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Thanks for the report! I see lotys of people buying things from Oriental Express - adding a dab of paint and calling it hand crafted... Sad... The other item sounds interesting!

So, I've been working in that room a LOT! Packed up and donated a ton of stuff, but still have plenty left. The fabric and trims will be getting another thorough culling after I regain some steam. I wish I had taken a "before" pic, but it was just a mess. Imagine tubs and stuff and junk just strewn everywhere. Here's my "during" pics: That lamp was a $2 thrift store find! I just found an inexpensive shade, dressed it up with a little ric-rack and painted the finial to match. The desk is getting new paint and hardware. The shelf is also getting fresh paint. That yellow chair is the inspiration for the feel and color scheme of the room. The table...also getting fresh paint. I wanted a table big enough to really work at. Something big enough to sew, paint, cut fabric, etc. I already had that table, and decided this was the perfect spot for it. It has another leaf, too, so I can add another foot or so if I need to. I was looking for a rolling cart or shelf to store the sewing machines on, but couldn't find anything that met all of my needs, so I just made one! I used a piece of heavy plywood, added casters to the bottom and handles on the sides. The paint is still curing, but both machines will fit on it, and it stows nicely under the table. So far, the only new things I've bought were the lamp, the red rolling chair, and the hardware. I'm still searching for closed storage for the fabric, either a pantry or an armoire.

One step I took this year that helped a ton is that I put out the word on a local entrepreneurs group I belong to which encourages 1:1 meetings with people to ask if anyone would like to do a project swap 1:1 instead of the standard breakfast or lunch. I would be their minion for 2-3 hours on a project of their choice and then another day the same week, they would be my minion for 2-3 hours on a project of my choice. That was hugely helpful in getting some of these done. It's so much more fun (and effective) to work with someone who will just do what you say while you work (move that box, sort those things into piles, etc.)