Just a Little Better

It's not every day that the library assistants get to let off a little steam towards the rude and thoughtless behavior we see every day. But when we do, we do it well.

Too Much Stuff

I suffer from two very different but very terrible illnesses.

The first is my overwhelming addiction to yard sales and Goodwill and other people's trash.  True story: I can (and have) scale a full sized dumpster with no ladder and remove a half broken full sized dresser, by myself, in less than 3 minutes.  I love the thrill of the hunt and the dealing and the stories behind vintage/antique items.  I love it, and the amount of stuff in my house is proof of that love.

My second illness is my equally overwhelming habit to declare "TOO MUCH STUFF" and decide that I don't really love any of it.  I have been working on limiting my intake of possessions, saving time and space and money for items that I will love forever (my green velvet chair, my chifferobe, my Cheezburger painting).  It takes practice.  I still find myself looking at items I've brought home and think "hm.  Could have lived without that actually." But at least I'm trying.

So right now the too much stuff side of me is winning- hard.  And Marco and I are preparing for our first yard sale since moving into this house.  We had a half attempt yard sale before we moved in over a year ago, but that was ill planed and only half heart felt.  This time I'm being ruthless.  I'm cutting from the bone.  I'm cleaning out my fabric stash!  Y'all.  Bags and bags of fabric stash.  That's how you know it's serious.  But we're going through closets too.  And boxes we never unpacked.  And emptying corners of the house that collect dust.  And going through things that's we've put up "in storage."  Our "work in progress" philosophy is "If I can't enjoy it all the time, then why do I own it?"  Nothing is in long term storage.  Nothing is hidden away without a proper home.  Everything has been used at least 3 times the last year.  And everything else is getting put in the yard for others to fight over.

Now we're still working on our different pricing strategies, one of us correctly wants stuff to move and therefore puts realistic prices, and the other wants to haggle and get the best deal ever so he puts higher prices with wiggle room.  This is also a work in progress.  But come Saturday, we'll have gotten there somehow.

Oh, and if you're looking for pre-lit Christmas trees or an elliptical machine, televisions (from a former roommate), ironing board, craft stuff (lots of fabric), plastic shelving, a movable closet rack, tv trays (lots of tv trays) or other household goodies, stop on by.  We'll be here Saturday morning and ready to play Let's Make a Deal.

Wearing Re-made

This is one of the dresses that I made from an XL maxi skirt. I had originally planned to replace the wide elastic and make it a baby doll style dress, but I just gathered and stitched the casing instead.

Wearing What You've Got

You know that thing where you are supposed to turn your hangers backwards and then when you wear an item and put it back in the closet (which I rarely do btw, drives Marco crazy), you hang it back properly.  Then at the end of the year you see what you actually wore and didn't wear and you donate the rest?  Well I've been sorta doing the same thing except I already know exactly what I do and don't wear and why that happens.  

Actually, I knew when we moved a year ago what I did and didn't wear.  Moving 3 times in 2 years will get you up close and personal with all of your belongings.  So a few months ago I started a pile.  I like piles.  Anyhoo- a pile of clothes that I didn't wear for particular reasons but that I held onto for particular reasons.  Things that went into this pile:  dresses meant for 17 year olds, which I am not, but had pretty fabric or patterns; dresses that needed shortening or taking in or dyeing; pants that needed to be hemmed or dyed etc.  All of these items has been kept out of the donate pile for years so there was something I liked about them, but something that made them unwearable as well.  

So I took a look at that pile again tonight and started making smaller piles- hemming, dyeing, taking in,  painting (ahem: stain covering) and so forth.  And you know what?  In less than 2 hours I had a whole new pile- new to me clothes back in my closet and ready to wear.  Some dresses became skirts, some skirts became better skirts, pants became shorts or shorter pants... it worked out great.  And it didn't cost me a dime.  Now that's my kind of project.

Making Babies

No Mom. Not those babies.

The garden is really taking off and we could not be more excited. The tomatoes are loaded down and the cucumbers are creeping along nicely. It will be pesto time soon and our peppers are looking fantastic too. It's hard to remember our yard a year ago when we moved in, but I hope to post a before/after update soon. Until then we're going to just keep on growing and enjoying the green.

Oh. By the way, I planted this gourd in the front of the house a few months ago. There were times when it had no leaves and I had moved on with my life, convinced it was dead.

Not dead. And yes, it is trying to grow into the gutters on top of the doorway.

Ask and ye shall receive

I was going to pay the electric bill this morning before work and was wondering out loud what type of project I should do while Marco is away on his research cruise. When all if a sudden I happened upon this.

Yay for free furniture (ants and chewed gum and some random accessories too)! And a big ole thank you to the 6 cars who stopped to ask if I needed help loading it in my car.

Just for the record I could have managed on my own, but the help was welcome.

Adding to the Walls

I have been in a state of re-doing.  Maybe that will account for my absense on my blog and my presence in my own life, but I hope to start making up for it soon.

I thought I'd start with this new find.  Well, new to me.  I've been trying to find ways to actually get our bedroom to a more finished state.  You know, away from "We just moved into our new house!  This stuff goes HERE!" and closer to "Look how nice that looks!" I've been looking for some art work to help get that ball rolling and happened upon society6.com.  I love a nice, small time artist and a nice small time price tag so I've been allowing myself a lot of window shopping.  Here are my top choices for our new bedroom.

Medusozoa by Edwardblakeedwards

I love the black and whiteness of this print.  I also love jelly fish.  I think I would actually frame it vertically, but I do love the composition of it horizontially too.  I really don't see this as as a starting point for a new bedroom though.  Maybe later, but not first.

Rabbit by Carrie Booth

It's a rabbit.  And it's blue.  I think it is perfect.  But again, I'm not sure if this is a great starter picture. 

Untitled (landscape) by Tchmo

Actually, I'd take just about anything from this artist.  Like this, or this or this too.  I love the colors and the texture, even if this is only a print.  There may be too many colors to chose from?  Or much busy for a room that I want to feel cozy and relaxed.  Maybe a wide mat and simple frame will help contain the motion...


My Bologna has a First Name by David Schwin

I may need this one just because.  No color inspiration, just a good time.

And finally, Fractal Dandelion by Mark Nelson.

I really love this one.  I think it has wonderful colors and some great texture.  Nice and soothing but still plenty of detail.

Very interesting.