"The Secret of Getting ahead is getting Started"..........

     .............. So, how are you doing on all that organizing you vowed to do this year?  I have only made a dent in what I hope to do but, I have been slowly working on it. In the last few days I have sorted through a lot of my "smalls". It is the kind of organizing I enjoy doing. Gives me an excuse to play with all the little things - some I hadn't seen lately........

I was already using these containers for the same purpose but they had gotten in a jumble and I had a lot of small things that had not been put back where they belong. The two large baskets had a bunch of assorteds, looking for their homes!

I got all the spools back in their own container and took time to separate them by colors and put them in plastic bags. I don't have as much thread as I once did since I do very little machine sewing now.

I realize that if I were to purchase special storage boxes etc. that they would fit together and stack up in the closet better but, Some of these boxes are also treasures and I enjoy having them. This is about 8" deep with some of my collected items and left overs from many projects, waiting to be used. Notice the decorated Altoids box. That's a project that I have everything I need to make about a dozen more.

It is holding tiny metal trinkets. I also have a big box elsewhere with larger charms, etc. I really need to get back to using these!

Barely showing here at the top are my machine bobbins which were in here with a lot of thread unwound. The pattern is one I am using - started making another of these baby day gowns.  If I get several sets (gown and bonnet) made they might go into an Etsy shop that I might start.

This lavender sachet bag is a possibility for Etsy also. I make these using my rubber stamps and beads.  They smell so good!  If I never open an on-line Etsy shop I will have a lot of gifts made ahead.

This fishing tackle box is not pretty but it serves well to store lots of embroidery thread, in order by number.

It has two sides that opens up separately. The other side isn't as full as this one.  Hand embroidery is one of my favorite things to do.

Some more containers that I went through.

One holds my favorite laces that I saved back when I got rid of a very large bag of lace. The smaller one contains silk embroidery ribbon.

I ran across this in the big basket and decided to show it. In the early seventies I started having everyone that ate at our house sign (one time) this white tablecloth. I then embroidered each name. The reason it is in the big sewing basket is I noticed a few names that were still in ink.  We use to intertain a lot! And, had I not been so forgetful about keeping up with this it would be solid writing now. I just gave up on the project after missing so many people for years at a time. I may open it up and show you more names sometime.

Moving on - I redid the files that sit on my desk. I replaced the old file folders which were getting pretty used looking with these that I purchased a long time ago at Michael's dollar section. Glad I got two sets!  By the way, I did not intend to advertise for Sarah Palin, showing on my monitor, nor Newt. I am not liking what I hear from either of them lately.

I had enough to cut one folder to cover the flip top lid of this box which now holds stamps, etc. I don't keep important papers here, just things like address labels, envelopes, etc. I still need to label each folder.  The pencil cup has been sitting here but was full of all kinds of ugly pencils, pens and a few other things. It looks better now and contains all I need.  The coaster is a tile that I stamped with rubber stamps.

I don't have any drawers on this desk so this is a good place to grab a stamp from. And who doesn't need an "all gone" soft eraser nearby!

Now, one more thing. (I hope some of you are still with me) I finally took everything out of the drawer nearest  my stove and put it back like it should be.

One of my friends told me last week after looking at my blog that I have the ability to make ordinary (she may have use the word boring) things interesting. I sure am counting on that with this post. I may have stretched it too far this time. 

Cleaning that drawer was worth it for me just to see these.  Aren't these tiny "smidgen", "pinch" and "dash" measuring spoons the cutest little things!!!

I saw this on the facebook post of French Country Cottage just before I starting this post. How timely for me!  I have made a start (I didn't show you everything, aren't you glad for that!) I have a long way to go but with each little task completed it gives me a feeling of accomplishment!

Morning Has Broken...........

...............As I sat at my desk waiting for the coffee to be ready it was still almost dark outside. But when I looked out the window towards the eastern sky ...............

..............this is what I saw.  A new morning was breaking and what a scene it was! I grabbed my little camera and headed out the front door (in my gown) and snapped a few pictures. I am amazed that they turned out this good because I was standing in darkness, dark enough to not worry about being out there in my night clothes! 

(The small round light is a street light.)

The birds were singing and I thought of the old song of Cat Stevens -  Morning has broken, like the first morning. Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird.  Praise for the singing, praise for the morning, praise for the springing fresh from the word.

I thought of the two friends whose funerals I will attend, one on Friday and the other on Saturday. One an elderly man the other only twenty seven. They have experienced their last morning on earth and I am sad about that. But they were both great Christian men and it is a joyful thing to know they are still in the arms of their Creator and in a wonderful place those of us still on earth cannot comprehend. They are safe with the One who gave us the first morning and this morning!

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning.  Born of the one light Eden saw play.  Praise with elation, praise every morning. God's recreation of the new day!!!

It Was A Good Day For Limeade!....................

     ................It was a lovely day here. First, I did a lot of watering of plants with a hose.  I haven't had a good rain since October!  I love to water and always stand and enjoy the plants as I give them a drink.  I also washed a couple of windows on the outside.  I got too hot in my long-sleeved top and had to change to something cooler.  Being hot made me think of lemonade and decided to make some. 

I was so disappointed to discover that I didn't have any lemons.

