 I was hoping it would be in the mailbox when I got home from my shop. 
 Justin and Madison were doing daily runs to Walmart and Barnes and Noble
 trying to hunt down the latest issue. I had Mr. Maison Decor
 stopping in at stores while he was out on the road. 
 Finally it came!!! 
I got home from work and was
 soooo excited I started texting pics madly from the magazine to Justin and Colin.  
So without further adieu I want to share the 4 page layout 
here with you all on my blog~
which is what started this whole store venture called Maison Decor. 
 First the blog...then the store! 
Cool, right?
 June 2013 issue of Romantic Homes~
RH has names for their different monthly issues, and this one is the Rose issue. 
 They have the French issue etc...this very cool magazine filled with design inspiration. 
 If you like getting your money's worth, you will love this magazine
 as it is loaded with articles and beautiful images.
 Page 1
I sent a lot of photographs to the editor and they picked the ones 
they wanted for the layout.  I had no idea what I was going to be seeing...
so that was exciting and left us wondering what would make it 
and what would be on the cutting room floor.
 I had an interview with
 Malena Jamie, the Editorial Assistant, and I thought she did a tremendous job
capturing the story I was trying to tell.  Later I had a subsequent conversation 
with Meryl Schoenbaum who is the Executive Editor. 
 We follow each other on Facebook
 and keep tabs on the goings on in our respective worlds and I 
could fairly say we are mutual admirers!
Page 2
I talk about how I felt an instant connection with Annie Sloan
 when I met her at a full day workshop she ran in Boston one 
year ago~one thing lead to another in just a few hours and 
the next thing I knew I had a store lined up!
Now I run my own Chalk Paint workshops,
and its one of my favorite things we do at Maison Decor.
All along the way I have enjoyed tremendous support from Lisa Rickert, 
the CEO of Annie Sloan Unfolded, our USA distributor. 
She has been the stiff backbone a major league brand 
needs as well as the compassionate leader one hopes to follow.
Fabulous women are involved with Annie Sloan's fabulous paint
 from top to bottom....if there were a bottom~!
 Its great to be working with such a classy company 
and a stellar brand that is unparalleled.
This has now become my life, 24-7, as well as  two of my sons lives~
and we just hired Madison, Justin's GF to work in Boston.
With a  new store on the horizon soon as well...
well its just a happening time for us here.
 Page 3
This photo montage shows Justin waxing a console table we did in French Linen, 
a collection of Cabinet Plates that are for sale in our online shop, 
 Betsy Speert's designer french pillow next to roses in antique bottles
 I purchased from  a blog friend Rosemary Barnes out of her Etsy Shop, Villabarnes. 
I talk about Annie's European fabric collection and 
This is what the full page looks like.  
On the left is a column Romantic Homes runs on 
all the shopkeeper features and it is called Insider Trading. 
 Here I give my insights and tips on starting your own business~

 Tip #1~Do what you love. 
 This is super important in my book.
Tip #2~ Model your store after your own Style. 
This tip was startling to read because this is EXACTLY
 what Annie Sloan spoke to us Stockists about at our annual meeting 
just one month later! So that was pretty cool for me personally.  
and Tip #3~Don't be afraid. Just follow your gut, do your thing. 
If we all listened to that negative voice that you can't achieve your
 dreams would anyone ever get anything done? 
Page 4
The story continues and goes into the whole thing
 about it being a family business with my sons Justin and Colin.  
That's one of the best parts of the real life story for me.  
They share my passion and together we are creating this dynamic
complicated bond that crosses over the family bonds into building a future together.
We are opening a THIRD location next month and I will be sharing all 
about that soon~
but today is for jumping up and down about this layout and 
holding the glossy pages in our fingertips and reading a story
that we couldn't have communicated any better!
Thanks Romantic Homes!!
This magazine totally supports small businesses and a lot of 
women in particular who write blogs or create and make things out of their
homes and independent shops.  I love RH for that.
Visit our online shop for Workshop Information
and purchasing things we sell in our brick and mortar stores.
Read my blog post on my first  appearances in 
and another post when I wrote a decorating article 
PS Madison just went to Barnes and Noble this morning
in Boston and scooped up three copies of the magazine!!
She called to ask how many I wanted. I said how many are there?
Justin said, "Mom we have to leave some on the shelves!" 
So Madison got 3 out of the 5 that were on display. 
Haha, then...listen to this~the checkout lady 
said to her in her very flat Boston accent:
 "Three of the same magazine...what-- are you in it??"
to which Madison replied,
 "No, but my boyfriend is.." 
The clerk then said with her flat voice,
"Show me. You are allowed to brag."
And. that. is. the. truth.
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