break down:  name the room+ list the functions+ list the furniture+ list the tweaks to the furniture or pieces needed+ draw a map= make it happen

i’m working on my office-

which is code for: i have 4 albums to make, 2 orders to edit, and a wedding and session to work on… but if i spend another second at my computer i’ll break it.

so, i’m conquering the chaos.

i am all about repurposing and highly functional pieces.

there is a lot of that going on here.

i’ll show you pictures of the before and after later…

i thought i had the perfect set up- but it turns out all of my painting supplies are in my mud room.  who wants to paint in a mud room?

AND there was a lot of space in my office that was used once or twice a week and the rest of the time wasted, so- i’ve decided to move those once or twice a week’s into another room and use the whole space ALL of the time.

doesn’t sound like rocket science, but believe me, it’s close.

WE WASTE SO MUCH! space, stuff, food, time, energy…

i’m overwhelmed with my wasteful life, so, i’m fixing it. and my office is first.

i have to tell you that when brandon got home today i had a bit of a whine session.  i’m really not a complainer- but i was overwhelmed and i think a bit cranky- i was giggling because what i really wanted to do was throw myself on the floor like a 2 year old and flip around like crazy until all of the energy was gone.  i sweetly summoned my husband to help me relocate a large piece of furniture (we have moved this before together) and he started cracking up.  he said, ” you know shauna, i know you think this little furniture move is going to solve your problems… and make you feel better… but it won’t. your problem is you just can’t put anything away, if you learn how to do that, your problems will be solved.” i couldn’t help but laugh, he is SOOO right.  my brain is just constantly hopping from one thing to the next- and as my creative life evolves, my space has to as well.  that is why things work for a season and you have to change it up.  i know some of you have had your furniture in the same place & pictures hung on the same walls, in the same place for YEARS.  i can’t swing it.  it all has to move with me.  so, move it will. and normally when it is hardest to keep things put up (because where they go doesn’t make sense anymore) i know it is time for a little evolution… enter today’s evolving goodness.

here is where i started last night:

ROOM:  office

FUNCTION: client meetings, art studio, paper home, edit room, assembly room, etsy wrapping station & storage

QUESTIONS THAT LEAVES: where will i be most productive doing these things? what pieces of furniture do i need to accomplish these tasks? are there tasks that will be better in other areas or rooms of the office?

FURNITURE NEEDED: EDIT DESK- small so that it can be tucked away when not in use, TABLE- for meetings with plenty of room to add chairs if needed, EASEL- and plenty of room for large canvases, STORAGE- for etsy items, STORAGE- for art supplies, STORAGE- for business paperwork with easy access RUG- so that my chairs don’t screw up the floor

TWEEKS TO FURNITURE OR ITEMS NEEDED: luckily i have it all, but i did have to grab a map table from the living room that used to be our party art table (once a month use, or daily… hm…. daily) sorry kids! & i ordered my rug last night!

MY MAP:

and because I LOVE to see how other creatives work, here are some really cool spaces via designsponge

here is a little peak at what’s there:

Craft room photograph from this Flickr stream. Michelle Adams’ home office by Patrick Cline from Real Living Australia via Flickr.

Alcove office photograph from Ideal Home. Tray photograph from Real Simple.

(i JUST ordered that stool (well, 4 of them) from OVERSTOCK. love them.)

and i have to say, elsie shared a sweet post about her studio, here is a peak into her creative world:

check the full post here- if you don’t follow her blog- you really should- she shares LOADS of daily inspiration & creative things… it’s a must.

send me photos of your work spaces!! i want to see them!

off to hang out with friends and make new ones!!

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i thought february was going to be a slow, laid back month that kindly obliged as caught up with all of the things that i needed to catch up on…

it seems mr. february had other plans.

i have had morning after morning of meetings and appointments and can’t seem to catch the wind in my sails.

i did manage to spend some sweet time with my sister and crew at her garage sale- i made $57 headed to the mission to donate the leftovers and spent $30! spent some more sweet time with my sister in law and nephew this weekend, baked some cookies, tried a new recipe, and invented a tasty msg free tortilla soup.  (it was taaaaaasty!) and made it to an auction to hang out with my sweet mama & her best friend dawn- so, that was great.  i resolved to leave my computers asleep and enjoy my weekend.  i’m so glad i did.  but when it was over, i looked around and my house was still a wreck- the organizing still wasn’t finished and the more i looked around, the more i wanted to change everything… EVERYTHING!

i have been perusing my idea books & magazines for inspiration a lot lately.  i feel like i am seeing the same things, everywhere- i need to expand my horizons!!  so- i got out my books (they have YEARS worth of favorites and are always great for a fresh perspective.  i have decided on a few things that i knew before looking at them, but am for certain now… i am repainting my dining room.  i detest the color.  yes, i said detest.  it’s true.  it is supposed to be the under coat of a really cool color on top- but i don’t know if i will ever find the time to finish it, so i think i might just call a do-over.  second: take back the rug that i found… because just like i thought when i was in the store… brandon may like it, but it doesn’t really work for the feel of the house.  so- after seeing really great rugs in clippings all weekend, i’m taking back the rug first thing tomorrow (thank goodness for 30 day return policies!!) last thing: i need a work bench in my office- so that it doubles as a studio- because there is a bit of wasted space & it all needs to function together- so, i’m making that happen asta pronto!!

