50 to 100%

 Next up on my The Next Thing First list is my wardrobe.  I have been buying art supplies rather than clothes and I am practically nek ked, not to mention out of style.  :O

So I looked for my notes from Marie Kondo's book.  I have no idea where they might be so I turned on you tube.   Ha, I won't have that much!  But when you put E v e r y t h i n g on the pile it is shocking!

My goal was 50%.  Because I rate shopping for clothes very low on my must do list I tend to have less rather than more. I knew some would be quite worn and some may even be too old to be labeled 'classic!   It went real quick.

Not sure if I actually made 50% but it was close.  I put the plastic shelving unit in where a shoe rack was.  I pulled it ahead for the photo.  I put  my small stuff and jammies I had in the dresser way on the other side of the room which was inconvenient.   That dresser now has some seasonal stuff and my sheets.  The shoes are up where the sheets were.  Quilts and pillows are above.  Much handier as I can dress quickly and all in one spot!

I  don't need lots more.  I have been wearing old worn stuff and ''saving' the good.  :(  I am short on dresses and was shocked by all the sweaters and sweatshirt jackets.  Obviously I like tees!  I did need unmentionables, a pair of closed toes shoes for summer/fall, a winter coat and a few good tops.  Skirts I had to buy last year.  I do have my new garment sewing book and I will be making things.  So..

I had hoped to have a lovely photo of new clothes but I blew the budget on the unmentionables.  sheesh.  It has been a while since I have been to the mall and it has really changed.  I took a break and decided I had spent enough.  But I will be back!

My first stop was not for clothes though.  I have long been looking for a typewriter and good ol' Michael's now carries one.  I have been waiting for a 50% coupon and there was a 50% coupon as a one day special.  :)  Unfortunately the fine print said NOT including the typewriter.  But it and some paper stuff for it was on sale and really, I have been looking for a few years.  I have fond memories of banging away on my Dad's old one while I played office and then graduated to school papers!   I am doubly thrilled it came in something besides pink and it makes me smile just looking at it.  This is definitely an 100 percenter!!! 

Moving the old plastic shelving to the bedroom closet was a brilliant idea.  Unfortunately when I was emptying the drawers  I saw I'd created a problem because the new tower I got for my fibre art threads turned out to be narrower. Only 50% of the stuff fit. :{    That means that the needle felting supplies need a new place.  What to do????

I shuffled things around in the sewing room closet and I got another 50% of storage space.  Gee, whiz!  I may have to go back shopping!  :/

Oh!!!  I can type up the next shopping list!  Feeling 100% better already!  lol

Back to school

I enjoy teaching my grand children.  Truth be known; I probably learn more than they do!

They are keeners!  Joshua is in grade 3.   Eliana is in grade 1.  Jolina is a tag along and hasn't officially started.  lol

I am 'the art department'!  And this year I am the Literature Appreciation department as well.  Not exactly sure how I went from pre reading their books to teaching them to appreciate them but...

Last year's Smash books are done except for extra embellishments and space has been cleared on the bookshelf.

The planners are in the old binders and now I need to figure out how to save/store the old ones.  There is only so much room on the bookshelf their mom/teacher tells me.  :O

We only had time for a short story about Nancy and the artist before lunch and recess.  But the Smash books are done so next week is colour mixing which pleases them.

In the afternoon we switch to reading.  The photocopied drawings from our book study are going to work well.  We got 3 chapters read before it was time for swimming lessons.

I made lots of notes for things I forgot to do/bring.  A few modifications and  I have the next month up on my work space.   I think we have made a good beginning.

Falling behind, no no NO!

Fall is upon us.  My fall anemones have been in bloom for some time.  I hope they continue as I wait for the daisies, turtle heads and monkshood to join them.  But no time for slacking.  Winter is coming and I have every intention of being up to date and on top of my game.

So it is back to The Next Thing First.

Art 101 and Literature Appreciation start Monday, Sept. 26.  I need to return the last school journal and set the plan for this coming school year in motion.  DD#2 has a calendar for the school kiddies.  So I won't be making them a smash book this year and frankly they are incredibly labour intensive (times three)!  But they do have their planners and at the beginning of every month I shall hand them a monthly calendar, extra pages and a plastic photo sheet.  I will still print photos for them.  They will be on their own.  And that will be in the spirit of KISS!

I am also determined to contain journal planning in the one room it is allotted to.  It forces me to keep things a bit more organized and tidy.  I am happy to report that I stayed within the space and stayed relatively organized.  The floor has cut scraps but the only piles are under the appropriate stool.  :)

I was happy to discover I wasn't quite as behind as I thought I was.  Only 2 months and summer holidays.
 

 All the photos are glued and I'll take stickers and stuff for personalizing.

The planners need a front page for the year.  Since we are starting late I didn't print the monthly calendar.  Just photos and some blank pages.  Next month should go quicker as I have things set aside in a drawer just for the kids.

