This came up yesterday, and has inspired a [silly] post…
The idea that I would let someone don’t know in real life, some stranger on the internet make me feel bad about myself through their posting about their own awesomeness… that horrifies me. Oh I get feeling jealous of an awesome house or someone who is succeeding where you are failing – that’s natural I think. But to go so far as to let it get me down? Oh noooooo.
I am in charge of my own happiness. I am responsible for my actions. I am the one who can choose to feel bad or good about myself. If there’s something about me I really don’t like it’s MY job to fix, accept, or improve. That’s not on anyone but ME.
I guess you could say I’m big on personal responsibility. and that’s all I have to say about that.
This subject led [quite naturally] to some humorous comments about the awesomeness of my never-ending laundry mountain and the fabulous studio of mine where being clean is a family JOKE. So today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my fantastically SO NOT perfect life….
This is my “what she wore” totally glam self portrait. Do you love it? [excuse me while I fall down laughing]
– I have paint, mist, and ink all over my fingers. I almost always do.
– I have no memory of putting my hair up – but I always end up doing so
– My stained, ratty, cheap Army sweatshirt remains my #1 wardrobe staple in colder weather
– bare feet and gym pants = the rest of this haute couture ensemble
This photo makes me CRINGE. my desk was AWFUL yesterday. I wanted to clean it first… but this is about keeping it real y’all so you see the unedited HORROR of my own making. Can you handle more?!
I don’t know why I have freezer bags on the desk. I’m SURE I had a reason… right? The funniest part about my studio is that the rest of my house (scary laundry pile I’m NEVER without excluded) is clean. Yeah. I do dishes a few times a day, keep things pretty tidy and clutter-free. It is habit… I guess I just need to bring those habits into the studio door? [yeah yeah, I say that ALL the time]
Bottom line? I have the same 24hrs as everyone else, and sometimes my choices in what to do with them are more productive than others. I have never assumed that the owner of any blog I read has a perfect life – we’ve all got our issues and our own mess (whether literal, emotional, etc) and issues. Just know when you read my blog – I keep it real.I’m a big believer in focusing on the good, the happy, the light in my life because doing so = feeling better and having a better outlook. Oh I might not tell you every detail or bad thing – but that’s because most of that is private, and not the point of my blog.
Today I get to face the reality of being the wife of a fireman and an ever-changing schedule. I get to go to my annual lady parts doctor appointment… with Rebecca. Now don’t be getting too jealous about that one! but do make sure and keep up with your health and regular check-ups!!! If THAT isn’t the ultimate in glamour and fabulousness I just don’t know what is.
Challenge: share in the comments here something that truly IS fantastic about you. I’d love to hear it…
Love it! 🙂 My life is very real, too, but ok, here are two things that others find fantastic about me. While I’m not a seamstress by any stretch, I do manage to make my kids whatever costume they want. Megamind, a box jellyfish, yoda-like creature, etc. Perfect? no, but in there eyes it is 🙂 The other thing is that in the eyes of my kids, my kids’ school principal, and 35 other k-5 kids, I’m fantastic because I started a chess club at school that meets every week for kids to play and learn chess. Have a great weekend!
‘there eyes’ should be ‘their eyes’. sheesh 🙂
Love you, May. I spent yesterday working on Double Take layouts. My room is at least as bad, if not worse. AND I take my messy stuff (spraying, painting, etc.) out to another desk top in the garage. my DH came in last night, took a quick look, gave a shudder and walked out. And, like you, the other rooms of my house look pretty darned good. It’s difficult to be creative in a pristine space. Unless you are Martha, of course.
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face, May! My craft space is always the last to get cleaned, too. It also ends up being the dumping ground for things the rest of the family doesn’t know what to do with. I’m fabulous, because I’m going to go and make a dent in the mess right now. 🙂
What, a desk isn’t supposed to look like that?? For a second there, I thought the elves has snuck in and took photos of my office! My problem is the whole house looks like that! Don’t worries May, nobody who really matters cares what your space looks like as long as you can be creative in it!
Hugs on a Friday from SJ!
My house is pretty tidy… my “studio” is not – and like you I tell myself I’m going to clean it up before I start something else. But then I need to make something, or find something while cleaning and it makes me want to make something, so cleaning is abandoned! Now about being fantastic? Well my husband thinks I’m a fantastic cookie maker, my kids think I’m a fantastic card maker and I have pretty special hair!
