winding road

Next! (Project 365 -- Day 120)

The books. Much easier than the clothes, which took three hours. It only took a few minutes to stack up these 28. I've whittled my library down radically the past couple of years, and I've really curtailed my book addiction (although magazines are another story entirely, sigh), so it's not a big chore anymore to do a sweep once a year and pull out the books to donate.

Oh it feels so good to pare down ...

I've also unsubscribed to at least two dozen e-mail newsletters the past couple of weeks. I notice that whenever I buy anything online or order a catalog from a company, they automatically start sending me email ... and lots of it. Some of these are one-time purchases or gifts ... items that I may have no ongoing interest in myself ... like, say, motorcycle riding jeans for John. Nonetheless, Dennis Kirk sends me emails every month ... as does Pottery Barn, and FLOR, yadda yadda. It's so easy at first to just let them slide in and hit the 'delete' button, but really, it's better to not receive them at all unless I'm interested.

Last night, I cleaned out a few of my paper files, too. That's next on the hit parade. I have a file drawer with alphabetical folders where I keep bill stubs, car maintenance records, medical records, etc. When the folders get so tight that I can't squeeze another piece of paper in there, I make a big project (and a big whine) out of having to clean out the whole drawer ... one that I dread, and therefore try to avoid as long as possible.

But there's an easier way. Take the stub for the electric bill, for instance. It's easier to throw out the oldest one in the folder when I put in the new one than it is to just keep stuffing new ones in there until the folder is jammed. Yes, it actually took me all these years to figure that out ... or better said, to put it into practice. Now I just keep a year's worth on hand for whenever we want to sell and share the info. with prospective buyers, and the folder stays organized as I go along. So simple, really. Of course, there are still a few categories that aren't so time-bound, but cleaning those out once a year is so much easier than doing the whole A-Z of folders in one fell swoop.

I've either gotten smarter or lazier over the years, but I'm into making the life administrivia as simple as possible. There's a certain amount of it that's unavoidable, I realize, but I just don't want it to eat up any more of my time and energy than it absolutely has to.

And have I mentioned how much I love the free electronic bill-payment service from my credit union? Saves so much time and money (especially now that stamps are going up again). Love it, love it, love it! Of course, I wasn't so thrilled to see that I'd paid the water company for the sewer bill last month (after I'd already paid them for the water bill), and therefore didn't pay the sewer bill at all. Details. The water company actually owns the sewer company as well (and has their own logo right on the bill), so I just got mixed up and clicked on the 'Water' instead of the 'Sewer' when I went to pay. No biggie ... it all came out in the wash (sorry ... couldn't resist). Still, so long as I focus on where I'm clicking, it's a great service and I love it. I'm sorry I resisted it for so long, in fact.

And those are my organizing tips for today, kids. It's all part of my ongoing mission to simplify my life so there's more room and time for the good stuff ... creating, exploring, reading, loving, napping. :-)

Have any good tips of your own to share?

The big purge (Project 365 -- Day 119)

I cleaned out my closet and drawers today and got rid of all these clothes and shoes that no longer fit, or that I no longer want. I stacked up the piles on the bathroom vanity ... eight piles in all (although it probably looks like more because they're against the mirror). There are a couple of Ryan's old things here, just for the record, but hardly worth mentioning.

My closet's never been so empty, which is both depressing and liberating ... because letting go of the old is a good feeling, and a new beginning.

I got my hair cut yesterday after I dropped Mollie off at the groomer's. I was in a good mood afterwards and decided to check out the new Loehmann's that opened up recently. That killed the good mood really fast, unfortunately. Nevertheless, a girl needs clothes, even while she works on getting herself to a better weight, and I'm at the point where I half expect to see Clinton and Stacy from What Not to Wear trailing me whenever I leave the house. So it's time.

The nice thing about having a closet that's nearly empty is that my thoughts have shifted from the dreaded, 'Ugh, I have nothing to wear, nothing fits me anymore, etc., etc.' to the much more inspiring, 'how will I build a wardrobe that's both comfortable and really expresses who I am now?'

I have always admired people who have their own 'signature look,' whether it's a certain haircut, or their collection of unique jewelry, or a particular color palette that they always stick to. I'm no fashionista, believe me, but I do aspire to cultivate my own sense of style, whatever that is ... and it feels even more important now that I'm out here doing my own thing, instead of having to dress for a particular company culture. 

