M.I.A.

So I haven't posted in a while. BUT... in my defense, I work retail for a big corporate entity. So you have to know, if you've ever worked for a business like this, that we are gearing up for the dreaded Black Friday experience.
I was also appointed to a committee at work that was formerly called "The Fun Committee". The 9 of us (three from each division) have been busting our butts trying to find or do fun things for morale. So a lot of down time has been finding graphics for flyers and sign up sheets. I have also turned into a bit of the trivia master. I find and grade trivia quizzes.
So after the first of the year, there will be a lot of updated posts about what I have been up to in the DIY world.
Lovingly,
Her Royal Pinkness, Elizabeth I

DIY Organization Projects #4 Results and #5: Wall Letter Trays

Organization Project #4 (OP4)

Organization Project #4 is finished and assembled, but I haven't figured out how I want to, or if I want to, glue it down to a peice of cardboard for further stability. Update on this later.

Organization Project #5 (OP5)

Since I do some supplemental homeschooling, I need some place that each child can have their stash of supplies. The biggest item being dry-erase place mats that they practice their handwriting on. Cursive for the older girl, print for the younger boy with terrible handwriting. These mats are quite large; 12" x 15".

The Search

During a search for magazine racks, I came across this fabulous quick and easy bathroom magazine rack at Living Off Love and Coffee. Quick and easy and can hang on the wall. But not quite our style. Size is also a factor. I would have to search high and low for a basket large enough and hope I can find two.

DIY Magazine Rack (Click link for exact page.)

I remembered seeing the wire mesh letter trays at Walmart. They stack together if you need more than one, but I wasn't sure if the mesh was big enough to put string through. Something like this, but without the multiple sections.

Walmart.com

I also found this cute one in pink by Aurora.

Just one problem. It's pink! The boy isn't going to like pink!

I loved the simplicity and it looked like I could make it myself. There are endless possibilities for the covering with what was available in my home.

The Design

This had possibilities since I could make it any size I needed. To the Drawing Board! (I apologize for the horrible pictures. The only camera I have is on my phone.)

Blueprint

I sketched out the design. Hash lines designate equal values. Then I just measured the placemat and determined what lengths I needed. For mine I made it 12" wide with a 2" depth. The back section is 15" tall, while the front is 4". Due to the corrugated cardboard I used, the dimensions are slightly bigger. The holes and lines across are for the string to hold items in place.

The Process

Since I work in retail I can get boxes of whatever size I need provided I get them before the compactor or recycling bins claim them. I had a big box that had held a large ottoman. Measured and cut out the right size and then measured off my lines. I drew them in pencil, but then went over them in Sharpie so they can be seen in the picture. My little boy helper holding it up for me:

I also wrote in pencil over the lines which
were cut lines and which were fold.

The angled lines were not necessary, but I thought about how often 90 degree corners get dog eared around here, so I just eliminated them. The ones at the bottom turned out to be not necessary and more of a hassle than anything.

Since I used corrugated cardboard, folding was going to be difficult on cross-grain lines. The grain on these is going across the width not height. Using a box cutter, I used several passes on the CUT lines to go all the way through. On the fold lines, cut the top layer and the corrugated layer, but not the bottom layer.

Don't worry about your marks as they will be covered with the material of your choice.

"Eye" See You!

At this point, I stopped and cut out my second one. Now that I knew the how-to's, it went much quicker and smoother.

I folded one up to verify that it would fit.

Now for the covering. I found some fabric in my stash that was just enough to cover every surface on both boxes but the back. Since I will be hanging them on the wall just outside their bedrooms, this is perfect. Using Elmer's Spray Adhesive in a well ventilated area, I trimmed and cut and applied. 

Now comes the tricky parts. Which parts do I cut away so I don't have massive amounts of extra fabric?

 To glue down the front of the bottom, I had to switch to Fabric Stitch as an adhesive. Elmer's just wasn't cutting it. You also have to start putting it together at this point. Because the Elmer's wasn't holding it together, I added a paper fastener under the last layer of fabric. Poked it right through and bent it on the inside of the pocket.

