Finally Did It Tuesday !

 

Current Mood : Sleepy - remind me that next time Beloved wants to wake up at midnight and work a while that he rarely ever does and that I need to sleep, too. 

 

Finally got a long-delayed task done this afternoon - now I can free a bit of space, and make a cool donation. A year (maybe two ?) ago, I bought the Sears Action Gymnastic Set from a vendor at the flea market. He assured me that only the 'rope and rings thing' seemed to be missing, and I happily bore it off for $5. Once I got it home, I found that, yes, the rope and rings were missing, along with the three posing pieces for the balance beam. And nearly every piece was cracked. If I was lucky, it was cracked but intact, but on several pieces...(sigh)

 

But when I really thought about it, what I really liked was the box. Could care less for the actual set - I loved the Malibu Barbie and the kid playing with her. And the hot pink that was already being used for Barbie, as far back as 1975, the estimated date this came out. And the whole 70s-tastic vibe that came off it. I figured that, if I took photos of the box, I could donate it. Box and all. So that's what I did today. Mostly because I was tired of moving it off the printer !

 

It's all photographed, scanned, and saved. Then, I let it go. Sure, I'd love to have that five bucks back, too, but I got to enjoy it for a while. It got added to the one bag of donations I hadn't closed up yet, so it's already gone bye-bye.

 

Yup, we got to pick up a few grocery items, and I got to spend a few minutes at the Thrift. I'm always tempted by what a few are wearing, but I'm really trying to hold down the doll clothing purchases. I need to create, not buy ! Our Mal-Wart had the new Ken Fashionista, but none of the new girls. Even the new guy was behind a 'blue shirt with black hat' 2009 Ken. I was gonna get the new guy, but his hair is in a faux-hawk permanently. It's not a style, it's cut that way. Can't be restyled. Yikes. Maybe if his hair wasn't so cheesily streaked... but no. It's one or the other with me, at least with the guy dolls. They can have a weird style or a weird color(s), but not both ! So I ended up not buying anything, not even fabric. But I hope to buy my Lab fan next week.

 

Before all that, this morning, Dearest Son and I cleaned up the sadly neglected front yard. It was a mess you could see from the street. He tackled branches, I got trash - a 13gal bagload. That's the drawback to living on top of a hill across from a 7-11 in a windy state. We get trash in our yard that I know nobody here's bought. Now the yard looks much better, and will probably get mowed tomorrow. Feels good to have that done. It's been bothering me.

 

Didn't get near the Lab today, and there's still family drama going on about last weekend, but pffeh. Tired of it. Not gonna hash through it again. If BIL and FIL haven't figured out that Beloved's too busy working for our bills to bust butt on their projects - or that it's time for them to do their own blasted home improvements - or spend our cash on 'em, well, there's not much I can say there, either.

 

Hmm. I think I owe m'self some Lab time tomorrow.

I think I'll go color...

 

Current Mood : Evening out, better. 

Current Image Notes : This is the 50c coloring book I got a couple weeks ago. Still haven't figured out how to do what I want to, but I will ! 

 

(downcast cough) Ahem. Well, I've had some cool-down time, and while things threatened to ratchet right back up again this morning - BIL was upset that Beloved Hubby had to, you know, work at his job for money this week, with little time to work on BIL's garage bedroom - I'm trying very hard to put the whole mess behind me and not get upset all over again. This is more of a challenge than expected.

 

But there's always the time-honored method of 'distract self with something shiny', and it's a bit embarrassing to admit how well and easily that works for me. The freebie letter-a-day machine embroidery alphabet I was collecting ended Saturday, and I was able to get the whole set, even with everything going on. I've also been curious about the design sets that include tassels - yup, tassels made with long stitches of embroidery thread right in the hoop - but I've heard that some machines just don't quite 'get' what they're expected to do. So when I found a freebie sample tassel, I downloaded it. One day, I'll see if Brody understands.

 

And speaking of tassels, I thought this was an adorable way to display Barbie clothes ! http://www.inmyownstyle.com/inmyownstyle/2010/04/howto-make-a-fashionable-tassel.html  Basically, she's made a tassel that acts as a sort of dress form for whatever doll clothes you wanna display, out of beads, cardboard, ribbon, and spray paint. Best part - you don't alter the doll outfit at all.

