Don't you love Make Over shows? Whether they are making up a scruffy man or a tired lady, I can't help but watch the transformation. Hair, make-up, clothes and hey presto they are new people (until they go home and pull on their favourite overalls, tie their hair back and be themselves again).
Well, my office was getting very scruffy and tired and required a make over intervention. I hope it will not become the crazy, unfriendly place it was before. This was also a bit of an anniversary present from my husband as we recently celebrated 10 years of marriage!
So it started last Wednesday. I called Vinnies so they could come and take some furniture away as there was a lovely floral 4 piece lounge suite in the room which I had bought from them 8 years ago. I also looked into storage furniture and a work table - alas my op shop visits were fruitless as there was nothing really big and wide enough to accommodate all the things I wanted to have in my room.
I had my plan. I made this about 6 months ago. I had it hanging on my office wall so I wouldn't lose sight of the vision.
Okay. This was the reality. With no storage in the room, the lounge suite became a dumping place for everything. I also had fabric and sewing machines, wool and needles, craft books and whole lotta other stuff in the lounge room. Any attempts at crafting had to be packed up for meal times and I was not able to leave things out to ponder and think about them. They got tucked away and sometimes forgotten about.
On Friday, the lovely guys from Vinnies came along with a truck and took the furniture away.
Just before they got there Officeworks had delivered the new storage furniture in flat packs ready for assembly. I had a blank canvas and it started getting exciting as I started putting a small book shelf together.
This was the space I had to work with. It's quite a large room with good natural light in the morning.
On Saturday, I waved my husband and boys off as they headed to Rutherglen for the weekend. The Rutherglen show was on and it was a good chance for them to catch up with their Pa Frankie.
I got right into it. I started with the large storage shelves. I found some tools and built one slowly. The second one was faster and soon I had two done!
After a little visit to Officeworks and Ikea to pick up some small storage stuff and a new light fitting, I kept going.
At around 5.30 I found myself up a ladder trying to rip an old light fitting out of the ceiling. NOT CLEVER GINA! I took a deep breath, swallowed my pride and admitted that I would need a professional! Lucky for me, I have a neighbour who is a friend and electrician. I popped round to his place and his daughter told me she would ask him to call me back. He popped around a little later and installed the new light fitting.
OH MY GOD - THEN THERE WAS LIGHT! This room has never been so bright. EVER! He left and I happy danced!
By the end of Sunday, after a lovely visit to the Camberwell Market, I started sorting, packing, deciding and shooshing the room. The work table is enormous - big enough for everything I need to do! The bookshelf is full of my favourite craft books, the storage shelves are full of boxes of my crafty bits and bobs. Even my lovely Dr Esse Jane has a place from which to survey her new surroundings (she has no head but I know she feels it!)
By the time the boys got back from the country I had practically finished. The boys were impressed that they could see the top of my desk and that they could find the mouse. They have started making plans on how they will use the room too….. mmm….
It's been a long time coming so I am feeling very happy that I have achieved one of my main goals this year…. and its only October!
Happy Make Overs but be yourself!
x Miss G
