MtnRdRedux,

It's on Magazine Street in New Orleans. It's my favorite color!

I've got two dream jobs-one would be to be a party planner. I have a really hard time saying no when asked if I can help decorate for a party then I end up coordinating everything anyway.

The other, which would probably actually provide me with a living is an urban landscape designer-specializing in properties with streams or rivers on the property.

My younger DD is dreaming of pitching her boutique and opening an on-line store instead. The reality of having to deal with customers IRL is making her nuts. The perils of retail.

Specialty food shop. I actually came very close to this a while back but I just couldn't get all the pieces to come together. Also, and this is kind of weird, I would like a salon. I have zero knowledge of running something like that but I've been to very expensive salons and I've been to one person out of her house salons and every time I could see what I could improve upon, decor I prefer, how I like to be treated.

For now, I'll just keep my current business!

I've done many things over the years, but at my age with my breathing problems, work does not look attractive to me. I only rate small design jobs for very close friends and family. Anything more is too exhausting and too stressful.

I'm looking to do a combination of all or most of these as I settle into my new home:

Farming (vegetables, chickens, goats). When there's enough to share, I'll sell at farmer's markets.

Graphic design

Grant writing

Photography

Fiction and essay writing

Learning rough woodworking, maybe doing a little for hire once I do (I'll practice on trellises etc.)

Returning to stained glass.

Learning watercolors and acrylics and creating art in these modes.

I always dreamed of opening a bakery in upstate NYand calling it "The Chocolate Moose " the sign would be whimsical adirondack. But the reality is that I worked in a bakery all through high school and I know it is a grind 99% of the time. But in my mind it is as carefree as the (clearly fictional) one on "Gilmore Girls".

I'd sell real estate. I love houses, especially old ones.

litasart, check out the Washington Calligrapher's Guild -- they sponsor the Graceful Envelope contest and they've got a fascinating website and a beautiful magazine that comes out periodically -- the latest one (which they do regularly) features all the calligraphy coming out of the White House, its just fascinating to see the invitations, cards, plaques, etc. and all the occasions. http://www.calligraphersguild.org And they still host classes on occasion by Sheila Waters....and her son. Terrific!

I know a few people who tried re sales for that reason and quickly departed

I would love to own a cute garden/home decor shop in a touristy area. Like others, I know the downsides to running a retail business but in my fantasy world, all is rosy!

I grew up in retail and I would actually never own a brick and mortar store. I did run a pretty successful online store for 10 years. I carried an extensive inventory and would never do that again!

When I was young-- long before they became a "thing", I had the idea to start an upscale lunch truck. I came up with menu's and sketched truck designs. I sure missed the boat on that trend! That's ok, I wouldn't have left my career for it.. but it was serious enough that my bff would send photos of rusty old trucks every few months with a nudge or a poke.

I am more than ready to leave my IT management and consulting career. The lunch truck gig doesn't call to me anymore but I would still like to own a small food-related business. Given the uncertainty about what's going on in this country, leaving my current position (and healthcare) isn't a risk I am ready to take.

I already have my dream job- I sell vintage clothing online. 19 years and going strong, I still love love love what I do!

Drawing botanical illustrations in colored pencil.

Or giving technology/coding lessons to individuals using a model similar to private musical instrument lessons.

I would like to be a photographer for National Geographic magazine. Travel, take pictures and see my work in "print".

I'd like to help non-profits with their data creation and visualization needs.

I'd have a homey coffee shop that closed at 3:00, and with someone else taking the breakfast shift. :) Oh, wait, there are 10 Starbucks within 5 miles of me. I don't like Starbucks, but everybody else seems happy with it, so I guess my dream shop is a no-go.

A cottage B&B with a tea room and bakery, and maybe a catering business. I love gypsy caravans, so I'd have a couple of those, a hobbit house, a fairy tale cottage, and a tree house.

I enjoy designing kitchens, so that would be another one, if I was better at using design software.

I would be a landscape designer.

I'd love to be an interior designer. But I would only work with people who loved every selection I recommended, and all of my clients would give me deep-pocket carte blanche. Now that would be fun.

I would have loved to have had a great bagel shop in the summer resort towns of Michiana (Michigan and Indiana beach towns) which was only open from April to October (like the ice cream shops). In my dream, it would make so much money that it could support all my family members. I would have apprenticed at great bagel stores in nyc and then trained crews of bakers. I am way too old and mobility challenged but hay...

I would love to rescue old dilapidated homes, pre 1960's & restore them to their original splendor. I am so sick of open floor plans & find myself craving the intimacy of separate spaces/rooms. And huge wrap around porches would be the icing on the cake. I have always wanted to be an interior designer & have been told by many that I have a knack for it, but living in the "DIY" state of Maine, there really is no call for it around here! I get great joy from seeing a house that sat empty & falling apart suddenly come back to life, does my heart good!

