The internet made me do it!

I got a chuckle from Elle's comment. Tiny home living is for those without "space-required" hobbies! Oh my! I did say that I would have all my sewing stuff in another space! What a hoot! But seriously - that should be something everyone needs to be told upfront. If you are going to quilt, you need SPACE. I know some people (Paula Neidlestern comes to mind) sew in tiny spaces, but where do they store stuff? OH - they don't buy a ton of things! 

BTW - Paula lives in a small apartment in New York City. She used to sew on her kitchen table. ACK! I think she has more room now that her kids are long gone.  

I'll blame it on the internet, and that's the truth! I must run the online diagnostic for the internet because lately? Our internet is crap! We never had good reach in parts of the house, but it seems to have gotten worse. I think our boosters are offline, and well, last evening, when I wanted to send emails, it just wouldn't work. 

Yes - I rebooted my PC SEVERAL times yesterday and even rebooted my phone at least twice to try and clear up stuff, but it worked temporarily, and then POOF - back to crappy internet. 

All that to say, this happened. 

The puzzle is done!

I have been very good with my time and set aside my break time (maximum 60 minutes) to work on the puzzle. This was a tough one, and after my break in the afternoon, the puzzle looked like this. 

Earlier in the day

It's strange how some puzzles come together so quickly. And what sections are left is also interesting - some have a big section remaining and are scattered, like this one. 

Anyway, when I couldn't work on my presentations any longer because I couldn't send pictures to myself, I gave up and finished the puzzle. Yes - the light sucks in that room at night, but I persevered! It took about 30 minutes to finish it. 

The city? It's Frankenmuth! 

Yes, I dug out another puzzle. How could I not? I love the 500-piece ones, and I can finish one in about three days with my limited time. The larger ones will have to wait. 

I was busy cutting and sewing for some classes this weekend and had a huge laugh when I spotted this. We always talk about our fabric and how much we have. Well, I have a basket of Kansas Troubles. Yes, an entire basket is devoted to this brand! That basket probably has enough fabric to make six or seven, or even more quilts. What's this all about? 

I liked the fabric and bought some whenever I saw it because if I don't buy it now, it'll be gone forever. Wrong! Kansas Troubles has been around for a long time and is still around. Someone needs to educate new quilters on how to buy fabric—what will stick around and what will disappear quickly. Maybe I'll keep working on quilts with this basket until it's gone. I mean my ongoing classes. It would make the selection process simple! 

Anyway -- here's where I got my chuckle. Look at the price!!!! This is in Canadian dollars. Why is that funny? The cost today is close to $6!!!!

Look at that price!

OH - this one must have been purchased a year or more later - the price is now $3.75. But here's the sad part -- NEITHER of those fat quarters had been used. NEVER!! Shame on me! And these two were not alone. 

OH -- a price increase!

I'm behind, but I'm working hard to finish everything, and I'll do what I can! 

Oh my goodness, here's another laugh. This came from the 2008 Organizing magazine. Seriously?? Did we do that as recently as 2008? Mind you, that's 16 years ago now. NO ONE would consider leaving their phone by the front door to charge overnight, although some of us should! I spotted this more than once in those organizing magazines. 

Is it cold outside? It's not cold, at least not according to Lexi. I put them both out at some point in the day, and when Murphy wanted in, I looked around for Lexi. Oh no—she was not ready to come in. She was content to sit in her favorite spot and survey the neighborhood! 

Mom - this is Husky weather!

I had to list all the computer tasks I had to take care of—and there were definitely more than three! I'm working through that list, and I still have the REAL things that need to be done—slow and steady! There's no point in getting into a flap about any of it—this is NOT rocket science, and no one will die, so I'm not going to stress. If I start to worry, then it's time to retire! 

I don't usually mention world events on the blog, but the fires in California are shocking. I can't imagine how helpless the firefighters (and the residents are) are to see massive walls of flames racing along hillsides and through neighborhoods, devouring everything in their wake. Where would you even start?

The world is changing, and while some say the Earth has experienced climate change before (and it has), today's Earth is very different from the Earth years ago. 

My thoughts are with those in the affected areas. If you have family in those areas, let's pray they are safe. 

I'm off for another busy day. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

Murphy entertains - AGAIN!!

Oh - if you only knew! While I'm doing a great job with the rest of the house, I'll confess that Studio B looks like a train wreck! There's something about that space that just won't let me tidy it up! Many things have homes, and that works, but there are too many irons in the fire at the moment, and I just can't get it cleaned up! 

Case in point: I went to cut some quilt blocks yesterday. Where can I put my mini design boards? They were teetering on one of my digital cutters and in danger of falling. 

No place for the mini-design boards

I'm not happy with the situation, but I need more time—which I don't have much of these days—to complete some projects. I'm not stressed and working quite nicely to the deadlines, but I'm only completing what needs to be done and then moving on without putting away or completing some projects. Kudos to those who can only work on one project! They must not be teachers or do this for a living. 

