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Archive through July 07, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions: 2004 Aug - Oct: TVCH's Home & Life Organization (ARCHIVES): Archive through July 07, 2004 users admin

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Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 5:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh, yes, Vee, LK is the queen of altered books! I'm glad my description triggered a light-bulb in your head. I used to have my stuff in one of those dividers that was cardboard, but I gave it up for the one that's more like wood--I think it would be too heavy to hang without some really big toggle bolts, but maybe your walls, LK, are tougher than mine.

I don't have anything like a chifferobe in my craft room, but my desk has shelves--the larger segment has doors on the shelves and one large cabinet inside so I have boxes kind of like yours, LK, there. I've got 3-D stuff too, and when I cut items for a project I often cut extras and store them in little plastic boxes so that the next time I want to make something similar I have the pieces ready to go.

Everybody knows from back aways that I still think this area has too much in it, but I've done the best I can. Nothing's on the floor and nothing is hanging out of a shelf or a closet. I managed to declutter some hall closets to the point that I could put a table loom, assembled and working, on a big shelf there; I can pull it out when--I refuse to say "if"--I can find the time to weave some.

All in all, I'm happy with the results of my decluttering/redecorating over the past few months. However, Purple, I have a serger that I'd probably use if 1. I could get a new one of those "poles" that sticks up in the air and the thread threads through them--if that's clear?--and 2. if I had an instruction book. Those things got lost in a move many years ago so a perfectly good serger is sitting on a shelf that I'm not using because I don't remember how to thread it--I'd barely gotten it when the pieces got lost--and I don't think it's usable without the pole. I sew pretty often, and I can overcast with an attachment on my machine, but the serger would be better.

And, LK, are the shelves you were working on finished? And are they--or will they soon be--all that you hoped for?

Purplecow
Member

12-08-2003

Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 5:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We were in Wilmington, Luv. Had dinner Monday night at a wonderful restaurant right on the ocean.

DH came with me. House was clean because I left it that way! DD met us there. Brought my 7th grandchild, due on Christmas! smiley baby

Spinner, you might be able to replace the missing part for your serger. What brand is it? I have a Baby Lock Evolve, which has a cover stitch and a chain stitch in addition to the overlock stitches. DD received my hand-me-down Baby Lock Imagine, almost the same but without the extra stitch types. Both have air threading and automatic tensions and are very easy to use. I spent years fighting with my old serger, paid my dues to deserve this Cadillac. One of the percs of my business is that I'm able to purchase machines at cost and sometimes companies even give them to me! If only I had the time to use them!

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 11:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks for the compliment, Spinner, but I am merely a novice in altered books.

As for my walls: Studs are wonderful things, but I still take a deep breath regularly.

The desk sounds like a wonderful thing. I have to use the dining room table. I rearranged the table so I could have a smidge more room. If it weren't for my walls, I would have less space than I do. I may end up putting shelves out there also--just so I have better storage possibilities. I mean, the chifferobe is nice and I would hate to get rid of it, but I would have more storage with floor-to-ceiling shelves.

I'm going to work out a way to rearrange the dining room to put 3' wide shelves on the wall. I'm also going to look into the convertible table that raises from coffee table height to dinner table height.

I'm glad you've made room for the table loom. In some respects, I SOOOOO want a room of my own, instead of a 5' wide x 4' deep area.

The shelves will be finished next week, after our next check comes in--I cannot wait. They are already helping me keep things straightened up.

Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 2:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I agree, LK, shelves are wonderful things. Isn't that what walls are for--something to put shelves on or against? And of course you want a room of your own--doesn't every hobbyist? It's not too much to ask!

When our kids were little and thus there were no spare bedrooms (they're both grown, with own families now, thus 2 spare bedrooms) I used a closet as "mine" for a workspace. It was the traditional sliding-door closet, but my whole sewing table fit in it and with one door slid open, I could sit just outside the closet and work--a little cramped at the elbows, but better than having to drag stuff out to the table. And I could close the doors when I was done and leave stuff out on the sewing table in the closet. Might you have such a closet that you could free up--even if the top of it had to go to other stuff?

Or can you screen off or mark off in some way your craft area so other stuff won't creep in on it? 4' x 5' is not bad, if nobody else's stuff gets in there.

I've seen those convertible tables--Sharper Image, I think, but very pricey. Let me know what you find. And I see what you mean with the chifferobe--I'm sure that shelves would be more practical. But doesn't the chifferobe have doors on it? I think, in a craft area, doors over the shelves are marvelous things.

I am sorry that you do not live near an Ikea. Wonderful stuff, often very cheap, and a crafter's dream store for organization and storage. Many of their shelving units have optional doors that can be put on and there are bookcases/shelves in all prices. The online catalog does not do it justice.

Purple, thanks for the encouragement about the serger--I'll need to go look and see what brand it is exactly, but I think it's a Baby Lock also but it's at least 15 years old. Very small; has a plastic (well-dusted with a Fly duster!) cover on it but past that I don't remember. I'll go look tomorrow; it's not where I am right now.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 4:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
A separate craft room is every crafter's dream, isn't it? I like both ideas that I've read here: the chifferobe sounds great because everything can be out of sight and the closet idea sounds good as well for the same reason.

