No stock prices here. No late-breaking news flashes about armed robbery, murder or rape. Just an update on my day.
I am convinced I must have done some physical labor this morning. Yes, I'm quite sure I have. Many days I don't think to eat "lunch" til 3PM. Today, I'm spooning up my delicious homemade Greek yogurt with wonderful frozen cherries from Costco with great gusto and it's only a little after 1PM.
Well, first, I'm clean, moisturized, teeth brushed, working shoes on and so forth. Prepared for the day ahead. I've done some cleaning and polishing in the kitchen and all the dishes that need washed are loaded in the dishwasher, including the coffee mug I found in the garage the other day that has to have been out there since before Joe died. It was on the "manly" side of the garage where tools reside. I even polished the stove top. I hate that black stove top. You can't even breathe near it without stuff landing on it. I am sick of polishing that thing and I'll probably still be polishing it 10 years or more from now.
I also managed to traipse in and out with the small trashcans and get them all emptied. Now all that's left is to lug that darn ancient computer monitor to the curb and get the big bin out there as well. I actually started to try to move that computer monitor this morning, early on. UNTIL I figured out that I was wearing a white jacket and that thing is DUSTY. I decided it could wait, LOL.
I scrubbed down the big mirror in the master bath and then went after the inside and outside of the master bath door, frames and all. I'm not too sure how many more of those frames I'm going to get to. The stretching to reach the top is making my back mutter and grumble in protest. I did get to the inside of the bedroom doors (double doors), and the outside of the closet door.
Next up, dusting in the master bedroom. I more or less ran out of time in there last week. Probably because I decided to "dust" the walls. Behind the bed, there is a wall covered in a textured wall paper which just acts like a dust magnet. When I get to the point that the house is emptied out enough to consider painting/decorating, I guarantee you, that wallpaper will be gone. Because the troublesome dust magnet texture, it is not my style AT ALL.
What else have I accomplished? Well, saved and deleted and read a bunch of e-mails. Unfortunately, in more than 20 minutes, I didn't even make it through today's incoming! I unzipped a bunch of files. I did post that advertising post on this week's "new stuffs" here and on the message board at A Cherry on Top and I showcased a cute layout made with the kit on Facebook.
That's about it so far, but not a bad start for the day. I'm now going to go get horizontal in an effort to placate my grumbling back muscles. It'll be a short lay down because 1 1/2 hours from now, I have an appointment with a client. She's a sweetie and I look forward to her visits. For the last couple of years, she has had health problems and just had her daughter drop off her stuff. It'll be nice to see her smiling face again. Unfortunately, the house smells like Eau de Vinegar--I've been using Vinegar and water to scrub down those doors. Hopefully she can handle that, LOL. Later..........
This week's kit at A Cherry on Top is nothing if not CUTE. It's release is perfectly timed to give you the perfect kit for scrapping trips to the farm with the kids, your backyard garden, and if you live in the city and are "secretly" raising chickens, you can scrap that too, LOL. And, don't forget those Saturday mornings when Dad gets up and fixes breakfast or those evenings when the menu at your house includes breakfast-for-dinner!
Of course, the kit is on special and if you prefer, you can purchase just the papers, just the elements, or just the cute alphas.
All the pieces of Urban Farmer are also on special, same as the kit. This is a FUN kit. Don't miss it!
At Scrapbook-Elements, we have a few new items as well. I've added some fun frame clusters, stacked papers, and templates there that coordinate with the Color My World kit. Check 'em out:
Here's the kit if you missed seeing it last week:
And here are the fun and a little bit funky specialty items. Remember, a frame cluster and some stacked papers make a "custom" quick page.
Many times I hail Monday with enthusiasm because it's a fresh start after a week of not doing well. Well, I'm happy to say that I can greet Monday with joy today because I did pretty darned well last week and I get to see if I can do it better this week. I think I can!
