Ahoy!

If there are any devoted readers out there (??? Speak up!) wondering where I've been, I just want to assure you that I am indeed alive and well. February is always a rough month for me. The weather here in Delaware is so flippy-floppy - it's in the teens/low 20's today; last week it was in the high 60's. The sun makes very strong appearances, then nearly disappears for days on end. I decided yesterday that I need to buy an outdoor thermometer for my bedroom window, so I know what I'm looking forward to when I get out of bed each day, because you really never can tell. Oh, climate change.

I've been unmotivated to do much aside from drink hot tea, eat hot soup, and keep snuggled up on the couch, covered by blankets and cats and dogs... sipping tea and eating soup. BUT... I've been hit with an organizing bug, or rather, I'm completely fed up with the haphazard work environment and the splay of craft supplies throughout my house.

For those of you who don't really know me or my house, let me say this: I have a lot of stuff. I love stuff. I'm a stuff afficionado. I'm trying to crack the habit but it was a long time building and it will take some time. I'm married, with no kids, and my husband and I live in a very big house with lots of rooms. Rooms of stuff. We have 4 bedrooms in the house, assigned the following status: (1) Master bedroom, (2) Guest Room, (3) Yoga Studio (a.k.a. "Fortress of Solitude") and (4) The "Slackers' Lounge."

The latter used to house our television (on which we watch DVDs only) until I realized we were bringing food up there much too often and got grossed out and made my awesome husband help me move the entertainment center and all its components down to the living room (where I cringe every time I see the "idiot box" staring at me - I can't wait to be able to afford a flat screen t.v. that can be hidden behind something!)

Since then, slowly but surely, my art supplies have begun to take over the living and dining rooms, where I have brought my supplies down to make art while hanging out with the husband, watching movies, etc. Of course I rarely bring them back up and put them away, especially since it's either late at night, or I'm mid-project.

It has to be done: transform the "Slackers' Lounge" into the "Artists' Lounge."

Requirements:

• Room for me to work with clay and also retain some sense of posture (ie. no hovering over coffee table!)
• Room for large toaster oven to bake pieces (and get that stuff out of my kitchen!)
• A space for Husband to draw, and a place to keep his sketchbooks and supplies on-hand.
• A place for Husband to relax and get comfy if he just wants to watch a movie while I work.
  
• A desk for my computer, printer, and scanners.
• A television and DVD player
• A way to play music
• Plenty of bulletin boards
• Inspiring artwork on the walls
  
• Organized storage of:
• Clay supplies
• Crochet supplies
• Photo restorations/Photos to scan (of these there are MANY)
• Bills/documents
• Other art/craft supplies (ribbon, paper, adhesives, paints, etc.)
• No disturbance of kitty window bed
• Overall an inviting place to spend our time

I think that about covers it. :)

As we speak, I am about 80% done with the space, after 2 weekends of working on it. Still need to get the new artwork ("Rise" by Kurt Halsey)
matted and framed and hung, and put a wire on the back of one of the 3 bulletin boards so I can hang it. I bought and hooked up the tv and dvd player, and moved my radio with the iPod hookup from the guest room to the ARTISTS' LOUNGE. The desk things are in the desk area, but not yet organized, but most of the art supplies are in place.

I'm almost done, and I'm getting itchy to get going making art again! Stay tuned for pics of the new space, and then pics of some new pieces, I hope!