Pictures & Videos: Things 5 & 7

As promised, here are pictures and video links to go with my updates on Thing 5 and Thing 7....

Thing 5: Donate my unused clothes to charity. I actually went through my closet and pulled out 102 items to donate back in October. This picture is from that mission. Four giant shopping bags, a big box and a few odds & ends later, my closet is a lot more organized and (hopefully) there are some people who have made good use of these clothes and accessories. I left the item on the list all this time because I still had to go through my dresser. Done!! Twenty-three more items later, I am finally ready to cross this one off my list. Woo hoo!


Thing 7: Install chair rail & paint daughter's room. Well, I changed this one a bit... decided to scrap the chair rail, but still paint the room pink. It was a very bland color called "Navajo White" (same color as the rest of the house). But, my 4-year-old princess deserves a princess room... so that she will get. So far I've painted the room pink, bought/painted a desk for the room, painted the old furniture white (to match the new desk) and severely reduced the clutter in her room, as can be seen on these videos of the Before and the During. I have it on good authority that Santa will be bringing pink Disney Princess bedding (comforter, sheets, throw pillow) and will be making matching curtains. I've also ordered a bed frame, which I will paint white to match the other furniture in the room. This Thing will stay on the list until Santa delivers the goods and the new bed is in place. (Apologies, by the way, for the poor video quality... it's the best I can do on my digital camera. Oh, and ignore the calls for "Moooooommmmyyyy!" on the During video... I left Hubby alone to give both girls a bath for 2 minutes!)

Thing 8: Be a non-smoker. Can't post an update on "other stuff" without mentioning this one... three months, 3 days, still going strong. I am Supergirl, hear me roar!!!

** NEW THING ** to replace Thing 5 is still TBD.... I think I want to do something a little more fun with this Thing... something more for me, and less "work." Hhhmmm.... I promise to think of something and post an update soon!

Thing 8 Update - month 3

First and foremost, let me begin by asking for a drum roll, please.....

Thing 8: Be a non-smoker: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Supergirl is pleased to announce that it has been 3 months since my last cigarette. Woo hoo!!!! Finally, finally I am not obsessing daily over smoking, though it has been a very long and difficult road. I still dream about smoking, but even in my dreams feel guilty for cheating, and wake up even more resolved not to ever smoke again. I feel like I'm ready to cross this off the list, but my sister (a smoker) is coming to visit me for Christmas, and that always opens the door to temptation. So, I will force myself to leave this on my list until her visit is over, just in case....

I really do have updates on some of the others (Thing 5 and Thing 7), but the pictures are on my other computer and a true update will require visuals. So alas, those updates will have to wait another day. In the meantime, let's all celebrate my Thing 8 Success to Date -- in and of itself, that update is good enough to make up for the fact that it's been a month since my last post, right???

Thing 8 Update

Two months today and I haven't cheated even a single time. Have I mentioned lately that I AM SUPERGIRL!?!?!

Things 8, 10 & 11

Thing 8: Be a non-smoker
Almost 7 weeks and still going strong. I AM SUPERGIRL!!!

Thing 10: Finish 1 more quilt (L&T)
Done!!


*NEW* Thing 11: Sort, organize, label and back-up pictures on home PC
Yes, I know... "Make 1 more quilt" was supposed to go on my list 2 more times, but quite frankly, I'm sick of making these quilts! Well, that, and I don't know how to even find the other 2 people who are supposed to get those 2 quilts, so I'm not making them until I know I can actually deliver them. So, instead, I will add the much needed, long overdue sorting, organizing, labeling and backing up of every picture I've taken in the past 4 years. Fingers crossed that my hard drive doesn't decide to explode before I get around to this one!

Updates

Thing 5: Donate my unused clothes to charity
Soooooo close to complete on this one. Last weekend I finished sorting through my closet and donated 102 items. My husband says that's more than he even owns. (Note: It is not me who is counting this stuff... my husband insists on inventorying everything so he can be "honest and accurate" on the receipt so he can deduct this on our taxes, **sigh**.) However.... I still have to sort through my dresser drawers, so I'm not crossing this off quite yet....

