Folk Magazine blogging #2

I am back with the Folk Magazine Blogging Challenge of the Week

For this week they were wondering about what have you done you didn't think you would ever do.
At first I couldn't even imagine what to say about this.  I suppose you could say I NEVER thought I would go to a Nascar race and now we go to at least 1 a year and have been up to 4 one year.
I won't be riding motorcycles, jumping out of planes or any of those supposedly really "scary"  things.  I don't even like to fly in an airplane.  I would certainly never jump out of one.....   LOL

  However, I have started to simplify my life a bit.
So I suppose you could say I never expected to be willing to part with issues of old magazines that I loved.  Or books on subjects I "might" want to get back to. 

Last year I started a purge of unwanted items from my house and that got me to thinking about why on earth I am keeping some of this stuff (magazines in particular) especially since so many ideas are available on the internet.
SO.....  I started getting rid of magazines. They have always been one of  biggest weaknesses.  Some people like shoes, I like magazines.

Over the summer I got rid of well over 100 magazines, crafts ones mostly.  At first I went through all the magazines, pulled out what I wanted to keep and threw away the rest.  In the past few weeks I have been giving many of them away on Freecycle. (These are ones that I left intact.)  It feels good to have them go to someone who will appreciate them now. In case you were wondering, some of these magazines have been around since we lived in Maine, over 15 years ago!
This week I am getting rid of magazines likes Cook's Illustrated, Cuisine at Home and other similar ones.  I have taken out the recipes I want and they will go in a loose leaf notebook.  The others I am offering to my shop customers if they want them.  And then finally they will go to recycling.  If feels good to suddenly have empty spaces appearing!
So that is what I am doing that I never thought I would do!

What are you doing that you never thought you would do?

Decluttering and quilting

The Decluttering continues.  This past week our new couch and love seat arrived so before it could be put into place we did a lot of "decluttering" in the living room.  Actually DH did most cause he had the most to do.  I had already done a lot in the previous two weeks. We did get rid of an end table cause it doesn't fit anymore.  It went out to the shop and is already sold!   We got rid of 24 Nascar magazines and 45 issues of the Bluegrass Unlimited magazine.  They are going to recycling.  Also I filled a big kitchen trash bag of junk from my studio.  I spent at least 10 minutes a day, each day this week getting rid of stuff.  I hope I get this done before I leave it all for the kids to sort through some day.  LOL  He filled a box with catalogs, old magazines and other stuff to go to recycling.   So I will just count that as 1. So if I count the magazines and the table and the trash bag and his box that means another 72 items gone from the house!  So I am now up to 203 items total, just 163 items to go. At this rate I will be done by the end of March.
 I don't think I will do as well this coming week cause DH wants me to get some stuff ready to go on ebay and that will take my spare time.  But in a sense that is decluttering too cause he is getting rid of some more "stuff."

I have been practicing my machine quilting too.  It certainly does take practice.  Expecially using the darning foot to do free motion quilting.  Wow, I really thought I was steadier than that!.  No way will I show you my "examples.!"

 I have started a little paper pieces wall hanging too.  It is slow going cause I am trying to fussy cut the center squares.    Good it only has 9 squares.  I have one finished to show you and several squares underway. These squares about 4 inches wide.

    Hope to get it finished by next weekend when I have another wall hanging waiting to be worked on.
Now I have to run and make Caramel Corn (my daughter's MIL's recipe) to take to a Daytona Race viewing party tomorrow.  Never a dull moment.

Decluttering, Quilting and whatever............

 A few things to share from outside.  Here are the visitors that came to "feast" at my garden (well the birdfeeder really)

And I am not real pleased to see all my daffodils popping up out of the ground.  It has hardly been winter here yet.  So I guess they don't know it isn't time yet!  Hope they don't get really messed up.  I love to see the pretty fresh faces of the daffodils when they do bloom.

I am still in the decluttering mode.  This week I managed to get rid of 24 piece plastic dinner set we used to use in our camper but don't use anymore.  (it went to SA) Also went through 25 magazines, tore out a very few things I wanted to keep and sent the rest off to recycling.  And I sent 10 books off to the library sale!  So for a quick total that is 59 more things gone.  So my total is now............. 124!!!!!!!   Only 242 things to go.  This is easier than I thought it might be! I have a feeling I will have more than enough very soon.

Another bigger decluttering will take place in April.  We have signed up to take stuff to an auction.  That will include things from the house and my antique shop.  That should make a big difference in the way things look around here.  I can hardly wait!

