Re-claming our Living Room

Reclaiming our living room started with moving all Ian's toys to his room.  The project is ongoing as hubby decided to get a riding lawn mower instead of some furniture for the house this year.  We have to move Ian to a big boy bed this summer too.  He is almost as long as his toddler bed already!  Sniff sniff, sigh.  So I need to figure out the best way to arrange his tiny little room.  When he is older, I think a platform bed would be awesome.  But not at 2-3 when he still rolls off his little bed several times a week! :)

I am happiest about the lamps being back on the floor.  They were both on top of 3-shelf bookcases since Ian was almost a year old and started climbing everything.  It is also nice to have side tables again.  I wish I could put our coffee table back in this space, but Ian would probably hit his head on it weekly.  

We desperately need a new sofa.  We just don't fit on our current one.  At least, hubs says we don't.  I pull the slipper chair over to turn my end into a chaise, and Ian sits between us for movies and stories.  I think it's cozy!  But I do agree that a new sofa is a must.  I like blue and all, but I am just tired of how much space this thing takes up.  We also need storage and a new media stand.  We need room for games and toys and albums and books.  

My office is still upstairs in the armoire and I have to have the ugly bookcases to hold the computer and albums and paper.  I hope we can update soon.  I really don't like having everything out in plain sight.  I can't move to the basement yet, as Ian would never stay out of the utility room or the cat boxes.  

I want this table out of here so badly!  It just doesn't fit the space.  It would be an awesome table in my office for working on projects though!  the biggest obstetrical in getting new furniture is that hubs and I don't agree on anything.  He likes glass and metal, and I like white and wood and traditional.

Dreaming of new dining room furniture. Everything in our space now, other than the slipper chair and armoire and "bar" are either hand me downs or just cheap junk that is on it's last legs.  

I'd love to see what any of you are doing for your little boy spaces and living areas.  Link me up in the comments!

Workspace Wednesday │Craft Space Update

On Friday I got an unexpected surprise.  Ian took a nap.  I am telling you, I didn't know what to do with myself.  Then, I remembered the can of gold spray paint I picked up a month or so ago.  Clear day? Check.  Above 50 degrees? Check.  No nap for this mommy.  I decided to update.
This Krylon paint dries in 15 minutes!  I still had to leave everything out side for a few days until the smell wore off.     

I started with just the paper holder I have on top of my "bar". See the wine glass holders?  I used to use those before baby.  Now, I just drink out of whatever.  Stemware tips over too easily. lol  I digress.

Next went a tray I use to hold current kits and projects.  The previous finish had some damage.  I love how it looks now!  (Sorting trays above with washi and such are from Walmart and Target.)
There is a file holder in back that holds large packaged embellishments and watercolor paper.  And my 12x12 paper is stored in a flat box from Michael s and also Project Life Page protector boxes. (I put the empty pocket pages in my album)

This storage thing here was from Michael s.  I keep some transparencies and my chalkboard in the back and more embellishments like alphas and stickers in the front.  The little polka dot bucket is from the dollar spot at Target and holds my big roller stamp and hole punch.  The bowl holds camera accessories. 

Then I went all out and painted the cheap lazy Susan too.  It looks a hundred times better.  The little berry dishes hold bags, tags, and other little paper items, the pail holds twines, and the top dishes hold buttons, brads, and frequently used wood veneers.  

My paper sorter holds card stock and kraft paper below and the folders above hold specialty papers like vellum and foils.  Camera is kept where it is easy to grab yet out of reach of curious little hands. 

Basket on the left holds my painting supplies, the glass jar is for chipboard and other embellishments, while the drawers hold some camera accessories stuff for my Silhouette Portrait. 

I keep my albums in the bottom cabinet so far.  I am going to need some Kallax shelving soon if I keep up with 3 albums a year plus Ian's albums.

On sale this week in my Etsy shop!

Moving My Craft Room (Again)

Our basement is c-o-l-d.  I have arthritis.  These things do not go together.  I was not getting to spend any time in my craft room and I was dragging my heavy albums up and down the stairs several times a week along with my embellishments and adhesive, and scissors, and cutters, and stamps, and, you get the picture.  So I am moving my stuff back up to my computer desk.  I can already tell this is working ever so much better.  I am CAUGHT UP!  Week 3 is complete and I just need to photograph it.  I am amazed with myself. 

 

My armoire is a piece that was built for me by my grandfather.  Those wonderful drawers that were actually built for VHS tapes (yes, VHS) and cd's.  Well, now, they are housing my favorite things and keeping them out of the hands of my two year old weapon of mass destruction. 

Top drawer: used to be for remotes and manuals, now it holds all my wood veneers.  I found mini ramekins at Tuesday Morning for the little guys, and have a divider from one of my core kits for bigger stuff.  The egg tray was from Amazon.

Drawer #2 is for Project Life cards, stamps, washi, and various other ellies like alphas, rub-ons, and stickers and such.  I found the woven baskets at Michaels, the white baskets are from Walmart, and I am using some 5x7 photo pockets that didn't fit in my albums (some kind of WRMK) to hold my small collection of clear stamps.  Baby food jars hold some of my sequins.   

Drawer number three has contact paper, photo paper, envelopes, notebooks, candy, and the little make up bags I use to put my camera pieces and other things in my big purse.

Drawer 4 is random stuff and this is the drawer I have to watch because it will get filled with junk.  For now, it has my paints, and a few gadgets,  3M products like hooks and picture hangers.   



I don't have anything in my SC boxes, they are just there to look pretty.  I will fill them with things soon. 

A basket to put stickers, enamel dots, and other embellishments that I haven't sorted yet.  I found it at a second hand store.  I find pretty much all my storage at second hand, Tuesday Morning, or TJ Maxx.  We have no Ikea or Container Store here.

I don't have a lot of 12x12 paper so a flat box from Michael's is enough storage for now.  the metal file holds papers I need and envelopes for bills and such. 

The paper tray was from Costco.  I have cardstock, kraft paper, and colored cardstock along with my Silhouette mat.  And in the file holders above, I store vellum and other flimsy papers.

The deep cabinet under the "bar" is perfect for my albums.  I see that I will only be able to fit maybe 7 years in there if I don't want to keep any other things in the cabinet.

Little Lamm MIA

I was so gung ho to have my Week in the Life album done this week.  I was derailed by faulty ink cartridges and now have to wait to order prints.  Phtt.  For some reason, I can't even look at scrapping unless it is to do with organizing my stash.  It must be the cooler weather coming in.  Just like spring, fall makes me want to scrub and organize and toss junk to the curb.

Finally getting my Lightroom 5 book and a Silhouette also kept me busy learning this week.  Plus I had to re-organize my scrap space to make room for the little cutting machine!
  

I did finally find a use for the baby food jars that had been taking up space in my armoire drawers.  They are perfect for little wood ellies!  I found a super cute bowl at TJ Maxx for the most used Washi.  and I repurposed a basket that used to house our remotes for brads and other goodies.  I found a home for my albums up where little hands can't get a hold of them. 
Then nap time was over and I had to shove a ton of junk into the cabinet and it still needs to be sorted out.  lol  At least the outside is in working order!