Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mojo Monday week #71


Happy Valentine's Birthday Grandma

Sunday, January 25, 2009

That's STASH-TASTIC!




I met with my craft group Saturday. Mary Jane tiled a beautiful metal outdoor hanging butterfly in glass, Nancy is knitting really nice cotton dish cloths (her goal is 70 by Christmas 09), Mary organized her quilting and craft fabrics, and Lindsey and I created cards out of recycled items or from my stash of scrap crap. Next month I will be taking photos of everyones creations.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Week #70 Mojo Monday

New Year's Resolution

This year I am "DOING", and I am keeping track. So, here I am!

Last year's resolution was to embrace limits. In the fall of 2007, I closed my office and started working from home...so all the things I needed in my "Work Office" came home to to live in my "Home Office". It was the first time I really saw the limits of space & time . I purged my hords of magazines, and loose paper, college text books & binders, all sort of stuff I had been hanging onto and collecting for years!

Once I felt organized and productive, a dear friend needed a hand transitioning her life. We packed up her life into 2 10x10 storage "PODS" for the move halfway across the country...all her left over old "stuff" became my new "stuff". Wow... I was paralyzed by "stuff" again.

With all sorts of new cool paper craft supplies generously gifted to me by my DF and one of her DFs, I didn't know what to do or where to begin.

Another DF hearing my situation revealed she struggled with her own horded sewing and painting supplies. She suggested we start meeting once a month to work on finishing projects that we had started. The only rule...no buying new stuff!!! This really caught on and we have invited others to join us & share, borrow, create with the stuff we already have.

This was the inspiration for my big breakthrough resolution. I found that the limits really freed my creativity. I didn't worry or stress out. I learned how to work with a new medium...paper, glue sticks, stickers, rub ons, rubber stamps, ink and so much more...wow!!! My dear granny and friends that live far away all get one of a kind cards in the mail on a regular basis.

Limits no longer were my nemisis but my strongest alli! So I started limiting my eating, shopping, spending. Recycling and Freecycling joined into my new lifestyle. Soon after that, I no longer had a steady income, so anything that wasn't an absolute necessity was not purchased. I borrowed, traded, or did without. If there was a free way to get what I needed I managed to find it.

I discovered "the Compact" a kookie, frugal, post hippy user group that urges its members to live my lifestyle! I am living "Compact" and I am crafting "Compact" and now I am keeping track of what I have done within my limits.

My latest discovery is the Sketch Blog Mojo Monday...this is why I had to start blogging...so I can link-up! Hello Mr. Linky!!!

Let's see where this road will take me!