The apples did not fall far from the tree

I've been totally lazing in bed this morning and not getting my butt up to write the blog! It's OK to be lazy every once in a while. 

My presentations went well yesterday, except that I brought the WRONG cable for the projector, so I had to run out at lunch time to buy a new one. That irks me as I have plenty of these cables at home. So it's a lesson, don't just grab and put in the bag - double check the ends! I have no one to blame but myself. 

At the end of the day, I literally threw everything into the suitcase and now it's a bit mess, so I'll have to sort it out before the next presentation. So many samples cross various topics - it's not just a clear cut preocess. And sometimes, you're not sure what you are going to need. 

OK -- so you all know about my Mom and her hoarding tendancies. Actually my Dad is probably up there as well. 

I have struggled with hoarding, but never in a huge way. Or am I kidding myself on that one? Anyway, I recognized it a number of years ago for two reasons. One, we had the water leak (the first one) in the basement, where we were super lucky as nothing was damaged. We had a second leak and again, nothing was damaged, but we are on our third floor in that space. 

The second wake-up call ws when we had to start moving the parents and cleaning house. 

I wasn't sure when I started this entire decluttering/organizing thing, but it's been a while. At least ten years. 

Last night, I was chatting with my brother and his wife and we were talking about the purging thing. They asked if I had seen their dressing rooms. WHAT???? I did NOT take pictures to protect them -- LOL. But seriously -- they have converted TWO of their bedrooms into dressing rooms - his and hers. Let's just say that my jaw dropped when I saw that. It is beyond my comprehension. 

What is worse is that many of the clothes they no longer wear or won't fit and yet, it's difficult to get rid of them. I was speechless. So that prompted me to find the blog post where I purged my closet at home. That was in 2014. Here is the link if you want to see that exercise.   OH -- dare I say that they have already given away some of their clothes. Yep --- they have a LOT of clothes. 

After that conversation, I am itching to get home and repeat that process as there are a lot of clothes in the closet that I'm not wearing. Yes -- it's time for a complete overhaul on what clothes are remaining. I'd like to get it down so the amount of clothes will fit into one suitcase. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but I mostly wear the same thing day in and day out, so I don't really need much variety! 

Around home, I'm usually in a t-shirt with a bicycle on it. Sadly, some of them are starting to show their wear and I really want to make a t-shirt quilt from them. So it's time to retire them. And there are some t-shirts in the drawer that I constantly pass over, so those need to be culled. Yep --- I feel a purge coming on, but I won't have time until October to make that happen. I have ZERO issues to keep stuff if I'm using it. And I've noticed brand new clothes in my closet still with price tags on. So I either get rid of them or I start using them or they are gone!!!

So during our upbringing, those apples fell right at the trunk of the tree. Now if I were to rank the siblings in order of who has the worse hoarding tendancies - older brother first, younger brother, and then me. Based on what I've seen over the last couple of years, I'm miles ahead of them in getting rid of stuff and how much stuff is in my house. It will take them a long time to catch up to me!!! I might just even tackle that office. 

I have to be home in the month of October as DH is having some surgery and will need some assistance, so I have an entire month in which to get things tidied up!!! Phew -- that makes me feel so good and knowing that I'm going to be getting rid of more stuff? I'm practically chomping at the bit to get home. 

Yes -- it's time to get realistic about what is left and I bet I can reduce what I have by 50% or more. So I'm going to use that blog post as my guide and go through. I reread that post and I think there are some things that got put into those baskets in the closet and have NOT been touched since I put them there ten years ago. That is NOT good. 

WHOA -- that was a bit of an eye-opener!!!!!

However, one thing that my SIL kept was this. 

One of my first quilts

This is a quilt that I made for their first born - back in 1999. It was one of my first quilts and they kept it! I had always wondered if they kept it and once you give it away, you can't ask. It looks like it has been used and hopefully they will give it to their son when he has kids. Of course, he may not want it, but you never know. OH -- and it's hand-quilted!!! Not a lot of quilting, but still!

Here's the label. Hand decorated and written!!!

The quilt label

This is one of the samples in the store (Black Rabbit) and it's an embroidered Halloween quilt. It's so adorable. I need to get home and get out all the rest of my Halloween stuff!!! I need to hang up my Haloween quilt that took so long to do!!! I need to get home - I'm motiavated and I'm not home for days!!! 

Halloween quilt

Now here's a cool idea that the local (to here) teacher made to protect the screen on her Designer Epic. She made a quilted wrap. I love it!!!  I need this as I'm not one to put the machine back in the box for transport, and I use a quilt to wrap it in. This would be a lot easier!1!!

Screen protector

OK -- so here is my task to you! Get prepared because (if I can remember) we're going to have the second edition of the great clothes purge! And it's going to happen in Otober. It means you're going to have to empty all your dressers, closets, under-the-bed-storage tubs and wherever you have squirreled clothes away. 

We are going to sort them and then decide what stays and what goes. This is something that has to be done for almost all of us. I'm going to compare pictures from this time to ten yeas ago. Hopefully that initial pile in the middle of the floor will be a lot less that it was ten years ago!! I also need to buy a new pair of jeans because the ones I'm wearing now have a big hole in the knee - yes - I kow it's the style these days, but the rest of them are becoming a tad too thread bear for me. So new jeans are in order. 

Get prepared!!!! 

On that note, I'm out of here. It's a travel (by car) day and so I'm hanging out here in the mountains until lunch time. Hopefully I can remember to get some pictures of the view!!!! And I might stop and take a few pictures on the drive. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!