Does this look a little familiar? You've seen some similar things before, both with my first wall full of shelves, and then the smaller, but cuter, shelves I made when Gootz moved in to share my office/studio.

Well, with both of us, our computers, his gear, my fabric, our mutual office stuff...it was just too crowded. So I moved my sewing stuff to the room his office used to be in, before he moved in with me. (Confused yet?) Anyway, that room wasn't big enough for both my office stuff and my sewing stuff, but the old office was decorated in "early man mess" which isn't really my cup of tea, so I moved my "office" into the kitchen. Temporarily.

So now my sewing stuff is in this room, and my office is in the kitchen. And these are the new shelves in the new studio, and I really like them.

But I have to ask: am I the only one who changes rooms around on a regular basis? I don't mean changing the furniture or decor around, I think we all do that. I mean moving entire rooms from one room to another. I seem to do this a lot. But I get a lot of funny looks from frequent visitors.

So how about you? Do you move your rooms? Do you?

So I've been rearranging things in the house again. Since we've only been here for a few months, we're still working out how we want to use the space. When we moved in, Gootz and I each took separate rooms for our offices, which happened to be at opposite ends of the house. But we do quite a bit of work together and it's problematic to have our work spaces so far apart.

So we did some shuffling and now we're sharing an office. In the process, the shelves above my desk have moved to a new wall. They're smaller, but I think they're better. I have all kinds of miscellaneous treasures that inspire me. Gifts from my family, books from my childhood, souvenirs from my travels, handmade things and fascinating glass paperweights. I just love the pretty swirly colors inside of them. Not everything here is expensive or precious, but it all makes me happy when I look at it.

What about you? Do you have inspirational items near your desk?

This weekend, at IKEA I was struck by this craft room display. It's highly efficient, yet very charming. I also noticed that three primary elements match what I tend to like in my own studios. Do all successful creative work spaces include these?

1. Counter-Height Work Space
For projects or tasks suited to standing up: cutting, designing, ironing, wrapping or similar. Here, standard kitchen cabinetry is topped with butcher block and backed with easy-access wall-mounted storage for crafting tools.

To the right, an upper bank of glass-front cabinets provides a combination of display and storage, while under-cabinet lights add task lighting. Every space is used, including wall-mounted poles for ribbons and papers.

2. Desk
This is most commonly a computer desk, though it could also be a drafting or writing desk. Though charming, regular tables are too tall (about 30") for ergonomic comfort. Modern desks are usually in the 27"-29" range. Here, the desk also uses a very small footprint, leaving space for a bookshelf.

3. Table-Height Work Surface
For tasks suited to sitting: studying, gluing, sewing or similar. Some forgo this space for additional countertop, but I prefer to have both, as sitting gives me added control over certain tasks like sewing. Here, a dining table and chandelier create a lovely spot to review the latest magazines, have meetings, or just craft with a family member.

My own studio space could use some improvement. I have had only two surfaces: a table on blocks for counter-height and a regular table for dual duty computer desk and sewing. Neither is ideal, and the desk table is taking up too much room. I also have no bookshelves (the shelves above my desk/table aren't rated for books). Now that I am adding cabinetry, I can remedy this. And, naturally, I would love a chandelier. I'd like to have one in every room of my home!

What about you? What does your creative space look like? What works best about it, and what would you improve? If you have pictures on your blog, include a link so we can all see!

Welcome to the new iteration of my studio! Now that the living room is painted, the temporary shelves I was using are moving out. They'll be painted and put into the living room. But that left me without anywhere to put all my stuff! So, late Saturday night, Gootz ran out to the big box store and grabbed three sections of MDF and some brackets and installed these for me. Yay!

My fat quarters are on my shelves for now, but not for long, hopefully! The fair Angelina of Dustpan Alley has amazingly said that she wants to give me some old glass-front cabinets from her back room that she doesn't need, and sister, I am SO happy! I am planning to get them this week, and then they will go on the other wall here in the studio. Then I can put my fabric in those and use these shelves just for junk inspirational collections. (Observant readers will also notice the fabulous Peace Apron hanging from a bolt of fabric in the corner. I can't bear to wear it cooking, so I wear it for crafting!)

For now, space is limited, so only a few things can fit. One of these is my "dream" sign that I found on clearance at JCPenney this summer, and this cute fairy figure which was a gift from Gootz on my birthday last year.

I also might have gone on a little pre-Christmas self-gifting shopping spree at Ross yesterday and brought home a couple of things.

I found this cute desktop file, which is essential for me because I can't put anything away that I'm still working on for fear of forgetting it exists (or where it is). Sadly, I think it might be resin (i.e. plastic), but it was so cute and so functional I brought it home anyway. Now my active files can go there instead of on the floor by my desk (to be subsequently scattered by dog, kid, husband...)

And I also found this adorable tin toy car. It's not a real antique, just a reproduction, but I just loved it anyway. Maybe someday I'll have real antique toys, but for now, this cheapo repro from Ross is enjoying a parking spot by one of my two bargain porcelain lamps from K-Mart.

One of the cool things about having the wall-mounted shelves is that I could move my desk to here instead of in front of the window. This is better because it (a) doesn't block the walkway into the room and (b) I can actually see out the window instead of having to crane my neck around my computer screen! I work from home full time, so comfort here is very important!

As for my desk, it's an old table I found at the Salvation Army for $15. It used to have a veneered top but someone peeled it all off, but left the veneer on the slide-out leaves, so it's kind of two-toned. Someday I'll peel off the rest of the veneer so it all matches. It has an x-shaped cross between the legs, which I was originally thinking would bug me because I can't stretch my legs out, but it does remind me to sit properly, so maybe that's a good thing?

I value handmade gifts. And I love beautiful yarns and knitting. The problem is that I don't know how to knit. I've tried to learn, but I learned to crochet when I was 5 so the knitting never seems to stick. My solution? Using a fun and easy knitting loom to make simple handmade gifts, like this knitted scarf.

The way a knitting loom works is that you wind the yarn around the pegs twice around the loom, and then you use a little hook to pick up the lower loops and pull them up over the peg, creating a stitch. I bought mine, but you could make one yourself with a little ingenuity. This particular loom was made by Knifty Knitter and came with a set of four looms that you can use to make scarves, hats, flowers and more. I got it at Jo-Ann fabrics for $14.

To make the scarf, I picked up two skeins of yard, one in a super soft twisted natural color, and one in a black eyelash yarn with tan and brown kernels. I started with the eyelash yarn, did 20 or so rows of that, then switched to the tan yarn and just knitted away until the scarf seemed long enough (I like a good, long scarf), and then did another 20 or so rows of the eyelash yarn. Then I used a crochet hook to finish the end and get the work off the loom. Easy, peasy! It only took a couple of evenings workign while I watched TV, and now I have a great handmade gift for someone on my list.

When I was done, I had enough left of each to do a hat, but not another scarf. The yarn was about $10. So it's not cheaper, but it's handmade by you, and that's what counts. And it was fun! I am already planning another scarf, maybe experimenting with other yarns, stripes or other fun variations. I'll post them as I do them.

Have any of you ever used a knitting loom? Do you have any brilliant ideas or projects to do? Let me know!