Continuing The Organizational Quest!

There has been some progress on the organizing front in the little workspace I think of as my studio.

Truth be told,

I must use this niche for creative space,

office space,

and

" hide the piles until the company is gone"

space.

(Oh, you know what I'm talking about . . . 

don't even pretend you dont . . .)

I'm toting out boxes of half finished projects and broken items I told myself I would fix.

I've got bags and boxes of items ready for donation

and a couple of trash bags

as well . . . 

and a rather sizable stack of papers for shredding . . .

Where does this paper originate?

I have called and written and emailed every organization that sends me mail,

demanding to be removed from their mailing lists

and email lists.

(There are limits to what I can endure!)

I have organized and discarded magazines.

I have rearranged some furniture.

I have purged my bulletin board.

I feel so virtuous!

I'm rounding up

 MORE 

vintage jars 

to hold all the little messy bits of office supplies 

and crafty components!

There is such a sense of accomplishment

in such a small change.

Do I hear applause????

Organizing My Life

Well, it's 4 degrees outside my back door this morning, with a high of 10 degrees forecast.

I'm guessing this would be a great day to reorganize my creative space.

I believe I'll tear it part and move some furniture around

and create a more efficient environment.

There should be more walking room in this area

and fewer piles to have to jump over and skirt around.
I'm in here every day,
and
so much seems to pile up.

More defined spaces for my buttons and book pages

and strings and clothespins and all those yummy pieces of life I love to create with.

Hmmmm . . . 

This could take some time . . . 

I believe I'll begin with a cup of coffee.

Gift Wrapping

Today

 I found a wire basket,

 a tin box

 and 

some vintage linens

 to use for

 Christmas

 gift 
wrap.

I'm continuing to amass my ephemera:

book pages

sheet music

and some lovely items I must keep secret

until the family gift wrap competition is complete.

So much fun to use these

 timeworn and repurposed treasures

 to hold my little Christmas surprises!

There are so many sweet ways to wrap your gifts . . . 

think cloth:

antique pillowcases

crocheted tablecloth

burlap and twine

or,

containers:

woven baskets

reusable fabric totebags

wooden boxes

wire bins

or,

recycled boxes:

any kind, 

upholstered in fabric

or recycled papers,

tied with live evergreens and 

vintage Christmas ornaments

or old linens and laces

We're attempting to avoid the commercial

wrappings

and

 use what's on hand

and

 lovely 

and 

earth concious

and 

thoughtful

what fun!

Happy December

Just on cue the snow began on December 1st here in Denver 

 I'm certain I heard Christmas music,

 and possibly sleigh bells this morning as I awoke.

There is nothing quite so beautiful as fresh snow, falling gently in the early morning.

I'm inspired, and have decorated for Christmas!

There are wreaths and garland,

pine sprays and berries

There are apothecary jars filled with vintage Christmas ornaments

and

a snow-girl-angel with a banner which says

"BELIEVE".

I have my cinnamon flavored tea and my first Christmas cookies,

baked by my friend Barb,

all yummy and chewy with white chocolate and cherries and nuts!

There is a stack of Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers,

 awaiting some creative gift wrapping . . . 

I've challenged my ultra-creative

and very "green" daughter to a creative-wrapping duel!

We'll try to out do each other in the recycling of

 beautiful fabrics,

vintage papers,

 antique ribbons, 

and a wealth of gorgeous and up-cycled 

boxes,

 jars

 and

 innovative packages!

Be sure to see Kellie's blog:

http://mysocalledgreenlife.com
for a chuckle at her escapades.

More to follow, as we attempt to get on with the challenge

Happy December!

You Will Change the World

Okay,

so it's apparent that this time of year begins to be stressful for a lot of people.

I heard that yesterday was a tough one for several friends

for a variety of reasons,

and I've had 9 requests for prayer 

for people I know

who have either fallen off ladders and broken bones,

or had their two year olds hospitalized,

or been diagnosed with cancer,

or lost their job,

or had something terrible and destructive happen

in their life,

or who are just plain stressed to the breaking point due to a series of little issues.

Friendships have teetered on the brink after a lifetime,

couples have separated,

and in general it's seemed like a really hard week for a lot of people!

I cannot hope to solve any of these problems of course,

but I can address the fact that many are hurting 

and in need of an extra dose 

of

TLC

and prayer.

Here's what I propose . . . 

Go out today with the intent to be a catalyst for change 

in your circle of influence.

Now, I know you can't solve any of these problems, either . . . 

But . . . 

If I know this many folks who are having a hard time, then you do as well.

Multiply that by several tens of millions of folks around the world,

 and it all might just seem a little hopeless . . .

Now

consider that you have a sphere of influence

which includes every person you see today.

Yes, YOU!

Your smile

your gentle word

your helpful hand

the cup of coffee

or the inclusion in conversation

or whatever kindness you can afford to extend

may be the effort that saves that person in some way.

