Just for David

I learned something unfortunate over the weekend.
Apparently one brother refuses to read this blog anymore because he feels like the other brother gets preferential treatment.
Hrmph.
Apparently he forgot about this layout.

And maybe he just never saw this one.

Really, though, I can't be too hard on him because he did just turn 30
{see above layout}
and I know his memory is not as sharp as it used to be.

So I thought I would dedicate an entire blog post to my brother David.
{and judging from the comments I get every time I mention the brothers, most of yall will not mind}

He is passionate.

He is loyal.

He can quote Dumb & Dumber, Blades of Glory, and the Pink Panther movies word for word.

He is a reader. He is so gullible making surprising him super easy and fun!
He has good hair.

He is great with kids and adults love him too.
And he can teach a mean tennis lesson!

He loves his family.
He loves the Lord.

And he just started a blog! Here is a linky if you want to check it out.
{he was not so keen on the cute layouts from shabbyblogs.com...go figure}

To make good and sure I am back in his good graces,
here is a new David layout just for good measure.

Supplies: Patterned paper (My Mind's Eye), Alphabet stickers (KI Memories), Border stickers & brads (Doodlebug), Pen (American Crafts), misc (staples)

Can you tell I love my brother??!
:)
gretchen

Going rogue

Waiting in line in a dingy parking deck for 5 hours yesterday to get a wristband in order to get the chance to get a couple of books signed by Sarah Palin today was totally worth it.
{ok so Lee really stood in line for 5 hours-I cut in line
and only stood there for about 2.5 hrs...shhh!}
We got to meet her today.

I got about 8 seconds of face time with her.

She asked my name.

I told her {and correctly at that!}.
I said nice to meet you and thank you so much for being here.

She thanked me for being there.
I met both of her parents.
I saw Piper and Trigg.

Sarah and I are pretty much BFF now.
The only reason I do not have a picture with my new friend is because the mean ole security people confiscated all cameras and cell phones before you got to her.
So a picture with this cute guy will have to do.

Happy Monday to me!
:)
gretchen

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P.S.

there is a giveaway going on over on the KI blog today but you have to check it out today because there will be a different giveaway tomorrow!

Closet...check!

Okie dokie!
I am playing a little catch up with the fall cleaning updates.
{and I reserve the right for the cleaning to extend past the 14th because I am on a roll!}

Last time I discussed the ole cleaning I was in the middle of cleaning the hall closet downstairs.
It started as this.

Then it got a little bit better.

And now I am happy with it!

Yeah, yeah it does not look super clean.
BUT I can see everything in there and I can get to all of it if I wanted to.
That is all I can ask for in a closet!

{and yes, that is a skull in there-not a real one of course! this closet holds my non-Christmas holiday decor)

What I am most excited about is this...

Yes, my friends, that is an empty shelf!
It is now an open space to hold clutter from other parts of the house.

Score!

So the closet is cleaned!
I still have the bathroom cabinets post to do.
And who knows what other cleaning may go on this weekend!
But I am for sure going to enjoy the awesome weather we are having.

What are you doing this weekend??
Off to run!
:)
gretchen

Work in progress

Hola!
OK day 3 of fall cleaning involved the hall closet downstairs.
Most people have junk drawers.
I have a junk closet.

For real.

Here is the disaster that I started with:

And now I have sorted through everything & gotten rid of a bunch of stuff.
The next step is to take what I have left and actually organize it in here.
We had plans with friends tonight & I knew my cleaning time was going to be limited.
So I am still working on it!
The finished project will be revealed tomorrow!
:)
gretchen

Boo-yah!

Day 2 cleaning done!
{and I am even blogging about it on the same day!}

This is what happens when all of my afternoon patients cancel
& I end up with a few extra hours on my hands.

{I hate the rain as much as the next person. However, old folks don't like to get out in crazy weather & I certainly do not mind a free afternoon if they want to stay at home!}

So today's task was the linen disaster...I mean, linen closet.

Before:

After:

Now nobody is allowed to shower for a little while around here for fear that my clean closet may revert back to its previous state!

