It Was Suppose to be One Drawer ........

Photo taken by my hubby at Seeley Lake Montana.

Saturday morning after my coffee, I found my way into what used to be my office which has become...well, Santa's storage room and gift wrapping center. I sat down at my desk and opened a drawer to get a  fresh check register and there it was, the black hole!  It didn't start out this way, I wouldn't set up a drawer to look like this... I have this thing for organization....or so I thought. How does this happen before my eyes, I was thinking as I began to take everything out.  I intended to weed out the junk and put what remained back in a picture perfect fashion.

The first file was recipes I have yet to scan onto the computer, the second was decorating ideas, the third flowers/gardening tips.  I found that over time I was just stuffing this, that and the other thing in one of these files knowing I would one day have a day like this Saturday resulted in. Yep, it was the day I would dive into this black hole, that at one time was a drawer, and straighten out the mess.

Among other items, I found approximately seven different sizes, colors, and types of writing tablets.  These need to get used prior to ever buying another, I proudly announced to myself.  I decided to move these tablets into the antique desk in my den where I now keep my Granddaughter's coloring books and crayons.  They always want paper for something so it made sense to keep it all together for them. Of course I had to open the big long drawer to put the paper in the desk.....which led to.... cleaning out another desk!  I proudly tell you, I ended up with, between the two desks, shredding a ton of papers and filling up a tall kitchen trash bag full of "why am I keeping that?" kinda stuff.

This caused me to think back on having to go through and pack up my parents house along with my older sister......both saying to each other at various times, "why would this have been kept?", why so many ____?"  So it began, I purposed to go through the house a drawer at a time if need be and start getting rid of "stuff".  I do not want my children to have to make the choice of, toss, sell, keep and if so, where do we keep it? ... I decided to put all my paperwork in well labeled files, which led to taking a magazine to the living room where the magazine rack is.....which to my surprise (?) I realized I had way to many magazines collecting dust, and ended up going through approximately twenty magazines in order to have "less".... less is indeed more, I'm realizing as I age.

In going through the magazines, I tore out pages of gardening ideas, recipes, decorating, books, movies and craft ideas? Did the word craft just exit my mouth?  I am not, nor have I ever been what I would call crafty......and then it occurred to me, how would I know this?  When I had a daycare out of my home I did crafts with the kids, but really, how difficult is macaroni art? My son's and I made ghosts out of kleenex for Halloween that we then  hung from the ceiling with white thread and thumb tacks, did that count?  Not to boast but I can make several things out of the card board that is left behind when the toilet paper is gone! Then it hit me, wait a minute, in the last year I have put together some rather impressive flower arrangements for my dinning room table....maybe I could be a crafty person and not know it?

  I'm not one to draw attention to myself with an accomplishment or in doing something for another.  I am more comfortable accomplishing and serving quietly, if it gets noticed it wasn't my intention. That said, I do intend to find out if I can indeed be "crafty", and I intend to be optimistic about this venture!  I promise not to expose you to every craft I attempt :-)......that can be as painful as having to politely watch someone else's entire family vacation slide show (done it).... I will likely craft, quietly.... giving you maybe an occasional glimpse of an attempt :-) 

My friend Judy from PA.,  occasionally shares some of her decorating ideas on her blog that I adore!  I love that she shares her creations with us, for what I believe, her sole purpose in doing so is that we too will realize, the smallest things can make a home comfy, a place were we want to spend our time, all the while bringing us some joy in our day to day life...all as a result of her creations. I have learned many things from her, but mostly about how a wise woman lives her life! Many thanks my friend.........

So, my desk(s) are cleaned out, the magazines have been thinned out, who knows what's next as far as my creating less continues.  I have been slowly gathering some items for the redecorating of my guest room, which I am so excited about starting....I even have a couple of Easter craft ideas in mind, me!  I'm looking forward to diving in, unafraid.  One has to get in the water if one wants to swim, right? 

Don't get me wrong......I'm not yet planning to have a craft room, but I am going to give crafting a go. In the meantime I am going to make more space and provide a comfortable place for my guests to lay their heads. Hopefully my guests will be able to imagine they are somewhere other than in my spare bedroom, that's the end result I'm looking for.  :-)

This weekend I've realized many things, but what stands out is, I hope to never again say I can't when I haven't yet really tried! Yet another lesson learned late in life, but learned none the less!  ~ This is what echos from my heart today......