The best intentions....

Ah well, I did mean to catch things up before Christmas. So now I have to do a retrospective up to today, and then I'll post about Christmas.

It is December 27, so I have 27 days to account for, plus I acquired a few things: 2 hats, a DVD, a GPS (her name is Penelope, for Odysseus' wife), a dragonfly window decoration, and 3 new CDs. That is 35 total.

I have gotten rid of, in one way or another, and in no particular order:
3 glasses
a mug
7 tins
3 books
a candle holder
3 mugs
2 shot glasses
6 earrings (not pairs, separates)
3 small glasses
7 cups

That is 36 things (35 plus one, just in case I forgot something).

Stay tuned for the Christmas edition....

One month left!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday; I certainly did.

It has been 16 days since my last post, plus 3 to get to the end of the month. I also bought 4 books, a sweater and a pair of shoes. That's a total of 25 things.

So here's a picture:

It is 11 DVDs, a CD, a mug, a small teapot, a brush, a candle holder, an old sweatshirt, a book, 4 pair of gloves and 3 loose unpaired gloves. That's 25 things.

And I am ready for December!

Sometimes the decision is made for you....

Like today. When Bailey (I love him, I really do) jumped up where he shouldn't have been and knocked over my Galway Crystal Claddagh candy dish. Ok, it's really a votive candle holder, but I have always used it as a candy dish. Ah well. Good thing I am planning another trip to Ireland next spring so I can replace it. So that's the "thing" for yesterday.

For today, I have 2 Lord of the Rings plastic popcorn tubs that have been sitting on top of my refrigerator since the movies were in the theater. I guess I can bear to part with them.

A few days, a month, and two to go....

My last post ended with the words, "See you in a few days or so." I guess a month must count as "or so". I have been keeping up, just not posting, so here's a month in one fell swoop. A boring post, though, as I haven't been taking pictures, just lots of notes.

I did have one more shopping spree, during which I bought a sweater, two skirts, a book and 3 CDs. So, if I add those 7 things to the 31 days I am behind and add in 1 poodle skirt and a pair of cat's eye glasses, I have 40 things to get rid of.

So, here's a list:
7 books, 3 necklaces, 2 candle holders, 1 wallet, 1 tv antenna, 1 radio antenna, 1 broken fairy trinket, 1 computer mouse, 1 cell phone ear piece, 1 pair headphones, 8 useless cords, 1 exercise ball, 1 toothbrush holder, 1 Palm Tungsten, 3 cookbooks, 1 CD player, 4 pair of jammies and 2 night shirts.

That's 41 things. So I'm good through tomorrow.

I am actually beginning to find it a little difficult to find things to discard. I have just under 2 months to go and Christmas is in there, so I'll have to toss at least 60 things. It's going to be interesting....

But there was a sale!

I have been so good; no new clothes or new anything really for SOOOOO long! Well, I just kind of broke tonight. :)

Here's what happened. I stopped in to JC Penny for pillows. I've been meaning to for a while now, and just decided to swing by after work. Well, you have to walk through the whole store to get to the bedding section!! Unfair!! And, of course all of the clearance stuff was 75% off. Double unfair!!

So now it's time to tally it. It's not really that much, but after a drought of shopping, it felt REALLY good. I bought 2 pillows, 2 fall tops, a sweater and 3 skirts. I have also acquired one other thing over the past week. My friends, drinking buddies, fellow rennies and Mischievites, Terrible Musicians, gave me their new CD.



So, with those items and 7 days added together, we have a total of 16 things.


15 CDs (donated to the library)

and

One very floppy, unsupportive neck pillow.

That should do it. See you in a few days or so!

Still rainy, still lazy....

It's been only a few days since my last post, but they have been very busy days. Last night was the first show of our season ~ Avenue Q. It is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Definitely the right choice for Banned Books Week, too; something to offend everyone! But oh, did we laugh! And I bought a set of small pins. :)

I also took delivery today of my new obsession ~ Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (and the following 3 books in the series). So, that's 5 things for which I have to account, plus 3 days.

So I am getting rid of:

2 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 1 belt, 2 tank tops, 1 skirt and


One spoon rack. I no longer collect spoons, so this one was actually pretty easy.

