I'm lazy and don't update my blog enough

 

I won a fabulous giveaway at Natalea's blog Kandeland!  It's a whole box full of fun things she selected from her art studio for me!  There's beautiful ribbons, laces, millinery flowers....oh so beautiful!  I just kept pulling things out one by one....it felt like Christmas.  What a fun thing to do...and a fun thing to receive!  It was truly inspiring on so many levels.......one being I had no place to put the beautiful things she sent me...because my art room was a MESS.  I didn't want to just plop the box on my desk...only to be never seen or used again.......so I blog hopped and looked at everyones fabulous studios.....and the very unique storage solutions many bloggers have come up with.  I was particularly inspired by Karla's studio, as she's taken so many pieces of furniture and incorporated it all for storage into her studio.  It's very calm and cohesive.  

I went to sleep that night dreaming of a prettier more organized art room.  I woke up and hit the road looking for a few yard sale signs...hoping to find some type of storage to cram into my already tiny art room.

I followed a sign down a long and winding road and ended up at this house

I kid you not!  I about fainted when i walked up the 200 yard private wooded gated driveway.  This home is less than 3 miles from where I live but it looks as if it's right out of a magazine.  

Most of the furniture was sold and there were just a lot of odds and ends left.  The inside was just stunning.  I got the impression the owners were "walking" away from the house.  It's for sale for 3 million dollars.  No joke.  Can you guess how many square feet this baby is?  13 THOUSAND.  I got to go all through the house....and my mouth was hanging open the entire time. It's absolutely stunning.  But with a $13,000 mortgage payment each month...uh...no thank you very much!

I was determined I was going to take SOMETHING away from this beautiful home.  I really wanted to ask if I could go out to the pool and cut the stunning hydrangea bushes that surrounded it (not shown in this pic. from the real estate website)  the blooms were the size of dinner plates! I thought they'd think I was a little weird for asking them, but I came "this" close to asking.

So all I could find were some old kitchen cabinets out in the garage.  They were oak...and old...and spider webby.....

This isn't the actual cabinet...I found it on the web but they looked just like this.  I purchased two of them and wrestled them into my car.  On the hottest day of the year.  I came home and spent the rest of the day outside on the hottest day of the year priming and painting them.  Then I dragged them inside and started organizing my un -air conditioned art room (I don't want a window unit hanging out of the window on the front side of the house so I suffer) 

This is what I ended up with

 

  I placed them on top of a dresser that I use for fabric storage.  and on top of the cabinets I put the book case thing.  It goes straight up to touch the ceiling!  I have to use every square inch of space in this room and I think I'm getting there.

 
ah.....one whole cabinet that will be dedicated just to journal supplies....

  

 
 a sweet little collage plate that Natalea made for me!

 storage inside the cabinets...tins from my moms house

more storage...sewing machine drawers from Goodwill

 More goodies from Natalea

a glimpse of my messy work desk

So all those beautiful goodies I received from Natalea really inspired me to get more organized in my art room.  Don't let the pictures fool you though.  As you've notice there are no "wide angle" views.  Thats because it's still at "hoarder status" as I slowly get organized.

Now for some more beauty.....

a beautiful Catholic House Blessing...that I picked up with the intention to re sell...and don't know if I can do it.  It's just so gorgeous I want to keep it.  There's an inscription on the back...it was for someones first home...from their parents in 1952 so it's quite old and WAY before my time...!!!

pages in progress.....

And this is what I gave my husband for fathers day.  It's an old piece of wood that I found and made into a sign.  The address on the sign is where we met in Georgetown (a very trendy hip area of Washington DC) way back in 1982.  It was a club called the Bayou and it was "THE" place to be in the 80's.  It's since been torn down and I thought it would be fun to have a little daily reminder of where we started way back when.

It's quite rustic, but it's the exact look I was going for.  I sure hope he "gets it" and doesn't wonder why I gave him a crusty termite infested piece of board for Fathers day.

Have a wonderful weekend!      

Comments

[mary]

What a beautiful studio space you have!

[karen]

Those cabinets are perfect! My studio is in my bedroom and is not a studio at all but I am slowly collecting things for storage that are pretty..still at hoarder status! hee! hee! karen....

[Sarah]

Isn't it crazy how many people are just walking away from houses right now? What a mess.

[Karla Nathan]

What pretty storage you made! Those cabinets look like they really hold a lot.

And that sign? SO romantic!! My husband would NOT get it. Hope yours did!

[natalea]

everything looks wonderful! love those little peeks at your art journaling!
hope you enjoy your goodies! have a great weekend. xo nat

[Karen @ Brayton Homestead Interiors]

love your blog name & your blog. wow-
you took those wonderful items from the giveway and yard sale and made an incredible work space -how creative are you .
cannot believe that house of the yard sale -I would have fainted...

Karen

[Rosa]

As if you're not organized enough. Blech! I envy you. Wowza. What a house-ah. Glad you found some goodies to renew. xo

[Lori]

Robin, that home is gorgeous...i wish ou had taken more pics on the inside...i am glad that you were able to find some cupboards for your studio...

[sue]

You met at the Bayou? I had a stalker there who I saw at many, many shows! Do tell which show you met at!!! XOX