A Conversation About My Studio & Giveaway!

I need some help. Some input. Lets have a conversation about my studio.

This is our living room. It currently serves as a catch all for random extra furniture and that's about it. 

When we were house hunting, I insisted we find a home with a room large enough to be my studio. I didn't want to use a living room if it meant walking straight into that room from the front door. Like this:

Call me crazy, I just have this "thing" about my studio being the first room you see when you enter my home, and I don't want guests to have to walk through it to access the rest of the place.

 I have yet to see a home in Utah that doesn't have that front room, and we passed up several good homes because this room was the the only option for my studio. In short, I was throwing tantrums. Massive tantrums.

Then we found this house, and I thought it could work.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons we got this home, but I had my eye on the basement - it was the largest we had found in a Tri-level home yet.

Now that everything is somewhat settled downstairs and have done some sewing I've decided.

I hate it.

really.

I don't even want to go down there.

I can't even really explain why.

...maybe it's because I'm cut off down there, or it's so tight, or the lack of view...

So, I've been thinking about this for about a week or so.

What if I moved the studio... upstairs...into the living room?

Ya know, the room you walk directly into when you enter my home, the one guests have to walk through to access the rest of the place. The one I insisted I could never, ever, use as a studio.

So I had slick take measurements for me and draw-up a floor plan to see if it was even feasible.

And now I'm thinking I can totally do this... 

Next step, getting approval from the hubs:

Me: would you hate me if I said I wanted to move my studio into the living room?

Sarge: no.

Me: would it look weird in that room?

Sarge: yes.

Me: would that bother you?

Sarge: not as long as you kept it picked up

Me: okay. so I can do this?

Sarge: is this going to cost me?

Me: well, I want these things from Ikea...

Sarge: wait a couple months before you buy more stuff.

Me: okay, so can I do this?

Sarge: just don't ask me to help. I'm sick of moving.

Me: what if me and Anthony do it.

Sarge: just don't take forever, I don't want stuff everywhere. 

Some random thoughts:

• The rooms are similar in dimensions (one is directly above the other) But I'll have to do some major downsizing to make it look presentable. 
• I am capable of keeping it presentable, I've written an eBook Organize That Sewing Space!
• The round chair would stay, and I'm cool with that because it's my chair and I love it.
• I'd have to suffer with the bookcases I currently have until I get what I really want
• the pattern cabinet would be prominent, and it's ugly. I'd like to paint it, but couldn't until weather improves next spring...
• My teenage son is thrilled with the prospect of the couch & TV cabinet moving downstairs - he has visions of his own "man cave"
• The furniture is heavy, and there are 2 (short) sets of stairs to haul it up and down
• This room has the best lighting in the house
• I want it to feel more office than sewing room at first glance.

Here are some of my Pinspirations:

and this one does not use the Ikea Expedit, but I love the "built in" look

So what do you think?

Would it look totally weird?

Is it weird that I care?

Should I move upstairs, or suck it up and stay in the basement?

I don't know what to do, I'm torn.

I am giving away a copy of my ebook Organize That Sewing Space

which retails for  $9.95 at Youcanmakethis.com

If you would like to win this just help a girl out and leave me a comment with your opinion about my studio situation!

Entries accepted through Saturday, 12/10

winner announced Sunday 12/11

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Be Selfish

 After each move my studio is the last room to be unpacked and squared away and sometimes it has been months before I am able to sew again.  And even though I am totally over-focusing on the task at hand - settling in to our new home- I am probably less productive because in the back of my head I wish I was doing something for me. Then I become grumpy & resentful. That makes me a fun person to be around. (We all know the saying "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.")

Learn from my (repeated) mistake.

Don't put your creativity on hold because you have a huge to-do list.
Don't let guilt keep you from doing something just for you.
Don't neglect your hobbies or passions.

Death, Divorce, and Moving are the 3 most stressful experiences in life.
Would you ever deny someone a creative outlet or time to enjoy themselves after a death? or a divorce?
of course not.
So why do we do it to ourselves during a move?

Take some time for you, whether it's reading a good book, enjoying a pedicure or getting your craft on.
Do it, and do it often.
You totally deserve it, don't put yourself last.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Pick Your Battles

Let's be real.
There are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.

