I've got my first real show of the season coming up this weekend. It's in Greensboro, North Carolina and if you are close by, I'd love to meet you! I already know a few of you are coming and I cannot wait! Read more about Those Creative Women and the wares that will be sold and let me know if you are coming!
Here's what I've been up to. My etsy shop will be closed until Monday just so I can stay somewhat sane.
My entire craft room is in chaos.
I am very messy. It's the only way I can create. I need to be surrounded by all of the possibilities.
It's not too bad. There's a very wide path.
I do have a trick for when I feel like everything is messy and crazy in my house. I clean off the front of my refrigerator.
Ahhh, how relaxing. What's your quick fix for when your house is in shambles?
*There's still time to sign up for the Teacups and Tadpoles Mom Card giveaway!
*I've got another show next weekend in the Highland Creek area of Charlotte--email me if you want directions!
That Messy Creative Woman
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Your admission for a messy space reminded me of Rene Russo's character in "Yours, Mine and Ours". She had to have a messy space to create.
I'm afraid I am a bit of a messmaker too. :)
It's so good to see someone else has a craft room that looks much like mine! Too bad mine is also the office. I need to get a room created in the unfinished basement for my crafting! I get WAY too distracted in my office now. . .
what I do when my house is in the state of creative chaos.... I just close the door behind me. Ahhhh I love the feeling of leaving the mess behind. (but remember creative messes are good messes!)
I make my bed. And sweep. I sweep around toys. Very liberating. Can't wait to get my grimy hands on some of those fringy beauties.
Like Emily, I make my bed. If my bed looks nice, it somehow makes everything around it look a little better. I also eat chocolate, that seems to make everything seem better, too!
I can take a mess for awhile but when I've had enough and don't have time to really put things away I will gather it all in a laundry basket and hide it in a closet!
I vacuum!!
Good luck with your sale.
I am sooo the same! Only my messes reproduce themselves in other rooms too...Once I start in one room then I remember something I need downstairs and move my stuff down and then back up to my craft room and then to the kitchen. It gets bad!
I love how you made your desk look so cute with the fabric! You have inspired me to do the same thing.
You must be super busy these days. I miss hearing about all the lovely things you do in your home!
Close my eyes and pray that the cleaning fairy will come and make it all better.
Love it!
I too, am very messy when I'm creating...I think it just goes with the territory. I mean really, isn't it all about making sure you have a path?!
I'm like you, I zero in on my kitchen. If my kitchen is clean and neat I can function...
Wish I lived closer & could come to your show!
Good luck with yur craft show, I'm not doing one this year, I thought maybe everything would be too slow so I put it all aside.
I organize my pantry and turn all the labels to the front. Even if it's the only thing I can do.
Your post could have been my post only substitute faux flowers. :) Someday I just may show you the works in progress.
I'm also a messy creative woman. When I need comfort, I declutter my kitchen counters. Where do all the papers come from?
If my kitchen is clean, my world vastly improves.
My quick fix is to simply have the beds made.
Have fun at the show!
The frig being clean cracks me up!
When my chaos is overwhelming, I go to my formal dining room that is never used and stand to soak up the "unmessiness" of it. But, I can't stay too long because I have this disease that makes me want to change or add something, which would just defeat the purpose...
Good luck to you on your show. I'm sure that you'll do great. Keep that creativity flow going!!!
Yes, I'm my best when things are messy and hence my home.
Except that I don't create anything.
Darn it!
I live in a studio mother-in-law apartment and when its just too messy I make my bed. Makes it seem a whole lot less overwhelming. Have fun at your show!
Dear Nester,
I'm in a sheer state of chaos myself...company's comin' at 5 today! I, like Emily, make the beds. Everything seems better then. I have some cute mistreatments up today too......one of which I nailed the fabric directly to the wall! Wish so bad I could come this weekend....I'd be sayin' "Dave Ramsey who?"
We need to start a 'mess makers anon' group...my whole bonus room looks like 'Sanford and Son' lol. My faux clean fix is to fluff and straighten the cushions on the couch, fold the throw just 'so' over the side and finally, to clean the ker-ap off the coffee table. Makes me feel much better!
Christy
I love the mess! It's amazing.I understand being able to create only when it is messy. I can't wait to see you again this weekend! I'll have my mom in tow...she's excited to meet you. See ya soon!
Oh my goodness, you ARE normal.
I have no quick fixes and my messes aren't as pretty as yours. And they're not from being creative, but lazy and blog-addicted.
