Konmari progress............

Don't worry...I won't blog about this over the weekend....I take weekends off! LOL!  But I did work on it today and my clothes are back in the closet.....this is the left side of the closet....

Here's the right side..........with lots of space in between!

Granted there is still a basket full of ironing but all the clothes are done for the closet...a good ending point for the weekend.............

I have 2 baskets for dirty clothes but they take up so much floor space I am looking at a rolling hamper or laundry sorter that I could wheel to the other end of the house where the laundry room is.  Any suggestions?  My Birkies are my 'house slippers'.
Here's the thrift store donations.........although there are some clothes on hangers too........

  So next week will be some more shoes and the drawers.  I've also been looking at the little boxes Marie Kondo uses in the drawers.....you can get them for $90......are they nuts?  $90 for cardboard boxes that will sit in a drawer that no one will see?  I'm sorry but that seems a bit over the top and a waste of good money to me.  Wait until you see what I'm going to use....lol! 
I did work on Ben's hat again....I'm about halfway done with the brim.  I also forgot to show you this....
A cover for pot handles.....I joined Our Happy CAL Place, a group on Ravelry, where they have a weekly and a monthly CAL.   I have wanted to make these for a while now and it was a free pattern and takes very little time or yarn.  I'll be making more of these like the dish cloths and the scrubbies!

I did some laundry and vacuum sealed chicken tenders, breasts, and thighs for the freezer.  We were supposed to get snow from all the blue on the radar map but all we've had is rain.....just so it doesn't freeze!  That's what takes the power out.
I think that's all the news that's fit to print.  What are you all up to this weekend?  Today is Fall Friday for my cross stitch so I'll be working on that this evening after supper.
Happy Trails!!!

Konmari Method Step #1

Okay, this is not a 1 day venture...just so you know.  It takes most couples 6-8 weeks and I am giving myself 3 months so I can hopefully put the house up for sale come Spring.  That being said.....actually the clothes will be one of the easier categories for me as I am not a clothes horse.  I  used to have nice clothes for my corporate job but that was years ago and when I was slim.  I was going to sell them to Thred Up but I've heard bad reviews so they will go to the local thrift stores.
You're supposed to take everything out of your closets and drawers and pile it on a bed (I used the guest bed as I wanted to be able to crawl into mine tonight.  I don't dress up at all...I don't go to weddings or funerals so I have no need for any 'nice' outfits or shoes BUT...I have a son who keeps talking like he might get married and I would hate to have to go out and buy everything new.  The clothes I'll get rid of as they don't fit anymore but the shoes.........ahhh....I did love a great pair of shoes!
Here' s the pile so far and I have not emptied the drawers yet.....

 Someone said to take pictures of those items you can't part with but that you will never wear again....I wish I would have known that sooner as the black cocktail dress that went with these shoes was a stunner!  Ahh....those were the days!

I think I got my love of shoes from my Aunt Alice.....she had a closet full and she would let my cousin and I play with all of them.......she had no children so she really spoiled us big time! 
These were the shoes I wore to my daughter's wedding..........no more heels for me after I got RA!

But the hat was killer............

I wore a beautiful hot pink silk Liz Claiborn outfit with flowery black organza blouse and hot pink silk jacket with matching skirt and there were slacks to match that I bought also but I wore the skirt, I think.....not sure as it was a long time ago! LOL!
But at least I have pictures now.  I'll keep the low heels in case there's another wedding and the hats.
But I got rid of a bag of shoes and purses.........there will be more as this is just the first day........it's a start..........

I did not throw my ironed blouses on that pile...evidently I must be the only person on the planet who irons but I like cotton blouses and I like them ironed along with my pillowcases.....here's my closet after Day #1............I still have to go through those clothes on the bed tomorrow.

I ended up with all these containers.....they'll be going to the crafts room where they will get used for sure!

I did take breaks and worked on my son, Benjamin's Chicago Bear's hat to match his jacket.  I got the yarn from Knit Picks and it is so soft and new needles, wooden ones called Sun Struck.....love them too!   The pattern is called Bankhead and it's on Ravelry.  It's the first time I am using this pattern and so far so good!

I hope you had a productive and satisfying day.....I feel good about mine.
Happy Trails!!!
   

Treasures, birthday and fiber optic!

I didn't blog yesterday and I had planned on it but you know what they say about the best laid plans...lol!
It all ended well though...first there was a meeting in town about our local electric coop putting in fiber optic...I left home at 11:00 a.m. and didn't get back until 1:30.  It could save me some money and I would have unlimited long distance calling. T.V. would be extra but the t.v. wouldn't go out every time it rained like satellite.  Not sure I need the t.v. as I'm pretty happy with what I have for $5.00 a month....Roku and CBS All Access and Netflix(gift).
After that, I came home and there was a package for me!  From my daughter and her family for my birthday..........look at this beauty!  I have been wanting one of these pans for awhile now..........

Isn't she gorgeous?  I washed it and made my Frito casserole in it last night!
I also got a birthday card from Diane at Lavender Dreams............it said it was for a Princess....can you be a princess at my age? LOL!  I'll take it Diane and thank you so much for thinking of me.