I recently read a post on The Happiest Mom titled "Cleaning and Organizing is a process, not a goal". It was a great post - with a fantastic concept that I think can be easily applied to a move. In it Meagan writes " you will never be able to brush your hands together, and say “That’s it! I’m completely organized and the house is neat and clean! Now I can just relax and enjoy for the rest of my life!” Settling in is a process, not a goal. There is always going to be one more thing to do, clean, buy, make or put away. I say, pick your battles, and don't sweat the small stuff.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Settle into Your Closet

Having a hard time getting dressed in the mornings because you still can't find anything in your closet?

me too.

I went from a walk-in closet of my very own to a standard closet.

 I've paired down to 45 shoes and sent about 30% of my clothes to the DI. 

(I refuse to let go of anything else) 

You can see I managed to squeeze in whats left - I'm really good at "making it work"! 

For the most part I've got the clothes organized: pants, dresses, skirts  - and shirts by color and sleeve length.

Can you see where I'm struggling every morning?

It's the shoes!

(...and yes, I did just post a picture of my closet. I can't believe I'm showing you this...)

I worked in Womens Shoes at Nordstrom a lifetime ago, 

so I normally organize my shoes by color and heel size. Now they are such a mess. 

When I open this closet every morning I am reminded of  one more move-related thing I still need to do. 

Great way to start my day, right?!

I know if I just take an afternoon to get this together I'll feel better and my mornings will go so much smoother. 

Need some help getting started on your closet? Tiny Twig is doing a 31 day series on a "No Brain-er Wardrobe" and in her 6th day post she covers purging your closet. Even though she kinda lost me when she said no one needs more than 5 -10 pairs of shoes (gasp!) she's very motivating. 

What have you done to settle into your closet? 

What do you still need to do?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Live in the Moment

Today Kadence turns 11 years old.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy our new home than to celebrate her birthday.

Don't get so carried away in your to do list that you forget to enjoy life.

Live in the moment. 

The house will still be standing tomorrow.

Kadence Carolina

October 25, 2000

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: You've Got Mail

Have you ever upped your curb appeal to make your home more sell-able, and then wished you'd done it from day one so that you could have enjoyed it all along?

Isn't that kinda like waxing for a pap-smear but forgoing a shave before a trip to the beach?

Is your mailbox looking a little neglected? Mine is!

Everything else looks fine. 

Our yard looks nice, I love the flag pole and our front door is now a welcoming shade of red.

But that mailbox... eeshh!
crappy paint job, missing numbers....

Any one else singing "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong." when they look at their mailbox?

You could buy a new one, or....

You could give it a fresh coat of paint

and add a little vinyl to personalize it




Decorate it for the season



Add some lovely plantings around it



try a different medium to make it your own



What can you add to your curb appeal to make it your own?
I'm feeling inspired to paint mine red, it definitely needs help! Maybe I'll get to that later this week.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Get Involved!

A new job is a great way to network and meet new people...but some of us are in a place in our lives where we can't or maybe just don't wanna. That doesn't mean you have to be stuck at home in a new place all lonesome and pathetic. Get out there - start volunteering, join some clubs, take some classes. Become part of your new community.

There are so many opportunities to expand your world or make a difference.
Your church or kids school is a great place to start. But don't stop there.
When I Google'd "Layton UT Club" I got a plethora of responses - fom Mom clubs to Hiking clubs, there is something for everyone. If you have a talent or passion for something related to the arts, consider looking into a guild. Just a quick Google of "Layton UT Guild" brought up a Jewelers Guild, Artisans Guild, Quilt Guild, Screen writers Guild, Story Telling Guild, Opera Guild, Symphony Guild.....

I belong to the American Sewing Guild, it is a national organization - so every time we move one of the first things I do is look into my local chapter. It's an easy way for me to quickly make friends with similar interests, expand my sewing knowledge and help my local community.

 Take a chance, you may just make some new friends!

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Make New Memories

A new home is an opportunity to make new memories!

What is in store for you over the next 6, or even 12 months? Plan ahead for the next "event" - stir up some excitement, build anticipation, create your bliss!

• Go ahead, dream about decorations, parties and gatherings. 
• Dwell on the small things, from tooth fairy visits to romantic dinners. 
• Celebrate all your "new" firsts, as if they were the very first firsts.

We got our first snow of the season a couple weeks ago. Sure, we've seen snow before, but there was a thrill to it being "the first snow in our new home" - even if it was only a pathetic dusting that quickly melted.

Start thinking now, what events are looming on the horizon for you? 

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Accept the Imperfections

This will never be like your last house.

...or base, town, school, church, neighborhood...

