My Version of Lent

I've started following FlyLady again--the wonderful Marla Cilley who wrote Sink Reflections and managed to indoctrinate into my mind that "I can do anything for 15 minutes".

Since I have developed health issues and am having to change my diet (i.e., fewer packaged foods and more fresh, healthy food), I've realized my kitchen needs re-worked so I can cook in smaller portions.  I've also realized I'd started collecting books in the hope I would read them someday (no matter that I have both a Nook and a Kindle LOL).  Let's not even think about all the craft supplies I have purchased because I like them and hope to use them "someday"...

So as I look around, I find more and more things that are taking up space but that are not used or that I purchased on impulse and don't totally love.  Hence the need to be "fly-washed" once more ;-)

We are currently decluttering for forty days--disposing of something no longer needed each day.  So far I have gathered up Pyrex bakeware I have not used since I purchased it in 2006 thinking I would be doing a lot of entertaining now that I am back in my hometown (insert laughter here).  I've thrown out "only good enough to wear around the house" undies--you ladies know what I mean, and we should love ourselves enough to wear decent underclothes daily.  I'd been storing up used mailing envelopes to re-use and that made sense when I had an active Paperback Swap account, but now that I have closed that account for the time being, I no longer need two large shopping bags full of used padded mailers LOL.

I'm taking fifteen minutes a day and disposing of something and I already feel better about the way my home looks.  If you suffer from any degree of CHAOS ("Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome") come join me and thousands of others around the world as we learn to FLY ("Finally Loving Yourself").

2012 Reading Page--Revisiting The Idea

Talk about getting ungainly and out-of-control quite quickly--I've only read three books this year and the posting of those reviews onto a separate blog page has already become unwieldy and unattractive.

Somehow, I was hoping that each separate "page" on this blog could have individual posts just like the home page.  After studying the (sometimes honestly confusing) Blogger Help pages, it seems that each blog page is designed for static information.  Therefore, adding book reviews as each book is read rather defeats the purpose because if I don't want to scroll downward constantly, how could I expect my visitors/followers to do something I'm unwilling to do?  LOL

So let's revisit the idea.  Using my word of the year--FOCUS--I will re-focus that page into a simple listing of the books I read this year.  Before it gets any crazier on that page, I will move the actual reviews onto my home page as separate posts (which will also allow for each to get labelled appropriately--another way to FOCUS information).  I can also add cover photos at times with direct links (and no, this blog is still not monetized--whenever possible, the links will go directly to the author's website and you can choose purchase options from there).

I hope this makes more sense for you dear readers, because it certainly will be easier and more sensible for me.  As always, feedback is welcome.

2012 Word of the Year = FOCUS

Main Entry: focus  
Function: intransitive verb
: to concentrate attention or effort -- "she was already focusing on her next role"

"focus." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. 

Merriam-Webster, 2002. 

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (1 Jan. 2012)

The last 56 years have taught me that I am not a person who needs to make a lot of New Year's resolutions (see yesterday's post to understand some of the reasons why).  I do need to set yearly goals or guidelines so that I'm not floundering around willy-nilly for the next 365 days.  When I recently read somewhere of the idea that a single word could help me concentrate my efforts, I decided my word for 2012 would be "FOCUS".

In 2012, I want to focus on:

• My Blessings more and my disappointments less
• Creating items, not collecting supplies--even though the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini that starts January 4th is the best Mini ever, and 2012 Sale-A-Bration begins on January 24th, LOL
• Shrinking my TBR mountain, not increasing it--and as I complete a book, I want to post reviews in appropriate places
• Writing more and researching less--the first TGAN draft needs to be completed by July
• Blogging more consistently--this blog will continue its multiple purposes (crafting, writing, and my life in general)
• Networking more with other writers
• Eating healthy foods in smaller portions
• Increasing my retirement savings as I decrease my debt

And now a caveat for my readers:  2012 is an election year in the United States, and my friends know I'm a political junkie.  So far, I have kept politics off this blog primarily because I feel the election cycle has become way too drawn out.  Although I will try to maintain a balance here, part of learning the art of focus means also that I must be even more true to my inner self than I have been in the past.  Hopefully, any discussion occurring here as a result of a post will be respectful and calm.  I do reserve the right to edit or delete comments containing any form of hate speech or excessive expletives.  I don't expect all my readers to agree--I do expect them to be respectful of others' opinions.

