True Knit Art Show - Saturday, July 9th

I am excited to be participating in a new Craft show in the City of Regina. The True Knit Art Show is the brain child of two Regina Artists Madill and Cassie Ozog. They held their first show in April of this year and it was a huge hit.

I am going to be participating at the second show on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at St. Paul's Cathedral (1861 McIntyre Street, Regina). Admission is free! The sale runs from 11 AM - 5 PM! Come out and join us!!

I will be featuring my Organic Buckwheat Hull Travel pillows, Natural Lip Balms, Crochet Face Scrubbies and Crochet hair flowers.


My newest product to add to my shop will be available for the first time at this sale.

Introducing my New Organic Flax & Lavender Eye Pillows!

These Eye Pillows measure approximately 10" x 4" and are available 

in 7 different patterns of 100% Cotton!

 These fragrant pillows are perfect for aiding in your Headache relief!

Place them in the freezer for 30 minutes for cool relief or zap them in the microwave for tension headaches!

Come out on Saturday to St. Paul's Cathedral (1861 McIntyre Street, Regina) from 11 AM - 5 PM and see what other wares there are on offer!!

The Value of Good Friends!

I recently celebrated a birthday (no, I am not going to tell you how old I am!). I am blessed to have good friends to share it with me. Two of my girl friends got together and hatched a plan for our 3 families to get together to celebrate.

As planning progressed and the date got closer, we got more excited to all be in one place at one time, something that had not taken place in a loooong time. What followed was a weekend of fire and firework, guns and guitars, babies and beers! A true redneck birthday party!

Here is what I learned about friends!

Good friends share their food!  

Good friends share their smiles!

 Good friends share their talents!

Good friends share their ideas!

Good friends share their homes!

Good friends share their families!

Good friends share themselves!

Thank you all for a wonderful birthday!

I am blessed with good friends!!!

Continuing to Simplify......Getting Rid of STUFF

Have you ever noticed how "stuff" accumulates? I don't mean useful things, I mean "stuff", those items that serve no purpose and seem to multiply exponentially overnight?

In my bid to simplify my life, I have become aware of how much "stuff" I have. A sugar bowl with no lid, backpacks with broken straps, books I have never read, clothes that no longer fit, my own drawings from elementary school (trust me, those I've had forever!!), dish sets where half the set has been broken, old hats, sporting gear from the 80's, a box spring with no mattress, a crib mattress with no crib (I've never even had a baby!!!), where does it all come from!!!???

Not only is there a lot of "stuff" in my life, but I tend to try and hide it. Out of sight,  out of mind! If I can't find a use for it, it goes up into the attic. If I don't have room for it, it goes up in the attic. If I am just tired of having to move around it, it goes up in the attic.

I have been promising myself for 2 years that I would sort through this unwanted "stuff" and have a garage sale. This week I took the plunge and ventured into the attic.

Honestly, I am embarrassed to even show you these pictures, but this is why I need a change.......

This is the South end of my attic. This end holds old luggage, old textbooks, photo albums, tax papers, old bedding, very old computers, several pieces of broken furniture, Christmas decorations and rolls of wrapping paper. I am sure there are more things hidden in there, but even I am scared to look deeper!!

This is my attic on the North end. This end holds more old furniture, including an old dresser, broken full length mirror, bed springs and so much more! This end also has bags of old clothes and boxes and boxes of books.

Now I am not a hoarder. In fact, the reason these items are up here is because I DON'T want them. The problem is that most of the stuff in boxes is in near new condition. Much of the clothing was worn only a few times (I would buy something and then change sizes!!) and looks brand new! 

Sorting through BAGS of clothing!

Books, books and more books!!!

The problem is that I can see much of it is still serviceable and I don't want to be wasteful and throw it out. So, the question becomes "what to do with it"? As mentioned earlier, I thought I would just hold a garage sale and get rid of it all, but I either never find the time or get rained out.

So this month, one of my goals is to see this space finally cleaned up and cleared out! What I would really like to do with this space in the short term is make it over into my Crafting Studio! Even though the walls are slanted part way up, there is plenty of usable space. the area actually measures more than 500 feet square! That is a lot of space I could be using to sew my pillows, crochet my scrub cloths, plan new items for my Etsy shop and store ready-made inventory!

Watch for a massive garage sale coming soon!!!

Flowers in Bloom!

This last winter was long, with few breaks to the monotony of the weather. Spring was slow to come and even yet true warm weather has not hit my part of the world. While we have had a few nice days, we have had more cool and wet days so far this spring.

I am happy to report that the flowers are finally beginning to bloom!