So, on my schedule for today is dusting and cleaning glass, mirrors and glass doors. I did finish cleaning all the interiors of the french doors that lead to the patio last night. I did not work on the exteriors and really can't even start that til afternoon when the sun is shining on the other side of the house. I do have the window in the sewing room targeted today. It is the next to last of the 4 windows in this house that require climbing or using the mop to clean. And, I know there are some spots on my bathroom mirror. Other than that, I think I will start working on the wooden doors throughout the house, including the frames. Some of these I do often; others I tend to forget. So, it's most likely time I remember them! And, I have the daily tasks to deal with as well.
I have a client coming at 3 to start her return. I also have a return slated to be delivered today. I am so grateful for the little boost October always gives my bank account!
I must do some advertising type posts on social media and in the forum at my ACOT store. Such a cute new kit and it deserves some attention. I have a freebie, I just need to get it previewed. I REALLY want to do that.
I am debating whether or not to be involved with the November blog train. I have a LOT on my plate for the month of October, but I think I'll give it a whirl. The contributions are pretty limited if I play by the rules, so I should be able to get it done quickly. It's always good advertising and brings a lot of blog traffic.
Well, let me show you a couple of the darling layouts my CT ladies made with this week's kit, Urban Farmer. This is a very non-serious kit, just pure fun.
Here is a cute layout by Laurie. She is showing off the produce her daughter has collected from her backyard garden, and this is a city garden! I want to be doing this by next year--harvesting some of my own veggies. Laurie, using the hexagons, has given you a glimpse of 12 of the 16 patterned papers! Love her cross stitched border and the chicken wire/paper combo that runs vertically through the layout, right behind the photos.
Laura did this one. I love the way she has enlarged that frame and used it to show off an entire collection of photos! One of the things I miss, living in the desert, is GREEN. Green trees, green grass, wow! Green here appears only where the property owner can afford to water! I'm celebrating Laura's use of one of the alphas from the kit. Laura has been using a different program for scrapping until recently so she has not been able to use the alphas in kits except on rare occasions. Now, look at her go! Lovely back yard and lovely layout.
Well, that's it for now. I'll be back in a few with the "New Stuffs" post. YOU be BLESSED today. Don't forget to count your blessings and say "thanks" for them.
Well, tonight I finished watching ALL of CSI:NY and CSI:Miami. I've never really had any desire to visit NYC, except that I would value the experience of visiting the 9/11 site and memorial. It's not that I ever thought I would go there; now I'm pretty sure I won't. And, folks in Miami, definitely should not look for me! I am quite sure I wouldn't fit in there, not even for a visit.
I've enjoyed both shows. One thing I noticed and really appreciated was that we were not subjected to watching exotic dancers or visiting strip clubs on every episode. Have you ever noticed that Hollywood seems to have great difficulty making a movie without 5 minutes or so of footage of that sort? And, it seems even more prevalent in movies about cops.......
One thing I didn't appreciate was the costuming. For one thing, I thought it was unrealistic. I am pretty certain that anyone who expects to have to leave a lab and go out in the field, possibly chase a perp, is not going to be wearing 4 inch heels. Even if you're sure you'll be in the lab, in how many scenes did these ladies sit down to work? Pretty much only when they were confronting a suspect. I don't believe for a second that anyone could chase a perp successfully in stilettos. And, if they're standing in a lab all day in those shoes, they're going to need back surgery by the time they're 40!
And, these ladies are supposed to be professionals. They are supposed to be in positions in which they must demand respect from those around them, including some really scuzzy male characters. It doesn't make sense to me that they are going to get a whole lot of respect as police officers with 4 inches of cleavage hanging out. I spent many years working in an all male world and working in a position where I needed to be respected as an authority figure. Yes, times have changed. But, I'm pretty sure men haven't........ They can't respect you if they can't take their eyes off your cleavage, and that's a fact!