That's it for tonight. Next time we speak, it will be October. Three months to go. For now I am going to hibernate with Claire and Jamie. :)

A lazy, rainy Sunday

Well, autumn is certainly upon us. It's grey and rainy and chilly and there is Giants' football on the tv. A nearly perfect fall Sunday. I've been pulling out warm clothes, thick sweaters and flannel jammies; putting away summer clothes, flimsy tops and peasant skirts. It's baking season, crock pot season, mulled wine and apple crisp season. My favourite season of all.

I have just a few days to catch up. It has been a slow week. The only thing I acquired was a new curling iron, and I just made a straight trade ~ the one that died was tossed and the new one was put to work.

I do have 5 things to show you, things that have been waiting patiently, collecting dust, taking up shelf space. A pair of book ends, a bread machine that burns the bread every time, a broken food processor, a wooden paper towel holder and an iron spice rack.


These I donated to the library. They'll look cute in the Children's Room.


I regret losing these two. But I'll get a new food processor someday soon, and I'm thinking about learning to make bread without a machine. I do all my other own baking and cooking. It's past time to start making my own bread, too. Besides, I understand the kneading and punching is great for stress management. :)


I am slowly working towards no longer using paper products in the kitchen. I am moving to only having cloth napkins (not quite there yet), and using kitchen towels and rags rather than paper towels. It's my little bit to save the environment (and it's cheaper, too). So I no longer need this.


The worst place to store spices in in the open light and air. So, this is going. I love it, and it goes with my wine rack and kitchen shelves, but I'd rather have good spices than a pretty spice rack. :)

So, that's it for this week. We're soon moving into October. Happy fall everyone!

Fall and Festivals and Faires, oh my!

It's been a busy few weeks. Last weekend was the Syracuse Irish Festival. What a great time! Wonderful music, great food, tasty ale, and I got to share it with some of my favourite people. And of course, there was shopping. This past weekend was the Niagara Celtic Festival in Olcott, an event I look forward to every year. More great music, more great food, lots of ale and many more of my favourite people. And, of course, more shopping.

I'll post in two sections. First, I have 15 days to account for. It's that time of year, and I have been going through clothes again. I have so many things that I just don't wear! So I am getting rid of 15 summer tops.


Next, I have all the stuff I bought and that was given to me. That includes a sweater, a shawl, a mug, 2 books, 9 CDs and a DVD. Here are some pics of most of the stuff.


This is the mug and most of the CDs (I left 2 at work).


This is what happens when you forget to click the "respond" buttin in the Columbia House email. *sigh* I guess it could be worse.


And here's the sweater, the books and Bailey.

That's a total of 15 more things. So, I'm getting rid of:


2 sweatshirts, 3 sweaters, 1 tshirt, 1 denim shirt, 1 summer top, and 1 chemise

And:


4 skirts, 1 tank top and a dress.

I probably missed a day or an item (or 2 or 3 of each) somewhere over the past few weeks and months, so I have decided to toss a few extras, just to make sure.
So, as a bonus I am adding this stuff to the bag to the Rescue mission:

4 t-shirts, 4 pairs of pajamas, 3 tanks and a skirt.

That should do it for now. I'm almost 3/4 of the way through, and I really think I might make it!

Books, books, books

Well, look at me. It's only been 5 days, and I am keeping true to my determination to stay updated. :)

For five days I have five books:


And so I'm a little bit closer.

Falling back into the routines....

It has been 70 days since my last post. Summer has come and gone. Faire has passed into the past. I have been very neglectful of my blog, and I am sorry for that. I have been a very good girl, though. I have been keeping track of the days and packing stuff up to get rid of. I have also been keeping track of all the things I acquired. It's mostly garb and other faire accessories.

This is going to be a very boring post. No pictures; just a couple of lists. First, the list of things I acquired over the past 2 months. Some of this I made, some I bought, some was gifted:
6 skirts, 1 bodice, 4 pair of bloomers, 3 chemises, 1 capelet, 2 pockets, 1 feather fan, 1 leather mask, 2 flower garlands, 1 mead mug, 2 ceramic mugs, 4 CDs, 3 books (yes, only 3 books!!), 1 camp coffee maker, 1 electric kettle, 1 pair of pewter candlesticks, and 1 wooden claddagh wall hanging.

That's 35 things. Added to the 70 days, and I have to toss (or recycle, donate, etc.) 105 things.

So, here's the list:
9 pair of shoes, 9 purses, 17 plates, 1 sugar thing from a diner, 9 bowls, 1 flask, 2 fancy hair comb sets, 1 pink satin pouch, 4 necklaces, 1 watch, 5 pair earrings, 16 stray earrings, 9 pins, 1 bracelet, 11 charms, 3 glass candle holders, 6 pair capris.

