It is time for Anne In Residence’s monthly Currently post where we answer one word prompts about different things we are doing and feeling. I always love the insight I gain from these, taking inventory of my own life. This month we are looking at what we are choosing, imagining, making, recommending, and wearing.
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Let’s begin!
Choosing: My husband basically finished my office refresh on Sunday! We still need to get new outlet covers, caulk, just little stuff, so it’s basically ready for use! All new paint, some wallpaper, all new trim, curtains, and a rug and it is a totally different room! Now the real fun begins – choosing the decorations and furniture! Right now I have an old table in there that is my temporary desk, my mom’s old sewing table as a stand for Dash’s tank, a Himalayan Salt rock lamp I got as a gift a hundred years ago that Wyatt loves, the trash can that is not a trash can that my grandma used to keep yarn in, and my aunt Barb’s old chair from when she worked for the schools. When she retired they let her keep it, and I have it now. It is not fancy, old public school 1970s furniture (maybe 60s?) but I like it because it was hers and it meant enough to her that she wanted it when she left.
Imagining: Warm spring days, picnics, traveling and visiting again, trips to museums, and daydreaming about our upcoming camping trip this summer. We reserved a campsite through hipcamp and it is a totally private campsite, only just the one, on acres of vineyard. It is on the west side of Michigan, and I am already making plans for what we should take and eat and what we need.
Making: For Valentine’s Day my stepmom gave me a surprise gift! A set of felting materials, from felt to little cookie cutter like things and some Styrofoam. She had already given me a little needle before, so I didn’t need that. I started off sort of with an easier project – felted geodes! These were wet felted as multi-layered balls, then sliced open to reveal the colors and pattern inside. It was pretty neat! I still need to needle felt it a bit to firm it up a bit, but this was fun. I will probably do a few more as good practice pieces.
Recommending: Ok so this is sort of a weird one. Pretty Litter. We have senior cats and I unfortunately have to have a litter box available on the main level and it is in the office, although it makes me crazy. Everyday, having to clean a billion times. So I started looking for more options, and decided to give Pretty Litter a try. I figured it wouldn’t hurt. Surprisingly, the cats loved it more than their usual stuff, and I love the fact that it is faster to clean, there is no dust, and so far, no tracking! It’s almost like a miracle. It has only been two weeks so I can’t say what it will be like in two more weeks, when I am supposed to completely dump it and how it will maintain until then but for now I am impressed. I bought one of those hidden litter boxes/cabinet things and that will be set up today so, fingers crossed, it will be like not having a box up here.
Wearing: Nothing exciting over here. Right now, comfy wear around the house clothes, warm socks, that sort of thing. Colorful nail polish is about all I’ve got for this one. I am looking forward to wearing my converse shoes again soon, once spring is here.
Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.. 
I’ll have to check out the Pretty Litter! I don’t mind the one I’m using but it is dusty. Isn’t needlefelting fun? I love the geodes and big excitement with your new office! I have to get back to mine. I did a first purge back in the fall and now it seems to have collected a lot of things it shouldn’t on the desk! Definitely fun!
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I have to be honest I felt a little weird talking about it here! LOL. But I have been telling all my “in person” friends all about it, so I guess it is what I am recommending the most. I love that there is no dust, especially with Wyatt, and of course my own asthma.
Thank you!! Mine is definitely purged. It feels very odd right now since it is so empty, but I am sure I will be adding stuff in here and there, very soon!
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Cat litter was always something I hated about having pets. The last time I had a cat, her box was in the laundry room. She entered from a hole cut in the door.
I liked being able to avoid seeing it most of the day!
I like the sound of your office changes. Enjoy fixing it up.
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Ugh yeah I definitely hate it. Harry is so much easier. LOL.
Thanks Laurel-Rain!
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That wallpaper!! And in combination with the rug – wowza, so great. Have fun with the furniture – I love a decorating project like this 🙂 I’m with you on imagining all of the nice summer weather things, and of course I have to say that I think Michigan’s west side is the best side…
Happy March – every day a bit closer to the warm spring days!
