It’s the new year, which means I finally got my butt in gear and cleaned up the office. You have to realize that we procrastinated until the literal last minute packing – which means most stuff just got thrown into boxes. Haphazard and unmarked they were stacked and strewn across the floor. Then the wedding came. Then the honeymoon came. Then the wedding recovery period happened. Next it was Halloween, then Thanksgiving and Christmas. So finally after being moved in for eight months we shook the office down. It still needs some work, but it’s miles ahead of the hoarders nest it formerly looked like!

I was kind of going for minimalist, modern with a touch of rustic and antique. If that makes any sense at all.

I really love how it turned out and have been dreaming of having a space of my own to write ever since I moved out for college. If you’re curious about why I chose the items I did you can read  on below!

Dare to Cultivate Office Reveal

1. Out to Lunch Sign

Now you have to realize that I share an office with my husband. Also that our office is at the end of the hallway in our trailer. So its a little bit of a joke that I have an out to lunch sign. Because obviously one would be able to tell if the other was out for lunch. But I absolutely love it. One day I’ll have a bigger office (and it might not be from home) and the sign will get some actual use. For now I think it’s a good excuse to leave a little bit of a mess when projects are in progress out on the desk.

2. My Amazon Echo

Guys I would have never bought this for myself. Because I’m a frugal person. But it was a Christmas gift and is one of my favorites! I love that it plays music (now I don’t run down the battery on my phone or overwhelm my laptop). But the thing I enjoy most is that I don’t have to take the time to set reminders or alarms. I just tell Alexa to do that for me, which is a great way to utilize the pomodoro time system to find a few extra hours a day.

3. Dad’s Vest

You have to realize that I’m incredibly proud of my heritage. It’s the motivating factor regarding my passion for the agricultural community. This was dad’s vest. You can see that it’s stained and worn. I have his matching chaps too, I just couldn’t find a shadow box big enough yet!

4. Jersey Journal Magazine Cover

My grandmother was raised on a Jersey dairy farm and she showed dairy cattle alongside her three sisters through 4-H. I finally got a photocopy of the magazine cover she and her sisters were featured on in a shadow box. I also made sure to include the tape to estimate live weight that my grandmother used.

5. Ideal Jersey Cow

This cow was something that from the time I was small I absolutely adored. It sat on one of my grandmother’s book shelves. It’s delicate features and dished face made my heart happy. It was one of the items that she treasured quite a bit and I even have the Longhorn that was placed alongside it nearby.

6. Farm Animal Stress Balls

Writing and working within a deadline can be frustrating. These are little farm animal stress balls that I collected from all of the places I was able to visit in college from a variety of Agricultural Communications/Beef and FFA Conferences/Conventions.

7. Inspirational Books

Who doesn’t need a few books that they’re in love with? The top book is an old FFA manual I came across in my great grandfather’s home after he passed. I also have an old edition of Feeds and Feeding which is a book detailing livestock nutrition. I rented a much newer version when I took this class a few semesters ago. Some of the books are inspirational ones I’m working on reading and a few others I’m published in.

8. Dare to Cultivate Canvas Tote

I’m not going to lie, I cried when I unwrapped this gift. It’s from my little brother. When I opened it he said he thought I needed to have it. That he believed in me and my brand and my dream. It made my heart swell until tears crept out of the corner of my eyes and ruined my makeup. I do love that boy!

9. Take Chances Quote

Everyone needs an inspirational quote in their life. This wall art actually came from a dear friend upon graduation and I’m finally happy that it’s out of the box (after a whole year) and can be put to good use.

10. Schlothauer Family Crest

My grandparents had some research done about what our family crest would have looked like.  What I enjoy most about the crest is that it specifies how many families that shared the surname when it was printed. Which was only about fifty. My parents used to tell us that we were the only Schlothauer’s in New Mexico as a reminder to behave with class. It’s still important to me to do my family’s legacy proud.

There’s something so fulfilling about having a space to call your own to work in. This office is something I’ve been dreaming about for awhile. While it may not look super functional and may not be everyone’s cup of tea I’m so excited to work in here everyday!

Do you have your own office? What’s your favorite part about it?

Thanks for reading!

Lauren