That's 105 things. And I am now caught up. I am going to really try to stay up on the project from now on. I am, after all, 2/3 of the way through. Wow. I might actually make it!

A book buying expedition or two...

Well, I finally cracked. I have been doing pretty well in the "not buying stuff" department, and last weekend, I cracked. Actually, it started 2 weekends ago and culminated last weekend in a true shopping spree.

But first, I have several days to account for, 16 to be exact. For those 16 days, I have decided to get rid of 16 t-shirts. And this is what a pile of 16 t-shirts looks like:



Now for the shopping spree. I bought, over the past two weeks, 11 books:

One of them, Brida, I have started and don't like. So that one is going straight to the library and I'm not going to count it. However, I also bought two hair sticks which brings the total up to 12.

So, I'll get rid of 2 shower curtains (both the same bright, garish fish design):


One bodice that bled badly when it was washed (by the seamstress's directions, I might add...):


And one Trivial Pursuit Book Lovers edition:


A pair of flip flops that are too small:


A blue sweater t-shirt:


2 tan tops that I never wear:


2 sweaters:


And 2 matching tanks:


and that catches me up. I'll have a slew of garb to account for after his weekend, though, so stay tuned....

It's been a long, long time....

....since my last post. I've been to Ireland and I am back! I'll be posting my pictures in a seperate blog sometime soon, so watch for that!

Now, I am going to sdo this in stages, as I have many days to post for, as well as things I bought in Ireland and things I got for my birthday. (Yes, I am now a year older) I have been keeping track of things acquired and discarded, so here goes...

My last posted discard was for Tuesday, May 20; that means I have 19 things to count (and that gets me through today). Here's a list; I dpon;t have pictures this time, as I have been working with my memory cards and camera with the Ireland pics. I'll be back to photos next time.

5 paperback "throwaway" books
Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
1 old glass with gold trim (the last of the old wedding gifts....)
An old make-up case (too big for practical use)
Mozart Musical Masterpieces book and CD
Butane Curling Iron
A broken canister that goes with my tea and coffee set
1 denim shirt
2 leather skirts (yes, 2 *grin*)
4 winter scarves

That's 19 and that gets me through!

Now, the things I have acquired:
2 tshirts
1 photo album
7 CDs
2 cookbooks
1 set of guide books
Assorted small souvenirs (magnets and pins that fit in my current collections; I'm counting this as 1 thing)
2 books from Ireland
3 books for my birthday
1 dragonfly candle holder
1 claddagh ring
1 Royal Tara trinket box
1 shamrock necklace
1 claddagh necklace
2 dolls
1 sheep (not a real one. *grin*)
1 egg cup

That's 28 things.

So, I have gotten rid of:
Trivial Pursuit 90's edition
4 fire damaged tigger statuettes
4 sewing patterns
1 box assorted greeting cards
1 address book
1 pair sneakers
3 pair sandals
1 jacket
4 t shirts
1 cardigan
1 hairbrush
2 pair PJs
1 purple sweater
4 black mini skirts (let's face it; these 41 year old legs ain't never getting into a skirt THAT short again!)

That's 28 +1 (in case I missed anything).

And now I am caught up. *whew*

A Stormy Saturday

I have been sitting here enjoying the spring storm that is rollong across New York State, thinking of things I have to do before I go to Ireland on Wednesday. I figured I had better catch up here before I get so far behind I lose count.

I have actually been intentionally letting the blog slide, because I got rid of many DVDs last week. Of course, I lost count and let it go too many days. So, I have 13 days to account for, and I got rid of 10 DVDs. Every once in a while, I get in a mood and just go through and purge any movies I know I won't watch again. This was one of those times. No pics, just a list:

Tuck Everlasting, spider-Man, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Last Castle, Mona Lisa Smile, Miracle, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, The Haunted Mansion, and The Crucible.

That's ten. So, to get me through today I have these three tins that I have been saving forever, for something. One is a Christmas tin, one is a cookie tin, and one is a popcorn tin. And now they are gone:


That gets me through today. I'm actually going to go a little bit ahead, through Tuesday. Then, before I leave for Ireland, I will blog enough things to get me through the days of the trip. That way, when I get home, I will only have to get rid of the same number of things that I buy while I'm there.

