{My Texas Art Studio}

This is my awesome new art studio, come on in! :)

Here is a previous post on my Maryland art studio,... this new one is much larger and much more beautiful. More art, creating and inspiration will flow in this room!

This is the TURQUOISE table where all the sewing is done. I have the table in the middle of the floor,... see I have a problem, 1) Sitting & sewing while facing the wall & 2) Sitting & sewing while my back is facing the door. Am I weird or alone in this? I feel like I want to leave the door open and see what's going on in the rest of the house.

This little shelf houses my wedding card "Tiffany" box, some antique cameras, some trim I bought for absolutely no reason other than how CUTE it is, a magnet board that will someday display some lovely inspiration and those sweet Ruby strips for a future string quilt.

You might recognize the cabinet and the door from our old dining room. They fit perfectly in this room!

Oh this cabinet (below). This stupid stupid cabinet. Remember when I told you we bought a cabinet that only came in black but I really like it and wanted to paint it white?? Well this is that cabinet. It looks great,... from a distance. Don't look too close or you might see what a big mess it really is.

So,... that's my new art studio. So far I have been much more productive in this room (even with the new baby) so expect lots of pretty posts. And there is a good chance I will reopen my Etsy shop with a new selection of items. Stay tuned,....

{My Art Space}

So, bare with me, this is kind of an ongoing process. This is my art room. I would be lying if I said this is where all the magic happens. This is where PART of the magic happens. If I can be working on a project that I can take to the couch or sit on the bed and do, I'm there. This is where the sewing and storage goes down.

I bought this table on Craigslist for $100 and got to work painting right over the ugly country blue legs and oak top. I know what you're thinking,... it's awesome. You're right, it is, thank you! It's the perfect spot for my sewing to happen.

A few weeks ago I added a little red table lamp, wonderful black & white toile-ish chair and these wall shelves for some storage. It's coming together.

Since our house is uber tiny, this room also doubles as a closet/office. Since this used to be a guest room, everything blended a little nicer, but instead of storing my husbands clothes in the dirt dungeon basement I decided he could keep that dresser. ;) On the wall that I am shooting from is currently a leaning shelf/desk that will be moving to the other side of the dresser. Along this new empty wall will go a new piece from Ikea. It is black at the moment, but I'm working on making it white. What piece of furniture ONLY comes in RED or BLACK?? Only Ikea. It's really hit or miss there sometimes. It's insane to paint a perfectly good, brand new piece of furniture right?? Well, I'm gonna let you in on a secret. It's a good one, so please don't spread it around,.... I"M CRAZY. That's what I do, potentially ruin brand new furniture. I LOVE it.

Poor, poor Cecilia. She HATES our new dog Jack and has been hating our other cat Audrey since we got her,.... A YEAR AGO!! Cece has become the upstairs cat and Audrey the downstairs cat. Since the arrival of Jack, Cece ONLY stays in the art room. It's the only place she can go where Jack can't get to her and serve her up for dinner. She's good company though, when she's not trying to lay on the quilt that I'm stippling or the fabric I'm cutting.

I'm about to go cut into that lovely pile of most delicious fabric while you all are wishing you were too. ;) This is soon to be/currently ongoing/one of like I'd say 34 WIP's hexagon quilt. :)

XOXO -Jessie

{2010 - A Picture A Day Project, Week 16}

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{Pretty}

Just some pretty pictures. This is how I wrapped my Christmas gifts this year and they happen to be sitting on the cake plates my husband bought me. Just LOVE it.

So,... I'm sorry for the lack of creative posts lately. I have really been meaning to get some sewing done since I haven't done any since before Christmas, but honestly, I have been in a bit of a creative "funk" if you will. Right now I am sitting here, really sleepy, refusing to go to bed, crocheting away at a little red scarf for the latest Craft Hope project. I'll have something to share soon enough. Ooooh,... and the long weekend coming up, I have no excuses. :)

{Present Parade}

It was a pretty eventful holiday this year! Tom and I travelled back to Texas for Christmas on Dec. 23, and our bags are STILL sitting in the entry way (but that's a whole other post). We only spent a few days in Texas but it. was. busy! Lots of little kids and errands, baking, gingerbread houses, presents, presents, stockings, playing, and presents. I thought I would just share some of the beautiful things I received this year. Above, is a super cute new cake plate that I received from a "Secret Santa". I got lucky getting that Secret Santa didn't I, because clearly they know me very well!!

So, I also asked for scissors. Here is the thing with me and scissors. I feel like I can never find the right pair when I need to cut paper vs. fabric vs. string or plastic, etc. You know what I mean? And I cut a lot of fabric and string and paper,... thats what I do. I have ruined so many pairs, and my husband takes them outside to trim trees,... then they die.

SO, I have promised myself that I will keep scissors of all kinds in the right places throughout the house, and my husband is not to touch any of them. ;) My dear mother got me the Gingher's (the black ones on the top). They are the lightest fabric scissors EVER. She used to own a pair (that I was NOT allowed to touch as a kid) and now I have my very own! My mother-in-law got me an awesome set of all purpose scissors and she got me the edging scissors below. So, I'm pretty sure I am good now with scissors, and I have taken an oath to keep them in nice condition!

Since my husband has eleventy siblings, we totally draw names and it is so much fun and works out so nicely! We have done it for 3 or 4 years now and its fun every time.

My sister-in-law, Gina got me this year and she hooked me up! She got me the awesome hand painted 12 Days of Christmas ornaments above from The Land Of Nod. (Love them!!) She got me Grey's Season 1, which I have already watched (guilty) and she also added to the growing collection of cake plates with the beautiful one above by MARTHA! Love her.

This year we decided to draw names with my brothers and their wives as well. Again, totally fun. I think every family should do this. My sister-in-law, Jessica got me and she too HOOKED IT UP!! I gave each of her children paper boxes when they were born and so she got me some cute new embellishments. So thoughtful! And the super cute note cards,... yeah, awesome. There were several other items in there also, among them a scarf that I have worn everyday since I got back to MD and a fun new party game.

Mom & Dad also made sure to get me BONES,... I LOVE BONES (actually, I LOVE BOOTH).

And finally, I have been fascinated by Anne Frank and her story since I was a kid so my Mom got me this really cool book all about her with TONS of amazing real pictures I didn't even know existed.

WOW,... that's a lot of loot! Thanks to everyone for the beautiful gifts, including the ones not pictured here (only because they weren't conveniently placed for the "photo shoot" as my husband refers to my random, frantic bursts of photography). Hey, its almost Friday, and we are supposed to get more snow, yay!!