Moving constantly in the military we have discovered wonderful friends and crappy neighbors, shiny new appliances and lead paint warnings, scorching deserts and freezing snow. I've gotten to sew in a huge studio, a garage, a closet, a bedroom and a dining room. Each new set of orders brought a sense of adventure and a feeling of sorrow.

You miss your friends, your job, your old house, the weather, the neighbors, you name it - I have missed it.  When you move, everything changes, and sometimes you just need to change your state of mind. There is no sense in being miserable and hating your new place, even if you're only going to be there for a short time. Accept the imperfections, and if you can't learn to love it, learn to make do until you can. (check out the nesters wonderful  31 day series on lovely limitations for inspiration on making do) After all, how can you settle into your new home when you still haven't let go of the old one?

It's okay to reminisce, but try not to do too much comparing. That will just depress you and annoy everyone around you. 

Those of us who are military all know someone who starts every other sentence with:

"when we were stationed in..." 

"at my old base..."

"when I was at..."

Please, don't be that person.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Family Cards

As you meet your new neighbors and make friends within your community you will (hopefully) start giving out your contact info. 

Here's an idea!

Give them something other than your name and number scribbled on the inside of a gum wrapper you just dug out of your purse.

Make "family" cards with all your new info, kids names, whatever, to hand out. 

You not only instantly appear to be so awesome and put together that everyone will want to be your new BFF, but it also helps save you the embarrassment of admitting you haven't memorized your new phone number after 3 months....

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Do You Smell That?

Have you ever noticed how everyone's house has it's own distinct smell? Some smell like candles, food, or cleaners,  and others more like cats or dirty socks?

Some smells are good, some are bad, and some, well - they're just not your own.

This is always a complaint of my husbands when we move.
It smells like paint.
It smells funny.
It doesn't smell like home.

Smell, more than any other sense, is associated with memories. Trigger memories of home for you and your family by getting your smell back.

Throw open the windows and let the place air out - especially if it's been empty for a while or you've recently painted. You may even want to open closet and cabinet doors while your at it.

A good carpet cleaning and general scrubing of the house helps you remove any previous owner funk while adding your own "clean" smell. (I use Method cleaners, and the almond scent from the wood cleaners has become one of our "regular" smells.)

If  you normally use air fresheners or candles then plug them in and light them up.

Other things that will help you recover your own smell are baking and cooking - even things like laundry and your perfume eventually permeate the house and make it smell like you.

Some smells are stubborn. They take more work.

In our last house I couldn't get a "stink" out of the kitchen. It kept coming from the fridge, but it was clean. I cleaned it. What the hell is that smell? Finally, when doing my thorough kitchen cleaning I was able to tackle it. I had to clean scrub behind and under the fridge. It was gross. I expected a dead mouse or something, but it was mostly moldy cookies and spilled who knows what... But it smelled much better when I was done!
 Worse than that, every time it rained or got seriously humid the house smelled like wet dog. Lovely!  This smell was emanating from the wood floors, and I honestly think the only way to eliminate that would have been to strip and refinish them. Not an option as renters. So needless to say, I went through a LOT of almond floor cleaner there.

Go on - get your own smell back.
It may not happen over night, but it will happen.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: First Impressions

By now your neighbors are probably getting brave enough to "welcome" you o the neighborhood. You know they've been scoping you out since the day you moved in - c'mon, they were peeking through their blinds sizing up your furniture as the movers were unloading. And if it was a while before you got the blinds up - well, don't think they didn't notice.

First impressions, we hate to admit it - but, they're important. You may only have to live next door to these people for a year - or the rest of your lives. Either way, a teeny bit of effort can go a long way. (And let's be honest, they don't need to impress you - the pecking order is already established. Your the newbie.)

When an unexpected neighbor rings the door bell it is entirely probable that you may be:

• sweaty
• dirty
• covered in paint
• lost in a box maze
• putting out a kitchen fire from burning frozen waffles
• surrounded by 2 nekkid toddlers with unidentifiable goo in their hair
• holding a baby that has been decorated by her sister with a sharpie
• threatening to leave your husband and join the circus
• crying inconsolably
• ranting about said neighbors dog, kid, yard, car, lack of blinds, etc...
• all of the above

Even sweaty, hard working mamas can look decent.

One word girlfriends:

 Lipgloss.