I may or may not post specific goals as the year progresses, but I will keep track of my need to focus on the subjects listed above.  Do you have a focus for 2012?

Letting Go and Starting Over

"Letting go is an act of strength and courage.

It helps healing begin, frees you of the weight of the past,

and opens doors to a new future." 

~~Stephanie Tourles, Lift Me Up

My mother's voice is screaming in my subconscious, trying to strangle me into the belief that I failed miserably in 2011.  I did not complete my reading challenges.  I did not get 50K written during either Camp NaNoWriMo session, nor during November--in fact, I don't believe I got 50K written on my novel this year.  I did not make, much less post, a lot of cards--even my best friends did not receive handmade birthday greetings (some were lucky to get a quick e-mail acknowledging their big day).  I did not lose weight.  I did not pay off all my debt.  

Mother, I loved you, but your unrealistic expectations for me while you lived damn near drove me into insanity and helped encourage some really bad behaviors for years, so please allow me to kindly (but firmly) tell you to be quiet.  I'm grown and I make my own decisions (and accept the consequences of those decisions).

I hereby let go of the unfinished idealized list of accomplishments I had set for myself for 2011.  No more weighing myself down with regret or negative self-talk.  No more wallowing in what did not happen the way I wanted it to.

I did accomplish many things in 2011:

• Attended on-site training at my job (which helped me stay actively employed all year)
• Paid off one of five student loans
• Kept my Stampin' Up! demonstrator status active (and increased my customer base)
• Learned multiple new software programs
• Set up a complete wireless network in my apartment to maximize the connectivity of my work equipment to the company network (allowing me to continue to work remotely)
• Decreased my carbon footprint by decreasing my electrical usage in my home (even with record Texas summer heat)
• Replaced my microwave after accidentally almost starting a fire in it one night while I was busily writing
• Upgraded my laptop after managing to fry the hard drive in the old one

I also read for pleasure--primarily on my Kindle or my Kindle for Android app.  Between Paperback Swap and donations to my local public library, I succeeded in moving over 300 books out of my apartment.  On the other hand, I  brought in about 150 physical volumes because I still cannot seem to do historical research without actually highlighting passages and making margin notes LOL.

Speaking of historical research, I did a lot of it--and read quite a bit about the craft of writing and publishing (and about marketing yourself).  I didn't reach my goal of 100 complete books in this year, but I did manage to read portions of over 100--see, research to me doesn't always mean reading from beginning to end; some of the Civil War material I have accumulated may never be read cover-to-cover, but it is being read as necessary to help with accuracy for a specific scene.  The same with various texts on using software programs--most of these texts are getting used weekly and marked accordingly, yet only as the information is required.

Was I a success in 2011?  Why, yes--I may not be rich monetarily, or have a managerial position at my job.  I don't own a home or a car.  But none of these things define success for me.  I have friends.  I have a comfortable apartment and a lease until 2014.  I have a wonderful job with nice benefits.  I have my health.  I have a slowly increasing retirement savings account and a slowly decreasing debt load.  I have hope for both my future and the future of this great land (still the best place in the world to live). 

What else could a woman hope for?  My Blessings are many and my regrets for the past are very few.  With that attitude toward my future, my end of year message to my Mother's ghost is simply this--I am indeed a successful, happy human being full of delight in the present and ideas for the future. 

Here's to opening doors of wonder and delight for 2012!

Oops! Missed the Deadline (AKA Gotta Get More Organized)

Well, I misread the deadline for Jingle Belles this week and missed being able to enter the "No Red, She Said" challenge by a few hours :-(

I've tried to play there faithfully but just couldn't find my creative mojo this week where crafting is concerned (although I did outline a few chapters for my novel).  I need to work out a schedule of sorts I guess--a way to keep track of the posting days and the deadlines for the card challenges I enjoy.  So far, it's been hit or miss (mainly miss) and I want to get more organized. 

So, you card makers out there--how do you keep track?  On a calendar?  Make a daily/weekly chart?  What works for you?  All I know is what is not currently working for me...

Gearing Up for Fall

How I wish fall was in the air--it's still 100 degrees outside and it is after 7 PM.  But I find myself gearing up for autumn--usually happens this way when the school supplies go on sale.  See, I'm an office supply junkie.  Nothing excites me quite like new #2 pencils, pristine notebook paper and a brand new box of Crayola crayons.

