Slackeritis

Sorry for the lack of content the past few…. I don’t know, days? Weeks? Not sure. I have been fighting a losing battle with mountain cedar (which is not a cedar, but a juniper), among other congestive crap. Also, it is January, which means winter, which also means I am huddled around a heat pad like a hedgehog and just as prickly. I’m just not happy unless my skin is roasting, while being protected with SPF 5000, of course.

Anyway, once again my crafting is out of control. I can’t seem to stop making flowers, just as Little One can’t seem to stop taking them. So I make more, and now have a big batch of velvet, felt, and ribbon to put away. It’s colorful, but I can’t seem to convince Hubby that’s it’s also decor.

I have put a moratorium on shopping at thrift stores and craft stores until such time as I know where in the world this Carmen San Diego wannabe will end up this summer. That also means I have to organize my stuff, and begin to store my Lolita glasses. And above all, it means I have to finish every single project I have started.

Every single one!!!!

Mirrors, vases, bottles, wreaths, tables…. the list goes on.

And on.

At least it will keep me busy and keep my mind off everything I will be giving up during Lent 😀

The Odd Collector

Some years ago, maybe 20 or so, I decided to collect lighthouses. But only Harbour Lights® lighthouses. I loved them. There is a certain lonesome romance about a lighthouse. The solitude associated with them is attractive. Anyway, I collected them until they went insane and made several different limited editions and decided that the name was more important than detail. Seriously, there is no way the Canaveral lighthouse is three times taller than the Space Shuttle.

There are some things I still collect. I have a fondness for geology and tend to be an amateur rockhound, so I have a nice collection of museum quality specimens. And of course, I collect Lolita™ glasses. Finally, a collection of useful things!! And they are like Pokemon™: gotta catch ’em all. According to Hubby, I am rising to that challenge.

Those are ordinary collections, though. But the thing is, I am an odd collector, too. I think of an odd collector as someone who only collects one of a certain thing, usually some item destined to be an heirloom or something that has some tie to a cultural reference. For example, while we were stationed in Hawaii, I fell in love with Koa wood. It is very rare and expensive, so there was no way I was going to own a dining table and chair made from it. But I managed to find a vanity hairbrush and comb set with a beautiful burl on the backs. One thing, see? I remember my grandmother had little glass figurine in its satin-covered box. We were never allowed to touch it, even breathe on it. It was Baccarat™. I don’t know what happened to it, but I do remember how the light refracted and made such beautiful rainbows when she showed it to me. A while back blogger friend Mitchell posted a gift for his mother, and years later I feel the need to have this one thing.

A bold, beautiful butterfly. I have a jones for cute insects. And Hubby never has any idea what to get me. He has decided the Lolita thing is off the table, since he has no idea what I own, so this would be a nice one thing to gift me. It may be too late for Christmas, but there is always Valentine’s Day, and I would much prefer this to flowers that die or candy that makes me fat.

So, do y’all have those “one things” too? Or am I an outlier? Again?? 😀

Nothing Screams “Halloween” Like Getting Ready for Christmas

I swore I would never become one of those people. You know who I’m talking about. The people who start their Christmas decor shopping before October arrives. I went to a home decor superstore to get some artificial flowers and was bombarded by a giant air-powered snowglobe designed for the front yard. This was the first week of October. I had to pass twelve aisles to get to the fall stuff.

Twelve out of twenty-four!!

Now, I don’t criticize anyone who starts their Christmas gift shopping early. My mom is usually two years ahead of schedule with it. I usually start around February for the coming Christmas. But I do wait to get any decor until after Thanksgiving. But y’all know me: once an idea gets under my skin, I have to do it. And this year I got the idea to make a winter wreath for my front door. I have already made the flowers to use on the wreath. I made them this week while also making Little One’s costume and mum. Once the hot glue gun is on, I keep going.

The yellow one is an outlier. I had extra felt and made it because I could. Now, some people don’t think that’s a big deal because I am making the wreath, but keep in mind I have yet to make a fall wreath.

Yes, I do feel some shame.

I do have my Halloween wreath, which has been out most of the month, so I have that going for me which is nice. But no fall wreath. So in my mind I have to rectify that by making the fall wreath before I do the winter one, right? Translation: making fall flowers and buying a wreath and more glue sticks and more felt. It’s a sacrifice I am more than willing to make. 😀

How to Handle a Busybody

This is turning into How-To Week, isn’t it?

