How to Clean a Table

Guess what I am doing on my Christmas Vacation - the short version for today....
 

See craft table. Problem - no work space? You think?

Dump all stuff off of craft table -- weeeeeeeeee rock!

Back to reality -- Review stuff and then Organize

Time for lunch yet?  OK, I know I am not fooling you and yes, all the stuff is still on the floor.  So excuse me while my job to tackle today is one blob of stuff on floor.  A little bit at a time and also waiting on book from Amazon, "Shed you Stuff" -- Sure, I think that is like shedding the hair over your lip - it keeps coming back.  OK - lunch and will check in later, peeps.  PS - need my creative space back since I want to join in the "Hope Flag Project" organized by Leighanna Light out of New Mexico. Stay warm and if you are where the snow is blowing - you are lucky.  Would like a snow day here in Northern Virginia.  Details for this project exists on Facebook.

When is Too Much Too Much?

It is time now to seriously, like seriously tackle the craft room I have been whining about for years.  And I mean tackle.  I have a number of things organized in my life and this is the last vestige of total chaos.

SO, what I am thinking about - yes, I am using you as a sounding board.  I'm thinking I should just pack everything up as if I were going to move.  Over the years since 1998 my art has changed.  We have gone from scrapbooking, to stamping, to making cards, to altered books, to mixed media.

I have tools that are never used anymore. What to do with all of it? Good question and one I need to ponder. Maybe will pack and give to a local stamp store, Angela's Happy Stamper, for her to donate to worthy causes.

Anyway, just had to get this off my chest because I am going to take this step and it will be a little drastic and interesting to see where I stop. I have seriously considered packing it ALL up and starting all over.

What started this was my note from The Universe:

"Sometimes, Marlynn, if the direction you're about to move feels 'right' in your head and heart, yet the first few steps look pretty daunting, no fun, and maybe even scary, you should take those first few steps anyway and get 'em over with.
     "And I'm not just saying that because watching you in action gives me goose bumps.
     "Oh.... behave,
            "The Universe."

Me and the Harl will keep you posted, peeps.  Enjoy the weekend.

Send in the Clowns, Please

Today, yes, we did need to send in the clowns .... Been working all day on the craft room. Still throwing out trash, made a trip to the Goodwill, and more stuff placed in the "donate" piles. I feel good as I yawn.

I have had this wonderful box for a long time.....

Decided it would work in the laundry area - you can see it since the sliding door is waiting for my brother to show up for Thanksgiving. He will need to either help me get it back in the "ruts"and "grooves" or it will be tossed. Couldn't do it myself. It is a heavy piece of wood.....

So with this being opened, it forced me to clean the area and lots went to the Goodwill - clean clothes in a laundry basket - a second basket -- not the one you see with clean towels......

The bathroom looked like hoarders heaven - Larcy and Pup Oliver stopped by - we decided it was a hoarders haven since you were not using the room for its original purpose. . . yup, couldn't raise that lid with all the junk on it.

Larcy:  Where did the stuff come from?  Me:  Remember last Thanksgiving with my surgeries and how we threw all the stuff into the closet without any sorting? Larcy:  yes. Me:  In order to begin organizing I had to drag all those "bags" out of the closet and put them somewhere and the bed was not available!

Bed looks much much better now.... yes, it does, I just don't wanna get up and go take a photo of it! I am lounging remember! LOL. Have a great evening! I am having salmon and steamed veggies for dinner. Getting ready to work on the cross stitch again. Just remember as we begin our new week,

Keep on smiling!

Getting ready for the Thanksgiving Visitors

For those of you who have followed me for years, you know that I am visited each Thanksgiving by my brother and nephew (who is also my godson). This year we have the pleasure of my niece and her son joining the fray! Which means I will be cooking a turkey for Jim, Aaron, Kim, Caden, Larcy/Phil/Oliver. We will have a grand time. The only stress I always always have is getting the craft room ready so Aaron will have a bed. YES, every year we go down this road. But this year is a little different. I am taking time to purge, clean, and store the stuff instead of throwing in a closet at the last minute in order for a room that Aaron can walk into.

So, with Elizabeth (Altered Book Lover) in my head:  "like things with like things" and Terri (Artful Affirmations) sending me photos of her studio as she cleans, I have been inspired to keep plugging away. Terri wrote me this week and told me she felt like she had almost 50% done BUT it didn't look like it. BAM - I knew what she meant and probably why I always get frustrated and start tossing things in the closet.

After viewing her photos, and yes, she did manage to get me to open the door last Saturday so she could take a look, I have been working all day on that room - all day - and tomorrow will be doing the same. Here is where my binding machines and coils are living at the moment...... All together in one spot! Yes, you do see the Bind-It-All, the Rubicoil, and the Clinch..... geez, and I need three because.... the one you don't see is the little 7 Gypsies Binderie.