September is all gathered together and ready for putting into the Grand Kiddies binders from last year.  They are all different in their styles and personalities so I try to customize somewhat and hope as they mature this will be less of me and more of them.

My printer has run out of yellow ink.  :(  I still need a few more photos but I put slips in for reminders.  There is the front page with the date.  A personal page like the stuffed animals for the youngest and then a few photos of the cousins from late August.  Then the September divider begins this month.  I photocopied the divider from my Unplanner which hasn't proven to be my own favourite way of working so...

Josh's colour matches the original Unplanner.  The girls can colour their copies which will appeal more to them.  Again, a  plastic photo insert, some one sided designer paper and a lined sheet for notes.  And hopefully, away they will go!

 And October is gathered in the drawer and;  pant, pant,  I am caught up!  woo hoo!

How the plan turned out.

I had blogged about making my sister a planner/colouring book at the beginning of September.  Planning 

 And of course, procrastinator that I am, I needed some help to meet the deadline.   DD#1 and I had spent the day in the bookstore and now we needed to pack up for the trip to see my sister.  One advantage of working quickly for me is that I don't overthink everything. The general plan was already laid out.  So we just added all the finishing touches.  The fun part actually!   Working with what I had for papers and keeping in mind some of her favourite things resulted in a fun planner with corresponding colouring pages.  I came up with an idea and Laura searched for the appropriate sticker or paper.  And to give her all credit- two heads are better than one!

Music and movies!  Now I wish I'd considered whether Sunday or Monday should come first on the planner pages.  :}  But it is only to the end of the year and changes can be made.

The theme paper is baby blue with coloured butterflys.  September shows off purple and favourite tv shows.  The colouring pages were simple to get her stared.

October welcomes fall and I was glad to see orange butterflys included.  How cool that her favourite movie stars were in the same movie.  :)  These colouring pages were country themed.

I chose patriotic colours as Remembrance day happens in November.  Our Dad was a veteran and she talks about him lots.  The butterflys are getting chilly but there was some bits of red.  The colouring pages pick up on poppies and other flowers.

I had some plastic page protectors that I refolded to make fit.  There is one for each month with ideas for adding photos or filling with memorabilia.  I did include extras in her zippered pouch.

And December leaned toward blue and snowmen because we already had red.  Laura was surprised that I didn't have lots of Christmas paper but I tend to avoid the seasonal stuff.

I do think it is going to be fun for her.  She laughed at the idea of colouring but I did notice that although she is a talker, she got kinda quiet as she considered her options.  I really do hope she plans on having fun!

Reviewing Summer's Theme

Summer's theme this year was visitors: the preparing, the visiting and the recovering.  ;^)

The house was made presentable.  The upstairs is all painted and just needs some fine tuning and a few touch-ups.

 The farm buildings were decluttered and the yard received more TLC as the weather and time permitted.

 The barns are all painted.

Word got out that we are preparing for selling and relocating so we got lots of visitors this summer.

My DD#1 and I were supposed to go shopping for wardrobe additions and accessories.  We stalled out at the bookstore.  :/

Laura and I went off to visit an old friend and she persuaded me to stop by the cemetery where my grand parents  and uncles are buried. Thank goodness for GPS!

The old church was open and I was amazed to find mention of my great grand parents as well as my grand dad's baptism. 

My sister's health has deteriorated. She also is making a move so I hitched a ride with DD#1 who was driving by on her own way home.  Here we are leaving the main street of the town nearest to where I live.

We had dinner in the city where my sister will be moving.  The old house has tours and a lovely restaurant.  It also has a resident ghost.  Gee, it must have took my picture!!!

I returned by bus and took the first day off to finish up my book series and peruse my new books. Now I need to look at the contents of my suitcase, my photos, and my planner.  :O

I brought home some extras.  My niece has passed on to me old memorabilia that she comes across as she helps her mum downsize.  The Rooster is the one who is interested in his ancestors.   awk!  I didn't really want another hobby which was why I had given all the above to my sister when my parents downsized.  Timing really is everything because now my interest is piqued.  And, I do now have ephemera for my mixed media journaling!  ;^)  

She also included some memorabilia from not so very long ago!  I wasn't always a white, make that silver, old biddy!  lol

As summer winds down we should enjoy a slower pace.  I will be very happy to get back to other creative endeavours.

I am indeed itching to get back to my creative hobbies.  I also need to update my wardrobe which hanging around young folks inspires!  My niece says that we are 'hipsters'!  Shoot, now I need to update the Rooster's wardrobe as well.  ;^)

The grand kiddies are already back at homeschooling and I need to plan the art and creative literature lesson plans.

My sister is downsizing her considerable music collection which means I have some great music to motivate me. 


What's that you say?  Sorry, I can't hear you.  My music is loud and I'm grooving and moving!  :)