Besides shoe polish, stationery, my pocketbook, travel pillows, the basket for rogue socks, and a pile of shirts to be ironed, there were many bins of fabric in my front closet. How did they get there? Was there a party I didn’t know about?
Just kidding! How else to keep several compositions going without running to the basement every other minute?
The closet had to be mostly emptied this weekend because I sold a cute patchwork purse on Etsy last week and cannot find it. Anywhere. This in spite of the fact that I took over one of the boys’ rooms as a “store.”
I’ve looked in all the right places and all the crazy places. Pulled furniture from walls. Looked in attic luggage and under car seats (don’t ask). Looked using casual side eye and with focused attention using a flashlight. Nada.
And to make matters worse? I can’t help but keep a rough tabulation of my time at this point — something I generally avoid because the numbers tend to be depressing.
A very generous guess puts my hourly rate at about $5 / hour for this pouch — which was machine pieced, hand quilted, machine and hand bound. There’s a Chinese closure which was hand stitched on. That rate excludes shipping and handling time (– another hour minimum). With every hour of searching, the rate goes down. And down.
Good thing the buyer is my cousin!
I will be making another pouch. A different one, of course, because all my cloth work is one of a kind. A weird pressure arises because the one my cousin bought came out really nice and they don’t all — ya know?
If the search hadn’t been so thorough, here’s where I’d joke that the damn thing will probably turn up the the second I finish a replacement. But I won’t now because it feels well and truly gone. I am mystified.
Leprechauns, for sure. What else could it be?
Also, what’s on your fridge?
Sooo frustrating 🥴 I know cuz the same thing has happened to me a few time. Big difference is they were things promised or sold.
You mean weren’t promised or sold, right? Yeah that’s the worst part of this. If it had been just something of mine I would’ve stopped looking at about hour one, for one thing.
Weren’t promised 🤪
We have no front closet, bathroom, bedroom, any closet, on the main floor of this old house! Which may explain some of the piles. I’ve lost a piece promised to someone, too, last seen during the studio move…sigh. As for the $5 an hour…I Know.
Until we added into this 1805 structure there was one teeeny closet on the first floor. Now there are four. It’s funny, we fell in love with this place because of its character. Next house I’d look for closets, closets, and right angles. I wouldn’t mind more right angles.
Closets, another bathroom (that isn’t off of the kitchen), and less trims & indents that collect all of the dust of our lives, but even so, this house was meant to be in our lives.
Oh golly…the frustration of searching and being faced with your (my) own disorganization. My sympathies.
This reminds me of a recent thread in blog-land (ha … I’ve lost track of where) … I seem to recall Mo recommending a walk, after which it might reappear??
(((Liz))) a walk does often find the lost thing but am still wondering where those two tiny emeralds are that were lost last century… I have walked a lot of miles since then!
Ooh emeralds. Bummer. I walk. I leave it alone; come back. I pray to Saint Anthony. This time nothing’s budging.
My very Catholic aunt taught me that St. Anthony prayer, and I can’t tell you how many times it’s worked for me: “Tony, Tony, Look around. My xxxxxxxxxx is lost and must be found! St. Anthony, please help me find my xxxxxxxxxx.” Most of the time, it takes no time at all before I walk right over to the weird spot where I left the item. Right now, though, I’ve been looking for a particular book for over a month. 😉
The prayer often works. Not this time.
I looked in my closet, too, and I don’t have it (that is meant to illicit a smile). But seriously, how maddening! I also have done this, particularly in my Art/Makerspace classroom, almost on a daily basis. Why do people call me a workaholic? because I spend 6 hours a day just organizing stuff. I know you think that lost bag was most well done (and surely it was) but the next one will be even better. Then! you will find the one now lost and sell that too 🙂 Hearts and hugs to you.
I’m pretty organized (Virgo here) and I don’t have a huge cloth stash; all of my dyed pieces and pieces of cloth waiting to be dyed are in the bottom drawer of our bedroom dresser as well as my small wooden round box that contains floss, needles, pins, scissors, etc. I’m embarrassed to say this but I’m almost robotic about keeping things in their place, well, except for my reading glasses…always taking them off placing them on top of pillows, tables, bathroom sink, kitchen counter and then lamenting that I can’t find them…husband got fed up with my caterwauling so bought me one of those beaded thingies that you slip onto your glasses so that it hangs around your neck…well, you guessed it, I “lost” it but the loss was probably unconscionably intentional since I just don’t see myself as old enough to wear one…even though I am 71!!
