1000th sale give away!

Yeah for Modern June! We just had our 1,000th Etsy Sale! In celebration I say we have a great big give away, and you all get to help me figure out what to give away! So, go over and look around to see what you would love to win from Modern June, and then come back over here and leave your wish in the comment section! On Tuesday I will have the kids pick one the comments out of a hat and that will be our winner! Good luck everyone!

CPSIA!!! ONE YEAR STAY

Breaking news on the CPSIA drama!

From Etsy’s blog:

We are so excited to announce that the Commission has voted for a “Stay of Enforcement of Certain Testing and Certification Requirements of CPSIA” — which means that the burden of lead testing and certification has been suspended for a year while they take more time to review the rules and plan enforcement! All of your hard work has paid off (for the time being at least!). You don’t have to pay to do the certification and testing, though you are still liable if your products are found to have lead. We are so pleased that artisans and vintage sellers got their voices heard. Your hard work is not over; we must continue to play a role in advocating for small business people throughout the coming year.

“The action taken today provides breathing space to get in place some of the rules needed for implementation, but it should not be viewed as a full solution to the many problems that have been raised.” —U.S. Consumer product Safety Commission

Read the press release and full article here.

CASH AND CARRY SALE--TOMORROW

See you tomorrow! Check back throughout the day for a peek at what you can find at tomorrow's sale.

• A hundred yards of fabric priced to sell! (Oilcloth will be available too, but not on sale)
  
• Over 25 Vintage Aprons for $3, $5 and $1o.
  
• Almost to 30 vintage scarves $2 to $5
• Notions
• Yarn
• Fixtures
• Office Equipment
• Maybe a sewing machine or two.
• And lots of Modern June product.
  

Everyone gets a free bag of oilcloth and cotton scraps, just for coming! That way you can make some of those cool tutorials you have find on the OILCLOTH ADDICT blog.

Please R.S.V.P. by emailing me at kelly@modernjune.com and put "Cash & Carry" in the subject line, then I can send you directions to the sale.

CPSIA Blog-In day!

I know I should have something profound to say on this day of the great blog in for CPSIA, but I am just to sad to even think about the up coming day of compliance, February 10th. National Bankruptcy Day or the day handmade died. Honestly it just depresses the hell out of me. Here are the links for all my previous thoughts.

As parents and concerned citizens I'm sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect children from lead-contaminated toys?

The answer: they're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

Do you know about the CPSIA? No? Then I ask you to take a few minutes to find out about it.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on February 10th, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:
Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being primarily used by children under 13.

To the Avid Reader:
Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television!
Article from the American Library Association

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:
Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed redundant and unnecessary lead testing. And it no longer will be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making the testing of one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter. That's okay, there's always Walmart!

To the Environmentalist:
Due to the retro-active nature of the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away, despite the fact that this law did not exist when these items were made. If you are caught, it is still a violation.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:
Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second-hand. Although they are not required to test items, thrift stores are still liable if an item they sell is not compliant with this new law. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.

To the Entrepreneur and Small Businessperson:
Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America!

To the Antique Toy Collector:
Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. "Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

To the American Economy:
Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs plus the loss of revenues from suppliers who sell to the effected businesses. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake and will force thousands and thousands of small stores, home-based businesses, and online shops to close.

To the Worldwide Economy:
Due to this new law, many quality European manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses.

If you think this is exaggerating, here is a recent article from Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cpsia-safety-toys-oped-cx_wo_0116olson.html

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

Did you know? If this upsets or alarms you, please contact your elected officials and the CPSC. Please pass this information along to your friends and family.

Find your elected officials by entering your zipcode on http://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/

Contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at: http://www.cpsc.gov/about/contact.html

Today is the CPSIA Blog-In. If you have a blog and you care about this issue, please re-post this information!

keep calm?

I just had to buy this today. I need the reinforcement! I am a total mess today! I am so behind in every way. I really need to do two more hours of school. I have so many things to make today. I have to run errands like crazy. I have to do shipping. Don's out of town at his 104 year old grandmother's funeral. Maddie keeps crying that she didn't see her last week. My in box is a mine field. I need to call the tax accountant in a huge way, and to top it off I am hormonally imbalanced!!!

So yes, I really need to Keep Calm and Carry On!

CPSIA info!

Tonight, Etsy guru Matt, will be hosting a community chat in regards to CPSIA. See you there at 5:00 pm EST. You can also down load CPSIA Action Kit at the Etsy Blog, Storque.

Buy Handmade has this great button so you can show your support. They also have loads of great articles on the subject. Here is my favorite, Forbes, sees it as a disaster waiting to happen.

