Notes from A Cottage Industry

Getting settled.

I worked a few hours at the bank yesterday, and I am there again all day today, but I wanted to share a lil' peek at my dining room in the new place. I have moved things around from my old cottage in Reno. The four bunny pictures and the hutch in the dining room are all relocated from my old living room, and the hutch is now filled with all of my white and silver things for a little different look (I will add the Robin's egg blue touches in the spring and summer I am thinking) I am going with a slightly more streamlined look in my new home because it just seems like that is what looks best here.

  I didn't do too much in here for the Christmas season, since I was still using the table for unpacking things.... but it is definitely beginning to feel like home to me.

A tour of the loo with Elmer, Harlan and Roger.

       Meet Elmer Huss. He's three years old in this portrait. (His name and age were on the back of his picture when we bought it from a fellow vendor at Junkee) Isn't he just about the dearest little guy?! Well, I mean next to these two doll babies. That's my own Dad, Harlan, on the left and my uncle Roger on the right. Couldn't you just eat them up?
They are all residing in my most favorite room of the new place-yes, many of you guessed it! The bathroom. The restroom, the loo, the water closet, the library..whatever you call it, it's a room full of charm in the little cottage on East Taylor. I could hang out in there all day. (*note* It is very hard to get good pictures in a tiny place like a bathroom, so bear with me.)Oh, but wait. Let's go back to the beginning, about a month ago. (Wow! Is that all it is? We do work fast!) Here was the fabulous little room a few weeks ago....

Lots of mismatched tiles. And some rather interesting....modifications, like this one here...

Ummm...hmmm....I guess someone wanted to recess their toilet into the wall..? (Who does that?!)

    We had the challenge of how to make this little bathroom work for us, on a shoestring budget. We decided we loved the floor, which is all original and in perfect condition. And we loved the original-to-the-house medicine cabinet.

 Everything else? Notsomuch. The patchwork-y tile was bad enough, but that hole in the wall. Augh! We were just not sure what we could do about that. Luckily, Juan, our incredibly-inexpensive-and-reliable-painter guy looked at it and said he knew how to do tile repair, and..get this..he could "bondo" the cut out wood area to look like new. We said "go for it, Juan." And he did. Our first plan was to cover the tile over with bead board. Too pricey for us, and it would be quite a challenge. then, we decided to paint the tile. I researched it, and yes, it can be done, with a lot of sanding and oil based primer and paint. Then, we hit upon another idea. Our signature look! Book pages! we have done it on bookcases and dressers, why not the walls? The added benefit is that it can easily be removed if someone else were to take over the home and need to actually shower in here. Three bottles of liquid starch later, and a whole lot of books and here is the finished product... The sewing Queen set up her machine in the bedroom and bless her heart, sewed so much burlap her machine may never be the same. (I had no idea burlap was so fiber-y and lint-y. What a mess!) She made us a skirt and a matching shower curtain (and the table skirt in the parlor in a lighter shade of burlap!)

   There is still a little bit of tweaking to be done (replacing the shower head for a smaller one and seeing if the Sewing Queen is up for monogramming the towels with our name...thanks for the idea, Betsy!!!!)

*sigh* so there you have it- a tour of my favorite room in the new place. A bathroom with enough reading material (and charm) for anyone.

Cloth table linens...the ultimate Green choice, and oh! So charming.

        I've always liked using cloth napkins. Even as a newlywed back in the 70's, I used cloth over paper table linens to save money. I love the look and feel of them, whether they are charming old vintage napkins, or newly made to coordinate with my tablescape by the Sewing Queen. Besides being good for our environment, they really make the table look so nice, and there is such a feeling of being pampered and spoiled- a feeling of living a truly charmed life.
        I have amassed quite a collection of sweet vintage table linens that I am getting ready to take to Junkee later today....if I decide I can part with them.

The new workroom continues to emerge...

Each night I have been trying to spend a bit of time fine tuning my new workroom, and I thought I'd share my latest nearly completed project. The room is all about creating, and storage, and order and inspiration. By this I mean that I am hoping to be able to keep it clean while I create. (Is that an oxymoron?)

Anyway.

