Entries Tagged as: declutter

Creative Decorating & De-Cluttering

May 15th, 2008, Comments (4)

The hubster and I are in re-decorating mode. We've been selling, clearing and generally getting rid of things that were cluttering up our apartment while also purchasing some new items and doing some inexpensive re-decorating to make our current abode a more enjoyable place to live. Being in home limbo has made us uninterested in fixing up a place that we don't own, but we do have a great space and it's always more inspiring to be living in a well cared for environment. Plus, I feel my energy boosted up by the opportunity to do some creative decorating!

Last night we had someone pick up the elliptical machine that was taking up so much space in our apartment, was a major eyesore, and neither of us enjoyed using. It would have been a major pain in the bum to move and we got someone to come and take it apart, move it out, and paid us for it. Woohoo! That was the biggest thing to leave. We also got rid of the moldy couch on our porch/balcony and replaced it with some inexpensive patio furniture from Tar-jay. We ate outside last night and it was so nice! I posted an old t.v. table that we'd been using to hold an old stereo system on craigslist. We gave it away for free, but it was so heavy (and ugly), that we were both ecstatic to have someone else (who actually wanted it) come pick it up! Tonight someone is coming to pick up our older stereo. I was holding onto this one because it was a gift from my dad and I've always had trouble with getting rid of gifts (even if they are really old and/or I never use them.) Andrew suggested my super thrifty dad would appreciate the fact that I got some money for it (which is definitely true.) I was also encouraged by earlier posts from Christine Kane about releasing your clutter. We'll soon be releasing some more old items from our space and creating a more open and inviting space to live in. I'm excited about it.

One of the things we've done to spruce up the place is to get a couch cover for our slightly torn up couch. What a huge difference that made!! I have a strong dislike for the throw pillows we have and I'd like to find some new ones, get pillow covers to put over them or if I'm feeling extremely ambitious (since I know close to nothing about sewing) sew some pillow covers. Any suggestions? The couch cover is brown, the rug is deep red and the walls are off-white with dark wood furniture. In the next couple months, I've also got a strong desire to paint our kitchen. It really needs a painting. If it were ours, I'd say it needs to be gutted and re-done completely. But a paint job would make a big difference.

Need some more creative inspiration?

  • Fellow Creative Every Day 2008 participant, Karen has a fantastic d.i.y. post about how to frame your artwork with lots of great pictures!
  • Bread & Honey, a blog by two friends who love food, is chock full of pictures and recipes. Beware, the pictures will make your mouth water. Do not do what I just did and look at it when you're hungry!
  • Are you a book under-liner and quote keeper? If so, you might like the look of this Woodland Reader Kit, found on Cut Out + Keep. I also like the story she shared about the initiative in Tel Aviv to give every baby born there a poetry book. The maker of this kit also sells them on etsy here.
  • Speaking of Etsy, I'm participating in a fun etsy related project tomorrow, so do stay tuned!
  • And if you'd like to see the prints I have available at etsy, here's the link.

Creating Space

April 17th, 2008, Comments (7)

I just took all these purty pictures of the ranunculus flowers in my office and my camera batteries died, so I'll have to share them another time. I just love those flowers though. I got a bunch of them and bunch of yellow tulips. Very spring-tastic. Been drawing away in my art journal, I think I'll go for the canvas or panel soon. Perhaps this weekend. My little brother (we're 16 years apart, so he's only 15 years old!) will be staying with me from Sunday through Friday, so it should be an interesting week. My mom says he's really loved his art classes this year, so perhaps we'll do some art-making together!

In cleaning and clearing my studio space which is also my office and storage space here (we have slim to no closet space), I decided something had to be done about my wedding dress which has stayed in it's bag, folded on a shelf that it doesn't quite fit on (so the cats won't get to it) since my wedding in October. I have no place to store it and I actually thought I'd be selling it from the start. I know some people hang on to their dress in the hopes that a future daughter or family member will wear it or just as an heirloom, but I know from seeing my mom's wedding dress (from her second wedding) that the tastes of mothers and daughters are often quite different!

As much as I'd love to wear my wedding gown around for kicks (I mean, I've never felt so pretty as I did in that dress!), I can't really wear it anywhere else. Plus taking it out would only cover it in cat hair within three seconds. So, I'm going to sell it online. I need to get it cleaned and pressed and then hopefully send it out into the world to a bride who will love it as much as I did. At first when I made the decision to sell it, I felt a little sad, but I know it's the right move.

