THE INTERIOR DESIGN PART OF MY LIFE

I am going to blog about what I did for a career for over 30 years.
As I stumbled along my path of life after having my babies and working part time in motels, cafe's and general stores for a number of years in my twenties I finally decided this was not enjoyable in any way. So I thought what can I do? Well considering the fact that I had two children at home and was rather isolated as far community and such I would have to take a correspondence course in something I was interested in. So I started investigating what there was available to me and also what was affordable.
I settled on interior decoration. I felt I always had a touch as they say for this type of thing as my Mother did. So I signed up for a course through LaSalle University. If I recall the course cost about a thousand dollars and it was quite hands on considering it was an extensive course. It took me close to a year and half to get through it as I only studied in the evenings after all my wifely and motherhood duties had been accomplished.
I did well in my lessons and received my license in interior decoration. Really now there is no such thing as a license rather it a certificate saying you completed the class and passed all the required studies. I actually graduated with honors and the University asked my permission to copy several of my lessons to help other students that we having difficulties.
So when the certificate came in the spring of 1977 I immediately off I went to secure a job. I had no problem. The first job I acquired was a decorating consultant position at Sherwin Williams in Bend. My duties were helping the folks that came into the store with their paint, wallpaper and carpet selections then going to their homes to measure. Our store was a SW design center. I enjoyed my job very much and helped many folks. But after two years my position in the company was deleted.  The big district manager informed us our store was being re-classified into a just a paint store. No more carpet, wallpaper etc. So no need for a decorator on staff. So goodbye Sherwin Williams.
My next job was several years later as I had a stint of cancer that had to be addressed(another story perhaps someday).
I started work at M.Jacobs Furniture in 1983. This was a fabulous new furniture store the best Central Oregon had to offer. I started as a gal Friday in the office but later moved to the design and sales department. I was with M. Jacob's furniture for about two and half years. It was a difficult work place because of management issues and I finally left to keep my sanity. On to job three. Wall Street Interiors. Finally I landed a job in a complete design center including window coverings which I had no experience with. So a new skill was learned. I was with Wall Street Interiors for approximately seven years. I even quit at one point to help my hubby in the house building business we were undertaking but I went back and worked part time doing display for the store.
In 1993 my hubby and I moved to Eugene(the first time). I then secured a job with Thomasville Furniture. The store was brand new just being built in fact it was owned by the Parker family of Portland who owned two high end furniture stores in the Portland area also.
There were over a hundred applicants for the design consultant sales positions, they hired six people and I was one of them.
Thus starting my long relationship with the Parker family.

To be continued.