The office end of my new studio is pretty well finished--I've hung the curtains and put "bright light" bulbs in the lamps.  I've set up my bill-paying/household hub area and set up a filing system for current papers.  I finally purchased my autographed copy of "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty, the genius behind National Novel Writing Month (AKA NaNoWriMo, which is actually international in scope now).  My copy came yesterday, and I can hardly wait to hunker down and read it this week ;-)

The lamps over my sewing table and my crafting table both have daylight bulbs, so even without an overhead fixture, I have task lighting where needed.  My crafting supplies have been severely decluttered, especially any non-Stampin' Up! products, to the delight of my granddaughter, some crafty friends, and the Salvation Army.  I realized that I am a collector of "stuff"--five years from Katrina and my house was crammed to the rafters in crafting supplies and books, all of which I fully intended to get around to "someday". 

Well, there are only so many hours in the day for anyone, especially a working writer, so I am being ruthless this time in only keeping what I truly love and will use consistently.  In crafting, that's Stampin' Up!  In reading, I happen to have a wondrous library less than a mile up the street, so only my research materials and those books I re-read periodically need to grace my shelves on a permanent basis. 

My books are being sorted into piles--Paperback Swap, Friends of the Library/Salvation Army, and keep.  I've already lowered my TBR mountain by over 200 volumes and want to pare the remaining 500+ by another third or so before Labor Day.  I had to put my Paperback Swap account on hold because of the number of hoarded books other members are wishing for--I need to replenish my postage account there in a big way before I can accept requests LOL!

So, just a bit more to do before the big reveal here, and I hope to be finished by September--then even if it stays 100 degrees plus here, my house will be decluttered, clean, and ready for fall ;-)

Office Relocation

Here's what I did this past weekend (with tons of help from a BFF who brought her hubby and son along to manhandle furniture)...you can see the before pictures on a prior post. 

Here's my new office desk.  The small table to the right shows where the studio part of the room begins--it holds my die-cut machine on top with various accessories and my current Stampin' Up! wood mount stamps are in that cart as well.  The desk itself is from Staples and the husband/son combo mentioned above were my knights in shining armor to put it--and its twin--together.  I love my balance ball chair!  The ergonomics are superb and I can also use the ball separately for quick stretching sessions on my breaks ;-)  The small cart to the left is under the window and holds my paper shredder, my "to be filed" papers, and my boom box (gotta have classic rock while I work LOL).

Then, here's my "personal" side of the room, where I handle household business.  It is set up in such a way that I can easily do research for my novel and also work my SU! business.  Since the room is bigger, the claustrophobia is gone and I no longer want to run from the room when my work shift is over LOL.  It is also amazing what having matching furniture in this room is doing for my self-confidence.  I already feel more professional about both my writing and Stampin' Up! as a part-time job.  And I have to mention the printer--it duplexes!  I've posted before that I am an old-fashioned researcher who highlights research materials and rough drafts.  Well, being able to print in draft mode and auto-duplex is a great way to save paper and ink! 

In case you are wondering, the network cabling went off without a hitch--I still need to hide it under the carpet as it runs through my bedroom and the living room, but the distance from the modem to the router was no problem after all, which was such a Blessing!

The part of the room to the left of my personal desk will eventually hold my sewing table (I hope to get that part of the room organized next weekend).  Then comes a shelf unit with various crafting supplies.  The closet is a walk-in and is currently transitioning from my clothes to general storage so may be photographed later but certainly not yet ;-)  Between the closet and the bathroom door (this room was designed to be the master bedroom), I have placed a shelving unit and my fan.  I'll add those pictures to my next post so I can show off the studio side of the room...

Office Relocation, Phase One

You all know I work from home.  I'm in the same room of my house from 6:30 AM to at least 4 PM and if I am using my personal desktop, it is even longer. 

So, these are two corners of my universe:

and then of course, my crafting studio is in this room as well, so if I should be trying to make cards, sew, quilt, etc., I am in the room even more.  There is a small window with a bakers rack full of junk between the two desks, but since it looks directly into the patio and living room of the apartment across the way, I don't always have the blinds open.

