Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Sitting Room Final

I had some commitments to honor yesterday so spent a good portion of the day out and about in my neighborhood.  I had an opportunity to walk on the Texas Children's Hospital grounds.  I'll be returning for more adventures there; lovely space combining art with nature.





When I got home I took a good look at my sitting room.  I had just enough time and energy to clean the ceiling fan, arrange furniture, hang pictures and drapes, and stand back to admire my work!   I sat there a good while afterwards.  I think I'll be able to use the cabinet drawers for some hand embroidery supplies.  I decided the round table was not as shabby as I had imagined.  I think I'll leave it as is now.  I rearranged the chairs so my wall hanging would be uninterrupted by the table and lamp.  It looks fabulous!  I stitched the floral embroideries when I moved back in 2014.  My raw edge drapes shrunk when they were washed.  Oh well!  I've made peace with the mirror.  I think it's turned into an asset in the small room.  Who knew?

Visit me! 





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Monday, December 30, 2019

Studio Reorganization: Day 4 Results

This Studio Reorganization is really turning into a whole house reorganization because, after all, the stuff has to go somewhere if it is leaving the studio!

The kitchen is just about finished.  The armchair still needs to be reupholstered.  The Big Leaf Philodendron will return to the outside courtyard when I'm sure winter temperatures won't kill it.  I haven't decided which artwork will hang on the only blank wall.  I've picked a selection of my own work as candidates.  I've added the '50s nightstand because I like a lamp in the kitchen.  I also added one of my favorite pieces of art, a clay pot/vessel.  My 1st husband gave it to me for Valentine's Day in the early 1990s.   It's special to me because those were the days when we were so broke, raising 2 small boys on his income & he spent money on a piece I had admired in an art gallery. 



This is a little rescued table with a marble top.  I thought once the chair is reupholstered it would be cozy place to sit and read.   I have a very nice floor lamp behind the chair.  



I really love this whole area.  It's so peaceful and serene.  I have some devotionals and a little collection of mementos I love on my table. 

My front sitting room is the house's original dining room.  I have tried various furniture configurations to transform it into a living room. It has some design issues I have trouble overcoming.  When Brent and Laura lived here they used the room as a dance studio.  They installed a huge mirror.  It's not my 1st choice for the wall but to have it removed takes effort I'm unwilling to spend at the present.  In a way it helps open the room so it has its small merits.  

I planned the glass front cabinet to be a display/dresser in one of my bedrooms.  I had Gene's help yesterday to finish up some projects.  We couldn't get the cabinet to turn the corner in my hallway.  That was the 1st disappointment of the day.  I hadn't planned to put it in the sitting room but that's where it has landed.  It's taken the space of a nice display wall so the pictures originally on that wall will have to find a new space.  

Yea, the tumbleweed is gaining momentum! 


My most beautiful Madonna that Wes gave me is in this cabinet.  I knew I wanted Her in that cabinet no matter where the cabinet landed.  She's very special to me.  I knew he made a real effort to buy something I adored to gift to me.


The sitting room is the first room when you enter my home.  It's to the left of the narrow hallway.  Straight ahead is my studio (which is the house's original living room).  I want the sitting room to look more presentable and inviting especially when clients or friends come to visit or pick up quilts.

There is a nice large wall (the back of the kitchen wall) and then the mirrored wall.  The 3rd large wall has a window which needs to be replaced.  It overlooks part of my courtyard.  I do have plans to redo the courtyard this spring.  I have a locked gate across my courtyard so it's a very private area.

My furniture arrangement options are fairly limited.  My usual style is to have too much of everything in this space.  I'm planning to dial back that tendency.  I'd like to have a loveseat or small couch in the room.  I can either put it on the mirrored wall and look at the courtyard or put it on the kitchen wall and look at the hallway wall. 

One of my objections to the mirrored wall is it doesn't have any clearance at the room's opening so the furniture would be butting up to the opening.  It may be OK. I don't know.  I don't even have a couch.  So I am probably overthinking this right now.  And then, who puts a couch in front of a mirror? 



I'm happy to say my jeans are falling off.  Unfortunately, I'm still not in the next smaller size so I'll wear them until I can wear smaller ones.  I have a nice stack of the smaller size waiting in my closet. 

The view to the smaller part of my courtyard.  That window is 70 x 70 inches so it's probably going to cost me a fortune to replace it.  I need some commissions to come through my door soon. 



