Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I hearby declare July my month to finish things

I have too much half done stuff in my life right now and I keep starting new things. In the month of July I'm going to try and finish things.

1. Knitting and crochet projects. I'm not going to cast on or start anything new unless it's for my House Cup team cause I can't let my team down!
List of to do's:
A. Cabled Purse
B. Soap Sacks
C. Versatility
D. Stuffed Tiger
E. Luna Lovegood's cardigan
F. Houndstooth Scarf
G. A couple of dishclothes I'm already committed to making
I know there is more but I can't think of any at the moment!
2. Books I'm reading.
A. Dresden Files Book 1
B. Dracula
C. The Shack
D. Love is...
E. Once again, I'm sure at least 4-5 more books.
3. TV series. Phillip is buying new seasons and I haven't finished the last ones!
A. Smallville
B. Stargate Atlantis
4. I want to get caught up on my routines. All things due today and one that was due previously and I should make good progress.
I think that's it for now.

Wish me luck. Maybe I'll actually update this list at some point so I can track my progress.

Monday, June 29, 2009

My life of unending lists continues

To Do:
1. Make a bobble dishcloth. Need to do that tonite so I can post pics tomorrow.
2. Take pics of the progress I've made on my versatility so I can at least get partial points for it. Due tomorrow.
3. Finish knitting purse. I need to be done this by wednesday at the latest so I can line it and seam it this weekend. I have to mail it off next week.
4. I think I'm doing a soapholder thingy. Hard to explain. Due sunday night as well.
5. Finish my wrist warmers. Due July 15th. I'm mostly done one except for seaming. I just need to do the second.
6. New classes for my House Cup will be posted wednesday. We'll see how this goes!!!

The never ending list continues, why do I do this to myself?

Friday, June 26, 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Things I'm trying to do in my life right now...

1. Work two jobs. Six days a week, baby!
2. Build a JV ministry at our church. I just need a room, a wednesday night volunteer and ability to actually get ahold of my senior pastor.
3. Organize a swap online. That one's not too bad.
4. Participate in two swaps online. Things are starting to get a little heavier
5. Study for the GRE and put together PhD applications. sigh...
6. Write a story. We'll see how that goes. I'm not much of a story writer.
7. Master knitting cables. This one is going well! Cables really aren't all that difficult.
8. Ocassionally get some sleep.
9. Have some sort of a social life.
10. Figure out what's wrong with me. Surgery probably the next step.

I'm a little overbooked, a little stressed but having a ton of fun. Who knew?

Friday, June 12, 2009

Projects update while I'm at it.

1. 2 broomstick lace scarves (for different swap)- Done! But no pics because I forgot to take them before I packaged them up. Hopefully my partner will post pics and I can theive them from her.

3. Heart square (for quidditch)- Due July 1
4. HufflePuff wristwarmers (for quidditch)- Due July 15
5. Finish versatility (for Defense against the Dark Arts)- Due June 30. Making some progress. I need to buy buttons for it before I can finish but I've probably got about 2 more weeks of knitting before that happens!
6. Make a Nintendo DS cozy (Muggle Studies) - about a third done. Shouldn't be too much longer on it.
7. Mug Cozy (for Divination)- Due June 30

My craft supplies, my consumerism and my own self-disgust

Anybody ever get tired of stuff? I mean really tired of stuff?

Dictionary.com has three definitions for consumerism:
1. a modern movement for the protection of the consumer against useless, inferior, or dangerous products, misleading advertising, unfair pricing, etc.
2. the concept that an ever-expanding consumption of goods is advantageous to the economy.
3. the fact or practice of an increasing consumption of goods.

One is a good thing. People need protection of some sort.
Two is a economic theory. Fairly neutral in and of itself.
Three is the one I'm having issues with.

It's not even that my own consumption of goods is out of control. We don't have any credit card debt or car payments. We are not running out of money before we run out of month, although some months it can be close. We manage to put a little into savings for a rainy day. We are not in any kind of financial trouble currently.

It's just a whole list of little things that are bothering me. Like how fast the trashcan fills up with stuff that I know if just going to a landfill. How often I trip over things in our apartment because I didn't put them away becasue they don't really have a proper spot to put them. I could say that our apartment was just too small but stuff always seems to expand to fill the available space. It's how many projects I could make with my available supplies and how often I buy new supplies anyway. It's just all this...stuff.

I think that's the main reason I've been trying to destash. I'm just tired of stuff. I'm tired of how much room it takes and how much mental energy I put into it. I'm tired of buying something, getting it home and really having nothing to do with it or having it sit for months before I even look at it again. I'm tired of little purchases eating up my discretionary funds. I'm just tired. But then I hit the store to get something I need and something shiny grabs my attention and I find myself with another new thing at home that I could just have easily done without.

I need to stop. And I need to stop now before my own habits get away from me.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Destashing in progress

Well, I didn't make it to June 20th before buying supplies. However, I did just buy supplies for a swap that I committed to before putting a moritorium on my supplies. All I purchased was for the swap, nothing extra even though I have Michael's coupons this week.

My husband however, has been adding to my scrapbooking stuff because he wants to make an album and his stuff just goes in with mine. All my attempts are being thwarted!

Slowly but surely, I will get my craft crap under control!!!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Finally finished 1 swap, 2 more to go!!!

1. Finish knitted toys (for swap) - Done!!!

2. 2 broomstick lace scarves (for different swap)- about a quarter of the way through the first one.
3. Heart square (for quidditch)- Due July 1
4. HufflePuff wristwarmers (for quidditch)- Due July 15
5. Finish versatility (for Defense against the Dark Arts)- Due June 30. Making some progress. I need to buy buttons for it before I can finish but I've probably got about 2 more weeks of knitting before that happens!
6. Make a Palm Pilot cozy (for Muggle Studies) - Due June 30
7. Mug Cozy (for Divination)- Due June 30

Oh, here are the coasters I finished a few days ago:


Easy Peasy. 4 movie backer cards from blockbuster, plastic canvas to add stability in the middle, felt on the bottom. Cover backer cards with clear contact paper to make the water resistant, blanket stitch the outsides. I'm very pleased with how they turned out!!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Lists, lists and more lists

1. Finish knitted toys (for swap) - Done!!! Pics soon. Lost my jump drive so as soon as it turns up I'll get them uploaded.
2. Finished crocheted pillow (for swap) - Project abandoned.
3. 2 broomstick lace scarves (for different swap)- Bought yarn
4. Heart square (for quidditch)
5. HufflePuff wristwarmers (for quidditch)
6. Finish versatility (for Defense against the Dark Arts)
7. Make a Palm Pilot cozy (for Muggle Studies)
8. Mug Cozy (for Divination)

Not much of an update but it helps keep me sane!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Here we go again with the todo lists!

I joined the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup over on Ravelry. The term runs for three months and new classes are started the first of every month. It's a lot of fun but I keep adding little projects in order to fit the classes. It's a nice way to destash though!

Project list for this month (hopefully in order of importance).
1. Finish knitted toys (for swap)
2. Finished crocheted pillow (for swap)
3. 2 broomstick lace scarves (for different swap)
4. Heart square (for quidditch)
5. HufflePuff wristwarmers (for quidditch)
6. Finish versatility (for Defense against the Dark Arts)
7. Make a Palm Pilot cozy (for Muggle Studies)
8. Mug Cozy (for Divination)