Oh, So Very Margaret

Want to get to know me? This project reveals a lot.

Over the last weeks ... (months) ... I've been sorting and categorizing my button collection. My maternal great grandmother and grandmother were professional seamstresses. When Grandma died, everything went to her only child, my mom. When Mom died, I inherited Mom's sewing and craft supplies. She still had some of her mom's and grandmother's collection. Last year when my mother-in-law died, I inherited her sewing supplies, too.

Among the supplies were buttons. Buttons and buttons and buttons and buttons and buttons. 

Plus, I have a stash of my own buttons. I have a habit of going to thrift stores and digging through the craft and sewing section, and bringing home beautiful or unusual buttons. 

Some have threatened to call this an illness.

Over the last ... some time ... (years, really), I've sorted buttons. But when my mother-in-law's stash was added, the collection needed a bigger overhaul. 

I sorted by color, by size, by number of holes, by shank. Then I converted this large metal box that used to hold garage-type hardware into a container for my buttons. This is about 15" tall x 10' wide x 6" deep.

I divided up the drawers. I added labels. I admired my handiwork.

My original thought was that I'd put the loose buttons in the smaller drawers, and the buttons that were still on cards in the bottom two drawers. But, uh, I forgot how many buttons I have on cards.

So the next logical thing was to sew matching buttons onto index cards, right? So more sorting commenced as I gathered matching buttons. I finally had to limit the sewing-onto-cards to four or more matching buttons. There were just too many sets of two and three.

So not only do I have my beautifully sorted and labeled drawers of buttons arranged into rainbow order, I also now have a big box full of buttons sewed or stapled onto index cards beautifully sorted and labeled and arranged into rainbow order in an oversized shoebox.

And no, I didn't count them.

Look at all my pretty blues!

Most of my buttons are modern, plastic, and round. In the coming days I'll share some of the more unusual buttons in the collection.

Among themselves, crafters joke that purchasing supplies is as much of a hobby as the crafting itself.

I'd like to amend that thought. For nutcases like me, petting and organizing craft supplies is just as valid a hobby. It's like shopping your own stash and getting the creative juices flowing again.

I do hope that my creative dry spell dissipates soon. I'd love to utilize some of these buttons and share the resulting creations with the world.

Yard Art

One of my goals for 2022 is to restore our garage to an organized space that can hold at least one car. Ever since we moved to Oregon over two years ago, the garage has been more crowded with stuff than we feel comfortable with. Then when my mother-in-law died last year, our garage became more cluttered when some of her precious items became our precious items.

My mother-in-law was an incredible gardener. Hers was the most beautiful yard on the block. She was an artist/painter, as well. She brought that artistic sensibility to her home and yard through her decorations. Outside, she had something like five birdbaths, three or four sets of lawn furniture, and more cupids than a person can count.

Each of her kids and grandkids received some of her ornamentation. We got a birdbath, a garden bench, a bistro set, some plant containers, a side table, and a huge fountain. Today, Dale and I decided to place  the furniture and statuary in our yard.

We weren't sure where we wanted the big, heavy items. That's why they languished in our garage for months. We  haven't had many warm sunny days yet in 2022, so our yard is full of weeds and needs some attention. But we wanted to start making more order in the garage, so we temporarily placed my mother-in-law's items outside. They may live where they are. They may get moved when we do our landscaping. But at least we have a start. For now, done is better than good.

We set the garden bench, side table, and a piece of statuary by the front door. The birdbath now rests along the walkway in our front yard.

On the slab in the back yard, we placed the bistro set in a nook by the kitchen window. We have an umbrella nearby to shade it from the summer sun.

Our triumph was moving this huge concrete fountain into place. It comes in four pieces. Every piece is extraordinarily heavy. Figuring out how to move a 40 inch bowl through a 30 inch doorframe from the garage, over bark, and up onto the concrete slab was a feat of engineering -- especially considering we had to move that monster by ourselves. Dale did all the heavy lifting because I have a weak back. There were high fives all around when we finally got it into place and stacked properly. Let's just say it took several tries.

But look! We have a gorgeous fountain outside our dining room window!

All the furniture needs "a bit" of attention to get it looking clean and spiffy. 

But these kids! Wow, do they need a bath!

We still need to do some homework to find a suitable water pump and the proper tubing so that the fountain can flow. But that's for another day. For the time being, once everything's cleaned up and fresh water is added, the local birds can enjoy a bath in both the front and back yards.

