Clutter.

Today, I have been thinking about how cluttered my life is.  No structure, too much stuff, and it seems like things just keep piling up.  I want to manage things, but it's just hard to know where to begin.  Some things, like cleaning a house or putting items away just feels pointless... they are going to be messed up in a day anyways.  The dishes will pile up again, the floor will need vacuuming, I will need to sort the laundry.  Papers will need to be filed, bills will need to be paid.  My "solution" to this is to ignore it all and read or watch tv or waste time because it is just so overwhelming.  I try to get rid of things but then I think... what if I need this later?  I guess I have emotional attachment to some things as well.  Other things I want to sell because they are too valuable to just give away but I don't want to go to the trouble of listing them on a website and having to mail them to someone.  This leads to clutter, which stresses me out, which paralyzes me.  My husband ends up doing a lot of the things that I should be doing on top of his school work.  We want to have kids soon, but I keep thinking, if I can't manage my own life, how could I be responsible for a baby?

My Talented Husband...Artwork from the last couple of years.

First completed oil painting ever.  My personal favorite.  

AJ's oil lift-out of his concept after reading War of the Worlds.

AJ's wanted poster says: 5000 pesos to bring this guy to a barber.  Acrylic on plywood.  The other one is a totem pole he designed.  Acrylic with packing tape.

AJ gave this one to my brother Greg.  It is an iguana we saw in St. Thomas, VI., minus the punk piercings and colorful spiky mohawk.  Ink transfer with acrylic. 

Nativity scene AJ did for his mom.  Charcoal underdrawing with acrylic.

AJ's drawing of his twin's idea for the "Pillsbury Doughbell," a doorbell that is the Pillsbury Doughboy.
1st ever painting in goauche.

80's pop art style of a picture we took at a Coldplay concert.  Gouache.

Nobody wants to play with sad little Hitler... so he invaded Poland.
Gouache and ink wash.

This is a creative rendering of a car that was in the parking lot in Idaho.  Acrylic.

A picture of me.  Acrylic.

A background AJ designed for his animation class.

His creative zone at our house.

Bubbles!

A few weeks ago, we decided to see if Daisy liked bubbles....boy, did she ever.  Look at these jumps:

Christmas Party at Aunt Lisa's House

Katy and me.

Cousin Chris, the red-headed Asian dude.

Grandpa Block and family opening presents.

Grandma Block

The Red Shirt Brigade...NOT planned (no lie)!  from L to R: Anya, Me, Aunt Lisa, Momma Creek, Grandma Block, and Katy.

Our house, at the e-end of the street.

Here is the wreath I made last week that I am super proud of.  Cute, huh?

And a close-up of the wreath.

So I kind of got on a flower kick after the wreath (and they were having a sale at Joann's) and decided to make a bouquet to go in our kitchen.  Not such a great photographic angle but oh well.  

This is the quilt top I just finished for my mom.  I made up the design.  The fabric has a nautical/ocean theme.  It's really cute.  Next comes the quilting part...I'm kind of nervous about that.

Here is our new house...it's the middle of winter, so the garden doesn't look so hot, but we like it here, and the neighborhood is great! It is a split level with 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms.

Daisy, our maltipoo (a maltese and poodle mix), came with the house and we couldn't have asked for a sweeter, better tempered dog.  

Daisy and our bunny, Francine, get along great.  

We have to protect the treadmill mat from the bunny.  In case you didn't guess from my last post, bunnies chew on EVERYTHING!  I can hear her gnawing on something right now....

This is the laundry I have to get done.  Hah.  Umm.....wish me luck?

Francine, you are in BIG trouble!

Dear bunny,

Only part of the damage.

Looks kind of smug, huh?

Please stop gnawing on the baseboards and door frames in the house. It is really getting on my nerves. I have given you so many wonderful things to chew on (see the carpet, wood, hay, carrots, cardboard, and baby toys littering your room?? Huh? You even have a kabob of chew toys!!), so why do you go after something that

is covered in paint and is probably toxic????
If you don't like the color of the mouldings, just let me know and we'll change it. You are very cute, but STOP DAMAGING MY HOUSE!

Love,

AC

P.S. I don't like it when you eat my books, either. The Lord of the Rings will never recover from your voracious appetite. YOU might hate the Tom Bombadil section, but I like it.

The to-do list doesn't work when you are sick.

Sick still....arrrrggghhh! I have to get the house ready for guests this weekend and have I begun? No. I have piles and piles of laundry to do, bathrooms to clean, floors to vacuum(what is actually visible of them), a menu to plan, and shopping to do. Ha. Ha. My throat is all tickle-y and scratchy and my cough sounds like hacking. I do not like being sick.

V-day surprise and Daisy

My darling husband gave me a very special V-day surprise. He is so sweet. I never thought a candy bar message could be so cute.

My puppy dog, Daisy, is sitting next to me on the bed as I write. I have a cold. And feel crappy. Why does Daisy have to go to the bathroom right now? That means I have to get out of bed, go downstairs, wait for her to do her business, (which often takes awhile because she absolutely must find the optimal spot to pee), and come all the way back upstairs. Ah, but I guess I must go now because she is giving me The Look. And The Paw. Be back soon, if she finds the perfect spot.

Eggs

Dear husband,

I officially know how to cook scrambled eggs better. HAH.

I still love you.

And I still love your omelets.

Love,

AC

$$

One more thing...

Dear Online Shopping Sites,

Please stop having phenomenal sales and great prices and free shipping and discounts. I must stop looking at you. My bank account hates all of you.

Dear...things in my life.

Dear Cheesecake in the Fridge,

Please stop tempting me. I know you are there and that you taste delicious. I know that you are a fantastic breakfast. I know that my waistline knows you very well. Please go away. Wait, umm, maybe after a couple more bites.

Dear Treadmill,

I am so sorry for neglecting you. I promise to take you for a walk today....or soon. I might have to take some exercise dvds out first. Don't worry, I am not breaking up with you, just straying a little.

Dear Kindle,

Please stop being so enticing. I want to curl up with you for hours in a warm, cuddly blanket. My husband is jealous.

Dear People Who Write Books for Kindle,

Please stop. I have spent enough money on you. Your stories are wonderful, but please cease writing wonderful stories that I just have to buy and read for hours on end.

Dear Piano,

I apologize for not playing you lately. If you could do me a small favor and tune yourself, I might be more inclined to play you.

Dear Carpet,

I know you would like to see the light of day. All I can promise is someday, hopefully soon, you will see the daylight. I will point out, however, that my stuff thinks you are so comfortable, it wants to stay there. I hope you don't mind.

Love,

AC

Messy messy messy

Dear house,

Why are you so messy? Just because I leave dishes around and craft supplies litter the floor, doesn't mean you have ANY right to look bad. You should be ashamed of yourself.

...

I don't know why I want a blog...it's not like my life is that interesting...why is there a red squiggly line after ... if you don't put a space there? I thought there wasn't supposed to be a space after a ...

My super cool new blog!

Hey, this is my blog! Yay.

AC and Friends