But, I found three limes and thought limeade might be just as good!  I got out my cutting board (don't be alarmed to see that it is wood - the last I heard they had switched back to saying wooden ones are the safest) also chose a pretty pitcher and my vintage (a word used often and loosely on blogs, I've noticed) glass juicer.  That must be a record count of words used in any one sentence, even for me!  I am not going to erase it and start over. You just need to figure out what I said.

So, I got the three limes juiced. I have no idea why I didn't show all three.

Selected a pretty glass and filled it with crushed ice, added 2/3 cup of sugar to the lime juice and filled the pitcher with cold water.  It would have been better with one  more lime or a little less water.

You notice I also put one sprig of thyme and two thin lime slices in the glass. Do you grow herbs? I hope so. They are one of my favorite plant groups to grow and use. Thyme and lime go great together besides, they rhyme too. My herbs smell so good when I water, another good reason to grow them.

Doesn't it look refreshing? It was!  Always choose a pretty pitcher and a pretty glass when you are treating yourself.  And, definitely don't try to treat yourself in a plastic glass.

I have this second smaller "vintage" juicer too. This is a great dish to serve extra lemon/lime slices in. I usually cut my slices in half and kind of stand them up and overlap them around the circle.  Tuck a few mint leaves in too.  Sorry, I have already used all my limes or I would arrange some just to show you how pretty it looks. The old juicers are easy to find at antique stores.

The sun made neat shadows and showed off the pretty color of my old blue jar.

Changing the subject - I recently put this picture in the "lace" frame that I have had empty for awhile. I printed the nest picture off of The Graphics Fairy blog.  She posts them just to share and for others to print and use.  I have gotten so many nice ones from her to use in my garden journal.

I went to Old Time Pottery yesterday looking for something in particular which I didn't find but, I did find this green apple.  It is very heavy and is made from a stoneware type material.  It was cheap and I just couldn't pass it by. 

I like this combination of things here on the side table.  A new look for winter.  The lamp base behind the picture looks a little weird but not when you see the whole thing.

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I have enjoyed my limeade day.  I hope yours has been great also.

    

Things ~ Just Things!............

.......Showing an assortment of things I want to draw your attention to. Kind of a silly assortment, maybe. But, it shows some of the little things that goes on in my life............

First, is this bag I saw from a short distance away as I was walking through Home Goods. Have I ever told you that's my favorite store. ha.ha. Well, I was thrilled when I saw it knowing this look is a very "in" style now. I have seen the neatest pillows and other things with this look! A few steps closer and...........

.............I realized it was a .99 plastic bag! It's very large and even up close it looks like the popular grainsack fabric I've been looking for. I bought two anyhow and considered using one to make an outdoor pillow. But, decided if I were to go to all that work I would rather use fabric - not plastic.

I am going to get some complaining done early in this post. I didn't want to use this picture first as it would have been what was used in the link. I just get steamed every time I get this kind of stuff in the mail. I wonder how many seniors get these and others and get taken advantage of.  They make it look very much like a government communication. Like something you shouldn't ignore!

Do they think we are all senile!!!!  I wouldn't buy this insurance if it were the last company on earth! Just because of the way they try to take advantage of old people. And, whoever is filling my mailbox with all those hearing-aid ads - KNOCK IT OFF. When I need a hearing aid it will not be you I seek out!  As if they are all seeing this. haha.

Now this. Do you see the nice stream of water coming from this two year old faucet?  And, do you also see the water works coming from the underneath side of the faucet? Tiny pin holes in the faucet! This is partly my fault in allowing the plumber to bring a faucet to install when the old one needed to be replaced. I should have gone out and purchased one first. At the time I thought it looked like probably the cheapest available. However, the total plumbing bill didn't indicate that!! The man was the worst workman I have ever had in any house. I could hardlly wait until he left - I won't go into details here.

In the meantime, I found a new plumber who did some work in the bathrooms and I really liked him and what he did. I need to call him soon.

Just a little "scene" I have been looking at in my office for awhile now.  I love ribbon!  And  even when it is in a pile and out of place I enjoy it.

I use a lot of ribbon for lots of different things - Decor.

 And I very much like Marks & Spencer, the UK store this pretty ribbon came from. I will eventually find a way to repurpose this.

Actually, I think we may have a few in the USA too.

I use wide ribbon.........

...........and narrow ribbon.

I use a lot of ribbon on the cards I make.

Do you see the bird feather in the middle of this pile of ribbon?  Now, I am almost sure there are no birds in my house but......

This week I noticed bird feathers on the floor in front of the chest of drawers in my office.

Each time I noticed them there seemed to be more of them!  I made a few cards and had opened a drawer a few times. Yes. They were coming out of a bag that is in the drawer.

I will have to admit, all these didn't fly out of the drawer by themselves.  Just wanted to make another point.  A while back I wanted a few feathers to put on some cards I was making - one per card - so I purchased some feathers.  The thing is, you cannot purchase a few feathers you have to buy thousands - even though I didn't count them there must be thousands! Showing is just one little pinch of them. And, they don't like to stay in the bag!

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Well, if I were labeling my posts like some bloggers do so they are easy to find by subject, I would have no clue how to label this one.