Since this is the home decor and decorating board, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by all the creative businesses you ladies would like to operate. I can picture the charming B and Bs and delicious food you all would produce, because I know how much you'd enjoy the planning and execution.

I love to think of people having a calligraphy business or supporting themselves through a lovely mixture of activities like artemis listed--a little of this, a little of that. I have no head for business and I know I'll never be an entrepreneur, but I can see myself using the "smorgasboard" approach in the future when college tuition isn't such a pressing need.

I'd run the BUSINESS end of small charitable organization including full automation for animal shelter, charity oriented resale shop or immigrant resource center. There has been woeful waste and inefficiencies in the ones I've worked and so easy to correct. Not really a pipe dream, closer to a Plan B.

house flipping

interior design

3 season garden shop, just love the one near me. everytime i go, i just want to work there!! so relaxin with all the flowers, but i am sure its hard work!!!

work with a no-kill shelter (dogs & cats), rescue animals from a high kill shelter-transport to a no-kill shelter, find homes for them, promote spay/neutering. educate about animal abuse...

Thank You so much H B!

Lemonlime, for a good portion of my childhood, I dreamed of being a zoological/botanical illustrator. I keep thinking I'd like to pick it up again but the reality is that much of scientific illustration these days is actually graphic design which isn't of interest to me at all.

If any of you botanical illustrators find yourself in Sarasota, I took a class with this lady and highly recommend. After two intensive days I could draw one very realistic looking leaf with a pencil, so it might not be my calling ;) I think she also does distance education.
http://www.omartdesigns.com/education.html

Oh Robo.. I would so enjoy a class like that. Thank you for sharing!

I have lived one of my dreams when I was an archivist. I loved it but when the recession hit I was five months pregnant and became a SAHM.

I want to learn how to weld. My grandpa was a welder in WW2 and started his business after which my dad took over. He ran the business in our basement, and I loved going to jobs with him although they were always in the worst parts of town. Ive had dreams of having a little Shop and making lights.

I already started my dream business and I love what I do.

I would like to run a big dog rescue but my DH isn't a huge dog person (he loves our dogs but he only has dogs b/c they make me happy, he would have only a cat otherwise) so I don't think that is in my future.

A bookstore in a big old rambling house somewhere like New Orleans.

Recently our favorite restaurant near our vacation house came on the market. It is also a small B&B. I have always wanted to own a B&B so when I saw this I asked DH what he thought. He is a realist (and is retired) and said that if this opportunity presented itself about 10 years ago he'd consider it, but that we are too old to work as hard as this would require. Here's a picture:

Several medium sized cities in my region have thriving food truck businesses. Many friends/family frequent them during the work week.

The food truck business is missing out on a key market: Show up at local outdoor sports complexes at 7 a.m. on Saturday mornings when players have to arrive 1 hour before game time and their cranky parents didn't have time to grab a coffee beforehand. Fields and fields of parents who would gladly pay for a hot coffee and a donut to keep a resentful younger sibling occupied.

Antique store specializing in stained glass and vintage lamps and chandeliers! Or yarn shop that sponsors knitting circles.

My family's business since 1920 or so was a vegetable farm. Started by my immigrant Italian GP. Think greenhouses, nursery, retail and wholesale, supplier of veggies to a tri-state region. My parents took over the business in the early 60's and my mom started her own cut floral business within the whole other gig. Think brides coming to pick their flowers right out of the field; mom would arrange and deliver. This was the 60's before it was cool... When I got old enough my reward would be to cut and arrange after all the other chores were finished. She eventually had about 4 acres and kept this little hobby to kind of herself and you had to "know someone" to get her to cut and arrange for you or do your wedding, shower, funeral etc.

So that's it- custom private florist/grower and today I found my perfect "shop" . I've been known to refinish antiques so that could be my off season gig. Only problem is dealing with public- since I started making change at age nine I have never really loved that end of it.

my DH scoffs as he would be required to build the greenhouse- one of my biggest regrets is not buying my GP's original glass greenhouse when the city bought the homestead for a park.

I'm happily retired and enjoying every second of it. I am doing exactly what my dream was and that's to work with children with dire diseases . I have an artist friend who has devoted her life to this and has a large piece of land and real estate where she has families of kids with fatal illnesses come and then we focus the time they have in between treatments on gardening, creating, making likewise friends, encouraging each other. All the help is volunteers and locals are sooo generous in their time and grants. I help out teaching the kids art lessons and being a general court jester, it fills me up. It's called Magical Moon and it's an incredible dream of my friend and I get some of the bennies. I spent years off and on in hospitals as a child so I'm very drawn to kids, they're my favorite people. I don't get there as much lately as I have commitments to many others but, when I do, it's glorious.

Interior design and sensitive period restoration of interior architecture.