We all want safe toys and children's products, AND we want to enjoy handmade. Shout it out, peeps--Save handmade!

Owl-lisious

Their baaaaaack! Catch em while you can!

snow day

When you live in Richmond you learn that this small about of snow counts as a real honest to goodness snow!

cash and carry preview: the fabric stash!

I was really serious about selling some fabric! Really serious!
I went from bustin' at the seams...

...to plenty of room for my new product line!
I had a small freak out when I got to working on the second shelf, but I made it through with out hyperventilating. Don't worry, I kept plenty of random fabric goodness.

Here is the sale fabric, that is 26 bolts of fabric and two 56 Qt boxes of assorted yardage!
And I have not even gotten up to the attic yet. Scary.


Here is a peak inside one of the boxes, they are filled with good stuff. As much as I will miss some of this stuff, I am very excited for the future!
I can't wait to make that big fabric order, now that will be fun!!!

cash and carry preview: big ticket items

So what is Modern June selling at next weeks Cash and Carry Sale? Besides lots and lots of fabric and Modern June one of a kinds, she is selling a couple of big ticket items!

• A lovely unfinished four drawer filing cabinet. $75.00 SOLD!
• A two year old Palm Pilot Zire Z22 that has been used about two times! It will be all boxed up with the booklet, and accessories, price is $50.00.
• An industrial blind hemmer. This is only as is because I haven't used it in 3-4 years and I don't have the time to have it professionally cleaned. The last time I used it it ran like a dream! AS IS $75.00
  

MODERN JUNE'S CASH & CARRY SALE
JANUARY 31ST

12-5

nuff said!

I wish...

I had time to do these great projects!

Free Stitch Pattern: Little Mushroom Girl

Posie Gets Cozy: Day of the Week Tea Towels! I really want to make these!
I REEEAAALLYY DO!

I never made one of these cool magazine bowls that I blogged about wanting to do.

I would really like to finish my Swiffer Cozy I started three weeks ago.

But, what I have wanted to do the longest, we are talking 3 years now, is to make a tissue box cover out of oilcloth. The Small Object tutorial is right on the money for that project!

I am seeing homeschool arts and craft time within my crafty wish list. If its in the curriculum I can then justify my personal craft needs! GENIUS!

Winter 2009 Swatch Sheet

Winter 2009 Swatch Sheet, originally uploaded by ModernJune.

Lot's of new oilcloths are here and/or coming soon!

A peck of owls

Looking for my fantastic Oilcloth Owl Totes? Well, they've all flown the coop! The last batch of owl totes were snatched up by the always elegant TwistStyle.com! Mary Ellen is the genius behind the glamor, and was a winner of Country Living's Pitch Your Product Contest in 2008. I am thrilled that she is my first new wholesale client of the year! Mary Ellen is a fellow Richmond Craft Mafia gal and a great friend.

I own lots of her fantastic jewelry, but my favorite is from her new Corsage Collection! My cute hubby did very well by me this Christmas--I hear he had help, thanks Beth and ME for pointing him in the right direction. Crafty friends = great loot!

These sweeties fly out of here so fast! But don't worry, new hatchlings are in the works. Modern June should be restocked very soon, but in the mean time snatch one from twiststyle.com!

gifts for junies

So I have a great group of gals that help make Modern June possible, and I lovingly call them the "Junies." This past weekend we had our first "team meeting" (Don's corporate speak) on Saturday. We had some coffee and snacks at our local coffee shop. I unveiled the new Idea Boards for our new spring lines of housewares, and shared some product sales numbers. It was very fun. I felt very grown up. I even wore heels!


These ladies needed a treat for all their hard work, just a little something silly and fun! So a few months ago I did a trade with the fabulous Mom-O-Matic, rings for aprons. It really doesn't get better than a good barter! We both enjoyed our trade so much we did it twice! I had a hard time waiting for our gathering. I really wanted to give them out earl,y but I was able to hold off because I wanted to make them all pin cushions.

Aren't those boxes in the top picture to die for? She really out did herself! I need to rethink my packages. I want people to love getting my packages so much they don't want to open them!

Thanks Junies. I could not do it without each and everyone of you!

Love, Kelly

kid quote

"I was young and foolish, I did that when I was 7." Said the 8 year old.

Craft Swap---Sunday

The Craft Lounge will be held on Sunday January 18th at Art Works. The Richmond Craft Mafia and the Richmond Etsy Street Team are holding the 2nd annual Crafter's Anonymous Craft Swap that day from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm. There will craft tables (supplies provided!) where you can work, sit, and chat with other crafters. Feel free to participate in the swap as well! Bring all those gently used or unused supplies you have lying around and swap them out for new-to-you ones. For more information on the swap, please check out http://www.RichmondCraftSwap.com.

