I alluded, back in mid-January, that we had taken on a huge project around here. Well, it’s FINISHED! I can’t tell you how thrilled and relieved and pleased I am to have it finished and looking better than I ever could have imagined!
It all started because I had become frustrated and disenchanted with the idea of our school space being in it’s own room. Which, in my current 3 bedroom/1900 sq. ft. house, meant it was socked away in the 3rd bedroom (all three of my boys share a room and LOVE it!). It had gotten really difficult to keep good attitudes and motivation and efficiency in our old space. I did my best to keep it organized and neat and a welcoming learning environment but it just came to drive me NUTS!
It felt depressing to be stuck in a small bedroom all day and that made it easy to cut our work time short. It’s not what we set out for when we started homeschooling. We wanted learning to happen all around us, for “school” to happen alongside everything in our lives. All three of my kids are still very young and need a lot of my time to get through their studies. I love that, I’m completely okay with that, but I also have a home to keep and laundry to do and food to cook, dishes to do, and a little guy to keep entertained. So for this season in our lives, it meant a radical change was needed!
I knew exactly what I wanted, and there’s no way I’d ever find it nor be able to afford it on the off chance I could. We knew building it ourselves was the only way to go. Right then, Ana White, graciously posted a fantastic tutorial on how to use Google Sketchup. It took me WAY longer than I’d care to admit, but I managed to get a massive bookshelf/wall unit shelf (well, shelves) designed!
Designing it was one thing, building it was quite another! I really did not do much on this build at all. It was ALL my rock star husband. We live in Montana and it has been COLD, which means he built, puttied, sanded, puttied, sanded, painted, and touched up two HUGE, heavy pieces of furniture mostly by himself in really, really uncomfortable temperatures. All to please his neurotic wife who chose the dead of Winter to start this project. Now that’s love, right!?!? I know. You can’t have him, he’s mine!! :-D
In our main living space we used to have this shelf:
(This picture was from almost exactly one year ago, the only real good picture of it I could find and here the previously mentioned awesomeness of my man is displayed over again, doing Science with his kiddos.
I picked the shelf, I liked it, it served me well for years. But it would not work if we were going to move the school space into the main living area. Just not nearly enough storage. It now lives happily in my beautiful, kind-hearted and hilarious friend’s craft room, and totally looks like it should have always been there. I am happy it has a new life at her house!
And here’s what has taken it’s place!!!
Honestly, if my house was a high-class showpiece, this would seem ghastly. But it’s not, we LIVE here, we spend most of our time here. And for an organized, homeschooling mom of three young boys in a small-ish area (I hesitate greatly to call it small, I am THANKFUL for our space, I’m simply saying we have to be very creative as we all know homeschooling comes with SO much STUFF!) it is truly the wall of my dreams!
Looking around the house makes me smile! And what started as a school-space makeover has caused radical change to the look and function of almost every area in our home!! I have much more to share, so much excitement to post about but we’ll stop here for the day.
I remember reading a post about becoming more of a “Yes” mom than a “No” one and it really struck a chord with me. Mostly because I am, ashamedly, mostly a “No” mom. “Not right now.” “Maybe later.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” “That makes such a mess.” And I know that those statements can usually be translated “It’s not convenient for me.” “I don’t want to get that out and then have to supervise it.” or “Your mess stresses me out and I don’t want to deal with it.” Public enemy number one for me is Play-dough!! It gets everywhere, I can’t stand that they mix the colors and it feels wasteful when it dries out and can’t be used anymore. I’m trying to be better, I really am, it’s one of the things I am fervently praying for God to change in my heart.
But, for now……
The Play-dough (and it’s ugly step-cousin, Moon Sand) is FIRMLY out of reach. Baby steps, right? Rome wasn’t built in a day and I’m not gonna become a “Yes” mom over night. 
What do you think??
What do you guys do for school or play spaces?
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Orange Eucalyptus Tea Tree Soap 
Nice photos thanks for opening your home to us. Its motivating. Thanks for joining our blog hop.
Blessings.