As this is the smallest room in the apartment and the one most full of "stuff", it is hot, cramped and crowded...and I am miserable.

Especially after I was having A/C problems the first time (last month), I began looking for solutions.  I hate the mismatched desks.  I hate the fact they are 1) both corner desks, 2) they are neither one actually set into a corner, 3) the style of the desks preclude storing items the way I like to store them...in short, they may have been cheap solutions at the time, but they aren't working appropriately for my lifestyle.

So, as I started looking for better desks, I asked the advice of some friends.  They know me--they know I collect office supplies and craft supplies and have a large research library.  They also know I keep my A/C set on 80 to control my electric bill.  Their solution?  Switch my office with my bedroom.  What a concept LOL.

See, my bedroom is much larger.  I cannot put a ceiling fan in my current office because it would blow stuff around on my crafting table, but if that room was my bedroom, a ceiling fan would be an option.  The closet in that room has double sliding doors and would be more than sufficient for my small wardrobe, while the walk-in closet in the current bedroom would allow for storage that would NOT have to be out in the open.

When I first moved in, I did not consider this a viable option as I was having to run Ethernet cable along the baseboard and punch holes in the wall simply to hook up my work PC.   I was fearful of the distance and what it would do to my signal strength.  Now, however, with a state-of-the-art modem and wireless router, moving my work equipment another 15 or 20 feet should pose no problem. 

I'll post more pictures soon--especially the wonderful new matching desks I found!

The Good Life

I'm back--Most of my network problems are fixed here at the house.  The early heat wave caught my A/C by surprise, but it is now working (it looks to be a long, hot Texas summer).  My laptop's replacement battery should be here any day now.  My day job is back to "normal" after software changes and upgrades.  In other words, general living is giving me a short break LOL.

When the network was down, I managed to study the art of writing historical fiction. I also managed to do quite a bit of research the old-fashioned way, and I am now back to crafting scenes.  I do so love being productive ;-)

Several home projects are also in the works.  I've decided that the room I spend the majority of my time inside should be the largest and coolest room in the house, so I am in the process of switching my office/studio and my bedroom.  It is giving me an opportunity to cull non-Stampin' Up! crafting items (my granddaughter is a budding artist and always loves supplies) and to replace my mismatched desks with coordinating pieces.  Of course, this will take several months--and a couple of vacation days while I do the final switch as new Ethernet needs to be run--but I hope to have it all in order by Labor Day.

Speaking of Stampin' Up!  I just got My Digital Studio and I am so excited!  I'll be posting a video later this week about this great software.  We've just posted our Last Chance List for the 2009-2010 catalog year, and I have already placed my first order for 2010-2011 Idea Books and Catalogs (they go "live" July 1st).  Feel free to check out all the goodies (including info on our new Color Collections); they are on my recently updated website.

And, I must admit--I played a bit (not something I do often).  I went to see Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood.   Both are excellent in their own way; my tip of the hat goes to Robin Hood for the most realistic portrayal of the original folk tales (and this comes from a person who has loved the Errol Flynn version since girlhood).  These will definitely be added to my DVD library as soon as possible, to be watched and enjoyed again and again.  Robin Hood actually ranks up there with Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones (and my friends all know how often I watch those LOL).

It's good to be back in the blogging world.  I hope to post more regularly now that the PC issues seem to be under control.  Thanks for not leaving while I was M-I-A.

A "To Don't" List--Is this the answer?

I love Whatever...Whenever and visit this blog as often as I can...check out her links as well--she's artistic and funny and this post on over-achieving could have been part of my yet-to-be written autobiography LOL.

I have 24 hours in my day--established fact, right? And the job that pays for everything takes nine of those hours, including computer boot time and the 30-minute lunch that allows for nothing but eating.

Of the remaining fifteen hours, my body requires a bare minimum of six being spent in sleep, with 6 1/2 to seven being even better. Occasionally, I can get by with five, but the older I get, the less flexible my body is when it lacks proper rest. So, use six as the touchpoint, and we now have nine hours a day for everything else that "general living" requires.

Let's define general living as cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills/handling mail, personal hygiene (shower, anyone? LOL), etc. Granted, in a one-person household, a few of these things are not daily tasks--laundry is once weekly. Walking to/from the grocery store takes time. Carrying groceries by hand means more trips because there are limits as to how much I can carry. So, the days I go to the store are usually weekend days. Other errands requiring bus travel (I call it "destination shopping") are either vacation days or weekends because the bus trip alone can exceed an hour each way.

