Ferris Bueller, you're my hero!

The day started off a little shaky this morning. Had Dad look over the paperwork for me yesterday but I was still chasing up a lawyer to explain a clause and sign the document. One place I called quoted $400 (for what turned out to be a 20 min job) but as I am an almost starving artist, (but for the grace of Ten) that wasn't going to happen. So I swallowed my pride and started calling around, explaining the community driven nature of the project and general poverty of artists to various lawyers that I found in the white pages, strangely enough... no one wanted to work for free. Put a shout out on facebook, called several family friends (everyone is still away on school holidays), nothing was happening and Emmeline was getting very stressed. It got to eleven am, I got teary, told the mormons who came to my door that I didn't need Jesus in my life I needed a lawyer... they made their excuses and left...

But then...

*BIG sigh of relief* a family friend of Ten's responded to his phone message and said that he would be more than happy to look over things for me and sign. I washed my face and put on some lipgloss then was picked up by Ten and taken into town to the place you see below:

This is the Newcastle office of Sparke Helmore, which is (quite hysterically now that I think of it) another quality Stronach construction, overlooking the harbour. Pretty rough view eh? I don't know how they get any work done with a view like that, the picture doesn't quite do it justice, but they are seven stories up and have 180 degree views... just gorgeous.

So, Paul Jayne, my knight in shining business attire, looked over the contract for me and signed the lawyery bit. Complete legend, saved my bacon. Without it I would have had to wait until Tuesday to (possibly) get it signed by someone at the Community legal centre, but no guarantees there, and then wait until RN was able to see me again. But it's done and I am so relieved still that I feel a little shaky. So glad.

After seeing Paul the Lovely Lawyer, we headed into town to pick up lunch at All Bar One where I told my favourite waiter ever that I'll soon be a neighbour. The little budda on the stack of coins here is their tip jar. He got bored and made him a little change plinth to meditate on. Then we headed up to see Marni from RN (who has a bike with a basket and a colour co-ordinated drink bottle btw, love it), got the keys and checked out the shop with the GPT site manager.

Will be heading back into the shop tonight when it's cooler to put a "Coming Soon" sign and a couple of shiny things to generate interest. This is one of the windows... not the best photo, but just wanted to give myself an idea of the space so I can start planning displays.


Someone left me a can of air freshener. How thoughtful :)



A display table thing that was left in the shop. Needs welding so I'll get Benny on to that. Thinking of filling it with sand so I can a) have a sand pit for the little kids to create in like I used to do in Kindy, or b) fill it with shells and coral for a jewelry display. Also, HOW GOOD ARE THE PURPLE WALLS??? Oh how you will soon be muraled my lovely lilac friends.


An old cash register stand that I found in the store room out the back. Going to clean it up, then hopefully find an old school register with the handle you pull down because they are awesome and made of win and I need it.

The store room is absolutely massive and full of shelves. Just huge. Going to take all the boxes and stuff out of the front bedroom at Buddy and store them in the shop so we can have a summer bedroom because I am SO over being woken by the sun at 6am. I do not like mornings.

So there you have it. The keys to Emerald Arts are in my pocket and I am so far beyond excited it's ridiculous. Going to wear old clothes and give it a damn good clean tomorrow (Sat), then Sunday is the markets, Monday is a public holiday and Tenski is off work, so we're going to drink all day and possibly go swimming in a place called the Bogey Hole which sounds gross but is actually the most amazing grotto swimming pool right beside the ocean, cut into the side of a cliff. Beautiful.

<3 and much excitement

-Emmeline