Thing 7: Install chair rail & paint daughter's room
In my head, this project is complete (and quite beautiful, I might add!). I have picked the paint colors and bedding (well, I think I have the bedding.... to Disney Princess or not to Disney Princess? That, my friends, is the question.). However, I am waiting until the weekend of November 10 (hubby will be in Oakland for a football game) to actually do the painting and chair rail. (Trust me, the farther away he is from my project, the more smoothly it will go!)

Thing 8: Be a Non-Smoker
Four weeks ago today I had my last cigarette. No cheating, not even once... though I had a huge meal at a work-sponsored dinner on Tuesday and would have cut off my left arm in trade for a smoke on the ride home. But alas, I did not, and my left arm is happy that I didn't. Turns out that months 2 and 3 of the meds cost even MORE than month 1 -- up to $127/month now, yikes!! I really feel like it's not doing anything to help me (I still get cravings), but I couldn't justify stopping it after only 1 of 3 recommended months. However, I have no plans to take month 3... we'll see how I'm feeling when this month's supply runs out in 3 weeks, though.

Thing 10: Finish 1 more quilt (L&T)
I'm stuck on this one. The top of the quilt is done, I just have to quilt it now. But, my hubby's cousin had a baby and so did my friend from work, so this Thing got put on hold while I made those two. Plus, I'm not even sure where to find this mom to mail her quilt to her... I sent her a letter to her last known address and haven't heard back. Not much point in rushing to finish this one (or the two I plan to put after it on my list) if I can't get it to her anyway, right? (Yes, I'm justifying.)

I need to finish something soon, though... I already know what my next Thing is going to be, and very little gets done anymore if it's not a Thing on my list!

Thing 8 - Day 13

Still going strong!!

(who ever said that 13 is unlucky?!?!?)

Official Ruling?

I've yet to see the Official 5 Things Rule Book, so I'm going to possibly bend (break?) a rule here... but I've decided that Thing 7 (Install chair rail & paint downstairs) is no longer on my immediate priority list. As is everything I do, it's complicated... I really, really want to get new kitchen countertops, and was planning to do it this Fall. But, I think I'm going to wait a while on that since I can't decide what kind I want anyway. Since my downstairs is so open and my dining room sort of wraps into my kitchen, I don't want to do the chair rail until after the countertops, so I can decide what height I want to put the chair rail. After all, I'd hate to have the chair rail be 1/2 inch higher than the countertops, right??

However, in the spirit of this same item, I'm going to replace OLD Thing 7 (Install chair rail & paint downstairs) with NEW Thing 7 - Install chair rail and paint daughter's room. Sounds more fun anyway, and a lot less complex in terms of cutting and angles and all that other good stuff. I'll master the art of the 45 degree angle on the chop saw, and then I'll venture to the downstairs. That's legal, right?

Things 8, 9 & 10

Update on Thing 8 - Be a non-smoker: It's been 3.5 days since my last cigarette, and I'm feeling very confident in my "non-smoker" status. It's still a struggle but I'm fighting through it, and I am SO proud of myself! As I mentioned in my last post, I'm leaving this one on the list for a while, until I'm sure I don't relapse. I don't plan to post regular updates on this one, except if I cheat. Assume that no news = still going strong!

Thing 9 - Finish 1 more quilt: DONE! (pictures below -- this mom picked a yellow Tigger fabric, and asked for yellow and orange to match) Of course, as promised, Thing 9 will be replaced by:

Thing 10 - Finish 1 more quilt! (I know, this one's getting pretty boring... only 3 more to go after Thing 10!)

Thing 8 - Day 1

Today is Day 1 of Thing 8, Be a Non-Smoker.