in case you don’t know what idea books are… here is a peak:

for years i’ve taken all of my favorite magazines, browsed the pages and stacked them in a corner.  once every couple of months i go through them and tear out the pages of the things that catch my eye.  recipes, decor, photo ideas, art, design, stationary, shoppe ideas, fashion, make up,  anything- it is all separated into different sections placed in sheet protectors, and then housed in these linen binders i bought on sale at target with no specific use & then viola… the idea pages became books! they are a source of more joy and creatively than any other resource i’ve discovered or created.  i enjoy them so much.  they were my go to’s when i started trying to make this house a home, but for some reason, they’ve been shelved for months.  no mas.  this  house is gonna change!!  this office is gonna change!!

this is a ramble, i know- but it is really intended to serve as a creative tool… because you see, i wouldn’t have made that list if i hadn’t turned my computers off- i would have continued to live in unsettled chaos- YUCK.  so, what are you waiting for?  do you have magazines all stacked up?  are you living in chaos? are you unhappy with the way your work, living, loving, eating, drinking, creating space looks? change it with me!!  i tell you what- let’s take before and afters, you send them to me & i’ll post them- we’ll vote on who’s is the best & you can have an art print for your walls!!  sounds like a plan!!!

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this is a modern vintage shop- named after my dear, sweet, precious grandma; her name was doris.

check out Doris Divine

this is a really fun way to share all of the things i make around here.  there will be business tools, lots of paper goods, and fine art prints.

check out express creativity

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i have to give a shout out to my assistant extraordinaire jessica.  you see, she sees what no one else does.  she hears what no one else hears. she is the lovely one who witnesses first hand what happens every time i stop by my grandmother’s house, or a thrift store, or an antique store- i am taken in & have to keep these treasures i find!  almost everything in my house came from my grandmother- well, the cool stuff anyway- seriously- paintings, chairs, JEWELRY, BAGS, CLOTHES, DRESSES… oh my at the dresses… frames, birds, pitchers, soap dishes, CHINA, silver, serving platters… ok, really- i could go on and on and on… but i’ll spare you.  suffice to say- every time i get a compliment on anything i almost always have to say, “Thanks, it was my grandma’s.” to which they respond, “Oh my! she must have had great taste.” and i resolve to say one thing…” Yes, she was divine.” SO, when jessica started working here- there was no furniture- really, the only things here were from my grandma’s- and so we spoke a lot about how divine my grandma really was.  I would tell her stories of how classy she was…we would laugh and talk about how the world is not the same.  Soon after Jessica began an archival project for me.  (this is no small task, we have the blessing of 5 generations of photographs) she witnessed my grandmother’s life lived out on film- translated into beautiful silver prints.  Her childhood, marriage, children, loss, tragedy, and joy.  My grandmother did a great job of using their camera’s (i still have them all)… Jessica had been working for weeks on this project and came a across a photograph of my sweet grandmother at my wedding.  She was 94.  Jessica was stunned- she sat back and said, (with tears filling her eyes) “she’s all grown up, she is just as beautiful here as she has been her whole life- i feel like i know her.” I melted.  I cried- tears of great joy and thankfulness- for two things- One, that Jessica really looked into my grandmother’s life and saw it as it was- beautiful, hard, honest, and pure- and that she could still see that all those years later.  and Two, that my grandmother’s heart has been recorded on film, and that those heirlooms are mine to treasure forever.  what a sweet moment.  A couple of days later, we were talking about the idea of this store, and how i could just sell her house- item by item because everything was so cool.  in the back of my mind i knew i could fill a store quickly with all of my thift store finds and flea market treasures- Jessica suggested that i name the store after my grandmother- i loved the idea but every name sounded so cheesy! grandma’s closet, granny’s stuff… i mean how hip can you make grandma sound.  Jessica looked at me and laughed and said “all things great come from Doris’ house.” that was it.  DorisDivine was born! it would have NEVER occurred to me to name it Doris anything- because she was grandma to me, i only called her Doris once in my life and got in more trouble from my grandpa that i ever would again. “She is Doris to ME, GRANDMA to you- SHOW HER THE RESPECT SHE DESERVES.” well, i think this will honor her in a way that would make her blush if she were alive- and insist that i use another name.  i think this fits perfectly and i’m excited to have another fun project to occupy my time it  has been so fun hunting for things to share with you. i hope you love them.  i plan on updating the store often- so keep checking back! AND THANK YOU SWEET BECCA FOR MODELING FOR ME… YOU ARE AN ANGEL &&& MOST TREASURED FRIEND.

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in 2010 i will learn how to:

1. sew (yes, that as a goal for last year, but knitting and crocheting won the time crunch)
2. embroider (i have all of my great-grandmother’s tools & thread & past work… i’m so inspired)
3. cross stitch (i’m not sure if it is the same thing as embroidery, i don’t think it is, but it might be, so don’t laugh, i just want to know that i have both skills in my domestic tool belt )
4. build custom frames for painting from places like junkyards, thrift stores, and home depot
5. play the piano

lofty goals huh?

well, i just found this site, fell in love and am going to start this weekend!!

you can even order little textiles to practice on!!

i’ve been collecting old hankercheifs from thrift stores (beautiful ones, not gross ones!)

and i’m going to get to stiching!!

look at this great project!!

from this blog i love:

ideas gallore!

have a great weekend… brandon and i are weather-proofing our crazy cold house!  (great timing huh, wait til it freezes and then crawl under the house… smart guys, really smart.)

adios friendlies…

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