Thursday 25 June 2009

Organisation and Mookaite Jasper


It's a dreary, grey winter's day today - brrr. Its hard to get motivated when the weather is so dull and cold. Overall though, Australia has it so easy in the winter stakes. Imagine having snow and ice for months each year! Whilst we would all say, oh, but wouldn't it be great to have snow.... I think we'd tire of it pretty quickly as the numbness from the cold set in! So, even though this is a mild winter by some standards, I'm not planning on getting too far from my fire today :)

I must admit that I am feeling the need to organise my life again. It's really not as drastic as it sounds. It's just that stuff tends to build up - how do I aquire so much "stuff" anyway!? Then before I know it, I'm digging under stacks of papers looking for that form that had to go back to school. Or I'm moving piles of things around trying to make space to write out a note. Whilst in general things aren't that bad, some areas are getting a bit TOO random for my comfort zone!

Our study for example is a multi-purpose room. It is where hubby and I do our bookwork and work on projects, have the computers and store textbooks, trade magazines/books, accounts and papers associated with clubs we're involved in. I also can't bear to throw out packaging boxes etc - they always get used (evenutally) so I have a cupboard full of those. Plus I store my display materials for jewellery shows which gobbles up quite a bit of space. The room is quite large (a converted garage) and the children love to play in there too.

This is the room that probably bothers me the most but I have to think of a plan of action before just launching in and getting in a bigger mess LOL. Maybe I need to take some pointers from the Organise Your Life Now blog!

I don't seem to have had a lot of time for checking out my favourite bloggers this week - will have to remedy that soon. I did come across a funny post by Amanda at Household Six that shows you do have to be rather careful of your language around young children :)

Today's picture is of a gorgeous necklace of big slabs of mookaite jasper, large freshwater pearls and deep red garnet.

I love the rich colour of this mookaite - a light heathery-purple through to a rich maroon. Mookaite is an Australian jasper (actually radiolarian siltstone) found under the Mooka Creek bed in the Kennedy Range in Western Australia and is often spelled in a variety of ways - eg. mookite, moukaite and so on. It often comes with a mustard-yellow combination but these ones are all in the purple tones (except for just a touch of yellow on the stone right at the very end if you look closely). Its a jasper that you don't see all that often which only makes it all the more special.


Till next!

19 comments:

Jennifer said...

I'm always amazed at all the different semi-precious stones you use! It's like I'm having a lesson every time I visit your site! ;-) I love the color of this jasper!

I hope you're able to keep warm there!

ChezChani said...

Sounds like my kind of room! I would love a really large room where I can have my different craft areas. All my stuff is piled into what's supposed to be a bedroom. And it's oozing out. The sewing machine and related mess are in my bedroom and the resin stuff is in my garage next to the candle making area. Really I need a whole craft house.

Golfersmom said...

I love the colors in the necklace. You have a great blog. I am visiting from the MBC comment club.

Morgan said...

I forgot that it's winter down there. Would you believe it's been 90's where I live for the past week?!? There have been heat warnings the past several days. Winter here is very very cold, though.

So how cold does winter get there?

Annette Piper said...

Our winters are really very mild. Even though I am on the Great Dividing Range, it really isn't that high - we don't get snow although frosts are common overnight.

It usually reaches double digits by the middle of the day - say 10-16 degrees celcius although there are frigid days when it stays below that.

Enjoy the warmth ladies!

Veronica Lee said...

I keep forgetting it's winter in Australia.
Another stunning piece, Annette!!

Jenjen @GottaLoveMom said...

I love your gems....where do you find such precious ones?

I want a quiet room where I can just read or write - no TV, no internet connection (not sure about that!!)

Stay warm..

Market Girl said...

Hi Annette,
Thanks for the lovely comment on the handmade blog, we hope you can be part of our lovely community soon. P.S am loving your photos here.
Cheers
Julie

I am Harriet said...

Hi Annette.
Thanks so much for coming by my site so regularly to say hello!

Take care.

kristina said...

that's an awesome necklace!!
dreary winter day?! oh boy! i was sweating it off today with what feels like a 104 heat index outside.
i don't like dreary winter days as much as i don't like suffocating heat strokes - and wish spring was an all year long kind of season :)

CailinMarie said...

I enjoy reading about Mookaite - I didn't now what it was before! And I know what you mean about organizing - I've been hit by the same bug lately. Keep us updated if you decided on a new strategy for the room and your things - although i admit, I'm one for keeping boxes and packaging as well. I do always use them and think it is silly to have to go and purchase them.

Annette Piper said...

Jen, I'm always on the lookout for something I bit different - so I get my gems from all over the world. This mookaite however came from a little shop tucked away in a tiny shopping centre in the northern Australian town of Bundaberg when we were there last year. I've been saving it for just the right things to go with it.

I'm looking forward to joining you one day soon Julie :)

I love the weather of spring and autumn too Kristina, but I get terrible hayfever in spring!

No progress yet on the organisation front CailinMarie *sigh*

Stacie said...

The picture of the necklace is gorgeous! Stay warm!

Organize Your Life said...

Thanks for the mention Annette. :)

On the topic of decluttering you may be interested in a Decluttering 'Random Acts of Kindness' challenge anyone can participate in. We have decided to donate a dozen Original Hard Copy Organizers. If you have anything you no longer need but something that someone else could make use of then check this challenge out here - http://wonderfulwebwomen.com/blog/2009/amandas-decluttering-random-acts-of-kindness-challenge/

Claire :)

Tammy said...

I need to be getting on that organizational trend, as well. Time to start planning for the new homeschooling year so there are files to purge, ideas to consider, and piles of paper to find a proper place for. I'm going to check out that link for some tips to get me motivated 'cause right now I have the motivation of a sloth!

Brittany said...

Annette I have a room like this too. It overwhelms me every day. I am finally getting a hold of it (and my other semi crazy rooms using the baby steps I found at www.flylady.net. I needed to start small :) I could use a little Aussie winter my way. It's in the mid-90's here with heat index of 100. The kids and I are dying! Great post - beautiful piece. I will be back!

Mommy Grits said...

Beautiful site! On organization-a few weeks ago I had a consultation with a professional organizer - the Organizing Aussie! Goodness knows I need her services!

Thetamom said...

It's hard to imagine cold weather when I am dealing with the heat! You have beautiful jewels
(great pics) and a great blog!

Jenny said...

Oooo pretty.

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