Decluttering is so much fun!! (for real!)

Now you see why I'm not a gardener! I got the names of these flowers wrong. These are hyacinths, not hibiscus. Why did I do that? I know these flowers, but obviously had a moment. Oh yes - flowers - love them, but not my thing! I just enjoy the beauty! Thanks for catching that! I went back and changed it! 

Hyacinths! 

And I spotted another TREE that's in bloom. What kind of tree? No clue! And I don't really care - it's just pretty! 

A blooming tree in the neighborhood

A lot of things happened yesterday! If you remember, as I was writing the blog, I moved several boxes from the office to the kitchen counter. It looked like this. 

A mess of things to tidy!

And what usually happens when I do that is that it stays that way for days. I get all fired up and then - I get distracted, lose interest, and it all goes back to where I pulled it from. 

BUT not this time. By 9:20, after walking the girls, it looked like this. 

It's almost all dealt with

And by lunchtime, this was all gone! Yes — this decluttering is going to happen, and then I won't have to worry about it. I'll just need to stay on top of it! It makes me so happy and I can literally feel my life lengthening by dealing with my crap!

There are a few extra boxes at the door to be dropped off - one to be shredded, and a few for the thrift store. 

Now that all the items designated to go somewhere have been taken care of, it's time to find more things to get rid of. 

No danger of that - here's what the table in the office looks like. 

The table in the office

Yes -- we can actually see the edges of that table, which is good. Now that the other stuff is gone, my head is clear to deal with this stuff. And the best part is that there isn't really anything left on the floor that could go on the table. So when I clear a spot, it'll stay clear. Or so I hope! Remember, you MUST deal with everything! 

I'm happy to report that I'm not shuffling most of this stuff. In other words, I'm not putting things in the basement or the garage. I'm getting it out of the house! 

This is the top of the buffet, which has a few items to deal with. 

The top of the buffet

And there's the desk - still a disaster, but its turn will come! 

The desktop

And this is all that remains on the floor in the office. 

What's left on the floor

Those boxes are empty, and I use them for my sorting. I could technically put them in the garage so it looks neater in the house, and as I need a box, I can pull one from the shelf in the garage. I might do that today. That will leave three things behind the boxes, and I might just deal with them today. Oh yes - the more you get into decluttering, the more you want to get rid of! Just gone! It's been hanging around way too long. 

Then I can tackle the table, the top of the buffet, and that darn desk. All that will remain is what's on the bookcases. I'm getting there. Slow and steady - that's me! I'm also very methodical and need to go through everything. And you can't even yell at me for that because it's happening. If nothing was being done, then yes, you could yell. But I'm making progress, albeit in a roundabout way. 

The difference from a few years ago is a miracle! And I feel so much better about the space. I can't wait for the day when it's all clear. But that won't happen for a year or two at my pace. And the best part? When I bring the mail into the house, I deal with it right away. I don't think anything hits a surface unless it's supposed to! 

Wait -- I have this, which is currently at the front door, ready to be thrifted. If anyone wants it, it's yours. It's not functional - purely decorative. But it's been sitting in the office for a while, waiting for its turn to find a new home. 

Up for grabs

And I will NEVER knowingly buy anything that comes in these "decorative" boxes. These were sheets or something, and what a ridiculous packing system. I'll buy sheets that come in those zippered bags, but I'll never buy one in a stupid box like this again. I don't even know if they are recyclable, but I put them in the cart anyway. 

Stupid packaging!

WAIT -- I should write to the company to tell them how silly these boxes are! The ridiculous thing was, these weren't even on the shelf at Sleep Country. The staff had to go to the back to get the boxes, and then they wanted to give me a huge bag to carry the stuff home in. I refused the bag several times, as I already had my own shopping bag. Hey, people -- we're trying to reduce packaging. Cell phones and iPads are another item that comes in ridiculous boxes that never see the light of day on the shelf. Well, cell phones for sure. 

Something bad happened this morning. I have three Zoom sessions today, and I've been working on the presentations. Everything was going just fine. Except when I needed to grab some slides from one to put into another, and WHAT? One of the presentations with the changes was not there. I'm using autosave, and the files are stored on my OneDrive, but it reverted to the files from last month. NOOOOOOOOOOO

Thankfully, with the help of my handy filing system, I was able to recreate the presentation in about 20 minutes, but it was still a pain! I was all excited about how well everything was going. It could have been me, it could have been a gremlin. We'll never know, but let's hope that it doesn't happen again. 

OH -- here's a flower that I do know. The trillium, which is just about to bloom. 

Almost-in-bloom trillium

I am certainly not about fuss, especially in the kitchen. We had some Calphalon pots and pans, which were supposed to last forever, or something like that. Even though we used wooden or plastic spoons, the inside of two of them is disgusting. We've probably ingested a ton of metal. Anyway, time to replace them, so I went to Homesense and found two inexpensive Cuisinart pots. If they crap out - no worries. 

