A Room of My Own - Part 3

Oh how my office/studio/craft room/reading room/ mystical unicorn of a room has been buzzing with attention and work! Lots of changes so far. First off, the desk is finished and the walls are painted! YAY! BUT, you only get a sneak peek of it later. I'm waiting to show you what the completed desk looks like at the big reveal, which will come in a later post. :) But first, we need to look at some other things....

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Part THREE: Storage, Organization & a Sneak Peek

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If you're like me, your craft room often looks like a craft store exploded in it. There's usually not much organization, there's always works in progress, and everything is right where you want it. You just can't remember where that is.

During the revamping of my Everything Room, one thing I'm going to focus on is storage and organization. This past January I went on a cleaning spree and completely revamped our master closet. It's organized, makes sense, and probably needs to be swept right now, but all in all, it's stayed pretty much the same as when I finished it. Why? Because everything in there has a place. Everything has it's own storage bin or shoe rack, or shoe tub or shelf. It's organized. And because it's organized, it's stayed clean for longer than any other part of my house stays. That's right, come to my house, ignore everything else that's messy and unorganzed, and just sit back and admire my closet. :)

Soooo I'm going to work that in to my Everything Room. And to help me get focused on that, and hopefully to inspire you, here's a few storage/organization ideas that I've found:

Thankfully, my dear father in law is going to make me one of these lovely ribbon organizers. I can't wait to finally get it and put it up in my room.

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I love that there are holes in the lids of the bottom jars. Then you just pull out however much string you need without having to open or close your jars. BRILLIANT!!!

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If you have shelves in your space, it's an awesome idea to save some baby food jars or spaghetti sauce jars and use them as organizers. You can simply clean them out, then screw the lid to the bottom of the shelf and twist in the jar to the lid like normal.

Simple. Functional. Pretty.

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I'm getting some shelves pretty soon and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be on the lookout for storage boxes as cute as these! Only I'll need them in red! ;)

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This cabinet is perfect for that person that doesn't have a lot of floor space and wants to keep things organized together. Shelves, ribbon roll, a place at the top for more items or for decorative pieces, doors, what more do you want?

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I LOVE the thought of galvanized steel pails screwed to the wall, waiting for your fabrics, ribbons, papers, or whatever! LOVELY!

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WOW! Someone is super organized! Very nice!

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Keep track of notes, receipts, ideas, patterns and more with a great ribbon board. I think I'm going to have one of these. :)

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I want a peg board! I love that you just put enough nails or screws in your wall to hold it up and then everything else has it's own peg. And don't think they have to be boring. Paint them a solid color to match your wall, a solid color to contrast your wall OR do a fun design on it so make it really pop! :D

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And now for the sneak peek:

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It's really not faded from green to blue,

it's called soft jade and it's really hard to

capture the true color in a photo.

But I absolutely LOVE it! :D

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Stay tuned for Part 4: Accents!

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Are you inspired yet? What kind of storage ideas do you use or would you like to start using?

Confessions of a Non-Triathlete - 4

Oh my goodness, it's been much too long since I posted about diet/exercise/weigh-ins and such. One reason for that is we had some friends come in during Spring Break and that just takes up a lot of time and effort, PLUS, I was really bad that week. I ate WAY too much, WAY too often, didn't do my walking, AND even made daiquiris and margaritas one night. [Cocktails are often a diet killer as they contain WAY too much sugar. :( Sad, but true.] Soooo I had to get back in the rhythm of healthy eating and being active all over again. BUT, I'm happy to say that I'm getting back on track AND I'm ready for my first weigh-in. EEK!

Here's the result of my hard-work:
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I've lost 7 pounds!
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YAY!!! It wasn't easy, but it really wasn't hard. What I've been doing is trying to eat less at meal time, get out and exercise, and work in some healthy fillers. Often times when hubby and I go out to eat I eat entirely TOO much. Sometimes when I'm at home I do the same thing! It's weird, it's like I'm worried that I'll never get to eat again so I eat as much as I possibly can. But I've been cutting that out, and I think that's helped A LOT! Also, I get out and exercise. Mostly I just walk. But I'm trying to jog more and more each time. [More on that below.] And third, I bought some salad stuff and healthy fruits and veggies. When I'm hungry during the day I head to the kitchen and grab a banana, or a yogurt, or fix myself a salad. Then, when the next meal time comes around, I'm not so hungry so it's easier to not eat so much. Simple. :)

Now, about that walking business. I know some of you have mentioned to me that you don't like exercising. Well, here's one of the simplest ways to get some exercising in: WALKING. Trust me, it's not as difficult as you think. I found this article and wanted to share it with you:

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Easy? Check. Cost-free? Check. Gets real results...that really last? Check, check. Well, what more could you want from a slim-down plan — except that it be flexible enough to fit into your busy schedule? Okay, this one does that, too.

