Jar head

If silver and somewhat shiny and found at an estate sale, I'm gonna snatch it up in my greedy little hands before anyone else notices.
Found these vintage antique old canning jar lids made of aluminum and glass.

And dang-it-all if I didn't spy NEW jar lids just a day or two later IN BRUSHED SILVER!

AFTER I spray painted gold jar lids in coordinating colors for my button jars.


Way to get in the white metal trend of the last 15 years, Ball.


Please to enjoy, a study in anal retentive organization.
And an excuse to use my new/old label maker.
Good times in the Skitzo Leezra world.
Yeah.

Organize your earrings

First, pair the earrings and attach to each other.

Here's how:

Hoops - open one hoop. Slip the other closed hoop inside. Close hoop.

Posts - remove back from one post. Slip post through the back of the other post and slide back onto post.

Even if you take it no further, this is a sure way to keep the pairs together and it is much easier to find an attached pair than a single earring.

Next, find yourself an antique tin-type tray and place on shelf in your closet. You might find one at an antique store or flea market. Alternately, you can use shallow drawer space with dividers.

Arrange earrings by ascending size of hoops, stone earrings, pearl earrings, whatever makes sense to you. Silver on one side, gold on the other. Cover silver side with tarnish-free flannel cloth. Charms and chains behind the earrings. See an empty compartment? You should be able to guess which earrings are missing. (If you were really anal, you could label the compartment.)

Click here to organize necklaces.

Hoarder? Or Not?

I notice that I announce character flaws about myself like calling myself a "control freak" or "anal retentive" or "hoarder" then wonder if I do it to beat others to the punch although I don't really see anything wrong with the first two attributes but dang(!) watching that "Hoarders" series on A&E ~deep breath~~ it gives me the monkey nerves to begin immediately begin clearing stuff to reassure myself that I am NOT a hoarder because those folks are nuts.

NOT my house

Sometimes I think I am sliding into crazy lady territory, accepting all the loot from People Give Me Stuff bounties, stockpiling supplies for future projects and fastidiously ironing vintage trims and ribbon . . . sounds a little obsessive already, right? But the fact is, I enjoy rooting through the stuff, separating the wheat from the chaffe. It may look like a mess for time but while I am greedy with ribbons and notions, I am generous with the things I won't use or don't need. Last night I packed up 3 bags of things for other crafters/sewing chicks with stuff they (hopefully) want. If I thought for a second they were hoarders, the stuff would go to charity thrift stores.


Just because my stuff is organized and labelled doesn't mean it isn't hoarding

I hate waste, I hate when good stuff goes into the trash when it could go to Goodwill so that attitude could be my downhill slide to hoarding but no way do I want to bring it MY house. Someone once said that waste is a lack of creativity and guess that is why I am drawn to alternate use items and art made from found objects. Look at my blog for stuff made with neckties, wine corks, and repurposed things. Yikes, maybe I do have a touch of the hoard.

However, that's why you would want to know me if we were in prison together. I would be that person that knows where to get stuff. My brain stores inventory lists and not just my own, other people's too. My sis mentions that she would like to try a floor steamer? Brother has one. Mom needs to make a "fascinator" for 20's costume party? The supplies are in my craft stash. Friend needs a batch of high school class rings for a Grease skit? Got a dozen or so. Someone needs to borrow a few cake stands for a wedding reception? I know 4 people to ask.


Recently I asked an ice breaker question at a meeting: If you could cast yourself for a television show, which would it be? The answers were very interesting, everything from "Golden Girls" to reality shows to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta".

My revealing answer? "Sanford and Son".

1) I KNOW there is a treasure somewhere in Fred's piles

2) I would like to help Fred organize that mess

File under: She's Got Too Much Time On Her Hands

While doing laundry, I examine the white wash cloths* and insure that I am not washing and folding them with the cleaning rags** (the old white wash cloths).

Anywho, being anally retentive and all, I stacked the rags next to my sewing machine last week and ran a stitch over the edge for easy reference. (See below, stitched over washcloth and butted the next one right behind it, then clipped the threads to separate.)

All better now, bet I saved 4 whopping minutes off my monthly laundry time!
Oh well, it makes me happy.

*According to my aunt, if used on your body, properly called wash cloths.

** For household use, designation is cleaning rags. (Cloths and rags should not be laundered together because of the various chemicals and solutions used on rags.)

Butt'n, oh no you di'nt!

The decorative appeal of a ton of buttons in one big glass jar looks cool but the first time I searched for specific size and color, I realized my anal retentive organization compulsion really did serve a purpose.

Now sorting buttons by color and happy to do it.

My name is SkitzoLeezra and I am Anal Retentive

At work, looking for an envelope in the office supply closet, instead found Kleenex boxes on three different shelves (horrors!) and 4 opened boxes of rubberbands. Oooh, it gave me a case of the monkey nerves. Scratch, scratch.

The next thing you know, stuff is spread all over the floor to be organized and realigned. Like goes with like. (Found these clear plastic boxes at Office Depot.)

Sigh, I am happy now.

To craft or to organize?

Both make me happy but one must be done before I can enjoy the other.

Guess which?

Notion storage

Buttons and more buttons

Trim and more ribbons

Fabric sorting and vintage notions

Tools, pens and pastels

My brother tells me that my craft studio reveals a very sick person. And though is he is very judgmental, he lets me organize stuff at his house.