TEXTURE TUESDAY

Linking up to Texture Tuesday at Kim Klassen CafĂ© .  The texture today is minus43 which was the temperature outside the day she made the texture.  Yikes.  I used it at multiply 80%.  Kim posted a great video about using textures, wish I had watched it before doing this one or I would have flipped out the green which I'm not crazy about and would have used the layer mask with the gradient, I really liked that one.  Too lazy to go back and work on it.
This guy is a Tundra Swan I think.  I took it in December when we went to see the Tundra Swans specifically, but there were Snow Geese, Egrets, Ibis, all sorts of birds that I don’t know.  I just like to take pictures of them.  But pretty sure this is a swan due to the long neck and the snow geese have black on their wing tips.  Follow the link back to see lots of other inspiration.
Swan good close up kk -43 at multiply 80% kimklassencafe

JANUARY CURE - DAY 19

Day 19: Monday, January 28
Assignment:  Catch up on whatever bits and pieces that still need more attention and take an after photo of the goal project.

FULL MOON OVER COSTCO
I didn’t do a darn thing on the weekend as far as the cure.  I’ve been sick for 3 weeks and I’m finally on the mend but still didn’t do much.  Did go to Costco and got this nice full moon in the parking lot when leaving with my latte freeze.
I did clean out my bottom file cabinet drawer, now it just has empty file folders, empty hanging files and some divider tab thingies.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 18

Day 18: Friday, January 25, 26 and 27
Assignments: Flowers, Living Room Clean Up and Empty the Outbox
The living room isn’t bad but the entertainment center does need a clean out so I will work on that.  It’s kind of junked up, too much random stuff on top for me.
BEFORE
January Cure Entertainment Center Before(2)
Now the outbox, that’s a great story so far, there are two outboxes and they are big toilet paper boxes from Sam’s Club.  I can’t wait to take them to Goodwill.
January Cure full outboxes (1)

January Cure full outboxes (2)
Ok, here they go, off to Goodwill.
IMG_4405

JANUARY CURE–DAY 17

Day 17:  Thursday, January 24
Assignment:  Assess living room lighting and plan improvements
January Cure Living Room lighting (1)
I think I’m good with my lighting.  The ceiling fixture in the foreground of the picture is in my dining area, it’s a combination living room dining room so that is my main lighting for the living room.  I spent years, literally about 15 years, before I found something I liked to replace the builder brass fixture that came with the house.  Now I wish I had something different, more modern and funky.  It’s on a dimmer and I use that a lot.  Of course the two big boxes of new curly light bulbs won’t work in it because they aren’t supposed to be used in a light with a dimmer, I didn’t think to read the packages before I bought enough for the rest of my life, oh well.
January Cure Living Room lighting (3)
This lamp is a 3 way and it’s fine, don’t use it a lot because it’s not on the side of the sofa that I sit on.
January Cure Living Room lighting (4)
This is my antique floor lamp that I purchased at a street fair many many years ago.  I’ve changed the glass shade a couple of times and it’s in need of a good polishing.  I’m not in love with it anymore but it provides direct lighting down on me where I sit all the time so works perfectly for my needs, practical needs, not necessarily aesthetic needs anymore.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 16

Day 16:  Wednesday, January 23
Assignment:  Bathroom Medicine cabinet clean out
BEFORE
January Cure Medicine Cabinet
Somehow I totally missed day 16, I’m sick but was actually sicker on day 17 so don’t know what I was doing on this day.  My medicine cabinet really needs a clean out, here’s the before.  When I get it done I’ll post the after picture.  Luckily my other bathroom doesn’t have a medicine cabinet but don’t ask me to clean out the vanity.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 15

Day 15: Tuesday, January 22
Assignment:  Wrangle your cords.
January Cure Entertainment Center Before(2)
IMG_4388
I failed to do any cord wrangling today.  My cords are pretty wrangled.  Behind the entertainment center in the living room I have them in a black plastic corrugated sort of tube thing???  Also have one on the desktop computer in the office so they are pretty much in control.
IMG_4393
Instead I went shopping with my cousin and she bought a new TV.  Got a great deal at Best Buy on a 32 inch Samsung LCD 1080p for $315.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 14

Day 14:  Monday, January 21
Assignment:  Getting your papers and files in order
I feel that I have pretty good control over my paperwork.  I pay all my bills as they come in through my banks online bill pay system and set them to pay at the beginning of each month, then I shred them.  I do have a couple of file drawers that needed attention however.  Got one and a half done.  Mostly hanging folders containing labels, transparencies, colored papers, transfer paper, maps, stickers, some papers for collage.  Got them all organized and filed in their proper places.  The other drawer is mostly Vic’s parents paperwork on their house, the improvements we made on the home, their final tax return, medical stuff from their final months, citizenship papers, trust binder, etc.  I’m going to get a box and put this stuff in it so it’s out of my file cabinet.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 13

