I'm Lovin' My Nice Clean Craft Room!

I finished cleaning my craft room last week and I LOVE it! It is so organized and so clean. I still have a few more things to do, but I have to wait to get some $$ to buy a few more things.


I sat a small coffee table and 3 little chairs up next to my desk for Jace. The first day I put the table in I went in the craft room and all 3 of the kids were sitting at the table doing homework. It was so cute! The kids are enjoying having a space to come in and play or just talk to me while I'm crafting. Good Idea Mom!

Now I'm working on cleaning the living room and dining room before Easter. With a messy craft room a ton of craft stuff managed to spill into the other rooms.

and then the window that I can sit and look out while I'm sewing and crafting. I had an old crocheted piece that I put up for a valance and then the shelf has some of my vintage sewing supplies and threads, things I received in swaps and gifts from my kids.

Three small dressers and a plastic cabinet hold tons of organized craft supplies. Unfortunately I had to block one window, but this will hopefully only be temporary.

My back door that leads to the back porch that I can actually get to and will be able to open this summer and this weekend!!! Yay! It's finally suppose to be nice here in NY this weekend!

These are some of the built in shelves that I'm trying to get organized. I'm recycling lots of jars and filling them with craft supplies and I have a place for my craft books and magazines (except for the ones still in the basement....Sssshhhh!)

All my photo's, fabric, paper, shipping supplies, and other things on the back shelf. It looks cluttered and my photo's definitely still need a lot of organization, but there is a spot for everything and I know where things are now.

It's still cluttered, but it's clean and organized and I'm really enjoying my craft room!

Day 4 of Cleaning My Craft Room

I think that my blogger friend Angel said it best, "Are you at the point where you wish you hadn't started????" Oh yes, yes, yes, I was to that point on Monday night. I was almost in tears. I was physically and mentally exhausted. I could envision my sibling standing there shaking their heads saying "OMG! OMG Sherry! Why do you have so much junk? Oh Sherry!" I seem to be the only one out of the six of us that is a hoarder. All of my siblings (I've never been to my little brothers house, but I'm assuming he is not like me!) houses are neat, clean and very uncluttered. Mine on the other hand....is well, probably a fire hazard.

I am trying though. I kid you not I have spent at least 10 hours a day in there cleaning and sorting. I have thrown away 4 big trash bags filled with stuff and I do feel better about it today though. Right now I can actually open the door that leads to the back porch and everything is almost in it's proper place. I need to buy some pant hangers to empty another bin. I'm going to put all of my ribbons in gallon size baggies and then hang them from pant hangers in a little space that I have.

I am sorting through fabric today and I have so much, but not enough, if you know what I mean. Right now the room looks pretty good and I really don't want to put all of the fabric and yarn bins in there. I have about 5 with fabric and 2 with yarn. The big bins. Crap! I'm really trying. Earl said if I cleaned and organized the stuff in the basement I could put a couple of bins down there. Honestly, I think this is his way of getting me to clean the basement, but that's okay, it needs to get done too! Okay, I'm off to sort through fabric and hopefully finish up in the craft room today. I really need to because the rest of the house is a mess now!

Yes, I Admit It....I Am a Craft Hoarder

I worked for several hours last night in my craft room moving things around, sorting thousand of tiny buttons, beads, pins, etc......into their proper jar or drawer. I spent hours moving furniture around trying to find a way that I could get the most room out of my space. I worked until I was literally physically exhausted. I woke up stiff and sore this morning from my day of cleaning my craft room. I am sad to say that I am only about 1/3 of the way done.

Here are a few things that I have learned from cleaning up so far.

1. There is a thing that someone invented....I think it is called a trash can....I think I need to invest in one. Those little threads that you clip when you sew are a pain in the @#! to clean up when you throw them on the floor.
2. Yarn that is just "tossed" over into a pile somehow manages to get tangled up in everything else that is just tossed in the pile and those little threads from #1 seem to end up tangled up in the yarn and everything else for some reason.
3. I am a hoarder. I am having the hardest time throwing things away, even stupid little things. I would make one of those hoarders on the tv shows look like a clean freak....but, I'm working on it.

I'm working away again today cleaning and actually throwing some things away. I found a couple of trash bags right in the middle of a pile. I think God must of stuck them there for me to find as if he was telling me something. So for now I'm off to clean and try to make a little more progress today. I have to hurry and get done because I'm getting all kinds of ideas of things I want to make from the things I'm finding while cleaning!

Hey, There is a Hard Wood Floor in My Craft Room! Who Knew?

Yes, I am attempting to clean my craft room. Earl literally had to leave when he saw how many tubs I started pulling out and putting in the living room. I must admit I have a lot of stuff...but, most of it is good stuff! Really....it is! Have I conviced you yet??

1. I have all of our photo's (and with 8 kids, believe me, there are a lot of photo's!) and of course photo albums
2. Sewing stuff (my sewing machine, fabric, threads, fabric, patterns, fabric, old jeans that I am going to recycle, etc...)
3. Paper goods (glue's, tapes, cutters, paper, scrapbook supplies, stickers etc....)
4. Yarn (Red Heart Yarns, Caron Yarns, Eyelash Yarns, Baby Yarns, Cotton Yarns, Crochet Threads, just for fun yarns, etc....)
5. Brads, buttons, hooks, charms, etc....
6. Jars of Halloween, Valentines and other holiday themed items
7. Feathers, craft sticks, googley eyes, etc....
8. Paints (Tempra paints, acrylic paints, spray paints, etc...)
9. Wooden stuff (birdhouses, frames, shapes, etc...)
10. Craft books and magazines and things I printed from the Internet.
11. Pretty Things that I received in swaps and that are "just for Me"
12. My ironing board

and so on and so on......................