But I can't let that get me down. Slow and steady, and do what you can. I also need to get back to the long arm, and getting time for that seems like a challenge at the moment! 

My schedule for Zoom events for SVP exploded for February and will likely do the same for March. I need to have some clear space by then to do my presentations. As I'm walking the dogs, I'd better develop some ideas. Otherwise, I may have to buy a tub or grab some boxes, and put some of this stuff away. I do not want to do that, but I may have no choice. Sigh.

So many ideas, so little time! And let's not forget all the decluttering I want to continue with. I need much longer days. Who says they are bored? That's just not possible. How can one be bored when there are so many things to learn and do?

I've been exploring (for fun) tiny houses. These are the TINY houses, not small ones. Most are 500 square feet or less. I could live in a tiny house, but I couldn't work in a TINY house. I'd need a spot for all my stuff! I think a tiny house is great for ONE person, so it won't work at this time, but wouldn't it be neat to live in a small place and that's ALL the stuff you own? How fun and how freeing! 

I swear that's why walking the Camino is such a great experience. You carry only a minimal amount of stuff, and there are no worries along the way. Yep, I can see myself going back! 

I took my afternoon break and headed to Studio U to work on the puzzle. Hey, I may not be sewing there, but I use the room at least. 

The jigsaw puzzle status

Yes, this one is tough! Thankfully, there are only 500 pieces, and I'm making progress. Do you ever look at a puzzle and think that some pieces must be missing as that doesn't look like a lot of pieces. But so far, no missing pieces. Yes - I bought all these puzzles from the thrift store. I purchased them for $5 a piece, most of them with a discount coupon or on senior's day. This one was an excellent value for my money!

So I'm madly writing, taking pictures, editing, and all that good stuff. You'll see the fruits of my labor later this month. I enjoy it, but it's very time-consuming, which is probably why I'm behind in other things. Would I give it up? I've thought of that many times, but here's the thing. Writing these articles is what pushes me to LEARN a whole lot of new things. So, will I give it up? The bigger question should be - can I afford (from a learning perspective) to give it up? The answer is NO. 

I must learn to back off a bit. I write and write and write. I could get away with less, which I must do in 2025. Do less - learn, but do less! 

While eating dinner the other night, I had to contend with this. Murphy is an entertainer. There are no doubts about that. She can be quiet as a mouse until she knows she has an audience (sitting at the kitchen table) or relaxing in the living room. Then she becomes animated! That dog is NOT stupid. 

So here she is, laying on her blankets and watching the ball out of the corner of her eye. 

Mom - I'm watching that ball in case it moves

In 60 seconds, this is where she was. The ball somehow got buried in the blankets, and she tossed them to the opposite end of the room. Eventually, the ball fell out. But how can you not watch this? It's certainly entertaining, and you can't help but laugh at her!!! All in a good way, of course. I must put that pile of blankets back at least twice a day! 

Mom - that ball moved! 

Does she do it for treats? I don't think so since neither Lexi nor Murphy get frequent treats in our house. Does she do it for attention? I'm not sure, but this one is a live one! We love you, Murphy!

Oh my - the temperature is a bit cooler these days. But seriously - if you dress for the weather, it's not bad. I'm still out walking the girls and my afternoon walks, and sometimes, especially in the morning, I throw an extra wind jacket over my down sweater, and I'm good to go. It surprises me how many people complain of the cold, but their jackets hang open, and they do not wear mitts, hats, or scarves. Yep - you're going to be cold - dress for it! I still walk to the grocery store or whatever other errand needs to be done. 

The other thing I see is vehicles sitting in driveways warming up with no one around. They are using their remote starters. Guess what? Most vehicles have seat and steering wheel warmers. Your vehicle's engine does not need to warm up, not like before. I get in my car and go. I don't wait; I don't warm it up! Did you know your car warms up faster when you're driving it? If you need to defrost the windshield, that's a different story. But these days? There is no need for that. 

A lot of people have gone soft. What would they do if we had to experience a significant catastrophe in our area? They would crumble!

On that note, I'm psyching myself up to go out. This is the coldest morning for us this winter. Minus 12 C with a wind chill of minus 19. Piece of cake - the girls are begging to go out! As a matter of fact, they are very frisky on a morning like this! 

And on that chilly note, I'm out of here!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Decluttering WORKS!

I had a chance to read more of the Organizing magazine and found some tidbits to share with you. 

But first, I promised some pictures of my decluttering/organizing skills. 

One of the things about decluttering/organizing is that if you don't do it correctly, and by that, I mean - in a way suited to YOUR needs, the system won't work. You'll end up with a cluttered, chaotic organization system. While it is good to check out what the magazine says, or I guess I should say social media, or me, you have to tailor ANY solution to you. 

