Admittedly, our laundry room is the smallest room in the house; in fact, I hesitate to call it a “room” because it is really kind of a hallway in between the garage and kitchen. There is just enough space to open the dryer door, and above the washer and dryer is a shelf that had turned into a catch all for rags and sundry items vaguely related to cleaning.

One mantra of Thirty-One Gifts is finding solutions, and after getting my kit when I joined as an independent consultant, I realized that I could use the Large Utility Tote included in the kit as a place to start with getting that shelf organized. The tote is one of the company’s most popular items, and now I know why: You can use it for all kinds of storage.

The tote pictured is in the Party Punch pattern. Without monogramming, it retails for $35. It measures 11.75 inches high, 21.5 inches wide, and 10 inches deep and has a metal frame around the top so you can collapse it down and flatten it in case you want to store it some place. It also has handles on each side, and mine came monogrammed with “Family Fun” on one side. I thought that was kind of a funny saying because I ended up storing all the dogs’ towels in there for when they get baths, some fun huh?

On the opposite end of the shelf, I have a few baskets, that were buried in the piles of stuff, filled with cleaning products and dog leashes.

It is just one tiny room, but I feel so good that it is organized now, and of course, this has got my mind thinking about my next organization goal. I ended up ordering another Large Utility Tote in the Woodblock Floral pattern without any monogramming for our bedroom, and I may get a second one for that room. My husband has a ton of shirts that need ironing, and they tend to pile up on one of our dressers…ummm…yeah because I do iron but not every dang day! Plus even if I got myself in gear and ironed every shirt he owns, there is no room in his closet, which he needs to purge some stuff from. I’m not waiting on that to happen any time soon.

If you are looking for organizing solutions, you can view the Thirty-One Gifts catalog on my shop site. Along with the large utility tote, they have a number of other products that can be used to organize your studio, home, or office.

Spring Break officially starts for me today! As usual, I have a long list of stuff to do, most of which I won’t manage to complete:

• Meet up with friends and family. During the semester, I don’t have a lot of time to socialize!
• Read a little each day. Right now, I’m reading a book now called Chasing Sunsets: A Cedar Key Novel by Eva Maria Everson.
• Crochet, of course! I am hoping to get at least part of the Crochet Beyond the Rectangle class done.
• More crochet, I’m still making amigurumi toys for the shelter. I’m banging out a lot of Buddy Bears right now. I also have to make some wash cloths I promised to make for my mom.
• Get some spring cleaning down around the house. I feel the urge to purge and reorganize.
• Spin, spin, spin! Now that all my spinning supplies have a pretty new home, I feel even more like making some yarn.
• Bead up some jewelry - I have a few designs that have been floating around in my head. I just have to decide which to tackle first.

Today it is about 70 degrees, and I can feel a little nip in the air because a cold front is coming. While the grass does not grow as fast as it usually does (which my husband is very thankful for), the foliage is still green. It is February in Florida, and it is a beautiful day, a day that epitomizes why I have chosen to live in this state.

I was four years old when my parents relocated to Florida because my father got his dream job as a NASA engineer. That was over 40 years ago. I can’t say that I have traveled widely; I have been around a good portion of the US (especially out West), taken a dip into Canada and Mexico, briefly visited the Bahamas, and spent a week in Jamaica. Except for a Christmas spent in Colorado when I was about 12 and a November 4-H trip to Chicago when I was 14, most of my travels have been during the summer when the weather was warm. So my northern cold weather experience is limited, but the little that I did experience was enough to determine that it was not for me.

I remember one afternoon during the 4-H Chicago trip. I was in the infirmary. I don’t know exactly what was wrong with me other than I had a headache that would not go away, and when I went up to the infirmary to ask for an aspirin, the nurse insisted on taking my temperature and would not let me leave after that. I was stuck in there for a few days. This was about half way into our weak-long trip, so I had already been outside a fair amount as we were ushered from one place to the other. I was shocked at the horribly cold winds and the dead trees everywhere. It seemed the like gloomiest city in the world to me.

On this afternoon, it had started to snow, so the Florida 4-H group was out running around like crazy kids in the snow, as most had never seen it before. I watched them from an upper floor in the infirmary, and my 4-H leader, Mrs. B, had stopped by to check on me. As we both watched them, I asked her, “Why do people live here?” She was originally from the area, so it seemed like she should know. She replied, “Because they don’t know any better.”