Okay, so I am taking the plunge

I am going to make some progress today so that I can enjoy my craft room.

Wish me luck!!!

and call for the rescue team if I don't post an update tomorrow!!!

Yes, I am a Mean Mom

Yes,

after this morning

I'm sure this is what I must look like

to Ezie and especially Mallory.

This is how our morning went.

1. Ezie, who "knows" fashion decided that he should tell Mallory that her green skirt and green shirt that she was wearing "did not" match. Ezie decided to tell Mallory this several times, because "you know, I'm just saying, her greens don't match." I told him I know, but to please be quiet. Yes, I asked him quit harrassing his sister first thing in the morning and yes, I'm so mean. I know her greens didn't match, but it's St. Patrick's day and her friend's Aunt bought her the outfit to wear especially for today. "OMG MOM! How can you let her go to school like that???"
2. I don't usually care how the kids wear their hair, but Mallory is letting her bangs grow out and she insists on wearing them plastered to the side of her head or down in her face. I WANT them out of her face (I know Mom, I was the same way, but this different!) she will put her hair in a ponytail, but the bangs still hang down around her cheeks. I really want her to have a little bit of regular bangs because I think she looks really cute with bangs, but I will settle for pulling the long bangs back. I know, I know.....I'm so mean, OMG Mom!
3. I wanted Mallory to wear black leggings under her skirt today. I am upset because I bought Mallory 3-4 pairs of black leggings to wear under her skirts and dresses and now she only has 1 pair here. When she goes to her friends houses and ends up getting dirty or spending the night she will borrow an outfit. I wash the borrowed clothes immediately and send them back. So where are Mallory's leggings? She always brings her clothes home. Why do I have to blame her for loosing her leggings??? OMG Mom!
4. Then to top off the morning I was really mean and MADE the kids wear a sweat jacket to school today. It's going to get to 53 degrees today mom!! Okay, BUT it's on 29 degrees right now!!! I let Ezie wear shorts to school and Mallory ended up taking Ezie's advice and not wearing two different colors of green so she choose a pair of Capri's instead. Whatever, your dressed and the bus will be here in 5 minutes. So shorts and Capri's it is, BUT you have to wear a jacket! Then a final OMG Mom! (with the eyes rolling at me)!!!
5. Now as I'm typing this Jace is thinking that I may be a mean mom. He wants to take a bath, RIGHT NOW! He also wants to watch a show on tv, RIGHT NOW.....so what that the show isn't on RIGHT NOW and I don't have recorded. OMG MOM!

What can I say?????

I am the meanest mom ever

and

I don't see anything to make me

think it is going to change in the near future!

Sorry guys!!

Sewing, Crocheting and Reading

I have just been busy sewing, crocheting, cleaning and reading lately. Just being in my own little world. I haven't read a book in about 4 years and so with my sister Cathy encouragement I started reading again. I read the book "Plain Jayne" several weeks ago and I just finished "A Million Little Pieces" this morning. I really enjoyed both books and I was kind of sad when I finished them. I have another book though that I'm going to start reading today though. The truck broke down and hopefully Earl will be able to get it fixed soon so I can get another book from the library this weekend. I've finished up several projects in the last month too. I made a black hat for my sister, hot pads, dish cloths, fairies, toadstools, carrots and odds and ends of other things. I've been trying to sort through junk and get rid of some stuff and just trying to keep on the daily household chores (which is hard for me...my mind drifts in to many other directions), but I'm trying. Anyway, here are a few pictures of some of the things I've finished up lately.

I made 2 of these packages up for my OWOH giveaways.

I crocheted around these flannel receiving blankets that I had bought for my niece Emily. I think the brown edging really sets them and I can't wait to see her and Andrew's new little boy in them. He is due in a few weeks and everyone is so excited!

My OWOH Package

I received this wonderful package the other day from Lynn. I won her OWOH giveaway and what a generous package. She sent a pink cell phone case, an Avon Pink Waterbottle that came with a little pink metal hook, a little basket and wall hanging, car scents, a scented heart, a tart type warmer and yummy smelling tarts, magnetic bookmarks, a pretty purple keychain and a wonderful counted cross stitch kit with a carousel horse.

Thank you so much Lynn for your generousity!!! I really like everything that you sent and will put it all to good use.

DIY Haircut

I am so tired of the winter and cold weather. I am getting kinda depressed and really want spring to come and I miss my family so much since I left Kansas. I had so much fun there and it was really nice to have "real people" to interact with. Now I'm back home and in my own little world and by myself for most of the day. My hair has been driving me crazy and I don't have a car to go get a haircut so this morning before I got in the shower I decided to do something about it. No, I didnt pull a Brittany, but I did take some off.

see my straggly ends????



I got Earl's razor thingy out and cut off 4-6 inch pieces of hair.

Surprisingly it doesn't look to bad and it feels SO much better!

I still need to go and get a "Real" haircut and get the bottom layered up nice,

but for now

I feel so much better and so does my hair!!!