Wednesday, December 31, 2014

December

One last post for 2014!


It's been a busy two weeks. Been using my time off from work to declutter, clean, organize, sort, pack up or throw away basically half the decorations and other items in the house. (I even cleaned through my birthday on the 21st! RAWRRR!) Many many boxes have been filled for good will and countless trash bags and other items have made their way off to the trash heap. Hasn't been much fun, to be honest, because it's been SO MUCH work (almost like moving) but it was very needed. I've felt for a long while that I have entirely too much 'stuff'. You go through a grieving of sorts as you bin it but then a few days later you realize you don't notice it's gone at all. And if that sounds drastic - it is............but it's also not. I still have PLENTY of stuff left! :)

(Psst. There is stuff to be given away at the end of this.)
 
It's too bad I live in too rural an area for a yard sale because I could have a FABULOUS one in the spring with the stuff currently living in boxes downstairs. Ah well. If that's the price I have to 'pay' for living on an off-the-beaten path itty-bitty slip of  a street that's hard to find even when you are looking for it, so be it. It's also quite nice when you can go hours and hours without even seeing a neighbor's car drive by. :)

So. Didn't get much knitting done for Christmas or anything else for that matter with all that going on. 

A pair of socks from November were finished and I washed/blocked the wad of blanket squares that I had finished in the last few months. (Counted this morning and I now have 82 squares completed. I think at least another 48 will be needed to make a good sized blanket. 48. *sigh*)

A new hat for Christmas.......well.......it's in progress. The lobsters are growing a little each day.

The tree finally made it up - on Christmas Eve. Better late than never, eh? 
Very nice to have it up after taking last year 'off' because KITTENS.

Said cats were nice enough to *cough* get us a present this year. (Which I generously paid for. And shopped for.)

Huh. Cheeky little buggers!

After that massive decluttering/cleaning I wasn't much in the mood for all the decorations to be put out so I kept it to the basics: stockings, various holiday candle holders, lighted pine garland on the staircase, etc. 

And I changed up my little 'stitchy' basket with a winter theme that should last until spring. :)


I thinned out my cross stitch patterns as well and have a big stack of them to give away if someone wishes to pay for the shipping on them. There is a bit of everything in there from Bent Creek, Lizze Kate, The Drawn Thread, Cricket Collection, etc. 

 There are also a bunch of Shepherd Bush patterns *without* the kit materials they originally came with. 

I've gone through each one very careful to make sure they are in order and no pages are missing, etc. It would probably be like $10.50 for a priority mailer in the US, international....I'm not sure. I would need your address to figure it but I do enough 2-3 ounce overseas packages to know it would probably be upwards of $20-25. 

You must take the whole thing though. I'd rather stab myself in the eye than have to piecemeal it, sorry! Leave a comment if you want them, if more than one person does I'll just randomly pick a name after a week or so.

Ok, I think that's it for 2014! Have a happy new year everyone! 
Bit somber here, I'm afraid, as my husband's uncle just passed this week. He had been battling cancer for a number of years and it had recently traveled to his brain. It seemed like he would have more time but he started to slip away on Christmas day. I feel so bad for his cousins who have now lost both their parents and all their remaining grandparents within the last four years. Starting the new year with a funeral means you've already gotten the worst part of 2015 out of the way, right? :(


15 comments:

Marsha said...

I'm ready and willing to take it off your hands LOL. I'm looking forward to doing the same thing some day soon. Good for you! Happy New Year!

Jackie's Stitches said...

I'd love to be entered into the drawing too!

We've been doing the same thing since Friday - every day spent on editing. Closets, drawers, cabinets. It's not all done but I'm calling it done for now because I am DONE!

Wishing you a happy new year!

Margaret said...

I'm so sorry about your husband's uncle's passing. It's never easy to lose someone, but this time of year makes it that much harder.

Good for you for tidying and decluttering. I so need to do that. Sigh.

Happy New Year!

Cath said...

Happy New Year .
Sorry for your familys' loss.
Would be happy to pay shipping to England for the stash if my name is drawn. xxx

Maggie said...

Happy New Year!

It's good to have a de-clutter sometimes, I've had to with moving to a smaller space, but like you say, after a while you don't miss it, and i have to say that it so much easier to clean when you have less of everything :-)

xx

Roberta said...

Good for you getting things cleaned out. That is on my list for the new year.

Happy New Year!

Annie said...

Congrats on the 'out with the old' project! I could use you here for a little encouragement in that direction.

Sorry about the loss of DH's uncle. Difficult to deal with at the holidays.

Hope 2015 brings only good things!

Carol said...

I'll bet you feel very good after your decluttering efforts, Melanie--I know that always makes me feel relieved when I get rid of things I know I'll never use again, but have been holding on to way too long!! I'm sure you're enjoying the extra space, too!!

As always, your knitting amazes me--that lobster hat is incredible! I wish I lived closer to you and you could sit me down and teach me how to knit. I know nothing! Maybe when I retire?

Love your stitched ornaments (of course) and I'm so glad you were able to put up the tree this year--the kitties "gift" to you is one that will keep on giving :)

I'm sorry to read about your family's loss--that does seem like your husband's cousins have suffered more than their share of sadness lately...

I hope the rest of your new year is brighter, Melanie! Give the kitties a cuddle for me :) Happy 2015!

Julie said...

Such wonderful knitting, that hat is amazing.
Sad to read of your family loss (hugs)
I hope 2015 is kind to you and you have lots of fun and happy times.
Xxx

Cole said...

Happy New Year!

Your knitting never ceases to amaze me! I love the colorwork you do :D

So sorry to hear about your husband's uncle, that's a hard way to start the year. But thankfully there's no more suffering for him. Hugs & prayers to your family.

valerie said...

So sorry to hear about your hubby's uncle Melanie! So sad. It sounds like you've had a busy and productive December and I'm kind of jealous because I still need to do the declutter thing. Have had to for all of 2014! And I am so tempted to raise my hand (me! me! me!) to enter into the stash drawing but then I remember...oh yea...declutter. Happy New Year!!

Leslie said...

I LOVE those socks.. gorgeous!!! and that lobster hat ~ wow!!!!
Happy New Year!
I've been doing the same thing around here, room after room, trying to get rid of junk that we don't need or use. It feels good to get it all organized and decluttered. : )

Maggee said...

Look at those bright socks! Very cool! I have a whole family of girls that would love them, including myself! We like surprising people! And the lobster hat is going to be so great--be sure to share it with us in blogland! I will toss my hat in your giveaway... I have ONE of them, the snow Bent Creek one that I love but have yet to stitch... and you never know what other goodies are there! Happy 2015!

Beth said...

I need a ruthless professional de-clutterer to come into my life and take me by the throat. I moved in 2006 and that forced me to par down some, but now by 2015 it is time to do it again!

Anne said...

Doesn't it feel fabulous to get rid of stuff?!? We've been packing during our holidays for a move this spring and getting rid of things to the good will as well. Glad to see you got your tree up with no cats attacking it! Love your little basket of winter smalls. Those are loads of charts that I'm sure will make someone happy! hugs to you!