So far, so good... though I'm only a few hours in, so not counting my chickens quite yet. So far, the meds have taken the edge off the headaches and other "stuff" associated with withdrawal, which is a good thing... I'm focusing on the "habit" part in the meantime. As in, this morning when I got in the car, I reached for one. (Good thing I don't actually have any!) And now, I'm hungry, so I'd normally go smoke (appetite suppressant) to tide me over for a few hours until lunch. Instead, I will eat chocolate, and not care that's it's before 10am, because at least it's not a cigarette.

Though I am SO anxious to cross this thing off my list, this is one that I really, truly have to earn... no half-assed cross off for me!! So, I will leave it on my list for 15 more weeks.... that's 11 more weeks on the meds, plus 4 more weeks (off the meds) of still being a Non-Smoker. That brings me to December 27.... can't think of a better Christmas gift to myself, or a better way to ring in the new year!

"Someone is either a smoker or a nonsmoker. There's no in-between. The trick is to find out which one you are, and be that. If you're a nonsmoker, you'll know." (Robin Williams in Dead Again)

Thing 8 - The smell of smoke and dirty diapers

Day 4 of my medication, and I've graduated from 1 pill day (half strength) to 2 pills/day. I've had to start eating breakfast (this is new to me, I'm not an "eat before noon" person) so the meds will not upset my stomach, but I can live with that. (We'll add "weight loss" to the list once Thing 8 is done!)

This will sound strange to anyone who's never been a smoker, and will make perfect sense to anyone who is/was... but yesterday, for the first time in years, I actually smelled smoke on my clothes. I know, it's strange... but when you smoke, you just don't smell it. Not sure if it's that your nose really gets that messed up, or if you just get that used to it... but by the middle of yesterday, I was disgusted with myself and had to change my shirt. Gross? Yes. Progress? Yes!

Mind you, I get to keep smoking until Quit Day (Day 8 - this Friday). It takes the full 7 days to get the meds into my system. And then on Magic Quit Day, I increase the dosage again from 2 half-strength pills/day to 2 full-strength pills/day (blue ones, instead of white). Here's what I'm up against, and this is only one month's worth (out of 3)!

Oh... and yesterday, I actually smelled a dirty diaper. Gosh, those things stink! I suppose it's a drawback I can live with, though for at least a few more weeks, I may actually pretend (as my husband accuses me of anyway!) that I just can't smell them...

Thing 3 - Commentary

A friend of mine emailed me about the quilt I made for Thing 3 and asked me (with love!) why there were so many different, seemingly "random" pieces of fabric in the quilt. It occurs to me that to someone who doesn't know the story behind the quilts, it may appear that I just don't know how to match colors. Though that may be the case, actually, there is a story behind these quilts, which makes them anything but random....

When I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter at the end of 2002, I joined an online group (called a Due Date Club) at Babyzone.com with other moms who were due in August 2003. We chatted about morning sickness, weight gain, all things pregnancy related, up to labor, delivery and birth stories. After the little ones were born (about 75 of them!), many of us had grown close enough that we decided to form our own group via MSN groups to stay in touch as the babies grew.

We're spread out across the US, Mexico and Canada, and most of us have never met. (I've been lucky enough to meet 5 of the other moms!) One of the moms had an idea to make these quilts, so we could share with out little ones the story of how us crazy moms met. The idea was simple: Each mom was to pick a fabric that "represented" their baby in some way. I picked a fabric with little lambs on it (since my daughter's name means "Little Lamb" in Hebrew). The Surrendered Scribe (a fellow 5 Thinger, also from my Mommy Group) chose a fabric with angels on it, to celebrate the angels who were with her and her little girl during a near-death experience when the baby was only a few months old. The mom & baby (now preschooler) that the Thing 3 Quilt is for chose a fabric with sports balls on it, since her son loved to play ball and seemed athletic. (She has a blog, too, here.)

All the moms sent their fabric to me, I cut it into squares, and each mom/baby gets a quilt that has fabric from all the other babies in it, with a focus on the fabric they chose for their own child. So yes... the fabrics may "look" random, but each one has a story, and each one represents a very special little girl or boy. Every one looks completely different. Of course, it's been 3 years since this project started, thus my overwhelming desire to finally get them all DONE already, and the reason The Quilt Thing will keep appearing on my list, over and over again, until that time comes!