Here is the other side of the new office, folks, directly across from the giant hutch-bookcase-y thing that I am loving with all of my heart. These are the bookcases that I already had in the former office. (now guestroom) I took out the upholstered bench and replaced it with a dresser from the old guestroom (am I confusing you? I hope not) Anyway, the dresser (which is now my "shipping center", full of packaging supplies and boxes)began as a thrifted item in Portland, for my then college daughter's home. It was a buffet on her patio as I recall, and it was white. (I remember that it was fabulous out there too!) Later, it made it's way to the biggest little city, to my last house, was painted a deep sage green, and was placed in the library as a little buffet of sorts.

When I moved to my cottage it became a night table in the guest room, and the deep sage green still worked. Now, it's come full circle, back to white, in my sweet little workroom, where I hung my inspiration board above it.

Next on the list...my computer table and the window treatment.... A woman's work is never done.

A night stand for weary travelers

The new guest room is coming together, and I am so happy with my newly "created" night table that I wanted to share it. I got the luggage rack last Friday at the "Cattle Guard" Estate sale and I had the old suitcases from thrifting several years back. I put them together and it turned into the right height and size for a bedside table.

Pretty perfect for the room where traveler's stay, don't you think?

Meanwhile, the new workroom evolves....

  

     With the Antique faire behind me, and the next big trip to Alameda Point still a few (Three..yikes!) weeks away, I am plugging away, trying to get my new workroom settled and situated. Last night after work, after the other Tracey and I had moved a few items down to the booth at Junkee, I started tackling my center work table.
    It's a thrifted ($5 at a yard sale last summer) basic tall pub table, which I love because I like to work standing up and this is the perfect height to not stain my back. It was a cherry wood stain kind of color before, but I decided to paint it the same Robin's egg blue as the back of the new hutch-bookcase-y thing's back for a pop of subtle color. (I knew I wanted to paint it from day one, but just now found the time)
     The three suitcases hold all of my sorted photos and memorabilia from my three kids growing up. (um..ya. I am still attempting to get most of this stuff into albums to give the kids, hopefully before anyone turns 30, which seems to be approaching more quickly than I thought.Hmmm, well, at least I have them sorted, right?)
     The table is situated in the center of the room so I can easily get to any supplies as needed when working a project and then I can also easily put things away. (That's the plan anyway.) So far I am pretty happy with the way things are coming along in this new space, even if I am moving at a snail's pace.

A teeny tiny Christmas tour.

Yes, yes. The Christmas tour. (a bit smaller than you might expect)
The truth be told, I am having a bit of a hard time with Christmas decorating this year, so there aren't nearly so many pictures as I am sure you had hoped to see.Also, I tried to share photos of new vignettes that are different from last year.

My life for the past couple of months has reminded me very much of a hamster on one of those little wheel-y things, or a juggler with one too many balls in the air. I never seemed to have nearly enough hours in a day, or a week for that matter.

So....here's a lil' peek at some of the details going on at my sweet cottage...

The tiny hand painted urn (a precious gift from the other Tracey!) is just perfect for holding a miniature bottle brush tree...

...lots of silver and soft robin's eggs blue in the livingroom...

...and snowmen...I have a day off from work today, so I'll be sure and share more pictures later!

Thinking about Thanksgiving

       I was hoping that November would be my slow down month, but so far I have been so busy at work that it doesn't feel like it. Running and going, with early morning meetings and night time events.
One thing I am making time for is, slowly but surely, getting all of my things out for Thanksgiving.(and I had better hurry up. It's already the 7th!)
      Thanksgiving is my most favorite holida. It's lacking the pressure of shopping frantically for that perfect gift,(and trying to find that one last parking spot at the mall) and it's a chance to try new recipes, while looking forward still to using the old family favorites. It's all about family and thankfulness and counting our blessings.

What's your favorite holiday?

Outdoor harvest decor update

     I still have so much work to do on the outside of my cottage. In a perfect world, I would have cute black shutters on the windows and shrubs in front of the house. Oh, and a meandering walkway going up to my front door from the sidewalk, with a picket fence along the sidewalk.(Can'tcha just picture it?!) For now, seasonal decor will have to do the job of sprucing up the outside. 
    I got the last of my harvest decorations out yesterday after work. Before you comment...Yes, I do think I went a whole lot little overboard on the pumpkins. And the sunflowers.

Anyway.

I still haven't quite finished the details on my thrifted wagon (I want to rust the wheels and add a little banner) on the porch, but I hope to get it done this weekend. Then, I just may go price some shutters at Home Depot.

