Softening things up a little bit

I have a small home. It's perfect for our family right now. Three bedrooms, two baths, a family room, kitchen, etc. There's enough space for us to get messy and clean up all in one day. But since it's small, I sometimes feel like the space I do have is not used to it's fullest potential, or rather that it is passively decorated with what's leftover instead of me decorating it how I want it.

.

Before Thomas was born the third bedroom was occupied by my sewing machines and sewing table. I gladly gave up the space to welcome my beautiful son, but I have sorely missed having a space of my own--to close myself in and create beautiful things. In fact, the creating of beautiful things has been in short supply in my house since Thomas was born. Right now it's all about getting the essentials done--dishes, vacuuming, picking up toys, cleaning bathrooms, making milk, changing diapers. No extra time for creativity.

.

Brenda and Darren adopted two beautiful daughters last week. They'll be sealed as a Forever Family this week and I asked Brenny for the privilege of making the girls' temple dresses. So I set up an impromptu sewing room downstairs in my family room. It necessitated moving the furniture around, but the reallocated space has been worth it. Making clothes for girls is so much more fun than making clothes for boys! I've loved exercising my dusty sewing neurons as I've changed patterns and made some special dresses for these special little ladies.

.

So I was bit by the sewing bug.

.

Last week I went to Brenda's and helped her make a slip cover for her ottoman. (Brenny, you really should have smoothed out those wrinkles before taking a photo...). This project got the creativity juices flowing and I decided to spend a little of my birthday money redecorating my sewing/family room. I made a slip cover for our ottoman and a few throw pillows. I picked up the fuzzy blanket at Ross. Here are the before and after:

.

Th couch is not normally in front of the fireplace, but adding my huge sewing table to the room meant that I had to move it.

.

Ok, it looks awfully florally in the photo, but it actually goes very nicely with the painting I have on the wall behind the sewing table. I also cleaned off the mantel. That's been bugging me for about 2 months. I bought new lamps (at a yard sale for $6). Now all I need is new family photos that include Thomas.

.

So, does anyone else need some sewing done? I'm all out of projects and I don't want to put my machines away.

.

PS. I'll post photos of the temple dresses next week!