Always keep it in your pocket, so when the door rings and you're surrounded by madness your neighbor will be so mesmerized by your shiny smile she wont even notice how unhinged you really are.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Re-establish Routine

Yeah, you've moved - but life goes on! Sometimes it's the little things that keep us on an even keel.
So, if before the move you always made Friday your Date Night, or spent Wednesday afternoons scrappin' with the girls then renew those customs.
Don't put it off until your "settled in" - that's part of what being "settled in"  is!
Re-establish your routines: lessons, family night, lunch dates, cleaning, laundry, what ever. Both the fun - and the mundane. It'll help restore balance to your life.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Create Your Oasis

o·a·sis/ōˈāsis/

Noun:

A fertile spot in a desert where water is found. A pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled, or hectic place or situation.

Organize one room at a time - don't try to tackle everything at once. Just one completed room can be your retreat to normalcy. Your Oasis.

For us, it was the Family room.
Computer and componets, set up and ready - check.
TV and cable, mounted and ready - check.
Furniture in it's (permanent) place - check.
DVD's, organized and easy to find - check.
All the little things in their "place" - check.
Stuff on walls and "decor" added - check.

(Goodness, I guess it's obvious were our priorities lay... who needs a family meal? entertain me!)

At the end of the day, it was nice to have this one room where we could gather and - regardless of what stage of settled the rest of the rooms were in - we could, for the moment, just enjoy being home.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Kids Rooms

While you and your husband may be able to function while digging through a suitcase for clean socks and tripping over unpacked books on your way to the bathroom, living in a state of transition is especially hard on little people.

We moved into our home at the beginning of summer, the weather was beautiful and it was easy enough to kick Kadence outside to play while I got to work making our house a home. After about the first week tho, her new friends were becoming curious about her house, her room and specifically, all her toys. You should know, new kids are more than just new people to play with - they come with all kinds of new stuff to play with as well.

Over the last few years our house has become the house where all the kids congregate, this neighborhood isn't looking to be any different. I knew I had to get Kadences room in order quickly so she'd have that space to hang out with her friends, but more than that, I knew she needed the normalcy.

I know the to-do list is long, but move the kiddlets rooms to the top if you can. I'm not saying that your kids rooms have to be completely put together and decorated - Kadences room is still a work in progress, and I'm afraid Anthony's will be done just in time for him to go off to college. Try to get their furniture placed and toys put away. Make it a space where they can have friends come in and play, without a risk of being crushed in an avalanche of toys and clothes while trying to locate a missing barbie shoe.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Don't Rush to Hang Pictures

Our first few moves were not the smoothest. Like everything, there is a learning curve to moving and settling in a new home.

Here is a lesson that I learned the hard way:

Live with a furniture arragement for a while before commiting and hanging stuff on walls.
(or hide the nails from husband until you are satisfied the furniture will not be moved)

 As soon as the furniture was in the house my husband would break out the hammer and nails and start putting things up on the walls. The movers had barely pulled out of the driveway, and already he's banging away. I mean, c'mon, that couch isn't even centered yet.
See, for him - it just wasn't home if the walls were bare.
Obviously, this resulted in tantrums on my part, a few tears and much pouting.
Because, well, I'm thinking the couch would probably look better against that wall over there. And now this picture will look ridiculous in this spot and if we move it there'll be 6 holes because we didn't get it level/centered/right the first time.

It's exhausting just typing about it!

In the end, I don't know what is worse. A wall full of holes from the constant shuffling and re-positioning of pictures, or putting up with a picture that's not quite in the right spot. I've done both.

Now we wait a bit before taking that leap. Test drive the layout. I make sure it looks right, he makes sure there's no glare hitting the TV.

And we've invested in a level.
and a measuring tape.

So see? He did "get it" eventually. Partly, I'm sure, because he got tired of dealing with the ensuing melt-downs - but also, because I have always been right. The couch does look better against that wall after all.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Restock Your Kitchen

 Every time we move I think I gain 5lbs just from all the take-out we consume. First, we eat out because we're packing. Then we're on the road. Then we live in TLF (military speak for temporary housing facilities) for God knows how long. Finally we get into our new home - but then there's unpacking, painting, cleaning, organizing, shopping to do... the list goes on and on.

Signs you're family is eating out way too much:

• You have no idea if the dishwasher works because you haven't used it yet
• The girl working the drive through knows your order before you place it
• You kids fight over who "got to pick the restaurant last night"
• Even your panties are starting to feel tight

Time to restock your pantry and avoid excuses to go out. 

 If you've gotten your kitchen acceptably clean then your ready to go shopping. This first restocking trip always shocks the Sarge, I think it's an expense of moving that people tend to forget. 