I'm hoping that when my baby is 6 instead of one and I'm not changing two sets of diapers, things will be different. One can dream.
I did the same thing--with my frig. Only, it's covered already again. Lol.
Love the fridge trick. Mopping the floors or vacuuming are mine. If my floors are clean, I can totally ignore the dust on the blinds or the ring around the toilet bowl.
have fun this weekend, wish it was in dallas!
-kristen
I clean the counters in the kitchen and sweep the floor!
This just cracks me up...if my frig has stuff on it..I go crazy...my kids will sneak things on there...in minutes I move it and they run around the house wanting to know where there 98th picture is that they colored!
Oh..I wish I lived close :)!
-sandy toes
My trick when everything gets messy and out of control is to shut my eyes and walk on by! I work out of my home and would never get any work done otherwise!! I catch up on Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons.
de-clutter and wipe down counters in the kitchen. Wipe them down with something that smells good preferably.
Good luck, Nester!
For anyone who is reading this entire thread, I bought a really cute tassel from the Nester, and it was even cuter in person than in the picture. If you go back a few pages, she had it posted in a thread with a long list of other tassels. It was a little white church. Just darling!
So here's the testimonial and the charge... go forth and buy! You won't be sorry!
Sheila :-)
I look in either my linen closet or my spice cupboard bc both are always organized. I make them stay that way for the sheer purpose of being able to look in them when life is messy and I can't stand the thought of cleaning it.
I love your pictures! My trick is to clear off my dining table. It's the central hub of our home and is almost never cleared off. I feel so good when it is!
I also am a fan of cleaning off my fridge. I am a freak about having my counter tops free of clutter. Sometimes I let it go and it DRIVES me crazy. The rest of the house can be messy, but not my kitchen.
I wanna come play in your craft room.
Okay, I could probably spend days going through your craft room and be completely content. Look at all that ribbon. I could make Amelia about a million hairbows...
That Santa looks like chocolate. He's not, right?
I LOVE how messy your craft room is - that's how I create best, too. As far as quick fixes - if my kitchen's clean, I'm good. Or, if there's any laundry in the laundry basket, I'll go ahead & stuff it in the washing maching (even if I'm not planning to wash).
I really wish Greensboro wasn't all the way across the state from Franklin, NC - that's where I"M going to be.
I don't have a quick fix, I think I am OCD - it's either all or nothing! Meaning all messy or all clean! I have a folding table with all my craft stuff on it and it stays that way until I need the table and then it all gets thrown in a box... I seriously need a craft hutch or something - By the way, that Santa tassle looks DE LISH... and I do mean yummy... he looks like chocolate!
That's my kind of mess!! Looking at all of your beautiful ribbon, and shiny sparklies makes me smile from ear to ear. I think being a messy creator just equals more passion! :)
Nester! I love how you have described that you like to be surrounded by all the possiblities. Brilliant! I feel the same when I am creating as well. I also love how you clean off the front of your frig for peace. I like to straighten my sofa and pillows. Brings instant peace. Ahhhhhhh.
Karol :0)
I love that your craft room is messy. I have this image that you live in a perfect home. Thanks for keeping it real.
I rearrange something. It could be just a side table or a whole room.
I do one area & the rest of the house could be falling apart around me but I'll be ok.
I TOTALLY do the same thing with my fridge. In fact when I was home over the summer with my boys I felt so chaotic that I cleaned off then and it's still bare!
Good Luck with your show! You have such wonderful items!
When cluttered?? Have to get at least one room straightened and cleaned - usually the kitchen!
My countertops! My house could be a disaster, but if my countertops are cleaned off, I feel more at peace....until I look past them at the rest of my chaos!
When I am overwhelmed with messy I completely wipe down the kitchen and straighten the family room...every other room can be messy but those two rooms have to be picked up!! Your messy doesn't look messy...it looks creative:)
so funny - I just found your blog and love it! When I feel like the house is a mess (which is often) I straighten up the front room and feel instantly better. Then I go stuff everything in the closets and under the bed and call it a day!
s i g h...
I wishwishwish I could come to see you again and all those magical creations in person. What a fun time for you!
Enjoy........!
:)
OOOHHHH...I love me some clean countertops. If they are cleaned off I feel like I can breathe...evenif the rest of my house is a hot mess!
Girl, those tassels are TO-DIE-FOR!!! Absolutely GORGEOUS! Good luck at your show, although I don't think you need any of that to sell your beauties!
I vacum and windex my gladd dining table...wish I was there to visit your show, we'll be in Charlotte over Christmas, are you atill at Black Lion?
