Easing Into Normal

Trying to get back in the swing of things. There's always that sort of "in limbo" feeling after the holidays. At least for me, and especially this year. With both Christmas and New Years falling on Sunday and the holiday being observed on Monday, it was hard to even remember what day of the week it was.

Hubby and I both have started out the year doing what we normally do. Cleaning out the files, sorting and shredding papers. Moving things around, attempting to get more organized for another fresh start. There are no resolutions made around here, we just strive to tidy things up and begin with a clean slate.

He is always done with his part of this much sooner than I am. Well of course he is! I have tons more stuff to sort than he does. Last week I mostly re-organized art supplies and condensed the amount, and got rid of a lot. I am embarrassed to let anyone even know how many PENS, MARKERS, PAINTS, I had to toss. This has needed to be done for some time, and I've put it off for months. Well, I now have only pens that work, and several empty drawers and containers to put other stuff in. Buying stuff to store so we won't run out is foolish, and wasteful. How guilty I feel about having spent so much money on things that I kept around for so long they dried up.

After spending a few hours each day last week on this chore, I am starting to see some headway. I was even feeling enthused about getting started on some art projects. Then on the week-end the temperature warmed up to the 70's and we all got hit with CEDAR FEVER. This is the main seasonal allergy that strikes here every year right after Christmas and lasts a couple of months. I had it really bad for a couple of days. I could not stop blowing the nose, so got very little done. It cooled off yesterday and rained, so that calmed the cedar down. I immediately felt better. I vote for a long cold winter, as I can't function when the cedar is high. I'm back at my organizing this week. And keep finding little tidbits that make me want to sit right down and make a collage or two. Yay!

Sunday Evening... 95 degrees

Mother's Day Sunday. I cooked, we watched CBS Sunday Morning, went out to get a newspaper, called both our Mothers.
I made up this recipe for a savory bread pudding. It has bread, milk, and eggs, of course. I added some Italian herbs, and the best thing...lots of BACON. For an experiment, it turned out pretty well. It was a one dish meal, and very filling. Next time I will add some cheese, but only had cheddar on hand and that didn't appeal to me today. I'm thinking some Gruyere next time.


It got way too hot too early for me so I stayed in. With coffee, and a few chocolates and a big pile of books and magazines. Fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon as far as I'm concerned.




Hubby? He went golfing. The heat doesn't bother him. We did have a high of 97 today. Tonight a light salad and maybe a movie. A nice relaxing week-end. Oh, of course the hubby played golf yesterday as well and I went shopping with a friend for a few new art supplies. Now I just need to use some of those supplies this week.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

That's how I feel most days. Here we go again.
I've been busy cleaning and sorting. Mostly sorting, papers and art stuff. I am constantly reorganizing, trying to make things easier to find. I have been very frustrated with my current state of affairs of too much stuff, and not being able to find all the required items when I decide to do a project. Well, I do make such a mess when I do any project. Then if I don't put everything back where I got it, it gets buried under something else. It's a mess of my own making, so no one can fix it but me.

I'm breaking up the monotony of sorting by doing a few small projects. Nothing significant, just little putterings to keep myself convinced that I really am going to use all these supplies! HA I keep discovering things I bought that I forgot about, then a bell goes off..Oh yeah, I was gonna, you know, do that, this or there was a very important reason I needed that. Yikes!

I made a couple of cards for my Dad(horse diagrams), a card and mail art envy for my Mom, decorated some jars I'd been storing tiny things in, worked on some Lunar New Year cards(still finishing those up)and I made a quick Valentine hangy thing on VDay while hubby was cooking us dinner.



My goal is to do a few small things every week, even if it's just a card, tag, ATC or collage. I need to get in the habit of finishing things, instead of starting, starting, starting...you get the idea. My mind goes in too many directions at once.

A Not So Secret Pact

In almost every conversation with my friend Sue, we both bemoan the fact that we have too much stuff.... Not just art stuff, but everything. Mostly art stuff though. Yet we are constantly buying more. Having so much stuff means that some of it gets misplaced. So sometimes when we buy more, it is to replace something we already bought but can't find.

So, as we do often in every year, but obviously not often enough.. Ha Ha. We have declared February to be NO ART SUPPLY PURCHASE month! So if one of us is tempted by a coupon...or a sale at anyplace, we will call one another for support. Of course, right after making this pact once again, we started tossing in qualifiers.. What if Michaels or JoAnn's has a 50% coupon? What if we really do need another glue pot of some kind? Probably because we can't find the one we bought last month. OY How about a book we already "pre-ordered". Does that count? What if Tim Holtz comes out with a new die cut we cannot live without? We have come up with several excuses. We will just have to do the best we can. I know we can do it. Me more than her! Hear that Sue? Well, it's really only because she is exposed to way more tempting situations than I am.

