Here are some photos of the rooms I like for my installation at 501 Pearl St.  I am going to go with the white one, although I love the feel of the darker upstairs space.  The lighter downstairs room will be better for a number of reasons.  It will be easier to light and easier to fill and get the tight, jam-packed feeling I am going for.  I will also be able to get it nice and clean, which will look nice with my work.  I am excited to go over tomorrow and start cleaning and get my hands on that cabinet.  I am going to bring it home and clean it up.  It is going to be just about perfect for one of my pieces.  I need to measure the longest wall in the room to find out if the mantle I am planning on building is going to work.

 I got my gold animal tree in the student show.  I am pleased I got a piece in, although I am surprised about the one that was chosen.  I thought for sure my pitcher and one of my prints would get in.  Out of the five I entered I thought this one had the least chance of getting in.  But, I do like it.  I was pretty bummed about most of the pieces I got out of my luster kiln I fired.  This gold isn't quite as nice as the other gold I had, and the colors look pretty weird.  I do really like the mother of pearl (it's on the little sheep in one of the photos below).  The show that is going up in the Barr gallery seems to be a little sparse, and I am not too impressed with some of the work that was chosen.  I liked the last two years a lot better.

 Here are some more pieces I lustered.  I loaded that kiln today.

 Here are some of the pieces I got out this past week.

 And, I purchased some more pieces for my installation, most notably these two tables to use as "pedestals."  I got really good deals on them.  There are also some more little things I have been collecting and working on.  I also got some glass shelves made for one of the curio cabinets I got.  They were way more expensive than I expected.  I do not even want to know how much money I have spent on this show.  I got some lace curtains to hang on the windows in the room.  The shadow boxes need to be finished, I am still undecided about the mantle, I might need to buy a rug, and I have three more kilns I am planning on firing.  Installing is going to be a lot of hard work, but I am in pretty good shape.