Another Project--Finished!

Back in February, I introduced you guys to my workspace, including the dresser which I had planned to re-do this past summer. Well, the summer months kind of got away from me and I never had a chance to tackle this project. But this weekend, I finally got to work on it!

First, my boyfriend and I used sandpaper to smooth down some of the rough spots where the paint had chipped off. Once that was done, we wiped the surfaces clean and painted (my favorite part!). I forgot to take a photo before we painted it, but here's a shot after the first coat:

We let it dry for about an hour and then I did a second coat so that it would look nice and smooth, and to cover any light spots. While the paint dried, I planned how I would arrange these bird decals, which I found last year at Home Goods for $3 (sweet deal, right?).

Later on, it was time to add the new hardware, which I bought at Ace Hardware for about $1.50 each. Nickolas actually wanted to do this part, so I figured I'd get an action shot while I sat there watching him work ;)

Okay, so I know I said earlier that the painting was my favorite part, but I change my mind--adding the decals was my favorite part because it seemed to really tie everything in and finalized this project I had been waiting so long to complete.

After adding the birdies to the front of each drawer, I had a few more decals remaining so I decided to add one on each side of the dresser, as well.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, is the finished product!

While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I also tackled another project I had been waiting to finish. I bought this dilapidated wooden frame over a year ago for about $1 at an auction and had planned on painting it and then using it somehow in my workshop area. However, life took over (as it always does) and the frame just sat in my living room. Today I finally got to sanding it smooth and then painting it a sweet, pale yellow.

Now that it's finally painted, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with it! I've been thinking of getting a sheet of plexiglass, cut to match dimensions of the frame, and then paint it with chalkboard paint so that I can make my own blackboard. What do you guys think? Do you have any other ideas for this frame?

And now I'll leave you with a picture of my kitty, Sasha, who thought it would be a good idea to try hiding in the paper bag from the hardware store. Silly kitty...

As Promised...

Here are some snapshots of my workspace (finally)!

The dresser to the left is my main space, where I actually melt the wax and prep it for pouring. I'm also using the drawers for storing my supplies. I found this dresser at a garage sale last summer for $5...crazy, right?!? When the weather gets warmer I'm going to repaint it and put some sort of protective coating on the top to protect against wear and tear. (And yes, that's my cat's butt to the right haha.)

 

 

 

This is where I'm storing my stock for now, until I find a larger bookcase. I quickly grew out of this bookcase and now end up stacking the candles which kind of defeats the purpose of having shelving for easy access. So the hunt continues for a better replacement but this works for the time being. 

And there you have it, my workspace-in-progress! I still have a lot of work to do before it's exactly what I want, but I am soooo happy having a space of my own to work in. I love that it's right in my own home, and it has tons of natural light, so it's such a cheery space to work in.

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress as I begin to check off my little improvement projects for this space  ;)

Workspace Inspiration

First off, thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared my enthusiasm about setting up a studio. It's so nice to hear that other people get as excited about this stuff as I do!  :)

I've been doing a bit of research for how I want to set up my studio and what I ultimately want it to look like. As promised, I'm sharing a bit of inspiration with you today (and possibly more to come, depending on how long it takes to actually get the space up and running...we'll see).

I love the way this room flows, with a workstation island centrally placed and tons of storage all around.

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If I could get my hands on a cabinet like this, there would be no end to the organizing I could do!

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Ah, I love love love the style of this room! The colors are so pretty and classy!

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I would love to paint a few chairs and create decorations for the shelves to brighten up the room like they did here:

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I have this really cute dresser that I snagged for 5 bucks at a garage sale this summer, and I'm definitely planning on creating some nifty, organized drawers like this.

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I won't be able to create a custom chandelier for my craft studio, but it's so pretty I just had to include it!

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I love the idea of painting a cabinet for pretty storage spaces! I'll have to look into some cute stamps as embellishments  ;)

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I hope you all enjoyed this bit of inspiration and please be sure to send me any links you may have for more ideas! I'm sure it will be awhile before I get my studio fully decorated, so any pictures you can share to keep me motivated would be most appreciated ;)

Now I'm off to get our apartment ready for my boyfriend's mom, who is visiting from California!!

Studio on the Horizon!

Yesterday while my boyfriend and I were driving home from New Paltz after dropping off some candles and then gorging ourselves on Indian food, I was talking (yet again) about how I would LOVE to have a room that I could dedicate as my studio for making candles. I'm one of those people that is so easily affected by my environment and I also love to be super organized, so working out of our tiny apartment has been a challenge.

Then my boyfriend mentioned that there's an extra room in the main house of the building we rent from.I'm not sure why neither of us ever thought of this before, but it would be perfect for a studio! No one ever uses this extra room, it's practically right outside my front door, and our landlord is so cool about us using the space.

I was so excited about the prospect of having my own workspace that we went and took a look at the room as soon as we got home. Right now it's a mess because it's full of random things people have been storing, but I'm sure with one whirlwind weekend of cleaning and organizing, I can get it in tip-top shape.

Ah, I am so unbelievably psyched! I can't wait to: 1. clean it  2. organize it  3. decorate it and FINALLY  4. work in it. I'm hoping I can get started on it next week, so I'll be sure to keep you all updated! I'll also be researching some inspiration for decorating and will be posting those soon too. Yaaay!