Well, here is the plan. We will start today, and try to create something every day or two, using only what we have on hand. No new stuff! I think I could be locked in my art room every day for a year and not need anything new. Providing I could find it. Two examples are: I decided I wanted to carve stamps again. Can't locate my entire box of carving tools. Then I decided I really wanted to just do some old fashioned stamping. Found the embossing powders, and the pad and ink refill...Now where is the heat gun that I probably haven't used in 5 years? Nowhere to be found. Both a heat gun and carving tools are not lightly replaced because they are kind of costly. I probably don't need to mention how many other categories I went through before I found a couple that I actually can LOCATE everything I need for it. I can do some FELTING, because all my felting supplies are in one of those large plastic 3 drawer organizer thingies. But I don't really want to felt right now. I could do some stenciling, as all of those supplies are in one place. I'd really like to do some of that. Oh but wait, right now it is 28 degrees in the garage, and even colder outside. I can't do my stenciling without spray paint.

So...it's back to the drawing board. I may have to rethink the felting. Maybe a few small things just to get the feel of it. That's what I usually do with the felt stuff. Take it all out of the drawers, FEEL it and then put it back.

Hopefully I might have a project to show in a day or two.

Cocooning at Home

Yesterday at breakfast, Hubster announced he was taking me out to lunch and to a matinee. My first reaction was reluctance, as I have been perfectly content to just stay at home of late. Only going out for the necessary supplies and errands. For some reason I have been leaning towards staying home snuggled up, drinking tea or coffee, having soup and bread for lunch or dinner. I've been sorting art supplies, but not really making any art. Cleaning out drawers and rearranging things. Just fluffing my nest I guess. My life has become really simple and I have been enjoying it a great deal, but I feel I could go overboard and become a real recluse if not careful. Perhaps I am shutting out reality and am in denial. I have found myself avoiding some of the important things that probably should be done, but I feel certain they will get done in good time.

So,anyhow, we went out to lunch and to the movies. Hubster said how could I turn down a chance to see the love of my life on the big screen. Soooo...off we went. We mostly watch movies at home, not at the theatre often. It was a good movie, and RDJ was at his best as he always is. The only problem I have with movies lately, is they all seem so visually dark and I have a hard time seeing what is going on. This was no different. The thing I like about the theatre we go to is we always go to the early show, and we wait till the movie has been out for awhile. There are usually only 6 to 8 people in the theatre, sometimes fewer, so it feels like a private showing. Yes, I am certain that most people who wanted to see this movie did so on opening day, but I decided against that, because I don't like crowded theatres with germs flying about. I wonder if getting more cautious is just a part of old age creeping in?

RDJ is such a good actor, that I will go to see him in any movie he makes. He's pretty darn cute too!

Perfecting my Disorganizational Skills

Some days I feel like I spend half my time searching for things. Doesn't matter what it is I need, I have to go on a search for it. No wonder I rarely get any artwork done. By the time I have uncovered everything I need for a project, I am so exhausted I don't have the energy to create. There was a time many years ago I was probably one of the most organized people on the planet. That is what is so baffling about the problems I am having now. How and when did this happen? Well, I suppose part of it is just amassing so darn much "STUFF". Living in the same place for 16 years has contributed to it as well. When one moves every 3 to 5 years there is a constant cleaning out of things to lighten the load. Being able to indulge in my passion for all things paper, as well as my shiny magpie nature, has led to gathering way too much. I haven't had to make many choices over the past few years, just gather whatever suits my fancy. Gather it in faster than you use it up and pretty soon you have a problem. I was thinking I might be a hoarder, until I actually saw an episode of that show. Well, what a relief to find I am NOT. Of course it is just one of the many jokes among us creative types, that yes, I really DO need 27 pairs of scissors. Actually if you ask the hubster, he would probably say I have more than that. Sigh. Well, what prompted this ranting and raving, you ask? Once again, I have misplaced something that I have spent days searching for. My lovely Frida Kahlo necklace that I made for Dia de los Muertos several years ago. I didn't have it for the parade last Saturday, and it appears I won't have it for the actual celebrations this week-end. It is very important to me, so why don't I put it back in the same place twice? No, I lay it down wherever I happen to take it off, and then it gets buried with something else, or swept into a basket when I am "tidying" up. And that is not the only Dia de los Muertos jewelry I have misplaced, so it must all be hanging out together someplace. Even though I did have a few things to wear, I really need and want my Frida necklace. The hubster wants the shrine I made for him a few years ago too, but says he understands...Odds are I will find it next week when I am searching for something else.

The small collection I was able to find to wear.