I must be an artist!

.... two words.... art studio.  For me, it conjurs up so many things.... one of the biggest being, you must be an artist to have a studio.... and/or have money... and be making money from your art.... and... and... and... all these very limiting 'rule' i had created in my head.....

About a year or so ago I was have an ongoing email exchange with my friend D-.... she casually mentioned that we should go to her art studio and create some fabulousness together... and she continued discussing all the different things we could create.... but I wasn't listening.... I was still mesmerized by her mentioning her 'art studio'....

'art studio' i thought..... but she's a struggling grad student..... how can she have an art studio???? now, don't get me wrong... D is an artist through and through.... and her grad degree is a master of fine arts.... but still... it didn't quite fit the rules I'd created about having an art studio....

And so i placed it out in the universe.... 'i will have an art studio'.....

Fast forward to last weekend.... I was doing my typical round of procrastinating and thought I'd google 'art studio for rent chicago'..... multiple and various things popped up and i eventually found my way to an exciting discovery... there was a listing for a studio for rent not even 4 blocks away from where I live.

now for those of you who know me personally, you know that 1) I do not live in the 'artsy' part of town (wish I did, but that's a different intention) and 2) my space is very small and I long for just one more room where I could not only house all my art (and craft) but actually have a space to create in....

and so I spoke with the owner... made arrangements to view over the weekend while I was home .... all the while, of course, envisioning it as my own (even though I didn't know what it actually looked like yet)....

it is now mine.  it is my perfect place to begin... my perfect 1st studio..... the next step to 'awakening the artist'....!

I'll send pics as I begin to fill my space with supplies and artistic endeavors..... !

What are some of your self-limiting beliefs?  Are they real or imagined?  What would happen if you reframed your beliefs?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Everything Old is New Again...

Isn't she lovely... isn't she won-der-full? (I've been listening to vintage stevie wonder... lol) 

Found this fabulous beauty a while

back when a friend introduced me to one of my new faves, Kouk's.  It's a quirky little antique shop that is also a coffee shop.

It serves as a place to store more of my books and does nicely in tying my love of old with my love of something contemporary.

And of course it goes without saying, I adore the color!

And Baxter loves it, too.

...scatter joy...

lindy

Urban 'Loft'

As many of you know, one of my passions is design and decorating. I've been in the midst of re-making my space for quite a while now, and last weekend made significant headway... drum roll, please..... I now present to you my living space.


New sofa and chair in a mid-century modern style... gorgeous lime green slubbed fabric with button detail on the sofa... and the chair is a woven mocha ... both purchased from Stacy O's in Saginaw, MI. Also new is the TV cart (IKEA), the tables (which really are very very very similar to the style in Pottery Barn) that I found for a fraction of the cost on Overstock.com (gotta love the Overstock...) and the rug (one of my friends said that it reminds her of 'pepples' because of the size of the felted wool) is one of the softest I've ever experienced (also from Overstock).

The furniture pieces are slightly smaller scale so they don't dwarf the space... the tables, glass and iron to let the light and air dance through the room.

For me the key has been in visualizing what I'd like my space to look like... feel like.... and I wanted it to be a real reflection of me.... the woman I am today.

The best part.... I was able to make my purchases with the money from the items I sold that have been cluttering up my space that I was ready to release on Craig's List and Ebay.... and I sold my old furnture on Craig's List, too!


Baxter approves.

Radical Reading Nook Phase II

OH BOY.............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Working away from home during the week has made it a little tougher to get my home design projects done... it takes a little longer, but last weekend was major breakthrough weekend and, da da da daaaaaaaaaaa.... here it is in all it's glory.

I'm not quite finished yet... but the final stage won't take place til late summer/fall.... so for now, *happy sigh* come join me in my nook and let's read awhile.... Doesn't it just look sooooooo inviting????  and, even though you can't see it very well, there is a great little table next to the chair for my glass of red....

what project are you looking forward to completing?

...scatter joy...
lindy

My Corner of the Closet

As part of my ongoing quest to tame my small space I feel as though I'm in a constant state of 'reorganization'...  lol... this weekend I tackled the bedroom closet and dressers making the switch from spring/summer to fall/winter. There is something to be said for the feeling of 'new' as everything gets sorted.... 'Donate' and 'KEEP' are my two main categories.... very little gets tossed because even if a garment isn't wearable in its original form, it can often be recycled into fabric or material for something else.

And Baxter likes to help.... here he is sorting through my clothes on the bed... he ultimately created a very nice fort and promptly took a nap!

Best new 'old' find..... Charcoal flannel trousers that I'd bought off-season!  YAY!!!!   And if you hear me dare utter the words 'I have nothing to wear' please nudge me in the direction of my closet....!

What are your favorite season-changing rituals?
...scatter joy...
lindy

before & after

.... I see most everything in life as a journey.... whether discovering my own 'colors' or the true color(s) that are my kitchen... the more I understand this, the more I appreciate the process... and even when it's 'done' it really is only just beginning....

next up: lose the jetson-esque fan and swap with mini hanging pendants... a few choice pieces of pottery.... and a drum light over the dining table.... the dining table is out of the picture cuz the mound of stuff I'm working through has ended up there for now... lol... although I did make some headway with 4 or 5 Craig's List postings tonight.... yay me!

my space is truly becoming a reflection of the woman I am as well as the woman I'm becoming...

how does your space reflect you or your journey...?

... scatter joy...
lindy