Otherwise, I enjoyed both shows a lot. I am not particularly a fan of David Caruso. That's kind of odd. My fascination with red-headed men started in high school when I developed a crush on a red-headed school mate. My DD's father was a red head. And so was Joe. I think it's that "simpering smile" of Caruso's. And, his failure to make eye contact in so many situations. But, the remainder of the cast in CSI:Miami is strong enough to carry the show. I have been a fan of Emily Procter's for years, since she was on the cast of West Wing.........
So, what now? Well, Netflix has acquired 2 more seasons of Hoarding:Buried Alive. My house has never been like those places they show. But, there is still too much clutter. I want it all gone and I don't fall apart at the thought of ridding myself of "stuff". However, there are times when my determination/motivation flags. And, boy, a couple of episodes of Hoarders just fires me up. Somehow I will get this place stripped down to a place of peaceful serenity.
I complain about my garage. Honestly, the process of cleaning it out scares me. But, thank God, it certainly doesn't look like the messes I see on this show. I cannot help but think that what some of these folks need is a bit more God in their lives. Over and over in these episodes, I see people who have suffered some great loss in their lives and have attempted to fill the emptiness with "stuff". A real experience with God will ease the loss and fill the holes. I honestly think that is true of everyone.
I didn't have a huge amount of housework on my list today. Just catching up on some things and working on my "project" the sewing room. I wanted to re-do the windows in the exterior french doors and I got that done. I also finished the big window in here that I had to give up on earlier in the week because my back was talking back. I carried that CRT out of there, but I only made it as far as the bench on my front porch. I'll see how much further I can move it tomorrow........ I also spent a good bit of time on my desk and it's coming together. I really didn't spend much time on it this week and I have to stay on that, day in and day out. It's a must do. So, back on track with that.
I spent, literally, hours on uploads tonight. Uploading a kit to the store for next week and uploading the same kit for my CT at a different site. SO much time involved! But, thankfully, I got it done. And before that, I did all the many, many steps required before I can actually do the uploads. I did not get any advertising done today, so I need to hit that first thing tomorrow morning.
I am going to shuffle off to bed. I have lots to accomplish tomorrow. Good night!
It's Sunday. I try to make spending time with the Lord a priority everyday. But, I'm maybe a little better at it on Sunday. I like Sundays!
Well, my chore list doesn't have a lot of specific tasks on it for today. It is a catch up day and a day to work on a project. So, what will I catch up on? Well, the last time I vacuumed, I wanted to use the edge tool pretty much everywhere in the house. However, by the time I actually finished the vacuuming, my back was achy and I limited myself to doing the hall and the edges by the french doors out here. So, I need to catch those edges out here and in the living room/dining room I didn't get to. Also, if you remember, I had a day last week when I worked on windows and glass. I had determined that I would use the mop and clean the window that is behind me when I sit here at the desk. Then I figured out, with careful maneuvering, I could reach more than half the window without using the mop to extend my reach. Yeah, well, I'm going back after the rest of it, with the mop today.
And what about a project? Well, I have bazillion from which to choose. But, I'm going back after that sewing room. I'll start with that table. I'm a little spooked about moving that computer monitor. It's an oldie. You know, the new ones aren't light, but those oldies weigh a ton. I may have to move that thing in steps. I don't know. Once I get the table top cleared, I will move my cutting equipment into the room. And, then, there's still more stuff to sort through........LOTS more stuff. But I'm inching ever closer to that room looking like a place that is fit for humans.
Because I haven't kept on that room day after day, it has taken a long time. However, I am going to try really hard to stick with it til it's done. Since I am beginning to see a good bit of progress in there, I'm hoping that will keep me focused and motivated to keep going.
On the design side, the priority for today is to add a few more elements to the kit I've been revamping. It needs to be finished, a bunch of files renamed, and then uploaded both to the store and for my CT ladies by nightfall. Then I can go back to trying to work some magic with that Halloween kit.