If you want to just sit and craft, please mention this blog post at the door so you won't be charged for coming in.

Save the Date

Your invited to
MODERN JUNE'S CASH & CARRY SALE
JANUARY 31ST
12-5

I have my new lines all set and now I need some fabric, well not some, I need lots and lots of fabric. What to do, what to do? Can you say LIQUIDATE? I know I can!!!

For almost 6 months my business consultant, Dawn, has been trying to get me to let go of massive stash. She wanted me to sell all my vintage aprons, scarves and all that fabric, tons of fabrics! Well you know what she is right, it all has to go!

I feel like I have been on an episode of Clean House, Niecy and Trish want all my fabric for the yard sale. But they are not here to help, darn them! And I don't get to go and stay at some fancy hotel after the sale! AND I don't get to come home to a totally kickin' new studio. NO FAIR.

I had to do some clean house therapy on my own and with the help of Dawn. At first I really had to put my blinders on and not look at what fabric I had in stock. I needed to plan the new product lines with out bias. I kept looking at the fabric shelves and thinking, "but I have this, I have to use it". But when I got the idea boards complete I was really pleased and confident that everything would be well received. But there isn't room for all of it, something has to give. I kept feeling really sad about selling off (well down sizing it drastically, at least) my fabric stash. But it does have to go, it just has to be the bankroll for the new Modern June.

Well that remorse and fear was swept away when I had a vision of what that set of shelves could be. It could be filled with lovely, gorgeous new product. It will be filled with lots of pretty color-coordinated items, everything folded with kitschy new tags. Every thing ready to go and be enjoyed! Now that is worth de-stashing.

So what will be sold on January 31st?

• A hundred yards of fabric priced to sale! (Oilcloth will be available but not on sale)
  
• Over 25 Vintage Aprons for $3, $5 and $1o.
  
• Close to 30 vintage scarves $2 - $5
• Notions
• Yarn
• Fixtures
• Office Equipment
• Maybe a sewing machine or two.
• And lots of Modern June product.
  

Everyone gets a free bag of oilcloth and cotton scraps, just for coming! That way you can make some of those cool tutorials you have find on the OILCLOTH ADDICT blog.

Please R.S.V.P. by emailing me at Kelly@modernjune.com and put Cash & Carry in the subject line then I can send you directions to the sale.

the past

Vintage aprons, market totes and memory boards.

I forgot I sold some re-pro signs too!
There are also some notebooks that a friend used to make.

One of the craziest things I made was yoga mat totes, that was a silly thing I did for a friend.

Maddie and I, wow she is so little!

I just had to share these with you! I have spent the last few hours getting some photos for my Modern June SALE section and I came across these! Check out the shops sale section for great deals! More things will be added daily.

The plan!

I've been looking at all the great vintage aprons that I used to sell at the 17th Street Farmers Market. I tell ya, I wish I still had this one to make a pattern off of! At least I was smart enough to make a pattern off the one below.


I love using my "old" skill set of pattern making. Last year I was so busy I had to have my new (good stuff coming soon) and old patterns redone by some of my costume friends. It felt so great paying the same people that paid my rent when I was in my 20's. I became a grown up that day, at least a grown up business woman.


As I am rethinking Modern June in light of CPSIA I can't help but go back to Modern June's beginnings. What did I love so much? What was I so passionate about that I just had to start a business? What product was I missing so badly that I just had to make it? Aprons and Oilcloth Totes is the answer. But now that is covered by myself and by many others. So, what's next?

I have spent the last week coming up with some of the best ideas I have can muster. A new business plan to help me have a real life, in which I can be an active member of my family and have time to continue homeschooling my two neglected kids. But better yet, thanks to Erin's blog post, I now have a Design Plan. A Design Plan, hmmm, I don't think I EVER had one of those. I've always just made what I liked, what I needed, and what people have asked me to make.

This one is all mine!

Now don't get me wrong I-have-no-regrets. Not one. By being an ADHD type of crafter (Dawn's favorite saying) for the last few years, I can now have a clear vision for the future. A clear and concise plan. And OMG! it is just so exciting. In fact, I have already gotten a wholesale order (more on that later) before I even bought the fabric.

It will be hard not to share every little bit of the progress with you all. I've recently been burned by a competitor copying my every move, so I'm going to guard my new wares close to my heart until the grand unveiling in late February or early March.