Andrea asked what I looked like today and you can see the fanciest I've ever looked in some wedding shots (and my super cool wedding cake) that I posted here. And eventually I'll put up some more current (and ordinary) pictures of me sometime soon. It feels good to let go of things that are mentally and literally taking up space. Ahh. 

A Studio in Progress

April 16th, 2008, Comments (6)

The last couple days the spring cleaning bug hit my studio. Wee! I decided to get rid of some of my old crappy plastic drawer units, in which I stored paint and all manner of odds and ends, that were falling apart and replace them with sturdier pieces. The hubster had a small bookshelf that he was throwing out and I found an ikea rolling cart (above) that I've had my eye on on craigslist for half the price (and I so love it!).

Granted, I still have *a lot* of work to do for this space to come together, but it's already feeling more open and inspiring. I rearranged the furniture, so my desk is closer to the window and the center of the room is more open. Ahh, a change as simple as that can make such a difference. I'm totally enjoying my space again. Above you can see part of my bookshelf (which was all organized until I started moving things around again, but it's getting there), my desk, and my inspiration area (it's crept off the inspiration board onto the wall.) Below you can see my mega scanner and the where the light comes in.

The hubster and I are in a bit of weird limbo as to when we'll buy a house, so it's been hard to know how much we wanted to fix up a space that wasn't ours. But I think we've both been feeling that our space, while not our own, can be fixed up a bit to make it a more pleasant place to live. Just a little shift in thinking made a big difference there.

Oh, and I wanted to mention that I everyone at Artfest was super nice! I didn't want anyone to get the wrong impression from my post. My ugly feelings were all my own doing...it stemmed from all those insecurities that can pop up in large groups and such that can throw you for a massive loop. Plus, I just hadn't prepared myself for the intensity of the experience, the sense of overwhelm, and the exhaustion I'd feel. But, on a good note, I did come home full to the brim with inspiration and now that I'm getting my energy back, I can start to put that into practice. Speaking of retreats, this one with Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose in Italy sounds amazing!

Comfort

January 19th, 2008, Comments (10)

Catcloset I keep hearing, reading, and seeing the word, "comfort" everywhere lately. It was on the receipt of my purchase at a bagel shop this morning which was advertising a new sandwich that they called "creative comfort foods." Inspire Me Thursday this week is about moving beyond our comfort zones (and last week was also about comfort). Jen Lemen mentioned finding comfort in her clutter today. And those are just a few examples. Perhaps it is because I am seeking comfort at the moment.

I have clinical depression and the winter can be difficult for me. I've been doing o.k., but this past week has been a bit of a struggle. I have been endlessly exhausted, teary, and low energy. I say this because I know that this is a difficult time for many people and perhaps my words will help someone else who is struggling too. Fortunately, I've been through this enough to know that it will pass. I don't feel hopeless as I might have in the past. The best thing I can do is have compassion for myself, practice good self-care, and keep taking those baby steps forward.

My week at my old job ends tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to a snuggle reunion with the hubster and my kitty meows. (The picture is of my kitties, Sadie and Emma, snuggling on a box in my closet.) I hope that if you are needing some comfort today, you will allow yourself to seek it out, to relax and soak it in.

Creativity Galore

January 14th, 2008, Comments (12)

I'm having so much fun with the CED project this year. I get so excited to see what everyone is up to, the new and wonderful ways you're being creative, and sharing my own creativity. What a great energy to start of the new year with!

We got blasted with snow here in New England. The world is covered in thick, white, fluffy stuff. The power was out most of the day today where I'm staying (at my old job) and I couldn't get home anyways because there's a big tree in our driveway. I feel SO lucky that my car wasn't there last night. A big tree fell right in the spots where my neighbor and I park our cars, both of which happen to be brand new. That would have been devastating - to come out and see my shiny new car crushed! So anyways, the landlord couldn't get any help to remove the tree til tomorrow, so I'll go back to the house for a bit then and then back to my supervising role at the old job.