So, at nine hours a day times seven days a week, I have 63 hours to work with. If cooking for one takes a total of an hour daily, followed by an hour of general housecleaning and a half-hour of mail/business, the free time is reduced to 45.5 hours. With walking/bus times for the household shopping, let's reduce that by a minimum of 9.5 hours weekly.

I am a writer of historical/speculative fiction. I need time to research. I need time to write. I need time to network with other writers. I need time to study the craft of writing.  With the idea of my most recent challenge in mind, let's devote a minimum of one hour daily to writing, and perhaps another daily hour to research.  There go fourteen more hours, leaving 22 left to "schedule".

I am a paper crafter who sells Stampin' Up! as a sideline, primarily to receive the discount (although all new customers are quite welcome to my website LOL), and I enjoy my crafting.  In an ideal world, I would play with paper (or at least be puttering in my studio) for an hour a day.  22-7=15.

Who doesn't like to connect with friends?  I talk on the phone often with my friends; I follow various blogs (and have people who follow mine--wonder of wonders).  Welcome to my new followers--I am so happy to meet you!  Reading and responding to e-mail takes time.  Commenting on blogs takes time.  This socialization is important to someone who works from home.

Look at what I am doing to myself!  I have already posted that over-organizing and my pursuit of perfection denies me the opportunity to simply enjoy life!  I need to learn to say "no".  I need to learn to "hit a lick at a snake" and know that BALANCE is key.  "All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull person", and who wants to be dull?  I don't.

Who wants to join me and make a "To Don't" list? 

Lessons Learned (Or, Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks!)

My last post was my entry into the world of card challenges.  I received wonderful comments from new visitors here, and was even featured on 52-Card Pickup and was just totally tickled at that!

So, I was determined to enter into the card challenge world on a weekly basis.  I started searching challenge blogs and making lists (even set up an Excel spreadsheet) to keep track of the blog, the challenge post date, the challenge itself, the due date--well, you get the picture.

Once more, I allowed my over-organizing self to impede my having fun.  I had even made a card for Bah! Humbug's second weekly challenge, but got so caught up in the idea of posting one card for multiple challenges that I flat over-organized myself out of getting the card posted at all!  (I know.  I hear my friends laughing.  You all know I try so hard to be perfect at things that most of my great intentions fall by the wayside because of my incessant over-planning.)

So, I posted nothing.  I'm following a few more cool blogs, though, and I vow once more to participate more and plan less.  To remember that it is progress, not perfection.  To settle for "enough" (if I have a card done, by golly, I'll post it even if only for one challenge).

Most of all, I want to remember that for me, card making is 1) FUN and 2) THERAPY after a day dealing with the public.  Although they are called "challenges", there is no losing.  If I am featured--hey that's uber-cool.  If not, I had fun trying.  After all, my ambition is to become a published writer.  That is where the greatest amount of my "free" time is being spent.  Cardmaking is just another hobby to keep my creativity flowing when words won't come.

In the immortal words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day."  Perhaps there will be a challenge entered then.

Timely Tidbits and To-Do's

It's raining cats and dogs...I asked for this day off several months ago in the hopes that it would be not only a mental health day, but also a day to run the errands necessary to prepare for the upcoming NaNoWriMo month of November (badges and links to appear on my sidebar soon, as well as a complete post).

So, with the rain, and not having gotten my flu shot yet, I am choosing to stay home and do the indoor putzing around to get ready--let's see what's on the list:

1)  I need to sign a new lease, so I've let the office know I'll come up there if it ever slows up to a sprinkle (thank heavens the rent will not increase through December 2010).

2)  Labeling files and notebooks and sorting papers--recycling (AKA dumping) what I can and paying the "mini bills" that I sometimes procrastinate on--the magazine renewals for instance.  I also need to close out an auto-ship on classical music and reset my auto-ship coffee order (BTW, Boca Java is super stuff!).

3)  Making sure all of my writing aids and research materials are sorted in a fashion that allows me to "pre-plan" as much of the 50,000 word plot as I can...