Brent and Laura hung that rod.  It's useful but I may want to remove it so I can hang pictures instead of a wallhanging there.  I'm clueless where the room paint might be if it even still exists.  I painted the room in 2002.  I'd like to repaint now but not until I replace the window.  Yea, there goes that tumbleweed again!   

I like the wicker chairs.  They came from the Bentwater house which could accommodate larger scale furniture.  They are probably too big for this room but they are the only "stuffed" chairs I have (other than the one in the kitchen needing reupholstering).  I'll make them work for now.  The round table is from my '50s period.  It's gotten shabby over the years (and not in a good way) so I usually have a tablecloth to hide the bottom section.  The little vintage hand built table is one I bought this year. It's charming and I love it! 

Those 2 thrifted foot stools are candidates for my raw edge fabric upholstery.  Like the kitchen chair they await finished results.  I can see the spring may be devoted to upholstery work.  It's been awhile (20 years) since I upholstered anything.  Gracious!  I'll climb the ladder and clean the ceiling fan.  I might even get some drapes hung at the window today.  

The 1st big news in the studio is the empty alcove.  I'm excited for the photography space.  It's a lot of open empty space.  I have to remind myself it's not wasted because I need it for photographs.  Retraining my brain is going to be a challenge! 


The 2nd big news is the work table is finished!  It was not without its challenge.  When Gene and I placed the top on the very tacky glued legs, he didn't get his end on the marks.  So the dresser underneath is off by 2".  I just pretend the slanted dresser is an optical illusion.  I'm reminding myself in the big scheme of things, it doesn't bother me (I'm lying) and it's inconsequential to my workflow (it is).  The excellent news is that all the parts were reusable and I wasn't out any money.


These drawers are currently housing some unfinished knitting projects.  For now that's where they will stay.
I'm looking for a space where I can do handwork.  I need to have storage nearby so I can put the work away when I am done.  I came home once after I had left it out and my dog had gotten into the project, eaten the book and tangled a bunch of DMC floss.   Yea, what a pain in the neck.

Isn't this table fabulous?  It's a hollow core door.  Really great work space.  I hope I can refrain from piling projects on it.  My brain may explode from all this retraining I am requiring of it! 
A stack of books is leaving for the library today.  I started emptying drawers in my big cabinet to repurpose the space for immediately useful supplies. Big progress!

As always, thanks for coming along on my journey! 

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Sunday, December 29, 2019

Studio Reorganization: Day 3 Results

Yesterday's studio reorganization involved a bunch of little things.  I opened boxes and found pictures.  I took a little time to look at them & reflect positively about them.  I found a forgotten box I'd made in the early 2000s and inside I'd kept some little cards from Wes.  There were a few pictures when we started dating.  There was also a picture of me when we were in Hawaii (2003) and he proposed.  Smiling broadly.

What struck me was how happy I looked.  I thought about the different path I was on the excitement of something new.  What I also, more importantly, realized is I had let another person lead that adventure.  It was a mistake that took 10 years to unfold & another 5 years from which to recover.  With the divorce debt paid in full this December ($18K/5 yrs) I feel like I am truly starting my own adventure.  And, if I remember correctly, I feel as happy as I did in the 2003 picture.   I've learned it's all forward motion.

As I also looked at quilting books and half finished projects, I wondered the same thing.  Would they pull me backwards?  Can I rethink them for me now?  Are they just filling space I need for new ideas and projects?  Shuffling around furniture and accessories seems to have shuffled dormant feelings and thoughts in my mind.  That can be helpful, I guess. 

I decided to press this old dresser into better use.  It's seen some long hard years!  I bought it with the nightstands in the late 1980s in Chicago at an estate sale.  It was during my '50s decorating period; the pieces were very well maintained. It worked for the master bedroom furniture.  Then when we moved to Texas, my 1st husband & I designed and built a portable studio work table using the 3 pieces.  When I moved to this house in 2002 Laura used it for her crafts.  Somewhere along the way she and Brent decided to paint it.  They got as far as the primer.  When I returned to this house I needed the nightstands.  The dresser legs had always been wobbly so I took them off.  The dresser took on a permanent quilted cover of some sort.

Now it is going to be used again as the base of my work table.  I still need the nightstands so they won't be used.  The original set up will be adjusted so a "shelf" will be under the door/top and the dresser.  It will be counter height.   In a perfect world, I'd take the time to paint the whole unit.  Quite frankly, I think I can overlook the shabbiness for the usefulness of the piece.  Maybe.  I'm planning the work table's construction today.


