My Home Office Tour

I have wanted to share my home office with you for a long time.  Reasons why I haven't:  it's always messy, I want to paint it, I need a rug, it's always messy.  I am not one of  'those' people for whom decorating comes easy.  I don't have the 'knack' and I know it.  It takes a lot for me to figure out what I like and making it happen is even harder.  But, I love this room.  Even with all it's flaws.  It has some truly wonderful characteristics and I enjoy the time (which is a lot) that I spend in here.  I work from home and I'm on my computer a lot.  I have several businesses that I run from here:  www.myskinnystory.com, www.crystalimagemusic.com, www.stephaniesemarketing.com and I work with my husband in his business: www.stevenfarrell.com.  So, I have good reason to be here for hours on end.  And, it's truly one of my favorite places to be.

Let's start with my view.  This is what I see from my own vantage point.

I actually do keep my desk cleared off a lot of the time, but that's because I shift everything to the shelf behind me!  Roses were from hubby for our anniversary. The bulletin board is my "vision board".  I wanted to re-do it and now it's been blank for a long time.  I DO have a vision for my life....goals, plans and dreams.  I'll have to get on that soon!

I also have a cute lamp that is not in the picture...darn. Here it is and you can also see my headset.  I'm lost without a headset!  Best thing ever!  

I don't know why those spots keep showing up in my pictures, ugh.  Behind my desk is another bulletin board with a little bit of everything on it.  Momentos mostly.  The shelves were here when I moved in 22 years ago and when they were built, the closet got blocked off and there is no door.  So, I put a curtain there.  I love that little window above the bulletin board.  This desk was one of those things that I had in my mind and when I found it, it was PERFECT!  

 

And, notice the cords?  Or lack thereof?  I posted about this a while back read it here.  Yep, I hid them. The two chairs go to my dining room set, it's  great place to store them.   I would love to put a rug in here.  I have a challenge with my little doggy and rugs....if anyone has advice on that...PLEASE let me know!

I love the window.  I'm enjoying looking out right now, it's raining.  It's always green and pretty.  And, it always makes me wish I was the gardener type, there is such potential there.  

This is the small wall between the closet and the door.  My daughter made the little picture hanging with pics of the two of us.  It was for my birthday and I treasure it.  Who says you have to buy an expensive gift?? 

I used to call this the Angel Room because the light switch has an angel on it.  

The bulletin board is more for looks and less for function.  I can't write on it...ever.  Shall I show you why?

It's a little message that my granddaughters wrote the last time that they were here.  I'm not going to erase that!!  They can erase it and write me a new message the next time they come....which will hopefully be soon.  I should call them right now!!

I love this little credenza.  I have matching end tables in my living room.  If I ever get a flat screen tv, I will get rid of that horrible entertainment center (hubby just had to have it years ago) and put this cute cabinet in the living room.  Ah, I wish!

Since I work on different projects, this is how I keep them separated.  These little file holders are so handy!!

One of the drawbacks of this room is that it gets really cold in here.  There is no heat source at all!  We use a wood burning stove in the living room, but it doesn't really reach in here.  So a space heater is crucial.  I've been through soooo many of them.  This is my latest and I think I have a winner!!  It's got a nice warm feel and not blowing hot air right at you!  Plus, it has an 'economy' button.  We'll see about that when the electric bill gets here!

Pookie likes it too!

What I would like to change in here.  I would like to have an area rug, it would be pretty and maybe keep it a little warmer.  I would paint all the trims white.  When I painted this room, I painted EVERYTHING with wall paint.  I just didn't know.  Even the door.  And, it's all lavender.  I would like white trim on the window, closet, door and drawers.  I even bought the paint.  

I want it to magically paint itself.  Or a painting fairy.  

So, there you have it.  My home office.  I would love to see yours!!

My latest creation...Please tell me...great or awful?

I'm always thinking about what I want to make.  I have lot's of little notes and sketches (and I don't sketch!!).  I had this great idea and I jumped right in to make it.  I was thinking that I need more cute jackets to wear to shows.   I'm getting really tired of what I have.  One of my favorites is a sweater makeover I did a while back.  So, this one is in the same style, with a different take.

It all starts with the sweater.  I keep forgetting to take a picture (for you) before I cut it.  I get so excited, those scissors seem to get a mind of their own!   Here is the sweater that I started with (sorry I did already cut it).

I cut off the ribbing on the sleeves and waist.

Then...

I had a small piece of this red and gold fabric.  I thought that both sides were pretty cool and I wanted the threads to come loose.  I also like beads, so I added those too.  I almost couldn't cut this fabric (it's so pretty), but this is the idea that I saw in my head...so the scissors started snipping again.  

I want it to fray, but if I don't stitch a stopping point, it will all come undone.  So, I stitched all around the cut outs. 

Here is the finished sweater.  I was pretty disappointed with it.  It just didn't turn out like I wanted.  I hung it on my sewing room door and my daughter saw it.  She said it was great.  Confusion.

I decided to try it on with black, which is how I would wear it.  And, in the picture, I'm in love with it.  

I think I will wear it afterall.  

Either it's pretty great or not.  Please tell me! 

Taking a little break

I found myself with a 'free' day today.  So, I was trying to think of all the things I need to do, there are many.  As I was shuffling things around my desk, I looked up and realized what a disaster my office has become.  How can I get anything done?  So, I decided to clean and organize it.  And, now...right now...I'm taking a break and sitting (once again) at my computer.  Big surprise.  Not.  But, hold on... I'm going to get back to it.  I just got hungry.  That's plausible, right?  I decided to have a cup of soup.  Mmmm.  It's chilly today and a cup of soup is perfect.  And, this is not just any soup...nope...it's skinny soup.  Read about it on my other blog: myskinnyblog.com

Okay.  Back to the cleaning.  Well, not really back to the cleaning, back to talking about cleaning.  I just wanted to say out loud that it seems like I am just the manager of a bunch of stuff.  Do I need all this STUFF?   Boxes, and papers and things I can't even categorize.  Time to purge.  Time to be ruthless and throw some stuff out.  Is that a hard thing for you to do?  I think of myself as someone who does not keep things, but I DO have a lot of things, so maybe I'm lying to myself.  I want some breathing room here.  

So, I'm going to do it.  Where are the trash bags?  Wish me luck!