• How much stuff do you have? 
• How much room do you have to store it? 
• How much are you willing to get rid of?
• How diligent are you about not purchasing any more items? 
• How diligent are you about putting things back where they belong? 

Those points are critical to keeping your space neat and organized. I want to achieve that for every spot in the house, but I'm not there yet. However, I'm content with how far I've come and know I'll get there. I'm the turtle—slow and steady. 

So here are my utensil drawers in the kitchen. I decluttered and sorted them. I found these great trays that fit my drawer, and here we are, many months later, and the drawer looks the same as when I first organized it. 

Utensil drawer - still neat and tidy

It's easy to find exactly what I'm looking for, and it's super easy to put the tools away. I LOVE this, and it works for us. 

We have an auxiliary utensil drawer, which contains stuff we rarely touch. Indeed, some utensils are so infrequently used that they could go. However, this does not affect our daily routines. The potato masher is missing, as it was in the dishwasher when I took this photo. I'm using two trays in this drawer. And as simple as a tray sounds, it works! 

The auxiliary utensil drawer

Both drawers took little time to sort, the trays were inexpensive, and we are winners at our house! 

Then there's the spice drawer. This drawer took more time and money, but I wouldn't change anything after several months of using it. I did have to clean up a spill from loose spice in the back, but I'm not going there. It's neat and organized, and we're happy!

The spice drawer

This is my junk drawer, which I tidied up years ago. There are two things I'm noticing about this drawer. The lack of trays to fill the space means the existing trays sometimes get tossed around. I guess we yank that drawer open or something! I may find another tray as a placeholder for the sheets of paper. I also noticed that we are getting a collection of twist ties. Hmm - where are they coming from? They are good to have when dealing with cords, so I'm hanging onto them. But neat and tidy, and it takes nothing to keep it this way. Though, I think three large Sharpies are enough! 

The "junk" drawer in the kitchen

Any other "junk" item is being dealt with immediately, and it's surprising how little junk you end up with when you don't buy as much, don't have kids, and try to deal with everything as it surfaces. 

And the last area I'll share this morning is the storage container cupboard. The top shelf holds seldom-used items - paper plates and some paper cups. But the rest of the containers and their lids are organized. It's easy to see what we have and very easy to put these containers and their lids away. I should probably go through the top shelf. What exactly is up there? 

The storage container cupboard

The point is that sorting, decluttering, and finding a good way to store things does work! It's not easy to start, and the process is time-consuming, but it doesn't have to be expensive. And if you do it right, it will always stay that way!

Our kitchen is in excellent shape, but I still have areas where I need to go back and declutter again. There are a few cupboards that I'd like to get rid of more stuff. We have too many glasses and plates that we never touch. They are currently on the top shelves of the cupboards, but I bet I could quickly get three more boxes of stuff out of that kitchen. Maybe even four - we haven't touched the stuff in years, so why am I storing it? 

Speaking of storing things, I loved this caption from the Organizing 2008 magazine. 

Did you read it carefully? The clothing you STORE versus the clothing you WEAR? There's a difference here. 

I could go through my closets and eliminate more than half of the stuff. The closet was the first place I started many years ago. And it's not that I've bought many clothes, but it's just getting rid of more clothes I no longer wear. That's another job on the list of things to do, but it's not a priority as everything I own is sorted, organized, and neat, but just too much. 

Here's another caption that caught my eye. I've been saying this for a long time, and I wish I had honed my decluttering/organizing skills when M was young.  

Make organization a part of your child's life! The first step is NOT buying tons of crap. If you need to purchase something, teach them to get rid of something else to make room. If there is no home for the excess, it becomes clutter. Kids from a very early age can be trained to put things away. TEACH them; don't do it for them. 

If only our parents had instilled these behaviors in us, we wouldn't be spending our time now trying to eliminate the clutter. Buy less!!!! Organize more!!!! 

And this last quote makes me laugh. 

I would NEVER consider doing this, but I know a couple (who shall remain nameless to protect their "innocence" who have turned not one, but TWO bedrooms in their home into his and her closets. You have got to be kidding me? I almost died when I saw it. Yep -- this is not second-hand information. I saw it with my own eyes. They call them their dressing rooms, and their kids are gone, so they can do whatever they want with the extra bedrooms. However, I think they both have way too many clothes. 

The current jigsaw puzzle is challenging. I made progress on it, but there's only so much hunting one can do at a given time. I give myself 30-minute time slots on this one and then move on to something else. 

The current puzzle is tough

I snuck in before bed and managed to find a few more pieces! But it will take a little while before I get it together. This is one where the picture is essential! 

Work is progressing at a slow and steady pace. I refuse to look at the big picture because that scares me. So, I'll get my three things that must be done each day and continue to prioritize. That's all I can do. I'm not one to give up sleep for work! 