I have a tax return I've been working on for a month. It's not me, I tell ya! It's been very difficult to get workable, realistic numbers. Praise God, finally, yesterday.......... So, I will add in the last of it, recheck for errors, and print. Hopefully, I can deliver this thing and get paid today or tomorrow.
So that's it for now. Gonna get going on some of these things. YOU be BLESSED this Lord's day. Remember to say thanks!
Well, it's earlier than usual, but I think I've had about all I can handle for one day. I did do a bit more in the kitchen, work on that table in the sewing room some more, deal with some stuff on the dining room table and spend some time sorting papers, filing, paying bills, etc. I'd love to have enough oomph to go back into that sewing room one more time, but I just don't have it.
I had hoped that one more trip would do it last time I posted. It wasn't enough. But, I did find some clothes that more or less fit which was a bonus from that last trip. One item is a long-sleeved top that will work well this time of year and on into most of what Vegas calls winter. The fabulous thing about that is that it is 3 sizes smaller that what I used to wear. And it fits great! Howz about them apples! I am thrilled. I found two more shirts that come close to fitting. They are short sleeved so I won't be wearing them til spring and by then, they should be just fine. Actually, I can get them on, button them up with no gaps, and move in them; they are just a tad tighter than I would want to wear. Many people would wear them, but I don't like walking around looking like I'm wearing something that's been spray painted on. But, by spring......... One is some sort of fabric blend with a gauzey type texture; the other is rayon. Both fabrics are just fabulous for some degree of comfort in the Vegas heat, so perfect for next year when the hot weather descends upon us again.
One of the great things about the long sleeved top I found is that I have a number of other items in the same size, by the same manufacturer, that are the same size, but were too small. This makes me think that I'll be able to wear those too. I'm kind of anxious to try those on, but it's not happening tonight. I found some additional items for the donation bag and they're itemized and in the bag. Yippee!
I'm not too sure why I'm so wiped out tonight. I have been achy for hours and maybe that has worn me down. I'm also behind on my water drinking for today and that might have something to do with it. Don't worry, I'll chug a bunch before I do lights out! I'm thinking of a soak in a hot tub for a few minutes. That sure sounds good to me!
So, for me, that's it for today. It's been a good day. A lot has been accomplished and I will be patting myself on the back, just a little, as I look back over my day and take stock. Not to say I shouldn't have done more, but I did a good bit and in some areas of the house, it shows. That's always a good thing.
Well, I have managed to vacuum through the whole house, including the rooms with hard floors. I decided to do the rooms with hard floors because I cleaned up so much hair off those floors the other day. Thought the vacuum cleaner could pick up some of it and it would be less to deal with next time that whole wash-the-floors thing pops up. I also did some vacuuming in the two rooms that still need lots of work. It was NOT a thorough vacuuming, but it had to be an improvement. It'll get better as I make progress in those rooms.
By the time I made it the full length of the house, my back was aching. Aching enough that even lying down for an hour didn't do it for me. So, I did the edges in the hall and one spot that was particularly bad out here and that's it with the vacuum cleaner for me today.
I decided that just dumping a bunch of stuff on the floor in the sewing room was counter productive. It just meant that I'd have to handle it all twice and who has time for that. So, I've sorted through about half of it. It's amazing what I found in that pile. One shoe. Yup, ONE of my shoes. An iron I've never seen before--I'm assuming maybe it moved here when Joe did...... A CRT. NO IDEA where that came from but it looks pretty darned old. Another day when my back is not aching, that CRT will go to the curb. If someone wants it as a freebie, it'll be there. I sorted through fabric, interfacing, and some mending. Put away some notebooks for various crochet/embroidery/knitting projects. Added to the mending basket. Someday fairly soon, I'm going to have to start work on taking things out of that mending basket and fixing them, as opposed to just putting stuff in there, LOL. But, that won't be happening until I get the sewing room in order. Anyway, I am guessing that another 10 minutes will take care of that table top--except for the CRT. I am NOT moving that today. And another 10 minutes in there is up next on what I plan on doing today.
