I can't wait for this to show up in my mailbox!

I love the start of a new month and all the new magazines that come about!

mmmmmmmmm.

Happy Friday ;)



Before & After: Studio Space!

In keeping up with my goals for 2011, today was marked off the calendar to clean my studio. After a crazy Christmas season preparing and shipping orders, my studio was a MESS. I love being organized and clean, but am definitely the kind of person that feels as if hope has slipped through my fingers, I will just stop trying. Okay, maybe that was a little melodramatic, but bottom line: I let it get away from me.

WARNING:

If you have a weak stomach for cluttered spaces, you may want to quickly scroll down to ignore the following pictures.

So after a few cups of coffee, a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl  of tomato soup, 2 boxes of build-your-own storage cubes from Target (on sale for just $14!), and some elbow grease, this is the final product! It's not perfect, but it makes me (and my anti-clutter husband) happy!

Before I got started, I did a little thinking about what I wanted out of my new space. I know I do a lot of my work downstairs, so this studio space needed to be utilized for storage and inspiration. I already owned a set of 6 cubes, so I extended them with the 2 new kids I bought. I had a ton of fabric boxes and various other storage items already in my home, so the change only cost me the $28 and a few hours of time. In the end, I think it's exactly what I needed.

I was inspired to use the cube spaces after thinking about how I like my yarn to be organized. I was inspired by Twinkie Chan's studio space, where she organizes her yarns by color. Here are some photos from her blog:

Is getting your studio space organized one of your 2011 goals? Or do you have a system to keep it nice and tidy all year long? I'd love to know!

But I am not an organize-by-color gal, so I decided to organize my yarn stash by type & texture. I have so many "go-to" yarns for specific projects, so this is very helpful for me.

Anyway--I really love the end result. I'm pretty happy!

Crochet Today

Believe it or not... I'm starting to tackle my Christmas list. No, no, not what I am asking for this year, but what would like to make family and friends for Christmas.  I know many of you crafters also need to get a head start so you can actualy enjoy the holiday season without being sleep deprived! Last year I was really struggling to find unique crochet patterns that would hit up all the personalities I wanted to crochet for until I found a copy of Crochet Today at my local box bookstore.

The magazine (supported by Red Heart yarn) has been such a HUGE source of inspiration for me. It offers hip, stylish, and young patterns that are great for kids, adults, and the home! Here are a few of their magazine covers and projects to pique your interest!

On newstands now:

Check out this bag! Perfect for summer months leading into the fall!

And did I mention the adorable home decor?

Zoo animals from the April/May issue:

(I made the panda in the upper right corner in a day! Quickest project ever!)

Anyway--I just wanted to spread the love. Their patterns are super awesome and I love each and every one of them. In fact, my co-worker Karla and I both subscribe. We carefully page through each issue and talk about how much we're drooling over the patterns.

It's a must have (or a great gift to write down on YOUR wishlist)!

P.S. Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY when I return from our honeymoon! Make sure you're a follower of my blog and the rest will be cake!