The power being out wasn't too bad, but it was out for over 5 hours and it was starting to get really cold and it would have been dark shortly, so I'm glad that it has returned. While the power was out, I spent a lot of time reading. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman was excellent by the way. I highly recommend it. In the afternoon, I worked on "Subway Stories" pieces, finishing up the two I've been showing you and prepping and starting new ones. It was nice to have a bit more room to spread out in and I could work on more pieces at once, sanding and gessoing and gluing and painting. The hubster and I are trying to get rid of the extra stuff (we're both kinda messy, but we do better in a cleaner space) in our apartment and I'm trying to do the same in my studio. I would love some more space to work in, but I need this to work for now. In the meantime, I just droooool over the studio spaces I see in blogland sometimes. Karin of "Karins Kreativa 2008" joined the CED 2008 challenge today. Her blog is in Swedish and I haven't been able to find a good translator for Swedish to English, but I really have enjoyed her pictures including her amazingly organized studio space. Check it out here.  I've started doing some of this kind of organizing in my own space, but the way she's put her creative supplies together gives me so many ideas. I've included a few of the photos from Karin's studio below, but do go see the rest! Thanks for the inspiration, Karin!

Tavellisterna101Armen101Fixadhylla101

I got an email from Becky of Quoth the Rav in which she shared a quote from her inspirational calendar:

"When looking for a new idea, thumb through a magazine on a subject of no interest to you."
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.-
from Life's Little Instruction calendar 2008

Becky took this inspiration and ran with it, using a medical supply catalog to get ideas  and material for collage. I love that!

Janet of The Lavendar Loft has shared a great list of creativity tips (the original list is here.) I love what Janet had to say about creativity when she shared the list. I totally agree with her when she says that people often shut themselves down thinking they can't be creative, when in fact we are all creative every day. And by bringing our focus to the many ways we are creative in our everyday lives we can only bring more inspiration and creative goodness flowing in.

O.k., I'm going to get back to working on some art. I'll get my camera back tomorrow, so you can expect some pics from me then!

Digging into Defining Beliefs

November 6th, 2007, Comments (21)

No art for the day yet. I had wanted to write more last night, but posting art takes time and so, I bumped it to today, which is probably for the best as I feel so much better than I did yesterday. Yesterday was a little rough for me. I felt it was probably the day before my period (and today I found out it was), which is typically a rough day in which I feel extreme sensitivity, sadness, irritation, etc. It's a lot like how I feel when my depression has taken hold. This time of year can be a rough one for me and whenever I feel a day or two like this, I have this twinge of worry that it's not going to ease up. I was at my worst in late October/early November, 7 years ago, which sounds like a lifetime ago, but doesn't feel like it. It was weeks and months of feeling the way I did yesterday until I nearly gave up on life. I'm so glad I reached out for help. And I'm so grateful to be in a better place now.

I'm going through a major cleaning/purging in my home with the focus being on my office/studio space which as I mentioned earlier is frighteningly cluttered. My best friend has been helping me with it with her super organizing skills, which has been so awesome, but some of the stuff I really have to go through alone. Last night, I was pulling things out of my desk and came upon two old notebooks. I flipped through them finding budgets, a period of time where I was writing down everything I spent so I could see where my money went, writing exercises and such. This stuff was probably from about 6 or so years ago. Some of those soul searching exercises you may do from time to time are a wonderful treat to come upon years later. It brings to light the ways in which you've changed, things you've forgotten about perhaps because the transition was slow and gradual. Much like it's hard for a parent to see how much their child has grown because they see them every day.

In one small notebook from about 6 years ago, I found a few pages about "defining beliefs." This must have been an exercise from some book, but I don't know which one. On the first page, I wrote: "defining belief: I'm not quite talented enough to make it." I nod reading it, yes, I still feel this way at times, but less than I did before. Next I've written, "evidence" and underneath it: "Not having my designs chosen in high school graphic design class; Criticism in my art classes; I'm not creating much; I need projects to keep me going; I haven't sold my art or shown it in any galleries." It makes me laugh a little that my first bit of evidence was not having my designs chosen from a class in high school. I took that a little personally, eh? Then I wrote: "Price I pay for holding on to this belief" and under that, "I feel inadequate; I don't feel ready for grad school; I don't send my slides to galleries; I hide my art." Next line was titled, "Result I'd like" and then, "to be a successful artist (acknowledged.)" And then, "Evidence: I've shown my art in galleries to rave reviews and sold my art for big $." Underneath that I'd written two affirmations: "I am a talented, prolific artist" and "People want to purchase my art."   

