Becoming Christa: January 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Painting Pillows

My creativity has really been sparked this year, thankfully, as it is one of the things that I've written in my journal at the beginning of the year that I would like to use more frequently this year. Ever since I put up those floating shelves in the dining room/sweat shop, I now have things within an arms reach. Like those paint brushes...

...the only thing I have done with the paint brushes in the past 7 years is move them from one place to the next....6 times....I have moved 6 times in the past 7 years and the paint brushes have managed to stick around despite my love for purging items every-single-time I move. I find that is the case with most of my CREATE stash. I won't throw any of it away...(oh except for thousands of dollars worth of fabric that got ruined in the basement of one of my dwellings....sigh....I'm still having a hard time with that almost 6 years later...) but anyway....what was the reason I am here posting???.....oh, right, the paint brushes....so yeah, I haven't touched those things in 7 years!!!! Well, I found some time to start a little project that coincides with wanting to add more color to my place AND the use of my creative abilities.

I was in Wal-Mart the other night and was inspired by the design on this throw pillow

so I snapped a picture of it with my trusty camera phone and headed to the craft section for some fabric paint. I figured I'd use some of the table cloth I had purchased 2 years back at a Goodwill in Savannah as the cover fabric since it will coordinate with the table runner I recently made for the dining room table and this other pillow I recently made using the same table cloth and some leftovers from the Duff Dress.

I'm not sure if I am in love with it or if it looks like a kids craft project. It's now sitting on one of the dining room chairs until I have enough pillows made to throw them on the couches making it all look like I meant to totally throw things off by combining bright/loud/colorful throw pillows to our 1990s navy, hunter,tan, burgundy plaid sofa and love seat set BF purchased from a garage sale for $50 that we are happily working with until we can afford some new couches in a color and fabric of our choice. I am hoping that by doing this, your eye is drawn to the bright and colorful pillows and you don't even notice the couches...we'll see if it works. It's not like anyone comes over really, and if they do, they are coming to see us, not our couches. :)

So anyway, back to the painting project (sorry A.D.D much?)...here's what it looked like Sunday night:

I have a long way to go before it will be finished. I've already added another band of dots in orange since snapping this low-quality camera phone picture. (Sorry, my Real camera is busted.....I can't justify purchasing another one at this point, we just got over Christmas!)

So, I'm already having fun and being creative in 2011, but I can't believe that January is almost over with already!!!! YIKES!!!

Oh and on a Weight Watchers side note, I'm down 5 lbs!!! W00t!

AND I love BF more and more everyday, it's amazing how much we grow on a daily basis...It's great to grow together with someone, instead of growing apart. :)

Life is great!

Monday, January 17, 2011

More Organizing...Office Nook

In dealing with my ADD it was recommended that I journal. As of the new year, I've decided to journal more, errrr get started? So after coming across a blog or two on journaling I've decided to use a journal that I already owned (but never used), write down whatever comes to my mind as the moment strikes, attach pictures and draw that inspire me, create shopping lists, to-do lists......whatever I want to put in my journal. So far it has helped tremendously with being more organized! We're only 17 days into the new year, but so far I have journaled 11 of those 17 days and 1 day from 2010 (Dec 31st, I used up 5 pages jotting down all of the things I wanted to start to accomplish in 2011!)

I've already crossed off many items from the several "to-do" lists (one other being hanging those shelves in the Dining Room/Sweat Shop

Which brings me to another one of those items......Organize the office and front entry hall shelves

The apartment came with a built in office nook which is great because that means we did not have to spend money on a piece of furniture, and when we move, we don't have to move a piece of furniture!

I will admit though that it was becoming a catch-all and with that comes an eye sore.

I can no longer take the clutter....it feels like everything in life is chaotic when my environment is cluttered....

So after hanging those Dining Room/Sweat Shop shelves, I was still on a roll. I got to tackling the Office shelves and the front entry way built in bookcase/shelves (picture of that to come soon).

I moved the books and board games to the larger built in bookcase/shelves in the front entry way and rearranged the other items. I also condensed what was in that orange storage cube on the lower shelf into the Damask box from the top shelf. I added a faux plant that was in the bedroom, yeah I got tired of Coco trying to eat it. I actually really like the height that it adds to this space!

It's still a little cluttered and could use a burst of color, but SOOOO much better than it was. I feel like I can breath when I look at the space now.

And because I know I enjoy a side by side before and after, here's one for you my wonderful reader(s). :)

Now off to the 2nd job. Hope everyone had a great MLK day!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Fat Losers

and because I've allowed myself to get away from myself again.....I have rejoined Fat Losers aka Weight Watchers.

Here we go!

I get to use their new program which I still need to learn.

How did I forget about myself so much over the last 5 months? Oopsie...back to it! Oh, I know, it's because I have 2 jobs...or at least that's what I am telling myself.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Dining Room/Sweat Shop

When Brian first moved in, the dining room looked like this:

A blank slate.

The dining room has served dual purpose as a dining room and sweat shop since I moved in:

BTW - The round dining table is what I got from Wal-Mart when all of my friend's chipped in together for my birthday this year and got me an American Express Gift Card! Thanks Kids, I love it!

We've been trying to make do with the space given in a one bedroom to be able to also have a space for me to Create. As you can see above, it's functional to a point, yet aesthetically unappealing. That wall to the left was really lacking and I had no place to put away some of the things that I would prefer to have within reach.

The other night, I caught the DIY bug and purchased a cordless drill which inspired me to go and hang some Wall Ledges that I picked up at Target on sale for $20 each.

Now it looks more like a room as well as serves as a functional way of decorating with things that I use regularly while sewing. The thread display throws in so much color!

I love the updates to the space. I feel like I can breath, and everything is within reach.

PS - the craft table folds up to a nice compact side table as well as houses the sewing machines and supplies when not in use! Gotta love multi function!

PSS - Yes I am still posting pictures I took with my cell phone camera....the digital is out of commission for the moment.