I'm off to spin class this morning. 

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

Happy People!

Remember I said I was feeling overwhelmed the other day? Why? A lot is happening in the next few months, and I ignored my schedule and work-related tasks during the holidays. As soon as I started putting things on paper in the form of a plan, the overwhelming thoughts were gone! 

Does it have to be an elaborate plan? No! You can type it out or write it on the back of a napkin, but if writing it out gets you back in control, that's all that counts. I have not completed the task, but I'm well on my way. 

Filing my email and attachments more logically and promptly is helping a lot because it's easy to find what I need. All is good! 

I had to laugh at Pamela's comment about Murphy. Yes - she is a beautiful dog. She's demanding, though, and constantly wants attention. Last night, I sat in a chair in the living room to read for a bit. Of course, she's right there asking for attention. And, well, I wanted a few quiet moments to read. So this happened. 

Yes, Murphy, you are the Queen, and I am your servant

Seriously?? I'm now sitting on the ottoman while she laps up the luxury of the chair, with her head on my knees. And she was quite content to lay there for a long time - quiet as a mouse! Sigh...... And I thought Lexi was the Princess!

We completed the 16th puzzle in the EXIT Games Advent Calendar last night. It took us two days to do it. I never said we were fast, and I think the overwhelming feeling of the previous week carried over to other parts of my day, preventing me from focusing like I usually do with the puzzles. The puzzle was tricky, as it involved going through all the "rooms" of the box we had opened - MULTIPLE times to get all the information. Then, we had to use logic to decipher the information, but we solved it without help. But it took both brains to get there! 

DH spotted this in The Globe and Mail on Jan 4. It's all about happiness. The article is called Pursuing Happiness and discusses twelve tips for cultivating happiness. Here are the tips: 

1. Stay curious about the people you love
2. Say hello to strangers
3. Take pleasure in achieving small goals
4. Forgive others - and yourself
5. Spend time with your own thoughts
6. Build up your happiness with practice
7. Find your happy place
8. Don't be afraid to knock on a new door
9. Share your happiness
10. When life is painful, maintain perspective. Today is not tomorrow
11. Pay attention to the view
12. Be shamelessly silly. Dance. Sing. Blow bubbles

What do you think? I love them all. Do I practice them all? I probably have difficulty with number four! And I absolutely love number twelve! 

I love this sentence from Number 12: If you don't have time for fun, "life just squeezes the opportunity out of you," Ms Foss says. "No one else is going to prioritize play for you because it's not productive in a capitalist economy, you know?"

Oh, how true. However, do capitalists not realize that happy people are more productive? Sadly, many people frown on happiness or are incapable of experiencing it, which is their loss. 

This next jigsaw puzzle is going to be tough. I accomplished only this much in 30 minutes—all the time I could devote yesterday. It's also a 500-piece puzzle that might take a "few" days to finish. Another US city—you can't tell which one from those few pieces. 

Slow progress on the jigsaw puzzle

I love my air threading serger (Husqvarna Viking Amber Air S600). I was serging the edge of a quilt this morning, and I knew the upper looper thread would run out. But I wasn't paying attention, and the next thing I knew, the serger wasn't sewing correctly. I think it took more time to walk to the cabinet to get another spool than it did to rethread the upper looper. No need to unthread the lower looper or the needles. Just insert the end of the thread into the air tube opening and push the button! 

Ran out of thread!

I was preparing to come upstairs when I realized I only had one sandal. Good grief—where's the other one?

Where's my sandal?

I checked under the table where the sewing machine is. It's not there. Oh yes - I was also serging this morning, and it was on the floor under the serger table. I take the sandal off my right foot whenever I'm sewing and don't even realize it.  

It's not under the sewing machine table

I saw this quote the other day and thought it was so true. It's all the more reason we must do whatever we can to preserve our abilities for as long as possible. That includes walking! It sounds silly to say this out loud, but we do not want to lose the ability to go to the washroom independently, especially if we are somewhere and they don't have support to assist us. So don't forget your Stand-up/Sit-down routine!! 

We can't turn the clock back and stop aging, but we can slow the process by caring for our bodies. I know that won't work for everyone, and some of us have limitations that can't be reversed. But we sure don't want to reach "that age" and realize we should have been doing more to stay mobile. The trouble with most of this is that it creeps up on you. One day, you can; the next, you struggle, and then poof - you can't! 

No decluttering thoughts today, but that doesn't mean you should be letting it slide! Grab a drawer - I promised pictures of my drawers in the kitchen. I'll do that later today so I can share them with you. 

Think about your happiness? Are you happy? What makes you happy? Lots of things make me happy, and since I know what they are, it's MY responsibility to keep doing them so I don't fall into the shadows of darkness. Thankfully, my brain is wired for happiness! 