Let someone merge into traffic,

give them a hand,

touch their life in some soft way

and

it may remove the one straw that would have

 'broken the camel's back'.

A touch on the arm or the shoulder is risky in our society

and I do it every day.

Human touch is healing to the spirit.

A well chosen kindness is theraputic.

You know what I'm talking about.

Someone once did that for you.

Pass it along.

Tip the waitress a little extra,

smile at someone,

say thanks, in a big way that lets someone know their job makes a difference.

Let the person with three items get in line in front of you at the checkout counter.

Sacrifice something, for someone else's joy.

A compliment will change someone's whole outlook on life.

You might never know how much.

I challenge you to do this for a day

and to see if

you might just like it so much you do it for another day.

I will suggest that if enough of us did this for a month,

it would change the world.

To the world you may only be one person,

but to one person, 

you may be the world!

It Was Lovely!

The Christmas Open House at

 PATINA ANTIQUES

went off without a hitch

and 

for two glorious days

our precious customers streamed in and enjoyed the

holiday cheer!

They found vintage and antique Christmas treasures

as well as

fresh delights to adorn their trees

their mantles

and their packages!

Mercury glass, glitter, greenery, holly berries,

handmade stockings

garlands, lace, crystal,

 and 

pearly, wiry,

 rusty, peely paint,

leathery,

chippy,

silvery

little treats

were chosen,

wrapped,

and whisked away!

There was ironstone and silverplate

French feedsack and warm, mellow treen

chosen with care

to grace holiday tables

and fill boxes under the tree.

Galvanized tin pots

and

stone urns will hold fir trees.

There was champagne

and chocolates

and ginger snaps

and candy canes

and visions of sugar plums

dancing in our heads 

There were many hugs and smiles
 and the days were surely blessed
and I'm thankful
and content
and pleased!

Spending time with the folks
who truly appreciate and enjoy the beautiful things
that I love,
makes my heart happy!

There will be lots of pretties coming in each day,
carefully chosen to excite and deight,

so please come visit
and
enjoy the season!

That Time of Year

In independent retail businesses, 

particularly the small business owned and operated by one person,

the Christmas season is the

 "make it, or break it" 

time of the year.

We work tremendously hard for 10 months, 

and then in the 2 months prior to Christmas, 

we can do the same amount of sales we did in the previous 10.

Knowing this to be true,

these two months become very significant to our well being.

Did I say, "very significant"?

Okay, truthfully, these two months are way too important.

They can be stressful and frustrating and difficult and back breaking.

They can make you lose sleep and work in your shop till midnight, only to drive 20 miles home in a blowing, blinding snow storm, sleep a few hours and go out and scrape the 7" of snow off your car, drive back to work, and do it all over again.

They can disrupt your sleep, your attitude, your appetite and your general ability to communicate with others without taking a bite out of them.

No one moves fast enough, cares enough, has the sense of your need to complete a task,

or apparently any idea of the urgency with which you seemingly must live through these weeks.

The world should be in "fast forward" with you

but

t h e y 

a r e 

i n

s   l   o   w

m    o    t    i    o    n

Okay . . .

I'm a crazy woman when it comes to my 

"one woman show"

of holiday retail.

The shop must be turned inside out

redecorated

holiday-ized

and

it should

(in my mind)

be found to be one of the very nicest and most loved shopping spots in

the front range.

Now,

appearing in 

Victoria Magazine 

last winter certainly raised the bar.

Winning

  5280 Magazine's

Editor's Choice Award as

Top of the Town

in

 Home Accessories category

two successive years,

added to my stress to impress.

Winning 

Esprit 'd Noel's 

Christmas House Tour

to benefit Children's Hospital,

and appearing in 

Colorado Homes and Lifestyle

this month

was another beautiful compliment for

 PATINA ANTIQUES.

It also adds the challenge of surpassing last year's grandeur

 when we decorate for the tour

THIS YEAR

and try to do everything with a fresh new eye

to captivate our customers' imagination.

When the magazine spread appears on the news stand

the week of your annual

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE,

(to which you've invited several thousand of your best customers,

 friends, family, competiton and hottest critics),

you can begin to tremble and shake

with the need to keep

 "out doing"

 what you've done in the past.

Your dreams and conversation can be peppered with phrases like, 

"over the top" and "outside the box" and "killer"

 and well . . . 

you get my drift . . .

But,

this year

I'm taking it a little easy.

I'm trusting that what I can do will be accomplished,

and what I can't do - only I will know about.

That there really is no amount of stress and frustration that can improve

 who I am

or

what I do.

I'll say my prayers and do my best

 and count on my creativity and my blessings

 to spring from God.

I will plan my work

and

work my plan

and ask that it's blessed.

Perhaps this is a sign of age - (hopefully maturity)?

I will take time for my friends

have a cup of coffee

smile at strangers

return my shopping cart

have my grandchildren spend the night 

take donuts to the guys at Grease Monkey

leave a gift on my neighbors doorstep

bake cookies

have a Christmas party

and

 trust!