Thing 3 - Done!

We now interrupt "The Steps of Thing 8" to interject an update on Thing 3 - Finish 1 more quilt. Drum roll, please.......

Yippee!!! Of course, as I mentioned in my original post when I put this on the list, this is quilt #12 or 13 out of 25, and I have at least 5 more to make (someone else is sewing some also, thank Heaven!). So, Thing 3 - Finish 1 more quilt will finally be crossed off the list, only to be replaced by Thing 9 - Finish 1 more quilt.....

Thing 8 - Step 3

Thing 8 - Step 3: Remortgage house to pay for The Pill.

Holy cow, $120.99 for the "starter month" kit. Holy cow! Did I mention, "Holy Cow"!?!?! That's 40 packs of smokes!! (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'll recoup it from not buying smokes in the future, but for right now? Ouch!)

That said, though, today, I think, was a good progress day. I went to the doctor, who was more than happy to write the prescription even before I'd finished telling her all the reasons I needed it. I didn't even have to beg (yes, I was prepared to do that). The packaging is very complicated. I have a Master's Degree, but it is not in Physics, Engineering or Rocket Science, so I'm not sure I can figure it all out... but I've swallowed the first pill, along with a little prayer that it was the right pill.

I'm supposed to pick a quit date (Day 7 or Day 8), but can "smoke normally" until then. I'm just supposed to not want to smoke as much after a few days. After that, I'm supposed to keep taking these little pills for 11 more weeks, and can do a second 12 week treatment if it still hasn't worked. Yeah, let's pay $120.99/month for 3 more months, for something that doesn't work.

OK, cynicism aside.... Step 3 was to get/take The Pill, and I've done that. On to Step 4, whatever that is....

Thing 8 - Step 2

Clearly, I'm making this up as I go along. As I said in my last post, I have no idea how many steps Thing 8 (Be a Non Smoker) will entail and much as it kills me (yes, I'm a classic Type A), I'm actually trying very hard not to plan this out too far in advance... too much pressure! That said, I love making lists (thus the 5 Things blog to begin with), so here is Step 2, my quick list of reasons to quit smoking. I know there are a million more and I may add them later, but here are the ones off the top of my head, in no particular order. (Purpose of this list, by the way, is to remind myself later when my head is splitting and I can't remember exactly why I put this Thing on my list in the first place.)

1. I want to stop having nightmares about telling my little girls that I won't be around to watch them grow up.
2. I want to be around to watch my little girls grow up, and their kids, too.
3. I want to stop feeling "ugly" for being a nasty smoker.
4. I want to stop hearing the comments and getting "the look" when people I know learn that I smoke.
5. I want to taste food again.
6. I want my husband to stop telling me I'm only pretending that I can't smell the baby's diaper as an excuse to not change it. (Gross, I know... and it's not that I really want to smell the baby's diaper, but, well, you get the point....)
7. I want to stop spending $3.00+ / day on something that's literally going up in smoke.
8. I want to stop planning my schedule around "will I have time to smoke?"
9. I want to stop smelling like an ash tray.
10. I do not want my next x-ray to look like the picture on the right:

11. I want to chase my kids around without getting winded.

12. I want to be the person that I want to be. (Smoking is not on my "to be" list.)

13. I want to say that I did this, once and for all... and then, I'll know I can do anything.

Thing 8 - Step 1

Already this sounds like a 12-Step program. That's scary! No idea how many "steps" this Thing will entail (Be a Non Smoker).... I just know that this is the first one, which will (hopefully?) kick-start all the others.

I have smoked on an off (more on than off, admittedly) for over 13 years. Minus the 2 pregnancies, and a 5 month "quit" right before my wedding, I've been a pack-a-day smoker since I was 18 1/2 years old. I'm going to skip the guilt I feel about this, the stupid reasons I started in the first place, blah, blah, blah. What matters is that today I AM a smoker, and I really don't want to be one anymore.