Tomorrow I am going to take a class in Machine Quilting on my newest sewing machine, a Janome.  I still have the Brother machine but it doesn't do nearly as well as this one does.  I will keep the Brother to try and master Machine Embroidery but the new one is for quilting!  I did a lot of quilting back in the 70s and early 80s but not so much now.  This should help a lot!

I will report on the class and what I learn later!

Decluttering

                               Decluttering

            I was going to combine the decluttering info and the finished altered journals together this week but it will have to wait.  I am behind on the decluttering report  because we were away from home all day yesterday. And I want to wait on showing all  altered journals until the folks I swapped with receive them and I have received both.  I got one today and it gorgeous... but you will have to wait another couple of days.

            I got rid of a lot more things this week.  They were out on the front porch that is more a store room than a porch at the moment. Maybe once it is cleared out I can use it again.  It is enclosed so can be enjoyed in a couple of seasons anyway.
            I managed to get rid of a comforter that I don't really like, three sets of sheets, another lamp, a toy that came from somewhere that is still in its box....  sigh....   And four purses.  The local Salvation Army may not like me anymore.  But I am keeping the people in the donation center busy.
SO for this week 10 more things.  I counted the sheet sets as 1 each even though they included top, bottom and pillow cases.  But don't want to get too greedy with my amount.

The count is now up to 65 (55 in January) so I need only 301 more things to go.  It seems like it is getting easier.  I wasn't sure about it but my husband is getting into the swing of things a bit now too.  At least he is agreeing on the things I want to get rid of and helps carry them to the car.  (LOL)

Tune in again soon for another report.............

Decluttering. and Art Journals.

        Decluttering

Another week, another decluttering list.

This week I worked in one of our upstairs bedrooms where we "store" stuff.  Sort of an "attic" in waiting.
I managed to get rid of a bedspread with two shams, a set of sheets, two lamps, a computer monitor  a CPU for the computer and a box of computer "junk.:  So that means 7 items added to the list.  It doesn't sound like much after last week but it was a LOT of volume!   The computer stuff is going to be recycled. The rest is going to the Salvation Army.  I am beginning to feel better and better about all this.

Up to last week my total was up to 48 items and I am adding 7 things this week.  So I am now at 55.  Which leaves 311 remaining.  I feel good about the fact that 55 items are gone for this month. I hope I can do as well in February.

ART SWAPS

As you know, if you follow my blog, I participate in a lot of swaps.  The current one is from the Blog called Speckled Eggs.  In the past we have done swaps using large match boxes filled with things for a specific theme.  This is a bit different this time as we are making journals for our swap partners.  They are supposed to be vintage  in Style and use the "composition books" as a base.  I have started mine and moving along.

The covers are done with some great upholstery fabric. 

 This inside cover is some handmade paper.

 And this is some scrapbook paper.

 Be sure to click on each picture to see them larger and more detail.

Now I have to work on the embellishments for the front covers. And some prompts and such for the inside  I have been playing with a few ideas but haven't decided anything for sure.  I hope to work on it this weekend.  I will show more as I move along.

Another week of decluttering......

I am entering my third week of my decluttering campaign.  I have heard it said that if you do something for at least three weeks it will become a habit.

Here is my newest report....
       I got rid of 7 t-shirts that no longer fit.  They were from Nascar Races and Blue grass festivals so I hope someone will like them.  They went to the Salvation Army.  I also got rid of a Yankee candle that is almost new... but I never liked the smell.  And I sent off three figurines that are just collecting dust in this house.
That is 11 individual items.  Besides the 10 dolls I put on e-bay in last weeks list I also include some Avon Miniature Doll House furniture that really doesn't go in the doll houses I have now.  So I can count them as  2 cause they were two room settings.

And in the throw away line I filled two of the Tall Kitchen Bags with junk from my studio clean out.  I will just count them as two even though there were a lot of things in each bag.  I am already starting on another bag!

So my total for this week is:
7-t shirts
1 yankee candle
3 figurines
2 doll house rooms of furniture
and 2 tall kitchen bags of junk from my craft room

So I am counting a total of 15 items.

and up to date.. 33 from the past and 15 more means I am up to 48.  Not too bad considering the month is only a little over half over.  So with 366 items promised and 48 gone I am now at just 318 to go.

Working on  more goodies next week,  I am half way through filling another of those tall trash bags and am making a pile of craft supplies to donate to a local children's museum.

How are you doing in your decluttering?

Decluttering.