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Thanks! The rest of our house is so minimalist and light colors that we let ourselves go a little crazier in this room. 🙂
Lol! We really enjoy the west side too, and have discussed moving over that way many times. COVID sort of put a halt to that for right now but we are big fans.
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Those geodes came out great. I like that wallpaper too.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Ooooo, I love the geodes. Our friends introduced us to needle felting when we visited them in the Yukon in 2019 and our family really enjoys it. Those geodes look super fun to make!
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These are so fun!! They are great for kids to make too, and it is so fun to cut them open and see the inside. Lol. I tried to get my son to make one but he recoiled at the feel of the wet wool in the wet felting part.
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Colorful nails count 🙂
Those felted goodies turned out pretty. I’ve always wanted to try needle felting. I’ve felted some of my knitted stuff before & it’s exciting to watch it harden up. I think I have a purse still that I knitted that needs to be felted… now I need to go see if I can find it
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Lol thanks! 🙂 I am enjoying needle felting! I am a terrible knitter and crocheter but I seem to be *ok* so far at this. My stepmom and I love to try out different crafty, arty things – it is something we really bond over. 🙂
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Erin, I love your office wallpaper so much–I can’t stop looking at it! I’ve been looking for a small bit of paper for a half-wall. Do you recommend a vendor? And that campsite sounds DIVINE! The only one? And in a vineyard?! Gah!!! Can’t wait to see pictures of that 🙂
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Oh wow thank you!!! I love it too! I was super nervous about it but I really like it. 🙂 We used it on one small wall as well! This one is from Magnolia brand and we actually just ordered it from wallpaperstogo.com!
I just checked the link and it is on sale right now! It comes in a few different colors as well. https://www.wallpaperstogo.com/p-207937-fox-and-hare-navy-wallpaper.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAiAp4KCBhB6EiwAxRxbpEHpnKvE_1tupwbt9daIUH4bLmWAR_QPyGCDyfpn640vhoth5TO1sRoCK5sQAvD_BwE
And I am SO excited about our little getaway!!
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How fun that you get to revamp your office! And talking about kitty litter might feel a bit weird, but it’s an important part of having a cat and I’m definitely open to recommendations!
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I really can’t tell you how much I love it. LOL. Especially now that Wyatt is in the office all the time with me.
And it was really fun!
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My sister keeps telling me about Pretty Litter, so I need to try it out. I have a cat and he tracks litter all over the dang place. LOL Thanks for the reminder!!
That’s great you have plans for camping. These days I need as much to look forward to as I can.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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So far I love it! And feel crazy since I am like raving about it everywhere, but seriously, if you have cats you know the struggle. LOL. We are at almost 3 weeks using it, and there is no tracking through the house that I have found, but they have been knocking it out of the box from scratching it around. But it is still better than before.
And yes – that is why I went ahead and did it. I needed something fun to look forward to!
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The camping trip sounds fun!
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I am really looking forward to it!!
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Congrats on finishing the office. I have one of those salt lamps! I think it’s pretty, but the lightbulbs seem to burn out really fast. Or, maybe I just have it on too much.
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Lol!! I will have to pay attention now! It’s pretty neat. 🙂
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Ok I’m intrigued by the Pretty Litter. I’ve seen it before, but didn’t think it could be THAT good. Now I think I might need to try it out! I’m so sick of the tracking everywhere even though it’s just in our basement. Does it help with the smell?
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I started with just one bag to see how it went and I ended up switching to all Pretty Litter in all boxes after a week. I did see today, a little tiny bit in the hall for the first time, but it will be three weeks Saturday, so not too bad I think. As far as the smell, there is no ammonia smell (you know what I am talking about) and when they do some real business in there I can smell it but it does go away. Two of my friends have started using it – one just started today so no opinion there, but my SIL has been using it about a week and has not noticed any issues so far. We will see how this last week goes but so far I am impressed.
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Thanks for letting me know!!
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