I've tried just about everything... weaning off, cold turkey, the patch. Some things are less painful than others, but the end result is that I've always started again. This is the problem. Don't get me wrong.... quitting is VERY easy to do. I quit after every cigarette. The problem? Starting back up again is even easier, and so long as I'm starting one more time than I've quit... well, you do the math.

Let me say, for the record, that I am NOT a pill person. I don't like them, I don't take them, and the last thing on earth I want to do is actually rely on them. But I'm out of options.... and I'm going to get The Pill. There's a new medication on the market called Chantix, which is supposed to reduce your cravings to smoke. The side effects are mild, unlike other things like Welbutrin (which I've tried... stopped after 2 days because the nausea was unbearable). And much as I hate the idea that I even need this much help, I don't know what else to do. I know several people who have quit this way (plus my sister just started taking it, and says she noticed improvements in only 24 hours!). So.... I'm going to get me some of this stuff.

Problem? I don't have a doctor. Can't even remember the last time I went to a doctor for a checkup that wasn't related to a pregnancy. I really need a PCP, I've just been delaying it. But today, I took Step 1. I found a Primary Care Physician who is accepting new patients (not an easy task, mind you!) and made an appointment to see him on Friday. I wasn't expecting to be able to get in so soon for "just" a new patient checkup, but I suppose the stars are aligning and God is nudging me along....

So, on Friday morning (September 7) at 9:45am Eastern Time, I will go see the doctor and ask for a prescription. Step 1, underway. Now I have the rest of the week to read all the "stop smoking or die" articles my friends keep emailing to me (done with love, which I truly do appreciate, honestly... if you have others, please post a link in a comment to this post) and get myself psyched up for Step 2, which I'll figure out between now and Friday, I suppose!

If you could start sending the prayers and the "good luck" vibes now, I'd appreciate it... I'm gonna need as many of them as I can get!!

My Next Thing

This one is a biggie, and I've thought long and hard about committing to this publically. I'm not sure if it will be more or less difficult than Thing 4 was (go an entire day without getting frustrated), but I'm ready to put it out here in cyberspace, for everyone to see...

Thing 8: (gulp!!) Be a non-smoker

Notice that I didn't say "quit smoking," as I already know (from 13 years of unsuccessful attempts) that "quitting" is way too daunting for yours truly... so instead of "quitting" (which is way too hard), I'm going to make it "be a non-smoker." Semantics? Yes. But hey... whatever works.

Thing 4: Take 152

OK, so maybe not 152 tries... but it sure felt that way! However, I am THRILLED to announce that I can now officially cross Thing 4 (go an entire day without getting frustrated) off my list. Woo hoo!!

I'm actually really late in posting about this, as I haven't had time to blog in a few weeks. (Maybe "make time to blog more" should go on my list??) Anyway, I not only made it one entire day, but almost two entire days. Bonus!

I took a 2-day training class at work on July 17 and 18, and both days had to leave home before my 4-year-old was out of bed in order to get to the class on time. This surely was a huge contributor to my frustration level (or lack thereof), as rousing a sleepy 4-year-old, getting her dressed, hair brushed and ready for school before 7am usually sets us both off. Regardless, I made it all day on the 17th and until bedtime (hers!) on the 18th without getting frustrated. Mind you, it hasn't happened again since, but the goal was one day, so I'm crossing it off the list. Yeah!! :-)

Thing 4: Takes 2, 3 & 4

I'm beginning to think this one is impossible....

Take 2, Wednesday:
Made it to almost 8pm with no frustration. Then after her bath and only 1 hour before bedtime, 4-year-old daughter decides she needs to do her "ballerina dancing" before she can get her hair brushed, put her pajamas on or complete the beaded necklace she just had to make for her aunt, who we were going to visit on Thursday. Mommy lost it. **sigh**

Take 3, Thursday:
Though I'm sure I got frustrated with 4-year-old, Thursday's breaking point was while we were visit said Aunt, and Hubby was too involved watching Jeopardy! to keep the 1-year-old from crawling to and eating the dog's food for the FOURTH time. **sigh**

Take 4, Friday:
I don't even want to talk about this morning. Let's just mention that I didn't get back from Aunt's house until after midnight and the alarm goes off before 6am.