Decluttering is constantly in my thoughts these days.   This week I went through my fabric and made up a box to donate to a local church group that sews for their missions.  Then, since I am starting to clean out my studio to find space for my sewing machine I found lots of other things.  Also, as I clean each room I try to find something to go.

So here is my list: this week!
1. a panini maker, I gave it away.
2-4 The box of fabric which I will count as 3 although there were probably 50 pieces of fabric of various sizes.  This is the box.  I probably should have spread them out but the lady who was taking them was coming by so this is the pic I took quickly.

5. a favorite little watering can that had been repaired one too many times. (Trash)
6.  A printer I no longer use...  passing it on, on free cycle I think
7- 16 dolls I am posting on Ebay.  The first group are Hawaiian Souvenir Dolls.

 And this group are little dolls dressed in Polish Regional Costumes.

17. A spice holder that I bought to use for beads and obviously never will.  (off to Salvation Army)
18.  A plastic paper holder for a desk.  I don't have room for it so it is taking up space. (Off to Salvation Army)

So that is 18 this week....  Added to the 15 last week brings the total so far to 33.

Lets see now.....  366 minus 33 equals  333 to go.  AND it is only Jan. 12!  Sure hope I can keep it up.  I imagine it will slow down as time goes as but if the habit is made then it should be possible.

See you with another list next Thursday! I will be adding to it today as I organize another room.

Starting the new year right.

GOODBYE STUFF:


I have been inspired by a friend on another blog, GARDEN OF DAISIES,  to join in a chance to simplify my life a tiny bit by getting rid of at least one item a day.  According to her idea the item can be given away to a friend, sold, donated, or thrown away if it isn't any good to anyone.

Anyone want to join me and the other folks doing this?  Just say so in my comments.  Would love to have you join in.

I don't plan to just throw too much stuff away.  My goal is recycling in some way or another!

Below is the first pile of stuff to take to the Salation Army....  2 purses, two stuffed toys, two dolls in boxes, 1 clock, 3 baseball caps.   SO with those 10 items I am good through next Tuesday.
And I will be leaving shortly to get rid of that first box.
 .

 And here is a pile of 5 books to take out to my shop.  If they don't sell after a few months they too will go to SA.

 To tell you the truth I have already started another pile for SA and one for Ebay.  I will talk about those next week.

I did get ride of a LOT of clothes that no longer fit me since in the past year I have lost so much weight (on purpose). I just took a bag of freshly cleaned winter clothes that were still very good but TOO BIG to the Salvation Army. (but that was LAST YEAR, last week....)   It felt so good.  Yes, I have gotten replacements but only about half  as many,.

I am lucky in a sense because I own an antique shop and some things that need to leave my house can go directly into the shop.  But they must be suitable for an antique shop!

Also I have joined a paper back book swap on line and have gotten rid of a lot of books I have already read.  Of course I get new ones to replace them but at the moment I have mailed off 18 more than I have requested. That must mean something. (LOL)
 I have been cleaning up my studio lately too and have been getting brutal about throwing away stuff that serves no purpose what so ever.  Haven't and probably wont report that here.  That is just just an extra thing.
 But I am looking for places to donate extra craft supplies and fabric.  I will report more on that later too.

So here goes

  15 of 366   Only 345 go.
Check in again next Thursday!!

A New Year's Resolution that almost wasn"t

I always say I will NOT make a New Year's Resolution and this year was no different. BUT somehow, in spite of that apparently I make one I didn't even know about....... DECLUTTERING.
One day a couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted to clean up my work areas in my studio. And for three days I worked on it in between regular things I had to do.

Then on the days my shop is open, I can't be up in my studio so I decided maybe I should be working on area of clutter where I can still see if someone comes into my shop. That meant it had to be downstairs.

And then a couple of days ago I realized I am really decluttering.... and can't seem to stop.

I have taken copious amounts of bags to Salvation Army..... clothes I barely remember owning nevermind wearing. Shredded and Shredded and Shredded business papers no longer needed.
And filled trashbags for the trash man. Taken tons of magazines to the recycling station, and I now actually have a few horizontal spaces in my house that are BARE!!!!! But I still have loads to do.

I can't believe how determined I am. Must be cause I DIDN'T make a resolution. I just started doing it. I imagine I will still be at it for another couple of months since I haven't even befun to consider what is up in the attic, in our spare bedroom and in my shop.

But it FEELS SO GOOD.

They say if you do something often enough it becomes a habit. Hope this is what is happening.