Just stumbled upon your blog...great post! I usually clean my kitchen, and I feel great!
See, that's why I'm not as creative as you! I couldn't handle the mess, so I would constantly be straightening everything and never creating a thing! Those tassels are simply gorgeous...
Miss Janice
I clean off the counter tops. Crumbs may cover the floor and school papers my liter the stairs, but my counter tops are semi-clear.
Thanks for so many good tips. Your blog is inspiring, and I love the new layout. (I need to learn all that techie stuff so I can have a fun layout, too.) I keep telling all my friends to check out your site.
I'm also a confessed star addict. Seeing the stars in your home makes me feel more normal. (People walking into my house and saying, "Wow! You must really love stars!" does not.)
wish i had a messy space to sew. that would be fabulous! oh, and i will be there saturday...can't wait!
I clean off the island in the kitchen. It becomes the catch-all and when it looks bare, I feel like the whole house is clean! Good luck at your show!
I clean my sink and make sure my bed is made. After that, I feel better and can make a list to tackle the rest of what needs to be done!
Nester, I do the exactly same thing! Cleaning out the front my fridge gives me a fresh "air"! Have a great day! Vanessa
I clean off my fridge too! in fact, I did it just 2 days ago when all 7 kids brought home oodles of homework and projects.
we used to live in highland creek--we miss charlotte SO BAD.
enjoy-
jodi now in muggy-seasonless florida
Seriously, my hubby will verify - I always clean the kitchen and then pour a glass of wine and turn on one of my Gilmore Girls DVD's. The rest can wait :)
Still getting used to your new blog design....wish I had $20 to buy me a tassle.....sent your link to my mom and mom in law since it is on my christmas list. Have a great show and lot of smiles meeting friends!
It's already been said by someone else but I also make my bed and clean my sink. I polish it and make it all shiny and then I sit right back down and get on the computer. LOL
If I were in creative mode, I would also be making a big mess. My most difficult task is keeping laundry put away. There are huge piles in my bedroom at the moment but I'm ignoring them. :P
You crack me up! As long as the frig is neat and tidy, all is well in the world :) I guess for me, the kitchen counters need to be clear to feel like I have control over the chaos. . . .
For me, it's a made bed and a clean sink.
Love your craft room. Wish I had a room I could make look like hobby lobby puked on it but it's still beautiful. You are truly talented. :)
My kitchen counter has to be clean. I cut all my fabric on my counter and I have to start w/a clean counter before I can create.
And if the house is getting to be a disaster, I just have to clean off the counter to feel like it's somewhat tidy again.
Promise me your house will look like this when I come over. If it's perfect I'll feel like such a decorating dud when I get back home. But if it looks like this I'll breathe a sigh of relief. It looks so beautifully creative.
I scrub my kitchen sink until it shines. Somehow that one thing keeps me centered.
Clean off the kitchen cabinet tops with Odoban, make my bed and dust. Then I'm okay for awhile.
I clean off the kitchen table and counters. I also make sure all the homeschool "stuff" is put away. Actually, just putting all the school stuff away makes everything seem so much cleaner!
I'm coming on Sat. I can't wait to see those tassels in person! And you and Emily too, of course.
Tracy
You're like the Mom in Yours, Mine, and Ours! When they cleaned up her craft room it upset her.
I think my quick fix is scrubbing the bathroom. Weird, I know.
I put all the junk laying around in laundry baskets in my closet under the stairs to be dealt with later......and close all doors. And I clean off my 'frig door too! It's amazing what an instant fix that is. Not a big fan of all the stuff on the door anyway....Julia
That little "man" tassle looks like it's made of chocolate! I love your messy space - I would love to dig and find fun stuff in there. lol
oh I love to play in a messy craft room...but when it becomes to messy for me I love to have all the bedrooms clean...calming
We love your tassels and your blog! Best of luck at the show!
Junk Mammas
When the house is in shambles I do a 5 minute blitz and pick up as much as I can...it's amazing what a difference 5 minutes can make.
I love that dresser your supplies are in!
Good luck with the show!!! My whole house looks like your craft room... love the fridge idea. I am like that with kitchen countertops. The rest of the house can be in chaos, but if you get the toaster out, you better get up the crumbs!!! Have a great day!
Amy
Hello! I have been a "lurker" for a few months, so I finally decided to come out of the shadows..lol! I love this site, and I love your style!
I have to clean my kitchen. It is open to the living room and is the first room you see when you come in the back door. I can't think if the kitchen is messy...like it is right now.