I'm going to have to think long and hard about trying this a 5th day in a row...

Thing 4: Take 1

Thing 4: Go an entire day without getting frustrated

So I decided last night that this would be the next "thing" I tackled. By definition, it'll only take 1 day to do, right? So I went to bed last night secure in the knowledge that within 24 hours, I'd have yet another thing crossed off my list. Yeah, right!

Here's how my morning went:

5:45 am - Alarm goes off. I hit snooze. So far, so good.
5:52 am - Snooze alarm goes off. I get out of bed, determined not to be frustrated by getting out of bed, and head downstairs to make my coffee.
6:09 am - Out of the shower, getting dressed, doing hair, etc.
6:30 am - Done getting ready, I get my lunch packed.
6:40 am - Go into (almost) 4-year-old's bedroom to wake her up.
6:41 am - Begin trying to convince 4-year-old that since today is "pony rides day" at summer camp, wearing shorts and a t-shirt would be a much more practical option than wearing a dress, which is all she wants to wear these days.
6:42 am - Begin bribing 4-year -old with everything I can think of to get her to wear shorts.
6:43 am - 4-year-old begins to cry because Mommy won't let her wear a dress.
6:44 am - Go storming out of 4-year-old's room, sarcastically telling her, "Fine, wear whatever you want. Mommy's going to be late for work and it's way too early for you to be arguing with me!"

59 minutes without getting frustrated. I'm not sure if that's a long time or not. I'll spend the rest of the day trying to decide if I'll try this again tomorrow...

Thing 1: Done! + Thing 2, too!

Oh, what a feeling!! It's a thing of beauty, really... a place for everything, and everything in it's place. You can compare these to the "before" pictures a few posts down, to see the true progress.

The best part? I got to use power tools!! I made myself this rack to store/hang all my spools of ribbon. No, I'm not sure why I own all these. You think this is too many? You should see how many I donated the the arts & craft department at my daughter's pre-school!

And yes, I found the bed again, too!

I was on such a role, that I decided to tackle Thing 2, framing the tobacco leaf and flag. Once I bought the frames, it took no time at all. Not sure why I waited so long in the first place. Of course, deciding where to hang them took half the day, but alas, here they are.... in the guest room next to my beautifully organized craft closet.

I'm going to take GREAT pleasure in cross these off my list. I'm not sure of the proper "5 Things Etiquette" for cross-offs, but I personally like to be reminded of my own progress.... so I'm going to cross off Thing 1 and Thing 2 and add Thing 6 and Thing 7. Still only 5 on the list, but I can see how far I've come.

Here are the two new things:

6. Finalize our wills

Funny, this should be an easy one. Hubby is a lawyer and on the very computer I'm using to type this is the software required to write our wills. On top of the very computer desk where I sit are drafts of our wills that we wrote over 10 months ago, but never proof-read and signed. I guess it's like the cobbler's kids going barefoot??

7. Install chair rail & paint downstairs

This will be a 3-part task, me thinks. First, I need to convince Hubby that installing chair rail throughout the entire 1st floor (and painting the wall below it) should be anywhere near our priority list. Second, we need to plan a weekend (or two, or three) to tackle this project, which includes shipping the kids off to the in-laws for a day or two (easy for the in-laws, hard for Mom and Dad!). Third, the easy part, will be the actual installation and painting.

Thing 1: During, Part 2

Oh... my husband says I'm never again allowed to use the words "need" and "fabric" in the same sentence.....

