We’ve had big plans for the house. They included a mud porch breezeway with a pocket door leading to a sunroom studio for me. With a loft and giant bookcases. And a deck with huge bed-sized porch swings, and a workshop for Garth. And a guest sleeping cottage. And built-ins and re-tiling, and adding appliances, and re-flooring. We’re 6 months in we’ve painted one room and installed a dishwasher and an attic door. And we live in Hawaii and we haven’t really done much in the way of beaches, luaus, and sunsets. The plans needed to change.

And it was a simple text message from my sister, Julia, that made it happen. She asked if she could come visit in the spring and I replied, “YES! Please!” and then I started thinking about what she and her husband would see when they walked in my door. And I started to dream. Within the hour I had a plan to just throw myself (and consequently my husband) into a crazy scheme to build a studio in the backyard within the month of February. 120 square feet in 29 days. Today, my inspiration.

We’re planning on building it almost entirely out of salvaged materials: tongue and groove siding, windows, doors, and flooring. I want at least one wall to be all windows- the front- and the other three with perhaps a window or two for airflow. The wall o’ windows will be in front and will be lined with one long skinny table to house my sewing machines and other work centers. The back wall will be floor to ceiling shelving with a rolling ladder. It is going to rule.

Those shelves are going to house all of the craftiness I own, some of it in milk crates, others in nice little displays. I will no longer have to balance myself one one leg while digging through something in the closet because the tool that I’m looking for might be behind a certain box way in the back. My current studio is a disaster. It’s the biggest bedroom in our house and it looks like an episode of Hoarders. For real.

Oh I am so ready for this- and in two weeks it’ll hopefully be a reality. We’ve already made the plans, been shopping, poured the foundation, and realized that we only have about 6 non-working non-child-tending days left together this month. We are all over this. Right honey? All. over. it.

Updates to follow. And lots of other good things.
eckses and ohs.

elle

Some updates:
I’m still constantly sick.
I drove to the Columbus, GA Red Robin last week for my third interview for management.
Today I turned down the position (and the two months in Spokane, and the moolah!) because I don’t think I can handle working a 60-hour-a-week opening being 8 3/4 months pregnant. And, since Garth works 12 hour days as well, I thought it might be nice for the baby to see one of us, at least.
Hurricane Gustav came through and brought us lots of rain and wind, but that was the most of it.
I need to always have gum in my mouth.
I entered a contest at threadbanger for a serger. Here’s my entry:

And, I’m making costumes as fast as I can (which is pretty slow considering I need a nap every few hours!)….
Love all ya’ll.
Laura. =)