Mind you, I still have nothing to wear ... although I did find a couple of things at Loehmann's for working here at home that are nicer than an old t-shirt and exercise pants ... but with a nearly empty closet staring back at me each morning, I enjoy the thought of filling it up again slowly by choosing (or even making) pieces that I'll really enjoy wearing ... with some sort of plan in mind this time around, instead of just picking things up helter skelter at the clearance rack.

And when I do find (or make) something new, it's nice to know I already have the perfect place to go for cool matching jewelry.

Have you spring-cleaned your closet yet? Do it. Be ruthless. You'll feel oh-so-much lighter.

Orange (Project 365 -- Day 118)

Never managed to take any shots during the day, so I shot this of a wreath in our house tonight.

I've had this wreath for years. I bought it in a shop in Peddler's Village, which is a cute shopping area in Lahaska, Penn. It hangs by a suction cup on a mirror in the living room. Every once in a while, the suction cup gives out, and I find the wreath on the floor, bits of branches and pieces of the orange stuff chipped off (you can see the white spots ... all on the bottom where it first hits the floor). But I tweak the branches and hang it back up and it's good for another few months. I don't want to part with it yet. It has a certain 'Charlie Brown' charm.

Mollie (our collie) turned 8 today. She went to the groomer's this morning and came out fluffly as a bunny (a really big one, but you know what I mean). She always comes home very tired from a day at the salon ... must be a little traumatic for her ... so she comes home and sleeps the rest of the day. While she's gone, Cloud (the doxie) relishes being the center of attention for a few hours. They're so funny.

Such an exciting post ... can you stand it?

(sing with me now ...) There's always tomorrow ... :-)

20/20 (Project 365 -- Day 117)

The morning after (Project 365 -- Day 116)

This is what my work table looks like after I've stayed up late and gotten up early to get ready for a day out. It probably doesn't look so bad in the picture, but it feels really messy and chaotic when I'm sitting right in front of it. (Can you spot the snack?)

I'm sort of glad the table is not too big, because otherwise I'm sure I would spread the mess out much further. Working in a small area forces me to straighten up fairly often ... put away some bead bins and take out others as I switch projects. I tell you, those little transparent stackable bead bins are the cat's meow. I could never keep my thousands of beads straight otherwise.

I had a good day today ... quite a few sales, which makes the time fly. It was also Take Your Kids to Work Day, so the building was buzzing, and I think that may have helped boost sales a bit. Or maybe people are just in a better mood overall now that spring has arrived.

The woman whose bridesmaids' jewelry I did recently works in that building and stopped by today. The wedding was last Saturday, but they're not leaving on their four-week honeymoon until tomorrow, so she's been at work this week (yes, FOUR weeks in Tahiti and neighboring parts ... can you imagine?). She said the wedding was beautiful and that she and the bridesmaids couldn't have been happier with the jewelry. (blush.)

Now I have a few orders to work on and ship from today and last Saturday's craft show before I'm out again next Wednesday. I can't believe it'll be May by then ...

Kaleidoscope (Project 365 -- Day 115)

Do you know what this is?

It's this photograph of a tree in the backyard ... transformed into a kaleidoscope with my photo editing software (PhotoImpact ... although I'm sure PhotoShop must have it too).

I've been heads down in production mode today, and neither of the shots I took outdoors while on a five-minute break were very thrilling. It's raining, though, and I didn't want to stand out there any longer, so I thought I'd stay dry and just play around with special effects indoors.

Here's the other one ... photo and kaleidoscope (click to enlarge). Interesting. You can have so much fun with photos and a PC, can't you?

Yes, I'm easily amused.

Okay, back to the bling to get ready for a day out tomorrow.

(Sorry for the lack of scintillating posts lately, boys and girls. After tomorrow, things should ease up a bit.)

Yellow is such a happy color (Project 365 -- Day 114)

... why I was glad I grabbed my camera before going out with John tonight to grab a bite to eat and pick up his bass at the repair shop ...

I hadn't taken my daily photo yet, and this was sitting in the parking lot (parked in front of some forsythia no less). It's an old Ford, though I have no idea about the year or model. Very cool ... something you might see in Bugsy or Dick Tracy.

Had a good day today, even though I felt so crappy when I got up that I seriously considered bagging it. I took some Sudafed Sinus, went through half a box of tissues (and that was just the first hour), and walked out the door with a nose redder than Rudolph's ... but I was glad I did, because I had pretty good sales and saw some familiar faces from my last visit (I was a local office complex which has multiple businesses) ... plus it was just a gorgeous day all around. Sunny with a little breeze, and the perfect temperature. When I got home, I saw that the maintenance crew had cut the grass today for the first time. It's really spring now.

Hope it was just as wonderful where you are too!

