movin' on up...

i lost my job and it's been an interesting few weeks. it's been really nice to have some free time at home to get things done that badly needed to be done, such as dishes and grocery shopping, and to be able to meet matt at work for lunch and go for coffee with my best friend who is planning her wedding, and things like that. but it's also been not so great. looking for jobs. interviews. that awful worthless feeling when matt leaves for work and i know i don't have a reason to have to get up. tight budgeting and trying to make things stretch just a little further.

so i've been distracting myself with a new desk that we were given from someone who was moving and was going to throw it away. i couldn't believe it! it's an incredibly cool desk, and i feel so much more official already!

old desk in my little crafting corner (on a clean and organized day, obviously!):

and... the new desk!
the biggest thing i'm so excited about is all the extra tabletop space! this means no more piling a stamping project on top of a jewelry project to make room to work on a sewing project. for a long time i had hoped i could eventually have room to set up little "stations" for different types of projects so that i could just slide seamlessly from one to the other as inspiration struck, rather than having to take out and put away each tool each time i used them because of lack of space. one full evening of matt taking it apart, moving the pieces to our house, and putting it all back together and i have a fantastic new crafting space!
bead drawers- bought at the hardware store, decoupaged in pretty paper, and then i dymo-ed the contents of each little drawer. the striped wooden planter holds stringing materials and craft wire, and the little polka dot suitcase- scraps of ribbon and trim.
my favorite is this little shelf... a new addition for $10 bucks from target's back to school sale. the four little boxes are from the dollar store, and it sits high enough that i can slide projects in progress (say that 10 times fast!) right underneath to sit tight until i come back to finish them.

i've also been hard at work making a little army of beaded star ornaments to keep getting ready for my upcoming show in november. then there's all the planning, getting inventory together and listed out so i can keep track of it, packaging, and mapping out the display! there's so much to think of, i know i'll end up forgetting something. as long as i don't stay up until 3 am the night before waiting for the sealant on handmade coasters to dry so that i could package them, i think it will be all good. i found this really straightforward and helpful article on craft shows that i think i'll be using to help me make a master to-do list. and here's where to find more information about the show!