This memory emerged today as I was walking around outside. I often post on Facebook about the great weather, and it is taken by some of my FB friends as an “in your face it’s better here than there” comment. However, it really isn’t meant that way (at least most of the time In fact, one FB peep posted recently how much she loved the snow and did not want someone from the South commenting back to her about how warm it was where he/she was. She hated hot weather, so there!

It is funny how passionate we can feel about where we chose to live.

I sometimes get asked by readers who find this blog why I don’t write more here about jewelry making, my first serious crafting crush, versus all this fiber stuff you see all the time here. I would guess, even, that if someone came here and didn’t know me previously, he/she might not enough know I make jewelry and even have 8 jewelry books published (and not by vanity presses BTW). So, to those inquisitive minds or those who just don’t know, yes, I actually do still make jewelry. Lately, I have been making Valentine’s Day jewelry.

Not only do I make jewelry regularly, but I write and publish jewelry tutorials, jewelry book reviews, jewelry designer interviews, and other jewelry related articles every week on the About.com Jewelry Making site. It’s my part-time job, and I publish a minimum of 8 articles a month on that site. If you sign up for my free newsletter over there, you will get a weekly notice of any new articles published.

As a result of being paid to write about jewelry over there and being contractually obligated to write a certain number of articles and other required activities to maintain the site, I sort of horde my jewelry text for that site instead of writing it here, which I don’t get paid for doing. Here I play. And, jewelry for me is not really play time like it is with fiber or other crafts. I mean. Maybe it is like playing, but it’s playing with more of a purpose. If I make a bracelet, for example, I have to take photos of each step of the process. If the design doesn’t work out the first time, then I have to rework it, and again, take photos and make notes as I go. I have to document my steps because I need them later for tutorials. I still enjoy the work, which is why I am still doing it after 15 years; however, it’s part of my living versus a hobby.

I wish I could devote more time to all of it, but I also work a demanding full-time job as well. So that’s the reason why you see different crafts here and not so much jewelry.

The birds! The birds! Our pepper trees are full of berries, and this means that the local bird population is going ballistic eating the berries. They are everywhere as they eat them off the trees and also off of the ground.



Pepper trees are not originally part of the Florida flora and fauna. They are actually from Brazil, but they are all over the state. They grow super fast. The city cuts them down constantly in the canal behind our house, but a few months later, they are back. Which I have to admit, I’m okay with because they give us extra privacy. Of course, you have to be careful not to touch the trees because it can often give you a rash.

Any way, back to the birds. After chowing down on the berries for days, they get drunk and a little crazy, and even brazen. They fly away when I bring my dogs out, but as soon as our backs are turned, they are back eating more berries, sometimes just a few feet away from us.

I am not sure if the birds have a hangover after their berry binge.

Coco and I are patiently waiting for Santa to come tomorrow, and my furry and human family would like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas. This holiday really came out of nowhere for me this year. We managed to finally get the tree decorated after it sat with lights only for weeks, and well, the Christmas cards that I planned to mail out are still sitting on my desk, but hey, you can only do what you can do.

I have caught up on school work and freelance work so for at least the next few days I plan to chill and enjoy myself with some crafting and family fun. I am hoping to finish up one of the amigurumi Craftsy classes I started awhile back (Woodland Animals), catch up on yarn podcasts, and make a necklace using a very cool vintage piece gifted to me by a friend.

What are your plans for the next few days?

Of course, any crafter knows that when you take an extended trip, you have to pack some craft activities for any downtime you might have. I recently attended a conference for college English instructors, and it was about a three hour trip one way to get there. Luckily, I did not have to drive, which meant I could spend the three hours knitting or crocheting. Along with figuring out the right clothes to pack and other items I would need, I spent a good deal of thought thinking of the right yarn projects to pack. I had to keep things pretty light, though, because I needed to make sure I could lug all my luggage myself.

I hoomed and hawed about current projects I’m working on that I could bring with me. I needed a mix of easy no-brainer projects and maybe one more challenging project that would require a little brain power. Eventually, I decided to bring my sock project (for the brain required project), my Windsor shawl project that I have been working a little on and off since mid-July (a no-brain power project), and then as a last minute idea, I brought a skein of worsted wool yarn and a hook to make a hat for charity. I figured that would be more than enough. In fact, I almost did not bring the hat yarn, but I realized it would be a good car project for the way there.