 

 These pictures of my Perennial Garden were taken this week.

Many spring-flowering plants are still not in bloom or even budding yet, while others are in full flower.

Phlox, Pansies and Avens showing their colors!

Yesterday I say my first bud on my tulips! My Irises and Roses show no signs of buds yet, but are healthy and green! I look forward to seeing their glorious colors unfold over the next few months!!

Finally in the Garden!!

So, this week I was finally able to start gardening!

For those of you who are wondering, YES this is very late!!
It has been very wet here. And cold. Too wet and too cold to get into the garden. This weekend finally brought some nice weather my way and I was able to spend part of the weekend cleaning up my Perennial Garden and hubbie tilled the Vegetable Garden.

In fact, I spent so much time in the garden that I can barely walk today!! My knees are so bruised from kneeling. I was using a garden pad, but it seems that was not enough padding for the number of hours I spent kneeing in the garden!!! My hamstrings and glutes are extremely tight as well. Who knew gardening was an "extreme" sport?! I feel like I did a hard leg work out!!!

And I'm not finished yet! I still have a lot of planting to do as I have not even begun to seed my veggies yet! I will begin on that tonight.

I did get my first picking on Rhubarb this weekend and look forward to some fresh Rhubarb Custard Crisp!!!!


So much to do, and so little time!

An Experiment in Simplicity Cont.....

So on Wednesday I announced my intent to simplify my life. I proposed to do this by removing the clutter, the excesses of my life.

First steps are baby steps and I started with my closet. This is an area of endless frustration for me. I can never find what I want when I want it! Last weekend my husband and I went away for a few days. While packing, I thought I would take my denim skirt. I searched the hangers and drawers in the bedroom and could not find it. I then looked in the seasonal clothes I have in storage thinking it might be with my summer items. No luck. I then went to the attic where I have MORE clothes in storage, still no luck. Fine, I decided I would take my Khaki crop pants instead. Guess what? I could NOT find them either!!!! I was beginning to feel like there was a conspiracy to keep me from going on my trip! I finally finished packing and left, still with no idea where these two items of clothing were.

Guess what I found when cleaning out my closet? You guessed it, my denim skirt and khaki crop pants. They were in an over night bag stuffed at the back of my closet under other things.

Now in my defense, I don't have an ordinary closet. As you will see in the pictures below, it looks like a regular closet, but the left hand side of the closet extends 3 feet to the side (in the wall) with no way to access it. To get at this space you have to literally climb into the closet, which I hate doing. That three foot crawl space to the left is where this bag of clothes and several other item had migrated!

At any rate, I am glad to announce that what was lost has now been found!

So here are a few pictures of the sorting process:

Various bins are for "keep", "store", "donate" & "throw away".
I think one was "laundry" too but we won't talk about that one!!

Now I did not start this project by taking "before" pictures (mostly because I was too embarrassed!), so you won't get the full affect of what I have achieved so far.



Here is a look at the closet towards the end:

LOOK at all this SPACE!!!

I have a few more areas of the bedroom to complete, then I plan to tackle the kitchen next!!!

Here's to feeling good about the first few days of a new undertaking!!

Starting June off Right!!

Well, the last few months have not gone as planned. I am sure I am not the only one who gets derailed by life. I have found myself growing increasingly frustrated with the outcomes of daily living. So I have had a great idea, in my opinion.....

SIMPLIFY!

That's right, simplify. And, while this idea is by no means unique, it is not something I have made a real attempt to do until now.

I have decided that I want to spend the next 12 months simplifying my life. I want to clear away the clutter: materially, emotionally, socially and mentally. I want to streamline my life so I have the time and energy to work on the things I enjoy. I want to feel more control over my surroundings, who I spend my hours with and what I fill my life with.

My first frustration is with "stuff"! Why do we fill our lives with meaningless "stuff"? Sometimes I think shopping is almost a disease. We are bombarded daily with "deals" that will save us money. The "new" and "improved" is touted from every bill board. I thought myself more immune to advertising, especially since I got rid of my TV, but I guess, from the amount of "stuff' I own, that I am no better.

Last week my husband suggested that what we needed to buy "XYZ" for the summer and I couldn't help but point out the long list of "summer" things we already had that we had no time to use! Why did we "need" more stuff when we have no TIME to enjoy it. This is not a unique condition. More people work longer hours to pay for their recreation and recreation-related items then ever before! I have decided that my time, and having control of it, are worth more to me than stuff!

