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Hi all! I’m so excited to be teaming up with Jen at Decorating with Grace! When Jen first invited me to join her new home decor business, of course, I was flattered and honored that she would have confidence in my design skills… and that she would even WANT to spend that much time with her mother!  My initial hesitation came with an attitude of, “Oh, I’ve been there and done that before… I’m in a different season of life”… “Things” seem less important to me now, but, people in need around the world tugs at my heartstrings the most. I try to do what I can wherever I am. I dream of a higher calling! But, Jen’s enthusiasm is contagious! I said yes. “Yes,” to helping people transition from house to home. And, yes to the sweet opportunity of working alongside my lovely daughter doing what comes so naturally to us both. I'd say that sounds like a higher calling! Now, looking back at my past experiences, I see how it all ties together beautifully. In my early days, I found fashion and furnishings to be my passion. I put it to work in both retail and commercial settings. Beginning in the world of boutique clothing and high end cosmetics, transitioning to home furnishings in sales and design consultations. Later, I formed a hospitality procurement company, administering the purchasing of furnishings and equipment for new build hotel projects including Marriott and Holiday Inn Hotels. Fast forward to today… Just call me, “Debbie Downsizer”! A few years ago, my husband and I sold our home of twenty years, located on a lovely cul-de-sac in the suburbs of Central Minnesota. Our kids had flown the nest and our beloved yellow Lab had passed away of old age. My husband retired. Change was in the air. We were moving to a small 1,000 square foot condo in downtown Minneapolis. I cried. How could we possibly live in such a small space? Moving from the “big” house was a huge undertaking. But, selling, donating and even disposing of personal possessions became easier once we got into the swing of it. Keeping only the “best of the best” to fit into that small space.  Our 1,000 ft. condo became the coziest, most tasteful urban condo in all of Minneapolis! We stayed three years and yes, tears flowed again when we said good-bye. But, this time we were off for a new adventure. We placed our belongings in storage and purchased a tiny 20 ft. travel trailer to pull behind our Jeep. We were off to see America!  After our six month American road trip, we sold the camper and flew… to Thailand! We lived internationally for three years. Living among the locals in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Colombia, South America. A truly life changing event was becoming involved in prison ministry. Meeting people that were far different from me, yet so much the same. I loved it. Living Internationally is fantastic, but my heart was longing for my three grandchildren back in our home state of Minnesota. We are now back in familiar territory. We chose the urban lifestyle once again. We currently live on the beautiful and historical street of St. Anthony Main in downtown Minneapolis.  Changes in life can be scary… but it’s also revitalizing and rejuvenating. Each and every place that we laid our head, whether rented or owned, was aesthetically comforting to us. This was important to both, my husband and myself. Home is where you live, surrounded by comfortable “things” that surround you in times of fear, times of missing those you love, even in times of illness. Sure, possessions are only tangibles… merely “stuff”… but a few simple belongings can improve your living experience and add pleasure to your life. “LIfe beyond the cul-de-sac”, has been a theme for me in this past decade. Learning to embrace changes in life rather than fear them. Each new scary leap of faith has brought me to places that I never thought I’d be… meeting wonderful people and experiencing new adventures in life that I never would have, had I stayed on that suburban cul-de sac! Go… Do… and Be! 
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Deb Dowd
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