So......I have worked since I was 16 and every job has had some kind of reward, lesson, helped me grow, made me realize what I didn't want etc.......made realize what I did want.....When I was in my mid thirties I decided to give my actual degree (B.S. Interior Design and Marketing Minor) a chance and so I started to knock on doors, send resumes, make calls etc.....This is somewhat of a long Jenna story so I will keep it short~I ended up (once again magic in my life) working for a Interior Design firm called, Atlantis. We designed mostly restaurants, retail and hospitality and in the end we did some work for a well known design firm named 'Chute Gerdeman' which allowed us to expand. I was with Atlantis for 4 1/2 years within the Vail Valley and then we moved to Denver in 2008 of July.
The people who owned Atlantis became so much more in my life than ever imagined and still till this day I am so thankful! I grew so much in these 4 years and learned so much! I became a stronger woman with what I wanted to achieve within my own desires during these four years and with no doubt part of 'jala's' energy comes from 'Atlantis'. My boss Terry was battling cancer for quite some time and at the end of 2008 they decided to close Atlantis and celebrate life~Terry passed in May of 2009 and even though she is gone her presence, patience and fortitude are a huge part of the 'jala' journey!
At Atlantis I was the 'Assistant Designer' and 'Material Specialist'~I loved it and so it has come in handy with seeing 'jala' (the space where it is located) or seeing the vision in an aesthetic way. So, off to choose colors and make the vision happen. My friend Kenley was also a part of the design path in the beginning. By the way....she has become a beautiful yogi!!!!!!! Another gift of the journey~!
When I was traveling through Asia there were two studios that brought inspiration...One mainly...."Wild Rose Studio"..which is in Chiang Mai, Thailand. If you get chance visit Rose, she is a beautiful and fun lady that shares her space and a lot of love!!!!! A small studio in size BUT a big studio in personality and the love that comes into that space. She has several yogi special guest (Andrew Riven is just one of many) and also women groups as well as an amazing 'kula'. And so, part of her studio has brought inspiration to 'jalaBlu'~ I want people to feel like they are walking into a place that feels interesting, fresh, airy, oasis like, from a different country, etc.....(community / kula). So within 'jalaBlu' there are 3 colors of blue as you walk in the front door and the kitchen has opened shelves with funky dishes ~there is a room that has tons of pillows to sit on, plants etc....upstairs is the actual studio and holds about 15..max..:) The walls are a peacock blue along with a sage green and the tall mirrors make the room appear to be larger. There is a beautiful mural of a lotus pond painted by my friend Brynn and a small shrine to make blessings and offerings. Lot's of windows in the studio with tree branches as curtain rods and thin white flowy curtains to bring in the airy effect~
Lately we have been working on the 'jala' gardens...We (beautiful friends such as Seth, Hanna and Caitlane) built a huge rock wall for a raised garden bed and this garden includes herbs, flowers and veggies....along with two smaller gardens ....the 'chishrichi' garden and the 'lila' garden along with a hammock to enjoy the shade and read a book.
I will add some pictures soon of the actual space from the 'Grand Opening'~ But for now using the imagination is part of the 'jala' journey...;)
Next: What happened when 'jala' finally opened and ignited~
love and shri~
jenna and 'jala'
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