To kick off my "Simplicity" experiment, I will be spending the month of June getting rid of superfluous items in my home. Trust me, this is no easy task! While my house is small by most standards, a mere 750 square feet on the main level, it boasts a full basement (piled high with "stuff") and a 600 square feet "half" level (also piled high with stuff). This means there are 2100 square feet of "stuff" filling my home. This is a lot of space for only two people and yet we have filled it!!

I would like to claim that my space is well organized and everything has a place, but that would be a HUGE fib! There is so much "stuff" in the house that, at times, I can not find what I am looking for and buy new items to replace what I have misplaced!!

Lets take my closet, for example. My 5 foot closet (shared with my husband) is so full that I can not find the clothes I want. I have become so frustrated with this situation that I have quit putting away my clothes, piling them on the chair or trunk instead. This does not exactly make for a tidy, comfortable or romantic bedroom!!

My goal for the first 3 days of June is to sort through my closet and drawers. Studies show that women only wear about 20% of the cloths in their closet. I have no doubt that I fit into this category. To make matters worse, I find that I contract and expand in a cyclical fashion. This means my closet holds cloths in sizes 10, 12, 14, 16 & 18 to accommodate these changes. That makes for a lot of clutter and unworn clothing!!!

Here are my goals for the rest of this week:
1. Remove everything from my closet and drawers.
2. Hang the items I currently wear and items of my CURRENT size that I am not wearing back into my closet.
3. Sort these clothes according to whether they will be donated, stored or thrown away.
4. Bag and remove these items before I talk myself into putting them back into the closet!
5. Go through my closet again and remove and damaged, ill fitting or out of style items and sort as per #3.
6 Take a few minutes to evaluate items in my size that I have not been wearing and determine the reason. Are they ill fitting? The wrong color? Out of style? Or did I just not know they were in there? Remove any items I will not be wearing and add to the appropriate bags for removal.

When I am done, I should have a closet of clothes that I wear, that are in good repair and that fit well. I should be able to see at a glance what I own and be able to lay my hands on items when I need them!!

I expect this will free up more than closet space! I hope it will give me a little more piece of mind and allow me to dress quicker. No more time spent digging for that one item I wanted to wear!

Over the coming days and weeks I plan to overhaul my living room, kitchen, craft room, workout area, laundry room (I think there is a basket of mending there from 2005!), upstairs and storage room! Trust me, that it A LOT of "stuff" to go through, but it will be worth it!

So that is June's start to me "simplify" project.
I hope you will follow along with me as I try to "de-clutter" and simplify my material goods.

WOW! Did I get lost?

Wow  has it ever been a long time since I have posted on my blog! Am I ever sorry!!! I had not meant to neglect this blog, time just seems to slip away......

So the last few weeks have been busy with renovations. The kitchen is still a work in progress. The tile was finally installed by my husband (Craig) and our friend Bill. Wow does it look fantastic!! Watch for pictures coming soon!

The bathroom also got a glossy new coat as the tub surround was removed and an updated, and badly needed, new one was put in! I would love to show pictures of my husband caulking it all, as he did a masterful job, but alas I came home to a "fait accompli"! It does look good though!



As for the weight loss project, things have been coming along rather slowly, I have however, dropped from a size 18 in November to my current size 14!! Not yet svelt, but moving forward to my goal of single digit sizing!!



As for my ETSY shop, lots of new things have been added (see the shop listing on the right!) and I am continuing to create and add new items daily. I have several new products I will be launching through March and April, so stay tuned.

So far in 2011 I have added Organic Millet Hull Pillows and Travel Pillowcases to my offerings. I am planning to added at least 3 more new products to my regular line up before the end of April! I am also excited to acknowledge that I can currently be found in 63 Treasuries on ETSY!!



I am going a little stir crazy these days as the cold weather has continued through the last month or so and I have been mostly stuck at home! However with a change in temperature and a thermometer that is rising, my thought are beginning to turn to Spring. There is so much to do in the yard once the snow melts! It will, however, be at least another 6 weeks before anything can really be done! We have a lot of snow here and temperatures are still -9 to -15 C at night!


That is the brief update to let you know where things stand. Tune in next time for some renovation photo updates!!!


Till next time....Keep it "Natural"!
Ritzy

Now it is the bathroom's turn!!!

As renovations in the kitchen continue onwards (yes - this does seem to be the renovation project that takes a decade!!!), my husband has decided to expand the home renovations to the bathroom. More specifically, the tub.

You see, our tub has had a funny bulge developing in the barker board that surrounds it. My husband did go and purchase new board to fix it with, but had not yet begun the project.

