A challenge...

I've been 'trawling' through photo folders stored on the computer and also on the portable hard drive, looking for photos for the DVD compilation for DD2's 30th birthday party soiree ...we have so many photos...groan! As well as those stored in digital form, I have been looking through the boxes and albums of old family photos, and if I'm honest, it has been fun; especially discovering 'long lost' photos.

One digital photo that I discovered was something that I've obviously saved from some source on the Internet...it's a poster and I have completely forgotten how I found it...possibly from reading about it in someone's blog post. Luckily the website is on the poster, 'Forever Organised' and I've been back checking it out again. I like it! And I decided on Monday that I would follow the poster...

Clutter in homes is definitely a 'first world problem' and I've been decluttering on and off for a few years now but some more certainly won't hurt!

Some of the days don't apply to me such as decluttering bath toys, Kid's clothes , Kid's Artwork and Kid's toys, but I figure I can use those days decluttering other things. :-)

So Monday I went through the basket of shoes and the boxes of shoes in the wardrobe...so many that I don't wear as they are shabby/ worn out/ heels too high/ they hurt my feet/ affected by water in the rainy years of 2010 and 2011 etc...gone. (into landfill unfortunately as the op shops would not want such battered items)

One pair though will go to the op shop...a pair of Mary Jane's made by HushPuppies, which seemed comfortable when I tried them on in the shop but hurt my toes when I've actually tried to wear them. Hardly worn and just taking up space!

Tuesday, I decluttered appliances. Even though I decluttered appliances the year before last, I found some more not being used...a pre loved coffee machine that my BiL gave us when he bought a new one. We have never really been able to make a decent cup of coffee using it and I ended up putting it away in a laundry cupboard...unused and taking up space.
Languishing unused in a kitchen cupboard was an electric frypan...not used for at least 10 years, so time to go!

Last year our 30 year old clothes drier started making horrible noises...(our neighbour and children used this appliance more than us) so we stopped anyone using it for safety reasons but didn't replace it...it just sat in the laundry...not any more!

 The appliances are being kept downstairs at the moment until the coming Kerbside Cleanup; we will put them out on the footpath then, in case anyone wants elderly appliances. During these cleanups it's a fact that people go around checking out other people's rubbish and helping themselves to anything they find useful.
Today is 'bath toys' so I must think of a substitute...I have lots of items and places to declutter! :-) Hmmm...maybe DH's shoe 'collection' needs a look at!

I've been a bad girl...

Earlier this month, I joined a challenge on the Simple Savings forum page where I agreed to not spend any money in the month of August on fabrics and yarns. A few days before that, I had bought a pack of 'Amelia' charm squares from a lady called Perri who has a website and blog, here, but has an even better Ebay store here. It was from Ebay that I bought my charm squares. So any way, because this pack was purchased before I signed up for the challenge, it didn't count, right?

A week later I 'fell off the wagon', but only a little bit. Went out for coffee with my SIL, June, at a cafe in Toombul Shoppingtown. June mentioned that Lincraft was in the centre...so I thought I'd just take a look seeing I was in that part of town. I bought some balls of yarn; they were on special; and they would be useful for crocheting around all those K4BN squares that I'm slowing turning into blankets/throws. Er...I also bought 2 remnants out of the remnant basket...thought the polar fleece piece would be good for 'raggy quilt' squares and the other piece was just so pretty.

I won't discuss a quick trip to the Spotlight sale last week.. Spotlight is less than 500metres from my place...They had a big sellout of yarns; this sellout won't last until September!

Then last weekend, I wondered how much it would cost to buy an 'Amelia' jelly roll. Online shops here in Australia that I found  had prices that ranged from $43 to $49, plus postage. US prices were better but postage of just under USD$14 meant it wasn't worth it. I found an Aussie site  here but the price of $30 seemed ridiculously low compared to the other sites. DH has an old saying, 'If it seems to good to be true...it probably is'. The next day I emailed the site asking if the prices quoted had been a mistake. An email came back saying that was the price but that there were some rolls on sale for $25. I visited the lady's (Jane) blog  here and reading through it realised she was from Brisbane. Just in case she didn't have many of the Amelia jelly rolls left, I thought that maybe I wouldn't wait until September to buy it...so I ordered it on Tuesday night. Got it today. And it is beautiful. I'm sure I'll find a great quilt pattern I can make with my jellyroll and charm squares.

My lovely Moda fabrics

Now about the SS challenge... I can see I have a few options. Firstly I can work on my self control and do better at keeping my word. Another option of course is not not sign up for any challenges in the future! Hmmm...speaking of challenges, have I told you about the one on the Patchwork Pumpkin site. It's a friendship medallion quilt and the pattern is free. When you sign up you are sent the first part's pattern and the rules. The rules are :-

1. You cannot buy any fabric, the aim is to use your stash!
2. You can swap fabric with friends
3. Email a photo of your finished centre to get the instructions for the next step.
Well we'll just have to see how I go with this challenge. I plan to give it my best shot! And that's despite the first part requiring lots of 1.5 inch squares...