But while I was there, I wandered around for a bit, and here's all the stuff I didn't buy, but would have in a past life. 

The plastic Buddhas would look cool in the garden! But not bright enough! 

Plastic Buddhas for the garden

The miniature 3-D kits, which are $10 cheaper than at Indigo. I already have one that I haven't done yet, I don't need another. 

Miniature 3-D kits

Markers - who doesn't need a new set of markers? I don't, so they stayed in the store, but I wonder if they work on the digital cutters? 

Markets -- lots of markers!

Funky reading glasses, but alas, they did not have my strength (1.25), so I didn't buy them. 

Funky reading glasses

And let's not forget these large letters. I don't know how many I've purchased over the years. I don't need more! 

The letter E

So yes, I only bought what I went for and I'm pretty proud of myself for that! 

However, I went to the library to pick up a book that I ordered, and I came home with three. At least they are free to borrow, and they do have to be returned! I also took pictures of about five other books that looked interesting and will add them to my list to read. That list is enormous and seems to grow almost exponentially!

I put on shorts this morning when I got up, but I've since put on pants. It's a bit cool even though the temperature is 13 - it's cloudy and I think it's going to rain. 

My sad, faded shorts

So the only fast fashion that happens at my house is running shoes. I've had those shorts for eons! And they still fit (a bit big, if I might add!), but there's nothing wrong with them, except that they've faded big time on the legs! They are no longer black but have faded to a brown color. I'm sure DH is mortified when I wear them, which is probably why I keep wearing them! But they are still functional, with no holes or tears! I have sweatshirts in the same condition. They are faded, but why should they be replaced? 

I'm not into shopping for clothes at all. The most boring thing in the world, and such a waste of money to buy new, when the old still works. 

On the other hand, I replace my running shoes several times a year as they wear out. As you saw last week, the treads were entirely gone on the previous pair, which means they were long overdue for replacement. I wonder what we could do about recycling them? 

Anyway, I noticed that on this pair of HOKAs, they have changed something. They have reinforced the second hole at the top. I bet lots of people are using those little holes. I do! 

Reinforcement at the top

You loop the laces through that hole and then use that loop as a hole. It helps prevent your feet from sliding into the toe box and causing lost toenails. Especially handy if you have a lot of downhill to do. I learned that from walking the Camino! Of course - AFTER I had issues the first time. 

Creating a second loop

Oh, one last thing, and speaking of the mail. We got this letter in the mail yesterday. 

A letter from the government!

You all know what that is for - jury duty, but who got the letter? Apparently, DH has something in writing (he insists he has a picture of it) that he will never be called for jury duty again, so it wasn't him. I've been called twice and had to stay for one day the first time. The second time, I was interviewed to be on the jury, but I was rejected because of what I do. A bit too artsy fartsy for the lawyer. And I've never been called back. Drat - I like going! 

Nope - this was addressed to my 87-year-old MIL, who, well, as far as I'm concerned, needs to be in assisted living, but DH is in denial. I'm not going there! Of all the people to be called, and this is not the first time - her name seems to come up very frequently! 

Here are the links for the Virtual Retreat this weekend. I forgot to post them yesterday. 

Saturday, April 26 - starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Sunday, April 27 - starts at Noon

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And on that funny note, I'm out of here! Hopefully, the presentations won't glitch out, and everything will be fine! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!

One thing leads to another!

Yeah for BANNING multitasking! I'm all for slow and methodical work, which suits me perfectly. 

Having said that, I am doing one task in quilting but also trying to clean out the kitchen, and one thing is leading to another. 

I've been "nagging" about cleaning out drawers for the last while. Right? You're doing that, aren't you? I decided to clean out the spice drawer. 

DH went through them and decided what he wanted to keep and what to throw. I then washed the drawers and ordered something because I couldn't find it in the stores nearby. 

The box arrived the other day. 

The box arrived

Hmm—one of the items was a bit misleading. When I checked, what I received was what was mentioned, but at first glance, it didn't appear so. I got the impression that I had enough slots to expand from a 13" wide drawer to 26" wide and fill the length. NO—there were four slots in total. So, it is a maximum of 13" wide unless I purchase a second set, which I don't need. 

The spice drawer organizer

They are slightly narrower than my drawer, which is a bit over 14" wide, but that's OK. I can only fit three deep, not four. I need to figure out a good way to position them so they don't slide around. That is the one issue with buying these drawer organizers—they don't fit the drawer exactly, so there are gaps. 

The organizer in the drawer

I'm in the process of putting the spices into the jars and labeling them. Although that was a separate purchase, it came in the same box. 

New jars and labels for the spice jars

And there's the first jar in the drawer. I used some of the foam padding along the side, but I know that will get dirty, so I've got to think of another alternative. A piece of wood would be great, both along the side and the back, so things don't shift. 