Day 13:  Friday, Jan. 18, 19 & 20
Assignment:  Weekly Flowers and Bedroom Cleaning
Not happening.  The bedroom isn’t bad although the boxes under the bed need attention.
Mostly hung out on the weekend with my friend Jan, running around shopping vicariously while she looked for new shower walls and doors and sinks and faucets.  I did take Dog to get his nails trimmed, he screamed like a tortured little girl.  They didn’t draw blood or hurt him, he was scared.  The lady at the shop said it’s the pressure of the clippers and the sound that scares them.
I cleaned the top part of my linen closet a little.  Got rid of about 10 towels into my outbox for charity.
Have to take the truck in to get the door gasket changed, it was soaking wet in there today and it hasn’t even rained.  Water pouring out of the visor hinge and the dome lights and the entire windshield was soaked.  I’ve had the windshield replaced and then removed and resealed again and it’s even worse and it hasn’t rained.  We’ve had over a week of freezing so I think the wet that was trapped in there froze and thawed.
I may not be getting all the cure things done but at least I’m getting things done and frankly more than I thought I would do, so far a success.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 12

Day 12:  Thursday, Jan 17
Assignment:  Declutter book and media collections
IMG_4394

I don’t really have many DVD’s, a drawer in my entertainment center is pretty much it.  I’m sure if I got in there I could find movies to send to the Outbox.  As far as music, I have 2 small binder things of CD’s in my vehicle and that’s it except for what is on my IPod.
Books, now books are another story, craft books and magazines.  I’m a book and magazine whore, I have a hard time letting them go.  Periodically I go through them and tear out what I want to keep and toss the magazine but not often enough.  As for the books I go through them each summer to find what I don’t want to sell at the Stamp Art Shoppe garage sale, so they get culled once a year and I haven’t been buying many so I’m pretty good on the books and they are all organized in my book shelf.
So, then what did I do today.  I worked on the island in my kitchen. 
ISLAND BEFORE
January Cure Island Before(15)January Cure Island Before(16)January Cure Island Before(19)January Cure Island Before(20)
I got the entire cabinet part cleaned out (the six drawers are yet to come).  Filled one box for sale at the Flea Affaire in the spring and added more to my outbox in the garage for charity donation.  It’s so nice,  I opened the doors on both sides and you can see straight through.
ISLAND AFTER
January Cure Island After (1)January Cure Island After (2)January Cure Island After (3)January Cure Island After (4)

JANUARY CURE–DAY 11

Day 11: Wednesday, January 16
Assignment:  Do a Media Fast this evening
Gee, I was so surfing the internet last night that I didn’t even see this post until today.  For me to be unplugged from the laptop or the TV would mean I would have to have my service cut off for non payment or maybe the power has to go out due to a storm, or my computer and the TV both break.
I’m not addicted to my phone, I hate the phone and I don’t have a smart phone so texting is a huge PITA without a keyboard so no loss there.  There isn’t anyone I want to talk to that much. 
I did, however, neaten up my landing strip so I'm a few days behind on that but it's clean now.  Put all the change that had collected in my plate in my change jar, put keys I don't use in the cigar box, took old stuff out of the cigar box, I actually had an old tiny little am radio in there that I used to use at the gym to hear the TV broadcast while on the eliptical, I haven't been to the gym in years.  Now my little cigar box just has breath mints, keys, ear buds, and discount entry cards for a flea market.




JANUARY CURE–DAY 10

Day 10: Tuesday, January 15
Assignment:  Put some time and effort into your goal project.
My goal project was my entry coat closet which I already finished.  It wasn’t that large of a project but it was a mess that was making me crazy.
Maybe I should pick another goal project.  A big one, like painting the hall bathroom.  Maybe??
Also, I haven’t done the landing strip because I already have one and it only needs to be neatened up and I can do that in 30 minutes, so why haven’t I?
Dog and I took a ride and took the food to the local church food closet today that I culled from the pantry cleaning.  So something was accomplished.  I was surprised how much food they gave away, people were coming out of there will full grocery carts just like at a grocery store.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 9

Day 9: Monday, January 14
Assignment:  Create a Landing Strip and Use it
I already have a landing strip and use it so I’m working on the panty since I did nothing on the weekend.
BEFORE:
January Cure Pantry Before(7)January Cure Pantry Before(8)January Cure Pantry Before(9)January Cure Pantry Before(10)
Took about 2 hours.  I filled a bag of food for donation to a local church food pantry and a box with mostly vases for donation or sale.  Washed the shelves and put everything back.  I have lots more room considering I didn’t really get rid of that much.
AFTER:
January Cure Pantry After (1)January Cure Pantry After (2)January Cure Pantry After

JANUARY CURE–DAY 8

Day 8:  Friday, January 11 and the weekend 12 – 13th
Assignments:  Kitchen Organizing & Cleaning, Find a Recipe and Try It Out
As far as a recipe, no!  Went out to dinner at Red Lobster instead.
This is supposed to be a big cleaning weekend for cleaning the kitchen and decluttering and organizing.
Clean all the surfaces, inside and out, counters, sink, cabinets, fridge, floor, stove, other appliances.
I’m going to work on the pantry but not this weekend.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 7

Day 7: Thursday, January 10
Task:  Plan a Get-Together for the Weekend of February 1-3.
The theory is that this is an end-of Cure celebration, it can be as big or small as you want it to be.  I choose small, so small it will be just me with a glass of wine or a gin and tonic.  I’m not the party planning type.  Again, taking the day off.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 6

Day 6: Wednesday, January 9
Assignment:  Choose a piece of artwork to frame and get the process started for framing it.
This is something I don’t need to do.  I have plenty of framed artwork, so I’m taking the day off.

