After the storm...

Well, it seems that everything is calming down ...

The storm went through our hobby room too, but that's about to change!! [Jul 08 - Sep 09]
Since my worktable was already a mess, I decided to finally purge the closet [something that really needed to be done], so I could reorganize some of my stuff, which was under my worktable, in it.

The hobby room was a mess during all the Summer because I wanted to reorganize it the best way for me.

Here you have the before/after pics. Enjoy!!

-- BEFORE --
(June 13th, 2010)

The closet [Ikeas' drawer unit goes right in front of that door].


My messy table, Ikea's Alex drawer unit out of its place, in the middle of the room. [That bag above the trash can contains about 500 pics from our last year's vacation]

What a messssssssssssss!!


This is the way it looked on July 5th:



-- AFTER --
(Feb 20th 2011)

And this is the corner of our living room
where I keep my albums and minis.

Belly Dancing.

A few years ago, I attended Belly Dancing classes, and I wanted to make these pages :)

Thanks for looking, and sorry for the poor quality of the pics :)




Dance is the only art in which ourselves are the material the art is made of. (Ted Shawn. Time 25-7-1955)

"We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams." Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

How to Feel Good + Get More Done: weekly quick tip by Aby Garvey, from simplify 101.

How to Feel Good + Get More Done: weekly quick tip
by Aby Garvey, from simplify 101.

A few years ago I wrote an article on how to make every day your most productive day. This article explained the elements that were in place during my most productive day. It was a day where I had a mile-long to-do list, and everything on that list got done. Wouldn’t it be great if every day was like that?

My terrific mood was one of the key factors that contributed to my productivity that day. I was getting ready to go on a much-needed vacation, and I was excited about it! I was in a great mood, and did everything on my to-do list enthusiastically, quickly and with purpose.

Have you ever noticed the connection between mood and productivity—that it’s much easier to get things done when you’re in a terrific mood? Once you become aware of this connection, it only makes sense to become more intentional about being in a good mood, or to look for ways to improve your mood whenever you can. A pick-me-up list is like a better mood in a bottle. Create a list of activities that make you happy, and then pull out your list and do one any time your mood and productivity need a boost.

Here are some ideas for your pick-me-up list:

• Make a list of things you’re thankful for.
• Spend 10 or 15 minutes getting up and moving — walk, run, do yoga or dance.
• Read a few pages of an inspiring book.
• Turn on your favorite upbeat music.
• Spend time with your children or pet doing something silly.
• Visualize your goals or focus on what you want, instead of dwelling on the way things are right now.
• Do something creative.

Take action! What activities consistently transform your mood? Create your own pick-me-up list today, and then use it to help you feel better and get more done! I'd love to hear your ideas for your pick-me-up list in the comments! Thanks for sharing.

© Copyright 2011 simplify 101, inc. All rights reserved.

Happy Valentine's Day

As my dad says, "this is a very comercial day", but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to make a reference about love, whatever kind, that, nowadays, sometimes we forget to stop for a little moment, take a deep breath, say "I Love You", and enjoy the love others offer to ourselves.

9 Destructive Reasons We Cling to Clutter, by Christine Kane

9 Destructive Reasons We Cling to Clutter by Christine Kane

"Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

A retired man once told me he loved going camping with his wife because camping showed her how simple life can be "without all that bloomin' stuff she keeps everywhere!"

He's right!

Our lives are meant to be simple. Our intuition and creativity thrive when given freedom and space. Clutter is a disease. Each moment we ignore the reasons we hold on to things we don't want, those things rob us of energy, health, and clarity. Yes, clutter is destructive!

If you're a clutter-clinger, be kind to yourself. Begin with an awareness of your thoughts and excuses. For starters, read over this list to see if you can find YOUR excuse!

Clutter Excuse #1: "I'd be a mean horrible person if I..."

Guilt is heavy gooey energy that convinces us we're bad people if we let go of heirlooms, knick-knacks, unwanted clothing or gifts.

These items clutter up our lives and keep us in a comfortable - but draining - place. And conveniently, we never have to decide what we actually do want in our environment. We become environmental victims. Often, that spreads into other parts of our lives too!

Clutter Excuse #2 - "I spent so much on it!"

Do you punish yourself for having made a bad choice by keeping the item around? Or convince yourself that you're going to get your money's worth - even if it drains the heck out of you?

You won't. And it will.

We've all done stupid things. And we've all had to let them go. Now it's your turn.

Clutter Excuse #3 - "I might need this someday."

I often wonder how many idle telephone cords exist in the world. Way in the back of old desk drawers. Stuffed on closet shelves. They can't be gotten rid of.

Why?

Because we might need them some day.

Evidently, some day - in spite of technological progress - you're going to need that particular grey phone cord that came in the box with a phone you bought in 1989.

Throw it out. Now.

Same thing goes for: The broken fax machine, switch plates from your first house, and every glass flower vase that came with deliveries.

Clutter Excuse #4 - "I might do this someday."

I know. I know.

