Re-Prioritizing after Italy

Family and Friends,

It's been a whirlwind month so far, and I know that I've been very remiss in posting things to my blogs ... all three of them !!! so by way of an explanation, here's what I have to offer:

I am settling into a different sort of schedule here at home, especially now that we are back from our Family Reunion trip to Italy. We were away from July 9 to 17, and in that short time, so many things ...

Piled up.
Came up.
Sorted themselves out.
Made themselves unnecessary.
Became important.
Screamed for attention.

Etc Etc Etc.

So ... my buzz-word of the moment is: STREAMLINE.

Between home and health issues, and sorting ourselves out after a trip to Europe with 14 of our relatives (16 all told went from California to Italy for the Reunion -- and all on the same flights!), I have taken on the challenge (to myself, from myself, by myself) of STREAMLINING my world.

My home office is a paperwork disaster -- but it's patiently awaiting my attention, so I am going to give it what it's asking for. More of my time to clear it all up!

My home art studio, my MAS (My Art Space), is waiting for me to re-claim it, to make those cafe curtains to block the afternoon sun, to SPEND TIME IN THERE, Creating. Art.

I have a stack of books so high, it topples. It's now in TWO piles, both resembling, oddly enough, the Leaning Tower of Pisa :-). You all know how I love to read ... never without a book in hand or purse. A day rarely passes that I've not read for pleasure. Since when should I feel GUILTY about all that? Answer: since I have so many in the piles, and since I have a messy office - LOL.

Long explanation short --
here's the bottom line --
the Reader's Digest Condensed Version:

I may not be posting as much as I did before, but I hope that is only temporary. Two weeks, tops. I miss my blogs, I miss all your "visits" and "comments" to them, and I feel the need to continue to express myself -- be it on HERE, about family and friends and our travels; or on PRINCESS MAGPIE, about my creative adventures; and mostly, on the blog for my father's trip to Italy, FRANKIE GOES TO ITALY (unfortunately, the e-account I set it up with has gone dormant and I have to sort all that out before I can post anew to FRANKIE -- grrrrr).

I'll be back soon. I promise!

-- Davielle

Best Shot Monday

If you haven't visited my other blog {ever, or lately}, do click on over there to see my posts for BEST SHOT MONDAY.

Best Shot Monday is a weekly post of a photograph one has taken {I try to post only those which I shot the prior week ... I have yet to go back into my photo archives for one, but intend to soon}, and there's a whole list of individuals who participate.

It's a very cool community of people.

Please do take a look - at mine, and at the posts of the others as well. To see the list of who is participating, click on the BEST SHOT MONDAY button {on my other blog; this image is NOT an active link}.

To see my images, just visit my Princess Magpie each week.

http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com

Thank you!

-- Davielle

Oh, I get by ...

... with a little help from my friends. GONNA TRY, with a little help from my friends.

It's true ... I challenged my friend Ann to a CLUTTER CLEARING PROJECT yesterday - and I have to admit, ROUND ONE goes to ... ANN !!! Visit her blog to see her BEFORE and AFTER shots ... so you can compare them to ... mine.

http://adeakers.blogspot.com/

In all fairness, I promised Ann I would photograph MY messy desk & library table -- those were my stated objectives yesterday. I, however, carried mine over into TODAY and I'm still not finished.

First, my Library Table - on Wednesday:

and my Library Table, this evening:

Next, my computer space, on Wednesday:

and that same spot / pile - this evening:

and NO, I did not just squish the paperwork BENEATH the book - no, I did not.

But boy, is the RIGHT SIDE of my desk ... a bit of an eyesore still:

anyone got a match?!

Oh well, that's what a good CHALLENGE is all about, right? Every contest must have a winner.

Ann is THIS week's Clutter Clearing Challenge Winner -- hands down. BRAVO, Ann - you did it!

I have to say, though, I am thrilled with the progress I have made -- because not only was I working to clear the table & my desk, but I have a huge recycling trash bin right here in my office. Don't believe me? PHOTO TO PROVE THAT WHAT I AM SAYING IS TRUE:

The Big Blue Behemoth ... and the Box of Magazines for the Doctor's Waiting Room

If anyone else out there has some CLUTTER that needs CLEARING, we invite you to join our Challenge Group. {or in MY case, make that just "challenged" !!}

You know, if my husband's ex (wife) wasn't such an incredibly neat & tidy housekeeper, I wouldn't have so much angst over this ... stuff. And Jen reads my blogs, so it's not like it's a big secret in our very extended family -- we know each other's strengths - AND weaknesses. LOVE YA, Jen, and I love that you read my blog so regularly. ;-)

{of course, there's still the OTHER thing my husband still admires about his ex ... her physique ... dang ... it's hard to catch a break sometimes! but that's a whole 'nother story}

Here's hoping Mark will stop raining on my HAPPY parade {you know, the Parade where I pretend to be Princess Magpie and I make Christmas cards - THAT is my Happy Place lately}, and that he'll "get" how much progress this really is for me.

-- D.

if you want to visit me at my HAPPY PLACE, go to http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com

the Christmas Card Magic ... continues

Just so you all know, I am STILL STILL STILL making our 2008 Christmas Cards ...

Mark's been a good sport, allowing all the bits & bobs to be spread all over the dining room AND the breakfast nook ...

It's quite the production!

I'm halfway there, or so, and with today being Thanksgiving, there's not a whole lot of time for crafting. I am getting the next batch of ten ready to glue together -- they're still in pieces and parts at this point.

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all ...

Davi ... aka, Princess Magpie {please visit my creative blogsite at http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com to see what I've been up to}

Herbs de Provence ROAST TURKEY

So here's a tasty sounding recipe from the fabulous CHUCK WILLIAMS of Williams-Sonoma fame {and, no doubt, fortune}:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=88366342-7B0B-40CF-A050DABF6D26E20F

How simple, yet tasty, does THAT recipe sound!?

Because I {sometimes, we} go to my brother and sister-in-law's home for Thanksgiving, we typically roast a turkey for ourselves a day or two AFTER Thanksgiving ... nothing makes the house smell yummier than a beautifully roasting turkey. Lots of butter is involved, I have to admit. But man, oh, man, does that bird come out MOIST and FLAVORFUL.

This year, I'm baking pumpkin pie {no, not from homegrown pumpkins; sorry to disappoint anyone who was hoping for messy-kitchen-with-pumpkin-guts-stuck-to-every-single-surface photos !!!} -- and I'm making my Davi's Famous Dressing. We don't stuff the bird in our family; we bake the dressing on the side. That's why we call it DRESSING and not Stuffing ... 'cause we don't STUFF the silly bird.

Our really delightful friend {and fortunately for us, our neighbor} Victoria is going to join us for Thanksgiving this year -- YAY !!!

Can't wait for Wednesday, the designated BAKING and FIXING OF THE DRESSING day. Victoria's making her father's killer Cheesecake here with me that day, too. I can't imagine it's going to make it to Thanksgiving entirely intact ... :-)

-- D

{remember to visit my creative blog to see how those Christmas cards are coming at http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com }