On that happy note, I'm out of here! I have a lot of work to accomplish today, but good progress is being made. I have my list of three priorities, and I'm ready, set, go! 

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!

Lofty goals

It's a new year, and many people are setting goals, such as how many books they will read, how many projects they will work on, or how many miles they will walk. 

Last night, in our Conquerer Facebook group, I noticed that one person set a lofty goal for 2025: The circumference of the earth, which is 24,910 MILES at the equator. Seriously? That's 68 MILES a day. What is their mode of transportation? A scooter? A car? which then defeats the purpose of a challenge to get you moving. 

I see someone else posted this morning a lofty goal of 20,000 Miles. OK -- guys - this is getting a bit ridiculous. I don't even drive those distances in a year. 

Perhaps the distances are for something else, not Miles or kilometers. Maybe they stand for minutes of something, which is possible. But it sounded like the 24,910-mile person was walking, and he was behind (no kidding) because he lives in Saskatchewan and currently has pneumonia. Who would walk 68 Miles a day in Saskatchewan weather? Wait—it's not about the weather but the road conditions, walking on ice, and packed snow. 

Not my problem!

I have several goals this year. One is to read 52 books - one per week. Since I'm already at four, I think I'll make it!

I like to set challenges for myself, and I want to work on two quilts I'll create using machine embroidery applique. The challenge is that the patterns have to be digitized as they are currently not - at least in the format I have. They are available as machine embroidery patterns, but my goal is to perfect my digitizing, and these are great patterns to make that happen. 

I completed the first block on the weekend and am thrilled with the results. This was the most straightforward block. While I have made this block before, I was never happy with the results, but I now have it to my satisfaction. As a bonus, I cut the applique using the digital cutter.  

My digitized heart

Now, to move on to the next least complicated block! 

I also finished the machine embroidery for this project, which I purchased online. It's an elf girl, and she's still in pieces. I need to remove the stabilizer and then attach her arms and legs with snaps. I'll get to that later this month.

The elf girl

Each piece is finished both front and back. This is what the back of the dress looks like. I'm pretty happy with the results. 

The back of the dress

Not that any of you would say this, but for anyone who thinks that my embroidery machine did all the work, think again! I need to know which stabilizer to use and how to use it. Which type of thread do I use and where? I also need other tips and tricks that make stitching these things easy. The stitching is the easy part, which I let the embroidery machine do. The challenge is getting to that point. 

Like everything, the more you do, the easier it becomes, and the better your finished products look. 

I don't often stitch out commercial designs like this because I don't, as a rule, use it in my embroidery lectures. I want to showcase the SVP designs or those I've created myself, so it was a treat to work on this. 

Today is the first Monday of the new year, so I'm back to "work!" I have a lot of prep work for upcoming lectures in February, so I need to take stock of what I have and what needs to be done. Since January will be a full month, I must respect my deadlines.

My frame and M's are now connected, so we can add photos to each other's AURA frames. I absolutely love this frame—it's so easy to add images! DH wants to know how to scroll through the pictures. For goodness sake, can you not take five seconds (I think the frame is set to 10 seconds before it moves to the next image) to enjoy the moment? 

M's pictures in my Aura frame

As I pass, I look at a few more photos! It's an excellent gift for both of us. Now I need to load a Murphy and Lexi photo each day for them, but I want a Bear picture in return!

The Williamsburg puzzle was put away in the plastic bag and box. Later this week, it and another one will be dropped off (actually exchanged). I opened the next one and completed the border before I ran out of time! It's also a 500-piece puzzle, which works well in my current time frame. 

The border on the next puzzle

I like having it upstairs where the light is only good in the daytime. And I like setting a timer (it's in my head), but I need to respect those timers. If I don't, I'll never get anything done, and I have deadlines, so if I mess up the time, I only hurt myself. 

The bulk of the samples are done! Thank goodness. I can work on a bonus one during today's Monday sewing, and it shouldn't take long. These are famous last words!!

As for the clutter, Tammy suggested that the ball holder probably had elastic for two long bars so it would be easy to get the balls out. AHA -- that works for me - I never thought of that. 

And here's a quote, thanks to Torry. "Organized clutter is still clutter!" I think that's what drives me mad (now), which is that finding a home for everything is NOT enough. You must reduce what you have and THEN find a home for what's left. So much of what we have now (at least people in my age bracket) are things that no longer fit our lifestyles. And if that's the case, it's likely dated, and no one else wants it, so it's time to get rid of it. Keep up the decluttering, and you will be happy you did. 

Here's something else to consider. I asked someone who moved last year if they were ready to rejoin a group from which they had taken a hiatus. The answer was no. Why? Moving when you're older takes much more energy and time, and they are not ready. I know this person did some major decluttering before they moved, but it still shows that moving, even after decluttering, is traumatic. So keep on decluttering! 

