Friday, January 13, 2012

Travelling "ABC's" and Packing up the Tree

Blogging Buddies...  I'm still not got my head around this salutation and my just go back to my other one... I should give it the old college try first.... a few more days.   Well the rain is holding of until next Wednesday, but the temps will be dropping 12 to 15 degrees by Sunday!!  That will be nice a chilly!!
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Yesterday the mail brought me a wonderful package....


.....  what can this be you might ask....  Well, I tossed my name in with a group of stitchers to be included in a "Travelling" pattern and it has arrived - along with a couple of great Christmas charts  - thanks so much Sherry!!!  Jennifer over at "Confessions of a Serial Starter" put together group to travel a pattern about and now its my turn.  I got it from Sherry (click her name to see her finish) - it is really lovely!!  Now, I need to get my act together and finally make a choice for the linen and the floss - I have some ideas but have put it off until the last moment!!  Then once I finish -  off I will send it to Teresa!!
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Well, finally last night I made myself not pick up a needle and silk and instead got out the rolling boxes that the Christmas Tree Ornaments get packed into.....  I know it is practically Chinese New Year and my Tree is still up and flashing Christmas!!!  I can't remember the last time I let the Tree stay up this long, but I have really enjoyed it immensely this year and now there is a big blank where just a day ago there was something pretty!!  I had a question a while back about how I store my regular Christmas ornaments and so would like now to answer that now....  basically they live in covered rolling flat boxes under the second bedroom bed....  but to begin with...  I haul the rolling boxes downstairs and unload the tissue paper on the floor...


The who-hounds enjoy this bit and I usually end up chasing some of this paper all over the house.  I take each piece and flatten it out and make a pile - then as I take each ornament off the tree I can wrap it in tissue and then put it away in the box - here is an overall snap of the production...


You can see the pile of tissue and the boxes getting filled up.  We have so many ornaments that these plastic boxes really bulge on top so I could never stack them - and may even have to break down and get a third box.  This is how I store a majority of ornaments - I store my sterling ornaments each separately in Pacific Cloth pouches and in their own separate Christmas box - and my antique ornaments also get pack away double wrapped and in their own box.  I know it seems kind of crazy - and a bit anal, but I have virtually no breakage and can put my hands on the pieces I am looking for - which for my cluttered and disorganized life is a shear miracle!!!!!
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Remember today is the very last day to enter my San Francisco Gift-a-way - you can click HERE to go to the Post to sign up - make sure to do this by 2:00 PM PST to make sure you are entered.  I'll get the who-hounds to do the majick they so aptly do to pick a winner and announce it on Monday.
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That's about it for today sports fans.  Thanks again for stopping by and for you kind comments about my stitching on "Tis the Season."  Have a great weekend - and do stop by again!

Take care,
edgar

23 comments:

  1. I am glad to see I am not the only one with a tree still up. I contemplated putting a sheet over it and placing it in the garage. ;). Good Luck. ;)

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  2. Your Christmas ornament organization is really great! We use basically the same method, wrapping the ornaments in paper and storing them in boxes. But not nice plastic ones, just cardboard. And the boxes are getting a bit more disorganized as the years go by. Ah well! Glad you got the tree down! (lol about the pups enjoying the tissue paper!)

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  3. I am excited to get the pattern after you. Can't wait to see what color you do it in.
    It is always a little sad to take down the Christmas ornaments. How fun it is when we put them up.
    Teresa's Heartfelt Stitches

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  4. I am another one with the tree still up. I would have normally taken it down last weekend after the 12 Days of Christmas but because I wanted it still up when my SIL and her family came over for brunch on Sunday. Besides I love the lights when I come home from work.

    Love your storage method. Every year I tell myself to invest in some plastic boxes as my cardboard are getting pretty ratty. Maybe one day I will get around to it.

    Have a great day!

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  5. Technically your tree really wasn't up too long. I know of people who put their trees up the first week of November so in comparison your tree was probably up for a shorter period : ) Have fun with that stitching package! Blessings, Shirlee

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  6. I like your storage ideas. I am going to have to cull my ornaments to fit into such a sensible set-up. Currenty I use two steamer trunks, two flat plastic boxes and 3 or 4 smaller plastic shoeboxes. And my Dickens village resides in their own original boxes in the top shelf of my kitchen cabinets. You accumulate a lot when you've maintained a household for over 41 years, I keep trying to "share" with my three children, now adult, but only one took me up on the offer, taking everything that had been made and bought for him specifically and a few dozen more favorites. And my daughter did take all the ones specifically bought and made for her but not a single extra. And my youngest son just said "Bah, humbug!" I should leave the whole collection to him in my will!

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  7. Can't wait to see your take on the ABCD pattern!

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  8. Sherry's finish is lovely, looking forward to seeing how you finish the design.

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  9. I use the same storage system for my tree ornaments!

    Hugs,
    Laurita

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  10. oooo I love how you pack and store them all away ... I do this for my breakables too ... and yeahhhh the travelling pattern is getting nearer to me ...lol can't wait to see what you decide to stitch it on :) love mouse xxxx

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  11. Good for you Edgar...it's always a little sad for me packing all the Christmas things away but it will be hear again in no time at all (must stitch faster to get more oraments done!) I use some of those divided ornament boxes but wrap everything in tissue too. This year my husband pulled all ornaments off the tree and handed to me to pack so we had a pretty good assembly line going.

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  12. I have some new ornaments this year (a pair of copper ones) which want me figuring out how to store them.

    Yes, the tree is still up.

    Yes, it is almost CNY. Sigh.

    Love your ideas--but don't have enough for a tissue papered box.

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  13. Ooh....can't wait to see your take on the ABCD!

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  14. Glad you received the package, Edgar...that was pretty quick! Have fun with it - I thought it was a great stitch. You're welcome...enjoy the patterns. And thanks to Julie (commented earlier - I am pleased with the way mine turned out and have really enjoyed watching all the "takes" for this pattern.

    Have a great weekend, Edgar!

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  15. Yeah, I have no idea when our tree is coming down. With the two little girls, it's hard to have to take all the ornaments off and wrap them up and put them in boxes. And I've only put half my ornaments up. My collection of Star Trek ones didn't even go on the tree. [sigh]

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  16. Everything always looks so bare when the tree comes down.
    Looking forward to seeing your take on the travelling pattern

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  17. I still have my tree up too, and MUST put it away this weekend. Always sad to do but must be done. You are way more organized than me for sure. I love that idea of a travelling pattern, can't wait to see it stitched! enjoy your weekend!

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  18. We finished packing up all the ornies this past week. I always find it a bit sad when we put away the tree. The twinkling lights help brighten up the dark winter nights too.
    I found some wonderful boxes last year that are specifically for storing glass ornaments. I don't even have to wrap them now and this has made the whole process so much easier.

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  19. You sure are an organized person...so unlike myself.
    So my ABCD pattern finds yet another talented stitcher! I am on pins and needles waiting for it to arrive back "home" with the journal. It has been a thrill to see it stitched in so many different colors.

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  20. Don't feel bad about taking your tree down a little late- one year, years ago, my hubby and I left ours up til MARCH. Now that is lazy! lol Anyway, I had a pen pal at that time that called me- she was in town, and wanted to meet-I was so embarrassed about the tree we took it, ornaments and all, and put it in the carport storage so she wouldn't see it. lol Now I take it down on Epiphany, sometimes a bit earlier. ;)

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 Happy Hallowe'en!!! edgar