Did some work in the kitchen but it needs more time. Hey, there's still about 6 hours left in my workday, so I should be able to get a lot more done.
I pulled out an older kit that I want to put in the store at SBE tomorrow. I've been busily engaged in updating some things and adding some elements. It's a cute kit (and getting cuter, LOL) and just perfect for this time of year.
Alrighty. Got hung up in a phone coversation so I have to hit it. Later.........
Sometimes great minds are confounded by the simplest things. I'm not claiming to have a great mind, but the "simplest things" part still holds true.........
You all know that I am a lover of my homemade frappucinos. So, directly over the blender is a small cupboard. This cupboard is FILLED with glasses. Eventually, I may get rid of some, but I want to wait til I have a chance to empty out/sort through the china cabinet. I am sure there are some things in there that will go to a new home and when that happens I'll have more room for some of these glasses. But, in the meantime, I need to be able to store instant coffee, NesQuik, and a set of measuring spoons in this little cupboard. I have been able to wedge them in there, but the measuring spoons kept falling out. (I told ya, the cupboard is FULL.) How dumb am I? The other day I washed a juice type glass that had been sitting on the shelves in the garden window and decided I could fit it into my little cupboard. Sure enough it fit. And, turned open side up, it is the perfect place for those measuring spoons, LOL. Now that's such a simple fix. What took me so long? I dunno. Just the way my mind works........ or doesn't work, as the case may be, LOL.
It's going to be a good day. I worked really late last night, but I slept well. I'm ready for a good day!
According to my little chore chart, today is vacuuming through the house and then working on cleaning out a room. I decided that I am going to have to include using the corner tool to clean along the edges once a week. This seems to be a good day for that.
I decided I would go back to work in the sewing room. First priority will be clearing off the table that is in there. Once that is done, I can move my cutting tools, etc. off the dining room table which will give me great joy. I originally thought I would painstakingly sort through all the stuff on that table and then move the stuff into that room from the dining room. I'm thinking I may just stack that stuff on the floor, move the stuff in from the dining room and get that all set up, and then sort through the stack on the floor. I keep the door to the sewing room closed, even when I'm in there. So the mess is not visible. But mess in the dining room IS visible and I want to tame that as much as possible.
I got this week's new kit at A Cherry on Top uploaded last night. My CT ladies are starting to post their layouts and there are some really cute ones! I can't wait to share those with you!
I want to start October's back ups today too. I know we still have a couple of days left before October starts, but it'll be good to get a head start on that stuff.
The last of the design chores for today will be to pull together everything for the kit that will be going into Scrapbook-Elements next week. That stuff, technically, should be uploaded by tomorrow and I want to make that happen rather than uploading late which has been my usual, shame on me!
I have finally worked that Halloween kit down to where all the papers I have left I like. Hallelujah! I only need two more papers and I'm on to elements. Those will be kinda fun for this kit!
Well, none of this good stuff is going to happen while I sit here and blog. And, my phone has rung 3 times (I think) this morning with prolonged phone conversations called for (as well as one call from a tax client and one from a telemarketer. At the moment, I'm between phone calls, LOL. SO, I'm gonna scoot and start doing some of this stuff I want to get done today. YOU be BLESSED and have a great day! Remember to say THANKS for the BLESSINGS!
So here we all are. And what I want to know is--Where were you at 3:30AM when I needed you?
I got to bed at my usual time, right around midnight. Punkin climbed up on the bed and situated herself in her spot, opposite me at the head of the bed. Then Parker appeared. Well, this time I was prepared for him with a sheet spread across the foot of the bed to catch his mud droppings. Punkin, however, had different ideas. When she saw him coming, she went to stand over him at the foot of the bed, hoping, I think, to scare him off with the idea that she would pounce on him if he didn't leave. I think he DID leave (wasn't sure. Couldn't tell from my vantage point, lying in bed). She, however, was not satisfied with that and the two of them left the room. She probably thought she could give him an attitude adjustment about recognizing her place in the world. I didn't care. I just wanted to sleep.
