Sewing Room Makeover

For most of my life, I have loved to sew but never had a sewing room due to space constraints. Back in college when I lived in a sketchy studio apartment by the train tracks (the good ol' days) I would precariously balance my classic Kenmore sewing machine on my bed and attempt to sew. It would bounce up and down and make an awful sound. My neighbors probably thought I was firing a gatling gun into my mattress... but they never seemed to inquire because sounds like that were common-place in that neighborhood.

   Many years later, my husband, son, and I lived in a 2-bedroom that had a large closet in the living room.  The closet became my sewing nook (or as my husband called it: "crafting cranny"). It was a good idea in theory, but largely impractical in practice as I would bang my elbows on the walls and suffer a great deal of claustrophobia. Not exactly the best creative environment. Especially for somebody with a busy Etsy shop to make orders for.  

Crafting Cranny

   Now, we have a house with 3 whole bedrooms... well... 2 whole bedrooms and a small office.  But... it's an actual room. And no matter how petite it is, IT'S ALL MINE. Over the last year, my sewing room has basically stayed in the state it was in since we moved... chaos. Boxes everywhere. And that delightful taupe-baby-poo-mustard-brown color on the walls that I have mentioned in previous posts.

BEFORE: dark, cluttered, and gloomy

Now finally.... after all of these years of having to compromise one of the things in my life that is most important... I have a sewing room that makes me happy! 

AFTER: Ta Dah!!!

Baby-poo walls have been replaced by crisp, white, bead board. Too-small sewing desk has been sold on Craigslist, and the money made was used to purchase wood and create a rustic sawhorse table (tutorial on that HERE)

Sawhorse Desk

My darling husband helped me hardwire a fantastic industrial light in place of the pre-existing "nipple" light.  

And some chalkboard paint for fun and writing down supplies:

Inexpensive Ikea spice racks and mason jars make great storage 

The little room feels suddenly larger, breathable, and calming. After 20 years of sewing, I finally have a creative space that is all mine!

What a Little Paint Can Do

I love to cook.  So, naturally, I spend a good deal of time in the kitchen. Which means that I need my kitchen to not only be functional, but a place that makes me happy to be in.           

When we first bought our home, the entire interior (and I mean ALL OF IT) was painted this horrible taupe-baby-poo-mustard-brown color. Every interior wall... slathered in this abysmal hue. The reasoning for this is something I will never comprehend, but I digress. So of course the walls of the kitchen were this hideous shade. The cabinets could have been okay if they weren't an uninspiring, dark, matte brown. And the retina-burning flourescent lighting wasn't doing any favors to any of it.

 There was potential... but we absolutely did NOT have the money to do a complete overhaul of the kitchen. So, I decided on paint. 
 Paint is my favorite inexpensive decorating weapon. It will completely change the vibe of a room, and is generally easy to conquer on your own. I always love shades of blue, so I settled on "Cornflower Blue" by Martha Stewart. I chose a primer/paint in one to save time. 

*a side note: most responsible people do not paint whilst wearing a dress and drinking a martini. 

Anyway, after sanding the surfaces of the cabinets to help "grab" the paint, I commenced to making them blue. The walls were changed to a warm cream to offset the cool blue. And both new colors really complimented the existing gray marble counters.  After moving a wine-rack from a random part of the house over the sink and adding some antique porcelain knobs as a final touch, I'm very happy with how it all turned out.

For about $40 in paint, we changed the kitchen to a much more liveable (and cookable) room.

Bawk Bawk!

So, I have a confession. I'm a "chicken lady."

No, no... not like that. Well.. at least I hope not. But seriously. I love chickens. They are wonderful pets.... better than I ever anticipated. I initially liked the idea of fancy chickens living in our yard like ridiculous, breathing lawn ornaments. I thought that's all they would amount to, really. But my chickens ended up as more than that. They are not unitelligent as I once believed... and I have become very taken with them and their distinct personalities.  I'm not trying to suggest that a chicken is equivalent to a dog or cat (my cat would surely be horrified at the notion), but they are sweet and entertaining and love to cuddle on laps. Mine even come running when called! They are great for adults and kids alike. My son adores feeding them and collecting the eggs every day. Raising them from chicks is a great educational opportunity.

