Craft Night and a tour

I am actually at Craft Night right now, a tradition started by Ruth, a great neighbor who opens her home to let us hang out, laptops or crafts, to commune and un-stress. And tonight, in that process, I am going to plan, because that's what I need right now. It's a great group of people, and a great mini-sabbath from studying.

And a tour. Beth at Wee Pereas offered a tour of her studio today, and asked about the studios of others. And I have a confession. My whole apartment has been used as studio space at one point or another.

When you walk in my front door, you see the entirety of my living room. It's little and the focus is definately the kitchen table, and it's pretty central to how I live right now between homework, friends, and crafting and cooking so it's kind of accurate to have it RIGHT THERE.

I am a firm believer that the table is where we meet our family, no matter its form and substance, and that maintaining that here is okay with me.And you walk in a bit. The color scheme of walls and trim and furniture was serendipitously matching my rug, a gift from our pastor, and I love the fact that my walls are what they are: Art. Conversation starters. You'll notice the very intentional absence of a TV. And you see my painting, created at Craft Night last week, and waiting on a chance to be really finished. I am living with it and looking at it, and trying to decide what more to do. It's going to reflect more of a specific sunset that I felt really really at one with my Creator. It's definately not there yet. It will be though.

And walking into my bedroom, we have a desk, a comfy rug, and my bed. The desk is there for crafty thinking and some studying, but mostly for storing books and holding... stuff. It's the one bit of clutter left in my apartment.

The colors are nice and calming, and somewhat oppositional to all of the apartment's colors, but I'm living with it. I like it in some ways. My favorite is the little shag rug on my floor... SO wonderful to step onto on cold mornings. I'm actually blogging from there right now.

But this fun area, where all of my jewelry lives and where I've staged a vanity of sorts, actually produces a good bit of inspiration.

My clothes come out of how I look and feel, and my jewelry comes from my clothes, so here's a fun little central point in all of that!

On that last note, I am pretty excited about the giveaway that closes tomorrow at midnight. The short version: I'm a flibbergibbet, so you could win a handmade, one of a kind necklace. Click over for the long version. I want to hear from you.

And... I am really thankful for the greatest thing of all: Family away from family. I have the best family ever. Here at Seminary, we all grow together, and I love that it really is a family. Between dinner club and my life group and craft night, I have found friendships and connections in a big way. It's a blessing and I am just that.