An Organized Workroom Part 2

  

Welcome back!  I'm so glad you joined me for part two of my Organized Workroom post.  If you missed part 1, you can check it out here:  An Organized Workroom Post 1

Today, I'm showing you more of the storage methods I use in my workroom.  Since I do altered art projects along with my DIY home projects, it requires hoarding keeping lots of various doodads, tchotchkes, treasures.  My family would probably disagree but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Seriously, it's not really hoarding if it's organized, right???  Nevermind, don't answer that.

a vintage RC cola crate hung on the side of a cabinet holds my many pieces of fabric scraps

I use a chalkboard near the door to write down my projects and materials needed.
This vintage match holder is perfect to hold extra chalk.

French style vintage stereo cabinet, gutted, painted, and fabric panels added

This old stereo cabinet was gutted and now used to store my supplies.
The old pull-out turntable drawer works perfectly for holding lots of paint bottles.
The vintage apothecary jars hold everything from junk metal pieces to rubber stamps.

Jars and jars of treasures...buttons, knobs, die, keys, dominoes, clothespin, tags, and more!

Wine box, wooden bowl, jar, and other dishes help keep things contained

An old miner's basket hung from the ceiling with pulleys holds spools of ribbons.  Out of the way but still within reach!

An old frame with chicken wire, broken teapot and sugar bowl are great for holding tools

Are you ready for my workroom's secret??!  Check it out!

The faux columns on each side of the mantel...they have secrets. ;)

They are actually built-in storage cabinets!

Whew!  That was quite a tour.  Thank you for sticking around to the end.  I hope you find some inspiration and ideas for your own workroom!

God bless!
Angie


I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW 
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY
THOUGHTS FROM ALICE
HYMNS AND VERSES
MISS MUSTARD SEED
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

An Organized Workroom Part 1

Well, I finally got my workroom organized!  Nothing like posting those ugly before photos (see the post here) to make me get my tail in gear.  I should try this tactic more often.

After I got everything cleaned up, organized, and photographed, I realized I had about a bazillion pics to share.   So, instead of being that person that pulls out the slide projector and subjects you to a ton of vacation pictures, I'm breaking this up into two posts.

Before we jump into my newly organized workroom, I thought I'd share a little about it.  When we moved to the country almost 10 years ago, I decided the shed that was on the property would be a great place for my art studio.

I painted the walls inside, bought a little woodburning stove to heat it during the winter, bought a really l-o-n-g vintage cast iron sink to use for washing paint brushes (and the occasional dirty dog).  I bought cute curtains and dreamed of planting an herb garden outside the front door.  It was coming right along until...

The Flood of 2010

Yeah, in my own little world, this was somewhat devastating but compared in real life to those that lost much, much more from that flood.  It's was just an inconvenience.  We ended up burning practically everything that was in the shed.  And, quickly decided the shed was not a safe place for my art studio.

So now, I have a little 10 x 10 room that my husband built me in our basement garage.  It's actually cozy and now it's organized!  Come on in!

fabric scraps, vintage shopping cart (for the Country Living Fair and other shows), fall floral decor

my version of the old woodburing stove (electric heater), old door turned mantel, vintage bistro chairs

vintage china cabinet turned storage cabinet and my many, many jars of junk :)

an old board covered with batting and cloth is used to hold inspiration pieces and projects

my work table made from an old dismantled desk and a hodge pode of other containers for art supplies

Well, whaddya think?  Much better than the before photos ;)  Be sure to check back tomorrow as I'm sharing more of what's in all those jars as well as some secret storage areas that my husband so ingeniously created!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW 
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY
THOUGHTS FROM ALICE
HYMNS AND VERSES
MISS MUSTARD SEED
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

My DIY Workroom - UNEDITED

How's your new year going?  Are you taking this time of the year to get organzied?  I'm trying.  I've got a list of areas to work on.  One of them being my workroom.  Today I'm going to share some pictures that my sister-in-law took at Thanksgiving.  Prepare yourself...these are unedited photos of my little (10x10) workroom.  

Come on in!  That is, if you can get in.  Excuse the pile of fabric spilling out of my vintage shopping cart.  Oh, and be careful of the pile of tobacco sticks in the corner.

Good, you're in!  Maybe we should do this one at a time.  You go ahead and look around.  It is crowded but my little "fireplace" heater does keep it warm and cozy.

I found this cabinet on Craigslist for $70.  It's a 1970's stereo cabinet that I gutted and painted to use for storage.  I loved the shape and the fact that I could hide some of my supplies behind the covered doors.

This former china cabinet came from a friend that was looking to just get it out of her house.  I like when friends get in that mood.

I use lots of jars for storing little items.  Most of these are supplies for my altered art pieces.  Umm, this cabinet could really use some organizing.  (On the list)

My big jar of keys from my father-in-law.  God bless that man's kindred-hoardin' heart :)

More jars and buttons...I like buttons.

And, well, glitter is just so sparkly and blingy it needs fancy bottles to store it in.

Well, there you have it.  My messy, unedited workroom in desperate need of some organizing.  I hope to be soon with the after pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!  Who's next to go in?  ;)

God bless,
Angie


I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW 
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY
THOUGHTS FROM ALICE
HYMNS AND VERSES
MISS MUSTARD SEED
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

A Coffee Bar for Your Kitchen

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw the adorable, vintage truck my hubby bought me for an anniversary present.  It's a cream-colored 1959 Ford (according to my brother who is an expert on these things).  