I'm looking forward to some nicer, warmer Spring days so that we can enjoy our time "playing in the dirt." It won't be long until the daffodils will be blooming all over town. We want our yard to shine when we join in that celebration.

#cornerofmyhome

Clutter Clearing

Look who I had the pleasure of spending a day with! My Jodie!

[In her honor, every sentence will end in an exclamation point!]

She invited me over to her house to do what she terms, clearing out "small hoards!" I usually call these boxes of indecision!! It's a box used to temporarily move things out of sight when there is some other pressing matter at hand, and you just need to conceal and containerize the stuff to have some breathing room! Unfortunately, it's not unusual for these boxes to succumb to "Out of sight, out of mind!" Jodie has several of these boxes to process!

This kind of activity may sound like work to some, but we turn almost any kind of task into a game! To assist, I took along my sorting bins! The idea is to do a quick sort into one of these three bins, trying not to think too hard about it! Once a bin gets full, you deal with its contents before sorting any more! Then return to the quick sort!

We filled the "Give Away" bin twice, and the others once in the morning! After a yummy lunch prepared by son-in-law Kenny, Jodie and I took time to put everything away immediately, exactly where it belonged (or at least one step closer to its final home)! The "Throw Away" bin is the easiest! Then we took a road trip to give away the other items! Some small kitchen appliances found a great new home in an after-school program where kids learn to cook!

In the process of finding places for the "Put Away" items, we washed some vintage Pyrex bakeware, cleared out three shelves in the kitchen pantry, and two large storage shelves in the garage! By the end of the day, we'd cleared two boxes of items that had previously lost their homes!

My sorting bins are a nice size: 22 inches high x 14.5" wide x 14.5" deep and a true extravagance!!  They are pretty and bright, and using them helps the job feel less like drudgery and more like an adventure! But plain ol' boxes with the same labels will do for a quick sort!

Job well done!!!!!

With work done, we spent the rest of the afternoon planning a family gathering! More fun to come soon! 

It was a fantastic way to spend one-on-one time with my daughter!!! It happens all too rarely during this pandemic!!!!!

Breaking My Arm

... from patting myself on the back so hard.

Lookie what I did!

It'll probably stay this way for all of 12 minutes before another email lands in my Inbox. So I'll take all the congratulations I can give myself for this quarterly feat.

Dizzying

One week ago, Dale and I traveled to Eugene/Springfield, Oregon to visit our daughter Jodie. We've been talking about moving there when Dale retires from his job at the credit union in a few years. Western Oregon will be quite a change for us, since we've lived in our north Idaho home for over 26 years.

It's fun to dream about what our Chapter Three life will look like.

Since we've been home, the entire week has been a whirlwind of extended family intrigue, some serious decluttering, spiffing up the yard, a visit from Jeanne, and Skyping with Julie, Melody, and Annalee. Today, Sunday, we took time to put our home in order and stay away from national news for a while. I even managed to remove the Spring decorations in the living room, and put this stitchery front and center on the mantle.

Just for today, let's do this.

April Goal Update

Work towards my 2019 goals continues with steady progress. Here's what I did in April.


Goal #2: Complete the finishing work on one of six needlework pieces from years gone by

I completed the Easter Banner and learned to make prairie points.

Goal #10: Finish setting up the photo studio

I made some progress by moving some furniture around. The curtain in the room is fixed. My photo cube for smaller items now has a more permanent home with good lighting. I also bought more poster board for backdrops.


Goal #12: Learn my Enneagram
Though this goal is complete, I'm doing some further inquiry. I bought this book for more research:

Goal #14: Paint and add privacy fencing on dog kennel

The dog kennel is emptied. We plan to start fixing it up next week.


Goal #16: Use up my tea stash

This month I've been concentrating on iced tea. I've continued drinking hot tea most mornings. It may finally be a habit!

Goal #17: Blog at least 25 weeks of #throwbackthursday posts of my 1997 - 2007 projects
I wrote four blog posts in April, bringing my total for the year to 15.

Goal #18: Blog at least 10 of my Ladies of the Evening collection

I wrote about four of my Ladies in April, bringing my total to eight.

Goal #19: Finish at least one of my self-guided courses

I'm continuing to read through The Creative License. I'm continuing to learn illustration using online tutorials. I've also pulled out a book on color theory and read the preface.

Tally:

In progress - eight

Completed - six

Alternate Goal: Watch 50 movies/shows from my Netflix/Amazon queues

I went to town on this goal in April. I watched fourteen movies or series. This brings my total to 31 watched. One of my favorites was Christopher Robin.

