Becoming Vera Wang: Final Touches

As anyone who has ever decorated knows, you're never truly finished.  Once you have things just so, you get the itch to switch it around or you come across a great find that just has to come home with you.  That's the best part about making a space your own - it evolves as you do.  I totally feel that way about my sewing room - it's not finished in the sense that it's not used and loved, but it is ready for business!


Just behind my new table is my organizer, that I found at Goodwill with Kesha for just $20!  One Saturday afternoon, she and I went to St. Vincent de Paul to see what they had and there it was!  It was in nearly perfect condition and I snatched it up, only to find out that it was too big to fit in my backseat.  I think it took us nearly an hour to finally get it in the trunk and secured with ropes and pulleys and towels to protect the trunk lid.  Thank God for the random stranger that was dropping stuff off and helped us figure it out!  I think I lost 10 pounds of water weight that day.

Ready and waiting for all manner of sewing books, trinkets and figurines.

The plant Kristina got me is now out here and it's still not dead!

The books are hers too - they're on loan until I build my stash.

Drew has a metal table thingy from IKEA that served as the island in his loft and when we moved here it was designated a workbench.  We kept it in the sunroom because we were going to use the sunroom as a gardening spot/greenhouse area.  However, that was quickly squashed because I don't have his love for the outdoors and would not be spending my free time potting plants or growing seedlings.  I barely like to go outside to take out the trash.  So, the greenhouse idea was nixed but the workbench stayed.  I liked the juxtaposition of the metal with my painted table and sought to further warm it up with some baskets.  That's where I lost my mind.

I went to Target with the intention of getting baskets, nothing else.  Isn't that how it always starts? First of all, baskets are expensive!!  I'm so mad about that!  That's why there's only one basket in my organizer - I bought it just to see if it would fit but I couldn't stomach going back to get more because of how much they cost!  I intend to get two more baskets for the organizer but not until my stomach settles.  It made me sick but I looked at Michael's and World Market and they're just as expensive there.  I sure am glad I like the way they look!

I didn't want to fill the shelves with baskets because I wanted to maintain 

some open-ness and I've since moved the baskets around.

I'm playing with their positioning to see what I like best.

Eventually I want to get those Olfa self-healing mats for the top of the workbench but that can come once I'm a hardcore seamstress.  I should have walked out with just the baskets because God knows they cost enough but nooo!  Their other organizers were on sale and I've been wanting to straighten our linen closet for ages!  So I got a couple of those too.  As a bonus, I used the little white things they provide to cover the screws on my organizer in the sewing room so it looks even more polished!  

This pretty wreath was on sale for six bucks!

I already had the ribbon and the nail was already in the brick!

I practically had to buy it.

I didn't immediately know what to do about electricity because the sunroom has no outlets.  Luckily, there are outlets just outside the doors so I bought a couple of 15 foot extension cords and problem solved!  Since our house is old, the doors sit up off the floor which allows you to close both doors without smashing the cords.  It's not the prettiest solution but it works and sometimes you have to go with what you've got.

That hamper has been with me for over ten years and hides the cord nicely.

The dog does a pretty good job too.

I plan to use those cord keeper things to keep the cord neat along the wall.

The other cord runs behind my organizer.

I also would like to find a colorful seat cushion for my chair for some comfort and variety.  I didn't mean to, but it's very neutral in here.  Of course once it gets lived in and I fill it with beautiful fabrics in gorgeous colors and prints it will be plenty lively but you'll just have to use your imagination until then.

So, two questions.  Once, is the mix of the neutral colors okay?  The hamper, chair and basket all have different undertones.  Does that work?

 The baskets are kind of greenish, the chair is definitely reddish 

and the hamper is kind of yellowish.  At least to my eyes.

My other question is, should I get a rug?  I kind of like the bare floor but with the brick walls and the tile floor I wonder if it seems too cold.  Again, this room is not lived in so I know it will change in time but I was just wondering what y'all think.

I can't wait to spend my free time here, sewing and creating.  What if I actually got good enough that I could do this for other people?  That's the best part about going to the tailor - slipping that dress over your head and finally it hugs you in all the right places.  Or even something as simple as having pants that are the perfect length or jeans that no longer gap in the back so all of a sudden your butt looks amazing!  What if I could do that for somebody else, wouldn't that be so cool!

Of course, that would mean I'd have to learn how to sew a straight line.  Which would involve actually turning the machine on again.  One thing at a time.