My New Hangout!

I have been working from home since January 2011.  This is an amazing opportunity and provided for a lot of flexibility while I was finishing up chemo (Jan - June) and having bunches of surgeries.  It gives me the chance to see Evan during the day and take care of the kids when they get home from school, but if I have a heavy workload, I am able to go back to it after everyone is in bed.

This was all 100% amazing, until I realized how DISTRACTING it is to work when everyone is around.  Many people think that because I'm home, I don't work all day.  I think my husband, particularly, thinks I nap and eat ice cream all day (because that is my dream job description). As my project load became heavier, the harder it became to balance the work/life dichotomy.  And Evan could see me everyday.  Which meant, sometimes, when I was on important conference calls, this would be my view:

"Hello Mama.  I see you.  And I am going to lick the door until you open it."

This process stopped being functional once Evan learned how to maneuver the door handles, which happened about two seconds after I took this picture.

This led me to ask for more privacy.  I love the benefits of working from home, but when I am at work, I need the chance to focus on my job.  And since we had one last bedroom in the basement to finish, I asked Brian to make it my office.

We cleaned everything out of the office in July and the five-month project began.  Brian framed off the closet (thinking one day, it may be a bedroom).  We had the electrician come out and put in plenty of wiring (technical speak) and even an ethernet box, so I can have my own modem and phone in my office.  The plumber came out and fitted the room, so when we are ready to put the bar in the basement, we are all set.  Brian spent many hours installing the door, window and trim work, working very hard to match everything to the rest of the house.  The painters came, the carpet came and finishing touches were made.  Then, while I was recovering from this last surgery, Brian and my Mom made several trips to a bazillion stores to get the final details (no exaggeration).

Last items to get: armchair (which is being delivered in two weeks) and a table for my printer.

A nice snuggly little corner for me to read in.

I love my OWN little space.  I've never had a space ALL TO MYSELF.  There aren't toys or computers or messes.  Everything is neat and organized and perfectly MINE!  I still have some finishing touches to make, like putting decorations on the bottom of the bookshelves and filling up pictures frames, but this is the best Christmas gift ever.  I have been able to have conference calls with ZERO interruptions (or loss of train of thought) and still sneak upstairs for a little Evy kiss when needed.

I love my beautiful office and am so grateful to have such a thoughtful and handy husband.  If I ever have to stop working from home, I am going to have high expectations that the building I move into is outfitted with Pottery Barn and Pier One furnishings.