I wanted to share this because each year when I do AEDM, there are so many creative people who think their work isn't good enough, who feel inadequate or embarrassed, and/or who apologize for their work. And I want to say, don't apologize! Life is short and there is only one of you out there who can express what you can express. So, you've got to share it while you've got the chance! Maybe your skills aren't where you'd like them to be. They may never be what you consider perfection, but you can't let that stop you. It nearly stopped me, but my urge to create was greater than my need to be perfect. I know I'm never entirely satisfied with where I'm at, but it keeps wanting to learn and grow more.

And the other cool thing about finding this note, was to see how far I've come. I have shown my art in galleries, I sold 8 pieces in the last show I was in. I've sold individual pieces for what I consider a lot of money. So, by my standards 6 years ago, I am a successful artist. Now of course, my standard of what success is has shifted, but it was great to be reminded how far I've come and that I have accomplished a lot in the last 6 years. I also feel much stronger than that voice that wrote these pages, which is wonderful to see. Take a look at your own defining beliefs. And if they're limiting you, tear them down. It really helps to write it out if you can.

And here's a little something more. I found this on the first page of another notebook. I'd written out this whole quote from the book, "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. Clearly it made an impression on me then. And reading it now, I think it's quite relevant to the journey that AEDM is. The author is talking about writing as a practice here, but you can apply it to anything really.  She writes, 

This is the practice school of writing. Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don't want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don't wait around for inspiration and a deep desire to run. It'll never happen, especially if you are out of shape and have been avoiding it. But if you run regularly, you train your mind to cut through or ignore your resistance. You just do it. And in the middle of the run, you love it. When you come to the end, you never want to stop. And you stop, hungry for the next time.

So keep on creating, my creative friends. You are all a great inspiration to me. Thank you!

Entering the Chaos, I mean the Office/Studio

October 29th, 2007, Comments (10)

The air is apple crisp today. Definitely feeling more like fall. I was in a bit of a fog over the last 4 days or so as I was having some serious issues with falling asleep. But today, after sleeping a good portion of Sunday, I woke up and felt much more refreshed than I have in awhile. Ahhh. I also felt motivated to tackle some tasks that have been weighing on me, little errands, nothing major, just stuff that needed to get done and I'd been avoiding. It was a great day to be driving around doing errands, sunshiney and cool, loads of gorgeous foliage to peek at. Now I'm back home with plenty more to do, but feeling good about checking some stuff off that never ending to-do list.

Tomorrow, the best friend and I are going to start tackling a big one on my to-do list...organizing my office/studio space. The best friend is home this year with her new baby and we spent a lot of time working on wedding related projects this fall. We've got some other projects to work on now that the wedding has passed, such as scrap-booking a baby album for her, but we're also going to work on one of my biggest weaknesses and her biggest strengths...organizing. While I tend to get overwhelmed and run in the opposite direction, she actually enjoys the organizing and tossing and straightening out. She told me not to feel bad about her helping out with it, because it's actually fun for her. Ack. I know there are people in life who enjoy this cleaning and organizing stuff (my step-dad and step-mom for example are this way...notice how neither are the source of my genes!) and while I like an organized space, I really don't enjoy making it that way. But it's really time. I know I'll feel fabulous when it's done...sort of like exercise or eating my vedgies. Plus, all the purging will be quite helpful when it comes time to move. And it will be nice to have a fresh, clean space to work in...that'll probably help me with all sorts of things such as self-respect.

Pbbedfordtable

I've been cutting out pictures of ideas for my studio space for months and one of the things that keeps appearing is this awesome table/bookcase thing from Pottery Barn. So cool...I'm loving the shelving on the sides, the big surface of the tabletop, and the height, but it's a bit pricey.  Searching around, I found one here for cheaper and at Target for cheaper than that. The cheaper ones are the same size, but made of wood veneer instead of real wood.

At the moment there's barely room to turn around in my studio, so some things would need to get cleared out. Maybe it's time to move out the gi-normous bookcase and replace it with something more long and lean. And it's quite likely that I have more plastic drawer thingamabobs than I actually need. I've started tossing, making piles of things to give away, throw away, store away or sell, but it's going to be a long process.

I've been in a holding pattern with the wedding on the horizon and a big business deal of the hubster's that has us both very anxious. But I'm snapping out of my limbo state and getting back to living in the present.