Oh, I just love autumn!

(Psst! Check out my post on the HomeGoods Openhouse Blog for more harvest time ideas.)

The deal of the day from three Saturday's ago...

     I wanted to share this post before it was Saturday all over again, but with the week I had at work, (and I was throwing the double baby shower!) well, it just didn't happen. And it didn't happen the week after that either, 'coz I wanted to paint the set before I posted them.(By the way, the deal of the day this past Saturday was my all time best, but I can't show it yet, 'coz it's gonna be re-invented into a big surprise for someone very, very special...I'll share it with a "before and after post" as soon as it's done!)

Anyway.

     Here's what nine dollars got me at the neighborhood yard sale three Saturday's ago. (The woman wanted ten dollars and I bought a whole pile of stuff and ended up saving an additional buck!) They were Kind of dark-ish-kelly-green to begin with, but they seemed to not work so well in my front yard, with all the dark foliage behind them, so...I painted them, and they are now proudly welcoming everyone to my cottage for autumn. (I'll share the entire front of the cottage once I get my window boxes all done up for Autumn!)

Oh, I love em, love 'em, love 'em.

Halloween or harvest?

     Personally, I'm far more into the harvest look than Halloween for my own home, other than a few sparse touches here and there (a black crow, a "beware" sign...) Fall decorations can stay up so much longer.
     This year however, I am doing up a few little Halloween things for my booth at Junkees, along with a lot of harvest decor items.I'm not sure which will sell best, but I'll find out soon enough. I'll be hauling it all down there by the end of the week.
    The little chair shown in the photo above was one of my finds this past Saturday while out junkin'. I added a little "boo" banner that can be removed after Halloween, and the sweet lil' pumpkin can stay. (How perfect is that for fall?)
  I got my latest Martha Stewart Living magazine (you know Martha is a nut for Halloween and does up some of the coolest and cutest things to decorate for the occasion!) and now I'm wondering how many of you go all out decorating for Halloween, as opposed to just a harvest theme?

I heart laundry

     OK, that's not even close to the truth, but I do love my newly foofified laundry room. Please overlook the fact that my washer and dryer are outdated and ugly vintage. (OK, while they may not be pretty, they sure work hard for me.)  

    Aah, the warm Robin's egg blue walls. (Remember, in my world, step one is almost always "Paint it Robin's egg blue") Such a pleasure to see through the French door after nearly two years of looking at the scuffed up white walls in there. The cheery black and white checkerboard floor, done with stick on tiles, just makes it all come together. I had a checkered floor in my last laundry room too, but it was a sheet of vinyl. I'm all done with the tiles except for inside the pantry. (I'll finish up in there later this week.) These were so easy to install and so affordable. Now, let's see how they wear.

Oh, and how about the new sign on the Pantry door that's just inside the laundry room across from my washer and dryer? (made with my Silhouette of course!) It's all cuter (...more cute?) than I even imagined.

I swear to you, I could just hang out in here half the day if I had a laptop.

A nursery begins to take shape...

Are those just about the cutest little bunny slippers you've ever seen?! (They are! They are!) I got them for the Peanut while we were shopping on 4th Avenue in sweet little Camas Washington. Oh, but that wasn't all we found on the street of dreams.
One of the highlights of the past weekend's trip to Camas was playing with the furniture in the nursery, arranging it and staring at it, imagining it full of baby sounds, sights and smells.(and I knew you'd want to see our progress!) The nursery is a wonderful large, sunny bedroom, with high cathedral ceilings and it's own fabulous walk-in closet (with a window, no less!) and it's own bathroom.
     Because of the nice high ceiling we knew we needed something with some height in there for a focal point....but what?
Well.....The Mama-to-be discovered this incredible "changing station" while we were in Camas Antiques. (it's actually a reproduction piece!) We were so excited to show it to my son-law, who so sweetly said they should buy it right then and there. (He's such a good sport! I actually think he thought that's what the piece was designed for as my daughter explained that the little alcove was for a diaper changing area.) Okay, technically it's a hutch, but open your mind. Think outside of that hutch box. It's a piece of furniture that will work pretty much anywhere in a home (in so many places, and with so many options for use!) for years and years to come.
   The changing pad we bought fits perfectly in the alcove, as though it was made for it.(I am picturing a wee little banner hung back in there against that green backdrop)  Imagine this beauty filled with onesies, diapers, story books and stuffed bears. My mind reels just thinking about it.
    Since the thrifty couple had bought the crib and mattress on craigslist (which we promptly painted and antiqued to go with the feel of the room) and had a reinvented dresser and charming little table from Gramma Cupcake, (the dresser is in the other corner of the room, not shown in the photos) they decided to cut loose and buy this beautiful piece for the huge back wall of the soon-to-be nursery.