 

You've probably already seen this on other doll sites, but just in case... Looks like Mattel is starting up a Universal Studios-flavored monster-themed fashion doll line. One of the dolls evidently got put on store shelves too early, and the doll fan who snapped up 'Lagoona Blue' posted about everything you'd want to see and know. There's a website, www.monsterhigh.com, but it asks viewers to come back 03 May. I'm really intrigued, but ya'll know me - I wanna see a doll in the harsh light of retail before I spend our hard-earned... besides, we're broke after this weekend anyway. It's all over here -> http://community.livejournal.com/monster_high/738.html .

 

Beloved didn't get home from work until nearly 7:30 tonight. But it was great timing, since I'd just finished dinner. It was 'experiment night'. I had a box of Mal-Wart chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni, and kinda wanted to make dirty rice - a spicy dish of rice and sausage. So I fried up a half pound of hamburger, a quarter pound of sausage, and sautéed them together in margarine and spices we like. I then added the knockoff Rice-a-Roni to the same pot, cooking it according to the directions on the box. Served it with a side of green beans. There are no leftovers. None. Guess I'll have to add my cheap-o Hamburger Helper to the menu rotation !

 

No time for shopping today - plus, I'm always a bit reluctant to go prowlin' after I watch the taped episode of Hoarders : Buried Alive. And I spent some time arranging stuff to accommodate all the scavenged cleaning supplies and office printables. About half's getting donated. Beloved wanted the tote for tools, and I was able to reclaim our old milk crate from the yard sale - it's now holding Friday's toys and treats on top of his crate. Much better than the box lid I had up there !

 

Tomorrow, I get to go grocery shopping. Kind of a short run, but I can get what we need. Hopefully I'll get to visit the thrift while I'm dropping off donations. Like when Dearest is saving up for something, it's often great to just look.

 

Thanks for putting up with my outbursts this weekend. There's a great deal of wisdom in your words, Michelle - appreciate them ! And welcome, Josh - sorry I've been in such a hateful mood. We'll be OK, this mess is nearly over already, and that's what matters. Time to quit whining and focus on what we have and enjoy, instead of what other folks expect. I hope I get some Lab time, it's been days...

And our trip to Hades gets extended to another day !

 

Current Mood : Sharp and bitter.

 

After all that in just one weekend, my poor Beloved Hubby had to go back to work today. At least it was only six hours in the Shop, but his hands were raw and his back was tired before he began. I tried to make him laugh by remarking that, after digging through all Uncle and BIL's stuff all weekend, I had no real interest in any yard sales or Spring Cleaning junk piles. I even skipped the Flea Market, not that I had any real choice. We were simply too busy, dusk to dawn, to go.

 

But I had some fun today, showing Dearest Son how a Swiffer Wet Jet works, putting a couple bags of new-to-us cleaning supplies and groceries away, and sorting which office supplies would stay, which would get donated to Dearest's former school. I also found a few things that would better serve Friend, so I boxed those up for him -  Beloved dropped those off when he picked up Friend to help.

 

Unfortunately, today was not without drama. It's too tiresome to get into, but it involves a family member who isn't me or Dearest ripping Beloved's then-working MP3 player out of the boombox it was attached to and throwing it on the Shop floor. I've about had it. We devoted all weekend to digging family out of the situation they'd squarely put themselves into. Now we gotta deal with this ? I learned late yesterday that BIL was *not* OK with Friend and me taking Uncle's leftover groceries and cleaning supplies - he thought they were all going with him. I so deeply regretted any miscommunication between BIL and Uncle that I gladly offered to dump the whole perishing mess at his garage door this morning, but he backed off. Probably due to his sense that Beloved couldn't protect him from me, and I was rapidly developing a real mood. Still, it was upsetting to me, and felt really petty all the way around. I felt kinda scavenging to take that stuff in the first place, but to find out that the scraps we did take were debated over... aarrrrgh !

 

Truly, I've already beyond my tolerance limits, I haven't described half of what really went on this weekend, and I am not getting involved in a whine-and-cheeze-fest over who Beloved employs or a half-bottle of dish detergent. And I really pity anyone who tries to bring it to us in the fierce mood I'm in. 

