Giving Myself Permission to be Sad...

I read articles from the Divorce page on the Huffington Post, almost every day.  Some are validating, some are informative, some are petty…but, this one really hit me.  It probably doesn’t make sense because this actually made me feel better.  Saying it’s ok to be incredibly sad and confused for a while.  Know that this sadness I am feeling is mine and no one else is responsible for it.  It just is what it is.

Rachael Harris- The Daily Show

It was still really… I don’t know if you’ve ever been through that, but for me, it was a huge transition. It was really painful. I had conflicting feelings about it. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I still loved my husband tremendously," Harris said, adding that she found Linda's realization that she was living alone especially relatable:

When I went back to my house, and the house was completely empty -- I had moved out when my husband figured out what he was going to do, and then I moved back into the house, and everything of his was gone -- there’s a moment in the film when Linda goes back to the house and she’s brushing her teeth. And that moment when -- she has a double-sink -- she has to turn the other sink on to feel okay, I completely related to that. That floored me. There’s this quiet emptiness that is awful.

Keep It In the Pantry

Why do I have so much food in my Pantry? It's just me...and picky McPicky eater! I come by it honestly (remember my Noni's Pantry)?  But, things need to change. I started by organizing my cupboards.

Operation: STOP buying food and "whip up dinner out of what you have" has begun.

Stay tuned for posts with the impromptu "recipes" if they taste good!

Braised Brussels Sprouts

I have a new love of greens, green-greens! I will post some more of my recent dishes (black bean soup with Mustard Greens, Brussels Sprouted green leaves with spinach)  Before anyone disses me about these, they are just little cabbages, people! If you like cabbage, you like Brussels Sprouts!! The Dijon mustard glaze at the end is what makes it a second helping dish.

See the full recipe HERE

List Cont.

1. food that I won't eat within the next 7 days while I am at the store
2. shorts- I got them all out last night to take inventory of what fits and what I could donate and I have PLENTY of shorts....even though I am always keeping my eye out for the perfect pair of sexy jean shorts.  I'm 39, repeat that 39 turning 40!  Sexy jean shorts are for young girls.
3. earring
4. swim suits- I have effectively replaced the suits that were DEMOLISHED by my Grand Canyon trip
5. any booking, baking or kitchen equipment

Lists

March is for purging and April will be focused living in my budget for a few months.  Crossing my fingers that something big doesn't come along that will cost me a lot of unexpected dollars or time off from work.  I have to remind myself why I don't have time (or play money) saved up at work right now....an amazing 8 day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.  The trip of a lifetime is going to have to keep on giving for a while!  So, I have decided that I need to keep a list of things I think that I "want" or "need" and actively chose to go without them.  Here's a start

1. 2 more chairs for my dinning room table (we don't even eat there)
2. shoes (I have plenty)
3. running shorts/workout clothes (more than plenty)
4. Trains or toys for Trevor (he has plenty)
5. purses (I broke my resolution but that doesn't mean I need to keep breaking it)
6. nail polish (I have at least 20- 3 of which are Chanel- and I hardly ever paint my nails)
7. more to come....

Decuttering March

I got started a little early with Project Simplify, the first week is the Kid's room and I got after it!!  It is particularly obvious that we have way too much stuff since Trevor's birthday is one month after Christmas.

Of course, I did do this while he was not at home.  He was actually super excited at his clean and newly organized room.  I made sure to display some things that he had forgotten about and he loved seeing those when he walked in.  He is accustomed to me cleaning and organizing, so that wasn't a shock.  He asked me "Mommy, why did you put all my trains on the shelf?", I responded "well, when your trains are all over the place and a mess it makes Mommy crazy".  He said "when you put my trains on the shelf it makes ME crazy"!  Such a funny moment for both of us.

I started with toys. Duplicates of toys (we had 3 sets of tools, 2 wooden trains etc). Then, I moved to the bookshelf and took out all the baby books (save his first few favorite books). The easiest were the bins of Happy Meal and birthday party favors. Worthless!

I have kept a box of infant, non choking hazard toys in the guest room closet since I still have friends with infants. One of the benefits of being totally on board with having one child is that you can purge without thinking you might need it later!