Read and Regroup

October 22nd, 2007, Comments (7)

So, despite my best intentions, I did not have a very productive week. Tammy kindly asked what silly parental tapes I have playing in my head that say I should be cleaning and getting back to work right after my wedding after working so hard leading up to it. Well, I kinda wish I'd just reveled in a week of relaxation instead of feeling slightly guilty about it because I was exhausted and did little, but rest and read. My brain said, "get to work!" But the rest of me, plopped down on the couch and squarely refused to budge. Looking back, I know I needed it. My introverted being was on pure overload after all the social time, the anticipation and lack of sleep leading up to the big day. So, I'm glad I got some rest and I'm feeling refreshed and also a little anxious about all there is to do. Baby steps. Deep breaths.

One of the wonderful things I did last week was to read for fun. On Monday, while dropping off our marriage license and doing errands in town, the hubster (testing this out on whim) and I stopped in a cute local bookstore and we picked out a few fun reads. I devoured both of mine during the week, first reading A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore and then The Devil, The Lovers and Me by Kimberlee Auerbach. Both fun, frivolous reads and I enjoyed them both, but I absolutely adored Christopher Moore's book. I love his twisted sense of humor and wacky characters. It's a story about a man, who discovers that he's "Death" and while the story may not be for everyone, it was so up my alley. I think my favorite book by Moore may still be Lamb, but this one comes in for a close second. I think I need to read some more now. If you've read any Moore and like the weird sense of humor and wacky stories, check out books by Tom Robbins (I've read them all) and also Fool on the Hill by Matt Ruff  are awesome reads. The second book, by Auerbach, was something I saw first at the library and started to read it there. It's a quick read, non-fiction, about a woman's experience with a tarot card reading (each card leads to flashbacks about her life). I find the tarot fascinating, so it was a fun way to read about another woman's journey and learn more about the meaning behind some of the cards. And oh, it was just good fun to devote long, drawn out periods to reading some page-turners.   

Hey, I actually made some art this weekend! I've been doodling in my sketchbooks like crazy, sketching my kitties and my dream studio space and mermaids. This weekend I pulled out some watercolor paper and worked with caran d'ache and later just pen to make some whimsical drawings. It's too late to be taking pictures, so those will have to come later. And oh, my office/studio looks like a tornado/tsunami/earthquake rolled through it. It's frightening. So, I've got to attend to that tomorrow as well. At least so I can see the floor again. Oy. I'm feeling a major cleaning/purging coming on and woah nelly, is it time for it. I started my rampage in the bedroom today in a corner that had been taken over by wedding magazines and registry info and random books and paper and shoes and oh dear, it was scary (and dusty!) I'm amazed how long it took to conquer this one corner, so the office project may be a very long, ongoing one, but now that the wedding is over, I'm ready to begin. And seeing that corner all clean was quite satisfying. 

Well, the wedding planning is over, but I'm still sorting through and dealing with the remnants of it...wedding cards, and supplies from the day, crafting tools scattered over the apartment, leftover programs, and two suitcases full of clothing that I haven't touched yet. I guess that's why I haven't opened the other gifts yet. We still have wedding presents, that were sent to my mom's (due to lack of space here), to go open and loads of thank you notes to write, but it's all good. Gotta try to tackle it one piece at a time. Life is wonderful. Gotta try not to stress myself out over details.

Oh and the Red Sox are going to the World Series! Again! Woohoo!

I’ve been working on the railroad…

September 17th, 2007, Comments (10)

Ok, I haven't really, but that's the song that popped into my head after a productive day. Started off a little slow, but then I started in on tackling and finishing up some loose ends. Phew, that feels good! And then more good news from Nahcotta. I sold all eight of my pieces from the show! Hooray! Two were sold right off the bat to the lovely Tammy Vitale who owns the first in the Subway Stories series. And then one to someone else I don't know. And then the remaining five to a man who plans to put them up in his Boston office. It feels great to sell a nice group all at once. So, I'm doing a little happy dance for that. And there's an interest in more, so if I can get some more out before the wedding, great and if not, well I'm not going to kill myself over it. There's a lot going on.

Plus, I haven't even begun to dig through all the goodies I picked up in Maine, I need to take pics of some finished art, and I have some serious organizing to do. See that organization book in my sidebar? Yes, I'm actually reading it and it's slowly (slowly because I'm reading it a snail's pace) helping me sort through all the stuff I seem to hold on to.

