Happy Places

Do you have a cup of coffee or tea? If not, you should probably go get one before you settle in with this post of 27,000 photos and an equal number of words, no doubt, by the time I'm done. After reading this, I'm fairly certain you might think I'm lying when I tell you that I've worked as an editor.

This is the view from the door of the studio. In our last house my studio was upstairs away from civilization. It turns out that I really love having it right off of the family room so that even when we are all home and I slip away to get an idea out of my head and into my hands, or even for a marathon cleaning and organizing session, I still feel like I'm part of the family. It removes the guilt from the equation. You mommas know what I'm talking about.

This green work table is where it all started. I was reminiscing about it the other day with my Sweet Man. This table changed me. It's where I first gave myself permission to play and try new things, to dare to be a creative, artistic person. It's where I started to change deep in my heart and soul to the person I was meant to be all along- the creative person that was hiding under years of responsibility, fear and a lack of confidence. I'm pretty sure if I met that old me on the street today, I wouldn't even recognize her.

It is said in this house, that there are no seasons in the studio. This is proof. They are pretty much celebrated simultaneously and every day of the year.

I tend to do different activities at the three different tables and I love being able to leave a project in progress and move to a different table if I need to switch gears. I make sure there is no shortage of happy inspiration at any given seat.

This is technically my sewing table. It's hiding on the shelf behind that tablecloth, although I often keep it out too. The problem is that the cats and the sewing machine compete for the prime location in front of the window and I guarantee you, if the window is open, there is a cool breeze and the birdbath is seeing some activity, the sewing machine is going to lose.

Aside from sewing, this is where I tend to sit and work on my planner. I'm obsessed with this particular planner and it has really helped me shape my days without making me crazy, living and dying by "the list". Although, don't get me wrong, I L-O-V-E lists. Listers gotta list. Trust me. I gave it up last autumn. It was ugly.

A little peek at my stationary stash there. I'm just saying, my life would be a little sadder if there were no Rifle Paper Co. in the world.

This is my view from the sewing table. It's really my default creating spot which probably has a little something to do with the fact that it has the comfiest chair. I love this view. That wall is hands down my favorite in the house.

There is just so much stuff in here but not a single thing that I don't love, use or need. Need being a relative term of course and one that I get to define for myself, thank goodness, because I'm not sure anyone else in this house would agree with me.

The big things that got organized this weekend were this hutch and the closet shelves. I had moved a lot of my books to the top shelf here but that piece of decorative trim there kept me from easily being able to access them and they wouldn't all fit in that spot.

As I may have mentioned, I have a lot of stuff in this room and it's fairly important that I'm able to find what I'm looking for when I need it. Otherwise the muse disappears, right? I have no idea what that means. I was just trying to sound arty. ;)

So now these shelves hold my containers, supplies and fun bits of things I hang onto for unknown reasons, as well as weird plastic dolls with odd anatomical makeup.

There is something very happy making about seeing all of this stuff on these shelves and I feel like I get to go shopping for supplies in my own studio.

Also, the mint+polka dots. I seem to have a problem. One I would rather not solve.

Also, this dough bowl of yarn. Have you EVER? Even if I never used the first lovely skein (but of course I will!) this would earn it's keep just by sitting in the corner looking gorgeous. The same could be said about my man most weekends. ;)

Can you tell I'm feeling kind of sassy today? I'm pretty certain it blew in with the cold front last night. It's gonna be a long autumn for my people I think.

This is where the books relocated. I love that all of my reading material fits here. To the left are books sorted by category: knitting, sewing, paper crafting, general crafting etc.

To the right are books that I have marked projects I want to do. I'm what you might call an optimist! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you a close up so that you can hurry to Amazon and order a bunch more books to fill your own collection?

Journals I've made and some waiting to be made.

This is the table where I like to draw, journal, paint and color. This closet is one of the nicest things my guy has ever done for me. You can go back and see where this space started here. 

Truly, the best thing about having all of these spaces for creating, is that I can have people in the studio playing with me. That is one of my very favorite things.

I feel like I should offer a prize to those of you that stayed until the end so this totally was not planned out in any way, but I would like to do a giveaway of some favorite things from my studio to one of you for putting up with me and my rambling, photo heavy essay. Just a nice old school giveaway. You get no extra credit for following, blogging, tweeting, instagraming, facebooking, vining, youtubing or using any other annoying current social media phenomenon to drive traffic or numbers or whatever else is on trend today! As a matter of fact, if you use the words on trend, your entry will be nullified! Let's be low tech! Leave your name and email address and I will chose a winner Friday morning at 8am Eastern. If I could I'd have you send me a postcard to enter! ;)

Man. Are you kind of feeling bad for my people today? I hope I get some of this out of my system before they get home! I hope you are all enjoying a happy day in your happy place, wherever that might be!