Alternate Goal: Photo Editing and Organization

I've turned Wednesdays into Antiprocrastination Day. Each week I do a bit more photo editing and organizing. So far I've standardized my file naming conventions and edited a few folders. This is going to be a very long term project. It's good to see some progress.

Here's a recent photo Dale took of me and our granddaughter, Melody.

Dale and I continue to Whittle a Little.

I let 23 items out of my life and cleared clutter from my office desk and in my Studio. The most noticeable clutter-to-clear is my desk. It's so tidy!

The thing I'm most proud of is finally tossing my files of old resumes and ... biggest of all ... my old divorce papers! The gem in that file was finding the court documents from when Dale adopted Jeanne and Julie. 

Add in having a new granddaughter, and that's quite a full month!

19 in 2019 - March Update

Marching along with this year's goals

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Goal #8: Go on a Celebrate Your Life retreat
I reserved my room for the retreat in June/July.

Goal #12: Learn my Enneagram

In enneagram lingo, it turns out I'm Type 3 with a 2 wing. Some of the approach the enneagram takes rubs me the wrong way. But I watched a lot of videos and learned some things that I've already found helpful. My next step to make use of this personality typing is to discover some techniques that will help me alter one of my stubborn character flaws.


Goal #16: Use up my tea stash

I've continued having hot tea most mornings. The box of Peppermint tea has been used up. I've also used some stray bags, like Lipton's Orange Gardens, which smells wonderful. Bigelow's Cozy Chamomile is lovely in the evening. I've brewed some loose (not in teabags) English Berries & Cream Black Tea that my daughter gave me. It smells heavenly, but the flavor was bolder than teas I'm used to drinking.

Goal #17: Blog at least 25 weeks of #throwbackthursday posts of my 1997 - 2007 projects

I wrote three more posts in March, bringing my total to eleven thus far. I so enjoy revisiting these projects from long ago. This one brought a tear to my eye since my adopted grandmother is no longer alive.

Goal #18: Blog at least 10 of my Ladies of the Evening collection (mend as needed)

I managed to take photos of four more of my Ladies. I plan to edit the photos and blog about some in April.

Goal #19: Finish one of my eight courses

I became discouraged with  The Creative License by Danny Gregory, mainly because the print in the book is so so small that it impedes my learning. I may continue reading the book, but it will likely be a slow go. Also, I find that he has some annoying biases that bother me. He claims that drawing is the best art form for getting into the moment (flow), noticing the world around you in detail, and that keeping an art journal is the best way of recording what goes on in your life. I take issue with that point of view. I think it's a matter of personality and preferences. I believe it's what may be best for him and many other visual artists. But I find photography, especially macro photography, and then blogging give me the exact same benefits. It could be he's not the right teacher at the right time for me.

Anyway, I've found that learning to draw through reading isn't the most effective method for me to acquire this skill. So I switched gears and have begun drawing cartoon characters from tutorials I found online. I get a lot of pleasure from this.

Alternate Goal: Watch 50 movies/shows from my Netflix/Amazon queues

I watched ten movies/series in March, bringing my total to seventeen:

 8. Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened

 9. Dumplin'

10. Call Me By My Name
11. Mozart in the Jungle (series)
12. The Leisure Seeker
13. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (series)
14. Blue Jasmine
15. Kominsky Method (series)
16. Blue is the Warmest Color
17. To All the Boys I Loved Before

This was my favorite this month

Alternate Goal: Photo Editing and Organization

I started renaming files into a standard convention, sorting some images by theme, and editing old holiday photos. This is one of my favorite finds this month. It's a photo of Dale and me that was taken last July at my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party.

I've continued my quest to Whittle a Little. This month I discarded or found new homes for over 30 items. I took two boxes of donations to a thrift store. I've made a point of using my "good" art supplies instead of holding onto them for "important" projects. I found places to recycle 16 Styrofoam mini coolers and over 30 blue ice packets. I've also enjoyed the aroma from burning a couple more candles.

Final count:
     * I've completed five goals
     * I have 7 of my stated goals in progress
     * I have a good start on 3 of my alternate goals

19 in 2019 - February Update

I've managed to make progress on a several of my goals.

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Goal #1: Do the finishing work on needlework pieces that are stitched but not ready for display.

I turned In the Garden into a book cover for my gratitude Journal. I've chosen my next finishing project and started gathering the materials I need to complete the project. 

Goal #8: Go on a Celebrate Your Life retreat
I registered for the retreat that's coming up in July.

