After

This under-the-staircase area was so crammed with crap that I could not enter it, Before Flood.  Now look at it!  My husband built me some shelves (AFTER insulating the space).  He only used wood that was on-hand.  Now, I have a place for my batting THAT I CAN GET TO, and a place to put fabric that I think my students will like, but that I don’t really want getting in my way.  As soon as I find a BEFORE picture, I’ll post that, too.

And perhaps somewhere in my studio, I should post the picture below, of the apartment of the Collyer brothers in New York who literally collected themselves to death:

Collyer Brothers mess

Infamous hoarders, indeed.  (THIS blog’s subtitle is “saving the world, one room at a time” — funny)

I like my cousin’s philosophy of circulating her finds (read her entertaining and visually beautiful blog here).

She thinks of herself as a ‘foster parent’ to finds rather than a collector.  I like it.

In the last three weeks I have:

• Thrown out 10 to 12 huge bags of stuff from the studio (probably all worth saving to someone);
• Filled two huge garbage cans with cardboard, frames, ruined boxes, etc.;
• Given away 9 large garbage bags of fabric and sundry items to a ‘free on Craigslist’ responder (a sewing/crocheting mother of five, so THAT felt good & it meant I was able to throw in a couple pairs of boots and snow pants, too);
• Added 26 new drawers to my workspace that allow a whole new level of organization — including THREE drawers for works-in-progress (these were buried here and there all over, largely forgotten);
• Coralled all my rubber stamps into one area; and
• Decided to leave sump pump well area empty — and will ‘dress’ it somehow soon — any suggestions?  It also happens to be the ‘Wealth Corner’ of my studio — eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks — could that be why I’m not making much money?!! and
• Begun to bore myself on the topic, so the Garbage Picking Annals will not reach No. 5 anytime soon.

But, I’m serious about the Feng Shui request — What would YOU put in the wealth corner of a room that was seriously rendered negative by a sump pump well and drain pipe being located in it?  This isn’t even SYMBOLIC of draining — it IS draining!