Thing 1: During

Definite progress, woo hoo!! I spent most of the day on July 4th pulling things OUT of the closet. Gosh, what a mess! Here's how it looked mid-way through taking stuff out:

I decided to hang a second shelf at the top of the closet, since there was a ton of dead space up there. This was no easy task, let me tell ya! Just picking it out at Home Depot, having it cut, getting it home and carrying it up the stairs was a project and a half. Actually hanging it up was the easy part! There's 14 inches between the shelf and the ceiling, by almost 11 feet long, and the entire shelf only contains quilt batting and pillow forms. **sigh**

Of course, all this stuff just landed on the bed.....

It's already looking a lot better than this, but I wanted to get the "during" pictures posted. I'm on a mission to COMPLETE this project today, I've even taken the afternoon off from work to get it done. A few new storage bins, a small bookshelf, some new labels, and I'm almost there!!

Thing 1: Before

Thing 1: Organize my craft closet


They say the first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem. Well, here goes: Hello, my name is Kat, and my craft closet is out of control!

Yes, the doors do close, but I'm leaving them open in the hopes that seeing this mess more frequently will inspire me to clean it out more quickly! And if the closet itself wasn't bad enough, all of this stuff is also supposed to be in there....

As is all of the stuff in here:

Yes, and all of the stuff in here:

Strangely (??), organizing stuff is one of my favorite things to do. Problem is, I know I'll end up making a MUCH bigger mess before this closet gets organized, and I have a feeling I'll get discouraged when I realize how much money I've spent over the years buying the exact same craft items over and over again. BUT... it's on my list, and I know I'll be thrilled when it's done. Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it!

My Next Five Things

When I stumbled across Adam's blog one Sunday afternoon, I was immediately smitten with the idea of 5things. It took me a few hours to come up with my list, and I'm afraid that it might appear (to some) to be just a glorified to-do list. But to me, these are all things that I've been trying to accomplish for years and haven't ever put high enough on my priority list. They're all things that will make me a happier person in some small way, and who couldn't use a little more "happy" in their life, right? I've got some of my next Next Things in mind already, and they're all much bigger than these, but hey, a girl's got to start somewhere!

So here they are, in all their glory (??), my Next Five Things. I'm not putting a timeframe to any of these, but I'm looking forward to every one of them!

1. Organize my craft closet
Sounds so simple, doesn't it? The guest bedroom in my house has a huge closet, which has been over-run with craft "stuff".... fabric, batting, paints, foamies, scrapbook paper, styrofoam balls, googly eyes... stuff I don't even remember I own. I have no plans to downsize or purge anything from the closet, I just want to organize it well enough that I know what's in there and where to find it, so that I don't end up with a 13th bottle of Elmer's glue because I can't remember if I already own one or not.

2. Frame the tobacco leaf and flag
The tobacco leaf is a long story, if you're interested you can read a post on my other blog from May, called "The Power of a Ladybug." Suffice it to say, the dried leaf has been carefully packaged between layers of cardboard and newspaper for 6 years, and it's time to get it in a frame. Along with it, the flag from my grandfather's funeral.

3. Finish 1 more quilt
At the end of 2002, pregnant with my first daughter and due in August 2003, I stumbled across a message board of other August 2003 expectant moms. We've been together in cyberspace ever since, and several years ago decided on a very ambitious project to make a quilt for each of the kiddos using fabrics that represented all 25 babies. Very long story, but let's just say that years later, I still have 6 more quilts to make. This goal is to finish one more, though once complete, it'll probably be replaced by the very same goal. Hey, one quilt at a time!

4. Go an entire day without getting frustrated
This will be the most difficult of all my goals. I have a full-time job, a 120 mile/day commute and 2 small children. Need I say more?

5. Donate my unused clothes to charity
Sounds so simple, but I'm a sentimental pack-rat. I still have flannel shirts from high school, and not only did I graduate 14 years ago, but I now live in South Florida where we get about 4 "cold" days a year, and that's still in the 60's! No logical reason to have any flannel shirts, let alone those from high school. Getting the picture? **sigh**

Not sure what I'll start on first, but I'll post my progress (or lack thereof) here as often as appropriate.