Hanging with my Peeps...

One positive about me losing my job is that I have been able to reconnect with old friends and I have been able to make new friends.  I was so dedicated to my career for 11 years that my relationships suffered for it.  I MEANT well, and I TRIED hard.  But in the end, I thought that by working hard and jumping when my boss said "jump" I would secure my future and I sacrificed my time with my friends.

Not any more.  Even if I found another job, I would not lose myself.  I've learned that friendships are so important to our physical and mental well being.  The laughter, the caring...  it's all so important.  So on that note, I'm hanging with my peeps tomorrow!  We are going to the scrapbooking convention in Duluth.  It's basically booths set up selling the newest items in the industry.  It's a great way to get ideas and the latest product!  I'm really looking forward to it.  

Afterwards, we will be eating dinner together and then going to a hotel, where we will do some projects together, brainstorm and laugh.  Kinda like a sleepover.  I cannot wait!

Because I'm going with three friends that I treasure, I thought I'd make a little "sumpin, sumpin...." for each of them.  My go-to homemade gift is a bookmark.  I used the Tim Holtz tag die-cut.  I made sure that each tag had my friend's first initial of their name.  I used the same papers so they all look similar.  I think they turned out beautiful, just like my girlfriends.  Let me know what you think....

 

Metamorphosis Monday!

Hi!  I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday at one of my very favorite blogs, Between Naps on the Porch!  I am also participating in Amaze Me Monday at another one of my very favorite blogs, Dittle Dattle.  Also, I'm participating in The DIY Showoff.   On Tuesday, I'm participating in Tip Me Tuesday!  On Wednesday, it's WOW Us Wednesdays!  On Thursday, head on over to Momnivore's Dilemma!

My metamorphosis took place in my very own craft studio with my very favorite craftsman, my hubby!  He even came with the plumber's crack to boot!!!  How lucky am I?  


My husband and I have been changing our homes from the time we got married.  In our first house, we closed in the garage and made a family room, a bedroom and a laundry room.  In between all of that, we pulled up carpet and installed wood floors, completely gutted the kitchen and remodeled it, rebuilt the deck to a much larger size and even decorated our master bathroom with brown paper bag!  (Hey!  It was very chic at the time!  I learned the technique from Christopher Lowell!)


In our second house, we did the same type of home improvement.  The house was twice as large as our first house, so we didn't need to expand, but: we removed arches in the "formal" living room and installed pocket doors so it was more of an office/craft studio;  removed the arch from the dining room door; re-tiled the surround around the fireplace and removed the mantel; custom built our media stand;  installed wood floors; replaced the carpet upstairs; and gutted and remodeled the master bathroom; and even painted a faux stone wall in our family room.  I loved that house!


Our third house (and hopefully our last) has a full basement and it's my FAVORITE part of the house.  Because in the full basement is an amazing craft studio!  Well, I think it's amazing!  The previous owners used it for their catering business.  So, there was some plumbing that we needed to remove.  Since that time, me and my hubby have been tweaking it to make it just right (we have a long way to go).  Let me show you some pictures.....

This is my stand-up workstation in my studio.  ("Stand-up" because there isn't a place for a chair.  I designed it that way.  I sometimes like to stand to craft.)  It is a solid station that my hubby built to be used for embossing, using my Cricut, using my Cuttlebug, etc.   He enclosed two IKEA shelving units into a frame that he built up off of the floor (protection from flooding - been there, done that!).  So the other evening, Hubby was studying it and said "You need more light."  I said "Uh huh...  (Not really paying attention as I was too busy on Pinterest!).  He said, "I have just the solution!".  And off he went.    


We had these red hanging lights in our bedroom at the last house and didn't know what we should do with them.  (Red is my FAVORITE color!)  Hubby decided those were going above my shelves.  And, it was UNACCEPTABLE for the wires to hang down.  

So here he is wiring...  (BTW:  He was working on another project before this one and TOTALLY got sidetracked on this project.  He loves me...)

The wires had to go up into the ceiling.  That way, no one would see them.  

Him:  "Honey, can you snake me that cord through the ceiling?"...  Me:  "Wha?"

What happened to my clean workstation?

Oh the HORROR!  These are the scenes where I try not to panic.  He is, after all, "in progress"...

And suddenly...

BEAUTY...  

The shelves will eventually have RED fabric baskets populating them, once I can find the ones I want...  My studio theme is black, white and red.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I enjoy the room.  There is still more stories in this craft studio.  Check back often for more metamorphosis'!

Thank you Hubby!  I love you!