Actually, my inability to do it effectively is what’s the matter here!  I guess that’s the conundrum of the unorganized person, right?  I type this while simultaneously holding up piles of junk on my desk with my elbows.  Hey, I have to make room for my arms and hands to type somehow, ya’ know?

Via

Via

I challenged myself a while back (will I ever learn?) over at Chic Tweaks Alterations to organize my craft and sewing supply closet.  It’s a mini-walk-in with hanging bars and shelves on each side; the contents of which had begun to spill out into the floor area making it almost impossible to get to the large shelf of vintage fabrics I store along the back wall in between said hanging areas .  After trying to get to some pieces and fearing an avalanche that would have me buried for days with my family wondering where I had disappeared to, I decided it was time.  Time to pull it all out and start over.  Of course, with it being the holidays when this epiphany hit me I knew that task would have to wait until now.  Well, now is here and I have since added two more closets, my desk and the garage to that organizing list.  I know I will get there…eventually.  ;o)

Via

In the meantime I am curious about how other people organize their spaces and keep them that way.  I have found myself gravitating toward pictures of these masterpieces on Pinterest and dewy-eyed dreaming of the day that I get to live in such uniformly stacked and labeled bliss.

Via

Via

Via

Cough it up now folks!  How do you stay in the know with your piles of junk?  Do you somehow avoid the mountains and keep a nice cleaning rhythm throughout the year?  Not me!  I’m a pile until I can’t find it any more kind of person. 

I’m sure there is a therapist out there just dying to talk to me.

Kitsch Krafts

PS- To find out more about my sewing and craft life please click over to Chic Tweaks!

In case you have been wondering about the inconsistent posting here and over at Chic Tweaks lately, I will just put it out there.  This….

….equals an amazing energy sucking, exhaustion inducing, fall-on-my-face-after-chasing-a-two-year-old excuse to sleep rather than blog.

I promise I am doing my best to get back on track folks.

Please bear with me.

Kitsch Krafts

This past weekend we had to say goodbye one of our dearest friends. Our old girl Roxy would have turned 16 this August, but her body was really showing her age in dog years if you know what I mean. Luckily she had the energy for one last romp in the yard on MLK day, chasing golf balls as my husband chipped them around for her. She seemed her usual self, albeit pretty old and semi-crippled, but still able to let her inner puppy out when that felt natural. Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse as her arthritis plagued body just gave up. Saying goodbye is quite possibly one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, seeing as how she was my constant companion for all those years. Seeing her suffer was worse.

The mister and Roxy enjoying one of the biggest snowfalls we ever had in Nashville, TN.

She always posed with our Christmas tree, circa 2007.

For these two it was true love from first sight!

We will miss you Roxy! You can never be replaced. Here’s to chasing balls in heaven!

Kitsch Krafts

I am curious about something.  How do you keep going during this crazy time of year?  I find myself biting off soooo much more than I can chew and then falling on my face after the marathon.  Please pass your tips along, I’m dying over here! 

Just kidding, I’m actually moving along quite well.  At least that’s what I keep thinking to myself.  Although, along with those thoughts are the million others reminding of me of this thing or that thing that I still need to make, buy or accomplish on the “list”.  I pulled myself out of the black hole today just to clear my mind a bit before diving back in, oh and to post to the three of you that actually read my nonsense.  ;o)

I’m closing in on the present purchase wrap-up.  Mom’s Bakery will be closing mid-week and boxed will be shipped no later than Friday.  The Little Man will be out of school for the Christmas break starting next Thursday and I have decided, if it doesn’t happen by then, it’s just not going to happen.  Nothing spectacular going on here otherwise.  Hopefully I will have some projects to share again soon.  I have to hold off right now because many of them are going under the tree and I don’t want to spoil the surprises.

Right now, here is a little hint at how I am currently trying to keep my head above water.

…and the first Christmas package just hit the mailbox.

The house is a wreck and will be left alone until just before the big day, so get used to it! 

The kitchen will not be useable, so dig up the take out menus and let your fingers do the walking. 

Don’t bother mom, she’s in the Christmas spirit.

Or, maybe that’s just from imbibing some spirits!?!

If I make it out alive I will probably be 10 pounds heavier.

The postal lady will never even know what hit her.  Sorry dear!

Good luck to all you other fellow handmade Christmas fools!

