room with a view

this is the view from one of the two windows in the shop downstairs. my ironing board sits in front of this window and i'm pretty glad these days, since i am spending lots of time there! i can see most of the backyard, the lilac, and the kid's water/sand play area (they are in the backyard with daddy here, for the record). usually otter is sitting in the window too, which is nice company.

anyway, i've been meaning to take a picture of this view for a while! and it reminded me to blog about the little sweatshop facelift that will be underway this summer. it's not a total remodel (that wouldn't be worth the money in resale terms) but we figured that if we are going to stay in this house for a while, we might as well spruce my shop space. lord knows i spend enough time down there that i could appreciate it being a little more pretty! since this is a "light" remodel, we aren't bothering with trying to raise the ceiling height (we're all short anyway) or redoing the drywall. but we are repainting the floor and the walls, which will make a big difference. phil is in the process of building me an awesome cutting table, with a matching sewing table to follow. my aching back, neck, and shoulders can't wait for this to be done. also on the list are really sweet daybed (to replace the worn out futon), recovering a really funky old chair and wall divider (folding style) that i got at a yard sale for a whopping $5, and some new curtains for the windows and closet. it may take all summer, but it will be worth every penny when it's done. and aside from the new desks and daybed, hopefully that won't entail too many pennies at all!