Get Rid of Stuff Sunday #2

This week:

1.  A basket that I never use

2. A Christmas tablecloth that is too big for our table (but I did buy a new one so that nets the whole thing out)

3. A Michael Jordan poster that is actually my nephew’s.  It’s going back to him.

4. 3 puzzles (Melissa & Doug) that Lainie has outgrown.  They will be given to the preschool that both Cole & Lainie went to.

Next up to go:  our Fisher Price Grow-to-Pro basketball hoop and Cole’s table/chairs from IKEA that he has outgrown.

Lainie and I also made some vintage button wreaths yesterday for gifts.  Pictures to follow!

 

Get Rid of Stuff Sunday #1

I’ve discovered “frugal blogs”.  It’s kind of an ironic thing – I’m drawn to frugality, yet my yarn/craft stash is overwhelming at times.  I am more frugal in some areas than others, I guess.  There’s a blog that I just found called Almost Frugal.  She has this “Get Rid of Stuff Sunday” where she purges 7 things.  That’s something I think about – how much I’m getting rid of versus how much I’m bringing into the house.  I’m trying to get rid of more than what I bring in because I ask myself:  “how much do I really need?” (you yarnaholics out there who deny your yarn purchases are out of control need to ask yourself this).  Plus, I wonder that when you continue to gather, gather, gather (esp. with yarn) —- do you really enjoy what you have?  You bought that yarn, book, etc. for a reason.  When it sits in a bin in your closet, you forget why you even loved it in the first place.  I joined a Stashdown group on Ravelry that has me “cold sheeping” (not perfectly) but in the last year I have really discovered the reasons behind impulse purchases.  That’s an eye opener, because now I recognize when I’m doing it and I have been able to successfully not do it.  It will still take me forever to use up what I have (and no, I’m not interested in selling it, I’m too attached) but I’m working on it.  It’s the same with books.  I love books.  I wanted to have a library at one time.  But after seeing the house of the director of my local library, I was surprised to see that she did not have a library herself.  That was liberating.  So now I only save a book if I truly love it (the latest:  Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner).  Otherwise, I generally mail it to my Mom, who loves to read, as well.  I still have over 100 books in my bookcase to read. 

The areas that drive my husband nuts (besides my craft stuff) are the kids stuff.  In order to keep him from pitching stuff without my knowledge, I go through the kids stuff every so often (more Lainie’s than Cole’s) to see what she’s outgrown and/or doesn’t play with.  Then I bag it up without her seeing and make sure to tell my husband.  Today was one of those days.  So, I present to you, my first list of stuff I am getting rid of:

1.  Brand new Hi-Ho Cherry-o game I bought for Lainie last Christmas to replace the old one that was missing most of its parts.  Now that she’s in kindergarten, she’s kind of outgrown it. (and since it’s still brand new, that meant that I bought it a year ago and it was never played with.  What a waste of money!)

2.  Alphabet Train Floor Puzzle (10 feet long!) - This was used by Cole and then Lainie but both have outgrown it.

3.  Lacing cards with laces – same as above.

4.  25 piece puzzle of some ducks – Lainie doesn’t like to put together this puzzle.  Out it goes.

5.  2 simple readers that I don’t like and was given to us secondhand.

6.  An assortment of lotions (bed head, bath and body works, victoria’s secret) and body spray/shower gel that I have gotten as gifts and have never used.

These items will be donated to the kids old preschool, which operates as a non-profit.  There are lots of college students that work there so I’m sure the lotions, etc. will be taken.

What did I bring in this week?

1.  3 Huck towels for embroidery

2.  5 books for the kids from the Salvation Army:  3 chapter books for Cole, 2 for Lainie. (.25/book – a bargain!)

3.  A workbook on decimals/fractions for Cole.

And I’m selectively forgetting everything else – I’ll track it from now on.

What does “being frugal” mean to you?  Is it important in your life?  Or do you think it’s a bunch of hoo-ha?

Lazy Sunday

Ahh…the lazy Sunday.  A day to read the paper, straighten the craft area and let your children take over the living room with marble works.  Lovely.  I meant to get some cleaning done, but I just haven’t made it to that. I did list about 9 new yarns on Ravelry and finished a felted bag!  I’ve had it felted for ages, but today I finished the handles.

The handles are an old belt of Craig’s that I cut in half and sewed it on.  I will tell you I’m not especially happy with this bag due to its size (determined by me) and the uneven top seam (sewed by me).  I also didn’t have any leather thread/cord to sew the handles on.  But it’s done and it will hold yarn.  And if it continues to bug me, I have a friend who I can give it to.

Archie’s having a lazy day, too:

“THE BIG STRETCH AND YAWN”.

I hit the MotherLoad

With a capital “M” and a capital “L”!