In fact, this plan is so easy and natural, it hardly feels like a weight-loss program. Of course, that's the beauty of walking: The simple act of placing one foot in front of the other — no gadgets, no gear, no trips to the gym — can totally transform your figure, even if you don't change one thing about your diet!

Walking can also transform your health. Experts now say that taking roughly 10,000 steps per day sets off a chain reaction of physical benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced risk for heart disease and better odds for preventing breast cancer.

Does 10,000 steps sound overwhelming? A little perspective: It translates into 4.5 to 5 miles, or one hour of rapid walking. Still sound like a lot? Try breaking it into shorter bits: three 20-minute errands on foot, one breezy 30-minute walk before breakfast and another after dinner. Or simply commit to getting up once an hour, every hour throughout your day and moving for five minutes.

However you break down the steps, there's only one fabulous result: a slimmer, more energetic you. In 60 minutes of walking, you'll burn 300 to 500 additional calories. Keep that up for 10 days and you'll lose a pound. Keep it up for a year and you'll be 35 pounds lighter — without a minute of dieting.

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You can walk with your gal,

You can walk with your pal,


You can walk with your honey,



You can even walk in Tuscany.
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Your Challenge: Just go walking. It's really not as difficult or time-consuming as you might think. Try it for one week, even if it's just for 30 minutes a day every day. See if you feel better or lose weight. If not, you can quit. But IF, IF something changes, you might realize you enjoy it and want to keep it up.

Are you up for the challenge?

A Room of My Own - Part 2

I have never been so meticulous when planning a re-decorating of a room before. Usually I just decide to re-decorate, go buy what I can, and pick up the rest when I have the money. It is very sporadic and unorganized. It usually works out, but it's not quite right. [This explains why my dining room/living room area doesn't make me perfectly happy... it doesn't feel right yet.]

But with my office/studio/craft room/reading room/mystical unicorn of a room I'm becoming very focused, very precise. Back here I revealed my Color Palette, which I have to say, is making me absolutely giddy. I love it. I wavered a bit wanting to replace the red with pink and the black with a brown, but I've thought and thought and thought some more and I've decided that the original Color Palette is perfect. :) Also, I showed you all sorts of shelving units and so on so you know about that, but what about the rest of it... Well........

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Part TWO: Desks, Chairs & Reading Nooks

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First off, last week I got on Craigslist for the first time in months and found an office desk that seemed to be exactly what I wanted. The hubby was running around with a friend at the time so I sent them to look at it to see if it was worth buying and lo and behold, they brought it home. Here's my new desk:

Gosh, am I ever so embarassed to have you all see my horribly messy, unorganized and just flat out DIRTY garage. (blush) BUT, just know, there's a plan to clean that up too, I just haven't gotten there yet.

ANYWAY, I've stripped, sanded and painted my desk so it doesn't look like this anymore. I'm going shopping this weekend for new hardware for it and then it will be complete. :) It's REALLY big and spacious and very sturdy. Not bad for $75. ;)

[I'll probably post more about the refinishing of wood furniture later.]

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I found more lovely desks doing a Google search for "Craft Desks". For all you out there who have plans of one day having your own room, or who have been inspired to redo your current room, there's LOTS and LOTS of options out there.

Here's some of my FAVES:

Neat. Organized. Classy. A WONDERFUL combination!

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Very organized and a super cute design. I love the pockets on the door but I'm not too crazy about the see through top. It could be nice, but I like hiding messes in my drawers.

