My Happy Room

Well, I am going to attempt to make a coherent post. April was an extremely busy month. Most of it fulled with good stuff but too much of a good thing can be overwhelming too. I am glad that I took a break from blogging but now I am realizing what I have done to myself. I want to tell you all about what I have been up to but it is going to have to come in small bits because if I put it all in one post you would be the one overwhelmed and I don't want that

I know the one thing you all really want to know about is my art studio, so that is where I am going to start. I had many people helping me, thank you Jason, Janene and Ryan. I could not have done this by myself, I just have to say that right up front. And, my husband was patient beyond what should have been expected of him and he paid for it all, love you tons hon !!!

The first job was to move all the furniture and stuff out of the room. I bought 18 boxes and still did not have enough. My living room and upstairs hall was completely full of it all. Then we painted the room, ballerina gown pink.

Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make a girl feel good. It gave just the encouragement to get going on the floor. We tore up the carpet and laid down Allure oak flooring. Easy to install when you don't have some of the situations we came across, like the hatch my son cut in the floor for his precious treasures. He thought it was terribly hilarious. Me? not so much.

Once the walls and floor was done we were ready to bring the boxes of stuff back in and decide how the room would be set up. Very exciting but not much fun to do. Organizing is not my forte so my niece came over and helped me to hang the slatwall and put everything on it.

It is so nice to have everything out and ready to be used. I'm the kind of person that if it is out of site, it is out of mind. This way I see everything and it is right at my fingertips. Oh, and before we move to the next area, I just want to say, I am not the ever going to be featured in the "Where Women create" magazine. I like creating in a messy space. If it starts out clean, I will make it messy so here is my painting table and all I can say is that it is organized chaos.

All my paint, pens, brushes and tools are ready to be used. I don't have to open anything to create, will maybe the paint bottles but nothing else. I love that I just sit and start. I covered the table with a thick clear shower curtain so the table is protected. On the wall is a huge sheet of metal that is my magnet board. I put all the stuff that inspires me on it. Eventually it will be filled up. Behind one of the doors I have a hanging shoe organizer for things I don't use much.

Then I have a bookshelf that holds all my cutting machines, art books and journals. I also have a paper sorter with all my paper in it.

Now I can sit at my desk and then slide across the room to my paint table. It is really fun to do this btw. In the closet is my sewing center with shelves for storage.
Because my sewing machine is set up all the time now, I have done a few projects that required sewing. I will save the projects for another post. The pink curtains I got in an antique store last year and have held onto them knowing I would eventually use them. It is the perfect touch of pink. One of my friends came to see my room and the minute she walked into the room she said it was so happy. It really is a very happy room and I want to be in here all the time. Compared to the dark cluttered one I had before, this room has breathed life into my life and my art.

I have one oversize window in the room. When the weather was warm a couple of weeks ago I opened the window and a gentle breeze blew the curtains just a bit. It was such a sweet and relaxing thing to sit and watch. Here are some random photos of other areas.

Windowsill

On my desk

On top of the bookshelf

I hope you have enjoyed my little tour of my creative, happy space.