602 - UPDATES - AND WELCOME TO MAGGIEGRACEWORLD

Health update - I am now officially old - (thank you Melissa Ellisor) and will be taking blood pressure meds. However I am fully capable of walking and any other exercise I choose to participate in - why am I not thrilled about that? My blood sugar was a little high - but I do not really fast before the bllod draw so we will just watch that. My electrolytes - perfect - all but potassium which was too low - treatment (eat bananas). My thyroid function - too low - by a little bit - try more exercise (damn there's that word again). Here is the way funny part - I should NEVER have an arterial blockage - the safe numbers for total cholesterol should be below 200 - the man at my address takes meds to keep his just below that number and we eat basically the same things - mine with no medical help at all - ---- 160. All in all great news for me and he lost hope of collecting on the life insurance just yet -- lol.



I get the notes from the universe emails every morning - quick little gems for pondering. Today's quote "don't try to figure out the "hows" of it, teresa. That's not your job. You only need to know what you want, like a studio space. Then just follow your instincts and let the Universe figure out the hows." It tickled my fancy so much to see this. See, over two years ago, I stated that we were seriously considering a studio space for me. I said it out loud and that made it REAL to everyone. It especially made it real to me.



We looked around and found the space on our property. I posted about it from the very beginning. Look right here at the first picture of the outside of MaggieGraceWorld. Regular readers know my criteria for this project - I would not go into debt for it. I would attempt to use thrifted and inexpensive materials both to meet this budget contraint and to repurpose and recycle materials. I had to "feel good" when I was out there - that's kind of an intangible thing because everyone's feel good is different. AND it had had to be the kind of place I would want to share with my friends and family.



I have blogged about the entire process and many of the days that I had no MaggieGrace Goodies to share - it was because MaggieGraceWorld had been the focus at the time. Sweat - tears - decisions - being patient while I saved money for the next items needed - great satisfaction when something came together - all of these and so much more you have read about.



It's about 90% complete now. It is workable - and I am willing to share it. The patient part continues as I save for the next projects. In my eyes - I have been immensely successful in meeting all of the criteria. For the next several days - I'll be posting about it and sharing some pictures. It is not the kind of space to appear in a magazine - but it sure makes me happy.



Have a look....



As you enter the door this is the the wall you see. The collaged eave features wallpaper scraps, vintage papers, souvenier stuff, notes and cards from friends and It makes me happy.





Today - this is the wall I want to focus on. I promise I'll share it all. The windows were bought from an overstock/salvage place. If you look carefully you will find many goodies from friends and some of my own creations. The ribbon box is almost full. The ribbon stash is no where close to empty. Gotta figure something else out on that.

Come on in - just a little bit closer. There is still a little room for more stuff on that shelf to the right. Those print trays are from MaryAnn and slowly they are filling up with stamps and such.

This was one of my very first projects for the storage here. A shot glass shelf repurposed for rubber stamp stuff. The crosses were part of the crafts completed at a youth retreat at Epworth by the Sea. The one made by the College Freshman still needs to be hung.

One final picture of the work surface right now. This the top of that yard sale chest of drawers that we cut the legs off of to make it the right height. Since I stand and move around for most of what I do, this is perfect. My sweet mother-in-law gave me the crochet doiley and I can fold it out of the way to work. The paper and ribbon to the left is the beginning of another embellished compostion book. The tray on the right was a thrifted piece as well - a dollar fifty for two of them. The grey box is empty for now, but I am quite sure I'll find something to put in there - maybe glue sticks. The acrylic frame in the center is my solution to some unmounted clear alphabet stamps.

Right now there is no water in the barn - this is not a big deal for me. I keep that bottle full and use it while I'm working. I have a jar that I simply dump brushes and stuff in - then I take it to the kitchen and clean up there.

Do not get the idea that I am at all tidy and domestic. NOT EVEN. But I consider the new ability to find my supplies to be a great occurance. By keeping this area clean and better organized, my productivity increases so much. I don't have to find time to clean it up if I do it as I go and that way I can get to the fun part - playing - quicker - AND THAT, MY FRIENDS IS A FABULOUS WAY TO FUNCTION.

Back to the quote at the very beginning - I put the idea of a studio out there - I defined slowly and carefully what I wanted to have - I have considered where to put things and kept my system so very easy to use - I now have an almost complete and debt free working studio that I am so proud of and that has allowed me to increase the amount of time I can spend creating. I have rediscovered materials I forgot about. I can avoid duplicating materials. I have a lot more to sort and put away, but look where I got to and how freakin cool is all that?

Put it out there - you are worth it.

DON"T FORGET go here and comment to be entered for the giveaway on Friday of one of the emebllished composition books.

Have a wonderful evening.