(Oh dear, that could be taken so funny......>.>)

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This is a DIY craft table. You can order it online and I think it was about $90. I could be wrong, but if you really need a table with storage (and this one has WHEELS), it's worth hunting for. :)

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You might remember this from the last post, but I HAD to show it again. I know some people are strapped for space OR have to share their craft room with a spare bedroom or something. THIS would be the perfect solution. ;) I ALMOST went with this design except I found that great desk and decided this design wasn't perfect for me. :)

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This room is just lovely! How could you work in this room and NOT be creative? It's IMPOSSIBLE! I love the dresser that's been refinished and now used as an craft island. I love the simple white table for working... what an awesome room!

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My office chair is just fine, BUT if I decide I want an update, I've got some pretty cool ones in mind. What do you think about these?

This one is very similiar to the one I have now. I love the color, it would fit my color palette perfectly. :)

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The hubby isn't happy that I've worn out the varnish and wood on our hardwood floor where my office chair sits. An unhappy hubby is an unhappy wifey. :( BUT, I'm sure we'll refinish the floors one day AND a floor mat is on my list of "Office Buys". Or I could buy a couple of these:

I thought about buying a couple of these, put those floor guards on the bottom and then setting them at different "stations" in my room. One at the desk, one at the work table, etc. Whatcha think?

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ORRR.....

Maybe this?

Okay, I'm not REALLY going to buy this, but I thought it was SOOO interesting looking that I had to include it. :)

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Also, I have a corner of my room that I'd like to turn into a reading nook. This may be an idea that never comes to fruition but I'm still keeping it on the drawing table. Sooo... I'm going to need something a little like this:

Gorgeous huh?
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But I LOVE this gorgeous style!

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This set is almost perfect. I just need it in a different color...

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But then again, maybe this style is better suited for the whole feel/look of the room. :) Gosh, TOO MANY DECISIONS! I love it all!!!!

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Stay tuned for Part 3. More fun to come!

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Drooling yet? Who else out there is working on their room? I'd love to see it! Care to share?

Team Feature Tuesday - GreenTrunkDesigns

WOW... it's been since February since I did my last Team Feature Tuesday. That's much too long...

So let's kick that off again with a wonderful lady from my TeamCAC, Jaya of GreenTrunkDesigns.

GreenTrunkDesigns

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Tote Bag

Cute and sassy. An excellent combination.

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Red Rose Mat Bag

I don't do yoga or anything like that. But if I did... ;)

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Midnight Rose Mat Bag
This one is my favorite! I love the design!
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Wrap Pants
Gosh I want these pants... gorgeous!
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Well, I'll try to get back on track with my Team Features. There's lots of great finds out there that need blogged about. Until next time, Happy Blogging! :)

Great Giveaway in Blogdom!

Oh Heavenly Wonders!!!

For a long time I knew how I wanted my dining room/living room area to look but I wasn't sure what it was called so I didn't know how to shop. Then one day as I was perousing through the blogs I follow I stumbled upon Faded Prairie and it was love at first blog. Kristin at Faded Prairie offers a wonderfully wide array of beatuifully, shabby, chic items and I want them ALL!

I'm going to start collecting pieces here and there and eventually, I hope to re-decorate my dining room/living room area in a Country Chic decor.

But, until that dream is realized, I can drool over her wonderful giveaways... like the one she's hosting right now! Look at what you can WIN!!!!

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That's right! IT's gorgeous isn't it!?!?!

So head over to visit Kristin at Faded Prairie and find out how you can win... :)

A Room of My Own - Part 1

In one of my Literature classes, I read "A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf. Some of the things I remember include: a) How much the other students hated reading that essay due to the stream-of-consciousness narrative that Woolf used (which I happen to love) b) How neat it was to read what seemed to be the thought process of someone so different and so similar to myself and c) How much I also wanted a room of my own, a place to escape to that was mine and mine alone. A place where I could lounge, create, explore, experiment, learn, relax, breathe, cry, laugh, wonder, a place where simply put -- I could be me.

For a while now, I've been saving pictures and ideas of craft rooms, decorating tips, organization how-to's and so on in hopes that one day, I would be able to put all of my ideas together and *POOF* out would pop my perfect craft room/office/studio/lounge/my everything room. However, I've come to the realization that such a room is as mystical and elusive as the unicorn. I'll probably never have a room THAT perfect, but even so, I'm working towards it in hopes that I can at least have something that I love. I'm pretty fortunate, I have a whole room that I can take over and do with whatever I want. I know many people only have dining room tables or other "community" places that they must share with everyone else.

