Purge 1: Craft Room/Office

Last Sunday I (with Jeff's help) began the process of tackling the craft room.  I needed to place to focus, but my room had become a haven of odds and ends, cast onto whatever surface would hold them as a result of "picking up" elsewhere in the house.  Good for company, not good for living.

So I made a game plan in my head.  Yarn would go in the plastic dressers Cyndall had given me.  Soap- and candle-making supplies would be condensed into one clear, shoe box-sized container each.  Papers would be tossed or filed accordingly.  Books would be put back on the shelf.  The wire organizer would be dismantled and reassembled on the other side of the room.  My laptop would go back on my make-shift desk (a folding craft table) and my electronic gizmos would finally get a permanent home in a wire cubby.

Surprisingly, the cats didn't even offer their assistance.

I am proud to say that with Jeff's help, all that was accomplished and more!

I had a bin of miscellaneous crafting and decorative bits that haven't been used in nearly ten years.  Some things, in particular, plastic floral pieces purchased on sale at Michael's or Joann Crafts, had been accumulated and just stuffed into this bin.  Ninety percent of it was tossed (two large garbage bags full).  I wish I freecycled it but I wasn't thinking.  I was just desperate to reclaim my space.  A lot of the flowers and foliage I wanted to save, but I fought against it.  While pretty, fake flowers and plants harbor a lot of dust.  Not good with a house full of allergy-prone people.  And besides they don't really add any value to my life.  If I want flowers, I will grow cutting flowers or pick up discounted bouquets at the grocer's.  If I want plants, I'll pot real ones and hope Amber-cat doesn't eat them all.

I did find several grommet kits I plan to give to one of my friends active in Renaissance faires (they are essential for corsets and doublets).  I also have some pretty, decorative candles I have absolutely no use for that I plan on giving away to friends.  As far all the yarn?  I'm going to begin working on smaller crafts, particularly baby and toddler items to start thinning out the tangled herd.

It's much more peaceful in my office now.  I moved my laptop there and have been spending a lot more time in my office, getting lots more accomplished.  There is still a bit to be done, much left to liberate myself of, and I'm thinking of splurging on some pretty paint color before I move much more against the walls.

This weekend's activities will likely be more mellow.  I have a couple bins still full of fabric and remnants I need to sort through, including tons of old T-shirts I love that I want to repurpose.  Such a project will be much more difficult because it will require focus and patience rather than stuffing everything into garbage bags for recycling.  Hopefully I'll have more pictures to share (I know! I'm really terrible about that!).