Breaking the rules . . .

I have been purging for months, am not even close to being finished and have made a vow to not add to my "stuff" until I am done purging.

But, if I can't get an item out of my head, I usually give in and break my own rules.

I saw these striped table runners a few months ago and couldn't forget them so last week I headed to the shop to buy one.

At the last minute, I thought about how Steve tends to spill red wine on everything I put on the table and sometimes candles melt onto a runner, so I left the striped runners in the shop and went home to make my own version.

Quickly painted stripes transform a remnant of drop cloth into a runner that looks nice on the table, but I will not be upset if wine and wax drop onto it.

In my purging, I came across a bunch of wooden bead necklaces and bracelets that are no longer worn, but I just didn't want to toss them out.

So, the beads have been restrung and I am probably going into bead overkill in my vignettes, but I don't care.

I like the colors in this cloth bead necklace my sister bought me in Prague a few years ago.

The centerpiece on the dining room table is perked up with beads from 3 different bracelets -

red, black and gold wooden beads work beautifully with a bag of gourds I bought at the grocery store.

What I didn't mention when I showed great restraint in not buying the table runners was this metal basket that refused to be left at the shop.

Actually, it was a "think about it" purchase and I waited a whole week before heading back to the shop .

Right now, it's holding hydrangeas, but I can't wait to see it filled with Christmas ornaments in December.

I really didn't need the metal basket, but sometimes rules need to be broken.

On a whim . . .

A lot of my decorating is done on a whim.

I can look at something every single day and then all of a sudden, I decide things need changing - right then.

I spend a lot of time on my window seat blogging, reading, eating . . . 

and yesterday, out of nowhere, I decided I was tired of the vignette on top of the porch cabinet.

All it took was about 30 minutes 

to have a new view from my perch on the window seat.

The first order of business was to remove the pitchers on top of the cabinet and replace them with baskets that had been sitting in the garage just waiting for a home.

KC gave me the roses for Mother's Day and I never even put them in water - they went right to the drying stage so I would have the flowers for decorating.

I decided to go with blue and yellow inside of the cupboard.

A favorite bowl that KC brought me from Spain 

and a fish plate I found in my mother's cupboards are now easy to find and I will use them more.

My fiestaware pitchers are now easily accessible as are the tablecloths I use on the garden table.

Beneath the cabinet, a vintage basket (will anyone notice that it is green?) holds pillows for the garden chairs.

I have had a lot of different vignettes on top of the cabinet and I must say this is my all time favorite.

Today's project is not a whim.

Painter's drop cloth, stencils, paint and sachet are my supplies for an idea I came up with - I hope it works.

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I am joining

Lavender Garden Cottage for a Cottage Style Party

Rooted in Thyme for Simple & Sweet Fridays

Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Where Bloggers Create Party

This is my second year of participating in Where Bloggers Create at My Desert Cottage.

Last year, my creative space was in the garage, but it was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

In January, we changed our guest room into a space for me to play and I spent the next few months organizing my supplies.

A lot of fun goes on within these 4 walls.

An old dresser updated with a coat of Miss Mustard Seed, Eulalie's Sky holds supplies and also stands in as a work surface when my main table is messy.

I love the wall above the dresser -

because of all the inspiration - cards from friends, hands, numbers . . .

My worktable, which I hope to paint white soon, holds my sewing machine and Sizzix Big Shot -  both are used multiple times each week.

The wall above the sewing machine holds wire baskets.

The content of the baskets changes depending on what projects are on my plate at the time.

I love this wall too because it holds inspiring bits and pieces

and is full of color.

 The wall opposite my work table has a little rolling cupboard which can be easily moved to access the pull down stairs to the attic.

One of Steve's paintings titled, "Carol's Garden", 4" x 6", takes up nearly the entire wall and it does not matter what time of day I photograph it, I always get a glare.

The vintage Coats and Clark thread box belonged to my grandmother and I debated for years about painting it, but I have never regretted my decision to paint it green.

The wall opposite the dresser has two 6 foot tall bookshelves FILLED with supplies, books and inspiration.

These shelves are the most organized my creative space has ever been and it is so nice to just go right to the spot to find something.

Labeled drawers, baskets, glass jars, etc. hold a myriad of supplies that I didn't remember I had until I organized the space.

I absolutely LOVE my creative space and the fact that I can start a project and leave it out for days if necessary.

Needless to say, my creative space is not usually this clean.

But, joining the Where Bloggers Create party certainly got me more organized.

I organized my fabrics and began cutting out squares for a quilt or two.

A year ago I wrote letters on a Dollar Store plate with a Sharpie - because I was getting organized, I finally did the baking in the oven to set the ink.

I found this wooden frame stretched with netting in a cupboard and used up wooden letters and starfish to make a sign for the bathroom.

I'm so organized now

that I can sneak in a create a project or two while Steve makes dinner.

Since my workroom is clean and organized, I am headed over to My Desert Cottage to check out the creative spaces of the other bloggers at Karen's party.