I took all of our declutter project items to the Genesis Women's Shelter Thrift Store in Dallas.

Meme's are everywhere...

but it doesn't make them less funny!

Craft Table Saga!

The lighting on my craft table tutorial pics are not great. I need to replace them this weekend!

Re-Use!

If you go to any Starbucks that follows Starbucks procedure for a Venti hot tea you know that you get:
- double cup ('cause that sh*t is hot!)
- 2 tea bags (which are pretty strong)
This will cost you between $2-3.

Ask for the bags left outside the cup. Use 1 and put the cup aside on your desk when you are done. Trade out the old inner cup with the clean outer cup and make yourself another tea later in the day...or the next day for that matter.

Ps. Don't wash the first cup, it can only take so much. Just dry it out with a tissue.

Craft Table Bliss!

I finally have a HUGE workspace for sewing, cutting, crafting and storage!
It is missing the bins from the top shelves but they are perpetually out of stock at IKEA- I couldn't wait to post anymore!! 
Materials Cost = $190.00 (shelves, plywood, cutting mat, hardware)

Are you really going to sew...standing up?  Yes Ma'am (or Sir)...for most quick craft things that is easy peasy
If I needed to do a big project I could move out to the dining room table
I  am much happier with a tall table to stand at than a table I can sit at...
and it keeps projects farther from my precious 3 year old's little mitts!!


The extra large cutting mat means that my entire workspace is indestructible...almost!

The size of my new workspace- never has to be cleared away! 

The size of my old workspace at the dining table

2 more things that don't need to be put away anymore

Now- lets get down to how and how much??

Tons of storage...IKEA & Home Depot
Green bins- $3 each (IKEA)
White/short bins for top slots- $2 each (IKEA) these are perpetually out of stock but I will get them someday!
Khaki bins- $5 for 3 clearance (Home Depot)

Rectangular Drawer organizers- already had them so I am not sure how much they are, but they are cheap (IKEA)
This is on the inside/underneath the table since the Khaki bins don't fit the entire length of the bottom

IKEA Trofast Frame (kids section) $39.99 each
IKEA Trofast Wall Unit (kids section) $24.99 each
The wall unit is 1/2 the width of the shelves but it creates a nice extra flat shelf for freezer paper/bolts of fabric

Home Depot- Cabinet Grade Plywood On Sale- $23 per sheet cut down to 39X60 (free since first 2 cuts are free)
A lot of DIY craft table posts on Pinterest use MDF but if the guy at The Home Depot is right:
MDF does not stand up to moisture- at all...any water on it will make it swell
Since this is for crafts as well as sewing, it is possible that it could get wet...
that and my tea getting dumped over on it (it will happen...I am sure!)
Regular Plywood is cheap but it is not smooth and usually already bowing at the store
Spend the extra $5 and get a piece of cabinet grade plywood...say NO to slivers!


How do you make it sturdy?  I am sure there are many ways...but, this was the easiest and cheapest
Home Depot Wood Joiners- in the clamp aisle
*These are sharp (my finger still hurts where I grabbed one on the wrong end)*

Nail 4 on each end to join the cabinet to the wall unit
Use the remainder to secure the plywood to the wall unit
It is sturdy and HEAVY at this point so make sure it is right where you want it before you put it all together
This also takes at least 2 people since the shelves are white laminate and are slippery-
you need someone to sit on it while you join the unit together

2 wood joiners on each end

1 on each end and 3 along the length

The cutting mat is from JoAnn Fabric- It is normally around $80-100 for one this large (38X59)
Keep a look out for deals....I got it for $32.99 on a one day sale
The cutting mat was actually my inspiration to create the table and the reason it is 39X60
It is also what lead me to the Trofast at IKEA...the pieces are exactly 39 inches in length

I also chose to cover the plywood with fabric:
1.  to bring in some color and fun
2. to make it more versatile
3. to save myself time in having to finish and paint it (but you could do that)
4. it acts as a quick pin cushion on the edges of the mat

*if you look real close...my scrapbooking containers are on the floor underneath...
these shelves as a base are not the best option if you are a scrapbooker (which I am not)
since they do not fit in the shelves

And, if you come visit...it's still my guest room and you can have it all to yourself!