Aug 29/12

The stitching of Christmas ornaments has begun in earnest here. I did not get around to taking any photos of the three that are stitched now. That will have to wait until I put the last handful of stitches in the fourth one (I did a group of four from the same book) is completed tonight.

Yesterday, I made a little road trip with my best friend to a place called Briggs and Little, a fabulous yarn company in a tiny town called Harvey. We were intoxicated by the woollen yarns and the colours on display. The woman working in the shop was very knowledgeable and passionate about knitting so we had a fabulous chat with her. I was inspired by a hat pattern called "Whale Tale" to take up my knitting needles again. My nephew is going to look super cute with the little whale flukes bobbing on his head this winter!

The other project I am in the midst of is reading and implementing the program from a book called "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blanke. My house and head have been very cluttered in the past few years as a result of being heartbroken and stressed out so this book came at just the right time as I have recently recognized that I need to get back in the driver's seat of this thing called My Life. Basically, the author encourages the reader to go from room to room and to assess things like the bedroom closet and the bathroom drawers. She tells you to go through each item in those places and think about whether it is a positive or negative thing for you to keep. Whether it be clothes, old make up or old medications, she asks the reader to evaluate how we view ourselves and our intentions. One question she asked about old medications is do we hold onto old medications because we fear getting sick again? Better to intend to be well and not keep such reminders or safety nets around.

So far, I am up to item 25 of things either being recycled, donated or trashed. My items have included a flat iron that works but does not heat up hot enough to do much with my thick hair, a toggle from a jacket that I donated a few years ago, a plastic container of paint that has dried out, a container of rolled change that is going to the bank this afternoon to be deposited, a blazer I bought in 1995 and a bottle that once held maple syrup and was rinsed thoroughly with the thought of finding another purpose for it. The relief I feel already in letting go of these things that are just taking up space is good. After a couple of years of stumbling around in the emotional dark, I am feeling stronger day by day and hope to continue on this path of strength and joy.

Aug 18/12

My house is driving me nuts these days. I am feeling overwhelmed with stuff these days as I try to decide what I am going to do next. I have been looking at house plans again for my dream home on my property in the country but I am not convinced that is the right move for me right now or I would be ploughing straight ahead. One of the main reasons is that I have done some emotional housecleaning recently and have been actively looking for a partner. Scary territory for me and the pickings seem rather slim. Anyhow, this is a crafting blog not a dating blog so change of topic.

To that end, I tackled my earring collection. It hit me the other day that I have some unused wooden frames, burlap, paint and glue. Voila! An earring organizer!

Control gained over a pile of stuff in a bathroom drawer. As bonus, I discovered some earrings that I forgot that I had and sadly can not find the full set of a pair I love. I also FINALLY threw out several pairs that were tarnished and gross. Emotional attachment to stuff is something that I struggle with. I will keep things for a rainy day or because someone bought it for me or just because. It is hard to be ruthless but I am getting better at repurposing, donating or outright trashing stuff that is no longer useful to me.