**edited to add: Here is a picture of our "practice baby" the adorable Mona Fleasa!

   This, along with the rocking chair that was used to rock my babies and some incredible old hinged doors from the fabulous retreat  team round out the room quite nicely and it is really beginning to take shape.

Now, in another couple of weeks when we know if we're having a boy or a girl, we can really get the ball rolling.

Hall of frame...in progress

    What's in your hallway? I've got the family photo gallery goin' on there. I went almost a year with nothing on the walls in the hall. It looked OK to me bare...but, when I hung these pictures a few months ago, wow. What an improvement.
It warmed things up. Added so much charm. I love it.
     With the weddings still "in progress" I kind of did things a bit backwards. I hung all my frames, and waited for the pictures to fill some of them. I did it this way so that I could arrange the frames in a fashion that worked visually as you look down the hallway. (I actually got this idea from my bestest friend since 5th grade- thanks Brigid!) I put the family photos I already had in many of them, but saved some for those fabulous wedding shots.

My frames come from all over the place. Some very old, some newer, most thrifted...or from TJ Maxx. Some are matted, some not. (It's amazing to me what a little matt can do for an ordinary snapshot.)
     Also, I had a couple of old 1990's long skinny framed "country art" type things that I hung as well, because I like the shape of the frames.      
     Tonight I'm doing a little make-over project to bring them up to 2008. (I'll share the project later! Wait till you see it. So easy, cute and free!)

A charming little chair re-do

     It's funny, the wonderful stuff  you'll find, right around your own home, when you open up your mind.
     I've had this little chair for more than ten years. It was a cherry wood colored stain

(and I forgot to take a picture of it in the true "before" state, but here it is, half primed with spray Kilz) and I have moved all around my cottage looking for a spot that it would fit in. Finally, it ended up in a box of "maybe - I'll - donate - this - stuff", and that is where it has been sitting for the past year.
I decided last weekend that what the little chair needed was a little make over.
      I primed it, and painted it a soft Robin's egg blue. Then, I antiqued it ever so slightly.

*sigh* Instant charm.

What have you got around your house that is waiting to look fresh and new again?

I'm afraid I might be a laundry room weirdo.

      OK. So, I have a thing for laundry rooms. There, I said it.
     In my last house, my favorite room was the giant laundry room...and I had such grand plans for the little "walk-through-on-the-way-to-the-garage-from-the-kitchen" laundry room in my sweet cottage, but now that it's on the market I've put them aside. I'm afraid they'd be too personalized... (I was going to paint the walls Robin's egg blue and put in stick-on vinyl tiles in black and white checks...)
     Last week, when my friends were over to assemble the tiny flags, one of my guests commented that they had never seen such a "staged" laundry room. Hmm...I wasn't sure if I should be offended or flattered. (Who am I kidding?! I was a wee bit offended. I tried to tell myself she was just jealous.(wink, wink!)Poor thing. Maybe her laundry room was boring and sad and pitifully neglected, and so she felt the need to attack mine...or...could it be that she thought I was... suspenseful background music here.....a laundry room weirdo?)
     I told her it wasn't staged, it was how I lived. I take the basket off the washer when I do wash (hey, it's only me and I have 2 loads of laundry, per week, on Saturdays..No big deal, right?) She looked at me like I said I had just returned from a flight to Mars with George Clooney. 

Anyway.

   It got me to wondering...am I the only person that decorates the laundry area of her home? (surely I am not!)
       To clarify, (and to defend my sanity and sense of style) the basket of ivy and the washboard are concealing the very high-on-the-wall water knobs for the water to go to the washing machine. (They are like the ones on a bathtub- huge..and very ugly...to me, anyway) See? It serves a purpose.
    The lamp...well, it brings some black and white toile,(which is in my kitchen) along with a whole lot of ambiance into the little room, which, when lit up at night, is seen through the lacy French door in the evenings, and adds a touch of romance to my kitchen (...once again, for me, anyway.)
     The framed quotation (oh, you know how I love good quotations...) makes me smile every Saturday, because I do find joy in laundry, in being home...in nesting.

