I suppose it's time I told you about that super exciting news that I promised you last year. I've probably kept you keen to discover what has got me SO excited for way too long that you've probably forgotten all about it, but I haven't. I happen to think that this exciting news is something worth celebrating, so much so that I'm sharing it with you in a post! Okay, I've dragged this out well and truly enough, partly due to the fact that I'm a writer and writers get sidetracked by other writing material.....

This blog is all about living creatively despite chronic illness, and celebrating it. Living with chronic pain and fatigue is crippling at times, but I refuse to let it cripple my creativity. Since being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, I have developed new passions and discovered talents I never knew I had, one being craft and all things handmade. Chronic pain has led me on a journey to creativity I otherwise wouldn't have embarked on. I now find myself desiring to start a small craft business, selling handmade cards, gifts, cupcakes and beautiful baked treats so that I can eventually work from home around the pain, fatigue, and medication side effects.

Right now I'm having a particularly bad run with chronic fatigue, but when I can I love to be creative and craft. Everyday I am slowly getting closer to running my dream business- I'm dreaming big and I am overflowing with ideas. I spend most of my days flicking through craft magazines and trawling through internet sites to gain inspiration. I'm busy building up my materials and supplies and I am so excited! However, a huge problem that I have been facing over the past couple of years is that of space. Currently I spend my time crafting in my bedroom, but with a craft area, a wardrobe, a dressing table and a bed crammed into one very small square, I am quickly running out of room to work on projects and craft storage is fast becoming a frustrating issue.

I live with my parents and my brother and sister in a fairly spacious two story house with five bedrooms. I happen to have the smallest bedroom in the house, partly because I chose it due to the fact that it was downstairs and would save me a lot of pain in my knees (caused by arthritis). At the time I chose the bedroom, I didn't have the desire to work towards creating a craft business either, and so I've been stuck with it wondering how the heck I'm going to take orders when I'm running out of room to create and have no room to work on several different projects simultaneously.

Well, I am happy to announce that this issue will soon become a distant memory (nightmare to me) of the past. Yes, I am moving into a craft studio!! Horrah! My Dad has agreed to let me move my bedroom upstairs to what was going to be a games room, to allow me to use my current bedroom as a craft studio! Maybe taking over the kitchen table was worth it after all, or maybe it was just my whining! I cannot even begin to tell you about how excited I am!

I'm finding my room extremely crammed, claustrophobic and an absolute nightmare to clean and get organised. I just can't wait to get my bedroom moved upstairs so I have room to organise everything. The other day I got so frustrated with not being able to access my wardrobe properly (and not to mention the unruly organisation due to this problem) that I ended up blowing up at it which resulted in some punches being thrown along with tantrum kicking. I like being organised, and the ability to be organised is hampered by little space to store things, reach things and clean things. It's driving me nuts! I am definitely ready for a change.

So, on Shabby Chic Saturdays, expect lots of posts and photo updates on my mission to create the ultimate shabby chic bedroom and craft studio! I'll be moving into my new bedroom (and craft studio!) over the next few months so stay tuned....

Having a craft studio to be able to work in means that I'm another step closer to reaching my dream, closer to living even more creatively despite chronic illness, closer to developing my passion and inspiring others, and that's something worth celebrating!

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