Chaos

Do you remember that I am working my way through a bag a day (click here)? Well things are moving along swimmingly. I am exceeding my own goals and I am being cut throat as I clear out the house! It feels amazing.

Yesterday I started tackling the girl's room. Specifically I started on the clothing situation. You see I had a hunch that I would have two girls so I saved all of Cordelia's outfits. I have sorted them into tubs. Currently 18 months, 24mos. and 2T, 3T. So I think you can guess that we have loads of clothes. I decided to sort through those clothes and free up some space, saving only the really charming clothes and passing along the things that were not particularly wonderful.

I started out by organizing everything into nice orderly piles. Unfortunately Cordelia, Betty Sprinkles, and Elise had different ideas. Bumblebee was cool and just rested quietly in the corner as the chaos unfolded. When Eric came home from work he opened the door to a nice tidy home. Then he followed the voices up to the girl's bedroom and found this---queue the theme from Psycho:


Photo by E.K.Wimmer

Cordelia, in an instant, tossed clothes in her joyfull play. Betty burrowed and rolled. Elise traipsed around with hats and shoes. Before I knew it things were solidly out of control. Eventually things were sorted and the room was put in nice tidy order with far fewer things.

Preparing for Baby: Oh Nesting

 

The strange and overpowering drive to nest is always present in my heart. I love to make a place my own, any place. I am particularly fond of those little details that really make a place. You know those small choices like doorknobs and heating vents that an individual can make that seem to have a bigger impact than perhaps a large statement like the color of a room. So I suppose it is no surprise that pregnancy nesting, which is really kicking into full gear now is all about the details. Here are a few projects, both practical and impractical, that I am working on or hope to complete before our newest little one arrives:

• I am painting the handles to the fridge with orange nail polish. The process is rather tedious, but I am pretty happy with the results thus far, pictures will be forthcoming. I am sure that the new baby will appreciate this effort...
• Deep cleaning of the whole house, weekly.
• Purging of all unnecessary items. We do this regularly, but I am doing it with the intensity of a serious librarian organizing a card catalog. I am doing each room, each nook, each cranny.
• The result of the aforementioned purging is that I have a LOT of stuff to get out. I have decided to throw a little exchange party with a few girlfriends and whatever we don't trade we will donate.
• I need to make a family tree painting for baby number 2. Do you remember this one? I think I should probably have one on hand when our 2nd little lady arrives. Any ideas? I want the painting to go with the first, but have its own unique flair. I am thinking garden. Have you got an idea?
• Preparing the baby room. I think we have most things we really need (the list is much shorter this time around), now I just need to make room for baby number 2. I don't think we will have her sleep in the same room with Cordelia for quite some time, but all of her stuff will be in the same room. ___We decided that we want the girls to share a room rather than have their own space for now.
• I have a loong list of household chores that include everything from re-finishing the cabinets and counter-tops in the kitchen to new light fixtures to staining the back deck and so on. Who knows how much of this we will actually get to as none if it actually matters.
• Preparing Cordelia for all of the change that is to come.  We have been talking to her about it and have plans to include her, but I think no amount of preparation will really take the edge off of the complete change that comes with a baby.Any advice?
• I have been finishing off unfinished projects in the craft room. It is kind of like a breath of fresh air to have the craft room (OK it is really the guest room with my crafts stashed in the closet) clearing out.
• Working on my lesson plans for fall. I know I won't have the time or energy to put in 100% to lesson planning when the new semester arrives one month after baby does. I am combating this by having every detail in order (or at least that is the plan) before July.
• Yard work and gardening. I have been busting my hump outside and I love it...even though I make embarrassing groans when I have to bend over. Ahh, the glamor of pregnancy.
• I get to make some new art as we have some shows on the horizon and I don't want to miss out due to exhaustion/distraction.

Oh good grief I know there is surely more. What would you add to the list?

Organizing and GIVEAWAY!

When we first moved into our house in April I did a quick set-up in my sewing/craft/art/guest room. I planned to get things in good order within the next few weeks, but one project or the next would get in the way. I was able to use the space, so it wasn't really a priority. Well, yesterday afternoon during the golden hour (nap time) I tore the place up with the intention of re-organizing and making the space more functional.

Right as I finished taking everything out to assess the situation Cordelia woke up early. So I have a little carry-over. I have to get this space organized today. I am kind of excited about it all. Plus, while I was cleaning out the closet I found a few unfinished projects that I started before our move and just lost track of. Last night I finished two hats and two scarves!


Please excuse the shaky quality of this photo, I took it while practicing gymnastics...

I thought that perhaps today, while I am organizing, you could have something to look forward to. I am talking to you, anywhere in the world.


Where in the world are you?

I am giving away one bag of my favorite tea, Evening in Missoula. While I was visiting Missoula this summer I picked up a bag for myself and one for a giveaway. The bag looks kind of small in this pic, but I assure you it is huge enough for hundreds of amazing cups of tea.

How to Enter up to 4 times:
1) Follow me (let me know in comments that you are following)
2) Blog, tweet, facebook update about it (let me know in the comments what you have done)

I will announce a winner on Saturday!
I will also post photos of my newly organized space.