*sigh* If that makes me a laundry room weirdo, I guess I'm OK with that.

Puddle jumpers

     Ever since the day I first had lunch at Ms. Crafty's, I've been on the hunt for a pair of galoshes. New or thrifted. Red, black, blue,solid or print, whatever. They just had to be two things: Cute and cheap.

Huh? What did you ask?

Why would I be looking for galoshes?!

Um.... hellooooo? April showers? (And, yes, I am aware that Reno doesn't actually have more than about 3 rainy days a year- just one of the many perks of living in the high desert)

You got it. They make the perfect April porch decoration, of course.

     Ms. Crafty spotted these for me at Mervyn's on clearance! She got a very-Mary-Engebreit-y looking pair for herself with red cherries on them. The black with white polka-dots were too cute for me to pass up. I bought them in my size so I can wear them, (OK, we all know I most likely won't wear them, unless I were to have a pipe break in my kitchen or something...but...I've learned to never say never) or use them to decorate with...so versatile.
      Aren't they fabulous?

A water dish can be a thing of beauty...

     You know how some people have good china and save it for only very special occasions? I am not one of those people. (Actually I probably need a 12 step tableware program, since I am about 2 dishes and an antique butter knife away from needing an intervention) It's all part of living a beautiful life. So...

Wanna see the pupper's water bowl? (I can't believe I hadn't shared this with you sooner)

What?

You thought it was a compote, or a salad bowl?

Oh. Now that you mention it, I guess it could be. But I was looking for a new water bowl for the boys, and, for the most part, they are just so..small, and when I do find a larger bowl, they are often so Gawd awful unattractive and expensive (Hellooooo, suddenly single budget here, folks) and, well, they never seem to go with my kitchen decor. (and you know that I am all about the details) Then...I stumbled upon this...beauty. Toile, no less. Stunning, and just the right size. (Oh, and I loved the lifted off the floor pedestal effect, too. Those dog dish tableware designers think of everything.)

Where? Of course, TJ Maxx, baby. I got it last summer for only $9.99 and worth. every. penny.

Life is too short to not use the good stuff, people, even for the pups.

Who says you can't buy happiness?

     The happiest little cottage in Reno, Nevada just went on the market.
     This wonderfully special home helped save my life in more ways than one, these past many months.
     In the beginning, it provided many a late night project that helped me to fill those lonely, scared, sleepless nights. Then, it presented a warm and welcome haven to come home to each night, to keep my sanity and many happy, memory making meals with family and friends gathered around the table.
     Now it's time for someone else to enjoy it's warm embrace.

Master bathroom re-do continues....

OK, so you've seen the first part of my master bath makeover. Now it's time to see the rest of the area. I squeezed out a slice of time and I finally tackled the rest of the master bath.
Here it is, in the "house of mirrors" before state (I know. Scary.) and after:

...Why did I wait so long? Sheesh.
     My son in law hung the old hutch top to use for me (I have had the silly thing for several years) and swapped out the light fixtures. Gone are the "Hollywood" lights! Gone is the "tri-fold" medicne cabinet. It's so much more user friendly (no more trying to decide which mirror to look in...) and just so much more cozy...
*sigh*...more me.

Little office corner with big style

     The current Maid-of-Honor's cottage is a very cozy size. This past weekend we added a little bit of personality to a corner of the living room, to warm up the space.(sorry, I meant to take a "Before" picture, but I forgot.)
Anyway.
They found a charming vintage desk on good ol' Craigslist a while back. (did you know that next to San Francisco, Portland Oregon has the most popular Craigslist? Yup, it's true.) You can't really see the desk in my picture, but,take my word for it, it's fabulous.
     The desk sits in the living room behind the sofa (because the desk is so deep it couldn't move through a bedroom door to become an office!)and it worked out for the best, really. It adds a nice, sophisticated touch to the room.      
     Until this past weekend, there was nothing on the wall behind the desk, and not much of interest on the desk. Well, we changed that. We had the fabulous son-in-law hang the brackets that my daughter has had for about five years. They were sage green and we quickly spray painted them black to better coordinate with the room. The board we had was a bit narrow, so they're replacing it with a wider board this week, and staining it to match the desk...it'll look like a million bucks!
     A few accent pieces from around the house, and a giant clock from Freddie Meyers filled in the spaces. We then topped it off with a perfect wedding photo in black and white and we were standing back admiring our handiwork in no. time. at. all. Too wonderful for words!