4)  Realizing the my Stampin' Up! inks are not the ones closest at hand, I have decided to move some things around...I'm not willing to Freecycle (or even E-bay) all the crafting supplies I accumulated prior to selling SU! and will use them for Operation Write Home or other organizations as I make cards for donation, but if I want to build my SU! business, I need to post my crafted items here and they need to be SU! exclusive, so...those items that are not SU! will be moved to the less-accessible places in my studio...

5)  Playtime for a bit (after all, this IS supposed to be a vacation day LOL); I made an autumn card last night and may make a few bookmarks today if time permits...I am also vegging out with the laptop in front of Clean House while writing this post.

6)  My dining room doesn't work for me..I don't have company and I never have enough room for books and research; I also hate my table and chairs LOL!  I took pictures and will Freecycle the glass and metal set and have found a desk that can also serve (with the help of a tablecloth) as a dining table if I ever should need one..it'll be ordered from Target as soon as I can afford it or when I get my next perfect attendance award at work (whichever comes first).

7)  Finally, my blog header is driving me crazy!  I love the picture (it is my back porch view and it is gorgeous), but I cannot find a font color that is readable over the photo.  I'll be looking through all my clip art and image software programs and will find something that matches my vision...since the back porch photo will be leaving, here it is again  (I do love this view even if it is rain-soaked today LOL)...

Studio Status--Will I ever stay organized?

Well, the studio was clean for a moment or two LOL! My office half has stacks of papers (novel research and magazines and bills to pay and filing and "stuff") while my work table has six partially finished projects (no one else works like that, right? )

One organizational tip I discovered is taking a plastic basket (like the ones sold to divide drawers) and using it to hold the current project pieces. I am trying to emulate my friend Beverly who makes more than one card at a time, so if I want to make a small series of very similar cards, I can put all the cut pieces of cardstock or patterned paper plus the embellishments for that series in the basket until they can be assembled. The baskets I am using are pretty colors, from the dollar store, and measure about 6" x 10". They will nest inside each other and if everything in them is flat, they can stack on top of each other while being used. The size works well for most card sizes and for my bookmarks and ATCs too. The baskets also will slip onto my shelves easily so I can keep more of my workspace clear, especially if doing direct-to-paper or other potentially messy work.

Since I work from home and my studio shares space with both my personal office and the desk/PC/phone I use for my paying job Monday-Friday, I have found I need to remove myself from that room once I am logged off for the day.

With the basket system, if I want to work in front of my TV, I can grab the wooden TV tray, some adhesive, my non-stick craft sheet or self-healing mat, and some card/ATC/bookmark blanks. Voila! Since the embellishments are already coordinated with the papers and the pieces are already cut and stamped, I can assemble a project easily.

Does anyone else work from home and have other ideas on organizing a shared office/studio?

Network Nightmares

I am sometimes convinced that if there is an easy way to do something and a hard way, my genetic makeup will pick the hard way every time LOL! I recently crossed another item off my bucket list and replaced my laptop that had been stolen in 2005. Instead of a second TV for my apartment, I now have upgraded my home network to wireless and added this great HP G60-235DX laptop. You would think I would just unplug all the ethernet cables from the wired router and plug them into the wireless one, right? Not hardly.

Don't ask me how, but I managed to tangle almost five feet of three different ethernet cables into a knot when they were first installed last year (mind you the walls are back to back with only the width of the studs between). So, pulling them back into the office when relocating the router from the living became a much more involved task. Gratefully I had extra ethernet cables; when all was done, one cable had lost its end connector. But, most important of all, the network is up and running.

I cannot seem to get the printer/laptop connection using the desktop as a pass-through to work. For the time being, anything that needs printing from the laptop can be dropped to a flash drive or memory card and I can then plug into the desktop and print from there (much cheaper than a new printer or a print server).

What should have taken an hour at the most took over five (didn't talk about the fact that the file cabinet and 6 boxes of archived materials needed to be relocated in order to access the wiring and the hole in the back wall of the closet where I had passed the wiring through)....

Now maybe I can get back to organizing the studio half of the space?????

Clutter Chaos aka Craft Studio Run Amok

Anybody ever find that to clean up and organize means to mess up more first? I must have been insane to agree to help a friend re-organize her studio last weekend. I had torn my living room up the week before because of assembling my new elliptical and needing to rearrange the room to accommodate it. See, I know me--I will not exercise if I don't have a TV to watch while I am doing it, and since the only TV is in the living room, that's where the elliptical had to go.