Well, Parker came back and decided to jump up in Punkin's spot. Didn't he know that was the spot for the reigning Queen Dog? Apparently not. Parker's not smart like that. So, when Punkin returned to the room the only place left for her was at the foot of the bed. What an insult to the reigning Queen Dog!
Around 3:30, I woke up and went to the bathroom. When I returned she was in my spot and WOULD NOT move. I got disgusted and stomped off to the office where I read blog posts, checked in on FB, and finally wrote my CT update. My idea was that the two dogs, both of whom are always more or less underfoot (Punkin, less; Parker, MORE) would follow me out to the office and then I would sneak in and regain my spot on the bed. Well, they didn't. Maybe they were having a contest to see who would get off the bed first. Kinda like "the one who talks first, loses". THREE HOURS later, they came out here and laid down.
Sure enough, with great stealth, I made my way back to the bedroom, closed the door against any and all canine intruders, and went back to bed.That was around 6:30AM. As tired as I was, I got to watch the sunrise which didn't thrill me one bit, LOL.
Promptly at 8AM, someone's dogs (can you see my tongue-in-cheek expression????) began running around barking in the backyard, right outside my bedroom window. It may have had something to do with the yippy little dog next door who was yipping up a storm. Regardless, that ended my "night's" sleep!
I'm not sure how much I'll get done today on 4 1/2 hours of sleep. Any bets? Call your favorite Vegas bookie and we'll see what happens. There is NO DOUBT in my mind that there IS a nap in my future!
So, about those blogs.......... I'm getting angry at them. The ones I read daily are centered on DIY, decor, scrapbook design, or sewing. A pretty narrow scope of interests here. And I'm getting pretty fed up with some of them. Part of what frustrates me is the advertising on some of the sites; another part of what frustrates me is when they post about all sorts of things that have NOTHING to do with the reason I added their blogs to my reader in the first place; and the last part of what frustrates me is the posts that are simply a regurgitation of stuff other people have posted to other blogs or Pinterest.
I have nothing at all against bloggers making some money. I have nothing at all against bloggers making a lot of money if they can do it without it becoming bothersome. It seems, though, that some of them don't understand "bothersome". Some have so many advertising images--on the top of their blog, in their sidebars, on the bottom of their post, everywhere, that it takes forever for their pages to load. Believe me, I've sat here and watched the various items loading before the page actually opens. I think that is bothersome. Several of them even have ads that are more like "pop up" ads. Talk about bothersome. Even once the page loads (bogged down in all the afore mentioned ads), you're still not gonna be able to actually read the blog because up pops, LITERALLY, a half-page ad for something. Geez...... Also under this same category are sponsored posts. The ladies are paid a fee for trying a product and then writing about it on their blogs and they receive the products for free. Hey, one of these, here and there, is okay. Sometimes I learn about a good product for some potential project. Good to know that product exists and what it may be capable of. I may want to search it out one of these days. My problem is I have yet to see a post that says "I tried this product and I found it to be basically worthless". Now, if you're posting about products, surely at some point somebody MUST find a product that is just not worth the time or money. Hey, I find these all the time, those not worth the time or money things. How could they possibly be so lucky that every product they are paid to try is just super?
Mostly, my next gripe seems to center on DIY and decor bloggers. I added their blogs to my blog reader because I enjoyed reading about some of their DIY projects. I like to learn wherever I can. But, if I signed up to read about DIY project or about decor, I really want to read about DIY projects or decor. I don't want advice on how to use wordpress (a very sophisticated/expensive blogging program). At the moment, wordpress is irrelevant to my life. Someday I might care, but not now. I don't want people showing me a bunch of funky fonts. The problem with the people showing me funky fonts is that they may be cute and whatever, but they are not fonts I can use for kit design and are, therefore, irrelevant to my life. There is one blog I signed up for because she was refashioning used clothing for use today. Now what I am seeing most of the time is photos of her modeling various outfits. She's 20-something, I am not. I really don't care what she wears on Monday, Tuesday, or, for that matter on Wednesday-Friday! Some of that stuff I wouldn't be caught dead in! And most of it I certainly wouldn't wear to sit here at my desk and design all day or while cleaning my toilets! I think she is in love with herself and a frustrated fashion model in a mommy-body. Not my fault, lady!