*sigh* There's just never enough time to do all the projects we want to do on these short little jaunts to PTown.

a cozy corner

Here is a peek into the little area off of the kitchen in my newlywed daughter's cottage. A perfect spot for reading, or sunning, or sitting with a cup of chai tea, reflecting on the day.

     We had every intention of finishing up the area with new shabby drapes like one of these this past weekend, but time got away from us.
     Um ya, I think that means I need to hurry back up there, don't you?

The laundry room door o' my dreams (what a difference a door makes...)

   

     Sure, some women dream of fancy homes, or jewelry, or fabulous shoes. (OK, I have been known to lust after fabulous shoes myself...) but, really, for me it's all about the details. The things you might not have noticed, until they are improved upon, and are now a focal point in a room.
       Aah, such is the case of my newly installed, freshly painted, oh, so charming French door from the kitchen to the laundry room. It is a thing of beauty and a joy to behold, for me anyway. Previously, there was a circa 1966 flat panel interior door, complete with a little kitty door at the bottom. One can only surmise that the homeowner before me had a kitty and kept the kitty litter box in the laundry area.


     I have waited and saved and finally got the door hung a week and a half ago (by Jed, the oh so incredible handyman) and then I painted it up and hung my sweet lace curtain. You see, the laundry room has a wonderfully large window above the washer and dryer and now the light can stream in to the kitchen, with the door closed, so everyone doesn't have to admire my very old (oh, let's call 'em vintage, shall we?) washer and dryer.
     I also placed a darling lamp with a toile shade (it has been waiting a year, out in the garage for this very moment!) on top of the dryer...and soon, very soon, I'll be sharing pictures of the laundry room itself. (You see, I have further big-but-cheap plans for this little gem of a room, but it will have to wait until after the big wedding!)
*Sigh* For now, I am so happy and content, just to peek into the kitchen and look at the wonderfully cozy lil' door in my little jewel of a cottage.

angel wings- a work in progress, and opinions wanted.

     I'm starting to take down all my snowflakes and snowmen, and replace it all with hearts and angels..all things Valentine. I put my wings in the diningroom for this season and I am still playing around with what I want to use as accents with them..

Click on the pictures to enlarge them if you like...so far I am leaning towards the "Be Mine" blocks, because it seems more Valentine-ish...but I tried old books as well...which do you like best?

Window pains

         How do you like what I've done with my windows in the workroom? Oh yes, I am happy, happy now, but you should have seen me last Sunday (alllll day long...aauuuugh!) and then some more time spent last night. Oh yes, last night I was ready to pull out all my hair, trying to hang those roller shades. Did you hear all that screaming and stomping my feet? Ya, that was me.

*sigh* In the end, I think it was worth every minute.

          I think window treatments can be the toughest element in completing a look for a room, and they can literally make or break the look as well. In this case, I used what I had. Some remnants of the ticking fabric that the sewing queen of northern Nevada re-slipcovered my old piano bench with, some battenburg lace place mats, and some twigs from a very old grapevine wreath. Along with that I added some reproduction travel postcards, my favorite word on a banner of Robin's egg blue and mocha toile scrapbook paper and a little nest (you know I had to do that!)
    Here was the window treatment before...practical, and obviously affordable, the previous owner bought a ready made mini blind to undoubtedly create privacy and provide insulation, but...can we say boring? (So totally not me.)

    I mean, the windows themselves (original to the cottage and single paned..) are so charming, so cute, and they let in so much sunshine (..OK, and cold air.But, did I mention they are cute? No one will ever call me practical) that I had to find a way to showcase this so I could enjoy the cuteness of it all.

And, so I did.

Where this woman creates-the updated tour of my workroom

   
     Need a piece of paper? It's inside the closet in the paper organizer, of course. Some staples? In the middle drawer of the 3 drawer bird house, right where they belong. *Sigh* I love being tidy, but it doesn't come naturally for me.

Step right up, and welcome to the ten cent tour of my almost totally done, (for now) newly re-invented, completely organized and charmingly decorated workroom slash home office; AKA Command Central.(Hey!Look and you can see that I even got Jed the amazing handyman to hang my fabulous chandelier that I bought 8 months ago in sweet little Camas Washington!!!) It's where all my creative messes begin.