End Result of the front bottom glue down.

String Time! I used a hole punch and brute strength to punch in the holes. Using a spare set of shoelaces from a shoe I bought, I strung it through, tied the ends (not too tight!), and Walla!

The Final Result
Need I say any more than this picture? The place mat is quite snug as I forgot to allow for the laminated edge, but it's quite better than it flopping around in there. It also slows down the ADD kids when putting supplies away. Each child also has a folder for passwords, accounts, book lists, etc. I can also deliver mail since both have adult pen pals like former teachers and relatives who moved away.

Each child has a dry erase board right outside their bedroom door with the days of the week, what their chores & priorities are, doctor's appointments for the week, library book due dates, etc. The older girl also has two spots labelled "This Month" and "Next Month". All their information in one place. If something is going on at school like a try-out, she adds it to her board. If we make them doctor's appointments, they know to look at the board first. I also have a family calendar hanging near these boards as a master copy should parts of their boards get erased accidentally.

These bins will go right underneath the boards. The younger boy has a dry erase marker clip attached to his board. Since the older girl does not have this, I'm taking an old pair of jeans that do not fit the younger boy and using the back pockets as a front pocket on the bins. You can put the children's names on them, embellish them anyway you like. I made the front of the bin quite large for this purpose.

Attaching these to the wall is the next step, but I leave it up to you how best to attach it to your wall.

Enjoy!
~Her Royal Pinkness, Elizabeth I

TV Shootie Style

Preface

For the past month or so, I have been working nearly exclusively in my company's shoe department. My co-workers think I'm crazy, but that's ok. I'm used to people thinking I'm crazy. lol

Until the first week of my transition into the Shoe Department Expert was complete, I had completely forgotten about my childhood dream of working for Fred Toenges Shoe Store here in Fort Wayne. For anyone not local or have never visited the Fort, Fred Toenges is a shoe store like none other here. Not only do you find fantastic fashionable shoes for the whole family, but they work with those with special footwear needs. At Fred Toenges, you are bound to find a good quality shoe that is going to last and be good for your overall health and well-lived lifestyle. This is where I formed my passion for shoes.

That being said, I take a different approach to the shoe department than many of my predecessors. In their defense of course is the fact that they were required to deal with another department as well as the shoe area. There's only so much attention a Department Lead can contribute to Shoes when you have to take care of the Mens or Kids department as well. As for me, I am "Shoes", not "& Shoes". I can take the time to get to know the shoes we carry, the pros and cons of each piece of footwear, the clientele, and the health benefits or problems with each pair.

TV Junkie

One of my favorite shows to watch is Elementary starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu, chronicling a modern day Sherlock Holmes and a female Dr. Watson as though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had not written them into the early 1900s of our world. The phrase "No S***, Sherlock" has therefore not been invented. On Facebook, I have stated my love for all things Sherlockian, so I will not go into that here again. Besides, this blog entry is about SHOES.

Lucy Liu has always been a fashion icon. She is simply gorgeous in every stitch of clothing she dons. It could be an outfit the rest of us would look like crap in, but she... well, she'd make sackcloth look good! This past spring, I noticed Lucy's footwear. I thought it odd, but fantastically sexy and cute all at the same time. Lucy is only 5'3" (I am 5'1.75" so understand the plight of the vertically challenged) next to Jonny's 5'11". Heeled boots and shoes are a must.

(Please Note: if I have snagged your image from Google Search, have not placed a link back to you and you would like me to include one, feel free to drop me a line. I do not remember all the sites I snagged these from but have done my best to recreate the memories.)

Footwear Makeover

Once I entered the world of shoes... I finally had a name for Lucy's fantastic footwear: Shooties! They are typically a dress-heeled shoe that resembles a boot until the ankle. Some extend slightly past the ankle with a chunky boot heel. These are called Booties. Lucy wears them both with aplomb.

from TheBrunetteOne.com

1. Wedge Sneakers

Not a Bootie or a Shootie, but still a fantastic new style this year. There are cheap knock offs everywhere, but for long lasting style and durability as well as wondrous comfort, I recommend buying a designer or name brand shoe. Madden Girl, Mia, Wanted, Roxy, Puma, Adidas, and even Converse have some fantastic looking styles of Wedge Sneakers.

from DSW.com

I personally own this exact shoe in black and love them to bits! I even wore them for an 8 hour retail shift and by the end of the day, my calves were a bit "worked out" but my feet felt fantastic. (Keep in mind that I got them on clearance with an employee discount so I didn't have to pay the $40 price tag.)