Rocking on (Project 365 -- Day 113)

The Hard Rock Cafe ... um, I mean, our bedroom.

Still not feeling so great today, though I feel better than yesterday, which is good.

I have two corporate days this week ... one tomorrow, and one Thursday ... so I spent the day working on replenishing the equivalent of what I sold Saturday.

Trying to keep rocking on despite my stuffy nose and watery eyes.

Just call me Sneezy (Project 365 -- Day 112)

All the trees in the neighborhood popped this weekend ... and so did my allergies. At least, I think that's what made my nose itchy, my eyes droopy, and my head feel Route 287 at rush hour ... clogged and congested. Ugh.

I'm hoping that eating local honey (I hear this works), plus over-the-counter remedies, plus rest will make it away. I think it's just a fleeting thing.

At least I hope so. I think my immunity was a bit low from some late nights and early mornings this week, but I made up for it today with a day of total R&R. I think that really helped.

But the trees sure look gorgeous, though, and this really is my favorite time of year. Yay Spring! :-)

How cute is this? (Project 365 -- Day 111)

I had a craft show today, and it was at a local elementary school. A client from J&J, whose son attends the school, told me about it and suggested I participate.

I'm really glad I did. It was a good day for sales, actually quite a bit better than I expected, given that it was the first spring-like day in many moons. We figured people would be out doing their gardening and getting kids to soccer after many days of cancelled practices and games due to rain and flooding. But no ... people turned out in a couple of good waves ... one at lunchtime and another in the late afternoon.

My client stopped by with a friend, and they both bought things. A couple of other vendors bought things; so did parents, and so did customers who came in off the street. My friend Joanne stopped by for a couple of hours and brought me a bunch of the new 'believe street' earring cards she designed and printed up for me (woohoo!). And I met some wonderful people. One of my favorite was a spry and joyful woman (picture Mrs. Claus, only a little thinner) who had to be well into her eighties, or maybe even older. She was wearing an off-white coat that was only a shade darker than her hair, and walked with a cane. She was there with her niece, who went off to check out a few other tables while her aunt and I chatted.

I heard several fun stories, including one about how she had always wanted a pair of diamond stud earrings, but they were 'SOoo expensive!' she said. To which I quickly replied, 'Well, you can get cubic zirconia now.' And to which she more quickly replied, 'Oh no! I don't want the fake stuff ... and I don't want the little diamond studs that are like little pinheads, either.'

And so I assumed she was still lusting after them lo this many years.

But no. She told me that her husband, who was apparently a thrifty fellow, had passed away 14 years ago. Not too long after his death, she said, she saw a beautiful pair of diamond studs, and when the jeweler told her how much they were, she was shocked. Said she didn't have that kind of money. They were one carat each, she said. Just beautiful.

"So what happened?" I asked ... figuring she would shrug her shoulders and say she walked out of the store without them.

"Oh, the jeweler gave me a really good deal," she said. "He said that if I paid him cash, not with a credit card, he would give them to me for a thousand dollars and wouldn't charge me the sales tax. So I told him, 'don't you let anyone else have them!' and I ran to the bank, took out the money, bought them and wore them out of the store. I just love them!'

(... and here I'm worried about making sure I charge sales tax on a $4 cellphone charm ... but I digress.)

She went on to tell me that her husband was a saver who insisted that a certain amount of money from every paycheck be put away before everything else for savings and investing. Whenever they wanted something, they only bought it after they had saved up the cash. He apparently always bought used cars 'that were on their way out,' she said with grinning eyes. So it wasn't until after he died that she bought herself her first new car ever. Seemed like she really relished that experience, too. She added that she's grateful now that he was so conscientious about money, because it means she is able to stay where she is.

And from all I can tell, this is a woman who really relishes life ... and appreciates a good chandelier earring to boot. She finds it amusing that they're now 'new,' when they're really not new at all, like so many things that are all the rage these days. This brief chat with her was a sweet moment in the day. I'm still smiling about it.

Another sweet moment was taking a look around the school and noticing how colorful and playful it was. Everywhere you looked, there were bright and happy paintings on the walls. It seems like a really fun and creative environment.

On my way out, keeping my eyes peeled for a Project 365 photo op, I spotted the little gem above just inside the front door ... a standard-issue industrial radiator transformed into a lemonade stand. And note the little mouse with his red sweater.

How stinkin' cute is that??

Maybe that's the trouble with office buildings, come to think of it. You don't find too much of that stuff on the walls ...but I do think some stressed-out grownups could probably use a good old-fashioned lemonade stand to lighten things up, or even a painting of one.