**edited at 7:00 pm Saturday night to add: I accidentally posted this post this morning and quite a few of you were wondering where in the heck the photos were!I wrote the post, but it was before I took my pictures. That was when I thought I'd get the window covering project completed today,as well as a little something on the far left wall. Well, I was busy, busy all day long, and time got away from me, so the tour is of everything except the window treatment, which you can see from the mini blinds, hasn't been updated yet, and the last wall...you'll see it soon though, I promise!**

     When I first moved into my sweet little fixer upper cottage a year ago on December first, my home office was not a priority. It was enough to focus on getting through today and tomorrow, and still coming to grips with my suddenly single life. Time passed. Slowly at first, then faster. I survived. I made a real home for myself and the puppies. Life came back.
     Now, a bit more than a year later, I am down to the last room in the cottage to personalize, just for me. (I know I will never be really all the way finished, as nesting is such a passion with me...a therapy of sorts...but this is the last room in the cottage for me to put my personal mark on)
I have a three bedroom cottage, and this is one of the bedrooms, nice and sunny, with a closet and a big cheery window. It's a pretty generic bedroom.
     As I've already mentioned in other posts, I've decided the best way to start of 2008 is by being 100% organized with my computer, my crafts, my bank statements and bills, and my supplies. (2008 is gonna be my year baby, and I had better be well prepared!)
     You know, it doesn't matter at all how big or small your creative space is. If things are orderly, things run more smoothly. Simple as that. There's a peacefulness to order; a sense of calm that can only be found (no pun intended) when things are in their proper places, don't you agree?   

     I began by emptying the room of everything except the large furniture pieces and my computer. (I put everything in the many empty rubber made tubs that previously held Christmas decorations. Thanks to cleaning out, handing things down to the kids, and donating some things, I ended up with several empty tubs.) The tubs were moved to my guest room and brought back into the workroom one at a time, cleaning and organizing as I went along.
     Once the contents were out of the room, I painted.(after I deliberated for far too long on if the new gallon of paint was really the same color as the kitchen and my bedroom) Oh, I can't get enough of that soothing soft Robin's egg blue-green-gray. Yummy.
    Finally, it was time to figure the layout of the furniture.Wow, less is more. The room feels twice the size it was a few weeks ago. Really.
    Lastly, (and this was the long tedious part) I began dragging in all my supplies and tools and such, a box at a time, making a donation pile (oh, my teacher friends were thrilled with these craft supplies!) a trash pile and a "this-doesn't-even-belong-in-this-room" pile. Oh yes! That's when the real fun began. The arranging, the tweaking, the discovering long lost craft tools...the organizing. Yes!

    I've still got to do a bit more fine tuning, but all in all, I am pretty happy with the way it's looking so far...and I think the puppers are enjoying it too.

Inspiration Friday - Napkin rings

      I love pretty table settings, and includes pretty napkin rings and place card holders! They inspire me to create wonderful table scapes!
     Today I thought I'd share with you some of my favorites that I have collected over the years. Most of them I have had for fifteen years or more. They never go out of style, and that's why they're such a good thing to have on hand.
    I have plain white ceramic vase style napkin rings that can be dolled up with ivy, or flowers, or holly, or even glittery faux poinsettia's, depending on the season and the formality I am after...

Think of all you can do with these....I have antique silverware handles that have been crafted into dressy rings...

I have these darling ceramic carrots (I've had them for about 20 years now!) that are perfect for any garden theme tablescape, and for a cheery Easter time meal too....oh, I am inspired for spring to hurry up and get here now!

    For breakfasts, or lunch, or when it's just me (yes! I set the table for myself, don't you? If you don't you should.)I have these sweet little tea pots...

    OK, I cheated on this last one. It's a WalMart Christmas ornament.

I changed out the ribbon and I tie it on the napkin...still one of my favorites...and oh, so inspiring.

My top ten projects of 2007...

Cindy shared hers yesterday, after she got the idea from Manuela. How fun, to look back over the year and remember all the fun projects!Here are my top ten projects of 2007 in no particular order...

1.Furniture re-do 101. This was the little table in my bedroom, and I shared a tutorial on how I paint furniture.

