Good Morning New Year!

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The sun is shining on a cold new day. It's 10:34 and not a creature is stirring, not even Stinky! Everyone is no doubt recuperating from last night's festivities. Not I. :)

I am up and about, with my first coffee of the year warming my hands and tummy. Yum! It's quiet and warm in my home. The furnace is buzzing economically, the sun is pouring in through the shades. My head is pleasantly fuzzy, awaiting the effects of the coffee.

Today is the first day of the rest of the year and I intend to make the best of it!

Starting with Creative Every Day Challenge.

This month's theme is "PLAY", and I am so playing. To start off my festivities I created a digital collage of all the art supplies I am planning on playing with! It's filling up my imagination like stars in my eyes. I am so excited to carry on with my crafty plans!

Step One: Make my now mostly unused dining room into a studio. This requires that I make a work/dining table that will allow me the space to create. I will also have to remove the low-hanging light fixture and replace it with pot lights. It also means replacing the two side tables I have stacked on top of each other and buy a sideboard/cupboard to house my personal and art supplies.

Step Two: Designing and making the table (yes myself if I have to!). I picture an unfinished wood table top, that is large enough to afford me room to play and to be used as a dining table that seats 6. It also needs to be able to slant at a 45° angle to make it easier to work. It needs to have a drip mote running around the table. I don't know what the technical term for it is, but it will catch any spills before they hit my floor. The legs need to have embedded wheels to allow smooth movement without killing my hardwood floor. The table will have drawers at three sides to allow for storage of small items and materials (stickers, beads, brushes, stones, trinkets, feathers, shells etc.)

Step Three: I found this perfect side board/cupboard at an antique store. I fell in love with it. It's four feet in height and pretty wide with lots of drawers and cupboard with doors in the center. It would be PERFECT! except it costs 1,200 smackeroos! I am going to go there tomorrow to see if I can do a lay-away plan. I simply must have it, if it's still there.

Step Four: Replacing the hanging light fixture with pot lights is not something I wish to try doing myself so I will see if I can engage someone to do it for me on a barter system. The dimming switch will allow me to create the ambiance I need. :)

Step Five: Getting rid of the furniture I have there now. That means selling or giving them away. I am cool with either one. Or even maybe trying an exchange. Everyone needs something and wants something gone. So who knows? I will need to replace the chairs, but I would be happy with getting mix and match chairs from antique places and making cushions for them.

Step Six: Gathering my materials. I have a lot of art/writing supplies squirreled away in many places, unused. It's time to take stock in what I have and what I will need. Once the furniture is in place, the materials can take their rightful places where they can be used!

Step Seven: Replacing my desktop computer that is now nine years old with a laptop. This will afford me the luxury of space and mobility. I can get rid of this desk and reclaim my living room as just that. :>

Quite ambitious, no? But I really want to actualize this vision because this space is the heart of my house and it's unused. How un-Feng Shui is that? Having a studio space will set the stage for what I have always yearned to do, and by George (who is this George anyway?) I will do it! If any of you have any suggestions, I would greatly welcome them!

What visions do you wish to bring to fruition in 2009 and how do you plan on doing it? :>

May play be part of your every day! :>