My son loves playing with the chickens

 

If you are thinking of getting chickens, do it.  It's a great experience. But before you do, here are a few things to consider:

1) Most chicken breeds are difficult to sex at the baby chick stage...and some breeds (primarily silkies) are basically impossible until the 4-ish month age where they either start laying or crowing.  Have a definite backup plan if you end up with an unwanted rooster... or stick to breeds that are easier to sex. As urban chickens have become more popular, so have unwanted roosters that are dumped into shelters or simply let free in the wild. This is irresponsible pet ownership, so please do your research. I ended up with a rooster myself, but made sure to buy my chicks from a breeder who would take unwanted roos back.
Hens will lay with or without a rooster.  They do NOT need a man around to get their egg on!  Obviously if you want babies, then get a rooster.  Other than that, there's really no good reason to have a roo. Besides, they are usually banned in most urban neighborhoods.

Gretta laying an egg

2) Chickens get up early... crack of dawn early. So provide them with plenty of room and entertainment in their run to keep them happy if you want to sleep-in past 5am. If you do not want an enclosed run and plan to free-range exclusively, be aware you will be getting up very early to let them out to play, otherwise they may revert to loud cackling to remind you...

3) There are generally 2 sizes of chickens: standard and bantam. Bantam or "banty" breeds are about half the size of their standard cousins, and therefore lay eggs half the size of regular eggs. Some bantams are okay co-existing with larger breeds (I two in my small flock and they do well), but may get picked on. They generally do better with other bantams their own size.

A bantam egg next to a standard sized egg

4) The "pecking order" is a very real thing... and it can be brutal.  Any time new chickens are introduced into an established flock, hazing, bullying, and general rudeness will be common-place until the order is figured out. You will have to referee in many cases if adding to your flock in order to prevent an injury or even death.

5) Many breeds of chickens go "broody." Some breeds (like silkies and cochins) are much more prone to going broody than breeds that have been bred strictly for egg production (like Leghorns). "Broody" means that the hen's biological clock rings and tells her that she MUST hatch some chicks RIGHT NOW. After they feel they have laid a certain amount of eggs, the hen will sit on her nest until they hatch. Hens will not leave except once a day to get food and drink, then return to the nest. They puff up and make screeching noises if they are disturbed. Sometimes they will even sit on imaginary eggs...rocks... golfballs.. you name it. But they will not leave until they hatch chicks...which can be a problem if they have no fertile eggs.  In certain cases, they must be "broken" of their broodiness by being separated from the flock. Otherwise, they will continue to sit and not care for themselves and potentially die from malnutrition, or be picked on by other chickens. (I will cover more on how to "break a broody" later on in this blog.) If you are not willing or equipped to deal with chickens that constantly go broody, get breeds that have had that instinct bred out of them.

6) "Chicken Math." What is it? Well, it is the undeniable force in the Universe that makes you feel like you need more chickens. Or how you will, more often than not, end up with more chickens than you intended. Kind of like potato chips. For example, you start with 4 chicks. A few months later, one surprises you and begins to crow. So, you find a new home for roo and lament your loss. Of course you need to get a replacement hen, so you drive to your local feed store to grab another chick. Only you can't just take one chick because the seller has a policy of only selling in pairs. So, you shrug and take 2 adorable chicks home and add them to the flock when they are ready. So now you have 3 of your original chickens plus the 2 new chicks. And that is 5. Which is more than 4 that you started out with. See? Chicken math. It will sneak up on you. Be sure to make your coop/run big enough to compensate because IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I was only supposed to have 3 chickens and now have 6.

Hedwig was not part of my original flock...but how could I say "no" to this face?

All-in-all, chickens are fantastic pets and are generally easy to care for once you do a little research and understand their quirks. Like any pet, they require time and effort and attention (Just because they live outdoors does not mean they can be left completely to their own devices). With loving care, they will be a great addition your your family for years to come. I mean, what other pet makes you breakfast? 

My backyard flock of six sweeties

Here We Go Again...

Okay, I'm trying this whole "blogging" thing again.  I tried it for the first time right after my son was born... but... ya know... babies.  They need lots of time and attention.  More than I ever thought humanly possible.  So here I am almost 4 years later.  My son is a little boy now.  I have had the crazy, wonderful, and sometimes daunting job as a stay-at-home-mom. After making the leap of home-ownership a year ago,  I have been learning and creating ways to be more budget conscious while exercising my creative side whenever possible.  Oh... and we have chickens now.  I guess that makes us a typical liberal urban Seattle family.  Or something.  I don't know.  But either way I'm gonna write about ways to be a stubborn "do-it-yourselfer" like me (I prefer that term as opposed to "stubborn and cheap.")   I'm gonna write about kids, chickens, sewing, cooking and tearing pallets apart with your bare hands to create new and amazing items.  And how a gazillion rainy days will force you to be creative in ways you never thought possible...