now where do i put my silverware?

i am just itching for flea market season.

It is an itch i just cannot scratch soon enough.

it is keeping me awake some nights.

there must be other things i can obsess about... but not right now.

ok, it is all about money ...

yeah, i said it.

granted, there are much more pressing places for me to spend my monies these days.

this list for responsible money application also functions like a rolodex of guilt.

i think about it all the time.

so there is a little mental kick boxing in my head.

who gets the money?

what is my more pressing need?

i have trouble keeping my fingers off of the buttons

and accomodating my greedy obsession for

another brilliant little rhinestoned vintage buckle

or kitchy piece of floral 50's fabric.

really, i think there should be a 12 step program for flea market addicts.

and yes, i am a card carrying member of that group.

our eyes get a little misty and our cheeks flush,

as our speech grows a little faster... always when we share the story of a good score on something...

just ask any of us.

you will see the adrenaline rush.

it is palpable... and perhaps a little more addictive than one might think.

if you listen just a little carefully, you may even catch a smidgeon of the fever.

last year,

in spite of the obvious knowledge that i would be having 2 kids in college within 2 yrs...

i went to my local outdoor flea venue.

one of my happy finds was a decorated box.

at a later date, i found another box very similar.

same shape, same size, same purpose.

WOOOOHOOO!

one was empty, the other filled with wacky unmatched flat-wear pieces.

did not care one whit.

Both were originally intended to serve as housing for silverware.

i am lucky if i can find a matching pair of chopsticks.

as a hockey mom,

(HUGE untempered GROAN here)

there is no real time, rhyme or schedule that i can follow.

This has resulted in dinners in front of the t.v.

on the sofa.

NOT at the kitchen table.

the dining room table has never existed really.

the dining room serves as computer zone and storage way station.

so WHY on earth would i be trying to collect nice silver?

I do NOT.

except for projects or styling of projects.

it is a thing i would truly love, but is not purpose driven enough.

so i seem irrationally connected to

beautiful silver storage boxes instead.

one of the pretty parts of the storage is that the boxes are lined with soft felty fabric.

the boxes are old.

they have grown musty over time.

needless to say, that is a detraction for my interests.

this year i have challenged myself to try to get better at going to and setting up for shows.

some folks try to lessen their reliance on chocolate.

exercise more,

eat healthier,

join a book club....

and many other items that will be self improving in the long run.

i am sure that if i just make some of the small scale set-up for my shows a lot easier,

then i can do my set-up much faster.

as i have mentioned, there is a lot of stuff i roll around in my pre-sleep fog.

so i came up with this idea.

i want to not be responsible for arranging earrings when i am readying for a sale.

it is delicate work and helpful to not have to fuss with

either in set-up or break down.

it is really easy for me to get bogged down in the details

when i am exorbitantly tired.

and i have not managed to get myself prepped enough yet.

so here is one of my solutions.

i made my silverware storage boxes into earring displays.

i tried them out for a feb. show.

now i have some ideas for adjustments.

it is basically that i was so proud of myself, that i did not get the system perfect up front.

i figure that my show activities and all are a work in progress.

there is no timeline and no obligation.

it is all up to me.

i am pretty sure if i relax, i can do this.

i am getting better all the time.

here is what i did to create both display and storage.

i took my fingers and removed the fabric covered wooden slot thingie in the middle of the box.

held on hard and pulled. it was nailed in for both of them.

then removed all of the other skunky maroon felt from both of them.

as i was in a rush, and did not care about meticulousness,

i left some of the glue and threads from the fabric removal

for a scruffier, re-cycled look.

i have been trying to clear and clean and organize my studio space.

this has yielded materials that have been in "storage" for years.

i found a slightly warped piece of foam-core in my unused pile of stuff.

from this, i cut out 4 rectangles that fit the boxes.

one for the top and bottom on each.

i used some fabric from my hoard.

originally, my plan was to use some vintage tea towels,

but they had too much pizzazz for this project.

so i went with some almost white cotton with beige floral patterning.

something that would not interfere with looking at my jewelry in their new temporary home.

of course i want them to look good in my custody,

i want them to move along to other locations.

so i cut some of my fabric and hot glued it to the foam-core pieces already cut.

they were set into their new homes in the boxes.

fitting just right.

already i am feeling just so smug and self congratulatory,it is hard to be around me.

hubby helped me... he cut some wooden pieces and

we glued and clamped them into the sides of the boxes.

finally, the crummy contemporary yardsticks i had bought at local hardware stores were drilled.

i did this, using my nascent power tool skills.

hubby was sure that the drill press would split the wood.

it did not, but there are NO guarantees about this.

if you have a dremel, it would be better.

smaller holes would be less inclined to split the wood.

which is ultimately a really good thing.

into these holes, i put my earrings.

so smug.

so happy.

just a little bit off.

nothing new.

later, i will fix to make roomier between the rulers and the space behind them.

finger space desired.

so in need of adjustment.

it is the nature of design.

willingness to tweak in a good way.

because the bottom piece of the box was foam-core, i used pins to hold more earrings

and some lighter weighted necklaces.

all in all, i had a great time making the boxes.

i also enjoyed not having the panic setting up the earrings.

or breaking things down.

it is also really nice to see how much stuff i have and what i need to do to fill out my inventory.

so that is what is on my mind today.

xo.w.