So, this is Part 1 in a (short) series about me getting my Mystical Unicorn Everything Room, or more commonly called: My Office.

The idea of re-creating/re-decorating/re-doing/re-whatever you wanna call it-ing my current office is a pretty overwhelming task. Do I pick out my color pallette and then see what I can find? Do I pick out ideas and create "Color Chaos"? Do I pick out items that I love and somehow get them to mesh together in a cohesive thought? Which comes first the color, the ideas or the items? The answer is very short and very simple: Yes. :)

Here's what I did: I went back to my faithful friend Google (Images to be specific) and I just browsed and browsed and browsed for things like "office decor", "craft room", "craft room organization", "office shelves", "craft desks", "red lamps", etc. and when I found a picture that had a color combination or a particular piece of furniture or storage idea that I liked, I saved it. Now that I've got more ideas and pictures than I know what to do with, I'm starting to work things out together and get a more concrete idea of what I *really* want.

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PART ONE: Color Palette & Shelving

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First off, I'd seen this photo many times while looking at that ribbon organizer on the wall (I'll talk more about that in a later post), but I LOVED the color combination here. In fact, I love it so much that I've decided that I want the same/similiar color palette for my office.

I *adore* those polka dot curtains.

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Sooooo.....

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This is my color palette. Well, maybe not exactly, but it's pretty close. This is where I'm headed, we'll see how that actually works out though. I changed my blog colors to match it for motivation. And maybe I'll go work on a new Etsy banner... :)

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I need shelves in my office. I've learned that if you have a place for everything, your space doesn't get so cluttered. I have so much stuff that my closet is over flowing and I just have absolutely NO order to anything. I hate that.

I REALLY love these shelves! I LOVE they're adjustable and that you can buy as many (or as few) shelves as you actually need. And if you change your mind and need more, it's simple to do that as well.

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I also like these:

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And these:

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Or for something a little bit different you can try this:

Same concept as above, just a different style.

And check out this color palette, pretty huh?

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But what if you're renting so you can't put holes in the wall? OR maybe you're just one of those people who don't like to drill huge holes for anchors just to hang a small shelf. (My husband used to be like that, but I've since converted him... hehe.) In either case, there is a simple solution.

Don't be afraid of the stylishly sophisticated storage powers of the CUBBIES:

Baskets, bowls, boxes, ANY of these can be used in a cubby style storage shelf. Don't be afriad to experiment. PLUS, it's interesting to break up the monotony of craft things with a little flair (i.e. decorative piece, plant, picture frames, etc.)

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This looks like 3 different shelves with various options (all drawers, all shelves, drawer/shelf combo) all lined up. A SPLENDID idea no? Don't be afraid to think out of the craft organizational storage box. The main point of re-doing your space is to make it YOUR space.

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Stay tuned for Part 2. More fun to come!

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Are YOU getting inspired yet?

Weekly Wishlist - You Can't Pinch My Blog!

Well, company left today so maybe things will get back to normal. I like St. Patrick's Day. I like how at work and school everyone has parties and everything's more light-hearted and fun, but I don't *love* it because we don't get off work or out of school for it. haha. :) BUT, instead of wearing cheesy t-shirts or uncool headbands (you know, the plastic ones with the shamrocks swaying back and forth on a piece of wire?) how about being a little more upscale and classy this year. And the best part is that you'll be totally stylish even when the green rivers and canals have turned back to their murky brownish grey.

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Green Headband

I've decided that at some point this year, I'm going to make (or buy) AND WEAR a flower hair clip or headband. This one is pretty and cute!

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Green Dress

The pose is awkward. The dress is gorgeous! I love those ruffles! I'll take one in every color!

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Darker Green Earrings

Perfect for work or evening wear. I think these are just stunning!

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Green Handbag

I'm just going to say it, I LOVE all the handbags from this shop. Seriously. Go there, you'll love her too. :)

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Green Earrings

Stunning. Beautiful. Classy. I think these are gorgeous and absolutely ADORE them!