the ongoing quest to conquer clutter #2

so i have started to feel overwhelmed by 'stuff'.
my room, my studio, my storage, my closets, bathrooms, garage.. ugggghhh STUFF!! Its everywhere!!! I clean, i tidy, i organize but cannot get a handle on all this stuff. the thought of this house is too small, often runs through my house, but really its this ongoing clutter problem!! my husband thinks there is a little bit of 'hoarder in me. Though I disagree entirely, i must admit i do have a problem with throwing things away. for instance the 8 million back issues of design, art and parenting magazines. And the problem isn't that there is one that  collect, its all of them!! they seem to be hiding in every area you can find.. the studio, the office, bookshelves, my bed, bedside table, under the bed, in the closet in the living room. I am obsessed with design magazines. interior design, DIY, Graphic design, interactive design, photography, fine art magazines (and my new collection, today's parent). Uggghhh!! As much as I love them all and picture my office with tall gorgeous white bookshelves neatly arranged in apple  green matching magazine sleeves, lining my walls behind my L shaped desk, drafting center, neatly organized my month and year, cataloged by subject and style to draw upon inspiration at any point... it just doesn't seem realistic or feasible to keep them around the house until that fabulous studio comes. I don't want to become that woman that gets buried in her ever growing magazine collection that overtakes her entire home and swallows her up. but to part... ahhh it feels so final..

i have been feeling stressed lately. I have been working on a book project that is coming to the end and going to production soon. But it has been tough, not only the stress of deadlines againa nd working as fast as possible, but my house. living in my house is feelign stressful. I feel overrun by toys, and clothes and stuff! And i know how much freer and better I feel when all the extra stuff is gone.  I was reading an article on organization a could of days ago and  it was talking about conquering the area that has set you off into stressful crazy mode to begin with. For me it is my bedroom. I just can't seem to keep that beast of a closet under controll. no matter how much I throw out, it just is alwas bursting from the seams.

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The last time i did this, I think was when i was preggers with Jack. And God just had sooo much to talk to me about about me, not just clean up my house but clean up my heart. So maybe here we start again. on Sunday some things happened that started to stir my heart and something hasn't been sitting right with me since. Maybe it's time to get some clear answers, spend sometime with Abba. Luke is starting 2 course for his MBA this next course load. it is the first time he's done this. one class and working full time is insane enough i can't imageine what 2 will be like. Pretty much I am husband-less for the next 7 weels. I don't even know what i'm going to do without him. I found myself saying yesterday I need a new project. Well I think I just found one. Operation: Clutter..

The eye of the storm.

 

 I am sitting in my office today with what feels like the entire company whizzing around me. Month End.. it is one of the busiest weeks of the entire season. Everyone is going bananas, shit hitting the fan and splattering in every direction. Right now my office is one of the most stressful, tense environments you have ever felt. This summer is the first summer that I am not working full time as a coordinator. I guess I should add a little bit of background.  Prior to our little man joining our life I worked for a Relocation firm handling the logistics for  Corporate relocations around the Globe. We are the # 1 corporate mover in North America and pretty much the leaders in our field. We are all about perfection, details, expertise because frankly, they are the best and only believe in building a culture of excellence. So when it comes to the end of the month in each summer month – the busiest weekends for moving, all of these company values of excellence + all the stress from your clients (moving is one of the top 5 most stressful experiences in your entire life, I think close to divorce, and clients can be pretty high strung sometimes) anything going wrong is a great recipe for losing your mind. This year is the first, that I don’t have to handle it all!! Because since little man has been born they were so gracious to set me up at the front desk working part time handling admin work for the company and research for our fine arts department. Which is great!  but It’s a strange feeling not being a part of the hussle and bussle of the insanity.  I feel like I’m in a tornado as it swirls around me, but I am in the eye of the storm. Just working away in complete peace as chairs and desks and cars, screams, phones ringing, people running around up and down the stairs, in and out of meetings, scrambling around in the storm surrounding my desk.

I was talking to my mom about this, expressing how strange it felt, to not feel worried or stressed at all and she said you know it’s kind of amazing when you think of it, this is how life is when trusting God, being caught up with the life happening all around and just living in peace, not worried that he has taken care of it all.   

So today I am grateful for the fact that I no longer have such a stressful job that it makes me cry, or in my case go into labour repetitively 3 months early, I’m grateful that I feel at peace that right now even in some uncertainty and what feels frustrating, I know that God is taking care of it all and I that I choose to live centered, trusting Him in the peace of any storm that may come my way.  

kitchen progress 3

well i will FINALLY have my completed beautific backplash by the end of the night (then grouting and sealing but at least it is up!  I am a happy wife. no more tools in my kitchen.

17 MONTHS!!

There aren't even enough words to describe how much joy you bring us. Happy 17 months little man!

The Book Project: The Secret Place

 

I have been working and a little project that I have been loving and can't wait to share... I have been doing the illustrations for a book soon to be released called 'The Secret Place'. Alongside another artist we completed 19 graphite illustrations, some mine, some hers, some a collaboration of us both. But just this week I was asked my the publisher and author to paint the cover!! What was originally going to be photography, they felt that a colour drawn image would relate better to the overall feel and flow better with the illustrations. What an honour!!!!  i quickly jumped and began to work. I prayed asked abba to show me and started painting. 

kitchen progress 2

after a long day of luke trying to sand these freak'n cupboards. i send him to benjamin moore, who's staining specialist tells us. umm if you've been sanding the crap out of these... their not wood.."

SHIT

So now we are figuring out what to do. we took back all our beautiful tile. b/c it doesn't work with our existing cupboards. that super sux. now off to rethink this whole thing...

kitchen progress..

 well, the floors are - bought, the backsplash - bought, the stain for the cupboards -  bought, everything we need to do it - bought...  so WHY is it taking so long!!!??? UGGGHH luke went to town smashing out walls a few weeks back where the backsplash was and in a week dry walled, mudded and tapes new walls all back up. Wonderful husband, next step is the cupboards which we are both going to work on, but right now he is super busy  with school and... well busy me, with art and shows and teaching and illustrating a book,  cleaning house, taking care of baby sanding all those cupboards is the last thing on my list to do. So while on a nap today Luke showed me how to use the hand sander. He is writing exams all day today so it was a good time or me to start the cupboards. Ugggggh!!! after 10 min, 1/2 of a test chair done - sloppy) , I hate it already. How on earth am I going to get through  21 cupboards sanded perfectly? This is hell.  the stain is stubborn, and won't come off easily. i am dreading the next 21 cupboards. I just want this done. any advice is welcomed!!

babies babies babies

everywhere I look I see those round bellies, or teeny tiny little ones. I am filled with giggles and smiles as that intoxicating "new baby" smell fills my nose and makes me gaga. i thought i had it before, a 'yah I could have another one of those' but now the though swarms my mind, taking over every other possible one. it is official,

i've got the itch.