My original studio plan last week included buying cabinets for the back wall.  I was seriously hallucinating because yea, no that's not going to happen.  The monstrously large ones I have in place are staying put.  I did have some dead space above one that needed attention.  I was piling canvasses willy nilly there.  It dawned on me I could turn one of my shelves on its side.


Sadly, those tagged totes were marked in early 2019.  They hold unfinished projects.  They are "recent" unfinished projects so I really expect they will see the finish line in 2020.


It now perfectly houses the canvasses. 😎😎

***
I recently found this chart on Pinterest.  I think it has great merit for thinking about one's journey.  I plan to journal each Sunday with my thoughts from the previous week.  Maybe it will be beneficial to you too; so I am sharing it here.  With a new year nipping at my heels, the last few weeks of December are always a time of self-reflection. 

The author is Amber Rae and her Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/heyamberrae/  
She has a nice selection of insightful prompts and posters.

Thank you for continuing this studio reorganization with me! 
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Saturday, December 28, 2019

Studio Reorganization: Day 2 Results

I pulled a bunch of stuff out of cabinets to make room for new stuff.  Yea, I hope this is the right plan! My goal is to only have fabric in my studio that I plan to use immediately.  And by immediately, within the year or at least in the next 6 months.  Yaknow, until a new idea happens! 

I went through the books again.  I don't envision using many of them in the next 5 years; especially since I haven't used them in the last 5 years (and truthfully the 10 years before that).  I'll waste a little time listing them to sell & then I'll give up and donate them to the library.  I feel like the internet,  Pinterest, and my style of quilting have killed any need I might have had for these books.

This is what is left of the books.  I have those 3 shelves above for something.  I have to use a ladder to get up there so I doubt I'll be using them for anything I need to access quickly.  Hmmm, I should probably buy a nice step stool instead of schlepping the ladder in from the garage.


If reorganizing my studio was a case of moving items from one place to another, I'd be finished.  Unfortunately, I've had to clean along the way.  Boy, 5 years of dust really accumulates quickly!  ha!  But at least 2020 will start out cleaner and I might not have to do it again until 2025.  That's something to look forward to!

Today's goals:
1. Move the glass front cabinet to the bedroom.  I have help today.  It's heavier than the open shelves which I moved myself.
My two bedrooms are small -  10 x 10 ish.  Even with my best thinking I can't invent any other way to arrange the queen bed in a room that was probably designed in the 1980s to accommodate a twin (or maybe a full bed) at most.
2. Move a wooden shelf on top of another shelf.  I am rethinking a shelf sideways!
3. Get my work table set up more efficiently.  I'm tired of tripping over the sawhorse legs. 

On a positive note during this move, I've stepped out 2 miles every day!   Yesterday I realized I was adding steps by walking into a room and forgetting why I was there.  Retracing my steps added some bonus steps but probably didn't do much for my recall.  😎😎

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Friday, December 27, 2019

Studio Reorganization: Day 1 Results

I'm very pleased with my little eating area now!  I was afraid I wouldn't get many steps in yesterday.  Turns out schlepping cabinets and figurines back and forth from one room to another totaled 1 ½ miles.  Who'd a thought?  


I pulled my linens from the cabinet in the kitchen.  It never was easy to retrieve them when they were needed.  Now they are easy to pull for my table.  I like to change the linens and little vignettes I set up often.  Most of these were gifted, thrifted or sewn.  I'm set for a long time now. 


Part of my lovely Madonna collection

 
I was a little surprised to discover I didn't have as much to fill the 2nd cabinet.  Oh My!  I'm sure that will change!  The bottom section has some seasonal decorations, vases and large serving plates.  I had some of that in the studio and now I want to use that set of shelves for studio supplies.

I don't want this decorating streak to become a way of life:  finding all kinds of areas that need further attention; like my dog distressed door and my banged up door frames.  But, it could make me crazy enough (after 5 years of looking at it) that I either further distress or paint them.  Part of me is thinking further distressing them could be fun. 



I like to surround myself with mementos from people I know and love (and in some cases, have loved).  It gives me a chance to remember the occasion or the person.  It makes my space very special & meaningful to me.

In the mid 2000s my friend Barbara & I had fiber pieces accepted in the prestigious Sacred Threads show in Virginia.  We met there for the show & to spend a little time touring Washington DC.  One of the highlights of the trip was a day hitting some of the area thrift stores!  Ha! ha!  When Barbara visited me a few years ago one of her requests was to shop my local fabulous thrift store.  You can see why we are good friends! 

