Decorating of the Christmas Sort

Happy December! Some of you might recall one of my superpowers is coming up with super smart ideas at just the right time. Well, I've done it again.

Mother went back to her house on Saturday and I was all set to start moving all the CoasterDoodles paraphernalia into that room so we could use the dining table for eating and playing games like a regular people instead of someone who decided to have an Etsy shop even though her house is too small for all things of the crafty sort.

In the midst of this project which was going to take a mere day or two, I decided it would be the perfect time to tackle the closet in the nursery which had been crammed with everything that had to be put somewhere when one then two of the lovelies moved back home and then stayed there when the last boomeranger moved back out on the very day Mother moved in.

Now, my house is small (1300 sq ft) but the bedroom closets are quite nice as each one is 6' x 6' which is odd to me as they do not look square at all but rectangular anyway they hold tons of stuff. And tons is not an exaggeration when referring to the nursery closet. Those poor shelves. I didn't stop to take before pictures but I do have a couple 'almost there' pix. This is the halfway point in the nursery closet. Can Y'all imagine how bad it was when I started???

 

What does all this have to do with the annual decorating of the house for Christmas? It's the grand idea of 2017 that has put me one week behind in getting it done. One. Week. Though I am determined to have at the very least the trees up this weekend.

It also means I found all the Bitty Babies and their accessories and the Precious Moments dolls and that Bug had the best. time. ever. over here on Tuesday.

And that perhaps people will get their junk out of my house over the holidays and stop using it as a storage unit.

And that I missed out on Bug and Baby R's first excursion to find the perfect Christmas tree.

Not to worry on the last one as my SIL who is the most wonderful, best, most amazing, smartest, sweetest, kindest of all SILs took pictures and shared them with me so I could share them with Y'all!

The journey begins--

Terrible quality but adorable kiddos!

Does our family ever do anything without acting silly? Nope.

As the sun sets on the Christmas tree farm, the family of three...Hahaha! Just kidding. It was still morning.

Look! The one tree with changing leaves in the low-country!

Sisters and babies.

Santa tree with ArtistDaughter and Baby R.

Let's get this tree home, Y'all!

They had a great time! I hated to miss it but when you're up to your eyeballs in organizing closets it's like painting yourself into a corner-- you just can't get out.

Oh, and I've decided to paint a bathroom, too. But I did get new indoor, lighted garland ordered since I've been using the garland in the attic for at least 15 years now. Past time, wouldn't Y'all agree? And that was something Christmassy so...

Have Y'all decorated already?

Please visit my Etsy shop, CoasterDoodles

and feel free to FAVORITE the shop
or buy something! 😁💓

The Purge Monster is Back...Sort of

How is it that the children grow up and leave the nest but all of their 'stuff' stays behind?  Hubs and I have lived in an empty nest for two years now and, to look at our humble abode, one would swear that all the lovelies are still living right here with us.

There is no extra closet space because the closets are all full of their 'stuff'--ok, some of it IS my stuff but not that much.  Besides, I LIVE here so my stuff is SUPPOSED to be in the closets and anywhere else that I so choose to put it.  Right?

Some of you might recall the Great Purge of 2010 when I had grand ideas as to what to do with all this 'stuff.'  Which turned into me not being able to part with about 3/4s of the memories that accompanied said 'stuff.'

The tide has turned now, my friends.  I am no longer concerned with the memories.  What does concern me--it's practically consuming me at this point- is my desire to simplify my life.  And, in order to simplify my life, the 'stuff' has got to be organized and dealt with.  It's time for another purge.

Sure, part of this whole simplifymylife idea is that I want to redecorate a couple of rooms.  But I want simplicity as well.  I want only the things that NEED to be kept to stay here.  All the EXTRAS have lost their appeal.  Then I want what is retained to be put away in the proper places---nice and orderly.

I would also like to purge the people who bother me from my life.  The bad neighbors who live on one side of us---the drunks--remember them?  They're the ones who get drunk and yell obscenities at one another all weekend long so that no one else on the street can enjoy a weekend in their own backyards?  And then there are the family members on one side of the family who suck the life right out of their brother leaving nothing for the rest of us...EVER.  Purge, purge, purge.

And then there's all this excess weight of my own that needs to be purged from my life.  On this front, at least, progress is being made.  I've joined the Slimmer this Summer Challenge and tackled it head on for some rather impressive results (if I do say so myself).  The whole process seems easier this time- even with the frustration that creeps up behind me every so often.   

The determination does not seem to be lacking anymore so I have no idea what's holding me back.  Nevertheless, watch out 'stuff' of the lovelies!  Watch out badstupiddrunk neighbors!  Watch out certainidiotfamilymembersofyouknowwho!  I'm coming for y'all next. 

Just as soon as I finish all those episodes of LOST that Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER got me hooked on. 

But then-- I'm coming!