Speaking of books, I got an interesting email today from an assistant of Kimberly Wilson, aka Hip Tranquil Chick, offering to send me a free copy of their book in exchange for reviewing it on my blog. Isn't it funny how the internet works? The only time something similar happened was when I wrote a nice review about a book I discovered and was sent a free signed copy when the author found my review. That was a nice treat! I actually own a copy of the Hip Tranquil Chick book although I haven't read it yet (it's on my to read list), but I've heard good things about it and I do enjoy Kimberly's podcast. So, I was going to write back to the assistant and tell her that I already had the book, but then I thought, hey, maybe some of you would be interested in reviewing a free copy? I thought I might pass on a list of a few other blogs that might be interested in reviewing the book to Kimberly's assistant, so if you're interested in this, send me an email or comment here and I'll put together a list of other blogs for her to check out.

Destruction/Construction

July 4th, 2007, Comments (13)

Emmabox

I spent most of yesterday digging through my studio space, moving furniture to make room for a new scanner, and throwing away loads of trash. I've been avoiding this job, but it had to be done. A studio space outside the house hasn't yet worked out, so I decided to let that go for now (it'll show up when it's right) and fix up the space that I have right now. I'm so grateful to have this space in our apartment. The room I have now, is a decent size, it's main fault being that it is the holding space for many different things such as files for business, all my life files (health insurance, car insurance, warranties, tax info, the cats' veterinary stuff and so on), rubbermaid containers of old journals and stationery, a big bookshelf full of books, photo albums and all sorts of paraphenalia, my nicer clothing (dresses and formal stuff for the obligatory events), my shoes (not a very big collection, but enough to take up space), desk with computer and printer, my sewing machine, and then there's all my art stuff...finished and unfinished art, full portfolios, art in frames, art on the walls, art supplies in boxes and rolling plastic carts, and an easel. Pack this all into a 10'x10' space and there isn't a lot of room left. But with some arranging and purging yesterday and some more to come, I know I'll have the space in enough working order to work in, which is very good. Plus, there's something very satisfying about a newly reconfigured, organized space. It's a good feeling. I'm only half-way there and I already feel a good bit of that satisfaction.

Tabbersintrash

I've been at a loss lately as to where to keep my lists and calendar info. I have a nifty calendar thing on my computer, but for me it's out of sight, out of mind, and I forget to look at it. Plus, I like being able to physically write on a calendar, to doodle and play in the margins. For a long time, I used a sketchbook as an all-in-one organizer. It was my journal for morning pages, keeper of to-do lists, and sketchbook for ideas and inspiration, plus there were great little pockets to keep bits of paper, postcards, or whatever I came upon and wanted to hold onto for later. I haven't been using my sketchbooks for this in quite awhile, they've only been used as places to draw and doodle, and my to-do lists have been spreading all over the place from my mini-calendar and moleskin that I keep in my purse to my computer calendar to the little sketchbook I keep by my bed, to the bigger sketchbook, to scraps of paper. As you can imagine, this isn't the most efficient process. I need more organization in my life.

Tabberstrash

All this was rolling around in my brain when I came upon Mindy's fabulous post about her homemade life book. She put together a binder with a calendar that suits her needs with loads of space for catching inspirations. I love, love, love this idea and perhaps I'll try and put something like this together. I don't know what it is, but my mind doesn't think three dimensionally. I can't see spaces put together (which shows in my lack of interior design sense in my own home. It's rather frightening.) And this leaks over into how I organize things. I can't see in my mind how to arrange things. I need to see a layout. I can't picture how things will go together. Another example of this: I took wheel throwing in college and was so hopelessly bad at it. (I still loved it, but I made the ugliest teapot known to man.) So, for things like this, I really need to lean on those organizational innovators like Mindy to get inspiration from. So, thank you to Mindy and all the great 3-D designers for helping me out! Later, I saw a similar type of binder, this one for organizing fabrics, at "Cut Out and Paste" which reminded me of Mindy's binder a bit, but more specialized. Very cool. I've got some more organizing and mailing out of art to do tomorrow and then we're off to a wedding in Colorado (Boulder and Denver) for one of the fiansor's childhood friends. This summer has been full of so many fun adventures and I'm looking forward to traveling to a new place.

p.s. Ladders is up for sale on my website now (update: It has sold. Thank you!), Wind in Her Hair has already sold, and I should have prints of both available next week. The above kitty helpers are Emma and Tabbers. :-) Happy 4th!!