These two things are my favorite part of husband and my office. It is our 10×10 retreat away from the pitter patter of little feet. Cocooned in chocolate walls and dark wood floors, we're finally getting it to the point where it works for us. It is where I do most of my creating–and a good bit of my thinking these days, too. We've smushed a lot of wonderful into this little space. Primarily because it is right off our kitchen and has beautiful french doors blocking each entrance to the room (ie, I can keep an ear on the kids while they are playing, but also slip away to do a little work, too!). Eeek! I just blew my cover that I don't sit and play hotwheels every waking moment–and play guitar and sing with my children all day, too. Welp, folks, I call it encouraging their independence and their relationship with each other. :) Sometimes there are wife tasks to be dealt with–things like paying bills and keeping up with insurance…those types of really sexy things. :)
Anyway, the first of my favorite places in my office is my inspiration wall.
This is where I post little bits and bobs that I find in magazines or newspapers, greeting cards or little boy drawings. This is my little colorful and jumbly haven of the house. It also includes the list of books I read last year–27 if you want to know (goal was 20 as of Jan. 1, 2009). You can see under that poppy watercolor that I once made of color list of the Fruits of the Spirit. :) It's just my place to put random things. I should show you sometime my husband's side of the office. We share a 10 foot long desk–and my side is what I like to call "creative cluttered" and his side is what I like to call "corporate clean and neat". I really will have to take a picture of it for you sometime, the difference is striking and displays our personalities perfectly. He gets so irked when I start encroaching on his 5 feet of the desk with my wildness. Sometimes I do it just to bug him, but I'm trying to be better. New Year's resolutions, and all, right?? :)
My other favorite part of office is the piano I bought for husband on Father's Day this year. After enduring the constant wrestling (I kid, he loves it), the million questions (he eats this up, too), and the late night sleep interruptions (these…he hates…the man craves sleep!) for the past 3 years, I figured he should have something nice…just for himself. Little does he know that I have plans to hi-jack it and paint it a lovely and vibrant color, rather than the standard-issue black. :) It will still be his, of course, just with a new attitude. Surely, he won't mind (no really, he won't…he encourages these sorts of things as long as he's not the one wielding the paintbrush!).
I love these parts of our house, of our office our little sanctuary in the storm of crazy boys. I just wanted to share a little peek inside our home and our life. Our office has undergone some major changes since the year started (mostly me taming my "creative clutter") to make it more usable and loved by us. I'm really noticing the difference! LOVE it. You were right, husband…the clutter definitely is better when it is actually clutter I like, rather than bills, 3 week old to-do lists, and other random ephemera.