Yesterday, however, he was foiled in his attempt to complete the project he was working on in the kitchen - the instillation of new ceramic tile. While waiting for the local lumber yard to deliver supplies, he decided to see what lay beyond the expanding barker board. Both of us were somewhat concerned with that lay "beyond". Turned out our fears were mostly unfounded. While there was some moisture and water damage, there was no mold.

It turns out that when the bathroom was renovated by the previous owners who-knows-how-far-back, it was done incorrectly. This had caused the board to come unstuck from the adhesive holding it to the wall. Rather than remove it and correct the problem, they had punched nails into the barker board and tried to seal them. That meant that water was able to go into these holes and get behind the boads. Not the recomended way to repair a shower/bath!!

So currently, we are without shower or bath facilities while it dries out and is CORRECTLY repaired!!!

In the meantime, tiles are being installed in my kitchen! I look forward to posting new pictures of my kitchen next week!

Until then, keep it "Natural"!!

Doin' a Duathlon Race

I am excited about my new challenge!
I will be participating in a Duathlon race this spring!!

I have begun training for my first ever Duathlon race, to take place in May of 2011. This Duathlon consists of a 2.5 km run, a 20 km bike and a 5 km run.

With only 16 weeks training time til the race, every day counts!

Biking has always been my strong suit, so I am less concerned about that. My main concern is the run portion of the race which, you will notice above, happens at both the beginning and again at the end. My main concern with this portion of the race is that I have asthma and running has always been a trigger for my condition.

To train myself to run, I have begun a walk/run interval program on the treadmill.
I am starting out as follows:

Warm up at an easy walk for 5 minutes.
Run 1 minute                  
Walk 2 minutes to recover
The walk/run above constitutes 1 interval and is repeated 8 times.
Cool down at an easy walk for 5 minutes

Total Work out is 34 minutes.

Next week, Monday Jan. 31, I will be moving up to a 1.5 minute run and 2 minute recover time. It will take about 6 weeks before I am doing anything that really resembles running!!!

So welcome to the beginning of my race training!
I look forward to getting my road bike into the house and set up on the trainer so I can begin bike training!

Watch for up coming pictures and updates to my training regiment!!!

Thank you for reading, and, until next time, KEEP IT "NATURAL"

Starting 2011 a Little Late!!

Well, better late then never they say!

Sorry it has been so long since last I updated you on things in my world. I am afraid the last 6 weeks have been very hectic, what with craft shows, Christmas, travel, New Years, Flu season, my "day" job.... You get the idea.

So now I am making the effort to get back on track with things. Today is just a quick update of where I am and where I am headed in 2011!

So here is a recap of 2010 projects:

Kitchen Renovations - stalled out after the very successful, and good looking, custom built pantry. It was painted and put in to use immediately and I have been enjoying all that space for several weeks! I will be updating pictures again soon!

90 Day Challenge - I am afraid I fell off the wagon on this one BIG TIME! I did manage to lose 10 LBs and so start the New Year somewhat lighter, but still a long ways from my goal! Christmas didn't help matters either! 

My Shop on Etsy - Christmas was a very successful time for the  Ritzy's All Naturals Etsy shop. I was kept very busy and was able to send items all over the world! It is always a thrill to know that my handmade items are being used by people in the UK, Australia, The USA, Canada and elsewhere around the globe! A special thanks to all of you who sent me such great emails/convos about how my items are helping you in your everyday life! They are so wonderful and encouraging to read!

So where am I headed in 2011?

I am still defining goals and setting things in motion, but there are so many things in the works to share.

First, I will be introducing new products to my Etsy shop over the next 6 weeks. I am still in the testing faze on some items, so watch for new items and new ideas to emerge through out January and February.

Fairs and Shows - I will be setting up my summer shows and fairs over the next 10 weeks and will update you with my schedule soon!

Projects - the on going renovations.... watch for the installation of a new counter, backsplash tile and flooring in my kitchen! My husband will also be building me benches for the eating area, and I will be learning how to upholster them!! I look forward to adding that to my knowledge base and to the blog!

90 Day Challenge - I have not given up yet!! I will start this anew very soon. I look forward to sharing new recipes and strategies for healthy living with you!

Du-Athlon - I am starting to train for a Du-Athlon! The race will take place in May and consists of a run, bike, run progression. I am planning to complete a 2.5 km run, followed by a 20 km bike ride, followed by a 5 km run. My goal is to complete the race in 1 hour. I will be letting you know how I am training to meet the challenges of this race and how I feel along the way!!

I hope your 2011 is off to a great start and I look forward to traveling with you through the coming months.

Take care and...keep it "Natural"!