I love the shelves!!
I am very envious of your shelves.
You have a great school set up – thanks for the ideas.
Popped over from HHM.
Such a sweet comment, thank you!!
This is a GREAT post! I LOVE the honesty…the transparency…the struggle that is SO COMMON in everyone's lives that you have so openly shared here.
I love your before and after and your willingness to share a piece of your heart. Thanks! ;0)
Thanks for stopping by! You're encouragement means a lot, especially after raising 11 little ones!!
Homemade play-dough is our next adventure for sure, I've seen lots of recipes but I'd love Holee's!
Never too late to start!
Looking forward to reading about it!
It SO does! Thank you for the nice compliment, we love it too!
I did think about doors! My rationale was that we're not ALWAYS going to have our school set-up in the living space. Once we buy a house and can set up in a formal dining or living room, it won't matter so much. For now, I just use it as motivation to keep the shelves neat and tidy. Give Sketchup a try, it's not so scary once you get the hang of it!!
I love the idea of a wall shelf! I've imagined something similar for several years. I love what you've done here, doesn't it feel good to be organized?!
You and nate did a great job! I am going to try and use the google sketchup for the closet things we would like to build for the girls room. Thanks to you and nate I just think we can pull it off. ( ryan just might be asking nate for advise though )
Thanks for all your inspration in all walks of life!
Toshau.
Saw this at be different, act normal. Love it! I NEED those shelves in my craft room!
I love this, great job by you and your hubby. I want to try Google SetchUp but I'm askeered! Have you thought of putting doors on the shelves? Being able to "hide" the stuff on the shelves might help your living space feel more "homey" when school's out for the day.
Your space looks great. I am just about finished with my sons' playroom and will post photos of it when I have the pictures on the wall!
I'm your newest follower from The Social Parade. I'd really appreciate it if you would follow me back at Dropped Stitches. Thanks bunches
looks rather neat and organized wish I were like that
Did I mention how much I LOVE the new shelf that I got out of her whole rearranging gig??? Danielle, you are too good to me.
Play Doh is awesome, homemade is EVEN better, there is nothing better than working warm playdoh in your hands, with food coloring, or kool-aid, but do it on wax paper
) Holee has an amazingly easy recipe for it.
Update more!
I home schooled for over 18 years and loved doing it at the dining table with lots of sun and space so I think your move is great. Your shelves are awesome and so is your husband! As far as being a 'Yes' mom, I agree, but my grandpa always said, "It's easier to say no and then change your mind than to say yes and change your mind."
)
I am following, hope you can stop by for a visit!
Thanks, Becky Jane
Raising kids can be a lot like weeding the rose bed…well worth it, but…OUCH!
http://myelevenreasons.blogspot.com/
Hello!
Found you on a blog hop and am your newest follower – Would love for you to check out my blog and follow back if you like it.
Check out my "retail therapy" giveaways and enter a few, there are some great products to win. Also – if you do giveaways – join my March Madness Giveaway Hop!
I also have a fantastic weekly blog hop.
http://retailtherapylounge.blogspot.com
or
http://www.retail-therapy-lounge.com
Carol
I am right there with you lady!! It's worse when I'm stressed out, which seems, like all the time.
Asking God to help us with it means we're at least acknowledging it's only God that can help us. For me, it's gotten a lot better just embracing that I can ask for His help and I'll GET it!!
Thanks for the sweet comment about the shelves, we love them. And I'd totally build them (or have Nate build them) for you but I think I'd have to buy him a snowmobile or paint ball set-up or something big before he'd even THINK about it. This was a biggie, much bigger than all the others!
Love it! Beautiful shelves and space, so when can you start on mine?!?! Just kiding. I am working on both being a yes mom and a non yeller mom, but the more i try the more i fall or at least it seems that way. All I know is that at least I know its something i need to work on. For me thats a start cause I could still be in denial. So that means that I have made some progress, right? I ask God every day to help me. I have no problem pointing out when my husband does it, which I know ryan loves.(another one of those things i am working on.) I just know every day is a new day!day. : )