 After the package opening I went to check on Nitty (who has never gone out of her yard since she was a puppy).....she and Annie are trained not to but I do check on them and this time I couldn't find Nitty.  I called and went around the house twice.   The propane guy stopped his truck and said he saw her down the street quite a ways.  I ran for a little bit but I am out of shape and old so I slowed down and kept calling her but I couldn't see her anywhere.  I got to the corner and looked towards the lake and up the other way and no sign of her.  I thought I would go back home and get the truck and go looking.  I told the propane guy she never leaves her yard without me and he said she looked disoriented like she wasn't sure where she was or how to get home.  As I walked towards home there she was!  I was so happy she was alright.  We walked home together but she kept stopping and looking back....I'm not sure what was going on in her mind but she seems fine today and I am keeping a close eye on her!  It's hard as they can't tell you what's bothering them. She's over 14 years old so who knows.  After that I was exhausted and was laying in bed later when I remembered I hadn't blogged!  Mercy!
So today, I went to Walmart and got lots because I hadn't been since before Christmas which of course wore me out again...lol!  But it's all in the house and mostly all put away and look what came in the mail today!  I got my yarn for Ben's Bear's hat and some Blueberry speckled yarn for the Blueberry Waffle socks (free pattern on Ravelry) I want to make!  I'll start the hat tonight as his birthday is the 18th...so I had better hustle!  I hope your days have been peaceful and you aren't as tired as me! LOL!

 Happy Trails!!!
P.S.  I'll try and catch up with everyone tomorrow inbetween my first day of The Konmari Method of 'tidying up'....it's clothes!  Stay tuned to this mini-series of my journey using her method.  Scary committment but it's time.  Say a prayer I don't fail or get overwhelmed.

Guess what I made today..............

Salted caramel corn...........yummmmm.  I've been wanting to make this for awhile and finally the stars aligned with the heavens and it happened! 

Here's the link for the recipe from The Chew...It's easy and fast but I seemed to dirty a lot of items in my kitchen which will have to go in the dishwasher.....caramel is messy but oh so good!
I hope you had a great Monday!
Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #28

Finishes:
1) the 2018 Collectible Ornaments are finished..........

WIPs (works in progress):

1)  Still working on refilling my gift basket with dish cloths and scrubbies.  I have used all the scrubbie yarn so I think that will be enough for now.  I'll check how many washcloths I have.  I definitely have dish cloth yarn.  I still need to weave in the ends which will be done today while I watch football.............I think I will set a goal for 10 scrubbies and 10 washcloths on hand at all times then maybe I'll do cowls.

 I also finished the cowl..........but it needs to be 'connected' and ends woven in....again during the game today...........

1)  C2C Blanket - I finally put in a progress keeper so you can see how much I've done from week to week and I can too!  I need to remember to move it today...........

Acquisitions: None of my orders have come in yet so I have nothing to show you.  But I have spent time thinking about my Top Ten WIP's that were stuffed away when gift making season arrived.  I have more than 10 but it gets too overwhelming so I will just list the top 10.
So for now here they are:

TOP 10 WIP's:
1)  Falling Leaves scarf
2)  Pickle Dish
3)  America x-stitch
4)  Amy's Frido Kahlo basket (July birthday)
5)  Pin's embroidery
6)  Heart bookmark for V-Day
7)  Toe-up socks
8)  Scrubbies
9)  Christmas cowl
10. C2C blanket for Grayson (July birthday) 

NEW STARTS:
1)  There will be one for Ben's birthday (this January) once the yarn arrives!
2)  I also ordered a big cross stitch project called A Year in Hawk Run Hollow which I will separate into months and each month will be an individual cross stitch.....here's a picture..........LOVE!!!

 Finishes so far in 2018-19: 
1.  4th of July cross stitch pillow/ornie
2.  Hitchhiker shawl
3.  Felici Hibiscus self-striping socks
4.  Felted wool loafer slippers with leather soles for me Sam
5.  washcloth (extra large) and back scrubber for Christmas or birthday for SIL
6.   Iowa Hawkeye hats for Sam and Grayson
7.  Techniques learned so far this year: a) knit cast on, b) reading a knitting chart, c) lace work, d) inserting and using a lifeline e) charting a graphghan
8.   dishcloth(s)...I need to count them
9. Cubs hat for Uriah
10. 12 days of Christmas Advent gifts
11. Cowl for Ben
12. Cowl for Tracy
13. Cowl for Natalie
14.  # 2018 Collectible ornaments for the grands

I have also started watching Tidying Up on Netflix about the Konmari method of de-cluttering and organizing.  I also remembered I have the book!  I think someone is trying to tell me something.  It will be the priority this year for sure.  I made a good start last year and need to get back to it!  I still haven't chosen a word this year but maybe it will be ORGANIZE.  Plus, there's also chosing the first book of 2019 and that will be the book by Marie Kondo titled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I also read Death Cleaning which at my age is no joke and very motivating! LOL!

 Please stop by and see all the other fantastic projects that other  YOP'ers are working on.
Happy Trails!!!