Two years later, and lookin'good

Almost exactly two years ago, I posted about finally having the discretionary funds to buy fancy things for the seder table, so that it doesn't have the "dollar store" aura to it.  This year I've got nada - no dishes, cutlery, glasses, seder plate, wine glasses, serving dishes... I need to ask if I can use that Nahariya stemware I made sure to grab as I left, but otherwise, I left the wasband with all the Peasach-ware.  So this year will be the American, all-disposible-seder for me.  If you have followed this blog for a while, you should realize I usually don't have any disposables in the house during the year.  So this is a set-back.

And yet,  I am worlds ahead of where I was those two years ago.  I am happy and excited and looking forward to Pesach.  Only 6 days away, and the first twinges of panic are only just starting.  Usually the nightmares set in months in advance.  Yay.  I have so much left to do, but I'm ok.  There is so much I need to buy, and very little money, but I'm ok.

One of my friends said something about me being a neat person (as in clean and organized).  That's crazy - I'm a terribly messy person, who lived in a terribly messy house as a child.  But having a clean home is important to me now, so I work and work and work to overcome this cleanliness challenge.  I thought about my elementary-school friend Shuli : we got about the same grades, but she had to work so hard for them.  She said she admired that I was so smart that I never had to work hard.  But I admired her so much for her hard work.  So, now I can feel good about this success in house-keeping.  I just can't let that friend see the bedrooms overflowing with unorganized clothes strew all about.

Here are the finished bracelets.  Let's hear another "Yay!"  I hope Mrs. Surrogate is pleases as well. 

Now I gotta do laundry.  Here is wishing everyone a lovely, happy, kosher Pesach. 

Pre-pesach

I should post something quickly, as it will probably be the last one until after Pesach.

I asked my friend if she would do my Pesach shopping in The City.  She jumped to say yes, which is so great.  Then she commissioned me to make bracelets for her 5 granddaughters before the holiday.  Good- because I get to keep beading, relatively guilt free, and I will have a little extra cash.  Bad- I'm busy beading!! And I feel badly charging what they are really worth.  But she is doing my shopping in The City, so big savings there.  I'm sure it all balances out.

Anyway, I truly feel there is very little need for deep Pesach cleaning anywhere but the front rooms and kitchen, so I'm now just planning to start moving chametz-wear out of the kithchen, and into the hall closets, and seal it off.   I also want to start  cleaning the chairs - I have upholstered dining room chairs for the first time in many years.  And I have a closet all cleaned out to use as a Pesach pantry;  another big expense will be some kind of shelving for this.  I'm not crazy worried yet about cleaning, more about trying to find guests for meal, as the wasband's minhagim (customs) prevent me from going out much.  And that is actually leading to too much anxiety.

The rental fridge is coming tomorrow.  This is another big jump in expenses: a month of rental instead of 2 weeks, but sooo helpful, I'm not fretting.

Okay, I'm off to Home Depot now to start the shopping insanity.  Wish me well.
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Here is a new style of bracelet I have been playing with (and will be the general pattern for commissioned bracelets).  The new thing is the edging.  I added a whip-stitch around the peyote-chain band.  This picture does not capture it well; it is really lovely, enhances the piece so nicely.
The ring was just for fun.  I love it, but I am not a ring person, since I wear gloves so much at work, and the ring is too big and keeps sliding off.  So, I'm waiting for the time to make a smaller one...after I sew some snoods, kit some socks...  Yeah, we'll see what comes AFTER Pesach.

So my question now is, is it reasonable to blow the whole profit from the commissioned bracelets on MORE beading supplies?  I re-ally want to.