I went to an auction about a month ago.  I won’t say where or whose it was, just in case it might incriminate me. (ooh, super secret sneakiness!) Anyway, I paid twice as much for my loot as any of the other buyers, but I hit the f*cking motherload!!!

And this isn’t even all of it!  There is MORE!

Crochet thread, regular sewing thread, buttons, bias tape, trim, ribbon, zippers!

Even some really bad needlepoint canvas stuff, which ended up in the garbage.

Buttons of ALL colors and sizes. 

I really wasn’t kidding about the bias tape, which had never been used.  Some of those zippers ended up in the trash, though.

Half done doilies and an unfinished embroidered bridge tablecloth.

Spools of ribbon and half finished mittens on plastic dpn’s. (those went in the trash, too)

And I even snagged some ugly decorations from the 1980’s, which weren’t kept.  But look at the colors of the thread!

Lainie grabbed onto an almost finished plastic needlepoint tree that had a button attached that played Christmas carol.  I have a few more of those musical buttons and man, are they annoying. I’m definitely going to make something with them.

I took all of this to the deck for a good airing and a heavy spray of vinegar and water.  Why?  Dead old lady basement smell.  As fabulous as my find was, it was a bit smelly.  I tried febreze – nothing.  So I went for the all natural smell remover.  The jury is still out on the smell.  I have since moved it to my dehumidified basement and haven’t gotten that close to it.

Really, I couldn’t believe all the stuff I got – all kinds of good thread.  Buttons – more than I know what to do with (except to run my fingers through them while shouting “Mine!  ALL MINE!”).  This lady’s favorite color was blue and then brown.  But I also have black, gray, white, off white, green, purple, orange, pink, green and red buttons.  Some really cool vintage one, too.  And tons of zippers still in their original packages.  Gobs of bias tape, also still in its original packaging.  And crochet thread!  And sequins! 

NOW I JUST NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SEW!!!! 

P.S. The possession nazi just about had a stroke.  First I told him not to freak out, and then I assured him that a lot of it went straight to the garbage.

Motivation

“Just do it”.  “One thing at a time”.  “Do what you can”.

OK, now that I’ve psyched myself up to get moving, let me present…

A NEW PROJECT!

It’s a baby blanket for my younger brother-in-law and his new wife.  She’s only about 14+ weeks along, so I don’t know the sex yet.  YET!  I can’t wait to find out what it is.  The pattern is “Sunny Baby Blanket”  and I’m making it with Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.  I am not a Lion Brand fan, but I really like this yarn.  It’s lightweight and easy to work with.  And it’s washable/dryable, which is important, as the recipients are not the type to air dry anything.  I’m about half way done.  This is such an easy pattern!

The other day Craig gave Archie a haircut.  And, for the second time, he nicked Archie’s ear.  The last time this happened, the ear bled for a day and I had to take him to the vet for 3 stitches.  It cost us about $200.00.  This time, Archie got the “home treatment”:

Poor guy.  And yes, those are my husband’s hairy legs at the bottom of the picture.

I had a dream last night that I was a nurse for 3 old ladies who were in comas, although I wasn’t professionally trained.  I had to keep watching for an oxygen number and then adjust the amount of oxygen as the number decreased.   The first two woke and tried to get out of bed.  The third one died.  Weird!  Could it be because I was watching “Plastic Surgery:  Before and After” right before I went to bed?

Still here

…but sadly lacking in much motivation to do anything.  I’m not sure what my deal is.  This past month has been about the kids:  Cole had surgery to straighten his nose.  Lainie had her tonsils and adenoids removed 2 weeks ago today.  School starts next week for both of them, so I’ve had them try on clothes to see if they still fit, looking for bargains on the new ones that we’ve had to buy, and spending a bajillion dollars on school supplies.  I have to take Lainie to the optometrist tomorrow morning for an eye exam (which is required by the State of Illinois), she goes for her 5 year check-up and shots on Tuesday+ a tour of her new classroom and a meet and greet with her kindergarten teacher.  Cole starts school on Monday, Lainie on Thursday.  I had to go to (blech) Walmart for school supplies, since the new Target doesn’t open until October.  So, besides fighting the crowds, I found that the entire store was out of pencils.  Really!!!  I looked in the garden center, where the school supplies were.  In the displays.  In the pen/pencil aisle.  Completely out.  I can’t wait until Target re-opens, even though I’m not thrilled it’s turning into a Super Target.