JANUARY CURE–DAY 5

Day 5: Tuesday, January 8
Assignment:  Select One Project from Your List to Complete this Month take “before” photos.
Ok, I’m choosing the entry closet, since it’s been bugging me for awhile now and it’s the first thing when you enter the house.
BEFORE:  What a hole.
January Cure Entry Closet Before(6)
It took about 3 hours, but here’s the after below.  I don’t think the carpet in here has been vacuumed in 15 years.  Went through the coats and put a bunch in the Outbox, tossed an old broken Swiffer, hung my flag outside, put the gift bags in another room, the canvas tote on the door holds all the mopping and dusting heads.  I washed them all and cleaned all the filters in the vacuum and cut off all the hair in the vacuum brush.  Tossed an old lunch tote with a broken handle, put all the candles that were in a shoe box in a plastic tote along with candles that were in other places in the kitchen cabinets.  The Shark steamer is new, I bought this for the house instead of flowers.
AFTER:
January Cure Entry Closet After (1)January Cure Entry Closet After (2)January Cure Entry Closet After (3)January Cure Entry Closet After (4)

JANUARY CURE–DAY 4

Day 4:  Monday, January 7
Assignment: Get a Fresh Perspective in Just 10 Minutes
Find a spot in your home that you rarely sit in that gives you a view on a room or area that you feel is especially problematic and spend 10 quiet minutes there.
Ok, my big problem room is the spare bedroom, the junk room, Mt. Crapmore.  There is no way I could spend 10 minutes looking at this hole.  So I’ll just spend 10 minutes thinking about it.  No, that just makes me mad, lets forget about it.  Shut the door.

JANUARY CURE Day 3 and Weekend

Day 3 Assignment: Buy flowers, vacuum, mop, gather earth friendly cleaners and use the outbox.
Ok, now this is getting harder.
For one the flowers are out, too smelly for me.  They are supposed to be a visual symbol of my commitment to caring for my home. 
Vacuum and mop – well my housekeeper will be coming on Monday so I don’t need to do the floors, what a cop out right?
Stock up on green cleaners – again not for me.  I don’t really care about green cleaners.  Maybe when I run out of my antibacterial Windex I’ll try a green cleaner, but I’m not going out of my way to get something now.  Besides I’m cheap.  That’s how I can afford a housekeeper.
Use my outbox – again I can do that, no problem, I love getting rid of clutter.  Put in some more junk.

JANUARY CURE DAY 2


It’s day 2, Thurs. Jan 3.  The assignment, should I chose to accept it, is: 
Set up an Outbox and Place One Item in It.
Again, so far easy peasy, I can do this.  I have a big old toilet paper box in the garage.  I put in my old coffee pot and two frying pans.  I got both a new coffee pot and a new frying pan for Christmas.
The theory of the outbox is that is not garbage, nor does it need to be an actual box; it is a halfway house where things sit while their fate is being decided.  Once an item has sat there for awhile it releases its hold over the owner and becomes just an ordinary object that one can easily decide what to do with.
OUTBOX RULES
1.   Anything can go in the Outbox
2.  The Outbox is allowed to get messy.
3.  Everything must stay in the Outbox for at least one week.
4.  After that time you have several choices
    a.  Take anything back out
    b.  Leave anything you are undecided about for one more week
    c.  Dispose of the rest by moving to the garbage, recycling bin, or giveaway pile.

JANUARY CURE

I am attempting to follow the Apartment Therapy January Cure to make my home the best it can be for 2013.  It’s time to take some control of this house, the clutter, the dust bunnies, the gomi (Japanese for rubbish, trash, garbage, dust).  I never figured I would actually do all the things in the cure, or in the time prescribed, but what the hell, even one thing is an improvement.  Let’s see what I can accomplish.
DAY 1:  Make a List of Projects (Wed. Jan. 2)
Ok, I can do this one.
ENTRY
Closet needs cleaning, purging, organizing
KITCHEN   
Pantry, throw out expired food, organize
Island, donate stuff I don't use and organize.
DINING ROOM
Clean out sideboard
Clean out secretary desk
LIVING ROOM
Entertainment center, dust and organize
Drawer in end table, clean it out.
HALL
Linen closet, get rid of old stuff
HALL BATHROOM
Paint
New shower curtain
MASTER BEDROOM
Clean out dresser
Do something about the boxes under the bed
MASTER BATHROOM
Clean out vanity
Clean out medicine cabinet.
OFFICE
Clean out 2 file cabinet drawers
Ok, that’s the list.  The assignment says to resist the temptation to dive in and start cleaning or moving things around. Noooo problem, I can resist.