And, finally, the Pinterest/op's blog regurgitation. Now, I realize that projects take time. Sometimes a person will have a week or two go by before a project they've started is actually finished and bloggable. And in between they have to blog about something. But, really--I am fully capable of doing a search on Pinterest all by myself. I really don't need anyone to search Pinterest for all white rooms and then post them to their blog. Picky, I know. But, please don't waste my time. I'm not necessarily interested in all white rooms and if I want to find examples of them, I can do so on my own. Give me more of what I signed up for and less of the Pinterest searches, please.
Right now, blogs are FILLED with crafts for Halloween. I'm sure that's an important holiday to some. It doesn't matter to me in the least. So, how many times do I have to view foam pumpkins from Michaels being painted white or having some other change made to them! There is one blog I signed up for because the lady was making things like her own drapery panels and such. However, I've found out she only does that occasionally. Now, she seems to spend inordinate amounts of time rearranging tschotzke's in her house. I really don't care where she puts the dog statue, particularly after I've already seen it on the coffee table, on the end table, on the book shelves, and on the dining room table. After all that I wanna tell her where she can put that doggy statue but it wouldn't be polite. Her other claim to fame seems to be shopping in 2nd hand shops. I can appreciate a good bargain as well as the next person. But she claims to be saving money because the family is experiencing high dental bills right now. Doesn't she know that $3 here and $15.99 somewhere else adds up? And, while maybe she got quite the deal at Goodwill near where she lives, it's not like shopping at Sears where every store sells the same pair of pants in 5 different colors and 10 different sizes. I am not going to be able to rush to my Goodwill store and get the same deal!
Can you tell I'm a little bit disillusioned with blogs? Yeah......... Well, if you come here looking for info on my design stuff or for cute layouts to lift, if I have a new product you'll find exactly what you came looking for. And if you came here to read my drivel about being a Christian, a mom, a grandma, a daughter, a widow, a VERY QUESTIONABLE housekeeper on a quest to declutter her house, a woman who lost her way when her husband died and is still trying to find out how to get through what's left, let me assure you, there's more of the same coming at ya!
But for today, I think that's just about all! (Hey, I heard that sigh of relief!) Here are some layouts to rock your world........
I usually only post layouts here that are done with the current kit. However, there is one thing about this layout by Laurie (she's playing catch up) that caught my eye. I thought it was a cool idea. Laurie used Early Fall, the kit from two weeks ago, for this layout. What caught my eye on this page is where Laurie placed her journaling. How unique that she's journaled between "the spokes" of that burst layout. Very creative!
This is another of Laurie's Project 52 layouts. If you follow these, you get to see what's going on, week by week in the lives of Laurie's kids and grandkids. You guys know I find that a marvelous idea! I love these layouts. Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of fun things about this layout, but, being dead flat honest, I got really excited when I saw that photo of Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer. In years past, I could be counted on to help raise sales figures at Starbucks near my home when the Pumpkin Spice coffee flavor hit the stores in the fall. Now, for budgetary reasons, Starbucks has been relegated to the "very occasional treat" status. But, I'm still excited by Pumpkin Spice so I'll be following Lindsey and buying some of that creamer! Great job on the page, Laurie. And, I have to tell you it isn't easy to get me excited about going to the grocery store but you've done it, LOL.
Gotta get moving. After all, I HAVE to leave room in my day for a nap! YOU be BLESSED today. Say "thanks" to the guy who sends those blessings every day, whether or not we recognize them.