I was trucking right along on some knitting projects, but now I’ve gone all blah and haven’t worked on them.  I got accepted into Yarn Con (which is a fibery/supplies event in Chicago in October) but haven’t started any new stitch markers.   I honestly think part of my problem is my lack of space.  I have one small corner which is piled high with works-in-progress and beads.  I have half of Lainie’s closet, but it’s stuffed to the gills.  Anytime I have to go looking for something, like say….a pattern, or a stitchmarker bag, I have to dig and dig and dig.  It makes me crabby and not want to work on anything.  Craig talked about making me a craft room in the basement, but that’s on hold indefinitely due to our recent car repairs ($1,400) + what it’s going to cost to pay off that damn speeding ticket he got in VA. on our vacation.  It’s going to traffic court on Monday.  I faxed a letter to the judge today.  Let’s hope he takes mercy on Craig and doesn’t convict him of “reckless driving”.  He could suspend his license.  But at the least, we’re looking at a $250.00 fine + court costs.  Since the ticket, we’ve gotten no less than 5 letters from attorneys in VA. offering to represent us in traffic court.  TOTAL RACKET.

So, instead, I surf the internet aimlessly.  And I go to the gym.  I am down a whopping 2 pounds so far.  I am hoping for more weight loss soon.  Or at least some change in the way my clothes fit.

No pictures to show you tonight.  I need to update my projects on ravelry.  And kick myself in the butt to get going again.

I saw a fat, marshmallow man baby today at the center where Lainie goes.  And she smiled at me.  I just wanted to do the charmin squeeze and hold her and blather like an idiot!  But her mom was right there, so there was no chance of that.  Seriously, we’re talking creases for elbows, creases at the wrist.  Total michelin baby with 2 pigtails on top!

Any recommendations of finding the motivation to get moving?  What motivates you?

Waxing Poetically about my latest book find…

I am such a sucker for books.  I scaled back on purchases for me because I decided with a bookcase of 100+ books to read, I needed to stop and read what I have.  But I haven’t been able to do that with children’s books.  I love them!  And I love buying them for the kids.  I buy new and used – doesn’t matter, as long as they’re in good shape.  I got these at the Good Cents Children’s Shop in Geneva.  For a used book – they’re a bit pricey, but they have a huge selection and the books are in great shape.

I should clarify:  Morning Glory Monday and Archaelogists Dig For Clues were on the sale rack at the Geneva Public Library – so that was like $1.50 for both (practically brand new, both of them – I should shop in the swank libraries more often).  And the Cupcake book is actually a coloring book I bought brand new at Good Cents Children.  Have any of you read The Bake Shop Ghost?  What a great book – I’ve checked it out from our public library before.  Cora Lee Merriweather, a ghost who inhabits her former bake shop and keeps driving out renters until this one lady, Annie, finally stands up to her.  The bake shop ghost says that she won’t leave the shop until someone bakes her something that will make her cry with delight.  Annie bakes and bakes but Cora Lee says “nope”.  Finally, Annie goes to the library and does some research.  The next night, when Cora Lee shows up, Annie presents her with a two layer chocolate layer cake with buttercream frosting and  ”Happy Birthday Cora Lee”  with red rosettes.  Cora Lee said “How did you know?”, her eyes brimming with tears.  And Annie says:  ”Today is your 100th birthday, and you grew up as an orphan.  Who ever makes cake for the baker?”  After eating her cake, Cora Lee says she will go, but Annie wants her to stay and names her new bake shop “Washington and Merriweather”.   Cora Lee stays and they coexist happily together.  Very sweet!

I got some classics that we’ve read from the library (the Ezra Jack Keats books) and I couldn’t pass up the Tasha Tudor book even though Lainie is too old for it.  And the fables book is illustrated by Arnold Lobel, of Frog and Toad fame!  And there’s a book by Mary Ann Hoberman – my sister-in-law gave Cole a book that was a discard from the library at the school she taught named How Do I Go? that both kids have loved.

Thanks to all of you who commented about Cole’s surgery!  We made it to the hospital at 6:00 a.m., and he had the surgery around 8:00 a.m. — they didn’t even have to put in an IV as he did well with the sedation he was given.  He’s got cotton packed in on one side of his nose that has to stay there until Monday and tape all around the nose, which is driving him nuts.  But other than that, he’s doing good.  Next up in August:  Lainie’s tonsils and adenoids are going to be removed!   I’m dreading that!

It’s a beautiful day, we’re watching my brother-in-law’s 2 dogs this weekend, Craig is recording music at NIU and the kids are bowling with Grams.  I’m off to the gym!

Jelly!

6 half pints of red currant jelly made by yours truly.  I would have more but I grew tired of the straining (I’ve got to research the best way to strain these little berries) and then I didn’t use all of the jelly in the pan.  It looked like it was starting to jell and I thought:  will this set right? 

I now understand why currant jelly is so expensive.  Currant berries are TINY and it takes a boatload before you have a decent amount.  You have to pick them, then mash them, boil them, strain, add cups and cups of sugar, boil, add liquid pectin, skim foam off the top and bing!  Jelly.  I would imagine that grapes would be easier to make jelly from because they are so much bigger and therefore have more juice.