Missymoo, I so understand that you don't like to deal with the public. I understand because by all rights, I should be the same way... but I am not! It is crazy to me (and to all of the people who know me!) but I love interacting with people. It really makes no sense because I am an introvert-- and honestly, I am NOT a people person. I have no time for those who are short tempered or rude or lazy or too cheery or too chatty or too loud-- but put them on the other side of a counter and I am great with them! I've sold cameras, jewelry, books, food and a ton of garage sales. I even LOVE working retail at Christmas. I am sitting here shaking my head as I write this LOL. It's I know it is crazy but I genuinely enjoy it and have a lot of fun with it. So much so that I get a small following wherever I've worked-- and even for my garage sales!

I am also really good with difficult business clients too. I've always been the person they bring in to lead projects when the relationship has gone to cr*p.. Maybe they are connected somehow.

The only downside is I need a LOT of downtime & quiet after being with the public for a day. Sometimes as much as 2:1 downtime to public time.

Funkyart - that is too funny! I used to have no issue and actually have been quite successful in my life interacting with people in general and professionally, but in my old age my ITNJ is getting the best of me ;) and I completely agree on the downtime requirements!

The one thing I want to do before I die is get back on a horse. They were my world before my various back aliments (some caused by MS and some caused by falling off too many horses! :p) So, if I was not so physically limited, my dream job would be to own a horse ranch that offered physical, emotional and mental therapy for children. There are few things stronger than the bond between a horse and a child (or an adult!). One of my next door neighbors and my precious granddaughter's best friend...

A fitness business. It's my hobby and passion to run, workout and have a healthy lifestyle. I try to share as much of my knowledge as I can (when people ask) but it would be amazing to do it as a career.

Bonnie_Anne, that is our favorite restaurant too!! It is charming and the flourless chocolate cake is unbelievable . Please buy it and keep it the same forever!

Caroline Hamilton, great idea! I was just thinking today that I have always wanted to run but feel like I'd need advice to do it in a way that doesn't end in shin splints and a torn ACL right off the bat. I bet there are a lot of people like me. Running coach for chubby middle-aged ladies is probably a special category of saint!

I sincerely hope everyone gets to fulfill their dreams. DH is close right now and watching the joy is wonderful.

I've got so many dream jobs (including publishing my stories and books and selling my necklaces) but I'll stick to another 2 of them. ;)

DJ one would be inventing/improving on things that help to clean the air and water. DH is an inventor with engineering in his background so I know where to get technical help. :)

DJ 2 would be a doggy day care with a special section which we would help dogs who are dog on dog aggressive. This has been a scary dream forever. I hate to see the people dragging their maniacally lunging and barking dogs away from other dogs and I see it daily. Why can't they all just get along. ;)

I'm only 59.75 yrs old so maybe I'll get to both of them. I already walk and train dogs at least.

Maggie, there is definitely hope for you if you want to run or even walk/run! Caroline is right. There is also an app for your phone called 'Couch to 5k' that will get you to a 3.1 mile distance slowly. If you have a running group in your community, that is a good support group to start with also.

Our local running store (Fleet Feet) has a 'No Boundaries' (NoBo) training program for a 5k that is excellent. Many in it are just like you. They stress preparation to stay injury-free, nutrition, proper shoes and always have mentors with the group to answer questions and provide support.

I would love to give Historic Walking Tours in our town. The only problem is that they would take only about 5 minutes. I used to be a " step-on tour guide" for bus tours. I loved giving the actual tours but I did not like that it t was all day with one group....get everyone on the bus....get everyone off the bus....wait for everyone to get lunch....ugh!

The only problem is that they would take only about 5 minutes.

Ah, that's easy. Then you pad. I rarely take tours, but a couple of years ago I arrived late in Savannah and wanted to stretch my legs after a long drive but didn't fancy trotting around on my own in the parks at night, so I signed up for a ghost tour. It was a nice walk, with a few ghosts, but mostly it was just a meander through the historic district with stops to view places like Flannery O'Connor's house without any pretense of ghostiness. The participants were perfectly satisfied, as far as I could tell.

I suspect many tours on many subjects are like that, unless you are in a very large city. Or they just make things up out of whole cloth because people have always liked alternate facts, really, and it's so much easier to get a nice route that way.

Thanks, Writersblock! Oh, I am good at padding, enhancing, dragging it out.....but it still would not be enough for most people! I have done them on a volunteer basis when we have had special events in our town ( 4,000 people). It really is fun. I totally agree with you about a lot of fluff is added.....but I really enjoy walking around Savannah!

Grapefruit1, my town is so ripe for a walking tour. We have a cutesy touristy area, and a defined, geographically manageable (for walking) historic area. There are fun facts about buildings and businesses, too, that I believe one would be very marketable here.

A friend and I were considering a similar business a few years ago. What held me back was that I can't figure out if I'm an introvert or extrovert. Sometimes people energize me and sometimes they exhaust me. I guess if I gave just 1-hour tours, even the most exhausting group would be manageable. ;-)