Welcome to My Craft Room

by Missy Allaire

I am so excited to share with you my personal little paradise…my craft room. With the help of my father, I converted one of the extra bedrooms in our home to a place where I go to create, blog, craft and escape the stresses of life. Most of the furniture in the room was hand-made by my Dad, so it has been customized to fit my needs – - thanks Dad! You will also see a few thrift store conversions that I love. Let me take you on a tour of my craft room.

DESK
The desk is the area where I do a lot of the work. It holds my Cricut, trinkets and television. It is just the right height so that I can either sit or stand while working. I do most of my hardcore scrapbooking here as it offers plenty of space. The fabric around the table was a simple project and maintains the theme of the decor. We simply cut the material, hemmed the edges and secured to the table with curtain rods. Not only does it look good, it also serves as great storage!

ISLAND
This is by far my favorite piece in the room. My Dad and I designed the island after seeing a similar table in a magazine. There are twenty narrow slots along one side, which allow me to store the scrapbook paper so it is visible and accessible. I placed baskets in each of the larger cubbies to hold ribbon, glitter, paper pads and stickers. The opposite side of the table contains a larger, open cubby, which I use to store wrapping paper. The lazy susan on top was purchased at a local craft store and holds all of my essential tools (scissors, markers, pens, glue, etc.).

I purchased the bar stools at a local estate sale for $10 each. I re-upholstered the cushions and gave them a fresh coat of paint. They are the perfect height and make a great addition to the island!

HUTCH
The hutch is the newest addition to my craft room. It was previously the clothes dresser in my son’s nursery. As he is now seven years old, I decided it was time to re-purpose the piece and give it new life in my room. I mod podged (glued) leftover fabric from the desk to the facing of the bookcase to tie the pieces together. I glued black rope around the trim of the fabric to give it a clean look.

The drawers are the perfect size to store my Cricut cartridges, glue, ribbon, fabric swatches etc.

BOOKCASE
The bookcase was another one of my Dad’s creations. This piece provides much needed storage space for items that I use to craft. There are 12 cubbies in all, which are used to hold completed scrapbooks, storage baskets, paper and jewelry making supplies.

ACCESSORIES
Most of the accessories were found at local thrift stores. The antique lazy susan is one of my favorites! The pegboard was made from an open stock frame and pegboard that I painted. The curtains are made from an old windowpane purchased during antique weekend in Warrenton, TX. Curtains were attached using magnets and binder clips! The words CREATE are vinyl letters cut from the Cricut machine.

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About Missy: Missy is a stay at home mom who resides with her family in Keller. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, sewing, decorating and scrapbooking. After numerous suggestions from her friends and family she decided to pursue her passion and created a blog called lookiewhatidid.blogspot.com. The blog is six months old and receives over 20,000 hits each month. Originally from Arkansas, she has made Texas her home for the last 14 years.

meet our contributors

Victorya Rogers

Victorya Michaels Rogers is a Life & Love Coach, equipping women to create and keep healthy relationships. Rogers’ authored four books, including Finding a Man Worth Keeping and The Automatic 2nd Date. Her latest release is the DVD “Straight Talk About Sex for Christian Couples” co-written with Sex Therapist Debby Wade. Victorya has been seen and heard on national TV, Radio, and print—from MTV to Focus on the Family, Cosmopolitan to Woman’s World. This former Hollywood agent is also an active REALTOR® at Coldwell Banker Residential. She’s part of First Friday Women and lives in Southlake with her husband, Will, and their two children. Learn more about her coaching services at www.Victorya.com.

Samantha Conner

In my “past life” I earned a degree in Education at TCU and taught elementary school. But these days, I am working as a super stay-at-home-mom with a serious craft addiction. During naptime, I am an avid blogger, runner, and nester. My blog is the place where I chronicle my journey in homemaking and sell my fabulous handmade bows, tutus, and hair accessories. I have a loving husband and two young daughters. Their enthusiasm and support is what drives my creativity in home decor, unique crafts, party planning, holiday fun, and all things girly. I am dedicated to creating a warm, loving home for my family. And to me, that means a lot of 'crafty how-to’ projects along the way. I believe that life can be more fabulous with the use of polka dots, tulle, ribbon and rhinestones! I hope you enjoy sharing in our adventures and that I can inspire you to 'get crafty' in your own home. Follow my crafting journey at craftytexasgirls.blogspot.com

Rhonda Sargent Chambers

Rhonda, a former model and owner of RSC Show Productions, considers herself a “naturalized Texan”. After moving to Texas from San Francisco, she began her modeling career at a young age walking runways around the world from Japan to Mexico. She transitioned from full-time modeling to fashion show production with the creation of RSC Show Productions. As an instructor and speaker in the modeling community for over 30 years, she is a respected figure who consults with modeling agencies to develop criteria and guidelines for professional models to follow. Rhonda and her husband Kit have been together more than 20 years. The busy mom’s schedule is somewhat flexible since she owns her own business, but it’s the couple’s two boys, Callahan, 12, and Ford, 10, who now shape Rhonda’s daily routine. She is active in the community both personally and professionally giving her time to organizations such as Children’s Cancer Fund, Mane Gait Therapeutic Center, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Big Thought and The Elisa Project. She is passionate about fashion, and her forte will offer wonderful shopping and wardrobing tips for busy moms on the go! www.rscshow.com

Maxi Erdmann

I am Maxi Erdmann, and I reside in Keller, TX with my four sweet babies and my husband, Nathan. A University of Oklahoma grad, I love all things SOONER! I love food, but I don’t cook, I love music, but I don’t sing, (except in the shower), and I have a ridiculously expensive obsession with make-up. I have been writing since I could form letters and my mother put a pencil in my hand. Prior to having my third and fourth baby, I was a teacher at Southlake Christian Preschool. Before moving to Texas, I lived in Oklahoma where I spent my days as a full-time mom of twins and part-time make-up artist. I have also lived in Nashville, TN where I worked for Gaylord Entertainment and Springhouse Golf Course. My other interests include all things sports related and a new endeavor as an aspiring (learning!) photographer. It seems, along with my pencil, I have always had a camera around my neck. My days are filled with loud kids, tons of laundry and enough extra-curricular activities to keep six people busy. I’m up for the challenge, and I love every minute of it...

Brooke Hortenstine

Brooke Hortenstine is a Dallas-based editor, writer and charitable volunteer. As editor-at-large of PaperCity magazine, Brooke chronicles the evolving Dallas social scene and writes about all things luxurious — fashion, food, beauty, and interior design, to name a few. She has appeared as a style authority in television segments, and has been published in periodicals such as In Style and Four Seasons Magazine. Contemporary art, dining, travel, music, modern furnishings, and southern customs — think iced tea, old monograms and SEC football — top her lists of likes, as well as giving back to her community. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Contemporary artspace and the President’s Advisory Council to the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and serves as a member of Cattle Baron’s Ball benefiting the American Cancer Society. Her family includes her husband Blake Hortenstine, a ranch real estate broker, and their two-year-old son, Rollins Hortenstine.

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