Welcome to the Workshop

A few weeks ago, I decided I was finally going to organize a craft room for my girls.

Simple enough, right?

I spent hours assembling two IKEA Alex desks—hundreds of pieces, tiny screws everywhere, the whole experience. The desks were finally together, and all that was left was organizing the room and putting it all back together.

Except... that's not what happened.

Instead, I found myself sitting at my computer designing custom 3D-printed label clips for all of the drawers because obviously the craft room couldn't possibly be complete without perfectly labeled storage.

At some point, my husband peeked into the room, looked at the half-finished desks, bins scattered everywhere, tools still out, and asked,

"Those labels are really cool... but do you think maybe you could put the room back together before starting another project?"

He's not wrong. This is pretty much how my brain works.

Here's the desk I went with for the craft room. Each girl now has one of these on either side of the room. They were perfect, but in true IKEA fashion, time consuming to assemble.

One idea turns into another, which sparks three more, and before I know it I'm halfway through five different projects because every new possibility is just too exciting not to explore. Maybe it's undiagnosed ADD. Maybe it's just curiosity with a little too much enthusiasm. Either way, I've learned to embrace it.

Eventually, the craft room will come together beautifully.

It just might take a few unexpected detours—and a little more chaos—than originally planned.

And honestly, I think that's a pretty good description of my life.

Hi, I'm Claudia.

I'm a wife to my high school sweetheart, a mom to two wonderfully curious girls, and dog mom to our Vizsla, Cedar. By day, I'm the Director of Innovation and Design at a high school, where I have the privilege of helping students explore ideas, solve problems, and create things they never imagined they could.

Whether I'm designing a new learning experience, tackling a DIY project at home, planning a family adventure, leading my Girl Scout troop, or diving into something I'm learning in graduate school, I'm happiest when I'm creating.

That's where The Wessner Workshop comes in.

To me, a workshop isn't just a room filled with tools. It's a mindset. It's the place where ideas take shape, mistakes become lessons, and curiosity always wins.

This blog is my workshop.

It's where I'll share projects around the house, creative ideas from school, adventures with my family, lessons I'm learning, behind-the-scenes glimpses of new programs, and plenty of projects that don't always go according to plan.

Because here's the thing: I don't have it all figured out—and I don't think any of us are supposed to.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Ms. Frizzle on The Magic School Bus: "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" I can't think of a better motto.

As for the Ms. Frizzle quote... I've been a fan for a long time. Here's a throwback to Halloween 2022 when I dressed up as the queen of curiosity herself for school. And of course, the girls couldn't resist taking the iconic wig for a spin.

If something you find here inspires you to finally start that project you've been thinking about, look at a challenge a little differently, or simply embrace the beautiful mess that comes with creating something meaningful, then this workshop is doing exactly what I hoped it would.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you in the workshop.