Once when I had very little room for a craft area and I didn't want to tie up the only table, I angled my sofa in such a way that I could put a desk and my stuff behind it. Then I had a little nook and I didn't have to keep clearing it away for every meal, which was far less frustrating.

Still wondering about the altered books...

Thanks for explaining, Purple. I knew there had to be a good reason for that house being clean when you arrived home. How exciting to be waiting for a Christmas grandbaby!

Happy holiday, everyone! flag

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Monday, July 05, 2004 - 7:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hope everyone had a good 4th. With all that activity in your places you deserved one.

Yay, Purple is back!!! Glad you had fun instead of being stuck somewhere in your garage as we feared. Congrats on the grandbaby! That'll make one heck of a present under your tree.

Spinner, hope that lot cleared the conference on time for you to enjoy the rest of your weekend. Did you have bouncers on stand-by?

DH is in the process of hanging up his pewter collection shelves which have been sitting in the basement ever since we moved here (13 years ago).LOL I am doing laundry, expanding the waist of a pair of pants I'd like to wear this summer. (It is strangling me like a boa at the moment), ordering meds for the next few months to take with us, prepaying bills, etc. etc. etc. I hate getting ready for long-term travel, so much to do and no matter how good your list is something always gets forgotten. ACK!!! So no need to send out the cavalry if you don't see me around much this week.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Monday, July 05, 2004 - 1:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I had a good holiday (check out Facts About You thread).

Tomorrow, tho, I need to haul butt on the house.

Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Monday, July 05, 2004 - 5:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lumbele, the Presbyterians were absolutely out of the conference hall on time--actually, an hour early since the "lease" is up at noon and it's tres expensive to still be there. Plus, I'm sure whoever is the convention group for the city's convention center for the following week is probably standing there, boxes in hand, wanting to start setting up! Weekend has been great. I'm back to working on painting that bathroom, an hour at a time. <G>

Purple, my serger is called a BabyLok 3-318.

LK, I'm on my way over to the Facts thread to see what you've been up to!

This next week is Lumbele's week to be out of our loop. Check in when you can!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 5:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Spinner, glad to hear that everything went well with the conference. By the way, I left you a message here and I hope that it is okay with you. That should spark some curiosity!

"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought her back." Satisfaction was what I got by following Lk's bread crumbs. Found out about Altered Books and a whole new world is opening before me!

This morning I am dressed, but does it count if one never undressed? Probably not!

Today, I am working in the kitchen again. I am rethinking our need for 9 cookie sheets, etc. I am also thinking that one of those cookie sheets would work well in the stamping for embossing stuff. Our wooden work station might not do so well being blasted by the heat gun.

Hope you all are having a terrific Tuesday.

Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 6:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Vee--I sent you a message. You never undressed? I've done that!

You probably need 9 cookie sheets if you like to do press-gun cookies. When I do those I like to press them all out at once and then have the next sheets ready to go into the oven. Cookie sheets used to take up so much of my cupboard space until I realized that they stood up nicely in the under-sink space, so now I have them there, against one wall and supported on the other side with a metal bookend.

My heat gun hasn't hurt my wooden desk any--at least not yet! But I keep my most frequently-used embossing powder (clear) in an old acrylic 9 x912 picture frame so I can hold the item over the tray and scoop some powder over it, tap the excess back into the tray, and hold the item over the tray while I turn the heat gun over it. None of that has been too much for the heat gun, except sometimes it's a bit much for my fingers!

Vee, tell us when you can what you're going to do with your new Altered Books knowledge!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 7:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am going to use my book titled Just Another Word as a collection for my favorite quotes, stamping and decorating as I go. Lk had another idea for it, which you can check out in my folder.
Do you do altered books as well, Spinner?

Don't do press-gun cookies, probably won't do cookies of any kind very often now that I am in full swing with Dr.Phil. I didn't make whoopie pies for the 4th either. Somehow I was able to snap myself out of it and settle for watermelon and grapes instead...sigh.



Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 2:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Great idea for the altered book, Vee! I will check out the folder. I know a little about altered books, have seen some that I would have practically killed for--even the instructions would have satisfied me--at a restaurant in a tiny town called Williamsburg Kentucky (no, not Virginia!) that is all book-themed. Someday . . .

When I do press cookies they're always to take someplace so somebody else can eat them; with press cookies you're not tempted to keep sampling the dough as you spoon them out on the sheets. I don't do Dr. Phil (great ideas he has, though) but I do "Superfoods" and unfortunately, there's not a cookie on the superfoods list. From what I can tell, listening to Dr. Phil, they're not on his list either! Pity.

I hope you'll share some of your favorite quotes.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 3:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I posted some pictures of the emBODYment journal I worked on today.

I will be able to work on the house tomorrow. I have decided to DEFINITELY invest in shelves for the craft area, so I'll be rearranging things to determine how much room I have.

