simplfy and get rid of the clutter in 2006!

Ahhhh - I just spent the last several hours going through a box of stuff that has been floating with me for the past several years - some it the past couple decades... You know the stuff: cards, letters, old programs, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, all the stuff you just don't throw away because it is a piece of you somehow or a piece of someone that you know and/or love.

I sorted and allowed myself to read, and ponder as I went through each piece. I was able to let go of a lot of it, some things I took digital photos of beforehand, and put the rest in logical places. I emptied a whole box - talk about a good feeling.

This is a big goal for me this year - SIMPLIFY. I want to get rid of what I don't need to keep. Maybe it's too many hours of watching Clean Sweep - or maybe I am afraid someone will call the show on me (lol). I do not want to spread all my STUFF all over my yard for my neighbors the whole world to see - although the room makeover part is very cool. I want to go through it myself - espcially when it comes to my art, crafts, and sewing supplies ;) Chad and I cleared out a ton of packed boxes for our spring garage sale last night and we can actually see floor again in our basement. I have to keep reminding myself that we had a lot of stuff in storage for so many years that we were in college and lived in an apartment and we just now have gotten to go through it all. One thing at a time, that's what I have to keep telling myself.

Another goal for me this year is to really get absorbed in my scrapbooking. I have always had good intentions and have done many pages, but this year I need to get them into books and do the pages I have been meaning to do! I have been working both in digital and traditional (they say that I am biscraptual..lol) making pages and mini books and albums too. I bought the Autumn Leaves calendar from my friend Cindy (starlitstudio on SCS) and my shistah group I belong to has a challenge to do one idea from the week and apply it to a scrapbook page or card project... Here's my project for the week based on the January 1 idea/inspiration...

I did my page of Christmas ornaments from our tree... some new this year and others that I just like :) This is the first official page that is going to be in the family Christmas scrapbook! Aren't you excited?