That's so funny...I cleaned off the front of my refrigerator too...and it really made my kitchen feel clean (even though it's really not most of the time) What a clutter buster!
My jewelry station is a mess too but I can't create if it's all neat and tidy.
Good luck with your show!!
We all have havens of chaos. When I want to feel instantly neat, I completely clean off the coffee table. No laptop. No drinks. Just a clean slate.
Now if the rest of the house was so easy......
I grab an empty box and put any and all loose papers lying around in it. Then I pray I get motivated to go back through it to deal with it all another day!
Remember the sign of a creative mind is a messy space! LOL
I don't want to spoil last nights GA for you - but let's just say, it's one of the BEST eppisodes in a long time - have your tissues handy when you watch it!! and be sure to check the writers blog AFTER you watch it- they post after each episode airs.
~Tidymom
So I don't really have a quick fix for when my place is a mess. I guess it would be stacking if I had to say something. It just looks a little bit neater. There's always the "close the door" method. I have yet to use that, but I'm sure I will at some point. I love your craft room. Is it okay to covet thy neighbors craft room? I don't remember that being in the Bible. :-) Take care
JuJu
I love your messy space. Good luck on the show!
Okay, so I LOVE this site! Here's my story:
I literally have had everything done in my master bedroom for a year--pictures on the walls, pillows, bed--everything. EXCEPT curtains. I needed to hem them, had to hang them for privacy, then basically never took them back down for a year. I looked over your site, read HOT GLUE and in 30 minutes my bedroom was 100% done. THANK YOU!!!!
I LOVE YOUR CRAFT ROOM. All that fringe and ribbon is making me die of jealousy. I would never clean if I had all that.
I am just like this when I scrapbook. I liked how you put it "seeing all of my options available". I think there is something to the messy/creative link!
Oh my goodness...it's not just me who has to create like this!!! :-)
I'm so a mess maker when it comes to creating, but if some things packed away all organize, how will you know you need it. I love your tassles... to cool.
My quick clean is to pick up my sons toys right before I go to bed. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something even if the place is a shambles!
Oh, dear Nester, you are too funny. I especially like the way you cleaned off the refrigerator. Just 10 minutes before I read this post I was in my kitchen thinking of what a mess my house is right now, and how, if I could just clean off the fridge, I would feel so much better.
Lottsa luck and fun at the sale this weekend. You'll do great!
I waste so much time putting things in just the right order that I never have time to be creative. You go girl!
Congrats on your new professional blog makeover! Looks fantastic!!! (visiting from GD)
I am so glad you posted that. My quick fix is cleaning up my entry way. That way if someone stops by, I can pretend my house is clean. LOL. My craft room/office/guest room has a narrow path for walking too.
I hope your show goes well tomorrow! I will pray for you!
You leave your vacuum out in the middle of your living room, plugged in, so when anyone drops in you can tell them they've just interrupted your cleaning.
You are a hoot! I think creative people are just born to be messy when they're in "creative mode". I sure am glad because I'm the recipient of your creativeness. I'm sooooo in love with my rooster tassel. It's the finishing touch to my hutch.
Laurie
Best of luck with your show. Have to say that I love your blog!
I'm the same way. I like organized chaos. Organized to fit my type A side and chaos to fit the creative side. If I am going insane, my "quick fix" is to clean off the kitchen counter (which take like 2 mins bc they are usually pretty clear to being with) and to vacuum. I might end up putting the piles of fabric and ribbon right back on said newly cleaned floor but for whatever reason I feel much more sane knowing it was just vacuumed.
Wow. My mouth is agape at the sheer volume of materials you have! Possibilities indeed. :) How fun to be surrounded by all of those options.
I'm the exact opposite. I create better when everything around me is neat and organized. I think I wish I was more like you. ;) Maybe I'd get more actual creating done!
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one who gets messy when she creates! When you said you were messy, I really didn't expect to see much of a real mess...but then I was pleasantly surprised that it looks about like my craft room when I'm working!
Wish I lived closer...I'd love to come to the craft show!
And when I feel like everything is messy, I clean up the kitchen and/or living room - they're both fairly small rooms so it's not usually big deal.
It is so nice to see another crafting room that looks like mine.If mine is clean I can not seem to find a thing I need.I love the things you have been working on they are so wonderful.WhenMy house is in creative disary I light candles and sit back a relax and enjoy the wonderful smells.If I cleaned off my fridge the grands would be mad ,that is where their art work is shown.
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