Cole is having surgery tomorrow to fix his fractured nose.  We have to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m.!  It’s going to be a long day…

And now I’m off to do laundry.

Back Home

We got home today from VA-KAY.  It went as follows:

1.  A week ago Friday – drive to PA., see Pirates game, drive to Chalkville, PA.

2. Sat. – Whitewater raft (Craig/Cole) &  bike along the river (me/Lainie) at OhioPyle National Park (beautiful).

3. Drive to Washington D.C., take Cole to the emergency room for a fractured nose at 11:00 p.m., go to the Smithsonian Museum of American History

4. Monday – Craig gets a reckless speeding ticket in VA for going 20 over on the way to Kitty Hawk, NC.  Unknown at this point if we can pay the ticket or he has to go to court in VA.

5.  Stay at Kitty Hawk for 3+ days, have a great time.

6.  Thursday/Friday-Drive through the Appalachians to Kentucky.  Car starts acting funny and we rolled into Florence, KY to a Saturn dealership.  Left 4 hours later with a new catalytic converter – $1,400.00.  Ouch. 

7.  Go to see Reds play, then drive home 6 hours rolling into my m-i-l’s at 3:30 a.m. — we had no key to get into the house because the neighbor had it.

I’m trying to stay positive about the whole thing.  You know, good parts, bad parts.  One of the nice things about vacation is that it allows you to clear your head of the everyday monotony  and think about the stuff you haven’t been doing but want to.  I feel like I”m making New Year’s resolutions all over again:  blog more, list more markers for sale, keep a to-do list and actually do the things on them (very helpful with my memory loss), cook more, etc. etc.

I didn’t knit much on the trip (GASP).  I worked on a cross stitch santa ornament and tried to finish some blanket squares I’m making for the Pine Ridge Reservation group on ravelry.

Off to get a shower and go to dinner/movie with Craig.  We both need a break from the kids!

It’s been so long!

I don’t even know what to say – it’s been well over a month since I last blogged.  Lots of busyness, but “nothing” busyness.  You know, the everyday grind.  Kids,  job, house.  I turned 40 in April and we had a huge bash – 30+ people came!  Including most of my lovely stitch ‘n bitch group, which was a real treat.  Thanks for coming, guys.  I am in my busiest part of the year at work – it’s scholarship season.  I have 5 scholarships that I administer, including one that gets 130-140 applications each year.  I also keep having customers croak on me, dammit!  When it rains, it pours.  Deaths always come in 3’s.  Well, they started dying off last July and it just keeps on going.  Hugely stressful.  Lots of work, lots of people who want the money they’re inheriting, dammit!  Plus all the administrative stuff that goes along with it – paying final bills, cleaning out houses and storage units, disposing of assets, contacting beneficiaries, filing final tax returns, getting assets revalued, moving the account to a new status, paying specific bequests, etc. etc. etc.  I could go on forever but I don’t want to bore you to tears!

I’ve been knitting:

Plain old vanilla socks knit with hand-dyed yarn by my crafty buddy, Kristin!

We won’t discuss the mistakes (like knitting one of the socks above the ankle with a size smaller needle than the other sock – oops!) but suffice to say, I’m glad they’re done.  It’s good experience.  I also finished a market bag:

I used this stretchy nylon yarn that I bought 6-7 years ago.  Here’s another shot with Sir Archibald looking devilishly handsome:

And….I started a new sock.  I’m really branching out on this third pair – I’m trying a mistake rib (whoo! how exciting! Next thing you know I’ll be trying a cable pattern, oh goodness, it’s too much!):

I’m still working out of this book, which taught me how to make socks.  I have a lovely Vogue Knitting Sock Pattern book and some day I’ll use it.  Promise.

But the best thing of all?  All of the above projects were made with stash yarn!  Still trying to do my best to keep my New Year’s Resolution to knit with what I have.  I’ve done pretty good.  In the months of January and March, I didn’t buy anything.  I bought enough skeins to do 2 scarves in February.  At the end of April, I was feeling sorry for myself, caved and bought a skein of trekking xxl sock yarn in some delicious browns.  Then, this month?  I did buy yarn – 5 skeins – but they are to go into projects which I had already bought yarn for when Lainie was 2-3.  Since she’s 5, I need more yarn.  Does it count as a yarn purchase?  My stitch ‘n bitch group thought so, but I’m pretty much rationalizing that purchase away.

We have veggies planted, but the weather is not completely cooperating here in Illinois.  It’s still cool and we’re getting a lot of rain!  The farmers haven’t even been able to get out into the fields because of all the rain, and it’s pretty much unheard of not to have all your crops planted by now.  I keep thinking this must be a byproduct of global warming.