Yay for me!

I know I already posted today, but I had to post again because I'm proud of me!  I've been purging and sorting and organizing and I now have space in my paper storage!

I've purged ANOTHER 5 inch stack of patterened paper.  Can you believe that?!!  That is a LOT of paper, I gotta tell you.  I think the box I put it in weighs about 20lbs!  LOL, I've lost 20lbs in one day!!!

Here is a picture of HALF of it. (Don't worry, not purging my mist, just put it there for comparison sake) My daugther took the other half after sorting through and picked out what she wanted to keep.

Then, I went into my 'a little something' drawer which was filled with journaling spots and floral die cuts and butterflies and doo-dads and organized that.  Now I have a draw with only journaling spots and one with others pretty things to be added to page with a baggie for word art in that drawer.  No more pawing through and not being able to find what I need.  Yay!

Hmmm, what's next?!

A Few Goals

I've been cleaning and purging and rearranging and stuff.  It's a BIG job.

B.I.G.

As a result, I'm finding myself telling me a lot of things about myself that I think I should be doing. (did that make sense???)

So I thought perhaps a list of goals would be a good idea.  If I put it on my blog, I shouldn't lose it right?

1. learn to be much more selective when choosing books to bring into my home (i.e. don't bring in books that will NEVER be read)
     a. I think this might be best accomplished by not buying a book unless I have a specific plan to read it and know that I will follow through.  In other words, if I think it might be cool to do a thing but don't have a specific plan to follow through, don't buy it.  I can always put it in my wishlist at Amazon and pick it up later if I want to.

2. Stop buying magazines that I will not have the time to read.  Resolve to throw magazines away when I'm done reading them.  Feel free to tear out images or articles from those mags that inspire me and put them in my inspiration binder.  Feel free to throw away what no longer inspires me, regardless of who the author it. (I sometimes save something simply because I tend to like the author, but everyone has a stale moment.)

3.  Find a place for everything and put it there after I'm done with it.  When I buy a new thing, plan where I will put it BEFORE I plunk down the cash for it.

4. Do not buy any more makeup, ever! (Except those things like mascara and eyeliner that get used up)  The likelyhood of my ever using up my collection of makeup is miniscule.  I should never need any more.

5.  Purge every room in my house, including closets, pantry, laundry room, etc.

6. Get caught up on bills, reciepts, book-keeping.  Be a blessing to my husband by doing this. File things when I am done with them.  Stop procrastinating.

7.  Get into shape.

8.  Find time to do special projects with my kids.

9.  Keep up with memory keeping.

10.  Keep my own house clean without hiring someone else to do it for me.

11.  Grow a garden.

That is a long list, I know.  I'm not sure if I think it's all possible looking back on it.  I can also tell you that there are many more things that I'd like to add to it.  I was going to stop at 10 but I had to include the garden, it's already partly there.

Maybe getting it all down will help me to make it happen.

The Purge

I've been wanting to purge my craft area for quite a while now.  I did begin some general purging in my house about 7 or 8 months ago.  I made some good progress, but I didn't finish.  I can't recall now what it was that distracted me from the process, but it happened.

So, over the last couple of weeks, I've been at it again.  The visit to Mexico was a part of that too.  The question "Do I really need THIS?" has been being asked about everything my hands come across.

It's a complicated process.  And I have trouble continuing in it because of the quantity of stuff I have collected over time.  As I've looked at my stuff, I have discovered that I am truly a serious hoarder.  I do give lots of stuff away too, but I'm realizing that I collect and collect and never use anything.  That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not completely.

Is is a sin to be a pack rat?  I say that tongue-in-cheek, and yet, part of me wonders if I shouldn't be so non-chalant.  I don't think it is inherently wrong to purchase a large quantity of a supply when it's on sale so that one can save $$, but is there a line there that I may have crossed?

I'd show you a picture of the mess but I'm not sure it would illustrate the magnitude of what I'm dealing with here.  Pray for me.  I mean it.  It is a serious business to part with things which you have held onto for a long time.  It can be painful to let go of the stuff.  Yes, this is raw, yes it is real.  I'm facing myself here.  Maybe someone else will be helped to know that hoarding stuff is NOT good for you and that there is light at the end of that very dark tunnel.

Heading Out

Hey there friends. Yep, I'm talking to my two and a half readers. Wave good-bye. I'm heading to Mexico (said with my very convincing Latin accent!)

You may be wondering, if you know when I'm supposed to be leaving, why it is that I'm writing at 11:20 at night. Well, it rained. Not just a little, no. It rained buckets, beginning at about 8:30 just as my poor hubby was going to head out to finish packing the trailer with things that can't get wet.

Depending on where you live, you may think this not so abnormal. But I live in the desert. It DOES NOT RAIN! Really, we only get 12 inches a year on a good year with most of them coming in July and August. Not only that, but winter rainy season is in January/February.

My husband is growing in perseverance, character and ultimately building hope. You can really tell by looking at him tonight! (uh....just kidding, he's actually pretty frustrated, poor man)

So, in honor of this unusual winter rain and hail storm, I am posting one last blog to say GOODBYE to all of my friends. I'll miss you. I'm really glad that some of you are visiting me and I hope to have some great pictures and some spiritual lessons to share when I back. In the meantime, pray that we don't have to bribe anyone, that just wigs me out a bit, especially since I don't speak the language and haven't ever had to bribe anyone.

Oh, and if anyone wants to see my most recent finished wedding, you can click Chris and Christie

Aren't they beautiful!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Can I do it twice in one day?

Post I mean. I have more thoughts. Well, not really thoughts I guess, but desire to get out some of the excess emotional energy I have spinning around in my brain.

I thought I'd entertain myself with a bit o' writin' to get some of the little buggers out of my poor tired brain.

Do you ever feel like that? Like there is just a lot of stuff swirling around in your head and if you don't get some of it out, you're brain might well explode. (and that would be too big a mess to clean up) And you don't even know that you have anything to say......exactly. But you want to say IT, whatever it is, anyway.

Yeah, now you know how truly crazy I am. Pretty wierd and flukey.

Here, let me list some of things that are occupying my brain tonight.

1. I really need to get some pictures done, worked on and out the door.

2. I really want to read more of my bible tonight, wonder if I'll manage that before my head hits the pillow. (oh yeah, I could be doing that right now huh!?)

3. Gosh, my office/craft room is a mess. When the heck am I ever going to get it organized.

4. Gosh, the rest of my house is a mess and I really need to paint the kitchen.

5. Oh yeah, taxes.

6. What dear? What dear? What dear? WHAT dear? WHAT DEAR?!!!!!

7. Of course I'd love to stop what I'm doing to do what you'd like me to do.

Any one relate to that?