 

Sorry, ya'll. I'm too tired and cheesed to hunt for cheery photos, and I'm firmly in an 'I hate people' mood. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow - since it doesn't involve anyone but Dearest and Beloved. Or, at least, it had better not.

 

I keep debating if I should post this or not, since it's not my usual cheery fare. Heck, I've written six pages in my personal journal, where it's all laid out, and that should be enough for me. And I know full well this thing is visible to any and all of the parties involved. Usually I'd censor since I don't wanna hurt anyone, but right now, I'm simply beyond caring. Our feelings and plans have been trod on for days, and the whole thing has cost us time, money, and truck damage, which nobody seems to care about. Hey, it's not their problem we're broke and the truck's damaged - it was our choice to be there, right ?! While verbal revenge here is not my purpose, it still feels blasted good to have my say where someone besides me might actually read it. It feels amazingly good to not have to care about everyone else's feelings for a little while. 

 

And if anyone wants to debate a single event in here, I say, "Bring it on. I've been tearing through chaff all weekend, and I'll gladly sink my fangs into some meat !".

 

*&^%, I'm in a mood....

Wherein I describe our last 48 hours in Hades...

 

Would it be whining if I moaned how exhausted I am ? 'Cause I am, and I'm still gonna do it. &^%$.

 

Well, here's how the last 48 hours or so have gone. Beloved Hubby came home about 5pm Friday, after a full day of work, and we immediately started unloading his trash trailer. We'd need it to get Uncle and BIL's stuff out of the now-sold house - the new owners offered to let them stay for ten days. If they paid them $2400. via certified check. New owners didn't even pay Uncle with a certified check ! And it'd be Monday before Uncle could access his funds from the sale. So even if Uncle could pay that outrageous sum, he couldn't make the deadline.

 

Nothing for it. So, it was moving day - with a vengeance. We got our 14-ft. trailer and another one ( on loan from our horse-lady) ready to go, which included making a frame of sorts for the borrowed one. Beloved had the good sense to call a family friend to help, and together, Beloved and Friend loaded dozens of boxes onto the trailers. Uncle, BIL, and I were packing as fast as we could.

 

I couldn't believe some of the stuff they decided to pack and keep. Seriously, I was packing empty margarine tubs, flyswatters, and paper clips. Rather than do a serious 'trash everything not vitally important or sentimentally necessary' move, they were doing a 'let's keep every-bloody-thing' one - and we had to be out at midnight ! The new owners would be within their rights to lock us out with the assistance of the Sheriff's Department at the stroke of twelve. Uncle and BIL's computers were not only still not packed at 10pm, they were still running and online !

 

But, as midnight neared, both 14-ft trailers were packed full and tight. The back of Beloved's diesel truck had been loaded and emptied three times, and was stuffed again. And both Uncle and BIL's cars were loaded to capacity. And they were still packing stuff ! Luckily, it was Spring Cleaning weekend for their neighborhood, so they could trash nearly anything they chose not to pack - but they weren't getting rid of much besides what didn't go at the yard sale.

 

But Friend and I scored some pantry stock - spices and canned foods, cleaning supplies, and canister staples. Since Friend is having financial problems too, I made sure he got the bulk of whatever he could use. But I still ended up with several Mal-Wart sacks of refrigerator goodies, cans, a new Swiffer with cleaning pads, boxes of inkjet printer business card stock, photo paper, transparencies, and résumé stationery. It was very generous of Uncle to let us have so much -  although to him, it was otherwise trash - and while BIL isn't moving out of state, he was fine with us taking the leftover groceries. Possibly because he was overwhelmed, and that was one less matter for him to deal with.

 

Friday finally ended at 3:30am, technically Saturday. I was so wiped out, and poor Beloved had worked all day, then come home and had to work even longer ! DFIL was still not well, but he knew we couldn't do much if Dearest Son was with us, so he ended up going to grand-dad's after all. We'd loaded and unloaded the truck six times, parked the two loaded 14-ft trailers where they could be locked up, and let Uncle and BIL crash wherever they chose. We were simply too tired to futz with anything more.

