No Crafts But I Wasn't Idle

Today I decided it was high time I tidy up my shelf, fondly dubbed Chaos. You've seen the, well, chaos. The middle shelves are the worst. Most of my stuff (or some of it anyway) is packed into the long pastic bins. The dread middle (haha, writing allusion without even trying) is where all the junk just gets tossed. Well no more! I went and bought a few plastic baskets (I prefer plastic to wicker--easier to clean) and a small bin . . . and a bunch of new craft supplies. Dang it.



Just starting to take things off the shelf and put them on the bed. Oh look! An empty space!

 

Had a bunch of books up there but that's what we have bookshelves for so off they come. Anyone read "A Nail Through the Heart" by Timothy Hallinan? Good book. Gritty. Emotional. Fast-paced.



Now "Dies the Fire" I'm having trouble getting through. I'm not even halfway through and it just feels to me that there really isn't anywhere else to go now. I don't particularly like any of the POV characters and even though the action in the beginning was good, I have no interest in reading about all these people I don't care for piddling along trying to grow corn. And then the sudden hostile takeover by the professor of whatever? So what, the lights go out and ten minutes later you've got weapons, food, candles, and prostitutes stockpiled? Riiiiiiight. . .

(You know, it is sad that I had so much more to say about a book I dislike rather than one I like.)



And then there was a hat. I felt the need to take a fabulous picture.



Oh, and a feather duster.



I don't actually dust with it. I snip off feathers whenever they suit a project. Not everything calls for gray, but have you seen the prices for feathers these days? $4 for ONE FEATHER. I think not.

Sewing essentials in here:



Wasn't using this giant white basket. It's a tight fit but better than having all my fabric spilling all over the place or, as before, stacked about in the bags I bought them in.



Now, I am a rather short person and this--



--is not working for me. I pulled it down--very careful not to drop it on my head--and put it on a lower, more accessible shelf. Woo-hoo! Gotta clean it out a bit though. There were bells and googly eyes strewn about in the drawers. Dang it, my narrow elastic's all tangled. Luckily I never throw away my empty spools.



Getting a bit better now.



The shelf second up from the bottom was filled with stuff I rarely use so I went ahead and consolidated that and moved it all to the bottom. The one cardboard box there had supplies in it, so I took all of those things and put them inside the large white-lidded bin, putting some of the bric-a-bric that was formerly in the bin into the box. Lots of switching going on. Ugh, it looked like the shelf had just barfed all over the room.



I was beginning to get that "bit off more than I can chew" feeling right about then. But, after a glass of water and some orange, and returned and kicked it in the butt. Also, I found my block of inspiration. (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Imporium, anyone?)



It feels good to have a bit more organization. Now I'll know where everything is when I need it. The thing that prompted this binge was not being able to find my jar of buttons . . . and I still haven't found them. Hm. They must be packed away in some box. Maybe in the storage unit. Which is why I bought some assorted buttons while I was out this morning, just to tide me over until I can unearth that silly jar.

The finished product:



Still looks rather wild. But it's now a wild I'm well aquainted with.

UPDATE: Dad just read this post over my shoulder and said, "I should comment 'I think I know where your buttons are.'"