A Few of My Favorite Things

When i first started blogging, i made a list of my favorite things. Near the top of that list was "Tallulahs Packages" and my friends all asked me, "What's a Tallulahs Package?" so i promised them ages ago i would write about them. Really the packages themselves are pretty fabulous.

package pix by J.P. Hopper

Of Course, it's what's in the packages that's exciting.

Michelle isn't actually IN the package. Just the necklace.

Cindy and Barb met when their Air Force husbands were stationed in Valdosta, Ga, but often deployed to remote areas of the world for months on end. They had so many little children between them that none of the other mothers wanted to "play" with them. So they took care of each other, supported each other with chicken soup when sick, listened through mommy meltdowns when necessary, and laughed. And laughed some more. A strong bond was formed. That bond included similar design ideas, artistic dreaming and loads of creative energy. They spend hours pouring over magazines, creating clever things and being asked by friends to make more creative things for them. Eventually the pair and their families both got transferred to Anchorage , Alaska. Lonely, Sun-deprived Air Force wives who needed an outlet for their creative energy, they started sewing yummy flannel baby blankets (can you believe i found this picture of Karlee wrapped in a Tallulahs blankie on my computer?) Then they began to quilt and paint and experiment with home decor (well, Cindy admits that she sat around looking at magazines for ideas and Barb painted and decorated :). They quickly found that they worked well together and although their design styles are unique they complemented each other and together, they began a lifetime foray into new and even more amazing artistic endeavors. Pretty soon, these two lulus became Tallulahs.

One of their best pursuits(so far) has been making jewelry. One thing i love about Tallulahs is that they use precious metals (I love the sterling silver) and real semi-precious stones in their jewelry and their craftsmanship is first rate. The kind of jewelry they make is the kind you will be able to pass down for generations and the style is classic and sophisticated. You won't want to pass it on but your daughters definitely will want you to. Mine already bug me about wearing it every Sunday(or "when you die" they add). They don't want my other jewelry. They want Tallulahs. They can already spot quality, i guess.

They've been making and selling their jewelry to locals in Atlanta, Auburn, St. Louis, Anchorage, Houston, Chicago and Snailwell, England, and Kaysville, Utah(I know, that doesn't sound "local" but they have friends and family living in all those places) for years. And lucky us Wasatch Front locals!! They are allowing me and my sisters to have a "Sample Sale" with some of their inventory. The sale will be at my house in Bountiful on November 14, 2009 from 1:00-4:00 PM (just in time for Christmas-stuff your own stocking!!) We have a pretty big selection of inventory that we have the opportunity to offer at a 40% discount. Of course, you can always order their fabulous designs at the Tallulahs Website (yes, that is my gorgeous niece on the home page) and if you want to see another beautiful model (heh) displaying some of them, here ya go...

If you are as fascinated by the creative mind as i am, you will also want to read Cindy's blog. Of course she claims that the only reason i want to share her blog with you is so that you can compare my closet with hers. It isn't true. It's because i love the way her eyes see the world and I love to sit at a cafe and watch her watch people and since she lives on the other side of the country! this is the easiest way to indulge. She is a beautiful woman and an inspiration to me on so many levels. Thanks, Cindy!

This is the Place

"A Place for Everything and Everything in it's Place" was the dream my mother had when we were children. That was the problem. I was pretty sure it was just a dream. Then I met Cherie. And it took me a few years knowing her to believe that she truly knows exactly what she owns and where every bit of it is.

Mudroom "System"

You may know that Cherie is an organizing guru. She is also my own personal angel. Not really, she spends her life in the service of all her friends and neighbors. Still, we are determined to get my house "organized" once and for all. Actually, if there is anything i've learned from Cherie, it is that there is no "once and for all." There is only repetition. She "dejunks" her whole house at least twice a year. Therein lies the key to knowing all her stuff. It isn't that she has all that infernal much less than i do. The difference is she touches everything she owns at least every 170 days. Oh, and her memory might be a little better than mine :).
I've also learned that you've got to have a system that works for you. That's my first big challenge. My brain just doesn't work that way. When something isn't working for me, and she suggests that i do it a different way, i (usually) think, "That makes sense. Why didn't i think of that?"

So i went to a local discount chain store (okay, Walmart) the other day to pick up some Sterilite containers for a project and the thing that makes me want to say bad words is that every season, Sterilite changes the styles of their drawers and boxes. When i'm finished organizing something, i want it to look nice and i want the new containers i use to stack nicely with the containers i used last time. Is that so much to ask? I mean, i know that the containers are not THAT expensive. If i wanted to, i guess i could just buy all new containers every time, but i have dozens of these containers going on in several rooms of my home. I should count them. i bet i have a hundred. And i just hate that the 27quart containers from last year won't even sit straight on top of the 27 quart from this year and if you pull the drawer open, the whole unit comes crashing down on your head. Argghh!
Another big challenge i face is curiosity. Cherie is always amazed at what lengths (or heights) my children will go to to "undo" my organizational efforts. I've just started realizing myself that when i "lose" my keys or my phone, more than half of the time, they aren't lost, but have been stolen and hidden. Sometimes the little thieves even remember that they've committed the crime and what they've done with the evidence. But it's also that they are interested in what i'm doing and what treasures i've uncovered on my foray. So they pick them up and carry them off. Sigh.

Game Closet "System"

One last thing... okay, two: first, how do i get people (my children and my husband) to use the organizational systems i so painstakingly create? I mean, i get that the labeling is for me, so i won't have to think through the process again (and again), but really, let's just put things back where we get them so we can find them next time. And then finally, will someone please tell me how to go from whining blogger to someone who can actually make a difference in the world (how can i contact the Sterilite Company and offer my valuable insight?)?