 

At 9am this morning, we were awake and ended up going back to the house. I thought we'd be locked out, but the house was wide open, so, believe it or not, Uncle and BIL now thought it was a great idea to get the last of whatever was still in the house - what they'd abandoned - and load it onto our truck ! This included plants, cabinets, shelves, plant pots in the backyard, ten year old garden hoses... even a planter that weighed over 300 pounds ! Beloved and I couldn't believe it. And yes, the one 'little light load' they asked us to get became two loads, one of which was so heavy, it bent a load spring and the massive planter dug a huge dent into Dearest's tailgate. No apology offered. Just a wince and a shrug. Their cars were also loaded up again, and our garage is so full, we're storing some stuff in our living room.

 

But, amazingly, we got the last of the trash out just as the collection truck showed up, about 2pm. Beloved and I stopped for a late lunch, then dropped the last load off at Granny and Grand-dad's, where BIL is renovating their garage into his apartment. Fairly slowly, because it depends on Beloved having time to do most of the work. Since Beloved rearranged his work schedule for this frantic move mess, he had the rest of today off - which we spent hanging drywall in the garage. Dearest came home with us, and after delivering BIL's bed, it was 10pm. What a day. But there's no reason for us to ever return to the now completely empty house. Alleluia.

 

So. We still have two loaded trailers and a garage fulla stuff. Just temporarily, though. Uncle has an appointment next week, and when that's over, he's going to load his stuff from the trailers and our garage to his rental truck, and move to the next stage of his life. We'll then return the borrowed trailer, consolidate the rest to our trailer, and take it down to BIL for him to unload however he chooses. And then, this crazy, last-minute mess will be over.

 

I'm already trying actively to forget the whole thing happened ! 

 

No time for pretty pictures... you'll find out why soon.

 

Spent on Embroidery Designs and Sets : $1.50

 

So far, I've had a couple of days of nice surprises, but today had a potentially bad one. Remember Uncle, who's moving soon, and just last week, we had the yard sale with ? Well, the house he, BIL, and Beloved Hubby's grandmother (may she rest well with her Beloved) lived in has finally closed. It's been weeks of frustration, misfiled paperwork, nonsensical delays, and other such pains, but that's all in the past. Should be great news - Uncle's had to jump through enough hoops to make it happen.

 

Only problem is, the new owners are giving him less time than expected to move out. He thought he had 'til month's end. Nope. Every day he still has 'personal items' in there, he has to pay a fee - kind of a fine, really. Starting at midnight tonight. BIL thought he had at least two weeks to get his stuff packed and moved, so he hasn't exactly been right on it, to Uncle's chagrin. Now, it's suddenly to-the-wire time, and I have no idea how it's all gonna get done. So, guess what we're doing this weekend, whenever Beloved isn't working ?

 

Actually, Beloved has asked me *not* to help when he's not around. He's afraid I'll overdo it and hurt m'self. And since the situation's pretty desperate, he's probably right. Especially since DFIL is ill, and won't be able to take Dearest Son this weekend - not that I'd want him in the middle of a frantic last-minute move anyway. But I'd want to make up for the urgency and lack of help, somehow. So, I'm not sure what our weekend's gonna be like, Beloved was scheduled to work most of it anyway.

 

With Dearest home and Beloved's time already overbooked, I figured I'd best find a way to amuse m'self at home. Figured I'd go ahead and get that Planet Applique.com  'Star Chef' design I showed ya'll a couple of weeks ago, maybe start work on Dearest's apron and chef's hat. Turned out, I had enough points from other purchases to get it - and two other sets I liked while they're on sale - already, for just a buck-fifty. Since the sale ends in a couple weeks, why not ? So, I have new designs for appliqué and reverse appliqué. For nearly free ! Truth be told, I had no idea she had a points plan until I saw it on my Account page. Whoo-hoo ! Most plans give you a pittance, say, a point for every dollar spent. Nice, but when you need 500 points for a $10. set, you start thinking the plan's just not worth it.

 

And, when the mail with the download links in it appeared in the ole in-box, along with it was a new survey offer from Pinecone - yaaay ! That paid back what I spent, twice over. I've done enough surveys in the last month to pay for my website for this month and next, plus embroidery designs ! Now, if I could just win one of those $500. drawings I'm always entered in...

 

 

Lucky me Thursday !

 

Current Mood : Sleepy, with dishpan hands. 

 

Current Image Notes : Here's the cover from 'Barbie in Japan', so that if you ever see it, you know to grab it ! I swear, the illustrated directions here, in Japanese, are better than some I have in 'plain' English. 

 

I had a run of good news today. A doll gown I've been trying to identify for months has revealed itself to be 2001's  'Magic Jewel' Barbie - turns out, I've had the Ken (from a yard sale) and the park swing playset (from a K-Mart) for years without realizing they were connected. Originally, she came with color change plastic jewelry strips that could be used to decorate her pink and blue gown, or worn as kid bracelets, but the two times I've ended up with the gown, the wrap and bracelets were long gone. Finally, that's solved. Not a biggie, but I'm always glad to finally have stuff like that resolved.

                       

Also, I found that, while digging in the Lab closet, I hadn't donated the doll wig after all ! Years and years ago, I found a pretty dark brunette wig at Hobby Lobby, in the markdown section. While it showed an American Girl-type clone modeling it on the packaging, and I didn't have one then, I bought it anyway. Figured that, for $1.50, I could use it for reroots, and the bag was torn enough to tell that it was good quality doll hair. Turned out, it fit the My Size Barbies quite well. But, since I really hadn't touched it except to move it out of the way, I thought I'd donated it - I know I meant to. But I must've forgotten, because there it was ! Great ! I've been trying to figure out how to buy another for Patti Playpal, once she's restored. The wigs I found were much higher than a buck-fifty. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore !

 

Last night, I updated the website with both new dresses pictured here yesterday and Tuesday, and moved some other stuff around. Only one of the 'Ten Recent Updates' is still dated '2008' ! Now I really need to sew something, so I can get that off there ! :)

 

And I noticed that the red 'leaf' dress on Bopsy is very similar to the one I made for Janet years ago. Janet's pattern came from a book commonly called Barbie in Japan, but I dunno what the real title is, since the whole thing's in Japanese. Anyway, I compared the two patterns - it's no wonder the freebie pattern gaps at the top. The Japanese one is much better designed. Truth be told, I'll probably toss the unidentifiable pattern, since I already have a better one. No sense altering it either - I couldn't give the altered mystery one away knowing it was flawed, and I can't violate the author's rights by distributing the better Japanese one. Ranks, but I'm glad I realized it before I poured hours into altering the other one.

 

I also ran into something else I usually meet head-on in spring - the classic, 'If I can afford to buy it, I could make it myself even cheaper'. Thanks to Dearest Son's Back to the Future car-love, I have some eBay Bucks to spend. Not much, but it'd be nice to have a small discount on something. Problem is, the stuff I can afford to buy, I can make. I can even see how it's made, and I know which of 20+ patterns I could use to replicate it. So I think my Bucks will expire, but that's fine. At least it wasn't much !

 

Finally caught up on the dishes. So tomorrow, I can hop up on the laundry. Never ends, does it ?

So, I think my perfectionistic tendencies are finally fading...

 

Current Mood : Eager to sew some more !

 

Spent a bit of time puttering in the Lab. It felt so good ! Came across the Pak 'Silk Sheath' dress I made a few months ago, from Aileen's Petite Fashions Pattern #43. Never put fasteners in the back because I was debating tossing it, or dressing one of the yard sale dolls in it, but it was forgotten when the time came. Again, I used a print that wasn't quite right for the pattern - a Christmassy holly - for a sleeveless snug sheath. I fully intended for this to be a rough trial effort only, so I didn't care what the fabric print was. Of course, it turned out fairly well, which surprised me. I have somewhat of a terrible track record with APF #135, 'Modern Art'. Since this one had a similar collar, finishing this one well gives me hope that one day, I'll have my 'Modern Art' clone. In a dozen colors !

 

So, with a new episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive on the cable recorder just beggin' to be watched, I grabbed the baggie of snap fasteners, scissors, and a needle and thread, and camped out on the sofa. Not only was I gonna keep the dress, but I was actually gonna sew fasteners on it. You'd be surprised how many 'finished' dresses on the website don't have closures on the back. And Odette, the Swan Lake beauty I'd gotten from the $7. GoodWill bag with a terrible haircut, was gonna model. I'd never shown ya'll what I did to fix her hair. Came out OK, I think.

 

It didn't take long to get that done. I read somewhere that vintage Barbie clothes had snaps sewn on with four 'wrap' stitches around each snap hole, each made up of two threads that matched what was used to make the outfit. Back when I first started sewing - and eschewing Velcro (tm) like a good doll clothes snob - I made the classic blunder of sewing the snap on with so much thread, it couldn't fasten. Thread got in the way ! So now, I do it the way Mattel did. Goss knows their clothes have lasted darn near forever.

 

And now I know why Beloved Hubby chortled at me when I said if hoarders were only organized, no one would know, and they could keep their stuff. One of the two on Sunday night's show - Filling the Void - was both a 'wreck' and an organized hoarder. Some rooms were piled floor to ceiling with stuff thrown any which way, others were carefully organized via see-through bins. Bins stacked floor to ceiling, with apparently several hundred different styles of animal-shaped purse. She drove me nutz. All she could do was complain about how no one understood and everyone needed to give her more patience, but it was all her crap, and she kept buying more ! Her husband is a better person than me - when she just kept carping about how I wasn't respecting her piles of stuff as I moved it to get to the furnace for a repair, I'd have started packing, and stuffed a son under each arm as I headed out the door. I felt sorry for everyone in that house, even the dog. Everyone but her.

 

I also wonder how these folks afford it all. There's no way I could fetch home a chicken-bag every few days, especially one that was 'only' thirty bucks. I know - probably better than most folk - that you can hoard and clutter without spending a dime, or one $5. 'find' at a time, but between the piles of stuff that never gets used, losing most of your living space to the point of having to find new lodging, paying for storage, and still having a shopping addiction... I just don't know how they can afford it. There are often good things that come with limited funds that you're not even aware of... I can't imagine how packed my closet would be if I wore a frequently-discounted size !

 

However, I am letting go of one of my limitations. Long time ago, I said to m'self that, once a design was in Brody's memory, I was gonna embroider it. Because otherwise, it'd just stay there until I did. Kinda silly of me to do that to m'self. A couple of the designs on Brody right now were there for Dearest - and he's either outgrown or moved on from being interested in them. So now, I can erase designs off Brody whenever I need the space to create something else. Not gonna hold m'self back anymore.

I actually got my big ole butt in the Lab for something besides cleaning !

 

Current Mood : Happy with me !

 

I actually sewed today ! Yes, the pretty little dress on Bopsy. It's very simple, took less than an hour to cut out and sew, and came from a free pattern I found online. Unfortunately, I printed it out once, didn't save it to my computer, and when that hard drive went belly-up, it took the bookmarks I had with it. Including that one. I had to make it a drawstring neck, because the collar piece I also printed and cut out vanished. I spent several hours this afternoon trying to find it again, but no luck.

 

Really, it's just as well. I need to make several changes - that 1/8-inch hem and seam allowance is a pain ! It was nice to learn I could still do it, but I don't like to. That kind of fussiness isn't very fun. The finished dress fits the classic and TNT bodies well, but Bopsy's smaller body makes the top pucker a bit. Oh, well. It still looks cute on her, and I sewed ! It felt good to futz with tiny darts and little hems, and have something neat to show for it, made from a small square found in the Scraps shelf. Even if it's a very Summery dress made with a very Fall-print fabric. (grin) I always do that. The black ribbon was also on the cart, hanging out on the ribbon dowels. It's kind of funny that nearly all the spooled ribbon I own fit on the cart dispenser - but the loose kind, I barely have space to store any more, there's so much of it !

 

I really, really love that cart. It made after-sewing cleanup so easy that I actually did it ! For once, the Lab was cleaner at the end of a project than at the beginning. I still have a box of Barbie props to store, but otherwise, the Lab only needs a bit of a vacuuming and it's squeaky-clean !

 

This weekend, I hope to start on the chair cover. Main reason that's so up in my head is because the blanket I use to keep either me or the cat from damaging it keeps slipping. Every time I get up and sit back down, I have to adjust it. Originally, I was just gonna make a slip-on cover for the top of the chair, but after looking around, I've decided to try a full-out custom slipcover. I'll probably make a small cushion to go between cover and chair, but that'll be it.

 

Other than that, it was a busy enough day. Got an hour's worth of dishes done, and did some general tidy work. Still trying to re-establish a balance between Dearest Son's schoolwork, housework, and 'me' time, but it's not very easy. I hope to figure it out eventually !

Glad the 'Monday Shuffle' worked !

 

Current Mood : A bit paranoid...

 

Didn't get to sew today, but that's fairly routine for a Monday. I usually spend today picking up from whatever we did - or didn't do - all weekend. The usual task of the day is restoring the living room to something we can live in, which can take two hours even with Dearest Son helping. Much as I love our dog Friday, his inability to pick up the stuffing from the doggie toy he destroyed, or put the trash he pulled out of the can back in is a constant source of frustration.

 

With the dining room chairs gone, Beloved Hubby was once again without a nightstand. So I cast around for another replacement, and found the large plastic storage tub I formerly used for Barbie furniture storage. I had two, but got rid of enough pieces to only need one. It was mostly empty, filling space under the TV, so Friday wouldn't get back there and chew wires or worse as a puppy. It was tall enough to work for Beloved, and I could either use the lid or just flip it and use the bottom as a surface. He was kind of amused at this latest effort.

 

That left the space open again. But I also needed a better place to store our TV trays. Yup. They fit well in the space under the TV, and I could even fit in Dearest's "Goin' to Gramma's" backpack beside them. Neat ! I could push the backpack aside for the Wii unit when needed.

 

Speaking of the Wii, I shifted a few of the board games around, and now had a space for the Thomas the Tank Engine case we use to transport it. The soft-side case was only $5. at a yard sale, and is just perfect for the Wii. I'd bought it when Dearest's interest in Thomas was waning, but the case was simply too good a deal to not buy. He still doesn't much care for it, but is OK with packing the Wii in there. Long as I don't expect him to want trains these days. Lately, it's all about the Bakugons...

 

And I did a few dishes. The three of us can use up twelve clean bowls in two days. Kitchen's still kind of a mess since the microwave and appliance shift earlier this month, and I gotta get on that. Funny how a couple days of yard sale and fun with Beloved has put me so far behind.

 

I got a little Lab time. Doll clothes are put away, and donations are packed up in various Mal-Wart style sacks. I'm cheep. Unless there's a ton of it, I always recycle free bags for donations. Pulled a length of pink out of the pile, to use as muslin for that chair cover project. Or make some clothes for me, either way. I wasn't sure what to do with the plastic grid 'crate' that used to hold fabric - it's all in the cart now ! - but as it turns out, the pieces to Patti Playpal fit in there just right. I gotta get on that project soon, as her dismembered body is starting to bug me, too.

 

There's still a box of props to put away, and that keeps getting put off. Heck, just this weekend, I finally deboxed the Kitchen Littles pots and pans set I bought months ago. Mostly because that box was about three times larger than the contents, and it was in the way. I really should have gone back in there after dinner and finished up, but this article led me to read several others, and there went the night.

 

Ya'll may have noticed I don't really play video games. Aside from a few rounds of pinball on the Wii or a quick game of Suburban Cat Herder online, I just don't have the time or even the interest. Plus, I got to see up-close what an addiction to a game like EverQuest can do, so I simply don't go there. I don't have time to do what I want to - how would I have hours to spend with digital elves ? Not to mention the $15./month fees.

 

But after reading this article -> http://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html  <- there's no way I ever will. Skinner boxes and being pushed into repetitive actions that aren't even fun for a negligible reward while ignoring Life frankly scares me. It's a fascinating article, even with the sensational title and the fact that it's from former Mad rip-off Cracked. Several other articles are referenced within, all of them pretty darn scary from a psychological standpoint.

 

Well. I'm gonna have fun getting to sleep tonight ! Especially since BIL is trying to get Beloved back into EverCrack...

A day spent sorting what ya got is better than a day buying more !

 

Current Mood : Possibly catching a cold...(atchhooo !)

 

Another early morning - but I was home, instead of in a garage ! DFIL ended up not going to the AirSoft games, so I had two free hours between Beloved Hubby leaving and Dearest Son arriving. I seriously considered going back to bed, but instead, I puttered. Hung up a few stars in the kitchen that had been outside my Lab door, opened Molly-car's trunk and retrieved the (mostly useless) gate I snagged from Uncle's garage, and took care of a few little jobs I'd been meaning to get done eventually. The star basket I used to have hanging up is now holding flea treatments that kept falling off the top of the fridge, and it kinda looks nice up there. I still have one star basket to do something-or-other with, but all the rest are either donated, sold, or repurposed.

 

I snagged the gate from the garage Thursday, hoping to use it to block Friday from my Lab, and still leave the door open. Unfortunately it's really old, and the tension rod probably gave out five years ago - all I can do is prop it against the doorframe. But it is a bit easier to negotiate around than the milk crates I was using. What I'd really like is the top-of-the-stairs swinging gate we had when Dearest was a baby. Not even sure if they still make them. I'll see what the local stores have. It doesn't have to be heavy-duty, it just has to keep Friday out. A plank of wood tall enough would work. Hmmm...

 

Anyway, I spent a good part of the Lab morning and early afternoon filling up my new rolling cabinet ! I really like it. I shoved all the fabric scraps in the bottom drawer, and the shoebox of fabric with the new pieces in the middle one. The top one is a junk drawer - with bits and pieces of doll clothes needing repair, tutorial printouts, random notions, you name it. The damaged doll clothes were in a small Lucite makeup case, but that's empty now, and I'll probably donate it. Decided to go ahead and ditch a few doll clothes while I was at it. So, a bit more space ! And some stuff to donate. I swear, I could have a yard sale every time I get into a cleaning mood.

 

I think I know what's going on with my sudden drive for organization again. Heck, I watch two 'Hoarders' shows - that's bound to affect how I see my piles of stuff. Beloved was surprised I wanted a storage cabinet, but part of me honestly believes that the main difference between hoarders and collectors is storage organization. Most hoarders, if they organized their stashes, could easily pass for collectors, have the stuff they love, and have living space. Long as they take out the trash ! I know I hoard - dolls, fabric, books, and other silly things - but if I can keep it organized and picked up, it doesn't look like a hoard. Even though we all know it is.

 

Beloved brought home lunch, and fixed the old gate - turned out that it worked, I just didn't know how. It screws out to fit the doorframe, and back to allow passage. I can deal with that. I enjoy not having to spend money and finding something that'll work as a garage freebie. And Beloved's happy too, since he doesn't have to custom-make me a half-door ! Even DC is OK with it, since he can easily jump the gate to escape Friday. I was worried the gate was a bit high, but DC's a cat, he can jump over anything. The milk crates were probably more of a challenge to him than the gate is.

 

Once the new cart was loaded with stuff - including most of the upper cubbies - I figured it was high time to clean out my pattern cabinet. I've been shoving stuff in there any ole way, and one shelf was nothing but unsorted pattern pieces. I grabbed Beloved's old business cards and went back in. Those cards come in handy, long as there's nothing written on the back. They're just the right size for the contents pockets on the new cabinet's drawers, and I've used 'em before to label the pattern cabinet. I figured this clean-out would shuffle many drawer contents, so I could use more business cards to update the labels. Then store any leftovers in a cart cubby.

 

Two hours later, I had a bag of trash, a few more donations, and a well-labelled pattern cabinet and cart ! All the pattern pieces were filed correctly, a buncha stuff I'd held on to for no other reason than it was mine was gone, and I freed up a whole drawer for other stuff. Now, when I'm watching a design stitch out, I can flip through a magazine, since there's space for them now. I can find all the doll hair care items, and my little 'office supply' drawer is nice and tidy. I probably still have about 50 old business cards, but I'm sure they'll be used eventually. Beloved couldn't believe I still had them - or how I used 'em !

 

There's not a lot left to clean in the Lab - there's doll clothes to put away, and I have to bag up donations and put a milk crate fulla stuff elsewhere in the house. But after that, the Lab's ready for business ! I hope to get to the doll clothes tonight. Found out the Disney Princess plastic placemat I got at Dollar Tree last week is the exact same size as my rotary cutting mat, so I may use it as a cheery cover. The cutting surface is a bit tidier now, since the tools I had on it are now in the cart. Should be easier to cut fabric out now.

 

And after all this cleaning, I really *really* wanna sew something !