Kitsch Krafts

Right after leaving the carpool line at preschool yesterday, I made the much-dreaded trek to Toys-R-Us.  I had been putting off this run because not only do I dislike shopping, but I also can hardly bare the prices at T.R.U. and the madness that is a toy store.  I figured getting there early would mean I could leave quickly.  No, it only meant I had more quiet contemplation time to discover even more things I want to buy the Little Guy.  Lucky for my bank account I pulled myself together and got out of there before I was broke.  Apparently I’m not the only one feeling the pain of the season.  I overheard the lady in the line next to me complaining, very nicely I might add, about having to wait a really long time and how she would have appreciated someone telling her the other lane was open.  I felt a twinge of guilt since I had entered that lane and cruised right through.  Of course, I had no idea she had been waiting.  As I was leaving the store our paths crossed, literally, she was going one way and I was going the other.  I decided to attempt to ease her frustration by letting her know the cashier that had just waited on me was hideous, absolutely hideous!  She laughed as I told her that I did not get a smile or a decent tone when she actually did speak to me.  In general it was an unpleasant experience and she probably got the better end of that deal having to wait over in the other line.  She said it helped.  I sure hope so!

It’s going to be a looonnng holiday season if the cashiers are already copping an attitude on December 1st.

Sheesh!

Kitsch Krafts

PS- Here is a little Bing Crosby to help get you in the spirit.  That is, if you haven’t already stabbed your eardrums out from the incessant Christmas music playing every where already.  ;o)

Yeah, this is about as close as I get to camping any more.  hee!  Outdoor World and Bass Pro Shop!  We headed up to Ashland, VA to visit with Santa and take advantage of their offer of a free 4 X 6 inch photo.  The Little Guy came across the Toys-R-Us flyer that arrived last week and has been going through it daily, naming what he wants.  Or, as he puts it, “What Liam wants!”  This third person thing is getting stranger and stranger as time goes on.  Anyway, he is obsessed with Santa, and Christmas, and he could not wait for the opportunity to tell the big man himself just exactly what he wanted.   So, we headed out with the address plugged into the GPS and thought our family fun day would start in roughly 30 minutes.

Well, if you love to drive around and around, looking for what seems to be an non-existent store, with GPS coordinates pointing you to an empty field in an industrial park than this was the trip for you!  Yep, we finally found the place about an hour and a half later.  You know, about the time we were all just completely miffed and ready to go home.  Lucky for us the thought of Santa awaiting the Little Guy’s list was enough to keep his momentum going.  The Mister and I just hung on for the ride since we had already come so far. 

This particular Bass Pro Shop is very large, with a second floor.  That meant a cool bridge to walk across and a glass elevator to ride in, both just across from the enormous fish tank- whoo-to-the-hoo!!  Plus, they have a restaurant with another huge aquarium and pretty tasty food.  If you are local and have not been out to this place, it’s worth taking a look, especially right now with Santa’s Wonderland in full effect!  If you have a short stack that is ready to visit the big man AND play games, drive a model train, color and make Christmas crafts, then add a drive out to the list.  Everything is free, including one photo with Santa, plus you can go online and buy more later.  We highly recommend this for a low-key and essentially free (unless you go nutty-crazy-eight-bonkers shopping in an outdoor store) family day.

Here are some photos from our afternoon of faux outdoor fun.

This part was close to topping the visit with Santa.  Driving a train- no words can describe the excitement!

Further up in line and he still wants to be driving that train!

This cracked me up because it has Bass Pro Shops in the middle and….

…fish in the background.  Hey, aren’t we supposed to be at the North Pole?

The long walk to meet the man himself.

After a brief moment of uncertainty be began to rattle off the list.  Although, it was barely audible because he was so nervous.

After our Santa meet and greet we headed across the store to the attached restaurant for some lunch.  And, while we waited we discovered a whole new side to Bass Pro Shop- Home Décor! 

I had NO idea!  And, YES, there was a matching couch and love seat!

But, it does get worse….

and worse!  To be fair, this would not be so bad if the deer part was removed.

I was floored.  They even had bath décor!  Those are embellished towels and different versions of camo shower curtains to the left.

And, place settings.  With all this camo how can you find anything?  Ha, right?  ugh!

I just could not believe all the things they had decked out in camo for the home and wondered who would buy these things.  Then The Mister brought up the obvious, people who own a hunting lodge maybe?  I guess he is right, but this stuff was over the top to me!  Accept this one thing that was mixed in with the furniture.

I think if you took this gnarled stump table out of the lodge/cottage/country setting it could be a cool rustic addition to a more modern space. 

All in all, we had a lovely time and the Little Guy feels better knowing that Santa is aware of his Christmas “needs”.

Kitsch Krafts