I like to honor the handwork of other needlewomen.  I have started collecting their work and often find beautiful pieces for pennies on the dollar.   The two scherenschnitte bird pictures were picked up for $5.  Lovely work & signed on the back.  They remind me of my fun day with Barbara.  I remember she bought a bag of half finished knitted projects so she could harvest the yarn. 

I embroidered the Mother Teresa quote last year.  It's a great companion to the birds and madonnas. 
I look in this direction when sitting at the table.  Pretties for my eyes! 








Thrifted and gifted decorations.  Laura's mother gave me the coasters for Christmas and I thought they would be a nice reminder when I am cooking my breakfast.  My longtime friend Toni gave me the Jim Shore rooster.  I picked up the framed doilies and white rooster while thrifting.

Yesterday was probably easy compared to the next couple of days when I have to decide what to do with the items I dumped out of the cabinets.  Gracious! 

I felt pretty ruthless (ha!) yesterday and this is the pile to list for sale on Poshmark. 


I'm unsure what I'll do with the books.  I doubt I'll sit down and cross stitch again; although I still love some of the designs.  The embroidery machine replaced that for me.  Plus, I have a few pieced CQ projects that have been languishing for 5+ years.


This cabinet is going to what will be my new bedroom.  Unfortunately that space is in overload right now.  I'll have to figure that out today. 


On a very positive note my Christmas decorations are packed and ready for their new home.  Also unfortunately, their previous space will be my new closet & I haven't figured out what to do with everything in that closet. 


The tumbleweed just keeps gaining momentum!  

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Thursday, December 26, 2019

Studio Reorganization: Day 1

I cooked up a grand scheme to rework my house before the holidays.  I was ready to tackle it all and have it done by morning.  In my head.  I had some good ideas and when I shared them with my son yesterday he thought a few of them were more work than they were worth.  And, by the way, aren't you a little broke?  Well, he had a valid point.   Back to rearranging instead of tearing down walls.  😀😀

Mostly what I have is a bunch of mismatched furniture and storage I am not using well.  I've had my large space (the living room of my 1800 square foot house) as a main studio space for 5 years.  Moving back here in 2014 was stressful and I did what I could to make it work then.  For the most part, it is working but it needs to be tweaked.  [For instance, I'm tired of stubbing my toe on the sawhorse legs of my work table.  Little stuff like that.]  I also need to tweak some of my "put it in a pile" habits.  I have some heavy cabinets and some built in cabinets that are not being useful to me.  I dread going through them and looking at the UFOs and supplies but I'm determined to "shuffle them elsewhere".

It's also embarrassing to have clients come here to pick up work and see the room.  I'm never sure if the "Oh My!  You really have a set up!" is a good or bad comment.  OK, time to make it happen!  😎

What's my plan?
1.  Move my 3 IKEA cabinets to the kitchen eating area.
The Pros:

  •  it will free up an alcove I changed in 2000 when I bought the house.  It was originally a wet bar.   At that point I was using the living room as a living room & I housed the TV, stereo in the space.  It worked nicely then, 
  • the  "new" space can become a design/photography/video space.   It's been very difficult to photograph my work without a dedicated space,  
  • having my work photographed will propel me closer to having a website, Patreon site & more commercial sites in 2020 (which is a Major Goal),
  • I can clean out the remaining Poshmark merchandise and get it photographed & listed.
  • With the cabinets in the kitchen, I will have a nice space to display my Madonna figurine collection.  
  • I will have an easier access to my table linens. 
The Cons:
  • I have to find new homes/spaces for the items in the cabinets.  (It already feels like the tumbleweed rolling along is getting bigger . . . . )
  • they will take up wall space in my kitchen where I have some artwork I enjoy seeing.  They will need to be moved.  A lot of it is my ever growing vintage needlework collection.  I'm looking for ideas to display it.   Yea, I'm on Pinterest.  Nightly.  We have a standing date. 
  • I have to move the cabinets.  Although IKEA is not Ethan Allen, it does serve a needed purpose.  One advantage is the scale is much smaller for smaller spaces.  In this house, that's been a huge advantage.  


The Alcove with the cabinets.  I probably haven't cracked open most of those books in 5 years.  They may just get donated to the library.  In the past I haven't had much success selling needlework books on-line.  But, I may give it another shot.  I just hate figuring out postage.  

