In my defense, I've been sick. And I know, not being able to breathe is no excuse for not blogging! Maybe I should have named this site "the Slacker Blogger;" although I'm sure that name is already taken by some creative soul who has better things to do with their time than blog!
So let me fill you in on all the things I've been doing and not blogging about.
We had our first ever yard sale! Woo Hoo! Business was brisk and we got rid of a bunch of old junk in an effort to make room for new and improved junk. In preparation, I read blogs specifically about how to host a yard sale and in following all of the blogs' advice, I slightly overpriced most things so there was still room for haggling. Surprisingly, few people haggled. If someone didn't like the price I quoted, they simply looked at me like I was crazy and put the item back. The few times I tried to haggle by myself by quoting lower and lower prices, I think I scared the people off. The more desperation I showed, the more determined they were to leave. I would like to say that at least I didn't chase people down the street, but that would be a lie... It was only one guy. And it was just to give him something for free. And it was something he wanted. Really... sigh....
So, there was one happy consequence of having the yard sale, we actually organized and cleaned a corner of our basement, a small part of the garage, and a kitchen cabinet or two. Check out my small and dark basement! In addition to our huge quantities of yarn and liquor, you can actually see cement floor.
It's still a work in progress, but at least I can say now that there's been progress. This year.
So in addition, I think I've finally hit on a stellar storage solution for yarn. Since I like to buy in mass quantities when the sale is right, I've got a lot of different colors, brands, and thicknesses of yarn. What I've been doing is simply organizing it by the size hook indicated on the label.
And, as you all have silently noted as you tsk tsk under your breath, I've been neglecting my shop dreadfully. I've been crocheting and have new things to add, I've just been in no mood to put on makeup and pose for my mom in the back yard as she takes my picture in more hats and scarves. Maybe I could just pile them all on at the same time and make do with a single picture? Sigh...
Also, I've been meaning to share with you all about my efforts to corral my little collection of tools and useful stuff. My little collection is not to be confused with the hubby's Work Tools & Very Important Stuff. You see, not only is his collection much bigger and more expensive (hence the capitalization), but his collection consists of more than just a screwdriver, packing tape, craft wire and a measuring tape. I don't even know what all he has, but I'm sure it's all quite necessary. As is my yarn... yeah....
But back to my little collection. So I did have this start off as the ubiquitous junk drawer in the kitchen. After a few years, I realized I now had 3 junk drawers & a tool box. How did this happen? You may choose to blame the large collection of liquor I mentioned earlier, but I must disagree. It was my penchant for crafting, hanging, framing, straightening, sliding, and any other verb you can think to do with furniture, pictures, decorations, and well-intentioned Martha Stewart ideas.
So I decided to carefully dump everything into a sturdy basket in an awkward little kitchen cupboard. The cupboard is narrow and deep, so I thought it would be perfect for the job. It was then I discovered my basket was actually too heavy for me to lift out of the awkward shaped little cupboard. You can see the nightmare in action below.
So, I had to think of something else. But while I was thinking of something else, a perfectly wonderful idea occurred to me. Rather than simply tossing all of my potato chip bags on top of the fridge in an unsightly heap, why not hide it away in another basket?
Much healthier looking, even though the appearance is deceitful. But now all you see is plenty of fiber, both wicker & cereal. Much better!
And that was when I thought of the "something else" aforementioned. I realized what I need to do is use an over-the-door organizer and put everything in the pockets. I then hung my organizer inside my basement door.
So great! I was so so happy with the result! Somewhere to store my bigger items, i.e. screwdriver, hammer, box cutter, & raver-style glow sticks. And then, just cause I was on a roll that weekend, I had the hubby hang a very manly cubby-tool box on the basement wall. Now I also have a place to organize my unused earthquake straps from my picture-hanging-nails from my batteries of all shapes & sizes. Yahooie!!
Again, so happy!
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