stream of consciousness: cleaning and coffee

I spent two hours Thursday, and two hours tonight, cleaning the craft room. I've found that 1 cup of coffee = two hours motivation. It's almost ten o'clock at night, and I'm contemplating having another cup. It is Saturday.

I'm happy to be staying in on a Saturday night to clean. Is that grown-up, sad, or just OCD?

I've been to three graduations in three weeks. None of them were in Austin. One weekend also included a bridal shower and a wedding. I'm happy and proud for my family and friends, but now I've got to repay the cleaning debt created while playing out of town. I've a room, with all my cool arts and crafts stuff in it, and I've been avoiding it because there's been no floor. I'd really like to use it.

My mom's mother's day gift is pinned out on my blocking board, and it's sitting on the floor of the living room. If I found floor in the craft room, it could go there. I could turn the fan on, leave it there to dry, and not have to worry about tripping over it.

The two hours on Thursday I cleaned out the closet. I can now walk into the walk-in closet, and do so with out fear of being taken out by a stray wooden sword.

The second two hours I dealt with paper. I have acquired SO much paper. For our purposes "paper" is defined as tickets (from trips and concerts), correspondence (Christmas cards, invitations to weddings/showers/birthdays), and miscellaneous (patterns printed from online, receipts, magazine pictures, pretty postcards). I like to have firm proof that I went to this or that movie/wedding/country and when, and so I keep these bits and pieces. I have a terrible memory, so I feel if I hang on to this stuff I'll have a greater chance of remembering it. I'd also like to someday do some scrap-booking. I think.

It makes me think of Labyrinth, where the pack rat Muppet carries around a bunch of garbage on her back. I should get rid of most of it, but it's a bit like going through your old toys. I pick up a random piece of paper, remember that shower/birthday/concert and how much fun it was, and then put it back into the pile.

I am going to have that cup of coffee. The room doesn't have to be spotless, but I want to have the gift blocking in the middle of the floor by the time I go to bed. That's not going to happen without another cup of motivation.

Denver!

This past weekend DH and I went to Denver, Colorado to visit a friend who was graduating. It was a blast! We saw the midnight showing of Avengers, got mani/pedis, ate like there was no tomorrow, survived a completely unexpected hail storm, saw Avengers, again, and we were generally rather silly. We also made it to a LYS by the name of Lamb Shoppe. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Upon entering the shop:

Left

 

Center

 

Right

 They had lots of cool stuff as you ventured deeper into the store:

Buttons, lots of them!

Wall of needles.

They also stashed needles on the end caps. Tricky.

I love that they have a ladder on rails to reach yarn.

One of my great aunts used to make dresses like these.
I’m not sure if I love or hate them but they make my hands cramp in sympathy.

Coffee, Tea, and Yarn! I've found heaven.

They were out of caramel so, instead of the caramel sheep, I had a regular mocha. Super tasty!

A hedgehog blanket and matching sweater! I’m in love.

I wish I'd gotten the name of this pattern.

It's reversible. How cool is that?

There was a tucked away staircase. It didn't go far.

But it was a place where kids could draw on the walls while you yarn shop.

While I’m not sure about the altitude, as a knitter, I could survive in Denver. They have a yarn store with COFFEE and TEA in it! And it’s good, too. If you are ever that way, you should stop by.