knowing me knowing you, #2

Last month Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. I did last month and enjoyed it enough to do it again this month! So, here it is, the second installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You! I love it when someone else gives me a blog topic! Then I don't have to think one up myself.

#1 What crafts/hobbies are you into?
Man, too many to list. I'm the type of person who gets a hobby and is a thousand percent committed...until the next cool thing comes along. I tend to be a social hobbyist...I need people around me to do whatever it is I like to do. Except for reading. That I like to do alone. Unless other people are reading, too. I hate it when I'm the only one and the other person/people want to talk to me. Leave me alone, I'm reading.

Back to hobbies. I love to scrapbook, and think I'm decent at it. I just don't like to do it by myself. I think if I had a better space, that was more conducive to crafting, I would do it more often. The space I have, though, is small, and out in the open. I can't leave a project out until it's finished, I have to put it away and take it back out and put it away, etc. If I had a room devoted entirely to crafts, I would probably do it more often.

I also love to blog. For the few of you who actually read my blog, you know that I'm kind of hit or miss when it comes to posts. Sometimes I'll do it every day, then I miss a day or two. I had one long hiatus, but that's only happened once. I try to do it at least three times a week, and more is better, but I don't always meet that goal. Maybe if someone sent me a new topic each day I would be better?? Who knows.

I've recently learned how to use my sewing machine. I've completed four rag quilts, but that's it. Oh, and I sewed a quilt out of paper to use as an example for my freshmen at the beginning of this year. I find that when I give them a project, if I show them a good one as an example, I typically get better results. They were supposed to create a family tree, but that was a loose guideline. I made mine like a quilt, and included way more information than just names. I included pictures and all kinds of stuff. It was so cool, I had it laminated at the library so I can use it again in the coming years. Other than four fabric quilts and one paper quilt, I've not used the machine for anything else. I need inspiration...and practice...

Can organizing be a hobby? I love to organize. Every once in awhile I will pick a cupboard / closet and go to town. I should do it more often, though. I like things to be neat, and I am addicted to clear plastic containers. J usually gets annoyed with my obsession, but I think in the past year he has come to "see the light" and maybe (maybe??) appreciate it. When we went camping last summer in the coolest tent ever, I was so organized it was almost sickening. We not only knew where everything was, we could see through the containers and pick the right container instantly. But I digress. I love to organize, and I really love to help other people organize.

My last "hobby" might not really be a hobby. It might be more of a...a...well, I'm not really sure what it is. You tell me. I love to tease J. It truly is a goal of mine to make him smile, shake his head and say, "You are so strange/weird/goofy." I try to do it on almost a daily basis if possible.


#2 What is your laundry strategy?
Well, I don't have a fully developed laundry strategy. It's a work in process. But I think I'm getting pretty close to a workable routine. We used to have two baskets and a hamper. That didn't work really well for us, especially in the apartment when we had to trek half a block to the apartment laundry room or put it in the car and haul it across town to the laundry mat (laundromat?). Then when we moved into the house, we graduated to about five baskets and a hamper. That still didn't work for us. About two years ago, I found a laundry sorter at Wal-Mart that had four bags, and was on wheels. Plus, it was an antiqued bronze color. Pretty cool, and all for $28! I bought it, and it has been awesome. I used to get annoyed that J would just drop all his clothes into one bag, and when it was full, he'd move on to the next bag. I finally got smart this last summer and pinned tags on each bag labeling them (whites, lights, brights, and darks). It's been smooth sailing ever since. During the summer, I stay pretty much on top of the laundry, doing a load or two every other day. During the school year (and winter when we wear more clothes!) we usually do laundry on the weekends. If I have multiple loads, I dump the clean stuff on the bed and put all five baskets on the floor. It gets sorted into baskets as follows:

Basket 1: K's socks / underwear / pajamas

Basket 2: J's socks / underwear / pajamas

Basket 3: K's shirts and pants

Basket 4: J's shirts and pants

Basket 5: towels / bath rugs / bedding

If I am nice, I will put it all away. I'm not usually that nice, though, so J has to put away his own laundry. I will fold towels and bedding, and usually leave that for him to put away, too. So far this seems to work pretty well for us. I'm looking for a new sorter, though, with four, or even five bags. The bars holding the bags up have bent on the one we have now. But I'm not having any luck, everyone seems to have sorters with three bags. Or the sorters with four bags have weird cutouts at the top of the bag making them smaller. Not useful. So, for now, we use the bent sorter.


#3 You walk into a bank and there are people waiting ahead of you for an open teller. You step into place behind the last person waiting.... here's the question... are you waiting in line or are you waiting on line?

In line. I don't know anyone who says "on line"...but I don't know a lot of people!



#4 Do you Facebook?

Nope. Not really interested in it, either. I spend enough time on my blog and e-mail. If I used Facebook, too, I don't know that I would have time to do anything else!



#5 Where would you like to have a shopping spree and what would you buy?

Lots of places. I'm sort of obsessed with Vera Bradley bags right now, and I love my Coach purses. Plus, I'm always good for Barnes and Noble gift cards. Books are a girl's best friend! And recently I've seen TONS of great dishes / housewares that I love. If I had lots of money and a ton of storage, I would love to go crazy buying new dishes and stuff to decorate my house. Oh, or a lighting place...we have been looking for lamps for our bedside tables in our room and also in the guest room. Can't find anything we like that's reasonably priced! The Container Store. I'm obsessed with storage and organization.

I think I would go just about anywhere if I got to spend someone else's money.



So there we have the second "Knowing Me, Knowing You" installment. Thanks Shan! If you want to play along, visit Shan's blog for directions.