My happy place

You wouldn't think one little trip to the library could get me in so much trouble. Well, maybe if you know me, you would think it could. But what I'm saying is, I was just wandering through the library, minding my own business, when I found this!

Sooooo many beautiful studios, for everything from mixed media artists, to quilters to painters. Painters!

So many clever organizational systems. So many ideas. So many visually interesting uses for small spaces.

Now, I really like my teeny, tiny little studio. Every part of the visual chaos has meaning to me, or is inspiring to me, or is just fun to look at. It's busy, but I like it. See? Here's what my studio looked like when I found the magical, inspirational book at the library.  

Please note, in particular, the white hutch. Only it's not really white. Not a nice white. It's actually primer white. The same primer white it was 5 years ago when I bought it at a cute little shop and told myself, "Oh, I'll totally paint it and it'll be great!"

Five. Years. Ago. 



 

So, anyway. I brought home the magical inspirational book and with 24 hours every single thing in this room was stacked in the hall. Everything off the walls. Everything off the shelves. Everything. Then I dragged my wonderful running buddy, who also happens to be a genius at picking paint colors, to the paint store. Because, while I do alright painting with watercolors, I'm seriously challenged at choosing colors for things like furniture and walls.

Then I came home with paint. Not enough paint, apparently, because there would be two more trips to buy more paint. I also came home with tarps and brushes and painters tape. And stir sticks and screw drivers for opening paint cans. It seriously was an enormous amount of work. But if you want to inspire your husband to be encouraging, just dump a whole room full of stuff where everyone in the family is sure to trip on it about a thousand times a day. He'll be more than happy for you to spend every free moment working on your "project" if it means you will only get all your crap back in the room where it belongs!!!

But, hey! Between work and laundry and soccer tournaments it only took me 3 weeks to finish. During which time  I watched a whole lot of Olympics, and Friends reruns, and Pawn Stars and 80's movies, so it was time well spent, really.

And here's the end result.

That blank blue wall will be devoted entirely to my own work, but first I have to put up blinds, because I don't want the paintings to fade in the sun. Ooooohhh, and I'm putting up a fixture with Ott light bulbs, which you may not know, but they provide natural lighting and they will be the coolest thing ever, which is good, because each light bulb costs as much as a nice dinner out for one person. But it's all totally worth it, I think. Mark thinks so, too, now that all my stuff is back where it belongs.