Well, that chore chart I put together for myself is working so far. I just finished washing 4 floors. The kitchen was the worst. The Master Bath was no picnic either, but mostly because of Parker's need for affection whenever he finds me in a bathroom. I left the bedroom door open because I was using a vinegar and water solution and I wanted some of the odor to be able to escape. And, that was my downfall! Parker was in front of me or on my heels when I wanted to turn. Here I am trying to carry the scale, the magazine rack, and other stuff out of there so I could get the floor clean with this wide-bodied dog everywhere I needed to be. That particular bathroom is long and narrow. You can see how a wide-bodied dog might be in the way, LOL. There was a lot of Parker-hair in the hall bath, but other than that, it was no problem. And the entry way was taken care of in short order. I decided not to take the trash out because it was dark before I was ready to start. There's so little of it it's not worth the trouble.
So, what's left today? The 10 minute tidy. I think I'll spend that time working on some stuff that needs to be sorted and put away in the bedroom. I've had some things sitting around that require my climbing on the step stool. Many of the days when I would otherwise have tackled this stuff, I was dealing with back pain and decided to redirect my efforts to something that would bother me less. But, tonight, I think I can! Another thing that makes this more doable is that along the way I've created places to put some of the stuff I didn't know what to do with before. Yeah, THAT helps.
I have a load of laundry in the washer, just waiting for me to fire it up. I've been trying to operate in the laundry thing a little differently and I think it is far more effective and sensible than what I was doing before. Before, I'd sort out the laundry and then go through the load piece by piece, pre-treating stains. Well, that wasn't working for me. So, if I am not in the mood to bleach my whites, I just pretreat all the stains daily. Then I put everything straight into the machine. I don't own anything new that would fade so why not just put it all in there together?
I used to have a compartmentalized laundry sorter and that was very handy. If I still had one of those, I'd certainly use it. However, since that died, I've been sorting laundry out on the floor of my bedroom. I hate that. I do keep the dark clothes separate. Right now, in that it's still pretty warm, I don't really have many dark clothes to wash. So those get pre-treated and put back in the hamper. And, at least, my bedroom floor isn't covered with little piles of stuff waiting for a turn in the washer.
Not sure what I'll do when winter weather kicks in and I'm wearing more dark clothes. Maybe it won't matter in that, like I said, I don't have anything new that would fade anyway. Hopefully I'll figure that one out as I go along.
Yesterday was Wednesday. Even better it was the 4th Wednesday of the month. What's so good about that? The 4th Wednesday of the month my money for the month hits the bank. I had hoped in September to buy a "dryer lint kit" from the Flylady website. A friend helped me out and removed the grill from the front of my fridge a while back. I cleaned that out as well as I could with my regular vacuum cleaner, but there was no way it would reach in as far as I needed it to go. This dryer lint kit includes an attachment for the vacuum cleaner that is kind of like the corner tool but much longer. I want to get that area under the fridge REALLY clean and get the grill back in place. So, being as the fourth Wednesday has arrived, I think I'm going to kick loose with the $2X this attachment will cost, shipped. My "mad money" for the month, LOL. Last month my "mad money" for a buncha months went for a car battery! I'm trusting there won't be an expense like that again for a while.........
I did the test kitchen thing first today, after making the bed. The texture of what I made looks good. It tastes good too. However, it does not in the least resemble the product I was trying produce. What I was going for is something that usually has lots of brown speckles in it. What I got looks like yellow cake. So, I think that product probably won't make the cut. In any case, I'd vote against it! Back to the drawing board........
I haven't made a lot of progress on the Halloween kit. I created 4 more papers, but deleted 2 that I had done before.......4 steps forward, 2 steps back????? I'll keep plugging away at it though!
I might be back with a final update as to whether I actually DID the 10 minute tidy and maybe some project work. But don't hold me to it. If I don't come back tonight, I'll try to remember to report here tomorrow..........