{yeah, that is totally a joke}

Anybody out there playing along with us??
I know Lisa is! And so is Nubia!

Woo hoo!!

Get to it!
:)
gretchen

Day 1 cleaning...done!

OK so yesterday's post was crazy long!

This one will not be so much.

I worked on cleaning out my dresser and the top of my closet last night.

However I have no "before" pictures for you because I emptied all the drawers and stuff from the closet onto our bed before I remembered about a picture!
{and there was no way I was going to show you that disaster than I created!}

So anyway, here are my results...

I've got a bag for Hannah Home full of old t-shirts, shorts I will never wear because at 31 I am not allowed to wear them that short anymore, mid-calf socks that I have no idea why I even have them, and old sweaters that I hate to part with but have seen much better days.
I can now close all the drawers in my dresser & I found a few shirts that I forgot I had!
This little section was the biggest area of strife in my dresser.
It holds my long sleeve t-shirts & running shirts.

I could not close the door it was stuffed so full of stuff!

Now there is extra space and I can close the door easily!
{B, those shirts kind of tucked over there on the right side-that is my stash of throw away shirts for future cold runs}
:) I cleared out my sweater/sweatshirt mess that was on the top of my closet.
These were not-folded-so-much & there were a few that had fallen on the floor that I had just left there.
Now they are nicely folded and I can reach the top!

Oh and what do we have here??!
I believe I see some extra space just waiting to be filled with fun, new sweaters!
Tonight's task: the linen closet!
:)
gretchen

Monday, Monday

Now it is back to more important things.

{and hopefully some less controversial things...geez people!}

I am going to try something this week.

I am going to do some deep cleaning stuff that I have been putting off for way too long.
Virginia is doing it.

Brittney is too!

Katie is going to give it a whirl.

{so really I am just giving in to peer pressure}
_____________

Here's what we are doing:
-Make a plan each day for cleaning a particular room or for whatever cleaning/decluttering project you are going to tackle.
-Take before & after pics and post 'em on your blog each night, along with what you are doing the next day.
-Go to Virginia's blog and post your blog entry to a linky thing (this way you can check out everyone else's progress to keep ya motivated too!)

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Join in with us!
Even if you can only do something for 15 min. (EVERYONE can spare 15 minutes of straightening, throwing out something, cleaning up something, etc.) I bet you'll feel so much better for it!
Keep in mind that this is not a competition.
This is not going to earn your righteousness or give you the "woman (or man!) of the year award"!

This is just a chance to tackle a few projects around home with the encouragement of friends.
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So my plan is to tackle 4 things:

1) Cleaning out my dresser & closet and getting rid of stuff I don't need anymore.

2) Organizing the disaster of a linen closet downstairs.

3) Organizing the world's most cluttered hall closet.

4) Cleaning out the cabinet in our bathroom.
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I only picked 4 things to be realistic.

I will be at work for most of each day this week and we have plans away from home Wednesday night.

If I actually get those 4 things accomplished this week, I will be thrilled!

{and so will Lee}

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In more crafty news, I made a couple of cards for the Focus On Baby over on the KI blog this past Friday.

If you head over there & leave a comment on this post, you will have a chance to win a cool prize pack of lace cardstock.

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There is a Joann's in Birmingham now.
Yesterday I graciously voluteered to return Lee's tux {from previously discussed wedding} to the store that just so happens to be right around the corner from this new Joann's.

So I got to wander aimlessly around a fun craft store and get a few extra wife points while I was at it.

But my aimless wandering was not in vain as I picked up the Fiskars apron lace border punch that I have been lusting over {at 30% off!}.

And I immediately put my new punch to work when I got home.

Completed layout to be revealed later.
{insert evil laugh here}
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Off to tackle my closet and dresser!
Let me know if you are going to play along with us.
{everyone is doing it}

Happy Monday!
:)
gretchen

I might be MIA for a while

Because I am buried in this.

While the floor goes unvacuumed.

While the laundry goes unwashed.

While the bills go unpaid.

While the sleep is not gotten.

:)

gretchen