The first jar of spice

Then, I looked at two other drawers in that area. Oh gosh—why did I do that? There is a drawer with straws and plastic cutlery. I'll deal with that another day, as I already have enough of a mess on the counter. 

A drawer for straws and plastic cutlery

Then there's the drawer with placemats and aprons, most of which we don't use. I'm not sure what to do there. I might keep one set of placemats and an apron, and the rest can go. 

Aprons and placemats

There's a drawer with the cutting mats, which we use constantly, so that stays as is. 

A drawer of cutting mats

I had already gone through the cupboards below these drawers but decided to look again. OH MY GOSH—after I moved some napkins from one of the drawers to put them all together, look at all the napkins! I don't think we need to buy any for a long time!!! Those can stay—we'll use them. 

A supply of napkins

There are a couple of old canisters, some vases, and a couple of jugs. Do I need that many? I'll go through this as well. I'm happy to report that there isn't much in there—at least compared to what it was a few years ago. Yep, to the left in the corner, there isn't much, as you can see in the photo above. 

A few things to deal with

Then I looked in the two cupboards to the left of those two. This is where our meager supply of appliances is stored. Yes, while we don't use these all the time, they get used, so they stay. But notice how empty that space is! I will take everything out and clean the cupboards. 

Our few appliances

This is the final cupboard in that area. There are a few things here that I think we can part with. I need to go through it and see what we need to keep. One of the hinges needs some repair, so that is on the list. 

One more cupboard to deal with

Here is the area in question. Overall, it's pretty tidy, but even more can be parted with. I'll work on this area, but first, I need to deal with that spice drawer. 

This section of the kitchen is under attack

Inside one of those cabinets, I spotted a cutlery tray FILLED with odds and ends of cutlery. I even found the manual can opener. I was sure we had one, but where was it. So that tray needs to be dealt with as well. 

The manual can opener

I also found this. What the heck is it? It looks like some kind of measuring device, but for what? 

Do you know what this is? 

OH MY GOSH --- I just did a Google search on that photo! Do you know what it is? It's for making mini patties!!! Who knew, and why the heck do I have it? 

While I should be in the office cleaning up stuff, this little corner of the kitchen will be my focus for the next while. YES—I know I could rip through it in a day, and I just might once I get those darn spices in the jars! 

I bought some drawer organizers the other day for the utensils, and when I opened the drawer on the island and sorted through the stuff, I almost died. How many spatulas does one household need? 

But three of those organizers fill the space beautifully. I found a few more things in that drawer that were "missing," so the most used stuff will stay in that drawer, while the occasionally used things will go in the overflow drawer. Good grief --- how come so much stuff? Technically, I could get rid of some of the spatulas. We would never need more than 3 at any given time. Perhaps I'll do that before I put them away. I need to wash the drawers first. 

The utensil drawers

And then there is Studio B. I swear I can pass that Swiffer ten times daily, but I still miss stuff. I love how clear the floor space is, so using the Swiffer is a breeze and takes mere seconds. 

My trusty Swiffer

That's one of the areas! I aim to eliminate that extension cord from that area, and I'll do that later today. 

Wide open areas!

Before bed, I grab a few small things on the cutting table to deal with in the morning. But most of what is on it now are several quilt backs that have to be made. I'm so close!! But I figure it will take me a week at least before I'm done! More on the green coat tomorrow. 

Things to deal with this morning

I found a box of these little crocheted skates at the farm, and I stole one. They are darn cute. My Mom had many of them, but they were donated to a good home. 

A pair of crocheted skates

Yes, having all that open space is so inviting to work that I'm actually giddy each morning as I pop downstairs to work. What a dream this is! And I'm trying desperately hard to keep it that way. There are a few things strewn around to deal with this morning, but they're leftovers from what I was working on yesterday. Just do not add to it before it's done! 

Wide open spaces! 

Some HSTs got trimmed. I'm keeping up with the trimming as I sew these darn things. There will be no more huge stacks to deal with in the future. 

Trimming HSTs

Murphy loves to spend time downstairs with me. I don't think it's because of me, but because it's cool down there. But at the moment? It's freezing everywhere! I resorted to sweatpants and thick wool socks yesterday!

Murphy having a snooze

But there are times when I'm working and probably have my headphones on, and all of a sudden, there she is - watching me!!! It's unnerving, to say the least!

MOM -- I'm watching you!

I got another quilt done, and the next one is loaded, except I have to piece the batting. The next one is for QOV, so I'm OK with piecing the batting. I never do that for a customer. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I even walked to the thrift store with money and didn't buy a thing! Yes - I'm getting good!!

Here's the link to the  Thursday post for QUILTsocial. It's all about making piping. 