So, crazy work schedule + torn-up living room (which also meant stacks of books in the bedroom and dining room while moving the bookcase) = a totally chaotic mess, which I left for a full day to help a friend. Started off by falling in the tub and banging my knee. We did get much of her room done and I did get a wonderful steak dinner from Texas Land & Cattle (a totally terrific steakhouse). I even got to stop and get my shelving unit plus two bookcases and a lamp (using various Walmart gift cards earned through my job).

The problem was, by the time I got home and got all my stuff into my upstairs apartment (banging my bad knee on the stairs in the process), I was way too beat up and tired to do my own studio. It has been relegated to fits and starts/bits and pieces. The shelving unit is up, the lamp put together and in place, the studio bookcase is in place. Some of my embellishments have been reorganized (thanks to sorting and winding while watching a PBS Lawrence Welk retrospective and remembering how much my grandparents loved that show).

Won't post pictures here of the living room or bedroom bedlam, but to give you just a hint of what I am facing in the studio, here are a few "before" photos.

You can't tell here, but there are dowel rods on the wall (see the stringy things hanging down at the top of the picture?) They hold my ribbons on spools, but are overcrowded and a bit off-kilter. I have purchased cafe rods that I am going to mount onto 1x3 boards and then mount the boards on the wall; same basic idea in the same basic location but will look better and stick out just a bit farther to allow the ribbon to spin better.

The white shelves holding my ink pads are Ink Pad Palaces from Mother Rubber http://motherrubber.com/ and I absolutely love them! They ship fast, put together easily, are stackable and wall-mountable, and as you can tell with one of them, drawers are available. Yes, they are white corrugated cardboard, but they can't be beat for the price!

This is my new shelf unit from Walmart. I was quite surprised to get it home and find the black uprights are actually plastic. (what should I expect for under $30?) My "good" sewing machine (for quilting, etc.) that was given me by a friend of a very good friend (they were de-cluttering, yippee for me LOL!) is on the bottom shelf. Eventually, I want a toaster oven on the shelf that sits table height (setting on a heatproof mat)--I'll use it for polymer clay, shrink plastic, etc. My melting pot is also destined for these shelves once the chaos is cleared; that way it may finally get used. Currently, the little rolling file under the table holds various magazines, but it will be repurposed soon for cardstock and specialty papers. Eventually, the white wire shelves in the corner will be moved on top of one of the short bookcases on the other side of the room; they can then serve as a hutch for my other tabletop. This table will then be cleared off to hold my everyday sewing machine in such a way that I can begin to use it at the drop of a hat--set up and ready to sew on cards, altered art, collage, etc. I should also have space for a small pressing board for techniques requiring a craft iron (I certainly don't have space in this room for a full-sized ironing board).

Okay, can't justify lengthening this post anymore. Time to stop talking about organizing and start doing a bit more. This was a nice rest at the PC, but back to work for me. I'll post part two later...

Craft Room Craziness

What is it about a new year that makes me want to run out and immediately buy all the things I just "know" will solve my organization and storage problems in my craft room/office? (Okay--note to self #1--if you intend to take this room more seriously in 2009, it will be known as a STUDIO, not a craft room/office).

I have known for a while that I need more shelving and more ribbon storage. The bookcase space is ready and waiting and as soon as I have appropriate transportation, the final bookcase for that room will be in place; the goal is by the end of January. I have picked out another storage shelf that will hold my second (not used for paper crafts) sewing machine, the toaster oven I intend to buy for crafting, my button and embellishment boxes, and other, bulkier items that aren't used daily. It will even allow the toaster oven to be used without being moved. I recently earned a $50 gift card for perfect attendance on the job and that's what is buying the shelf unit--I just have to decide whether to ask someone to help me pick it up after having it shipped to the store or if I want to pay the $10 extra and have it sent directly to the house; since I have a second-floor apartment, I'm leaning towards delivery--my friends are getting a bit tired of helping me haul things upstairs all the time LOL!

The ribbon bar is waiting for Walmart to get a new shipment of curtain-rod mounting hardware. I use dowels for my spooled ribbons and mount the dowels on the wall using cafe-rod brackets that extend about 2.75" away from the wall. Two are already mounted; when the third goes up, I'll try to post a picture.

