Craft Room

I was tired of having to convert the dining room between crafts and dining (my husband too!), so we finally took the plunge and decided to utilize our space to meet our needs. We changed one of our spare bedrooms into a craft room, where I can work on my projects and if I need to stop in the middle, I can simply close the door. With the inspiration of the black singer, we made it the focal point in the room. We then moved the kitchen table which we never used to the craft room. Moving the kitchen table really solved 2 problems, as in the kitchen all it did was collect clutter and it really gives me nice open space to sew and scrap.

With the help of my friend Phil, I made a felt board to help piece together my quilts. Phil made a basic frame from wood and we covered it with felt. The fabric simply sticks to the felt without any pins, so it's easy to move pieces and determine placement of squares, etc. It also keeps me on task to finish my current projects, as it's displayed out in the open and not tucked away in the closet.

This desk armoir, is the resting spot for both my sewing machine and cricut. It also stores my resources so they are handy to pull out when in need.

I really enjoy my new space, hopefully it inspires you to create your own:)

Mini Office / Mail Reception Area

In our 1920's house, storage is obviously a challenge. So we have learned to become creative and clutter free as possible. Incoming mail is always a challenge and I have been trying so many different options to minimize the clutter. I finally found a solution that works great. Here is the before picture of the mini office I had located in kitchen, obviously it doesn't look the greatest, but here it is:

And here is the after picture. I found this vertical handing folder from the container store, which i have hanging from a super magnet on the fridge. Of the categories for the file slots, I have: one for my husband, myself, bills to pay, a slot to hold envelopes and stamps, to review, and to file. Next to the vertical folder, I have a 2 containers (white) that hold post its, note cards, pens, scissors, stapler, and tape. And the best thing about the vertical folder, I can easily fold it up and take it with me to file things in my long term file system. This has worked wonderfully and 2 months out, still looks the same way! So the "system" is definitely an improvement.

First Ever Double Layer Cake

I decided to get a little creative with the cake department and attempt to make a double layer cake. The recipe was pretty simple, yellow cake with very yummy chocolate frosting. We were very happy with the chocolate frosting however the cake itself was a touch on the dry side....I guess that only means that more practice is in store for me in the baking department. Which I'm sure my husband would be happy to live with:)

To check out the recipe, visit Martha Stewart. If you decide bake this cake, please make sure to leave feedback for me! Enjoy!

Jon's Fastest 1/2 Marathon

I am so proud of my husband Jon. He has been on his running kick for about 6 months, and with that, he has done 2 1/2 Marathons within 7 days. His first was the BAA Boston 1/2 Marathon, and the second was the Baystate 1/2 Marathon in Lowell, MA. The first 1/2 his time was approx 2:11, today's 1/2 a whopping 1:38:53. He did such a good job and it was so much fun watching him and cheering him on.



















Cheers to you Jon!
You did an amazing job, you are a great inspiration!

Guest Bedroom Updates

We finally removed all the wallpaper that existed in the house. Here are some pics of the guest bedroom before we purchased the house in 2005:



We refinished the original hardwood floors, removed the wallpaper and painted with a sunny yellow, updated with a ceiling fan, and added a touch of seacoast flare to the decor to pull it all together.

Small improvements, one step at a time! Here are the updates we have made in our 1930's Kitchen.

Here are pics of the Kitchen before we purchase in 2005:




And here are the current pics. Obviously with a total of 4 drawers and 4 cabinets we are tight on space for food and storage. With creative space planning, we utilized wall space to store pots and pans, and moved the fridge to add space for a small island. The island also added space for our essentials: Kitchen Aid mixer and coffee maker which couldn't fit under our current cabinets due to height restrictions.....All in all, a few updates with paint and creatively utilizing the space we have we definitely made our kitchen more efficient until we can really afford an upgrade:)