Office Makeover Progress

The office makeover is going slowly, but it's still going. We've narrowed our paint choices down to three samples and are ready to slap some paint on the walls to see which we like best.  Painting has been the cog in the wheel.  Once we paint we can relocate shelves, remove the built-in desk from the wall and turn it into a stand alone desk with file cabinet legs, figure out the guest bed situation (i.e., air bed, sofa bed, or daybed with trundle), rearrange furniture, make and hang drapes, create a photo collage wall, and add the final touches.  So we still have a lot to do.  In the meantime I have been focusing on organizing the file cabinet and closet and stalking Craigslist for furniture finds (mainly wood file cabinets and daybeds).  The search for pre-loved furniture is proving to be more difficult than I thought (Sigh!), but the hunt continues.

I've also done some organizing of the soon-to-be-relocated shelves and finally framed some of my favorite pictures (the frames, which I bought at Aaron Brothers, are made from reclaimed pallets.  I plan on painting them white eventually) and arranged a shadowbox with some mementos from our honeymoon.  It is amazing the difference a bit of organizing and some sentimental decor can bring to a space.  It is starting to feel more and more like our special space, which is the goal.  I used to keep the door to this room closed because I hated seeing the chaos of clutter.  Now I keep the door open and every time I walk by I get warm fuzzies (sometimes I even do a little happy dance).  I can't wait to see the finished product! 

Real Grass Easter Baskets

Today I was at a gardening talk about planting edibles in small spaces and a friend was telling me about how she is growing oat grass for her kids' Easter baskets rather than using the plastic or paper grass.  I thought it was such a lovely idea! I'm going to use wheat grass and then we can harvest it after Easter. You can grow it yourself or just buy it already grown.  If you want to grow it yourself here's how you do it.

1. Buy 1-2 cups of sproutable wheat berries/grain at a health food store.
2. Place the wheat berries in a bowl, cover with water, and soak for 12 hours.
3. Drain and rinse.
4. Add 1-11/2 inches of wet potting soil in a well drained plastic tray, a pot, or directly into your basket.
5. Sprinkle the wheat berries over the soil..
6. Cover with wet paper towel and water.  Cover with a dishtowel and set in a dark plays for 2-3 days. Keep moist.
7. Uncover after 3 days and set in a warm place with indirect sunlight.  Keep moist.

Enjoy!

The Art of Sewing

About eight years ago my husband (then boyfriend) and I rented an old and exceedingly small house with no storage space to speak of, not even a linen closet (although ironically the place had a hot tub and big back yard for our dog, but I digress).  So we we made a deal...he would make us a set of window seats to store our camping gear and linens and I would sew some cushions and pillows to make the seats comfy.  He held up his end of the bargain and I, unfortunately, did not, which has become a running joke between us.  Now every time I mention sewing something he mumbles "yeah like those window seat cushions" and then starts laughing.

Needless to say, I have a sewing machine that until recently sat unused in the garage.  My not-so-good excuse is that I've never known how to set the machine up (in my unexpert opinion the hardest part) and that once I learn that step the sewing part should be pretty easy.  My other excuse is that I'm not very crafty.  Well no more excuses.  My mom came to visit recently and we dusted off the old Singer and she gave me a tutorial on how to set it up. I videotaped her instructions so I can refer to it when needed (which will be often).  Then I moved the sewing machine from the garage to our newly organized (but not finished) office/guestroom/playroom/craftroom.  I figure it's more likely to get some use if I don't have to go hunt for it in the garage.  My first project will be throw pillows for our living room, but it may be a month or two until I get to it since I'm still working on the office project.  Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it.