I've been on a desperate mission recently in search of the British edition of Country Living for December. This is my all time and forever favorite magazine! Based on past month's experiences it should have been at our local bookstore ten days ago. But alas, it's not. . . and I should know because I take a swing by to check almost every day. I can't believe I've added this obsession to my agenda. As if the past two weeks haven't been busy enough what with Halloween parties, Election Day hoopla, a few nasty colds in the house, and a surprise adventure chaperoning a school field trip which involved being in the same room with a net basket containing at least six live writhing snakes! Well, maybe they weren't actually writhing, but it did take me a full day to recuperate from the experience! Obviously I wasn't wearing my wellies.
Luckily, yesterday I discovered a diversion to my madness. While frantically searching the newsstand piles I found the treasure pictured above. . . .
Where Women Create. Apparently it's the premier issue published by Somerset Studio and I so love getting the first issue of magazines. Being that the work spaces of the featured artists are amazing, the photography quite beautiful, and that Mary Jane Butters name is on the cover I quickly made my purchase and headed home.
I wish I could say I sat down and read it cover to cover with a lovely cup of tea. The reality of the situation is, however, I've only been able to steal five minutes here and there to read snippets of inspiration and drool over the studios pictured. Even as such, I must say I have been amazingly motivated to attend to my own creative space. While tiny and heavily trafficked (I sew in the upstairs hallway next to the staircase) I see areas for improvement. Even on a small scale they could be influential. Jars of buttons that look like candy, baskets full of embroidery floss, and spools of ribbon hanging around. New mission:
Where I Create. . . .
After much ado I have finally completed my sewing nook makeover! It involved quite a bit more shifting and sorting of materials than I had anticipated but was well worth it in the end. Not only is it much cozier and more inviting than before, but the space actually functions quite efficiently as a creative area now. I couldn't help but sneak in a few minutes to work on a project or two earlier today (I should have been baking my pies for Thanksgiving but don't worry they're in the oven now!) Anyway...it was amazing to me how pleasant and relaxing it was to sit and sew without having to constantly move about the house looking for my scissors, a pen, the button box, a skein of floss, or a certain book. Everything is right here at my fingertips. I'm in awe at the moment, but I'll be truly amazed if I can keep it this way for any length of time....like say a week? Good luck to me!
My new favorite seat in the house! I suppose I should have a dust cover over my featherweight but it looks so cute sitting there, plus I use it almost everyday.
Spent some time rummaging through the kitchen cupboards and attic boxes gathering fun treasures. I've got buttons in the swanky swigs, doodles in the green thread box, and a bunch of my favorite pens.
Notion central....pins, needles, buttons, floss, seam binding and such all ready and waiting.
Not a great picture but I'm so tickled with my ironing board I just had to show it. I recovered it in red gingham which for some reason tickles me to no end. I'm hoping it also inspires me to put it to good use as my ironing pile has grown tremendously over the past two weeks. I thought of taking a picture of that too, then thought again of how horrified my mother would be to see such a sight posted here!!!