The other studio goal for 2009 is to begin saving for a laptop. Now that I am working more seriously on TGAN (aka The Great American Novel), I am finding a distinct need for more desktop space by my PC. I had been seriously looking at a flat-screen monitor rather than the traditional, huge monitor I have, especially since flat-screen monitors have dropped so much in price. Then I discovered the energy usage for a desktop is approximately 110 watts versus 15-45 watts for a laptop. That's insane! Laptop prices are falling and purchasing a laptop would allow me to watch DVDs in my bedroom eliminating the want/need of a second TV, especially since my bedroom can't be wired for cable and any TV in that room would only serve as a way of watching VHS or DVD (our apartments were built in the era of one cable outlet per apartment, located on an outside wall of the living room--they will not allow the cable company to install extra outlets even if I could afford the $150+ installation fee). Let's not discuss what insanity I went thru running Ethernet from the cable modem to the router to the two PCs...

My inkpads are finally organized--and I have room for growth! I love these Ink Pad Palaces and now have six--look at http://www.motherrubber.com/InkPadPalace.html for what I mean! They were shipped very fast, they are fantastically easy to put together, and they were the most economical storage solution I could find that would fit my space requirements. I now am looking at marker/pen storage that will keep my dual-ended markers in a horizontal position and have just about decided to add drawers to my Ink Pad Palaces--then the markers that match the ink pads (like my Close To My Heart ones) can be kept right with the pads. (No paid endorsement by the way; I just believe in praising good products and companies).

Speaking of praise, if you are looking for organizational ideas, check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganizedStudio/ and feel free to join us! I am a chronic lurker there, but most (if not all) of the ideas that have worked for me in organizing my studio have come from these talented ladies. It is a very friendly and knowledgeable group of women who do not overload your inbox with chatter but who willingly share what works (and what doesn't) for them.

May was Manic!

Where did the month go? Movies were seen (Iron Man and Prince Caspian--both ranked 5/5 with me), and Prince Caspian is on my "Buy" list when it comes out on DVD. Iron Man ended in such a way I really feel they are planning a sequel. Also saw Smart People and now I understand all the buzz about Ellen Page; having had NO desire to see Juno, I was unaware of this young woman's talent. She is certainly an actress whose career I will follow.

Books got read and my Paperback Swap BIR list got updated with the reviews--25 total with the majority being cozy mysteries. I also read both of Claudine Hellmuth's collage books from the library and simply must track down copies for my own. The stand-out book of the month was without a doubt Trace Adkins' A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck which now ranks as one of my all-time favorite reads. He has always been a favorite performer of mine, but my admiration grew as I read his well-reasoned commentary on America today. Lots of deep thinking in that slim volume!


New shifts at work ate up some of the month as well. I temporarily have the mid-day free and work mornings and evenings while we train new staff. That has turned out to be quite fun in a way and a blessing in disguise because of the errands that can be done locally in the afternoons--I will almost regret going back to the old 8-hour straight schedule later this summer.


And speaking of summer--it has come to Dallas! I am trying to be as energy-efficient as possible but must admit that I had to turn on the AC and lower the thermostat to 80. Whether it be obesity, age-related hormones, or just plain being spoiled, I can no longer work well if the room is hot. The blinds are staying closed except in early morning and I purchased fans for the bedroom and living room (already had one for the office where the biggest majority of my day is spent).


Speaking of the office...courtesy of my IRS refund, my crafting area is slowly coming together! My home PC is on a more suitable desk, my sewing machines have a table soon to be dedicated strictly to them, and my crafting table is ready to be organized (do piles of things count as organization???) The digital camera is scheduled for pickup this weekend. June planned purchases include 2 Iris carts to organize my supplies as well as the long-awaited all-in-one printer. There are currently stacks all over the floor, but I really want it organized by the end of June. I plan on a couple of hours of cleaning and organizing tomorrow because Saturday is our monthly stamping group (gratefully not here LOL!)

Memorial Day was of course a workday for me as most holidays are, but before I close, and although I am tardy in saying so, I am truly grateful for all those who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedom, and I light candles for those who paid the ultimate price that I might live in this great land. May those in uniform be always cradled in the Creator's hand. We are indeed the home of the free because of the brave.