For now, I have the job of fine tuning our children's school time and daily routine. While my kids show no outwards signs of difficulty, they have a good deal of special needs. Learning disabilities, sensory issues and daily headaches challenge us. So, in the winter months I am going to concentrate on them. I won't be closing the shop, but I will be eliminating a lot of the custom items for a while. I will sell what I have, which is a lot trust me!

For 2009, my goal is to pull up my big girl britches and get my life straight. It's time to have a plan and to live by it. Routine will be my new motto! Last year Modern June grew so far beyond my wildest dreams, it took us all by storm. By the fall I had eight contractors working away. This year, I doubled my retail sales as well as my wholesale clients. But, this great success came with 12+ hour work days while having my kids at home all day. That is not what they signed up for, and it's not why I had babies. So I'm off to be a better Momma AND a better, more efficient business owner.

Man, I am excited!

New Years Clean UP---Day Three

Disclaimer: this is DESIGNING WITH OUT A DIME!

I have been meaning to show you my progress in the studio for days and days, I have be so concerned with my children's line and the future that I have lagged behind. So here goes!

Last year in my Studio Makeover Madness I threaten to take out the sink and the toilet in the "room" is beside my studio. I would not call it a bathroom anymore. It is creepy and gross and no amount of low cost DYI can help it! So I have wanted to gut it for some time now. What the dream is to trade the laundry closet (and I mean closet) and this bathroom. This wayI get a great place to do laundry, iron and store MJ stuff. But even better we get a 2nd bathroom that we would actually use. My only problem is cash flow. Some day, some day!

So any who, the other day I was really tempted to pull that sink out once and for all! But I was really daunted when it came down to deciding what to do with the open pipes. I could figure it out but that was not as quick and dirty as I was hoping for. As a comprise I just took off the faucet. Wow, this made way for an old table top from one of the kids desks. Perfect fit, rounded edges so I could get in and out with out bruising my legs every time! Didn't I say quick and dirty DYI? I am the queen of this nonsense!


Next step was to fill in the space between the toilet and pestle sink, my new funky 50's rack to the rescue. Love it, it is a perfect fit and it is perfect for all those shipping supplies. On the other side of the sink pedestal I have place my files. No more excuses that I can't reach them with out a major to do. Darn this means I have to file!



Now with this nice flat surface I have a place to put all my bins, and finally, they are easy to get to. This has been really nice. No more towering stacks of bins to fight with.


Then on the wall I have my "found" rack for trims. Handy dandy and free! I just need to "find" a few more just like it!


I love January, happy organizing!

please take action

There are only 34 days left for you to buy hand made toys, clothing and accessories. Please take action today. Please click and shout! We all want safe products, that is not the issue, AND we want handmade to survive. If this is new to you, please check out my last post on the subject!

Contact your congressmen
Sign the handmade toy petiton
Sign the children's clothing petition

PLEASE VOTE FOR CHANGE---today is the last day to tell that awesome new president that you need handmade for kids.

Mash up at handmade holiday!

Check us out...on first we got a sweet shout out and then we had some mash up shopping!

(You can see my corner booth for a brief second!)

Look what I bought!

Wait until you see what I have planned for this great fabric! This fantastic fabric was designed by Gumball Grenade and was last weeks Spoonflower winner. Oh I can't wait to get my hands on this.

MODERN JUNE IS BACK

I forgot to mention that Modern June is back from a lovely Vacation. We have new projects coming soon as well as the standard products that you all have made so popular. Do you know that I sold over 350 splat mats last year! WOW WEE, that is a lot of oilcloth peeps.

Provencal Food

I have to share this great recipe for a Provencal Omelette and Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine. Two new yummy recipes I recently tried in that new WW cook book Momentum. I made this with the quickie Herbes de Provence that I whipped up. The herbs are drying out on the radiator for the real batch.

Provencal Omelette
prep 5 cook 5 serves 2

2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 tbs fat-free Half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 slices of high-fiber bread
fresh parsley

1) Beat the eggs, egg whites, half -and- half, salt and Herbes de Provence in medium bowl until frothy.
2) Heat oil in medium pan over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture and cook until underside it set. About two minutes.
3) sprinkle the tomatoes and cheddar evenly over half of the omelette. Fold unfilled half of the omelette over the filling and cover to cook until the eggs are set, about another minute.
Slide the omelette onto a plate and sprinkle with parsley: cut in half and serve with toast.

OMG, this is really-really good! I can't wait to have more tomorrow. Hmmm, maybe again for lunch?

I will add the other recipe later today, I gotta teach some kids now...

