CAVE MEN DID NOT HAVE TUPPERWARE!

As I am going through an extensive reorg in my house (AGAIN!), it has occurred to me that a major segment of worldwide industry is dedicated to producing items which are designed to "contain" other items!  Now I know this is a great big "duh" but have you ever really stopped to notice how many things hold other things? 

My recent reorganization is primarily dedicated to craft and art supplies and all the UFOs (unfinished objects) which these endeavors have created over the  y  e  a  r  s.  It's always hard work to dig through all the "stuff", but there ARE rewards to be had as well as answers to many unanswered questions....like "I wonder what ever happened to....", or "Where did I put....", and "Do I still have...".   And not only are there answers to the things I wondered about but answers to unasked questions when something is found that was completely forgotten about ages ago.... (OHHHHH...I had forgotten allll about that.   Well....such is my life.  Kind of fun actually!  A surprise around every corner.... or in every container!

Applique quilt block (circa 1998)  

 

                                                                             Mariner's Compass

FABRIC - (which includes partial quilt blocks made and pieces cut to become blocks, etc.) all in cardboard boxes hidden beneath a score of other boxes or large plastic bags 

shoved onto the very top shelf of a closet, or in one of those large plastic storage containers that if you don't label it you, oh so soon, forget what the heck is "in" that container and simply don't have the energy to get it down and find out.  Don't laugh...YOU know what I'm talking about.  You have them at your house too! 

Small sampling of my "collection".  Some are natural stone and some are made made.

Paid $45 for one of these beads in Sacramento, CA.  

One of these was hand made by a man with one arm.  Can you guess which ones these are?

BEADS:  Beads live in plastic tubes, round plastic screw top containers, plastic storage boxes with dividers, in bags and in baskets.... that is...the ones which are not lying all over a table or counter somewhere awaiting my inspiration to DO something with them.  

                                                        Painted in Boone, NC (Suz was sitting next to me painting also)

                                                                                                                Storm was brewing in the distance so we had to paint quickly.

                                                         Watercolor    

ART SUPPLIES:  There are the water colors which have to be separated from the oil paints in their respective "containers", and the oil paint brushes have the be separate as well because they ARE different.  Ultimately the water colors had to be separated into plastic bags by color category (reds, blues, greens, etc.) because they had become so plentiful that I was unable to easily find what I wanted.  And, of course, these bags had to be housed in a plastic bin.  Don't forget about all the papers and canvases and art bags for plein air painting which have been sent to the garage to lie in wait (in what else?....large plastic storage tubs). 

                                                         

                                                           Watercolor 

                                                                                                                     Again, my BFF was sitting right next to me as we painted...

                                                                                                                     My trees look a little spooky, don't they?

Painted in Mandarin, Jacksonville, FL

YARN:  Scores and scores of skeins of yarn are housed in bags, cardboard boxes, over the door cloth shoe racks, vases and drawers.  Knitting and crochet needles are housed in vases and on shelves.

All I can do at this point is thank whomever made masking tape which is my primary labeling device.  If I change a storage bin to house something new....OFF with the old tape and on with the new...which I found through trial and error is MUCH better than marking the containers with INDELIBLE INK! .. which is akin to getting a tattoo!  

But getting back to my title "Cave Men Did Not Have Tupperware",  we only imagine what MRS Cave Lady did when she wanted to keep something.  I can hear hear now telling her husband, kids or whomever, "This crack in the cave wall is MINE!  Do NOT touch this piece of animal hide because I am saving it to make you a coat!  And DO NOT touch this sharp rock (aka scissors).  I mean where DID she keep her sharp piece of bone (needle) and her sinew (thread)?  No tupperware or plastic storage containers just had to be a drag!  So ladies and gents let's thank our lucky stars that we have so many ways to organize, keep and hide our STUFF.  I just hate it when I can't find my sinew!

Thanks for coming by today to visit.  Hopefully you will have time to take a break from cleaning up and organizing and you can get something out of one of your storage places to play with and have some fun.  While you are at it....sketch a little picture of it, and save the drawing.  You will be surprised how much you will like it later on.  Until next time....

Sketch on.....  

drawers, plastic tubes, plastic boxes, tub storage, glass and plastic bottles, shelves, knife holders, vases, cups, mugs, glasses, bowls, baskets, pots, pans, muffin tins, etc.,  cabinets, closets, plastic bags, paper bags, cardboard boxes, pencil cups, toothbrush holders, cans of all kinds, wooden boxes, penny banks, plastic tubes for lotions and medicine...............