My New Home (in a sewing sort of way...)

These keys opened up a whole new dimension for me. This was taken the night I was given them, the keys to my new adventure. A workspace OUT of the home. And, going into my fourth week of being on the new premises, I can't believe how many changes have happened because of this. I have put this off for a long time simply because all I earn (like so many others) goes to support my family. Having to fork out some money for rent etc, just seemed like a setback as I was working fine from home. But it wasn't.

Why wasn't it? When you work from home, you need discipline to actually get up and DO the work you need to do. I wasn't too bad at that, but homelife brings added distractions. Friends ringing to see if you were home for coffee, or looking after my daughter after school finished because I was home, or doing housework on my way through to the kitchen or bathroom because I was home. We all know it, we all do it. PLUS you are constantly working! I am only realising how MUCH I was constantly working now, because of being out of the house. You are always either doing housework or doing Workwork. Even sat watching a film, you are working on something. The Difference now?? I go to work and all I have to think about is Work! The quiet around you allows you to think of making new ideas, rather than a panic of having SO much to do that you just need to make what you always make so you can earn money. I come home in the evening, my work is finished! I can spend time with my family, working around my home. I actually caught myself lingering at the dinner table wondering what to do next and not being able to think of anything I felt I HAD to do (the dishes were being taken care of!) I feel relaxed and revitalised as regards work. I really was in a state of feeling close to Burnout! Don't get me wrong, I am still working REALLY hard and working all the time, but the separation of the two workplaces creates a barrier and stops them crossing over and absorbing time from each other.

I am also making the workroom a bit of an inspiring haven. I never really did this in my own home, because it was my home, and it was in my front room and my spare room, and I was trying to keep them as such. But down the road in ThistlePatch headquarters I can do what I like!! I even have a Noddy doll in there!! I have come up with two new products and I have been working on perfecting zips and making things that I need to pull the sewing machine out for. Not that I have to pull it out of course, because it is there! On my table, sitting waiting for me to use it. Definitely inspiring, AND motivating! (did I tell you I joined a Quilting group??!!) learning new skills, it is important too! All part of work and training.

So, do I recommend it? Totally absolutely completely! Find somewhere affordable to give it a trial before making decisions. I decided to try this place out for a month, to see if it increased my productivity and could pay for itself ... I think I'll be keeping it on! But you never truly know until you try! It is very hard to describe the feeling of your own workshop and the benefits to the quality of life it brings! ... I am away there now, if you visit, bring Cake!! xx

Golden Spots Or Polka Dots???

I do love to play with Paint on walls. So when recently I discovered I could no longer get the blue that was already on the walls of this little En Suite Bathroom, the decision was made that it was time for a colour change! But what colour?! 

The bathroom is off a little girls bedroom who (of course) is having a love affair with pink. Me, being a rotten mother, is denying (as much as possible) as much pink in her bedroom as I can. Not that I have anything against pink. I love the colour! But it is so easily overused and dominates over other colours, especially in regards to girls! SO on wanting pink walls in her bedroom, instead of lovely white ones ... she got pink spots instead! 

Not quite the pink walls she wanted, but she was delighted with the effect! In the en~suite there is a pink blind, it WAS against blue walls and I liked the way they popped. So as I was one day, yet again, wondering the isles of tins of paint looking for inspiration, a colour jumped out at me and was then purchased. The bathroom scheme began.

Due to the fact of having to give the shower some maintenance, painting the bathroom was delayed. During this time I discovered a huge photograph that gave the decoration of the bathroom a bit of a theme! I was super excited. Ideas began to pop pop pop in my mind and because of the gold in the picture, I decided the wall needed gold spots (or are they polka dots?? I am not sure of the difference really!) 

And THEN browsing instagram not long after making this decision I realised that Little Birdy here uses the perfect colours, and I contacted her about her light pulls that she makes. I was in perfect time as she was just about to paint up a batch and did one in the colours I needed! When this arrived a few days ago, I was blown away by this beauty of a piece! I used this as a pull for the shower switch and it just changed the feel of the bathroom so so much! Small details ARE important!! 

So these gold spots ... well in the end, they were done with the top off a milk bottle which a piece of foam glued for an even level and some artists acrylic gold paint. I did a bit googlizing and this is supposed to be completely fine even in steamy bathrooms! It may be gold streaks yet!! 

Now I am adding all the finishing touches, shelves and decorations and painting units to hold and hide all the usual suspects found in bathrooms .... ah I love the holidays don't you!! 

What is Going on??

Well, it is Tuesday morning and certainly time for a coffee break. Today is the day that I think I need to catch my breath after the past month.

It all came to a head four days ago with the serious preparation for a fundraiser I was involved in for the local playground. This time there was a fantastic team of volunteers, planning and organising the event, and each one of them worked so hard! None of this, where they say yes, yes, yes to everything and then leave one or two persons to pull it all together. It was the first time I was involved in anything like this, and I LOVED it. I truly did. One of the things I loved most, was putting the stage area into shape. Usually stages can be wasted space as it can be hard to know how to use them! But I got lucky and had a brain wave, and this is the finished result .....

