Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Shedding Stuff

Hello!

One of my favorite past time hobbies is shedding stuff! It took me a long time to get to this point. But it is so rewarding! Oh ya, and one of my favorite shows right now is Clean House on my Netflix. I don't entirely agree with the show, but it has definitely challenged me. Piling things I don't need in a give away box, and on a weekly basis dropping it off to charity. Well now it is getting tuff once again. I have rid most  of what I don't use(deciphering if that's true). Good news is I don't miss anything I dropped off. Bad news is, our 745 sq ft bungalow is still crowded. Tendency of piling things is an every day occurrence still, and I don't have any place to store it. Oh ya... And Christmas is coming. Ahhhh!

I have developed three rules in my brain.
1. No piling
2. No shifting
3. No avoiding

I break these rules on a daily basis but they really make me think about how I spend my day, how frequently I use things, and how I value them. I pile things to clear a space to work and use it as a quick solution before guests come. When I need a different space I shift the pile. And avoiding, there are things I don't want to figure out if I giveaway or keep, find a place to put them, or simply take the time to put it away.

A good majority of the day requires cleaning. Now much makes sense since I have two children the age of two and under. And piling before guests come isn't entirely avoidable, but I get the sense that when I shed stuff I create for myself a less stressful and more functional  and efficient environment. So far I have had two people tell me, "don't go too crazy."  I hope I'm not. But it does concern me. But at the same time, the space that we have is what we have. And I know we will be cramped  until we do have a bigger place. (my sewing studio, office and living room are all in the same room for example) One website I cling too is Apartment Therapy.com and there post Top 10 Organizing tips.

My hope is to hone down my personal belongings to a point where I become more focused to the things that are important in my life and grow in such areas. Its kind of like picking and choosing a career. Now, this may not be permanent, but it allows you to devote your time and energy towards a few good things instead of being so far stretched you can hardly give one task an hour of your time.

"One path is greater than a million choices" oofta thats hard to live by.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Saterday Browsing

Ok, I LOVE Etsy. I'm always shopping on Etsy. Selling on Etsy. And talking about Etsy. And now, I'm sharing what I find on Etsy. Here are a few things I dream about for my kitchen during the holiday season. Enjoy!
1. Melted Snowman 2. Holiday Decor Red Chalkboard 3. Holiday Tea Towel Snowflake 4. Christmas Apron 1950s Retro  5. Homemade Holiday Cookies Baking Tags 6. Vintage Silverware Garden Marker


Handsome Felt Snowman Ornament



Here is one of two little ornaments I made playing with felt for the first time. A medium I have avoided for over a year. Why? Because there are soooo many cool things you can do with felt! And I personally just had too many other projects my time was promised to. But anyhoo! I sat myself down and made two little ornaments for my family tree. My hopes are to make enough ornaments that we’ll have a handmade ornament tree. Phew! One down, more to go!


Here is a free handsome snowman pattern. It was fun learning how to fuse felt pieces with appliqué material. Let me know if you have any questions!



Supplies Needed:
5-6  felt colors
Light iron on appliqué
Scissors
Permanent marker
Ribbon

1.       Cut out paper pattern pieces
2.       Select felt colors for perspective pieces, cut out relative size to pattern piece and fuse to light appliqué material.
3.       Pin paper pattern to fused felt and cut out shapes.
4.       Layer and iron felt pieces in noted order. 1>snowman body on to background 2>Scarf, and carrot on snowman body
5.       Apply a thin cut piece of appliquéd felt to hat for décor if you wish, then iron hat onto snowman body’s head.
6.       Spray snowman ornament or steam iron and rub with iron to get felted blend look.
7.       With permanent marker dot eyes.
8.       Carefully snip or poke a small hole and thread ribbon though for hanging ornament.

Please Note: This pattern is for personal use only.