Goal #12: Learn my Enneagram
I've begun the research. I found tests online and a book or two that I might purchase.

Goal #13: Reach a specified weight by February doctor’s appointment
Goal met! In addition, all but one of my other markers went in the right direction. I've set a new goal for my August appointment. 

Goal #15: Purge and organize storage shelves in exercise room

I purged the box of Valentine decor and went through the box of St. Patrick's Day decor.

Goal #16: Use up my tea stash

I've continued having hot tea each morning and have used up another box, Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger. I've now started drinking peppermint tea. It's good, but I do like the berry teas better.

Goal #17: Blog at least 25 weeks of #throwbackthursday posts of my 1997 - 2007 projects

I wrote three more posts in February.

Goal #18: Blog at least 10 of my Ladies of the Evening collection (mend as needed)

I wrote one blog post in February. I've picked which Lady to write about next and set up the photo studio for the pictures. I've completed four out of ten posts so far.

Goal #19: Finish one of my eight courses

I'm continuing The Creative License by Danny Gregory. The current lesson has to do with proportion. Here's one piece I drew this month:

Alternate Goal: Watch 50 movies from my Netflix/Amazon queues.

I watched one movie in February, bringing my total to seven:
American Sniper

Alternate Goal: Photo Organization

I made huge progress on this goal. I've edited, shared, and filed photos from my most recent outings (recent = 2 years). I also culled photos on auxiliary devices/formats (phones, Google Drive, Facebook). In addition, I finally backed up my computer after far too many months and talked to Dale about choosing an automated backup system to the cloud.


I've also made progress on three other alternate goals that involve creative pursuits (metal punch stamping, card making, and photography).

I've continued my quest to Whittle a Little something every day. I've been watching videos from several decluttering gurus for inspiration. In February, I:

• Went through my clothes again
• Cleaned out more from my bathroom cabinets
• Filed all my digital photos
• Cleaned out and deleted old documents on my computer
• Found a way to use up random and leftover embroidery floss
• Started burning and enjoying candles from my too-big collection

I find that as I'm shopping, I now ask myself, "If you were moving, would you want to have to pack that?" It has helped me consider my purchases more carefully. When I'm crafting, I ask myself, "Do you really need that new supply? Or can you make do with items in your stash by thinking about those items in a more creative way?"

I feel excellent about the progress I've made.

A Valentine Whittle

In keeping with my Word of the Year, I try to whittle some of my possessions down every day. Yesterday's whittle concerned these two Valentine cookie cutters. I realized I haven't used them in several years, so I'll pass them on to someone who wants them.

Today's Whittle a Little involved actual whittling! Since the beginning of the year, I've been slowly using up my candle collection. This activity will easily last all year! I finished off two candles so far this year -- and actually disposed of the jars that contained them as well. Today I pulled out a candle that had a lot of wax built up around the wick. So I pulled out my cutting board and my trusty knife, and whittled away the excess wax.

Now my pillar candle can sit in a seldom-used pretty china dish on the mantle among the Valentine decorations. I light a candle as part of my morning routine, right before my meditation. A gentle aroma of cinnamon surrounds me.

This week's *Whittle a Little*

I made another pass through my closets and drawers. I no longer need:

• two hats
• a fluffy robe
• a trench coat
• three shirts (sad to see that embroidered one go, but it's time)
• a pair of black pants
• three pair of fuzzy slippers
• two pair of socks
• one pair of shoes

Some will be donated. Others were tossed.

Plus, I found a better way to store my winter scarves, hats and gloves.

#onepersonstrash

Ready ... Set ... Go!

I spent the last couple days in my Studio tidying up. There are remnants of my last several projects all over my work table, along with stacks of things to mend, organize and prep. What isn't seen here is a box of misc. items from Julie's wedding (a couple years ago!) and a stack of sentimental letters.

I actually enjoy this kind of tidying. I listen to podcasts, pet my stash, dispose of items I no longer need, and give everything a home.

Now, I'm ready to start my next dozen projects!

The Mess that is My Desk - Part 3

Progress is being made!

Believe me, it's easier to see when comparing this photo to the last one. Magazines, old mail, catalogs have been filed or recycled and the old checkbooks were shredded. The book is ready for donation. Christmas cards have been processed and old cards converted to next year's gift tags.

I still have some documents to read, some lists to update, some donations to get out of the house and those last pesky small Piles of Indecision to complete. But I'm making progress.

:: pats on the back ::
:: pats on the back ::
(that's for you, Jodie!)