Yesterday, I took Son to the dentist for his biannual cleaning. Since I usually wait for the kids, I decided to take a book to alter to keep myself occupied and entertained. It’s therapeutic, and makes time pass rather quickly. Now, most people tend to ask what I’m doing out of curiosity, and they are pleased with the way the book turns out. But one lady yesterday was not so happy.

As I sat there folding pages, she came and sat one chair away from me (observing the personal space rule of waiting rooms), and decided to engage me in a debate of sorts.

Lady: You know you are destroying a book, right?

Me: I’m sorry?

Lady: You are destroying a book. You shouldn’t do that. That’s like banning or burning it!

Me: How am I destroying this book?

Lady: Well, you are folding it and now no one can read it.

Me: No one was reading it. This book was being tossed out in the recycling bin by the thrift store because no one wished to purchase a mass market romance paperback from 1974. It was destined to be mulched and re-purposed as kindling as a fake log. I thought it would be far more kind to alter it into a pretty sculpture that one can pull apart and read IF one is curious enough to do so. I have not desecrated the words with fire or with censorship in any way. I’m simply giving this poor book a new chance at life.

Lady: Well, it’s still wrong to treat a book that way.

Me: So you would rather it be burned as a fake log than be someone’s little literary surprise? Who is burning books now?

Lady: You don’t understand…

Me: I understand perfectly well. You see a book as an object with one purpose in life. I see it as something to be treasured in all forms. We can differ in opinion but you can’t force your opinion on me, just as I can’t force my opinion on you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to finish this before my son is done.

Lady: ……………

Me: *goes back to folding*

She eventually moved to the other side of the waiting room. I could feel her disapproving glances as I continued to fold, which made me smile all the more. Perhaps I was a bit mean, but apparently the lady forgot that one should never, ever judge a book by its cover 😉

So Here We Are…

It’s Tuesday, and the entire weekend got away from me.

It’s not that I didn’t even try to write a post. I did. Every time I sat down to write something just came up. First, a friend came in for a weekend visit, then parents surprised us with a weekend visit, then we had to celebrate said visits. It was fun and very hectic, but tiring. Probably because I gave up sugars for Lent.

Anyway, today I get to do something I haven’t done in a long time: stained glass! I enrolled in a class to get my skill level back up to “tolerable”, and will be making a pretty window hanging of a hummingbird and flower.

A word of warning: mine will look NOTHING like that. But that’s the general pattern I will be following. I’m hoping I get to keep this one. Every time I make something new, someone in my family ends up with it. Maybe I’ll have enough time to make more than one. All I know is that it will grace someone’s window next month.

Hopefully mine 😀

Thursday Never List

So I skipped a week. It was THANKSGIVING!! I sincerely hope y’all enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. We had friends and family from near and far come to gather, and I wish I could do this at least once a week. As long as the kids do the dishes, anyway.

Anyway, today is Thursday, and it is time for another Never List™. Sometimes my lists don’t make any sense. Ok, most of the time. And this one is no different. But still, fun to do. Today finds me appreciating my accidental collection of vintage stuff. Some items have a history, and others do not. But all of them have a purpose, which makes them indispensable.

Things You Should Never Throw Away

#5– Tupperware

Seriously, it lasts forever, and it’s very low maintenance. I have yet to stop using pieces I acquired back in 1985.

#4– Mason jars

There is no end to their uses. I started buying old ones because the blue matched my kitchen way back when I first got married. Imagine my shock at the prices for vintage mason jars today. And to think, they hold my thread spools and coffee. Not together though.

#3– Costume jewelry

Because everything old becomes new and more expensive all over again.

#2– Vinyl records

I think we have three moving boxes worth of records, from 78s to 45s and everything in between. And I still listen to them.

#1– Photographs

They always tell a story, even those whose voices have been lost. I even keep the ones I find in old frames I buy from the thrift store. I can’t bear to part with them, even if I have no idea who they are.

So here is your list of nevers for this week. With the possible exception of the turntable which is implied, y’all will notice no technological gizmos made my list. Why? Because they are evul 😉

Motivation, I Have None

Holy moly.