2. Seashell cookies for my son and daughter-in-laws wedding reception.

3.My kitchen cabinet redo...this was my largest project of the year by far. Anyway, I made it last longer than any other project of the year!

4.The paper cones. They are just so charming....

5.The angel wings, dress form dress up...wait till you see what i'm doing with the wings for Valentine's day!

6. The garden sign. *Sigh* OK, I am ready for spring now.

7.The white highchair redo...I am ready for grandbabies, in case anyone cares to know.

8.The entire backyard foofy-fying. Did I say i'm ready for spring yet?

9. The kitchen hutch...not only was it cheap, it was such a big transformation...

10. The dining room table swap slash redo....

I could go on and on....I can't wait to see what 2008 brings!

(Moderately) Extreme Makeover

     I cleared out about 70% of my old holiday decor items this past Christmas season. When I had finished paring things down, I had a small pile of items that I still loved, but needed some updating...foofifying if you will, to make them more of my current look. While I would not call myself a pack rat, I don't like to give things away just because they no longer go with my home decor, or I am simply tired of the color they are painted.
     Such was the case of Mr. Snowman here. He's so danged cute, but I am so over red right now. (never say never, 'coz he may get painted back to red someday...)  I want to keep the snowman/snowflake/let-it-snow theme going on through January, so he got a new coat..of paint.
It's not taken from the best angle, but here he is "before"...

     He was adorable then, and he is adorable now...

    The difference is that he now goes better with my color scheme, and he's not so much Christmas-y as he is winter-y.

Aah, the things a girl can do with 30 minutes and a bit of paint, string and scrapbook paper.

Lesson learned... the hard way

     Note to self- You are a lot of things, but you are not an electrician.

*sigh*.

It's been a little dark here at my cottage the past few days. Mmm hmm. My old dimmer switch  in my kitchen nook blew out three weeks ago and I completely lost my mind decided that I could replace it myself, because I live in a fantasy world consider myself "handy".
     "How hard could it be?", I thought to myself. I mean, the worst thing that would happen is that it wouldn't work, right? Wrong. The worst thing that can happen is that you can blow out all the power in one half of your lil' cottage.(Okay, the very worst thing would be that you could burn down your little cottage, but ending up with no lights in 4 rooms of your cottage is not good either...) Then, after the worst has happened, you have to wait several days to get someone that actually knows what they are doing to come over and take a look see. Today is that day.

*sigh* I am not an electrician.

Workroom/Office update:Foofified Bookcases and a way cool computer table

    Here's that second post of the day that I said I'd share if the power stayed on.
    I shoveled the driveway early, early this morning. The snow is still coming down, periodically (I love it!) and I can see that I am going to have to bundle up and shovel again.

The workroom slash office redo continues...and continues...oh, so slowly.
I've been painting the hutch bottom/table/desk for what seems like a week. (Remind me never to paint something that large dark green again. It takes too many coats of write to cover it up when I get tired of it.)
All whining about the time the paint job took aside, I love the new and improved desk-y, table-y thing. It was originally a 2 piece hutch. I've had it for more than twelve years. It was time for a new look, so I decided to omit the hutch top, since it was in pretty sad shape actually, leaning a bit to one side. Instead, I thought I'd add skirts to cover my printer, computer tower and other craft supplies and use the long base as my computer/work table. Perfect!!!!!!!!!! Just exactly the length of the window, it sits where I can look outside and watch the snow coming down.(As you can see, I haven't tackled the window treatment yet..soon though, very soon.)
     As for the bookcase mdf back dilemma, well, since cash flow is a real issue in my world, I decided for the time being to use what I've got...pages from a couple of old books are covering the backs of both cases for now. Later, when my ship comes in I'll do something wildly pretty, but for now, I am kinda likin' the look.

    I am also going to attach bun feet to the bottom of each bookcase as well, to give it a more finished look.

    The organizing and rearranging is going well...I keep bringing in just a few items at a time, putting them in their perfect place, so I can actually find them when I need to use them later.
    And the purging. Oh my, people. You really should try this in your creative space. Just like the rule for clothes in your closet, if you haven't used it in two years, donate it to someone who will.   
     Luckily I have about 50 teacher friends, and they can always use crafty stuff. I can't quite put into words just how good it feels to be getting this room organized. Organized and comfy.

*sigh* It's like a peaceful, calm aura has blanketed the room, and it feels so nice.