Friday, 15 May 2015
My Home Office Makeover Cost 6
Of late, my passion has turned into a job of sorts. I went from sharing random photos of our chickens and chatting about them on my Facebook page Fresh Eggs Daily to writing a blog where I could share more information and advice. The success of the Facebook page and blog led to offers to contribute to both the GRIT and HGTV online. I have also launched a community blog of my own called From the Farm which I maintain and to which I also contribute content.
I am involved with reviewing books for Storey Publishing, Timber Press and Mother Earth News. Most recently, I signed a book deal with St. Lynns Press and have been madly editing my first book, which is due out mid-October 2013. I also have a few other things up my sleeve that pretty much ensure that I will be sitting much of time staring at a blinking cursor.
I am sharing all this with you as the lead-in to this latest post called My Home Office Makeover.
Up until this past week, I had been sitting at our kitchen table with my netbook and my coffee cup. Notes spread out everywhere, products and books I needed to review piled up...and then having to clear off the table each evening so we could eat dinner.
I was getting tired of doing that and tired of how messy our kitchen always looked. In addition to always feeling extremely disorganized, I realized that I needed a dedicated space for a home office in order to be more productive and inspired. So I decided to makeover our abandoned office into a space for me to write, create and work.
(The one downside to moving out of our kitchen is that I am a lot further from the coffee pot, but the logistics of having hot coffee are something I can easily overcome with a travel mug, mug warmer or second coffee machine.)
My new office came out so cute, I just had to share. The chicken-themed desk area really does inspire me and I am so excited now each morning to get to work.
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So to back up a bit ... this is what our home office used to look like. Did I mention I used to work on Wall Street as an accountant? Well after we moved here to Virginia, for awhile a few years back, I tried day trading but I wasnt very good at it. So the office has been sitting empty since then. The desktop computer never even gets turned on anymore since my husband and I both have laptops that we tend to use exclusively.
I disconnected and dismantled, unhooked and unplugged. Then I dusted and cleared off the desk.
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Then I gathered everything off the kitchen table and started organizing my new work space. All my reference books got neatly arranged with along with my business cards and bakers twine I use to package up my etsy and ebay sales. Oh, did I mention I have an etsy shop also?
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The various magazines that I subscribe to and use to pull interesting facts and tidbits from, as well as find ideas to write about went into a basket in one corner of the desk.
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I retrieved some fun vintage chicken-themed decor that had been in our spare room and arranged it on the desk as accent pieces.
I even filled a jar with dog treats for our German Shepherd since shes my constant companion during the day and usually hangs out at my feet waiting to be fed!
Rooster Lamp Mini-Makeover: I had this cute country-motif rooster lamp in the kitchen. A fan of my Facebook page gave it to me last Christmas. I love it and have had it on our kitchen counter since it coordinated nicely with our cherry cabinets and sandstone tile back splash, but I wanted to use it in my new office instead.
The lamp got a fresh coat of cream paint and a new shade from Lowes (the only money I spent on my whole makeover) and it found its rightful place on the desk.
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The last thing to do was to hang the map I have been putting pins in to record all the places I have sold my chicken coop plans. I started selling the plans in April 2009, I believe, and have sold almost 500 sets to date. Its been fun keeping track of where they are being sent...where people are keeping their own little backyard flocks.
I would have liked to have painted the walls but honestly I just cant take the time right now ... maybe over the winter.
I would have liked to have painted the walls but honestly I just cant take the time right now ... maybe over the winter.
So heres what my work space looks like now:
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| ~nice view of the barn and run from here~ |
I really love how it came out and I especially love that I feel surrounded by all kinds of chicken inspiration and good karma. The only money I spent was the $6 for the new lampshade. Now I have a place for my chicken decor where I can enjoy it every day, and my husband is happy since he wasnt all that thrilled at having it all around the house.
And the best part is ... we get our kitchen table back.
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