 Start with a menu. Even if you're a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda girl when dinner time rolls around you can benefit from some version of a menu, at least for the first couple of weeks. Keep it loose, and keep it easy - just jot down some meals everyone likes and that you can prepare with little fuss. This will help you stay prepared so dinner is one less thing to worry about while you're in the midst of all this chaos.

 Make a shopping list of  items from your menu - plus basic groceries you'll need. Of course there's the obvious stuff, milk, eggs, bread. But don't forget the random stuff you don't purchase quite as often. Condiments, oils, spices, pastas. You don't want to start cooking and realize your missing something as simple as corn starch or salt. 


Something about a well stocked kitchen makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! There are a couple of basic needs that we all have. Food and Shelter. So you've got one down with the new place - but what about the other?






  .

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Cleaning. or not...

Some houses are move-in ready, others not so much.
The last house we lived in was a rental, and upon first glance it seemed, well, clean. It wasn't until I started to clean that I realized it was anything but. This is where I can easily get bogged down, first I'm wiping down the bathrooms, next thing you know I'm scrubbing out the window tracks with a toothbrush.  Once we were more settled I systematically cleaned each room, one by one. Top to bottom. It felt great to be done, especially since most of the move was behind us and I could really enjoy it.

This is where you may have to reign in your OCD. Only clean what is nessecary - don't get caught in minutia, that'll come later. The trick is to get the basics taken care of first, then you can devote time and energy to deep cleaning when you are ready.

Let's take your kitchen for example,
Necessary: Stove top, counters, things your food and family will come in contact with.
Unnecessary: Behind the fridge or stove.

Sure, you may want to wipe down your cabinets, put in some shelf paper - but you don't need to break out the Murphys Wood Soap and spend the next 3 days scrubbing each cabinet down till it gleams. 
Not yet anyways.
I'm not saying don't clean these things. You really should. Other peoples dirt is just icky.
I'm just saying don't worry about them right off the bat.
You've got bigger things to worry about, like your cholesterol after eating take out for 2 weeks straight.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Unpack

  This one seems pretty obvious, but is one of the hardest to do! the M half admits in her comment that she has taken 2 moves and 5 years to unpack, and I don't think she's alone. 

  If you are being moved by contractors (Mayflower, Allied, etc) then make it easy on yourself, have them do the unpacking. It's part of their contract, so it's not an additional charge - and when they're done they take all the boxes with them. Of all the families I've seen move (there have been lots!) I don't think I have seen anyone besides us take advantage of this.
They'll say "oh, the movers just dump everything, they won't put it away." 
True. But it's a lot harder for you to ignore all those piles of stuff than boxes. This way you are forced to take action.
They also say "I don't want the movers handling all my stuff."
Um. too late. And there is a way to work around that, but that would be an entirely different post.

 And if you aren't so lucky as to have strangers rifle through your belongings and leave them in piles on your (hopefully now clean) floors, then it still has to get done. You could use the same method, just unpack it all at once. Our most recent move was a DITY (military speak for moving yourself) since we just moved locally. We had movers handle all the furniture but the "stuff" - that was all us. Mostly me. I used Rubbermaid containers for most of it. And a few laundry baskets. But I only had so many. So in order to get everything moved, I had to unpack right away - so I could run back to the old house and get more stuff. 

 Unpacking is a lot of work. A lot. But, you can't get things put away while they're still in boxes. And like I said, it's a lot easier to shove stacks of boxes to the side and say "oh, I'll do that when I have time" than to ignore piles of crap everywhere. 

 Maybe you're still not sure where everything will go? There is one way to figure it out. 
And I guarantee, when you first saw your new home all empty and full of promise you didn't squeal "oh yes! My 16 boxes of  craft supplies will fit here perfectly, and we can dig through the dish pack every night before dinner in this EXACT spot!!"

 One last note, if you have little people. There is a benefit to unpacking - besides not leaving their childhood memories full of  cardboard and unfound belongings - a yard full of empty boxes is a total. kid. magnet.  

 So, if you have boxes stacked somewhere, still unopened - pull 'em out. You may discover a lost treasure (OMG! So that's where it's been!) or just a bunch of crap you can live with out after all (why do I have this?).

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Carpet

Today's tip is short and sweet.

Before you move in, or as soon as possible thereafter

Clean Your Carpets!

I don't care if you have them professionally done,

or if you do it yourself. 

But do it. Really.

Who knows what goes on in someone else's house? 

or on their floors?

Between pets, kids, and everything under the sun ... chances are your carpets have been exposed to all manner of bodily fluids, plus God knows what before you moved in.

'nuff said.