I am so glad I brought all three projects! I can’t even believe I almost did not bring them all because I finished the hat about 20 minutes before we arrived in Ybor City, Florida (where the conference was held). I panicked a little too. One project was done, so that means I had only two to cover the next two days and the three hour trip home. Ybor City was kind of cute looking when we first rolled in - lots of brick roads and beautiful old buildings - so for a few minutes the idea that there might be a yarn shop nearby flitted through my head. Umm…no..Ybor City is so not a place for yarn shops! Tattoo parlors, biker bars, and funky consignment shops, yes, you’ll find lots of those there.

As it happens, the two other projects were enough to cover my downtime in the evenings (which wasn’t a ton of time) and the trip home; however, I learned a valuable lesson - You can never have too much yarn when you hit the road for a trip.

My first week of summer vacation has been great! I’ve gotten a good chunk of writing work done, and I’m having a blast with my hairy crew.

We are hunting for lizards.

Here...lizard, lizard. I want to be your friend.

We are taking lots of trips out to the backyard, especially in the morning before it gets too hot.

Rocky likes to take a walk in between naps.

We are doing lots of relaxing and snuggling.

Two Calicos can fit in one paper box lid.

Lola looks great with my beads in the background.

This is one cozy spot!

Coco likes to keep an eye one me while I'm writing on my computer.

Jasper smiles for the camera.

First I want to make a disclaimer that I have nothing against knitting podcasts. If you look at my blog roll, you will see a bunch of knitting podcasts listed, and many of these I listen to whenever I can find the time. I enjoy them; I really do. But….I know that I would also enjoy podcasts on crochet and/or other types of crafting.

Now before everyone starts to tell me that there are other types of craft podcasts out on the Internet, I know that there are, but there aren’t very many (compared to knitting ones) and some of them are ancient and haven’t been updated in months, sometimes years. Face it: knitters are on the ball when it comes to podcasting. The rest of the crafting world is lagging way behind.

Because of this gap in the crafting podcast world, of course it has crossed my mind to do one of my own. It would be handy even for my teaching to be able to record a quality podcast. As it happens, I make a number of videos for my classes using Power Point combined with audio; however, I receive technical help to make these through the school’s e-learning department. I make up the Power Points myself, write the scripts, and go to a sound room where I read the scripts and move through each slide. Then the techie guys magically put the two together for me. If I goof while talking…and of course I do…they can often edit it out for me so it doesn’t sound too bad.

But given all of that, here’s why I don’t just podcast myself:

• First, I want to listen and enjoy them. Listening to myself talk is not the same at all. It sort of reminds me of when I used to sell my jewelry at art shows and people would say, “Oh, that sounds like fun. I love to go to art shows.” Yes, well, when you work at one, you don’t actually get to wander around casually and enjoy yourself.
• Another issue I have with it is that I hate to hear a recording of my own voice, and I do make mistakes. It would take a heck of a lot of editing to make it sound half way decent.
• Then there is the fact that one of my favorite types of podcasts is when there are two people doing one such as The Knit Girllls and Yarn Craft. I listen to solo ones too, but having two people talking is much more of a conversation to me.
• Finally, another major reason is that while I am sure, given time, I could figure out all the techie stuff necessary to create and post a podcast, I can think of many other things I would rather spend my time on.

If you know of any good non-kitting podcasts that actually get updated regularly, feel free to post the URL as a comment, or better yet, what is stopping you from picking up a microphone and doing a podcast yourself?

Tomorrow I go to commencement, and after that, I’m off for summer 1 semester! While I will be on vacation for a good chunk of time, of course, I have a pretty good size list I hope to accomplish during my break:

• As far as yarn works in progress, I have a shawl, a pair of fingerless gloves, and a scarf I plan to finish.
• For projects that I haven’t actually started yet, there are two necklaces I plan to make, which I pretty much have the supplies for, just need to nail down the actual design.
• Another project not started yet is an afghan for one of my nephews. I got some of the super soft baby blanket yarn that I like so much in a colorway called summer days. He’s not a baby any more, but he loves to snuggle with a soft blanket and play on the computer.
• Then finally on the yarn list are some toys I plan to make for a donation drive I hope to participate in this summer. I have a fair amount of green yarn in my stash and can use that to make some amigurumi frogs. I also think I can whip up a few little princess crowns.
• As far as writing, I have a fiction piece I’ve been working on that I am about 3/4 of the way through the first full draft. I want to at least finish the draft, and then it will be time roll up my sleeves and do lots of rewriting on it.
• My other writing project includes a book proposal on a topic that I have been researching. Until I have something more solid, like a book contract, I don’t want to say too much other than it is not craft related but a little on the academic side.
• Sprinkle reading and getting lots of exercise in between all of the above.

Summer vacation….here I come!