A challenging day

First things first - Happy Ash Wednesday, especially if your name is Ash (well, Ashlee) and you're turning 12. That pretty much narrows it down to my niece, so Happy Birthday Ashlee!!!

My brother in law Mike arrives today for the Iron Maiden concert here in Melbourne, a truly family event with Felix and Mike attending with their older brother Jason and his daughter, Ashleigh (yes, I have two nieces named Ashlee/Ashleigh. Ashleigh has two aunts named Andrea, though, so it evens out).

Now, if you know me, you know my lack of organisational skills, or at least, my lack of housework. In other words, you just know everything will be thrown in one of my gazillion cupboards until Mike leaves (tomorrow). However, I've now signed on to the Organized Knitting Club 30-Day Challenge, which means you get to see just how bad my lack of housework is...










This is my lounge room knitting corner. I bought the lovely basket so I could stash my projects as I worked on them, but it's sort of a "hibernating" projects home now. The felt basket holds a myriad of knitting dilemmas (SSS, my MS3 - hibernating also, and un-frogged jumper that needs short row bust shaping) and all of my double points that fell out of their holder. Don't ask how - it's embarrassing.














This is my stash cupboard. Please note the bulging at the seams effect it gives. The canvas bags you can just see on the right are stash/UFO bags hanging on the back of the workroom door. That's right - I have a whole room that can be used, and it looks this bad. Please feel free to admire the creative stacking on the top also.














This is the inside - semi-organised, but not enough. It was beautiful once, but time will take it's toll, as will stash additions and the need to find "that ball, you know the one, I need it to make that thing for that person in the next 24 hours"...














I refuse, however, to take the blame for this part. Those are Felix's books that have been in that box since October last year when we brought them here from Port Macquarie. The box on top is also his, as are the two guitars. I subscribe to the "mess attracting mess" practice mentioned by Karen Kingston in "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" (read from "Clutter is Stuck Energy"), so I'm holding Felix a teensy bit responsible.














Next the craft bookshelf - not too bad, but could be a tad tidier, especially the circular needle holder and the masses of Patons Caressa on the left there...









As you can see my magazines are pretty okay. I printed up some labels for some Ikea magazine holders, and they're all pretty organised. Still, I find myself rummaging to find certain patterns in the magazines when the mood strikes. The shelf below holds all of my sewing patterns - neatly separated into styles. I never have a problem finding one of my patterns!












The sewing area is too depressing to even discuss.

Felix and I have set a date for leaving this accursed place (well, semi-accursed), so I really need to tidy up everything so we can either ditch it or sell it before we leave (July 16th, for anyone interested). SO, here goes...