Something I have been longing for ever since I started working from home is to have my very own personal space to work from. Traditionally, a lot of people who work have an office, and more and more people are converting extra bedrooms or areas of their basements or even their dining room into their home office. To be real here, my house is too dang small for me to have a home office. At around 1200 sq ft, our cute little cottage offers up a lot of charm, beautiful moldings and hardwoods throughout, but the space is minimal, and we have definitely outgrown it. 

We've decided not to pursue looking for another home right now. My husband has applied for a few teaching positions that are scattered in different areas of the country, and until we hear yes or no from these colleges, we're staying put. So, this puts me in an interesting and frustrating position. While I yearn for more space to live in and work from, and for my son to have to play in, I have to figure out how to make do with that we have. I thrive on being organized, though... and review blogging absolutely requires organization. I have got to have a better way to keep up with the products that are coming in, and I have to have places to put them. I also need a designated space for working- i.e. answering e-mails, writing, making social contacts and updates, etc. Aside from blogging, I have my own business with Celebrating Home, and I also help my mom with the PR and social media for her business. So, needless to say, I am a busy girl, who doesn't get paid a whole lot, but has to have an office type space to work from.

I've made it one of my goals for 2012 to have an organized space to work from in my home. It's nice to have a laptop and be able to just plop and work from wherever I need to, but that does not qualify as an office. I need storage, I need a desk, I need a quiet place just to sit and think! I want to try to figure out a way to add a little workspace to my bedroom. I know this is probably not the best idea, but it's the only place left in my house where I could work from. Our dining room has a large table, which seats eight and practically takes up the entire room... and this room is also shared, housing my husband's computer (hidden in an armoire,) and two filing cabinets... one for Sacha's music/scores, and one for my blog stuff, Celebrating Home stuff and the bills/records.

I was out shopping and browsing in Restoration Hardware with my family the other day, and came across the neatest thing- the perfect solution to my problem...

Mayfair Steamer Secretary Trunk

Now, the rest of you may have the same opinion as my husband about this- that it's totally ugly. I don't really care about what this looks like, because I am looking for functionality, here. Seriously, though, how cool is this!? It's a trunk- literally, it has hinges and opens and closes, and it's also on wheels for portability. Look at that storage space! I am drooling over all of the compartments, the desk top that just folds down, and the 'wall' behind it, where I could pin up notes, calendars, schedules, etc! Still drooling over the storage space. I could quite easily organize all of my blogging products and schedules/engagements here! The price is pretty hefty, at $3225.00, but like I said, it's from Restoration Hardware, a beautiful store I've stepped foot in many times and walked out of with maybe a Christmas ornament that was on sale.

Since I have a very handy hubby, who likes to build things, I asked him if he could make something like this for me. He said (of course!) that he could, and just to add it to the list of things I'd like him to build. It wouldn't look quite like this, and it would be wooden, but it would be mine! I know this is out of the question for now, but it only further inspires me to get an action plan together for 2012. I mean, I can't believe it's already 2012, but I have high hopes for my blogging ventures this year, and I need to kick into gear right from the start to make things happen. So, I am urging everyone out there to do the same. Even if you don't work from home, everyone should have their own little work space. Just take a small space and make it your own. It can be a little table or small desk with a lamp, a computer, a few bins or shelves for storage, and maybe a message board or chalk board for notes. It doesn't have to be fancy, and you can easily make it look cute or pretty by displaying your business cards in a nice holder, or adding a small bud vase with a fresh flower.

I look forward to the day I have my workspace, and even if I have to build it piece by piece, little at a time and with many trips to Ikea, I will have my workspace! Maybe I should start saving for this secretary trunk now... if I do, I could own it by the time Balian starts middle school! Hey, a girl can dream...

~Ondria~