Celtic Cross & Bedroom Finale!

Saturday my ex finished the Celtic Cross and I finished the last corner of my bedroom! Didn't the cross come out lovely? I have a feeling we will soon be making one to hang in the shop. I need to make angels, small panels and other colorful goodies.

I now need to put the finishing touches on my room. I still have two large storage totes and a box to go through sort and take care of. I also have a box of Barbie stuff to put away until I find a home for it and a bag of activity stuff to donate to the pediatrics's wing at my local hospital. I still plan for more sorting and reducing of stuff later. I have a few chores that need to be done first, namely cleaning the laundry room and defrosting the freezer. Our beef will be ready for pick up by the end of the week.

Today (Sunday) we, my ex, my son, the dogs and I went to my aunt's house and helped her make jam. It was neat to go help and learn how to make jam. I've never made jam before and neither had my ex. We received the teaching and guidance of jam making combined from the lives of three women spanning two generations. I was also privileged to be the third generation to use the favorite wooden spoon and ladle favored first by my grandmother and then my aunt and now me. The spoon has been worn smooth at an angle from decades of being used by right handed women stirring pots with it. The ladle is shaped like a fat teardrop with the handle on one side so as you tip the ladle the contents spill out the pointed end. This end is perfect for pouring the jelly mixture into the small mouths of the jelly jars. And to learn the tips that my aunt, mother and grandmother have tested out over the decades in pursuit of safer, simpler canning techniques.

Bedroom Clean-Up & Rearranging II

This is the mess that I confronted this morning. My plans for the day were to carve another corner of cleanliness and organization out of this chaotic mess. (picture one, upper left corner)

The first step was to move everything to the right hand side of the room to the right hand side of the picture and vacuum. Step two was the cleaning of the TV, VCR, DVD player, cable box, converter and the hope chest they sit upon. Step three was bringing the TV, accoutrement's and the hope chest forward to the middle of the room, right up to the edge of the area rug. Step four was the cleaning of the ledge on the stairway wall and vacuuming some more. Step five was the moving of the storage carts and tubs of fabric into the newly cleaned area.

The last two pictures (upper right corner and lower left corner) shows the other end of my room on the same side as yesterday. The picture is taken from in front of the window. The middle one shows that section of my room in it's new found glory of cleanliness. The last picture is a close up of how this corner is a organized storage slash work area for my sewing and crafting goodies. The paper bag is for the books I've read and am planning on trading in.

I spent the evening watching NCIS while sorting jewelry supplies. I organized a bunch of findings and beads. I emptied four plastic storage boxes! I am talking about THREE cases of 48 of little plastic boxes per case plus one other storage box.

I've come up with some goals for the next few weeks when it comes to my room. If I don't I won't get this room finished and organized.

Goal #1~~~I have way to much fabric and I plan to whittle my six large plastic tubs down to five. (Four would really be amazing! And better.)

Goal #2~~~I still have a bunch of boxes, plastic bins, tubs and crates full of junk that needs to be gone through, sorted and put away. I will do one container a day until it is all put away, given away or tossed.

Goal #3~~~I need to get another bookcase and get all the books I pulled out and stacked up so I could move it to another corner and use it for my beads and stuff.

Goal #4~~~To straighten up my room before I go to bed at night.

Of course I still need to clean out the last corner in my room, dust and vacuum the shelves on the window wall and of course get that closet cleaned up. If I work on it 20-30 minutes a day it will be done in no time at all!

So far this arrangement is very comfortable and relaxing!!!

Bedroom Clean-Up & Rearranging I

Ever since I moved into this upstairs bedroom in the fall of 2006, I have been trying to "fit" into it. This re-arrangement will be the third try since I moved in. Sometime you just have to try something, live with it for a while and try again. As you can tell by the pictures my bedroom is an attic type room. The walls are only 38 inches tall. The side of the room shown is twenty feet long and twelve feet wide.

The first picture I have taken from the foot of the stairs, (The books in the lower right corner are on top of the protective stairway wall.) angled to the right hand corner of the room. My bed is to the left of the window. At the foot of my bed is my chair and work area. As you can see this layout is NOT working for me. I never was able to get the finishing touch on my bedroom and closet. Since I can't live with this clutter it is time to try a new floor plan.

I drew this arrangement up a week before my horseback riding
mishap. I've been eagerly awaiting the chance to have at it since then.

In the second picture I show you that same corner again. My workbench is along the far right hand wall along with two storage drawer carts with my jewelry supplies. The bookcase now holds most of my beads, my wire wrapping and bead work books too. My rotary tool will be hung off the side of the bookcase. My tools are on the bench and my ex hung the small shelf on the wall for me.

The third and final picture show my chair now in place and blocking the view of the bookcase. My chair swivels so I can easily get to whatever I need from the bookcase behind it. The coffee table is back under the window and now has room for my radio. I absolutely love having the desk lamp on the coffee table. It lights up the room beautifully now! This picture also shows my bed and I caught somebody already sleeping!