My TO DO List for You

Hi friends. I have an awful lot of stuff to catch you up on, but I've been lying a bit low lately and am determined to get this house and my garage organized. Less than 4 years ago, I was living in a 5000 sf house, then moved to 3000 sf, to 2000 sf and now to 1410 sf. It's been hard. So, what I need to catch you up on and do for you is:

1. Explain Sale-A-Bration and the benefits of signing up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and joining my Creative Stampers Team. I have a fabulous upline and an awesome downline, and we have a lot of fun!

2. Edit a few project videos and a video on stamp storage with Papertrey Ink stamps and dies. I am a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and while I use their products on about 80% of my cards, I do enjoy other stamp company's products. However, there is always something Stampin' Up! on every single one of my cards. I call it equal opportunity stamping.

Be on the lookout for my eBay auctions starting next week. I need to scale WAY back. Between daddy's house in Chico and my house in the Bay Area, I had 2 sets of consumables from every single stamp company out there. That's a lot of stuff and one set has to go, i.e., 2 sets of everything Tim Holtz, and I do mean everything. Everything is priced to sale and please do not ask me to change what I have listed in an auction. I always do very well on my descriptions and putting auctions packages together and my 100% feedback and over 1500 sales prove this. I am hoping to put up at least 10 new auctions daily. It's easy and that is my goal, and I do believe it is one I will meet and will strive to meet as it's part of my minimization process. As all of you know, I am going through a divorce that doesn't seem to have an end to it and will be using my eBay money for attorney's fees rather than liquidate large assets. If you are in the Northern California area, I do have a packed storage unit that is the largest possible that I will also be selling the contents of. I am legally entitled to do this to pay for attorney's fees and I'm doing it. Chances are, if you need it, I have it. I had a family of 6 with myself, my husband and 4 kids. I do not have any baby items. The contents are a tremendous amount of quality furniture, kitchen and home decor. I also have some beautiful antiques that I purchased while living in New York for 15 years. And craft room furniture, Martha Stewart, a lot of that in white. I am very much looking forward to scaling back.

3. I'm really focusing on making my house a home as explained above because it's driving me nuts. If my house is disorganized, I feel like my entire life is out of control. I'm neurotic like that and I've accepted my issues and have moved on. It's just who I am and I'm okay with it.

4. There will be videos of having my craft room built and put together. My daddy had put a beautiful library type of craft corner in a section of my living room as Pete and I were supposed to retire here and the premise was that Pete could watch his History Channel and I could be doing my thing, and we'd still be in the same room together. Since that is not an option anymore, I can't justify daddy dumping "the beast" that daddy spent 12 grand on or moving it to another room. I've decided to turn it into my entertainment center to house my videos and craft supplies as needed. It will work out just fine and I will love having a real living room again because it's always in my face right now and I need to be able to close the door on this stuff.

5. The new craft room is the spare bedroom and I have an industrial chic vibe to it which is very cool. I can't wait to show you pictures! I have friends with trucks and other guys coming over tomorrow to make all of the above happen for me. I purchased a Chef's rack for $49 from Lowe's, like the kind you see in a restaurant kitchen, that will house a lot of items in beautiful baskets. The spare room is small, so I took off the closet doors and additional shelving will be built inside the closet. One of the hall closet houses all of my stamps but Stampin' Up!, My Favorite Things and Papertrey Ink. I have another hall closet that has my Our Daily Bread Designs, Taylored Expressions and Gina K. Designs, along with some Crafter's Companion brand stamps, but they are very disorganized and shelves will be built in there too. I don't need a hall closet for coats for myself or company. I have 2 huge closets in my master bedroom (which is really where I wish I had originally put the craft room since I only sleep in there) that will house all of my clothes and guest coats just fine. When I moved up here, I had been hauling around clothes that I had since I had worked out of the house and gave away 90% of my clothes and just gave away the remaining 8% yesterday. I "work" from home and just don't need all of that stuff. I only use one of my master closets for my clothes. The other one has some jackets and coats in it, but that's it. I even tossed about 90% of my shoes that I will never wear either. It felt really great to donate everything I had to those in need. I didn't donate to thrift stores, but to actual shelters where women can receive what they need for free. That's really important to me. I'm easy to dress. I throw on a dress in the summer and in the winter, it's just Levi's and boots, a cami and a big wrap around sweater. I just don't need all of that stuff! If the need arises for an event, then I will go out and grab something. Right now I need new black boots so I will probably pick up a pair at Famous Footwear since it's the end of the season and they will be on sale. I never wear shoes in the summer so I only have a few pairs of sandals. Scaling back on the shoes was hard because I do have a shoe fetish and definitely a Coach bag problem. I change my purse 4x a year with the seasons. Last year, everything was just bad and I used a white purse for well over a year. I donated that yesterday because I don't want to see it again. Spring is coming so it will be fun to see what the new line will look like. I do get leather because of the durability and resale value if I choose to eBay. Last winter I had a beautiful wine leather bag and this winter, I'm using a beautiful deep purple bag. They are keepers and I will use the wine bag next year. I like jewelry, a lot, but mine is outdated and I need to eBay what I currently have and pick up a few more items. The thing with clothing is that you always get the timeless classic pieces and then update it by accessorizing with scarves and jewelry. Every 5 years or so, you do have to start all over again as clothing cuts have changed, etc., and it's just the nature of the beast. Okay, that was really off topic. Anyhow, onto the next…

6. Be sure to check back regularly. I have so much going on with the house organization and decorating that will be part of an HGTV miniseries. How cool is that??!! They can makeup me and do my hair like you can't believe and I didn't think I could look like I do. So cool. But, as the taping goes on, they make you look more like a real person and more like me with less to no makeup, no contacts and I have to wear my glasses, my hair is just its usual crazy and put up. It's all designed that as the dirtier the project gets and the more in-depth you get into the project, the less you care, are tired, and all of that is true. The leg surgery messed the schedule up but it also provides the drama effect. So right now, it's almost 7 pm and I must start to run my errands and better get out of here before the stores close because I don't know where today went at all. So off to Lowe's, uh, Home Depot (I so blew that) we go!

Now that I realize I really have to go, I did have so much more to say but that will probably be added onto this post at 3 am when I have a crew here at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning and since I didn't get done what I need to do, that means no sleep for Cindy.

I seriously have to run now, so be sure to check back and I should finish up the winner of the Home Depot gift certificate this weekend.

Hugs and blessings!