Saturday, January 26, 2013

Continuing...

At the start of every new year I always make it my goal to clean my craft room. This year is no different but I'm finding it much harder. I've started destashing some beads and getting rid of items I don't use any longer and I even moved some fabric that I use for donations to an under the bed box. I still have too much and not enough things/boxes to organize everything in. I did finally get my yarns in a box instead of a bag, but now to find a place for it. Oh, to have a bigger room. On second thought, I would just fill the bigger room with more stuff so we won't go there. So, I continue to try to organize until I need to work on something and out everything comes again to the point it's hard to walk or even find the table top. Did I mention this room is only about a 7' x 9' room at the back of the house and floor space is a premium. Probably the same size as my laundry room so not very big.

I do get discouraged as I walk into that small room and realize I have no idea what to do to make it better except to get rid of a lot of stuff. Although I do know that if I get rid of something, I'll probably need it next week for a different project, no best idea is to continue trying to organize. So I push on.

For those of  you that have not seen my little slice of clutter heaven. Here is a pic when it was nice and organized with new cabinets. Wish I could see that table top now.


I won't even show you what it looks like now.

In hubby's and my quest for better heath this year we purchased a new cookware set. Okay so I have to tell you a little story first before I get to that. When we got married I had cookware. I purchased the set back in 1978 or so right out of high school. Paid it off with payment plans if that gives you any indication of how much it was and used it up until we got married. Great cookware but hubby didn't want to cook in stainless steel so we packed it away in the garage loft and forgot about. So the daughter calls and says she is having a cookware demonstration at her house and would we come to dinner. Okay, sure why not. I had a feeling it was the same cookware I had in the loft and said so but we went.

Talk about a surprise, same cookware that my mother had which was a step above my old set and expensive but fixed great food with no oil and no water. Yes, this is that famous waterless cookware. Hubby loved that it packed well and you didn't have to use water and you could fry without oil and cleaned up like a breeze. I was even more impressed with the baking soda test. Most stainless steel will pass the test but we had some annodized aluminum and cast iron we were using that would not pass. Try this test. Two cups of water in one of your sauce pans and a teaspoon of baking soda. Boil. Take a small taste. It should taste like baking soda and water right, well if you used something other than stainless it tastes like poison. Not good. I just can't imagine that cooking veggies or anything else in those pans wouldn't alter the taste of your food. So out they went and hubby was up in the loft looking for my old set. Now did I say we bought us a new set...yes we did, but never fear we are not getting rid of my old set it will be put to good use in our motor home as we get rid of the pans there.

You know a lot of what the salesman said was true, we replace appliances costing thousands every few years (they just don't make them like they used to) and even replace our pots and pans when the coating starts to wear out but how many of us can say that we have cookware that will last our lifetime. I do and now I have a second set that will be even better. I can't wait to get it and start learning to cook all over again.

Now I sound like a commercial but really can you place a value on your health? My hope is that we will start cooking healthier and be healthier for it.

On the workbench this week.
Wire wrapped coins. Inspiration from a post on Pinterest.

My hand at attempting to make a wire frog. Still working on it.

Charms for a swap called "Where you live". The beach glass was given to me by a friend.

Charms for another swap that was Pink and White and since it is so close to Valentines Day I made hearts,

New shower curtain hooks and a little bit of bling in the dangles. I posted this picture on FB and everyone voted that the dangles should stay so each hook has it's own dangle of crystals and pearls.

Now that I look back at what I did this week I don't feel too bad that my craft room is such a mess. I was still able to play and found enjoyment in what I did accomplish. 

Here's to having more fun next week.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Regenerating

After all our travels in December, we are sure glad to be home and back to a normal routine. Okay, our life isn't necessarily normal but whose is. I haven't taken down the holiday decorations yet as I want to enjoy them a few more days but I'm sure that by the weekend our house will also be back to normal.

Hubby has been fighting a cold, not sure if he won or the cold but I've been trying to take precautions and boosting my immune system with all kinds of essential oils, vitamins and supplements. I do have a cough but it isn't what it could have turned into and for that I am thankful. I do have a recipe that you can use on the bottom of your feet when you have a cold. I do think it prevented hubby's from getting worse and my mom swears by it. We use it "neat" (3 drops on feet every night) but if you don't feel comfortable with that then you can dilute the 3 drops with a teaspoon of olive oil.

3 drops Peppermint EO
2 drops Eucalyptus EO
2 drops Camphor EO
2 drops Frankincense EO

As I was blog hopping I came across the Camp Wander blog and she has some awesome things to try. Yesterday's post was all about anti-aging and a recipe she has to help regenerate the skin. It of course contains Frankincense. I'll have to try it out. Here is a link to her blog post.

Not only do I feel that this coming year I need to be better to my skin and body but also my mind and creativity as well. Today I started a new year long on-line art journey called Life Book with Tamara LaPorte. I've already started with the first lesson and can't wait to see how the journey goes this year. This piece is my fantasy "Fairy Art Mother". She turned out pretty good and is now hanging in my studio to remind me that whatever I create, it is wonderful and beautiful.

She is made with watercolor and watercolor crayons. If you follow my art blog Basically Art, I will be posting my progress throughout the year.

I have so many more things in the works including a new class for my "Hammered Pendant" and a new "Coastal Cypress" gem tree so stay tuned and for those class dates.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's going to be a great year.

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