May, I love, love this post. I do not think I could ever have a perfectly or even slightly neat and tidy craft room. Just think of all the discoveries you find when you clean up a little spot here and there. It is like something brand new. I also love your attitude about taking responsibility for your own emotions. Absolutely correct! I think you are pretty awesome.
Totally LOVING this post. It’s always nice to see into another person’s life and feel like it’s totally ok to have a mess going on once in a while, lol! There are certainly times I wish my scrappy space could look like yours does, but since I scrap in my living room, it’s not possible. I’ve wasted countless hours putting supplies away…just to have to drag them back out later. It’s frustrating! Oh well…one day I’ll have a scrappy room,a dn you can bet it’ll be a HOT MESS! 😉
Oh, and to share something fantastic about myself…I make really good quesidiallas! Every single person I’ve ever made them for absolutely loves them, and since I don’t cook a whole lot of things (I’m in the learning process), I’d have to say that pretty much rocks. 🙂
– April W
Sheesh, you’d think I could learn to spell check myself, right? That’s what automatic spell check in email programs does to you…makes you forget to do it yourself, lol! Sorry about the typos above…
– April W
Loved seeing your craft room messes – it makes me feel normal. I have had a goal of cleaning it up so that I can work on some new projects, but the new projects take off and I just move things from the table to the desk to the chair to the floor to make room.
Thanks May I needed this as I never seem to keep up with my crafting room. Main stuff for the
family is what I focus on. About once a month I have to find time to clean off the flat surfaces just to work on kits, or make a card. Always down on myself for not doing better. You are a true blessing:)
Awesome post. The thing I love most about you is that you have no excuses. You are real. Your frequent refrain that we all have the same 24 hours is so true. It drives me crazy when people say that can’t do something because they’re sooooo busy, but then talk about the 5 hours of TV shows they watch each day. It’s like they don’t even realize that they are making the choice to sit in front of the TV instead of doing the other things they claim to value (but obviously don’t, or they’d make a different choice.)
I am fabulous because I am extremely well-organized and am able to prioritize my days to what actually matters to me. (Of course, this means I cannot discuss TV with anyone….)
this post is lovely! My house is a total hot mess at the moment, but I keep telling myself at least my kids are clean, full and happy.
lol – I have freezer bags in my craft area too! I use them to store collections and kits in, or anything else I want to keep together. And speaking of laundry piles – you should SEE the humungous one I have waiting for me to do! I finally laid down the law and told my girls to get all the clothes off their floor, and there were a LOT!! And sadly, I still see more in their room..
Oh, and yes, aren’t those gyno appointments FUN when you have a child with you?!?!?! Yuck! Please stay OVER THERE, honey – NOT by the doctor!
Hmm… something fabulous about me. I already have my December Daily/Journal Your Christmas album ready to go – all the pages are made, and have at least one embellishment – I’ll add more as I actually journal in it! 🙂 I’m pretty proud of myself for that, as I tend to be a bit of a procrastinator.
Sounds pretty perfect to me 😉 I think it’s ironic that your house is clean and your studio is a mess. Me too but I have a messy craft space and a messy office (work from home).
I think a blog is a hard thing – if you post only good things then it sounds like you are bragging about your ‘perfect’ life. If you post bad things then it sounds like you are ‘whining and complaining’. I think you need to find the balance between the good and the bad so it just sounds real. I think you do that.
Something fabulous about me…I love to take photos and share them with family and friends. I’ve made photo books and calendars for family. I’ve had family members ask for photos to be enlarged and they put them in their homes. To them I’m a great photographer. Compared to some I’m certainly not that great. But even I know that they are pretty darn good, better than average, and I enjoy them too 🙂 and that’s all that matters.
I spent all morning looking for inspirational quotes for a mini. I am going to use yours as well. You must be a psychology major!! And you certainly have it all together.
“I am in charge of my own happiness. I am responsible for my actions. I am the one who can choose to feel bad or good about myself. If there’s something about me I really don’t like it’s MY job to fix, accept, or improve. That’s not on anyone but ME. ” May Flaum.
my house IS my studio. Luckily I work from home too! in a t-shirt and booty shorts is how I roll. And when I had to do a 24 hr urine collection yesterday I never have been so thankful to work from home
You know what’s fabulous about me?! I TRY. Thats it. I’m not perfect, I’m not slim, slender, look wonderful in clothes, but I’m not obese, I keep my house (and my craft space) neat and tidy, but not all the time. But I TRY my best to be the best version of myself. And that’s all I got!!
great post May. As if we didn’t already all love you, you go and get all ‘real’ on our asses 🙂
Thanks for the Friday smile and giggle, May. I am fantastic because my daughter says I’m the best Mommy in the whole world. 🙂
Hi May,
I love reading your blog. You are a terrific person.