I have my list of three things for today, and now I'm off to the gym for spin class. I also need to follow up with my doctor about that leg. 

On that note, have a super day!!! 

Ciao!!!

Will that work for you?

Decluttering! A lifelong skill that no one teaches, but they should! Clutter creeps up because we don't have homes for the things we own. And we are notorious for buying MORE. For fun, look at this short video. Need I say more? 

Here's something that I've noticed about myself. Years ago, I would quickly get bored at home. I know -- how could that happen? It wasn't boredom so much as the need to talk to someone. So, who did I talk to? Diane and Susannah at Ruti's Needlebed. I'd go over and chat for a bit - it got me out of the house, I had a human conversation fix, and I usually bought something, whether I needed it or not! 

Now, I look at what needs to be done and ask myself if I have time to go to the grocery store to get something. Should I just go for a walk to get back to work sooner? Staying in touch with people via Zoom has helped a thousandfold with the human conversation fix. I can chat with many people, but I don't have to commit all day to visit. 

And now, back to decluttering. As you walk around your house today, examine various areas CLOSELY. What can go, and what do you want to keep? 

Perhaps someone else could use those things you really don't need. 

Like fabric, for instance! If you have many bright, colorful fabrics, including seasonal ones, you could donate them to Comfy Cases, and someone (or it could be you) can make beautiful pillowcases for children. I also hear that some nursing homes are also looking for pillowcases. You know you can't take the fabric with you, so figuring out how to reduce that fabric stash is good. Pillowcases for seniors and children are a great way to eliminate big yardage pieces. 

Check out Comfy Cases to see their requirements. Although their program has expanded, their main focus remains hospitals in southern Ontario. You should check that out, as I'm just guessing, and Grammarly does NOT like it when I say, "I think, or I believe." It wants solid options! 

I had a fabulous day! No - the samples are not done, although I completed a couple more, and it should not take long to get the remainder done. I swear, we think things can be accomplished in half the time they actually take! Why is that? Anyway, I did a lot of machine embroidery, but I can't share it with you this morning because we have a machine embroidery club this morning, and there are OODLES of show and tell, as well as loads of tips and learning. I'm so excited - I'm practically giddy! 

Again, I had great hopes that I'd be done by mid-afternoon. Nope - I didn't finish until dinnertime, and even then, dinner was late! I accomplished my goal in that area, so all is good. I finished my three priority tasks, and now three more are on the list for today. 

Let's go back to looking at some storage solutions. When I was much younger, I believed anything written down was true. I have since learned that is not true - not even close. I won't go into how telling untruths seems fashionable, and people want to win the contest for the biggest untruth! 

The same goes for anything. Just because someone says it's a good idea, you need to evaluate it before committing to it, whether buying something new or adopting a new habit. Just because I like things done a certain way does not mean they work for you! We all have our quirks and need to consider them when we do anything. 

Finding suitable storage ideas is one of those areas. Here's something I spotted last week. 

Practical or pretty?

This is a brilliant idea for storage. It's not so clever for practical use. What if you want the basketball on the bottom? WAIT - what if your teenager wants that ball? It's not likely that they'll grab the top four balls and hold them in their hands while fishing the bottom one out. The top four will get tossed, and they'll roll. It's a brilliant storage idea, but it's not practical at all. 

So, just because it looks good in the store or online -- THINK twice before you buy. How practical is this? That's important for gadgets in the sewing world or any other hobby. It looks cute, but will you make use of it? The pretty organizer that works for no one! The little scratch pads that you just can't use because they are too cute? All CLUTTER!!!!

I've become ruthless! 

I realized yesterday that the current magazine I'm browsing is about Getting Organized, not storage, so this one has more useful ideas. 

Secrets of Getting Organized 2008

The date is 2008, and I chuckled when I read this. 

We no longer need storage for either VHS or DVD. We can stream anything, and no need for storage of any kind. OK - I know some people like to keep that stuff. How many people have "many" Disney VHS tapes? We have NONE! A Spotify account (family is cheaper) gives you access to any music you want! Or almost. We had a year-end comparison of who listened to Spotify the most last year. I was in third place with 7,001 minutes. DH was at 17,351, and M was over 20,000 minutes. 

But here are a couple of ideas that I liked. This is often an unused space and look at all that storage. But don't just create storage to hide the mess. Clean up the mess first, then decide if you need more storage. Yes - kids will use this as a slide. 

Great storage idea for a staircase

I love the idea of the dishes having their spots in a drawer, not above them. No heavy lifting. But we are definitely NOT that coordinated at our house. How easily can those dividers be moved?  

Great storage for dishes

I hate this idea. I get it - if you live in a small place and don't have a lot of storage, hanging pots is excellent, but right over the window? I'm not a fan of this concept. 

