Moving Right Along

Happy September!

How the blazes are ya? Did you have a fine August? Hope so.

Me? I'm well.

Not too sure what to write about today though... Funny, eh? I've been away for a whole month so you'd think I'd have a million things to report on. But hmm, I'm a little stumped...

Oh, I know!

I'll catch you up on the basement work room move okay? Remember this ⬇?

That's right. I had this big plan to switch areas with The Boy. It took me a while to build up the courage and momentum to actually DO it but I did manage. Eventually... Hey, I'm slow.

So anyway, Lo and I have been busy as beavers turning this area into a place suitable for working and creating. We've cleaned and purged. We've painted, we've trimmed. We've moved furniture, we've organized all my stuff. There are still a few things left to do (not the least of which is working on The Boy's area). But things are looking pretty snazzy, and moving along at a nice pace now.

Here's a peak at one little corner...

I promise to show more in a bit, but that's all you're getting for now...

Have a great day!

♥M

Michele Whines About Her Workroom 2013

Welcome to this year's installment of "Michele Whines About Her Workroom". It seems that once a year, pretty much like clockwork, I do a post where I complain about the shortcomings of my workroom: it's in the basement, it's too cold, it's too dark, it's too messy, blah-dy blah-dy blah...

This year is no different. Except that last year I thought I'd pretty much licked the problem. Alas... no. The dream of creating a bright space down there, just for working, died within a couple months. After that, it was back to the same old patterns. The mess takes over. Plant-like Michele, seeks out light every day. Awkward mounds of craft supplies and half-finished work materialize along the perimeter of the dining room, living room, kitchen, in fact the whole of our tiny little house. The feeling that work follows me where ever I go in my home, and no matter the time nor the place, it tugs at me, calls to me, guilts me for never quite paying close enough attention attention attention...

So, yes. I need a buffer zone. A natural separation. I need to be able to walk away. I need my workroom to work for me not against me. (Sorry. I know you've heard this all before.)

But what to do?

Well... Brace yourself. I have some news. I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION. I haven't done anything about it yet, true enough. But I'm undaunted! One has to start somewhere, and I'm starting with a plan!

I've unilaterally decided to take possession of The Boy's seldom-used basement play area. He maybe goes down there once a year to get a toy. He's afraid of the monsters that live in the darkness, and I don't blame him one bit. They are awful and slimy and mean and hairy and ugly and should be avoided at all cost. Fortunately, I myself don't mind the monsters so much. I've gotten used to their ways. Aside from the house centipedes who move a little quickly for my taste, I kind of like them. They give the place character.

So his play area will be moved to my cold, dark, windowless spot in the basement, and my workroom will move over to his bright, warm spot where there are two small windows that allow in plenty of daylight. Yes. That's correct. Actual DAYlight! Essentially, we're swapping spots.

Does this make me an awful mother?... It probably does. Be that as it may, I AM DOING IT.

I'll keep you posted on actual progress.

♥M

Second Chance Workroom

If you lived here, you'd know that having a clean workroom is more exciting than it sounds. Let's just say, my workroom was in "a state" up until a few days ago. I've spent the better part of two weeks wrangling it into something worth showing you. Don't you remember? It was only last year that I told you I'd give you a tour eventually.

FYI: For future reference, the definition of "eventually" is 11 months.

In retrospect, I blame my messiness (far too embarrassing for before-pictures) on the darkness down here. There is nary a window in my little space, you see. Any craft project photo has to be taken in daylight which means hauling the project upstairs where the sun lives, taking the picture, and hauling everything back down again. Such a hassle. After awhile, except to get the occasional supply or add to the growing morass, I stopped working down here altogether.

Problem is, because I gave up on the basement workroom, my craft stuff was scattered all over creation. The basement was the dumping ground, yes. But I used the dining room table as my craft table, I used the living room as my computer desk, I used the couch as my quilting space. In short, there was craft-related stuff everywhere and because there was craft-related stuff everywhere I was forever in a craft-related frame of mind. I couldn't get away from it, you know?  I felt the tug constantly, even when my family was around. It was like being in permanent limbo: never knowing when to stop working and when to start not working. That's one of the reasons I took August off. I needed to find a healthier division between work and family time again.

In my mind, the solution involves having a space dedicated for work exclusively, a place that allows me to focus, and one I can walk away from at the end of the day. I knew it was time I give the basement a second chance.

So for the last couple of weeks, I have rounded up all the piles of craftiness, I have tromped up the stairs and down again, I have scrubbed, I have dusted, I have rearranged the furniture, I have purged,  I have organized, I have labelled even. I am making myself a tidy work nest. It's a little bit exciting.

I look around the room today and I feel okay to let you in. I still have a whole slew of loose ends to tie up (not the least of which is possibly painting the shelves and the whole lighting issue... ) but isn't that always the way of things?

Without further ado, here it is: my basement workroom. Welcome!

♥M

P.S. By the way, when Lo and I bought this little house, the basement was a useless mess of fake brown panelling, exposed cinder blocks, wicked-scary wiring, and yucky old carpet. We've since ripped everything out, installed a beautiful new laundry room, and created this work space. Lo also built me the shelving unit. We're not quite done yet... Hello? I need trim! As usual, we hope to get it done soon...