LadyGypsy.net – the blog of Kimberly Dowd of New Jersey

I have a lot of beading supplies these days. Enough to fill a plastic four drawer unit that sits next to my desk. But that’s not always practical when I’m working on one or two projects. I’m too lazy to put everything away and pull it all back out.

So what I’ve been doing is saving Tazo tea tins and using them to hold all of the beads, wire, and findings I need for each project.

The tins are even big enough to hold my wire cutters and pliers if I decide to take my projects with me. To keep them organized as I collect more tins, I just tape the name of the project on the outside.

Here is a sampling of my craftiness. It’s neat to see the evolution through the years. Now all I need to do is bring some to work with me and open the darn Etsy shop already!!!

I feel most miserly in the early parts of January, when I buy my calendars* for half price. But I’m a happy miser because I LOVE the calendar ritual. Want proof? See my 2010 and 2009 posts.

After two years of Cute Overload calendars, I am officially burned out on cute animal photos. And that’s a sad sad thing. You could show me a picture of a wee baby bunny munching on a buttercup while wearing a sailor hat and I’d say, “meh.” That’s not good. I have to recharge.

The Urban Dictionary calendar I had last year was great fun and I would have bought it again, but I couldn’t find it at the mall’s calendar kiosk. So in addition to my beloved Page-a-Day notepad and a monthly desktop wallpaper from Smashing Magazine, I added this calendar to my workplace desk:

True or False for our jaded society.

WM and I are keeping track of how well we do. So far he has more correct.

At home, we’re using the World of Warcraft Trivia Calendar and a Mickey Mouse wall calendar in the kitchen.

Even with all of this, if you ask me what today’s date is, I will still hem and haw. But at least I’ll be able to tell you about Johnny Carson’s joke that caused a toilet paper panic!

*And Christmas cards. And Christmas wrapping paper.

Well, hello, Blog! (nervous laugh). Happy New Year!

I’ve become a subscriber to Better Homes & Gardens magazine. That seems odd since I have neither a home nor a garden, but a one-year subscription was offered to me at $5. FIVE DOLLARS. I couldn’t turn it down. If such a venerable magazine is selling itself for only $5, it’s in trouble and I need to help save it. Viva print media!

The January issue is all about decluttering and becoming better organized. One of the ways BHG is offering to help is by giving us FREE labels for laundry baskets.

If you are into this kind of thing, click the picture to go download. You will have to register at BHG.com, though.

I guess it’s handy to separate laundry while it’s being collected, but I’m not at that point yet. If I was, though, here’s what my label setup would look like.

That/'s more like it!

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Summing up since I saw you last: We (humans AND dogs) went to Michigan to spend Christmas with WM’s people. It was my first Christmas EVER not at home. It was hard, but I had a nice time. “Fair and Balanced” might be mocked when it comes to news, but I think it has value in relationships. Also, I’m trying not to repeat past mistakes. I spent NYE and NY day at home, reading. New Year is my holiday — the one holiday I don’t go anywhere.

I’ve been off of work since December 22nd and while I fully expect to see my desk and surrounding file cabinet in flames when I return tomorrow, it’s been nice having such an extended vacation. I wonder if they make elastic-waist workpants?