Not a fan

I'm still disciplined, so I set aside an hour to work on the puzzle while slowly eating my snack. Wait—it only took about 30 minutes to finish. That sky was a bit challenging. 

The 500-piece puzzle is done!

This is called Williamsburg. I haven't put it away yet because there was no plastic bag in the box, but I now have one, and I'll put it away later today. It's a 500-piece puzzle. I have the next one (also a 500-piece puzzle) out, and I'll work on that this afternoon. 

I had company while I worked. That dog is CLINGY!!!

MOM - I'm just making sure you're safe!

Now that Mujrphy knows her pictures can be uploaded to Bear's AURA frame, she's extra cute. I swear she just does things, so I must take photos of her! What a goofball!!

MOM - I LOVE playing ball

And look at her face? Is that the face of a goofball or an intelligent dog? 

MOM - I'm brilliant, you know! 

But both dog beds were tossed to the opposite end of the room more than once during the day! I don't know what she gets out of that exercise. Lexi just sleeps on the couch and ignores the whole thing. 

DH must think I'm a little kid, and I am because Murphy and I get caught up playing ball, and all heck breaks loose in our house! We were told to tone it down. He's a grumpy old man! 

The gym workout was great. Thanks to the personal trainer, I received a little assistance in stretching at the end. Then, I spent 15 minutes with the compression legs and 10 minutes in the steam room. I had a good long shower and then went back home! It was a great way to start the day. 

I asked Brooke about the Stand Up/Sit Down exercise. Was I doing it right? I felt I was leaning too far forward. Nope - I'm doing it right. You want to stand up as if you are being pulled by the top of your head, so your head is UP, not leaning forward. If you can, try the exercise in front of a mirror. And then she asked me if I was trying different heights. WAIT -- NO -- different chairs, which are mostly the same height. I have a stool, but I'm not sure I'm ready to try that yet. 

I see I have a lot to prepare for next weekend. We're starting the Chatsworth quilt, so if you haven't signed up yet, please do so. On Tuesday, I'll get the distribution list and send out the information to everyone. 

Chatsworth

The signup is on the Hobby Horse website. If you don't have a copy of the book,  you should sign up online tomorrow so they can get it to you! The book has other options for the blocks, so maybe a table runner is good for you!

WAIT - before I go, I've been reading some disturbing books lately. These are books by women authors who write about EVIL women. I mean - really evil. Last night, I finished Verity by Colleen Hoover. I've never read her books before, but EVIL and very creepy, is all I can say. The other one is Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon. Another EVIL woman. Lots of plot twists in both. 

I swear women authors are trying to outdo themselves in creating evil characters! I'm not sure either scenario is plausible - too much happened at the spur of the moment. Are the villains great planners, or did they get lucky? 

Speaking of authors, I'm sure many of you are familiar with Louise Penny. Do you get her monthly newsletter? If not, here is a look at some of her best moments in 2024. Her books are great, and the publishing world also thinks so. No real evil characters, no blood and gore, but lots of suspense, great characters, and well-written!! 

And now I'm out of here. I have two presentations this morning, and both are ready to go!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!

Meanfingful gifts

You'll be happy to know (and I'm thrilled) that I made excellent progress on the samples, and I'm almost done. Yes, a bit more stitching is needed, and they will be finished. Thank goodness. I didn't think the process out too much in advance; I may have overdone it. But I'm learning lots while making them, and that's all that counts!

I know that many of you are in the process of decluttering right along with me. There are all kinds of 30-day plans, and on each day, you tackle a different area. I got a chuckle the other day when someone posted that the task was to match up the lids of the plastic ware and then the junk drawer. I can happily say that both were done several years ago and the best news? They are still in good shape! 

If I wanted to take a look, if anything was amiss, it would take less than five minutes to tidy it up! Technically, we no longer have a junk drawer, as we deal with it or it goes into the office. I don't let that happen anymore. We don't have much plastic ware, so that's also a non-issue. Hmm - I should take pictures for tomorrow. 

But getting to that point takes time. 

Why are we doing all this? Yesterday, I started a new Storage magazine (2008), with eight well-known organizers contributing. Hey, this stuff doesn't get dated. The junk was the same then, but only now, because we ignored the magazines—we have more! I don't have more—thank goodness—but if I had completely ignored it, I'd have more!

For those who don't think you should declutter, here are some quotes from the magazine that say it all. We all remember Peter Walsh. 

And how about this one. 

And this

And this one I thought hit home. What we own NO LONGER fits our lifestyle! 

This one is an absolute YES for me. Also, the cluttered home is no longer my lifestyle. I like a minimalistic look. I just wish I could get there faster. Yes - I could hire someone to help, but I don't want to do that yet. I know what to do and how to do it. I'll get there. Next week, I hope to get some of these boxes and bags out of the house, making me feel better about the decluttering. Then, once I've cleaned up Studio U, I can take more stuff up there to sort. 

