#61 on my list, to slim down and organize my shoe collection, has been an ongoing goal since my initial completion in November 2008. I have both gotten rid of a few more pairs of shoes and purchased some lovely additions to my collection. I am still keeping them in the painted shoe boxes with the photos of the shoes on the end. It seems to be working pretty well, though I have daydreamed about a closet where they wouldn’t have to be stacked so high on the floor. Pulling them out to wear has not always been easy. (Of course, this is where having the photos on the ends of the boxes really comes in handy. It is helpful to not have to open every box.)
#44, becoming known for my gift wrapping, might be one of the most fun goals of my entire list. I counted it as completed in December of 2008, but I’ve been relying on the skills every since. And trying out new ones: the photo above was from my sister-in-law’s most recent birthday. The wrapping paper (from an after-holiday sale — you can’t tell, can you?) is flocked, so it feels fuzzy. I folded a little extra on the end so that it created a pocket for her birthday card. The hub picked it out before I wrapped her gift, but I thought it came together entirely like it was planned that way.
A couple of small adjustments have made all the difference in my wrapping. Before, I was definitely guilty of too much paper. The extra bulk made it hard to get crisp edges. Now, when I find that I have some extra, I make sure to cut if off before folding the corners. Now I try to make the paper about the size of the side of the box. The first part folds down, and the second is folded in half towards the box — to cover the cut end — and up. (This might make way more sense in my head. Hopefully you get the idea.)
Also, hand-tied ribbon bows. It is easy to experiment with different positioning. When I am attempting to tie a ribbon and have changed my mind so many times that the ribbon is creased where it now needs to lay flat, I use a curling iron or hair straightener. Easier than getting down the ironing board and everything.
The last little thing that makes a noticeable difference is adding more decorative tags. I’ve used scrapbook stencils to make holiday tags, and then used bits of last year’s Christmas cards that we received to make tags. I’ve written on a leaf from a silk flower. Sometimes a little touch is all a gift needs to grab a bit more attention.
And so ends the first year of my 101, because I completed #30 on my list, to go bowling, in January 2009. And we’ve been back to the lovely Duckpin Bowling a few times since then, though non too recently. We have been talking about going back — maybe remembering this goal is just the push I need to finally make it happen. August seems a good month for bowling.
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