I knew with a truck bed like that, it had to hold something.  Something like sugar and creamer in my coffee area.

I think it fits nicely with the "Lunch Now Being Served" sign from World Market.  

The galvanized pedestals were made from buckets and old pie pans (tutorial here).  They stack perfectly under the cabinet to hold K-cups and sweeteners.

If you happen to be a serious coffee drink like me, I have to tell you about this machine.   Ever since I first saw "You've Got Mail," I've been in love with the idea of having a real, at-home espresso machine.  You know the scene where Parker Posey comes running into the kitchen and is telling the espresso machine to "hurry, hurry, hurry!"  And later, Tom Hanks says she makes coffee nervous, lol!  I love that movie.  Ok, I digress :)

(borrowed this from Between Naps on the Porch.net)

As if that wasn't enough, later I was reading Edie's blog, Life In Grace, and saw her amazing beverage area.  that's it.  I knew I had to have one. (By the way, Edie has an amazing set up and shares it in her hospitality ebook.)  So, the searching and the saving-up began.  

I've had this one for a couple of years and I l-o-v-e it.  I researched several websites and read several reviews before purchasing this.  It is an investment, but well worth it.  I got this one from Whole Latte Love.  Their website offers video tutorials for making all sorts of coffee based drinks as well as machine maintenance.  They're the bomb!  

If you love your lattes and cappuccinos, with the Gaggia Brera you can make them just like the coffee shops.  A good machine and a quality coffee bean make all the difference.  The Brera model is a super automatic...meaning with the touch of a button, the beans are ground, pressed, brewed, and then dumped into a bin.  All you do is push the button and wait about 30 seconds for delicious espresso.  It also has a Pannarello steam wand to froth milk or to dispense hot water for tea.  I'm telling you, it does it all.  I use mine every day.  It takes up very little counter space and the water take and grounds holder are both accessible from the front.  Something I learned to look for in a machine. 

Whole Latte Love has an Amazon store so you can check it out, I have found that these machines are a little cheaper through Amazon and if you have prime, that's free shipping!  

Here's a link to the Gaggia Brera like mine:

By the way, if you're spending a few dollars every day or every other day like me, this machine actually paid for itself within a few months.  (My husband wouldn't quite word it like that but hey, I did the math and it's true!)

If you're wondering about the best coffee bean, I do buy Starbucks Espresso Roast from the grocery store (with coupon!) or Lavazza from World Market.  They really tastes the best when it comes to making espresso.  

So, whadda ya say?  Wanna grab some coffee?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

(The Amazon link is an affiliate link but the opinions are 100% mine!)

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS

COMMON GROUND

HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY

FRIDAYS UNFOLDED

FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY

ONE MORE TIME EVENTS

TWIRL AND TAKE A BOW 
SAVVY SOUTHERN STYLE

STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

A DELIGHTSOME LIFE
ART IS BEAUTY

CLEVER CHICKS BLOG HOP DIY SHOWOFF IT'S OVERFLOWING

THREE MANGO SEEDS

ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

WEEKEND CRAFTS

PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY
THOUGHTS FROM ALICE
HYMNS AND VERSES
MISS MUSTARD SEED
CONFESSIONS OF A PLATE ADDICT

Mason Jar and Wood Slice Tag

We have an amazing ministry in our town called Greenhouse Ministries.  They offer food, gas vouchers, housing assistance, GED tutoring, and a host of other classes to help those in need in our community.

source

Their current facility is bursting at the seams and in desperate need of more room.  A group of supporters is hosting a Denim and Diamonds Raffle and Auction to help raise funds for Greenhouse's expansion.  I've helped with events at Greenhouse in the past and I was excited to be asked to help with the decorations and displays for this event.

Photos via www.readyvillemill.com

The Denim and Diamonds Raffle and Auction will be held at a historic mill in the Readyville community.  To go along with the theme and the historic, old building, I needed to come up with a container to hold the tickets for each raffle item.  This is similar to a silent auction except that guests will purchase raffle tickets and place them in the container beside the item they hope to win.  The more tickets you place in the container, the better your chance to win!

So, what did I come up with??  Here it is:

A simple wide-mouth mason jar with a wood slice tag to mark the item number, a small envelope that will contain the item description, and jute and denim ribbons.  (The ticking fabric is just for the photo!)

Using my husband's chop saw, I cut the wood slices from a fallen hickory branch.  It went very quickly but you do have to be careful when you're cutting thin slices.  The spinning blade will try to throw the slice backwards once it's cut.  Always wear your safety glasses and keep your hand that is holding the branch at a safe distance from the blade.  Once the branch becomes too short to handle safely, stop.  A natural branch is not level or square and could become difficult to hold securely.

Once I had the slices cut, I placed them on a foil lined cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven...just to make sure there were not any bugs living in the bark.  The limb was still green so placing it in the oven helps dry it out.  After the slices were dried in the oven for about an hour, I painted the centers with black chalkboard paint and drilled a hole in the top to string the jute through.

It's a very simple project but looks great!  These could be used for weddings as table markers, for cookouts to hold utensils, or even as candle holders using tealights.

As you can see from the photo, the branch has lots of lichen and I left it attached.  I like the natural look of it.

Once the evening is over, I will have a nice supply of the wood slice tags to use again.

I had more of the branch left over after the tags.  I made something else but I'll post more on that this week.  Let's just say it involves more gold paint!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie


I'll be sharing this project here: