CLUTTERBUSTERS - JUNE

Good Afternoon,

Great work with the squirrel round-up! I hope things were fine with Clair while you were out of the house the other day!

Well...I'm having to re-think what to focus on here that I can/should do physically, I had incident getting yesterday morning, I almost passed out. I don't know if that was from unexpected intense pain trying to get out of the higher bed than I had beensleeping in, jet lag or both. That being said, most of the time I'm fine, just uncomfortable at times or feel nothing. The weird thing is where I had the most pain in ribs to start with is now the lesser, but another area seems to be the greater. But I truly don't think anything is to be done about it but give it time. Then I'm having some muscle compensation stiffness associated with the whole thing in other parts. This too shall pass. Positives...maybe I will focus on filing before my mom comes on Tuesday. Which, I've not told her I fell, my face scabs should be gone by then and hopefully I'll be moving a bit more fluidly.

Creative: I am getting some of the structures and mini landscapes posted in shop. I have one left to go, the "Snowy Church" I had to do more work on these editing down the pallet as I'd submitted these for certificates before I learned how to do that pn the software. THe least amount of colors is best, but yet you need enough to diffrentiate what is going on, a challenge with the brick building for example. So that took some time for each one. But I think they look good! I am dissappointed I can't go full on with the bear action...but it is what it is. I will follow up on that tomorrow. Here's an interesting thing, when I' doing the steps on these they color symbols are randomly assigned for the key for the chart. But when it plunk them on there to show me, I love the way that looks with all the symbols overlaid on the color, it is very fun to look at for some reason. At least for me. Like it's a weird little painting, with symbols on top, which also make pattern and the color etc. Hard to explain. So I'll get that snowy church up by tonight, then continue with the 15 or so bears I have left to edit.

The picture I ordered from edited photography came and it's not good. It's okay, but not good enough if that make sense. I'm glad I tried it though, or else I wouldn't know. The good news is I have a canvas I can try painting over in my own way that already had a nice hanger attached to the back.lol. DH is so sweet. He does support all this nonsense. He says, .."it looks good from far away!" I'm like, "...lol...you are right it does look fine from a distance but it's not fine for where I intended to hang it." Live and learn!

Are you still decorating there? What is the news?

I watched a master class on the airplane entertainment system by Corey Damen Jenkins and his "Ecclectic Exhuberance" approach to design which I quite enjoyed! It touched on a lot of things, and areas, and I felt like, "Oh yeah! I did that!" or like..."Oh yeah, I could do that!" Very fun and educational! It made me feel even more satisified with our foyer and family room and steps taken there.

Home: I had DH put the suitcase on the bed for me before he left I need to empty that and straighten up the MB. I did just clear the Kitchen swept, hand wash, loaded DW, and cleared counters so that is better.

Onward...

Z.

Good Morning,

You really have enjoyed those quads! I'm sorry they need to go, but at least you're on it and they won't be sitting around your place for a few years, not running! Hope the leads on extra help work out! Yes, you're correct on eclectic! Glad you're enjoying your newly decorated spaces.

Creative: Yesterday I did get through all the approved designs that involve buildings and mini landscapes. Someone already favorited the snowy cabin immediately, so that was nice. All are up and ready.

Phoned, then followed up with e-mail to appropriate party at the library of congress about the dropped design from the last certificate of registration, asking if there was a problem or just an error, cordially, professionaly and to the point. We'll see on the reply. THey telephone person said he felt the last grouping was just still in process and that I should continue to wait, not ask about that yet. Why did I get two duplicate certificates for the same thing, I dunno, doesn't matter I guess. So I'll wait.

I have a nother paperwork thing go take care of an dates/calendar for that coffee roasting plant out in the Palouse to look at to see if it's do-able or not in late August and to see if there's even room for me left, they only take small number of vendors.



Today I will be doing laundry, chores, general pick up and put away all over upstairs mainly and some filing. This will keep me moving around a bit, not too stationary, but all lighter types of chores. It would be great to get all the filing done, there's no reason that couldn't happen. I did run couple loads of laundry yesterday and will do more today.

Z.

Good Afternoon,

Whoa on the major pruning accomplishment and lol on the dog digging help your getting! I hope the junk pick up goes smoothly and nothing gets run over in the process this time!

I'm sleeping in big automatic recliner for the time being and I'm able to recline bit further each night. I've also been putting icepacks on intermittently throughout the day to try to cut down on the medication taking, but I will still need to do that as well. I got showered, and did some light chores, cleared some floor area, swept, swiped and dusted. DH will bring some groceries home so we can have an easy dinner here with mom. I did get all the laundry run but none of mine is put away, and it will have to stay that way for bit. Bracing movements, pushing and pulling a lot is not a good idea right now though I'm completely mobile and can move my arms all around.

CB: I did throw away, yes in a garbage bag, a lot of old swim wear from a drawer, it was a good number of things that fell into different categories, "in my dreams that will fit again, worn out, no way, no longer appropriate even if it does fit...lol" so that happened. Now I'll take a break and wait for mom.

Great job staying on top of the yard work!

Creative: I did make some changes to the look of my shop so that it was really all "me" which was a tip I got from the designer master class. So my banner ties to my business card, and I changed a couple of pictures. Also I made FB post to my "real" home page, directing friends to my other page, and hopefully I get a few more followers, shares, there from this and people made aware of my shop and the new needlepoint things. I do this 2-3 time per year on my regular page only. Otherwise I just stick to posting that stuff on my other page so people don't get sick of me.

That's about it, I will take a break now and apply ice.

Z.

Good Morning,

WOw, great list of accomplishments from you for the last few days! Making the calls to deal with complex disposal challenges, yard work, and other!

As I'm bit waylaid physically, this would be a good time to deal with smaller clutter build up going on different areas of manageable items in all areas of the house. I truly think this will be my focus during this time. There are a few more reasons this would be a good idea to happen this month, before the month of July, I will really try. Each day I am a bit better, and though I do need to sit to relax my back from the tensing for compensation that is happening, sitting too much is not ideal either. I will not over do it, but I can do many things. Mom left the morning, we had a great visit.

Decorating: Master Class...I have sort of known maybe the color scheme on pillows we brought from our cabin, though not terrible, don't really go with the new scheme. So I viewed some different fabric pattern pillow covers and found a few things I think will be great and realized I had two pillows from the MB I could bring into the room that were the same accent colors and sizes I was thinking about getting, so I'll be able to play with these in combination with new the covers I ordered and see how it all works together when they arrive. I try to limit this type of activity when my mom is here, because she doesn't like my color scheme and so doesn't care for much of what I show her. I already brought the two pillows in and can see it's going to be better than the exisiting way colors of pillows look and am excited to get the new covers which coincidentally are made by an Etsy seller in my city!

Art/Creative: So I've been thinking about what I'd like to hang on the kitchen pantry wall, it's 48" wide and you view that blank wall from the dining/eating area, it is opposite the windows. I have some ideas, there was an artist I came across because his abstract gladiola still life caught my eye by Paul Klee, Swiss born, German educated,1870 to 1940 something, and I don't love everything, but I do like a lot of it. When in Kauai I saw some art where artist had painted squares of paper, then glued or decopauged them on top of a canvas. Honestly, anyone can do that, and it's cubism or whatever, but also somewhat like a quilt, and a bit textural when applied with layers of paper rather than just painted, and this is something I may mess around with on some canvases I have here in future. Paul Klee had some paintings that were just squares, also, not new/original but can be fun, simple and interesting.

THat's all, I've rebooted the launrdy, will put together a macaroni salad, Hawaiian style, (which means pretty basic actually) that DH wants to eat, I looked up these recipes yesterday and will see about moving forward with some of these chores.

Z.

Good Morning,

Major productivity for you! Hooray! I hear you on the the whole gas, gas can, old gas....ugggghhh....situation. Luckily that is in our past as we have no grass to mow or generator any longer to have that stuff setting around! It's funny, DH and I were just discussing this yesterday. Oh yay! I'm glad you're getting a new machine as you enjoy it so much! Woo hoo!

I am getting incrementally better each day, but certain things/positions are still a challenge so I will continue with my current strange sleeping location which is an automatic recliner, editing.

Creative: I did what I think is a great mountain lion/Cougar design! I have it plain but also I put our college alma mater monogram in a lower corner as an offering as well. THis design I kept as a 4" square, and it does have a large pallet, I tried to shrink it some, but some of that variation is what makes it good, so... Anyway, I had fun working on that and am really pleased with it. Plus again, it offers more complex design for potential buyers to view when visiting shop.

Other: I went to shop that is local in the valley, where I took a fused glass nightlight workshop previously, with my neighbor yesterday. I've been here before, and I did get impression they offer local artist stuff, but guess what I saw? I saw pillows for sale by the Etsy seller who I bought my covers from! So this confirms for me that possibly I could try asking them if they'd like/be willing to offer some of my coasters as a holiday offering in shop? I wonder this, because the cathederal quilt offerings are sort of holiday colors, they each have their own box so professional packaging, cute, offering and a holiday thing! If they feature local artists and maybe just take a % cut, whatever! It would be different than the second hand store situtuation because I'd probably only ask about the coasters, see if interested, and if I could move some of these this way, it might be worth asking about. I fully realize they may not be interested. I think maybe I could take a samples, tied with ribbon, my card and a little letter, speak to the counter person, leave them there for whomever to review, and maybe they can get back to me or I just go retrieve the items later. I'm going to try!

Decorating: Lord.....I realize.....again...I'd forgotton I had a few more lumbar pillows in the garage, in the accent colors I was looking at online! So I brought those in the house and will be able to really mix and match shapes, colors when I get those other covers in. Next week!

Okay, today I really just need to pick up, clean, put laundry away, go the store and get a gift bag for a shower gift.

I do have some ideas for some different fun, card offerings, but I have a lot to work on right now and am behind with where I wanted to be for needlepoint. I did not hear back on my inquiry to the library of congress about the error on the certificate issuance and the dropped design nor do I have a certificate for my last bundle which involves cats/bears still.

That's the news!

Z.

Good Afternoon,

Clair cracks me up, she is so smart! Keep me posted with the reading program as to whether its a go or no. Great work in your outdoor jobs!

Decorating: No, I didn't change color scheme, but putting the modern abstract landscape painting I had framed from the entryway to over the fireplace brought in more vibrant colors. All of our furniture including the ottomon I got the cover for was brown or black, except two orange occasional chairs. Our flooring is dark wood as is mantle and builtins, espresso stain. So then I'd been accessorizing using the blues, lighter blue and orange to off set all the dark brown. The ottoman cover I had the cover made for was dark brown too. The pillows that were on the brown sofa are upholstered ones I'd gotten to go on that sofa for cabin, and I like the fabric but it's very tribal with more green and brown and busy looking. Fireplace tile is slate blue and the area rug is nuetral cream and blue, slate blue. So i got kind of a modern pattern fabric coming with steel gray/blue, flax to try on those kilim tribal pillows I think will look better, and realized I could bring back in the other pillows I had in garage for accents  These things all sort of went together in our previous formal living/dining area in old house and I'd put in garage. So...it's really just a pillow, pillow cover thing I'm messing with to make the brown furniture more interesting and to go better with everything else, artwork, rug, ottomon cover etc. that I started doing in there since last Christmas. Lord...where does the time go!?! This stuff should arrive next week.

I made it to the bridal shower today, that was good, I went with my cousin's girlfriend, there was no drama, editing, actually it was quite lovely event, but glad it's done.

I can't believe it's 5:00 PM already, I'm not sure what else I will get done today. We are going away for two nights for a friends birthday party. We are driving. I will try to be mentally productive in some way during that time.

Vendor Market: After posting yesterday, I visited that market/store website and see they offer "vendor selling days" where vendors set up in their back room, like a craft fair and sell for one day and it's about the same cost as one day at a craft fair would be, plus in winter, it's inside. So I think I'm going to see if I can get in a day in mid November for that if it's not full already. Their website said no new vendors in the store, but that they offer these days throughout the year, so I might try one.

That's all I know. Hope your day has been good!

Z. 

We are driving to Seattle area today for a birthday party and a baseball game on the second night.  The second night is an add on thing and I'm really disinterested in doing all of this and making the trip.  I will get through it.  Maybe I will take crochet and listen to my book.  Obviously nothing will be getting done at home, which maybe it wouldn't be anyway, I'm still not 100%, but I'm not really feeling this adventure either.    But I have a cute card pack idea based on combination of two previous ideas, that I will work on in the car.  It's simple, but cute, more on this later.

Z.

I think it's good for us to have awareness ourselves, as well as share, where our time is going/how being spent. I think one can end up not giving oneself credit for all that is being accomplished as it can become a blur, or we don't get to tell anyone about it! Great work!

Friday:  DD was here for 2 nights, was fine, editing.  I'm feeling pretty good, I'd say I'm 85%, I think there's some things I could be doing now without difficulty, so I will try to do them throughout today and the remainder of the weekend.

Creative:  Two of my patterns were delisted for possible infringement. While not expected, also not surprised, because these were university related.  It's difficult to communicate with the platform to resolve these types of issues.  Better safe than sorry, I'll leave it as it is, I did enjoy making them, I don't care that much.  Tho I did make a direct inquiry to the entity with the issue to see if a license was possible to use and if so how much that costs.  If it's expensive, I'm not doing it.

Pillow Covers:  The pillow covers I ordered, double sided, arrived today, and I love them, well made, colors are great, actually better than I thought, I was worried about one, fit my pillows!  I'm excited!

Hope you are doing well.

Z.