Someday you'll take those broken pieces of china you've collected and create a beautiful mosaic birdbath. And you'll go through those stacks of magazines and make that collage for your sister's 30th birthday party. (She's 51 now.)

Now - I don't mean to deny you your plans and dreams. However, I urge you to consider experiencing the infinite relief that appears when you let old project ideas go.

Call your sister and tell her the collage ain't gonna happen. Buy a mosaic birdbath from an artist who makes her living from creating such treasures.

And then, make space for what you want to do. Don't fill your space with what you should do.

Clutter Excuse #5 - "I gotta look good to my guests."

CD's. Books. DVD's. Are these items treasured? Or are they simply a prop so your guests will be impressed by your intelligence and diverse tastes?

Remember this: we are motivated by two things: Fear or Love. Which of these keeps you clinging to items because of appearances?

Clutter Excuse #6 - "I Don't Know Where It Goes."

When items don't have a home, it's harder to determine whether or not they are clutter. Some things may seem like clutter - like the cute card that your daughter made that floats around from drawer to drawer - but they're not clutter.

They're homeless.

Once you start defining spaces for items, then it's easier to see when something doesn't fit anywhere and should just get tossed.

Clutter Excuse #7 - "My thoughts don't have any power. Do they?"

Everything has energy. The thoughts you have about the things in your home CREATE energy. If you are surrounded by stuff you keep out of guilt, then your environment holds guilt. If you hang on to stuff given to you by your ex, and you still feel bitter - then there is bitterness in your home.

Get it?

It's either fueling you or draining you. If anything triggers you, then that is your barometer. Let it go.

Clutter Excuse #8 - "But I never wore it!"

See Clutter Excuse #2.

Clutter Excuse #9 - "There's too much stuff!"

Overwhelm can stop us in our tracks. If this article makes you aware that there are lots of items in your life you don't like, then go slow. Schedule small chunks of time each day. It takes time to be clutter-free! But the newfound clarity and lightness are worth it!

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.

WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?

See Christine's blog at ChristineKane.com/blog.

Postcrossing

At the end of 2010, my scrappy friend Mª Engracia shared with me the link to Postcrossing. "It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world."

I've recived postcards from places such us Israel, Thailand, Czech Republic, UK, etc, and I've sent to Russia, Australia, China and some nearer places :)

I've set up a cork board in my scraproom to display the ones I'm receiving:

Thanks Mª Engracia!

My Christmas'10 album :)

You can take a look to it in my Christmas blog clicking HERE.

Thank You!!

My post about my plans for 2011 :)

Well, since everybody is posting about plans/goals/projects for this new year, here I come! :)


First of all, I must say that 2011 has begun quite good for me, and I also would like to say THANK YOU to all of you that stop here from time to time and leave a comment; I know some of you don't write anything because you're busy, don't worry, that happens to me too. THANKS to all of you.


As some of you may already know, I've been dealing with anxiety issues lately. I've been on sick leave at work since the end of October. It seemed like my character "didn't fit the anxiety profile" at all, but I've been having a hard time... Well, fortunately, I'm a lot better now, and going up! :)


Just yesterday, I make another step towards my recovery, at the same time that covered another of my goals, and I joined a fitness program. I started a class and had lots of fun :) I hope I don't give up...
I need to strengthen my muscles after loosing about 15 kilo.


Now, the difficult part, to study for my hospital tests. Now that my brain seems to be ON again, I need to get ready to take those tests to get a permanent position in the hospital. I'll see what happens...

As for my scrapbooking, I've been crafting a little more lately :) That's been the first signal of my brain being OK again :)

- During this week I'll be done with my Xmas'10 album, made following Shimelle's class Journal Your Christmas, for the 4th year in a row. (I'll post about it later on)
I still have to make 07, 08 and 09, but step by step. You can read HERE about that.

- I'd like to make another Halloween 8x8 mini with a gorgeous 8"x8" Making Memories album, love at first sight!

- I've joined two online classes for February at Big Picture Classes: Creative Retreat, by May Flaum, and Embrace Imperfection, by Karen Grunberg, this one is free! :)

- And, as it couldn't be on another way, I've also joined Ali Edwards' yearly online class One Little Word. Last year, I chose my word, but didn't do anything about it. This year, I'm kind of keeping the samr word, but it'll be great for my therapy to work on it: ACCEPT. I'll be posting more on that soon.

- This week, our hobby room will be my scraproom again :) That means another reorganization, but not too big, just some moving furniture around :) I'll be posting some pics as soon as I can.

And last but not least, a dear friend of mine, who owns a LSS, reopenned it last Sat, Jan 15th, and now the store is huge!! We had so much fun and met again some old friends :)
It was a great weekend but, since OI'm still not 100% OK, I was so tired... but it was amazing!

I think this is enough for today :)


THANKS, and Happy 2011!!

My first scrap for 2011 :)

Three Wise Men present for my cousin, the baby's mommy :)

It's a 2"x4" mini with baby flash cards from Pretty Little Studio.

Three Wise Men are coming...

HAPPY NEW YEAR