Now as to front closet: suitcases, backpacks, winter coats and jackets, hepa filter vacuum cleaner and an extension to our kitchen table.
Front of frig has nothing, (used to have many drawings made by our grand kids, now those are in a filing cabinet). Side of frig contains several magnets from Maui, Ireland, Yellowstone and our local library. Surprisingly, no magnets from here in New Mexico…favorite magnets are a photo magnet of our little grand kids around 2 yrs old visiting a vegetable garden. Other favorite is from Maui, contains a Hawaiian blessing: “He ‘ohu ke aloha; ‘a’ oha kuahiwi kau ‘ole” . Translates to:
“Love is like a mist; there is no mountain peak it does not settle upon.”
.
One more item on side of frig: a dry erase board that lists the inventory in the frig freezer and also a week’s worth of menus. I have done the weekly menu posting for many years because it lets my husband know what I’m planning and he can make changes to the plan if something doesn’t appeal. My sister in law, who lives here in New Mexico, never fails to tease me about this when she visits but it sure saves time when grocery shopping and meal planning and food is not wasted. In fact, we have one standard, every Saturday, unless I am having guests for dinner, our meal consists of leftovers. (Told you I am a Virgo!)
I have gotten so much better about things having their place but unlike you I really had to work at it. Shoes, keys, wallet, tape measure, passport, meds — don’t offer struggle anymore (for some reason pants are giving me a run for my money lately — ?). My answer to losing reading glasses was to sprinkle them all over the house (bought online — 3 pair for $12 or $15). Luckily I wear progressives now so they’re always on my face. I’ve been meaning to post some kind of food inventory. My fridge gets jammed and I can’t find stuff. Too much thrown away!
Losing things! We moved house 2 weeks ago and the constant cry is “ where did you put the tape measure?” Still trying to fit things into smaller spaces and as for my sewing stuff….🤣😂🤪. Sue in Aus
Good luck Sue! Just switching pocketbooks fucks me up. Moving is A LOT OF Transition. As a kid, I moved a lot. Started to notice that trips to the ER often came in the early weeks in a new place. You’re unsettled. Footing is off. Rugs aren’t the same, etc. So take good care!
Oh I hate when that happens! When my sister and I were teens, if something went missing, we’d say, “Someone came int the house and stole…(fill in the blank)!!!!” My mom would get so frustrated with us, saying, “Yeah sure someone broke in the house and THE ONLY THING THEY TOOK was your (fill in the blank)!!!” haha
In my front closet: All the loose ends; tools, jackets, grocery bags, rags and so on…but no cloth party 😉
On my fridge: As little as possible, but for now: A letter from my half-brother’s daughter, an upcoming appointment card, a pic of J. and I and the newest baby and some emerg phone numbers. Empty and boring…the new me!
Love seeing all of your newest projects!
xo
I have often convinced myself, against all reason, that something’s been stolen. Usually feel very foolish later!
Sounds like the “new you” is less of a slave to clutter.
I worked sometimes for an elder lady on Gramercy Park shelving books for sale. Often she sold one and couldn’t find it to ship. After long searching she blamed it on ‘the Piskies’ (fairies that is). As always your visuals in this post are wonderful.
Hi Michelle. Forgive me for being out of touch. I am loathing FB right now. Not even sure why.
Oh Dee! I’m sorry to cause such a ruckus in your house. I don’t have a hall closet only 2 small bedroom closets in the WHOLE house so my issues are different but I can empathize. I have total OCD when I lose something which is why I never ever wear really good jewelry. If I lose I, which I have, it drives me mad. Stop looking. I have a solution that I will email. And if and when the piece shows up I will take that one too!
PS the funny thing here is I wanted the piece for a new handbag. I can never find what I’m looking for in there!!
YOU didn’t cause it. I did. I got an email but it’s pix of Assisi? Also if you want a purse, the thing you bought won’t work that well. You would want a little more room I think. And maybe a strap? Let’s confer.