Right well, I didn't get another photo of the other direction with the fireplace etc in!! ah well ... you get the idea tho! People loved sitting up there being able to view all that was going on in the hall while sipping on their drinks and nibbling beautifully made cakes! The Sale event was held on the Saturday and Sunday and yesterday was packing it all away. Today tho, my mind is still in fundraiser gear, thinking about how things could have been improved and handled differently! Will take notes for next time! (IF there is an next time of course!!) 

Being involved in that event has opened up another opportunity. An opportunity to move my working area into the community centre. A short walk nearby, access whenever I like (for all those hours we work into the night) BUT not in the house, so I don't get distracted by loads of washing and ironing, hoovering and anything else that I want to do that isn't work! I love the sound of this! I am hoping too that it would be an opportunity to get some local trade and also to have some outside interaction in the day. I think to try this out for a month and see if my productivity levels increase. If they do, it would definitely be worth it!! 

Sometimes you have to go for it don't you ....

Do I do that now or later?

In the immortal words of Winne The Pooh

"Think, think, think"

Craving Cracking Company

I don't know ... I come down each morning, very determined to get stuck into work. Discipline! that is what working from home is all about right!! and THEN I turn on the computer, check out Facebook which doesn't take long, what takes long about Facebook, is when you put up a post and you sit there with an eager grin on your face waiting for the audience reaction. Just like when you tell a joke in a circle of real LIVE people ... THAT takes ages, especially these days when you ain't sure if it is just that people can't see your post, or that ACTUALLY it really was a bad joke and you should probably give that up and stick to posting photos of food!!

SO then as that ain't working, I try and decide if I will put on a film for background or the radio, but very often I don't really know what I feel like watching or listening too. Do I want a story or do I want music? Do I want to listen to that DJ prattling on? or is that just toooo lively a song for right now? I CANNOT listen to lively music while working ... that is just brutal! I get nothing done apart from singing and bouncing around on my chair, a bit like a pre-schooler with pig tails!

RIGHT so music or video decided on, time to break out the needle and thread, but before I do, I'd better go and tell Hubster what I've been doing and about that funny Raccoon video that you just saw and fill him in on what I plan to work on first and oooo did he know it was raining outside??

BUT you know it ain't that bad really, because when you work in an office, you spend the first hour drinking coffee and gossiping right??! 

Days Gone By ....

The last post I wrote, was entitled "Keeping the Plates Spinning" ... well, they all fell off and smashed. I got new plates, spun those, dropped some, smashed some, bought more and so the cycle goes on. It does tire you out though doesn't it. There is so much pressure from outside, those around you, but mostly, when you think about it, it is from yourself and what you want to achieve.

Things get put on hold because you feel that people expect certain things from you when really they just want to see what you come up with, or what you are doing. It is yourself that expects that others expect certain expectations from you. Isn't it wonderfully confusing! I am totally grinning at that in my head. So no blog. I didn't know what to write, or how to write what was going on. Plus how many times can you write the same thing over and over because you are doing the same thing over and over.

So I started again. Not because I have anything to say, but because I like writing. I always have. I like to ramble and well, not blubber, but the other thing, that I can't think of the word for right now! if you know it! please tell me, as it still eludes me!

So, being Wonder Woman will have to wait. I am too mentally exhausted! BUT I can unwrap another chewy sweet and while enjoying that, maybe think about getting the paintbrush out tomorrow, because I think I'd like to do that. Not that I'm any good, but how will I improve and achieve all I want to achieve if I sit and mope about how good I'm not. Plus, I have no sweets left, so I really should do something!

Keeping the Plates Spinning

There is no two ways about it. Working from home requires determination and organisation. Both of which, I have to admit, are at their highest in me when the bills are coming in! Which then, just causes CRAZY chaos around the place, because your working longer and ignoring everything else. Which I suppose is not so much Organisation, as Determination to pay the bills!!!!  After having nearly a month off "Business Work", it gave me time to figure out how to get things sorted out for everyone's benefit!!

Friday's Flusterings

After a bit of a late start this morning, (as always!) off my girl went to school without making her bed. She ALWAYS wraps up her toys in a blanket, warm and snug to keep them safe until she gets home, regardless of making her bed or not!! Today it was the turn of a Seal. So there was Seal sitting on her bed all wrapped up, when I came in. I started by folding up the extra blankets, plotting in my mind what was going to be my next action, when I thought I thought something. What's that?? Stop, Stop, Rewind, Wait! there, yes there! that was it ... "I wonder what to do with the seal, because if I take its blanket, it will get cold!" COLD?!!!! It's a STUFFED TOY, its not real!!!! I had to take action there and THEN. I stopped what I was doing, and whisked the seal out from it's snuggly warm blanket and stuck it on the dressing table ....

Yes, I did have a pang of guilt!! Poor Seal, she looked a bit sad now. So I stuck her under the blanket with a favourite doll called Annabelle. Yeah, I was a kid once, I totally get that!!