2. Booties

Sometimes we just cannot figure out where to put the pant leg, i.e.: in or out of the boot? Or when wearing a pair of tights, will it look right with the calf covered with a boot? And really, who has time to lace up or struggle into a pair of traditional knee high boots? Enter Booties.

from DSW.com

Option #2 is a standard street level sole like this Madden Girl slip on bootie. I have tried this one on and must say that I cannot decide which to get, black or cognac. Both colors are fantastic. One I could wear with half my closet while the other color would get the other half. This is not the style of shoe though that I would wear at my work, so it's still a dream of "Mama Wants" and not a loving member of my shoe family yet. This bootie can function any night on the town, all day at a family get together, spring, summer, fall, or winter. Working on your feet all day in these is not recommended.

3. Shooties

from DSW.com

Option #3 is a platform level sole like any of the Unlisted by Kenneth Cole line. Again, not a shoe I would wear to work in all day, but a cute & sexy out-on-the-town shoe.

image from DSW.com

4. Booties (Again!)

Option #4 is a more traditional boot look, but with the ankle length for us on the go moms and professionals. Again, have tried this one on and cannot decide between the black and tan that my store carries. Also not a working shoe.

The following images are more of Lucy wearing Shooties and Booties, gleaned from Google Search.

from TheBrunetteOne.com

Even guest star Natalie Dormer (as Irene Adler/Moriarty) rocks some lovely Booties!

So all in all, the newest trend of the season in stores, television, and the World Wide Web is Shooties & Booties. Any season of the year, Booties and Shooties should be a staple in your wardrobe. But hurry fast to your local shoe department or shoe store! This is the only time of year to find a fantastic selection.

~Her Royal Pinkness, Elizabeth I

Freddie the Whimsical Night Watchman

My wonderful husband has two odd obsessions. One started some time between when we were young lovers and when we reconnected as adults. He likes Santa Claus's. So every Christmas I buy him another "Ho-Ho".

After the kids got us to watch Gnomeo & Juliet, his new obsession in Gnomes. Last year his sister and I both bought him a gnome for his birthday, June 24th.. This year I abstained from purchasing a gnome because 1.) I didn't like any of the gnomes that came in at my work and 2.) instead of buying him a gnome, I married him the next day.

Our three pink bunnies have barely survived my husband and have been patched up several times now. So, since my arrival to our home, all wind chimes and ceramic/cement lawn decorations come indoors for the winter. They are washed off, wrapped carefully and put into boxes in the attic. This year, I noticed that the gnome with the lantern from my sister-in-law was a little faded.

Before

After a year outside, this little guy needed a makeover. So I asked my step-daughter to repaint his hat. It turned into a complete makeover from head to toe.

After

With a makeover and since he's not the only gnome in the yard, he needed a name. Found Chimpage: Gnome Name Generator, and now his name is Freddie the Whimsical Night Watchman.

Another look at a side by side Before & After Pic: 

We need more things to paint!

DIY Organization Projects #1, #2, #3, and Plans for #4

Preface

A Little Background

I have an office supply fetish. Understatement of the year, I know. However, with a family of 4.5+3 (4 full-time, 1 part-time, 3 pets) to support, I cannot just go out and buy more organization supplies, or the best bulletin board ever, etc. What is most sad about having spent years and hundreds on trying to get organized, is that nothing ever sticks or works long or is not quite what I needed.

Crafty Girl

Now I have a stepdaughter who is always wanting to craft things, but she's a bit scatterbrained and ADD to boot. She is in such a rush to get projects done because her mind is already shooting towards the next project. She also tends to give up on projects when they start to bore her, which is unfortunately very early in the project, about 80% of the time. In her defense, she does come up with some great ideas and it is not her fault that she does not have the knowledge base for ideas on how to implement those great ideas.

Unfinished

We also have a problem in our house of not completing projects because we run out of supplies, or had the wrong supply, or we got busy and haven't gotten back "A Round To-it". For example, not entirely our fault since we rent and are only allowed so much leeway and some things must be taken care of by a landlord, we started to repaint and fix some problem areas in our bathroom. It became clear that we needed to strip all the paint from the ceiling and mud/reapply paint. Three and a half years later, the ceiling is only half mudded.

Therefore, I am not saying my stepdaughter is the exception to the household rule; she's just a very good example of the norm.

My Little Hoarder

My ADHD son is not so crafty, but he's a hoarder. After having lost so much during moves early in life, he feels like he must hold onto every scrap of paper, drawing, broken toy he's ever owned. I have attempted to throw away toys and he used to bawl his little eyes out. I attempted to throw them out when he wasn't looking and he found them in the trash. I attempted to be sneaky by taking the broken toy straight to the dumpster when he was asleep and in less than a week he was of course asking for that exact toy. My dilemma is that I cannot lie to my kids. So when I told him it was thrown out for being broken, he insisted it could have been fixed.

I'm such a horrible mom, right?

In any event, with craft supplies and toys and books and clothes and shoes and a very tiny house, I've had to get creative with organization though the place still looks like a pigsty half the time.

The Main Event

Organization Project #1

This past spring, Stepdaughter and I worked on a project for storing office utensils above the monitor of my new computer desk. A Clearanced wine rack, empty tin food cans, and a little bit of leftover hand-me-down paint and we're in business.

Rainbow Cans

1. Paint cleaned cans in desired colors. Make sure you trim or file down any rough edges on the inside.

Rainbow Images

2. Design and paint clip-art style images on the cans as desired. Make kids part of the project, especially if it is for their rooms.

In Wine Rack

3. Added cans to a cheap clearanced wine rack at Gordmans. We do not drink wine or alcohol of any kind, but they have so many options for wine bottle organization that you just can't help but use it for other organizational needs.

On Wall

4. Hang on wall. Make sure you have enough clearance for your items to be removed like that ruler on the far left. The edge of the above cabinet is directly above so I must tilt the ruler away from me to get it out of the can. Any lower on the wall and the rack would have been hidden by the monitor completely.

My desk has no pencil drawer, and the old area we kept our pens and pencils is all the way across the room. Not effective use of movement. This was the cute and fun solution.

Organization Project #2

Kitchen Color Scheme

I needed to figure out how to reorganize our kitchen. It is very long and narrow and we need to be able to eat in it because ADD and ADHD kids with an ADD mom watching TV while trying to eat? Not a good idea. Food gets shoveled in mouths without much thought to what the food is or tastes like. (Plus I was getting quite tired of cleaning crumbs off my couch.)

The way we had it set up until this past weekend had us all crossing paths trying to do things at cross-purposes. Hot pads were in the drawer furthest away from the stove. Mixing bowls, casserole dishes, measuring spoons and cups were in a rolling kitchen cart on the other side of the room behind the table. You get the drift.

I found some wire baskets with front card slots at Gordmans that weren't too badly priced. Not the exact hues, but there is red, yellow, and blue. We have three sizes of rags and have them separated for the kids so they can grab a job appropriate sized rag.

I traced one of my husband's business cards onto a piece of white card stock 3 times. Then construction paper in the same colors as the baskets and made them a little smaller. The card stock and the construction paper were old craft supplies of my grandmother's and rather old. They look aged like the wire baskets.

End Result

Organization Project #3

So our bathroom is really tiny. I have done everything I can to maximize space. I'm not done with it, but it looks far better than it did when it was just a place to clean up. Now I can take a soak in the tub in a peaceful environment. Until kids knock on the door every five minutes of course.

Shelves are a must have when you have those 4.5+3 individuals' belongings in such a tiny space. To the Right is the tub/shower combo and it takes up the whole depth of the room.

This picture is taken from the doorway. Behind the door is a short tower shelving unit, also in white with spare towels, hand towels and washcloths.

If you can see in the mirror, under the window are a collection of coat hooks holding the towels for myself and all three kids and to the side of the sink, the hand towel.

More needs done with this space, but we're getting closer to organized.

For example, the Q-Tips and cotton balls and other flotsam took up room in individual containers and were always getting knocked on the floor. I'm pretty sure that half the Q-Tips I bought in the past 4 years were never used because of this. But I wouldn't let anyone put them back in the container after they fell behind the toilet. No brainer.

These little baskets were again found at Gordmans on 50% off clearance, so essential B1G1F. Cut some card stock to compliment the room's colors so the Q-Tips don't come out through the wire. Looks fantastic.

This beautiful lady has nothing to do with organization, but she suits the room and the theme I'm trying to go for so I had to brag about her.

The two cabinets on either side of her are hardly ever used because the doors are opaque. Many places in our home are an 'out of sight, out of mind' kind of place. This means that for the kids and my husband, items and tools they need to get ready in the morning must be right in their face or they forget to use them.

This includes everything from floss (which they still forget anyway), brushing their teeth, cleaning out their ears, and the list goes on. This area is a big RE-DO on my To-Do- List.

Organization Project #4

Back to the computer desk. It is a cute and quaint little desk. Two file drawers, one for business, the other for home. Pull out keyboard tray works great for keeping keyboard and mouse out of the way when I need to write. It is however problematic to write on a desk that has papers just thrown or piled on every flat service.

Since there are plenty of DIY sites, Pinterest posts, and HGN episodes on how to make a magazine file holder out of cardboard, cereal boxes, diaper boxes, etc. I won't bore with the details. Next DIY post will start with the end result photo and another round of Organization Projects.

Ciao! ~^..^~

Gaming - Need Friends/Neighbors/Allies

I play a lot of little games on Facebook and most of my friends shun it.

     I don't care.

It is stress relief. It keeps my brain from going a million miles an hour down a circular drain that leaves me feeling crazy.

Unfortunately since very few friends play the same games I do, I get frustrated because I am stopped at every corner and cannot progress as fast or as easily as I would like.

That being said, I play Disney's Ghosts of Mistwood and since there are so few who play it, I moved over to Playdom who made the game. Too bad for me, I have to start all over at level 1. So...

If you play this game on Facebook or on Playdom, feel free to add me. For Facebook please send a message to me stating that it is for Ghosts of Mistwood.

I also play Disney City Girl, Farmville 2 (and on Zynga), Candy Crush, and Hidden Shadows.

I'm a gamer. We collect games obsessively. Deal with it.

Tragedy in the Ward

I have four best friends in my adulthood besides my new husband. I am a terrible best friend in that way of not finding enough time in my life to spend time with them. They understand but still.
So about a month ago, the eldest of my four best friends had a medical emergency that slipped him into such a state that doctors decided to medically induce a coma. Within a week, his and my beautiful half-Australian Cattledog Bruno passed away at 14 years old.
That same week, the youngest of my four best friends who happens to be pregnant with a miracle surprise baby found out that her oldest sister passed away from complications of a gastric bypass surgery. Then her poor step-daughter who has struggled for so long with a whacked out mother and who has come so far in her rebound of that situation had to be hospitalized in a psychiatric facility.
So the two middle best friends had better not get in touch with me and tell me they have had terrible life setbacks that I failed to pick up on that week. Cause that'll mean I'm next...
The good news is of course that he's recovered from the coma and in rehab and the step-daughter is home and recovering in the loving environment of her dad and stepmom.
Oh wait... does the government "shutdown" and the "healthcare" requirement count has tragedies?

Reflection

Re-reading the prior posts, I am horribly dismayed by my lack of consistency.
But I do remember quite a bit of my life based on the descriptions I wrote. I am still thankful for the man who I spent all those years on and broke my heart anyway. (Funny how last week I wrote a vague rant on Facebook about him getting back together with a real doozy of a psycho ex. And the dingle-dork hit the "Like" button on it. Ha! Whoever said men were intelligent... I'll leave that one alone.)
In any event, I'm thankful for the feelings he invoked in me for the sheer fact that it made me realize I was worthy of love.
I married my son's father and then divorced him. I love life too much to die at the hands of someone who professes to love me between blows to the head. In the process, I became an alcoholic. Now I know I sound detached from it, but at this point I'm nearly four years past the event and I've managed to reduce it down to the bare facts. There was a lot of pain and a lot of soul searching. Still have problems holding it together when he wants to act all chummy, but c'est la vie.
It took a lot of love and acceptance from a long ago lover who rescued me to get me to this point. We finally married this past June.
So while I'm working on my third marriage, I've gotten to see my middle child once and come to the despairing realization that she has no use for me, nor any desire to know me. The same will probably be true of my eldest child as well. While I was desperately trying to get my act together, they were desperately needing me and I wasn't there. I cannot change those facts. I can only live with the consequences.
Also while I was gone from Blogger, I returned to church and re-acquainted myself with God and my love for His son, Jesus Christ. Thus, I am a new woman because He makes me new.
But I will not be deleting the past posts talking about paganism or my exes. The past is the past and unchangeable. I did go through my computer files and delete the pictures and letters never sent. I deleted some of the logged conversations. I won't be rereading them. The private conversations between lovers do not need aired, therefore are of no use in even my blogs.
But the men are not deleted from my life as my first husband deleted me from his friend list. Would make it easier to keep in contact for our daughter, but as I said before, she has no use for me (in her way of thinking) so he has no point in keeping me on his friend list I guess.
My other exes though are there, though I do not talk to them if I can help it. My son's father tries to play nicey-nice. But really dude. You tried to kill me. Only reason you have access to my page and my pictures is because most of them are of our son and I don't feel like paying my lawyer $200 an hour to go back to court and deal with your whiny butt about money or lack of access to my son.
I got side-tracked... where was I? Aha. The Paganism. I still stand by my Narrow Path analogies. And I still stand by my belief that personal spirituality and faith and enlightenment are singularly and personally exclusive. I just now happen to believe that the only true way is through Christ. I do refuse to be preachy though. I went that route in high school and cost myself friends. He calls us to be available, not discriminatory or exclusive.
So the short and skinny at this point is that I am happy and healthy, both physically and mentally.
I am married and a mom/stepmom in all senses of the job titles. I am about to celebrate 3 years at the same company after the last one canned me at 3 and a half years. I love shoes and my job entails dealing with many aspects of the selling and stocking of shoes. A dangerous job for someone with a shoe fetish, but I stare temptation in the face every day and only rarely lose control. (There's currently a pair of boots that are tempting me something awful, but the $75 price tag is helping keep them out of my closet.) I have a home and a family.
That's good for now. All I need. Really.

And... She's Back.

Not that anyone I know actually reads this. And anyone I know now doesn't even know this place even exists for me. Maybe that's a good thing. There's a need within to write and not have it picked apart for hidden meaning or underlying tones. I just need to blog.
I can't keep a journal going. I buy them with intent to write religiously, but I never start. Or I write once and it goes in the back of a drawer. As a kid I wrote almost every day in a lavender journal my mom got me. Then one day I just stopped. Then my freshman year I wrote in a five subject notebook every day. Then about the middle of second quarter, I just stopped. I have both still to this day and sometimes am quite appalled at preteen and teen me. Other times, I'm floored by her insights and can't believe I forgot writing them.
For example, freshman year I wrote that I couldn't freaking stand this boy in my class. 8 years later I married him. I shouldn't have. I should have dug out that journal and read what I had wrote. Would have saved me some heartache and our daughter some pain.
Even here! I said, "Stay tuned!" And then gave nothing to stay tuned in for. Such a shameful writer I am.
So maybe every now and again I ought to just vent here. And write like I was meant to write. Lord knows, if I do that on Facebook I get people who mean well jumping down my throat.
So with that... Her Royal Pinkness, Queen Elizabeth I is back.