My craft room gets messy as well. I too keep my house tidy.
I love having a room to do my craft in. It is good sometimes to pull the door closed and leave if I am in the middle of working on a project. I tidy up regularly as my room is not very big and then I can’t seem to find things.
May what I love about you is how real you are. And your taste in good books! Your quote is brilliant and something a lot more people need to embrace. Cheers to you for being sunny side up and sharing good things with us. I appreciate that. People tell me I am a great friend- loyal, compassionate and would give away my last cookie if it made someone smile. And I love cookies!
I love that you shared this! How fabulous!! You’ve inspired me to do a similar post on my blog 🙂
One (of many) things I’m truly fantastic at is: making piles. I am like an engineer of piles. And I have them where ever I go. Work, home, bed room you name it, I have a pile!
Something fantastic about me? Hmmm…I’m taking care of my mother, and now my nephew. And so far, I’m not sitting in a corner nursing a whiskey bottle!
Hey I am exactly the same as you … my craft room is always a nightmare but the rest of my house is clean and tidy! I love it!
The only time my hair isn’t on top of my head is right after I wash it.With 3 dogs,4 cats, and 2 grown men living in my house-the laundry is never done,my craft room is a mess, and the rest of the house is a daily losing battle.Fantastic-most days I still find some reason to laugh.
My girls and their friends call our house A Haapy, Fun Place for Children. And that makes me happy.
Loved your picture of yourself and seeing your space makes me feel right at home. I live in a one bedroom condo so it’s been awhile since I could use my dinning room for anything not card related. So, something that is fantastic about me as that my friends and family love my cards so much they don’t want me to clear away my table, they’d rather eat in the living room by the fireplace anyway (they know if I put the stuff away, it won’t come out as often).
Have a good weekend!
May thanks for your post. I need to put your quote up in my classroom. I have a new administrator who consisitently hints that “you have been teaching too long, maybe you should quit” has called me negative, disadvantaged and a bad instructor (all in a 10 minute observation on the first week of school). I need your quote to remind me that she doesn’t have the power to ruin my day (my life maybe, she does have the power to fire me!) but not my day. And she doesn’t have the power to make me feel bad about myself.
Why am I fabulous? I can stand up for myself even to bullies in power. I met with this woman on Thursday and told her I do not feel good when she says nothing but criticisms about me and that her comments make me feel very anxious. My friends and colleagues were in awe! They all said they would never have the courage to have said that.
As a grandmother, I have found a clean house is really a waste of time. As long as you can find the computer and the refrigerator, everything else works out ok. I’m fantastic as I always find time to chat with my sons and daughter, and play with my granddaughter. I know I won’t always be around her so enjoy every moment I have.
My bedroom is looking pretty bad. I haven’t done the seasonal exchange of clothing yet. I just keep putting summer in a big pile and pull winter out of a box. I’m hoping that I’ll run out of winter soon and have a box available for summer.
As for my crafting room…it doubles as an extra bedroom with a twin bed. At this particular point no one could find the bed to sleep in it! I do manage to clean it off every couple weeks. This may be the week!
hmm, why am i fabulous?? Because i am a mother of three and a supportive wife and i try not to judge people.
I love this post so much! My chair is currently occupied by things that need to be filed, and we won’t even talk about the laundry pile in the bedroom.
I’m finally getting to this post, because last week I had to clear off the kitchen counter so I could set up the sewing machine and make 3 Halloween costumes (big time procrastinator). Proud that I got them done in time, and only had one late night. Thanks for keeping it real.
Fabulous post! I hate the whole, “how do you do it all” questions. You know how I do it all? I don’t. The question’s implication is that you aren’t doing something right. You are failing at something and I’m set on finding out how you are failing. Frustrating. Good for you for setting the record straight.
Love this! The only reason my craft desk is clean right now is because I spilled Diet Coke everywhere and had to clean it… The fantastic thing about me is that I genuinely care about others in my life.