My de-cluttering, clearing week

My de-cluttering / clearing week has progressed pretty slowly due to my arm still not being fully functional. So I have just had to make the most of what I could do and also make some lists of what I can do when I get my arm working properly again.

But the one area I did tackle and thankfully completed was the clearing out and cleaning of my craft room. Since arriving home my craft room has pretty much been used as a bit of a dumping room. So if I ever want to start getting back working on my jewellery I just had to get it cleared out. There's nothing worse than trying to find your creativity in a bomb site. So I decided to start at one corner and just work my way through the room. I made the deal with myself that everything I picked up had to find a home where it belonged. Be it, in its home, in the donation box or in the bin. This is by farther hardest room for me to tackle. I think my craft supplies are my nemesis. I start and get totally overwhelmed of just where everything should go. I find lots of half made things that I know I should finish and lots of new things I want to start. 



Mmmmm I think this dumping ground needs to be cleared!!

Finally, after two days I had the room I want to work in. My desk is lovely and clear and everything is in it's home. Now once my arm starts behaving itself I can get into some designing. 

Yeah it's done

How did your week of de-cluttering and clearing go? 

I'd love to hear about your progress no matter how small or large. 

Pinterest

OK I will admit it - I Love Pinterest. I have saved things on Pinterest for quite a while now, but since my right arm has been out of action I have had lots of fun just browsing all the stuff out there. It is just amazing what you can find on the Internet. Ideas on any subject you could possibly think off. And don't get me on tutorials, wow! No matter what you would like to learn to do, it is out there just waiting for you to find it. Now being a crafter to anything, is probably the reason why I have lots and lots of tutorials saved on my Pinterest. So with my current train of thought of making the most and enjoying what I have hiding in your life, I have decided to actually make some of the things I have saved in my folders. I'm not saying I will get something made every week, but I am going to try and post on one of my craft adventures each Wednesday.
Today my crafty update is is totally impractical but fun and is now decorating my dining table for a little while. First up I had to collect some Autumn (Fall) leaves. This turned out to be quite funny. I was just leaving one of Melbourne's major hospitals with Shane and Susan. I hadn't told them what I was intending on doing, I just told them to keep walking and I would catch up. Then I started collecting some leaves that were still as whole as I could get. I think they thought the pain killers I have been on had finally flipped me out.

My collection of Autumn leaves and balloons

When I got home I soaked the leaves in some warm water. One to clean them and two so they were a bit more flexible.

A soak in some warm water then a bit of a dry

Then I blew up a balloon and rested it in a bowl. Then I proceeded to paint each leaf with a water based glue and stick then around the base of the balloon and about half way up. Making sure I had them overlapping each other so they would hold some sort of shape. The first one I did wasn't really a success as I used way to much glue and when it dried it looked as though it was covered in cobwebs.

You need a good coating of glue, but I went a bit overboard on my first attempt

Lets see how my second attempt goes?

 After leaving it to dry for around 24 hours, I burst the balloon, which came away from the leaves very easily. Luckily the base was flat enough to sit on the table. But if it hadn't been I would have just Blutacked it down.

After pulling all the cobwebs off my first bowl I was pretty happy with it

As I mentioned first up, it's pretty impractical, you can't put anything in it and it won't last forever. But I like it and it's nice to have a little bit of nature in a different form on display.

It may not be everyones cup of tea but I like it because it's different

Why do we need so much stuff??

After travelling around Australia for 12 months in Myrtle I have now returned home and have realised I don't need all the STUFF I have. So with that in mind I am on a de-cluttering, clearing mission. Also while being away and also turning 61, it got me thinking about all those precious things like my best dinner set, Mums favourite wine glasses and lots of other things I store in the cupboards and only use on rare occasions. Even though I have decided to live to 91, we just never know whats around the corner, so why not enjoy the THINGS in our life now instead of leaving them to someone who may not cherish them as much as I do.  So my mission is to go through my STUFF and if I haven't used it in years or it doesn't make my heart sing, I will dispose of it or donate it to someone who will use it and/or love it. So I thought each Sunday I would share just what I have de-cluttered and cleared in the past week and if you would like to join me with your own Declutter, Clear and Use Mission, I would love to have you along for the ride. I'd love to hear about your progress and maybe see some pictures. Why not enjoy what we have in our lives instead of have them sitting in a dark and lonely cupboard.