So, for tomorrow, Sunday, I am tossing this pretty, but torn tank top:


And for Monday and Tuesday, two flower pots. They have killed the last 3 plants that they have held, so I figure it's fate they be shattered and discarded.


I also have a gift to make up for. Mom bought me a little tote for travel (it's packed already, and so is my camera, so no picture of it. But it's the greatest bag! It's a nice big tote that packs down to practically nothing and stores itself in its own little zipper pouch.

So, to balance that I'm getting rid of this:

Yes, that's a dust buster. (Dirt Devil, actually). It never worked that great, and has been completely non working for a few years now. Time to just toss it. I'll probably get a new one down the road; we'll see. For now, it's gone.

Okay, that's it for now. Have a great weekend!

Yeah, I'm a slacker....

I admit it. It's been that kind of week with allergies, work and just general PMSiness, and I let things slide. But I'm back now. And I'm making it up with books. anyone who really knows me will tell you that my books are my most prized possession. I covet them, I explore them, I arrange them, I collect them, and I even read them. And sometimes ~ ok, often ~ I end up with some I'll never read again, or that I don't really even like.

I have 11 days to make up for, and I have 11 books that are going. Some (of the fantasy ones) to my brother, some to the library.

These six are going to my brother. They are 2 trilogies of fantasy fiction that he'll probably like and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have them.




I think I'll give this one to him, too. He'll like it, and it will be a good one to keep for my nephew. :)


These are going to the library. They're just not worth the shelf space.


This one was all set to go to Ireland with me. I always bring "throw away books" when I travel, paperbacks that I'll read and leave wherever I am when I finish them. I've left books in airports, airplanes, hotel rooms, taxis, buses, park benches, etc. This was going to be one of them for this trip, but i discovered i already read it. So it's going to the library.


This one I am going to pass along to friends and family to read. I loved it! But I probably won't ever read it again, so after the book discussion this week, I'll share the joy. :)


So, that's actually 12 books. I guess I am set until Tuesday.

I've been doing really well on the shopping front. I have bought some fabric (ok, lots of fabric, and I'm not done yet), but I've decided to count the items I make rather than the pieces of fabric. I really need some new garb pieces for faire (skirts and chemises and bloomers, oh my....). So when I get home from Ireland, I'll be sewing and adding items. What fun!

Enjoy your Sunday!

28 days and counting....

Until my vacation. My trip to Ireland with my Dan. And wow do I need a vacation. This has been a rough spring. I have been so tired, and I am sure part of it is that I'm burning out at work. Hopefully this vacation will revive me and give me back some inspiration. If not, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Big news. We're going to the voters. The library, that is. We need a boost to the budget (we're running pretty close to the 2001 budget, very short staffed and very low materials budgets, among other things). I have a link, but I left it at work. I'll post it tomorrow.

{Okay, it's tomorrow now. Here's the link: http://voteyesforourlibrary.org/jervis}

Anyways, I have some catching up to do. I haven't bought anything, so I have just the day to day things to toss. And here they are.

A fan way past its prime.


Two pair of sandals. I just don't wear white shoes.


A too fuzzy green turtleneck sweater.


A cream sweater that I always think i am going to wear, but I never do.


I also gave away a book this past weekend and didn't log it. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. It's making the rounds of the family right now with instructions to keep it going and then donate it somewhere when everyone has read it.

So, that's it for now. I'm caught up to today. I'd like to say that I'll do a better job of keeping track, but, well, we all know how that goes. :)

Have a good hump day!

Spring fever, spring break, springing out all over the place

Yes, it's spring break in our schools. Which means that the kids are all pouring in to the Children's Room. I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend. I have been very busy over the past week. Went to see Sunshine Cleaning with my mom and two aunts. Wonderful film! Mom and I went to the SU lacrosse game (we won) ~ Go SU! Also went to see Sweeney Todd (on stage) ~ LOVED it! What a strange, fantastic, sad, dark, funny, gruesome, twisted and wonderful show. Spectacular! Easter was great, a whole day with my family and my Dan. And now we're deep into vacation week and Book Fair.

I didn't even realize I had let this slip for so long! I have been discarding items all week, and keeping track as usual, though. Now it's time to catch up. Six days; six things. A few sweaters, a couple of shirts and a pair of boots. Nothing terribly exciting. Nothing earth-shattering. Nothing even really worth writing about. Just things that either don't fit or that I just don't wear anymore.

See:













That's it for now. Talk to you all later.