making sense of the mess.

maybe because it's still the beginning of the year.

or maybe because spring is around the corner.

i was reminded yesterday of some organizational problem-areas in the house. OK, more like whenever i go down to the basement to run or retrieve scrapping supplies, i am constantly reminded that i have boxes to dig through, files to set up and papers to toss. when i turn to the house, as a whole, i can visualize projects i want to engage. it can be overwhelming because my natural tendency is to address these things all at once.

not in this lifetime.

so, i am getting serious now. i'm going to do some de-cluttering. i know when my husband reads this, he's going to be super-psyched too. ;-)
i've already started with my scraproom and the paperwork. i'm making it a point to take a small part of every-other day and work on each. no major time commitments because things are hectic here; but, a half hour here and there goes by fast and it's amazing what can be done in that time when you're focused!
anyway, here's what i have to work with...{please note the lovely paneling on the walls, circa 1970's/80's....and, yes, that is a cake stand on the top of the cabinet shown...i literally have no place to put it where i store all my baking pans...yes...there's a shelving unit that holds ALL of them...hehe}.

i have two problem areas to organize. 1. i need to figure out how i want to organize my patterned paper. by manufacturer? by color? i would love to hear what has worked best for you! 2. i need to figure out how to store my leftover scraps of patterned paper. my solution right now is to toss it all into a container and make a mental note to look through it whenever i'm getting ready to start a new layout. if you have a solution that has worked for you, please pass it along! i will keep you guys posted on my progress with updated pics, etc. that way, i stay motivated too.

so...in all this clutter i still scrap. actually, i scrap in my bedroom. my dresser is literally covered in what i use for my newest layout. it's been the best place for me to scrap right now...not because of the mess issue in the basement, but because i'm feeling the basement is such a remote place. i'm sure i will get past it and i'm hoping the reorg will help. our goal is to get the basement to be a playroom/craft area...so, until it gets there, it feels a bit empty and not really welcoming.

btw - my most recent layout....feels like it took me forever to post...

the topic is "tough day", which i thought was appropriate given the pictures. i had taken my daughter to see her cousins. it was a fairly long car ride, but when we got there, the kids played...we took a nice walk to the park and enjoyed the day. not really a hard day, but it humored me to see her yawning and sucking her thumb, which she did at the time when she got tired. the journaling is to that effect.

okay - on a completely different topic...have you seen this? i read this book a few years ago and thought it was pretty different. also thought it would make for an interesting movie {i always love to see how writers take a book and create a movie script...}. so, i am completely psyched that this movie is coming out. i have already started soliciting my friends to go see it! if you haven't read the book, give it a try. like i said, weird concept and not the most light-hearted of novels; but, if you're OK with that, this may be a good new read for you to try.

on the baking front...i tried this recipe last weekend. it's really a good, fall/winter crisp and i highly recommend it. hubby asked for rice pudding this weekend, so i will be whipping up that...wish me luck - i've never made rice pudding before! i also have to make my mother-in-law's birthday cake as we are celebrating the occasion this weekend. it seems to have become a tradition that i make her birthday cake...i guess because of the baking-thing. it's really very fun to pick out a recipe, plan it all out and see it come to life. so, i'm thinking about trying this recipe.

looks like it's already shaping up to be a busy weekend. ;-)