I tackled to Linen Closet! Do I really need all those pillow cases that have no sheets to match? Do I really need so many sets of single bed sheets when the single bed is only used occasionally? Why am I keeping the sheet set that has a hole worn in one of the sheets?
These are some of the questions I asked myself and now my Linen Closet
is no longer bursting out into the hallway.

Magazines - I buy them, read them and then for some reason keep them just incase I may want to read them again. Crazy hey!! What was I thinking I am never going to read them again. Normally just before I throw them out I cut out recipes, crafts or anything else I think I might need someday. Yes, you guessed it I never get around to making the stuff I cut out. So this time there was no cutting out! Out they went!! This is such a liberating feeling!

Happenings

What's been happening in your life this past week? Mine has been a pretty good one, with a bit of creativity, spending time with new and old friends and getting some organisation done at home.

Last weekend I went away on a scrapbooking retreat. I wasn't sure how I would go still having my right arm in a sling and still not being allowed to move my shoulder. Being right handed and only having my left arm fully operational I have had to get over my stubborn independence and accept help from those around me. Even though I can't move my shoulder I have been able to manoeuvre myself so I can do a little with my right hand. I couldn't get into total photo scrapping but I was pretty pleased with the cards I was able to create. 

A wonderful weekend at a wonderful location

Pretty proud of my creations

 Then on Tuesday as I was being driven around to run some errands I was lucky to be treated to one of the most amazing rainbow you could ask for. 

Lucky I wasn't driving

Today I had my second Physio appointment and I can finally take off the sling. I must say I don't really like having my arm in a sling, it gets a bit claustrophobic at times - but no longer. My new lot of exercises are to start getting the muscles in my right arm working again. It was quite weird when the physio asked me to try and lift my arm and it just wouldn't move. The exercises are a bit painful but I will persevere. Hopefully it won't be to long before I can lift my arm.

Mind, Body, Spirit

This little one armed girl has had a wonderful long weekend here in Melbourne. Sunday I had the joy of catching up and lunch with two great long time friends Kaye and Helen. I just love catching up with friends you have history with it really makes life easy.

Then today I took myself off to the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival. This is probably the sixth year I have been to this wonderful festival. Each visit I usually wander aimlessly taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. But today I decided I wanted to have a couple of readings and to also have a Spirit Guide drawing done. My readings went very well, giving me insights into me and my future, which I totally agreed with. 

Apparently today I had two spirit guides with me. The one that was drawn for me was known as Takoma, a Native Indian with his elegant eagle. I'm really looking forward to finding him the perfect place in my home. 

I am sitting here now pretty tired as this is the busiest I have been since having my shoulder surgery, but satisfied on my really enjoyable weekend. 

WooHoo I'm Home

After 36,333 kilometres and the most amazing 13 months of my life, I am finally home in my house. Although not sure just how long for, because I can hear the rest of Australia calling me. Now don't get me wrong the bed in Myrtle was very comfy but it was so nice to sleep on my luscious Pillow Top Queen Bed last night. Even with my arm still in a sling and not being able to move to much during the night it was like sleeping on a cloud. The storage unit that I have stored stuff in over the past 12 months is a now about 1/2 empty. Problem is with only one arm I can't really put everything away as it comes in the door. Needless to say my house is looking like a bomb has gone off. But everything will find a home eventually when I have two arms again.

It will be gone eventually!

 Today is 3 weeks since my shoulder operation, and after 3 weeks of not being allowed to move my arm at all it was pretty good to start physio. Even though my physio is very light it does give me some time during the day without a sling on. 

My exercise regime