I have craft stuff to donate and luckily have a place to drop it off at, I have stuff for the Goodwill, and I have carted out trash all day.  Here is the craft stuff:

And Goodwill:

My mantra right now is -- let someone else enjoy it for awhile! OK, I admit it, I am a little tired tonight and am planning on doing some cross stitch after I finish this post.

And, last but not least - I never let you all see the last two ATC cards in the alphabet series.  A and B. A = Amour and B = Bats

I know this is a little off kilter but that is me at the moment! LOL My mind is still upstairs toss and purging, OH my! AND of course, learning to use my new white beautiful 4s iPhone..... yes, I crossed over and kissed the BlackBerry Good Bye....

Earthquakes, Hurricane, New Windows, Hello Peeps

And how was your week..... Mine went like this:  Last Tuesday we had a 5.8 earthquake here in Northern Virginia. Hmmmm, never knew they were that noisy.  Here on this coast (east) earthquakes don't happen and the first thing I thought of was there was an explosion somewhere. Or in the back regions of the mine - a terrorist attack? Nope, we don't have earthquakes.  But we did. Rather interesting, I sometimes over think things and see things in amazement.

 A freaking 5.8 earthquake - yes I did pick up the few pieces that were knocked off shelves in condo.

By Thursday our thoughts got over the earthquake and we were now focused on a hurricane called Irene. Well, Irene did do damage but here in my humble abode, wasn't that bad in Sterling, VA. I was not complaining.

However, the greatest event of the week was my new windows. Now, although I live in a condo, the cost of the windows are mine, not sure how the association got that one through while we were all sleeping, but they did. So since we got a new roof, new siding, why not go on and get the windows.

It was a production. Little did I know I would have men hanging out my windows. (I am on the third and fourth floor - what a show.) Had photos of the men hanging on my FaceBook post for those who friend me there.

Since all furniture had to be moved away from the windows, all curtains taken down, why not start washing and cleaning everything.

 I swear I worked from dawn till dusk on Friday just cleaning and cleaning. Got most back to normal:  bedroom,

dining room,

 kitchen, a n d -- the living room almost. Yes, I am purging. How many tacky glue's can a girl have?

Made one trip to Goodwill and still working away on old magazines. I, can honestly tell you I am grateful for the show Hoarders. While purging I run the questions thru my mind;  1) trash; 2) give away; or 3) keep. I started giving some of my cross-stitch kits away - they have just been sitting. Let someone else have the joy of sewing them.

I am breathing in and out slowly. Listening again to Wayne Dyer's "The Shift" as I drive to and from work. It does my soul good to listen to him and his positive way of life and thinking. I have not created any art work and was, once again, thinking of walking away from the blog for a while. AND then before I put the Summer 2009 Artful Blogging  magazine (a Stampington & Company publication) in the Goodwill basket, I read:

"When you blog, you are opening up your heart, your studio, your art, and/or your home. In many ways you bare a part of your soul. People begin to know you well and care about you and what you are writing about. An artful blog that is created by you with your words and photos and insights is a special gift that only you can give. It's always worth the work to give the gift of yourself."

So, after the year we have shared together with my breast cancer and the comfort, care, prayers, and love you all gave me, hey, I will hang in while I get this purging done and go through my dry spell. My muse is off on vacation but I know she will be back shortly. And, I still have a few more alpha ATC cards to share with you. The news for this week is that I will be going to the US Open Tennis Tourney in NYC on Thursday and will have some photos for you.  If you would like to "friend" me on FaceBook, please feel free to do so. I have been posting there more recently than the blog - why, because I do it from my little "crackerberry" - LOL.

Yes, it is A to Z peeps, once again

No, I have not run away from you and no I have not forgotten our next three letters, F, G, H.

I enjoyed all of these and in fact the "F" was one of the very early alpha ATC.

Enjoyed working on the G because I always love the Gypsy in my soul.

H = Help Wanted. Pink Poodle and all.

I have been busy the last two weeks. Last week made a quick run to the Queen's Ink a shop about 55 miles away. What a pleasant surprise to see how they have built up the shopping area.

Also had to clean out my office to get ready for a wood floor. This is the office I have been sitting in for 17 years.... 17 years. Yes, I did find some dust that old. Tossed files, and got it empty.

Can't wait to see it on Monday.... and yes, you too will see photos. Headed to dinner and a play tonight. I did get a "grocery box" notebook done and in the mail, will show it to you tomorrow, in the meantime here is a little peek at it,

We are getting some needed rain this afternoon, tonight, and tomorrow. At least I did get tennis in on Thursday, Friday, and this morning. Tomorrow is out, shucks! But I have Hoarders tv show going to get me motivated to grab another "bag" from the craft room to go through!