Boy we have a lot of Blogfest 2012 homework:) Well really, it's another awesome opportunity born from our recent trip to NYC for Blogfest 2012 where the folks at House Beautiful asked those in attendance to post a photo representing their A-HA Moment.

Here is mine - this is a photo of my family room that I redesigned last year. Why is was this an A-HA experience for me? Because it was the first time in my life that I invested in a piece of art. The painting above my sofa is an original by Kim Schuessler called Ring Around the Rosies.

I've never been an art aficionado and could never really grasp the concept of spending thousands of dollars on a piece of art when there are so many ways to beautify a wall for less money.  Then one day four years ago, I went to a Kim Schuessler show at Pryor Fine Art in Atlanta and that began a long standing love affair for me.

I found Ring Around the Rosies at the Shain Gallery in Charlotte, N.C.. A few weeks before Mother's Day, my husband drove all the way to Charlotte to personally pick up my new beloved.  I seriously get teary when I talk about the experience of owning this piece of art. It reminds me of myself and my two girls (of course we are all blonde) and the care fee energy with which we approach life.

In my design work, it helped me to learn the power that art can have over a person and the value of this type of investment on the soul. Definitely an A-HA Moment for me!

Photography by Oana Hogrefe Photography. All rights owned by Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs.