Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Organizing Books and Carpenter Elves

I love to read, though I find it impossible to read only one book at a time. (I also read magazines back to front. Religiously. Does anyone else do this or am I weird? If you also do this, are you left handed, too? That's my guess why I'm prone to do that. Either that or I was Japanese in a past life.)

So, here's what I've been reading:
Organization Tips for Scrapbookers by Denise Pauley
I bought this book for the same reason I'm sure everyone does, in hopes that it would magically clean and re-arrange me scrap room while I slept. The neat thing is that it nearly did just that. The book's been sitting on the coffee table for a few weeks, since it's that kind of book that reads like a magazine. Very little print, a whole lot of photos of scrap rooms clearly owned by people who never knock things over and can intuitively find the inner beauty in an empty mustard jar. I dream of being them.
The book is light on the how-to, but it's got a lot of great ideas pictured for you to file away in your brain for later when you need them. I like that kind of thing, but if you're a stickler for instructions for every project, you won't be happy. So be aware of this before running out to buy the book. Even the instructions that are included are pretty sketchy. On the other hand, the photos are gorgeous, and full of a lot of ideas that need no explanation since they're just cool ways to use various household objects to help keep your stuff scrapbook-store neat. Like a book of one-liners, they're clever, they make you smile, and there's not a whole lot else to say about it.
One last thing, the price. $24.95 is pretty high, but then it is composed of hundreds of photos on heavy-duty paper stock. It's a hefty paperback even without all the plane tickets and other junk mine has accumulated, marking various pics I liked. And there's always the fact that you can pick it up using a coupon at the big box craft stores and Archivers, so that's always an option.
If you've read this far, you're probably wondering how I managed to convince my copy to clean up my craft room "cobbler and the elves"-style. Magically, when I went to San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, Scott picked up my copy, flipped through it, and when I came home he announced that he was remodeling my scrap room. No kidding! He's down there right now, ripping out pannelling, building shelves, priming the walls, etc.
Anyone else's copy do this? Leave a comment.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Wow. Wow! WOW!

We always thought of Scott's grandfather as the God of All Things Plastic Canvas, but I dare say his title has a new owner. Erin, one of my fellow Fiskateers posted a link to her friend Jeanne's blog (I know, that's starting to sound like the start of an urban legend--"So my sister's brother's best-friend's dog made one of those") where you can see a feat of such great plastic canvassing, I can only say--well, you read the title.

It's a Barbie--pardon me--"Fashion Doll" dream house. 2 stories tall and an attic. And check out the detail on the toilet seat! There's an automatic dishwasher *and* a freakin' trash compactor in the kitchen. That's nicer than my real house! (Oooh! Challenge idea...make me a plastic canvas house I can live in and I'll RAK you some prima flowers or something. ;))

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Tough Day.

The pain is like an abusive boyfriend. It traps me here and holds me down as strongly as thick-veined arms. I live in the delicate state of constantly and desperately trying to avoid setting it off. It is cruel and unpredictable. Most of all, I can't escape it without dying, and so I'm stuck here, a victim of its moods and madness. It holds me captive, it dictates my every move.