And here's the link to the Friday post for QUILTsocial. I made cushions with piping AND an invisible zipper!! I've never done that before and was thrilled with how they turned out. But check out the final pictures of how it all came together in my backyard!!

On that note, I'm out of here. There's still lots of toing and froing in the house, making it challenging to focus these days. I suspect today will be somewhat quieter!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!

The tipping point

Torry wins the prize -- well, there is no prize, but her answer was correct, and a couple of people were close. It's all in the name. 

Remember the mystery tool from yesterday? 

The mystery kitchen utensil

While some people will call this a tomato/lemon/egg slicer, it's, in fact, a HOLDER to slice those items. You put the roundish food in the claws, then put your knife through the tines and cut away -- no accidents. There's a bottom lip that holds it flat on the table, and you can even buy plastic ones. Personally -- it's one more thing to wash -- I'll take my chances with the knife on its own!!

If you want to see it in action, check out this video. The video uses a plastic one, and quite frankly, the knife was DULL. It was painful to watch, and I kept waiting for the person to cut her fingers, which the holder is supposed to prevent. Anyway -- it's good for a laugh. If I were going to buy one, it would certainly NOT be the plastic one. That video is a good reason why!

At least some of you knew what it was -- we had no clue, and I think I said egg slicer, but again -- WRONG -- only a holder for the egg to be sliced. 

I had a great day sewing with the Monday group! So much fun, and I was very productive. Time is short, and I must make the most of it. 

But can you tell me why I do things like this?? These blocks were made several years ago, and this piece has selvage on it. Sometimes I do that if I'm short of fabric. But this white section is larger than ¼". Did I expect it to disappear if I left the block long enough? 

Too much selvage showing

I dug through the scraps in the box and found the same fabric, and now it looks a lot better. Duh!!!

Much better

This is what the quilt looks like right now. I managed to get the sashing in a couple more rows this morning, besides what I did yesterday. There are only three rows left in the top right-hand corner. 

Farmer's Wife 

Now here's a puzzle -- there are 111 blocks in the book, and I need 111 blocks for my setting. I have 111 blocks on the wall -- I counted them this morning. 

So can you tell me why I have an extra block? 

An extra block?

I thought I would discover that I made a duplicate of one block, and by adding the sashed names to the blocks, I would find which one was the duplicate. Nope -- I have ten sashings left, and there are ten blocks -- 9 for the quilt and this extra one. Did I goof up in my layout?? Well, I guess this will be a mystery until the quilt top is together. Hmmmmm.....................

And there must have been a ghost sewing with me this morning. A block fell off the wall. OK -- I get that. Then I had put three small booklets into the front of my basket that holds the sew-along projects. About 30 minutes later, it tipped over. 

My project basket slowly tipped off the shelf

Now how did that happen? I guess the three little booklets added enough weight to push the tipping point! It's all back in place now. 

Back in place

I found some more teeny triangles when I was sewing enders and leaders. OK -- be reasonable -- those do NOT need to be saved, and they got relegated to the scrap box. 

These triangles are too small

Here's that Storm at Sea quilt that is in the current issue of McCall's Quilting. 

Storm at Sea quilt

I finally unpacked it yesterday. 

Here's the border print, a neat pattern that begged to be mitered on the corners. 

The mitered corner on the Storm at Sea

And I had another parcel that needed to be packed. Two more pairs of running shoes, and I ordered them when Mark's had a 30% off sale. They were ordered one day and delivered the next!

Two new pairs of running shoes

I now have three, but it's well past time to switch up, so I get to wear a new pair today! 

Three pairs in the closet

The girls saw me bustling around getting my stuff prepared to sit and read after dinner. Look who was waiting for me when I arrived at the chair? Yep -- she's no dummy. She wants to be the closest to Mom, and well, she got there before Murphy did! Ah, sweet Lexi!

Mom -- I'm waiting for you!

I'm browsing through some old applique magazines, and look what I found. Does anyone remember this quilt? I know Helen Anne does as she recently finished hers and mine? Well, it's downstairs. I think one block is done, and I wasn't happy with it, so it got put away. Now I know how to finish it properly. Maybe that will make the UFO list one day. 

Stained glass applique quilt

I got some writing assignments done or rough drafts completed. There's more of that today. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked -- there are still five follow-ups to write. But I'll get through them today and tomorrow. I've got to try and have them ready BEFORE the presentation to quickly send them out. 

And I worked on the Master To-do List for March! I just need to compare it one more time to my calendar to make sure that everything is there. 

Do you want to have a laugh? Read this article about some stolen sewing machines.   Look at what got stolen and the value put on the items. They don't know that the EXPENSIVE machines can cost up to $25,000 EACH!!! 

And a big Happy Birthday to M. Gosh -- they grow up so fast!! 

On that note, it's time to walk the girls. Can you believe that it's warm (minus 3 and light outside)? I'll be positively giddy the entire walk!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!