I'm slow and methodical, and just whipping through the house and throwing stuff in the recycling bin or garbage would stress me out. What I need to improve when I get started on a new area, especially with paper and magazines, is not to read everything! That's my downfall! But I had a thought as I finished one of the Storage magazines. Each one says the SAME thing, so do I need to read them all? I do not! As I said, if I had thrown them out, I wouldn't have realized that. Wish me luck! 

But I also wouldn't have found those quotes or some of the pictures that make me laugh. I'm good with slow, methodical, and CONSTANT! 

The biggest thing is that I've made the move to make this a priority. I fiddled with it for ten years, but now it's my priority. I want guilt-free time and space. 

The weather is bizarre these days. When I left the house for my walk, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day. Then, before I knew it, it was snowing, and the cloud coverage looked like we were in for a significant snowstorm. By the time I returned to the house (less than one hour), the clouds were gone, and the sun was shining. What was that all about? 

But I was good - I had my afternoon snack and worked on the jigsaw puzzle, but only for one hour! I set myself a limit because I had work to do. 

However, when someone called me, I took the opportunity to work on the puzzle while I chatted. That requires more concentration than I realized, so I may have focused too much on it. Here's what it looks like. 

The jigsaw puzzle

I should be able to finish it later today. I talked about the sorting trays the other day. I'm not a good candidate for the sorting trays. All those pieces are now crowded down the sides of the puzzle, which was easy because they are on a smooth table top. As I did that yesterday, I realized I've always done that. I like the pieces close together and as close to me as possible. 

If they were in sorting trays or on a felt board, I'd have to pick them up to move them. I don't think so. Based on that, I should get rid of the puzzle mat in the basement, as I don't use it. Does anyone want a puzzle mat? I'll check the size. 

After this one is complete, I may make another 500-piece puzzle. The 500-piece ones are easy, so I can do them fast. However, I need some definite downtime to make a 1000-piece puzzle. 

I mentioned that we don't give gifts except for M and Dillon. As I mentioned, I want the gift to be meaningful (for both us and them) and something they will enjoy. 

I scored three for three this year! We gave them a gift certificate for storage, which they needed to organize the last room in their apartment. They were very excited about that. How could I say no to storage? 

But they finally opened the box with the remaining two presents, and I keep getting WOW texts from them. We bought them the AURA frame, and once they set it up last night, they loved it! The pictures are super easy to add and share, and I got an invitation last night to share photos with them. They love taking or getting their photos taken, so this is a perfect gift. Again, thanks to Susan for that suggestion—it was a good one. 

The last thing I gave them took a LONG time to make, but it's cute, and they LOVE it. I got this idea from Maryke. Take a 365-day calendar and write notes in it. I started a wedding (2026) countdown! Then, I added little messages on days with some meaning. As I said, writing all those notes took a long time. WAIT - writing the notes wasn't hard; it was thinking of things to write, finding those special days, or counting out the days for the countdown. 

The wedding countdown calendar

My writing sucks, but I ignored that and at least made it legible! That's all I wanted, and the gift was a success. The OMG Facts are also interesting! I did NOT write every day! I guess I could have counted down every day. Anyway - I hope they continue with it for the year - it's a quick flip of the calendar page. I know these things get abandoned, but let's hope!

Speaking of pictures, here's someone who tries very hard to have her picture taken EVERY DAY. She's not happy to just lie on the blankets, but she has to play with them first, and then she'll lie right in the middle of the mess. That's our Murphy! 

MOM - at least I'm active! I'm not a lazy dog!

There is so much to do today, and I have my list of three priorities. I have two presentations to prepare, and while I have pictures of my own to add, there are a few more things that I want to finish so they can be added. Don't worry—I'm double-dipping, as one of them is a sample that needs to be done today! All is good!!

Here's an update on the leg: While this issue is still present, and I have my moments, I'm at a dull ache stage, NOT an acute pain. There is a massive difference, and I can live with the ache until we figure this out. I wanted to get over the holidays before I pursue it, so on Monday, I'll be on the phone with the doctor to see where we go next. 

And on that note, I'm off to the gym to see Brooke. I wonder what surprises she has for me today. Stand up/Sit Down. I'm stunned at how simple yet effective this exercise is, and it gets your blood circulating! Who knew that, along with my cluttered house, I wasn't focusing on my physical well-being as much as I should have. I thought walking was good enough, but it wasn't. That only worked part of my leg muscles, and while spin class was supposed to take care of it, it wasn't enough! 

If you want a specific decluttering assignment today, have you finished all the drawers in your house? It's amazing how many of them there are! If you need something else, why not take a bathroom cabinet? Get under the sink and see what's there! It all has to go! Or most of it anyway!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!