I used to have my embroidery machine in there but I think I have found another space that will work as well for it & its supplies.


Both sides of my fireplace are flanked by built-in shelves.  I use one side for my desk.  The shelves do not go to the floor.  I'll be eliminating the guest room & turning it into an office.  I have guests so seldom & I need the space more for my new goals.  The desk and computer will go into that space.


As you can see I have lots of space here.  My collection will go to the kitchen and be more protected from dust.  I'm a pathetic housekeeper.  I just don't have time for dusting.


This is my kitchen eating area.  I love the cozy feeling here.  I've been eating here more lately.  It's been fun to photograph my Beautiful Salads I fix nightly.  If you follow my Facebook feed, you've seen my Apple and Salad shenanigans.  

The IKEA cabinets will go on either side of the doors (which have been distressed by my pit bull . . . ) and the 3rd cabinet will fit on the wall opposite the table. 


I plan to either reupholster this Goodwill chair myself or splurge and hire someone to do it.  It fits so nicely in my kitchen I may just leave it there.  I'll be using my raw edge fabric yardage.  The bell in the seat is to keep my pit bull Elvis out of lounging there!  



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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Christmas Wishes



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Merry Christmas My Dear Friends!
Even with our Imperfections We are Loved!  







Monday, December 23, 2019

Favorite Winter Accessories

I love the creative people in my life!  
Winter gives me an opportunity to wear the many gifts I've been given from these creative people. 


My friend crocheted the headband.
My mother knit the neck cowl.
That's a thrifted vintage brooch.

In the background is my recently acquired needlepoint Geisha picture. 
 It was less than $10 so of course I am going to rescue it! 

I recently had the battery replaced on my IPhone.  When I picked it up I was told the screen was incompatible with the battery.  So the screen was replaced too.  Now my Home button sticks.  I've taken it back & they fixed it.  Today I noticed my picture is blurry & the Home button is sticking again.  I'm unhappy with the repair results. I sincerely hope the solution isn't a new phone.  

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Sunday, December 22, 2019

Beauty in the 'Hood: Where the Sidewalk Ends

Yesterday's 3½ mile walk was around my extended neighborhood.  I live in an area called The Colonies.  Each of the sections is named such names as Jamestown Colony, Georgetown Colony, Charlestown Colony and such.  On my side of the main street dividing the various neighborhoods, they all run together.  I decided to follow the sidewalks in a huge loop that ended up covering a few neighborhoods.  I reassured myself that I could find my way home instinctively.  I was right; but, I had My Maps App available should I need it!  No reason to go out unprepared!

I wish more people had been outside.  I like to chat with my neighbors.  I walked by a man who was neatening up his flower beds.  He had his back to me.  Shortly afterward I heard a loud cheerful Merry Christmas!  So I turned and called back to him!

I didn't know where Jamestown Colony ended and Georgetown Colony started. A nice little conversation with Nelson, a young man who told me he walked his dog around the area, verified I was not in Jamestown Colony anymore.  I hope he is out again when I pass by.  I'll ask him to walk with me.

Toward the end of Georgetown Colony were 3 home sites totally gone.  The houses were replaced with major equipment.   I could tell homes had originally stood there by the huge trees planted like they had once adorned a home.  Georgetown Colony backs up to a bayou & as one neighbor told me later in my walk, the Corp of Engineers were dredging the bayou and adding larger drainage pipes.  The houses on that end had flooded so much the homeowners were glad to have the city buy their houses and move.   That end was a horrific mess during Hurricane Harvey.   I'm grateful for the Corp of Engineers' work.  My end of Jamestown Colony is high and dry but it was nerve wracking during Hurricane Harvey wondering if I would flood or not.  I didn't.  Thankfully.

On my final leg of my walk I noticed as I crossed the imaginary line from Georgetown Colony to Jamestown Colony, the sidewalk ended.   ðŸ˜€ðŸ˜€



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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Beauty in the 'Hood: Live Oaks

Live Oaks are a popular tree in Houston.  As a native species they can withstand poor soil and drought.  They grow to phenomenal heights and widths.  Many older neighborhoods have gracious old beauties lining the avenues around their homes.

On my walk this week I noticed some wonderful live oak trees.  I took the opportunity to photograph them to share with you.

Notice how the fence makers took care to honor the tree with their fence.  I love their solutions!







May we all have long lives like the Live Oak adapting to less than favorable circumstances 
& still growing tall and proud! 

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