I can’t get motivated to do anything today. I have several projects just a step or two away from being finished and just don’t have the oomph to get them done. I’m not talking just a couple of frames or vases. I have five sculptured books, three vases, five dessert stands, five teacup pincushions, four candleholders, and about ten altered bottles. Admittedly, the bottles are only prepped and I haven’t even begun to alter them, but still. The plan is in my head. I just need the extra push to execute it!

On top of that, school prep days are this week, and next. And so is our visit with the Lemur King family. MY HIGHLIGHT!! Anyway, I need to get stuff done and organized so that they will have enough room for their stuff, and also room enough to relax, and sleep. That’s important. I figure tomorrow I will get the kids involved (read here: crack the whip) and have them help me do stuff like hide everything in a closet or three organize everything neatly. Once Eldest gets back from her vacation, she will help out as well.

All I know is a roast beast will be had sometime next week and I will not have anything to do with its preparation. WHOO HOO!!

In the meantime, have a Sithy!

Remember to always conserve energy 😉

Hat tip: XBradTC!!

Ikea™ is Swedish for “Junk”

But what glorious junk it is!

Ikea™ is one of my favorite stores. I love, love, LOVE that place. It has everything. Unfortunately the nearest one is way north of me, about two hours. Hubby doesn’t much care for it because it isn’t solid-wood-to-pass-down-to-our-great-great-grandchildren quality. He also doesn’t like the hugeness of it. Or the crowds. Or the parking lot. About the only thing he likes about it is the view of the store from his rear-view mirror.

Anyway, I have been asking Hubby to stop there whenever we have a road trip up north, but invariably something happens to impede my wishes, be it by accident or design. Well, not this time! There is an Ikea™ on the west side of Houston and I am going to hit it like a screen door in a hurricane during my visit to my in-laws. And all for a few of these frames:

Why? Because they are perfect for collages, and gifts, and pictures, and all sorts of stuff. I had bought several while in Germany, and kept giving them away. So, it’s time to replenish my stash, and maybe pick up a few lamp kits and shades and perhaps some vases to alter.

Because change is good 😀

Got $20 in My Pocket

Sorry about the earworm. But I just couldn’t resist.

Yesterday I went to the local thrift stores. My mom liked the little cupcake stands I made for my friend’s birthday party, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go check out the treasure troves in search of a candlestick to use, since I have oodles of dessert plates and saucers. In fact, I just found a couple of antique acid-etched saucers in the top shelf of the cabinet. Those I am going to use for another project. Besides, she wants something for serving cheeses as well so I have to use a dessert plate. Whatever makes her happy, right?? I had in mind using a Desert Rose by Franciscan™ dessert plate I bought at the flea market. But I was dissuaded when I went thrifting.

And boy howdy, did I score!

Yes, to many of you that’s just a bunch of junk. But see those pink plates? Those are Majolica from Portugal. And that’s an antique Ball™ blue mason jar. And the cup and saucer is Noritake™. And the little white frame is wrought iron from Italy. If you’re unfamiliar with all the names I just dropped, let me just explain that the plates alone are about $30 each. And out of my $20 bill, I had enough to buy lunch at the local chicken joint. And still have change left over!!

So today I shall be showing my mom her new cheese stand and maybe getting a few orders for more. After all, she has a lot of friends 😀

Irons in the Fire

Holy cow, do I have a lot of crap going on.

Tomorrow we shall enjoy the Independence Day parade, in which Son is taking part. But today, we have to get in gear. Have to clean the rooms, do loads of laundry, get uniforms ready, finish storing stuff in the (nicely organized) garage, trim the Barbados trees, re-do the gravel beds, and clean the cabinets.

Oh, and have a repairman fix the upstairs A/C unit.

Because it’s Texas. In the summer.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Hopefully after all is done, I will have time to finish a few projects I have going on, like the book sculpture, the light fixture (still figuring out how to even out the ornaments), a scrapbook layout for a challenge (almost done) and some DIY cupcake stands for a party (they will be the party favors).

It’s not that I got tired of making stuff. It’s just that I didn’t want to ruin my nails before our trip last weekend. It was moot anyway, seeing as I broke three of them while at the lake. I may not have a lot of vanities, but I want my hands to be somewhat presentable.

Because no one wants to shake hands with dried up gobs of E-6000 😀