Inspiring Spaces: Kim from Oh Sweet Joy!

Since Chris is leaving this week, I wanted to take a little time off from the blog and focus on him as well as just have some time to adjust after he leaves. So, I have some super fabulous friends sharing their creative spaces with you this week! (They happen to all be fabulous seamstresses!) They'll show you their spaces, what inspires them, and demonstrate that it's possible to have a lovely place to create whether you do it in a closet nook, on the dining room table or in a room all your own. 


 Kim from Oh Sweet Joy! is up first! Not only is Kim a creative soul, but she is also a beautifully sweet one. An inspiring friend and a fellow lover of Jesus, I am so thankful I've had the chance to get to know her. And I'm excited that you get to know her a little bit too today. 


Kim, meet Aisle to Aloha readers. Friends, meet Kim. 

Hey pretty people! I'm Kim, the writer ((err typer?)) behind the blog, Yellow Songbird,  as well as the designer of the shop -  Oh, Sweet Joy!  Lindsay asked me to help her out with some blogging this week while she soaks up some time with her man ((get it, girl)) and I was thrilled to oblige. Who can say no to her cute face?

I was also pumped to share with y'all my "creative space" and fill you in on how things around me inspire me. Are you ready? Grab a cup of coffee and get comfy. 

We recently moved to Boulder, CO into a cute two bedroom apartment. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty spacious condo, but there are only two rooms...which means I get to share my studio space with the spare bedroom. I decided I could make it work, as long as I used every bit of space wisely. The doors of the closet were non-existent ((weird, huh?)) so I decided to make a little sewing nook! I LOVE how it turned out. 

I sit down in that cute vintage chair and I'm PUMPED to get to work. Somehow all that cuteness makes even writing address on envelopes enjoyable...paired with oldies on Pandora, of course. 

You can get the low-down on all the details if you click here, but I wanted to keep things rolling with what inspires me. I love the crispness of a white space to work on, especially when I work with such fun fabrics. However, I *need* color, so robin's egg blue and yellow are my go-to happy colors. 

They are also the colors of my kitchen. I just can't get enough. 

I'll be honest. They go hand-in-hand, but nothing inspires me more than designer fabric. Anna Maria Horner is my homegirl ((I should make a t-shirt)) and takes unexpected color combinations that become my favorite...instantly. I mean, if you can make highlighter green, coral, ocean blue, and light brown work together...you've got game. 

See what I mean?

I just love that I can look at a piece of fabric and get inspired. My favorite is when I look at a certain fabric and it SCREAMS ((figuratively...my fabric doesn't yell at me)) skirt, or necklace, or handbag. My stash is getting pretty impressive and I'm on my way to being on hoarders: craft edition, BUT it makes me happy and is the number one thing that inspires my work. 

Sometimes, getting inspiration is as easy as going out for a run, clearing my head, enjoying the mountain views, and dreaming up new designs. God's creation is crying out to be noticed...and when I take the time to actually notice and soak it in, I'm unstoppable that day in my studio. 

So, today I encourage you to take it all in and be inspired. Soak up any bit of color, beauty, and inspiration that's around you. Turn it into something even more beautiful. Handmade style. :)

love.