I figure the shelves are not a wasted expense, as wherever we move, we'll be able to use them. I'm trying to stay with consistent sizes. For example, the planned count is:
60": 03 shelves (in DR for books)
48": 10 shelves (6 in office/4 in bedroom)
36": 16 shelves (6 in office/4 in bedroom/6 in craft area)
30": 03 shelves (spare from 60")

The only ones I see as potential problems are the 60", but they can be cut into 30" and then, viola, problem solved. If I may create an area of my own, I'll have my bookshelves, my craft shelves, chifferobe, and altar to arrange. I can make a very pleasant area. myicon

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 7:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lk, I kept waiting for your pics to come up in the Hobby Corner, but they didn't...could be this computer of mine. I felt as if I was being cheated after reading the descriptions. Luv was able to see them, so I was jealous. Have been visiting a number of stamping sites and often they have work space pictures. Now I am really green with envy! It's amazing the space that some folks have carved out for themselves. Hope that you get just what you envision for yourself, too.

Spinner, I love a good quote, which is why I have posted often here: A Quote to Live By. I believe there is another thread of quotes around the Clubhouse somewhere as well, perhaps two more.

No cookies today, but I did have a delicious strawberry shortcake...picked the strawberries myself fresh this morning.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 7:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well that wasn't an accurate quote, but it'll get you there!

Spinner
Member

10-27-2003

Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 9:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee, I love that thread--the quotes one. I'll at least lurk there until something comes to mind that isn't there already--many of my favorites are there already. Some of my favorites are (ahem!) Bible verses that I live by, and I suspect those might not go over as well in a general audience, so I'll use those in other more appropriate places.

We have strawberries too! And the first tomatoes, and string beans. And several areas of bare dirt where I never got around to planting anything this year. Meant to! Just never did. (But I decluttered more than usual!)

I agree, LK, that shelving is always useful and a good investment. When I need shelves or wooden anythings, I ask Home Depot to cut it to size for me; I could do it at home but they'll do it better. What kind of brackets are holding these shelves up? Different kinds in different places? I confess I haven't been to your photos yet; I will.

ETA: just where are these photos, LK? somehow I missed that part. <G>

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 7:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Good morning, Flybabies! Wonder what a few of you are up to lately...clears throat...like Lumbele, Purple (wait, Purple is off on a business trip, I think), Landi, anybody else?

I see FlyLady has been issuing a few pep talks lately. Must be some dissension in the ranks. I know there's some dissension in my ranks. My sis likes to dish out some good-natured(?) teasing about what she calls my "sink obsession." Maybe I'll have to take a step back and see if I am possessed, I mean obsessed.

I haven't written down my rountine, yet, and it strikes me that that would be a very good thing, although you-know-who is going to be a wee bit critical. I'll just have to be careful to never say anything like, "We can't go out to dinner and a movie because there's laundry to be done!"

Have a happy day and, if it didn't start happy, check out today's Tess'Tales because that will set you right for several hours at least.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 7:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Where is my Proofraeder when I need one?!

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 7:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
On perpetual vacation just like mine, Vee.LOL
Still finishing up this and that before we leave. Nothing major.
DH set up the old kitchen cabinets that we lost on the now new side, in the garage and I stuffed it with all that extra stuff even the new kitchen couldn't hold. Lawd, I got way too much.
Garage looks more presentable, but still not able to hold an actual car. It'll have to keep till fall when we come back. But then it's nose to the grindstone.
Pewter collection is in place. Awwwww, it's the little successes we gotta celebrate.
Vee, let that non-believer have her fun. As long as "flying" works for you. And what's wrong with a shiny sink anyway?
Should you ever, against all expectations, go over to the dark side, refusing yourself well deserved fun because of a few pieces of laundry, I promise to cure you with a well aimed cyber kick. Hope that eases your fears.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 8:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lum, you're going away until fall? Are you going to a vacation home or are you going away on business? Will you ever be able to check in? How will I get that cyber kick when I need one...you know...like the one you delivered yesterday?

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 9:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL, going to take care of things for my mum for a while, Vee. No access to the net though. You'll just have to swallow that bitter pill and behave until I get back, unless someone else around here volunteers to keep an eye on you.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 6:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: The pep talks are because FL is going back to basics. So, a lot of the email are the letters you get when you first join.

The routine should NEVER stop you from going to dinner and a movie. You just spend your Zone time earlier in the day, or after you come home. For example, we aren't supposed to run heavy machinery (DW, W/D) between 11A and 7PM, so, in your scenario, since I would not be able to sleep after just walking in the door, I would do a quick load before turning in and then fold it in the AM (assuming it was later than 11PM).

I'm willing to kick your tail, Vee. kickbutt.

Spinner: The shelf supports are the double wide-ones. I feel secure with them. I'm having Home Depot cut them also. The Altered pictures can be found here.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 6:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
the missing image: kickbutt

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 8:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Gee, thanks, Lk, I'll bet you are!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 8:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post