OH MAN, not one of us wanted to do school today! "Please, pretty please one more day" the 8 year old boy begged. But you know I am a tricky Momma and they did a lot of work without even knowing that they were actually learning. Ha. A trip to the bookstore for new reading books also helped get some good stuff going. My 11 year old has a reading gift, what I mean is that she reads to me and I fall asleep, it never fails every time, I conk out. My 20 minute nap was almost an hour long. Wow, this overcast day has be moving slow.

I have the old Sundays album "Blind" playing, this is not helping move faster. But dang I am feeling cozy.

Here is that Chicken Recipe I promised.

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Wine
prep 15 min, cook 45 min, served 4

4 5 ounce skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt (needs more)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 pound mushrooms, halved
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp of Herbes de Provence (I used a bit more)
1 tbs of all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
4 cups hot cooked whole -wheat fettuccine

1) Cook chicken in 1 tsp of the oil on medium heat, until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to plate.

2) Add the remaining oil and mushroom to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion, carrot, garlic, and herbes de provence. Cook just until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes; sprinkle with the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute longer. Add broth and whine and bring to a boil.

3) Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce the heart and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, if desired. Serve with pasta.

This only got a good out of Don, the cute hubby, he said it was missing something. I think it needed more salt and better pasta. I had just used re-heated pasta, yuck. Lesson learned. But let me tell you in it's left over form it was nothing to complain about. After I eat all the chicken I added some green beans to the extra sauce and veggies and was in veggie heaven.

Enjoy.

Herbes de Provence

I have a new recipe book, The Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook. As I flip through it, I see a lot of recipes that call for Herbes de Provence. This was something that my girlfriend Suzanne found at a garden show years ago, and we bought a small package of it and fell in love. The next year I made up a big batch to give a holiday gifts for my posse. Here is a similar recipe that I found online. Today's chore (no chore at all) will be to whip up a new batch and to get cooking!

Recipe for Herbes de Provence.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons dried oregano
• 3 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dried savory
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dried, crushed lavender
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1 1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed rosemary

Preparation:
Stir the herbs together and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Yield a bit less than one cup.

For those who need "an easy peasy-from the spice cabinet-in a hurry version" Rachel Ray had this...

2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence or dried parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, combined.

I will have to make both versions today since I need to dry the lavender and the rosemary. Off to my very cold garden for some clippings.

OILCLOTH ADDICT IS OPEN!

OCA is back and open for business! Modern June will open back up on Sunday, I have to clean up that studio so I can get to my machines first! Seriously, the studio has been a dumping ground for the last week and a half. Ughhh...

New Years Clean Up--Day two

Today is all about shining up the house. I've been hanging out in the kitchen first. I always start in the kitchen since it gets dirty the quickest!

• Method to rescue, I love their Window Wash. Couple that with a clean microfiber towel and you have a very green window cleaning set! Glass cabinet doors, window and Doors all done, yah!!!
• Method Lavender Spray for the kitchen cabinets next. I was totally grossed out with how dirty the knobs were! Yuck.
• Detail the Microwave:
1. Place a bowl with water into the microwave and heat for 2 minutes to build up moisture on the inside surface.
   
2. Spray it down with Method All Purpose Lavender Spray and scrub-scrub-scrub. Use your hot water, microfiber towel, one of those green kitchen scrubbers and a load of elbow grease.
3. Place a fresh water bowl into the microwave, again run it for 2 minutes. Then wipe down your clean microwave with a clean towel and the water you just heated. Careful, that water is really hot!
   

• I used child labor for the bottom cabinets. I did go back and clean the greasy trim and yucky knobs for the kid. I didn't let him know though, I didn't want him to think he did a lousy job.
• I fancied up the stove top spices, these are the things I use every day, and they live on the back of the stove. Martha told me that displaying anything with a label is a no-no! I have decanted my dish soap and lotion for years, today I switched out my spices for clear glass jars. Much better.
  
• I then shined up the tea pot with a tiny bit of Ajax, Method Stainless Steal cleaner and elbow grease (again). Oh, my aching elbows.
  

One room down, four more to go! Now I have some magazines to peruse. Fun.

Okay, I'm back again. I have just placed 49 magazines and catalogs in my recycling, this doesn't include the load that I gave back to my BNE (Best Neighbor Ever). Janet shares her magazines with me when she is done. Boy, she is gonna hate me for that big pile!! Sorry.

This afternoon while watching the HGTV shows and culling magazines I did the rest of the windows, mirrors, and glass on the main floor. I love how much of a difference 15 minutes can make to a house.

Yesterday while I was de-cluttering the living room I took all the votive candle holders from the mantle and ran them through the dishwasher. Today I took all the sparkly clean glass votives and loaded them up with new tea lights for a lovely warm evening at home.

Now for some down time!