Today I’ve been thinking about a song my dad used to sing.  It was a Bing Crosby song from 1944 called “Would you like to swing on a Star?”  I always loved it when he sang it and never really thought about it.  I knew there were animals in the song but couldn’t remember past the first verse so here are the words.

Would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long, funny ears
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
He’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And, by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He’s got no manners when he eats his food
He’s fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don’t care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won’t do anything but swim in a brook
He can’t write his name or read a book
To fool all the people is his only thought
Though he’s slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish

And all the monkeys aren’t in a zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see, it’s all up to you
You can be better than you are

You could be swingin’ on a star.

 

I don’t think my dad sang past the verse about the mule and probably didn’t know the rest of the words, but in reading the lyrics, the song is kind of mean.  But then if Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin sang a song, you always thought it was a sweet ballad about love or in this case, swinging from a star.  In 1944, it won the Academy Award for best song in a movie.  I wonder what songs didn’t win that year?

I still love that dad sang me the first verse and maybe today he’s “Swingin’ on a Star” while he makes sure I stay out of trouble.  He was quite a dad.

Are hot glue guns the work of the devil?  I watch people use them on You Tube all the time and I swear that they have asbestos hands.  It’s either that or they are really good at pretending they are not crying both on the inside and outside.  You can’t tell me  when they touch a molten surface directly after application there isn’t at least a little screaming going on.  Maybe they hold it in, but really?  That stuff hurts.  Not only does it burn, but it doesn’t stop burning just because it cools off.  Once it has adhered itself to your skin, you might as well just call 911.  It’s gonna leave a mark.

I’m a wimp.  I’m willing to admit it.  That’s why I bought the finger tips for hot glue.  Those should work great if you are using those three fingers.  Today I used the right finger with the silicone tip and still burned myself.  That’s a gift folks..not everyone can accomplish a feat like that.  Also, if you just happen to use another finger, you’re screwed.  I must be challenged, because I forget to use the finger with the silicone tip on it and go straight for the third degree burn.  I have so many projects lined up that involve hot glue.  Darn it.  I even own a low temp hot glue gun.  They might as well advertise it as “this will never work.”  My glue got hard before I even got it on the surface I was gluing.

I’m starting to see a trend here.  It may not be the hot glue after all.  Maybe I am, in fact, the problem.  Oh, who is ever going to believe that one.  (Besides me.)

I did some serious destashing today.  Put a ton of things on ebay, most of them not craft related but still, I feel so much better.  You know how you accumulate other things, let’s say purses.  And then you should have gotten rid of those and you didn’t.  I feel better just knowing I’m trying to get rid of them, even if I never do.  At least I am making the effort.  I started working on the crafting things as well, but frankly, it’s a lot of work.  Maybe I’ll wait until 2016 for the bulk of the craft things.  Or maybe I’ll keep plugging away at it.  I’m just not that committed at this point.

PS Another box from Michael’s arrived today.  I didn’t have the heart to open it or move it into my box filled craft room.  I’m thinking of renaming my craft room,  Hoarder Heaven.  Too much?  I’m not sure.

My restashing continues.  My craft room was finally looking like a normal person played there, but then I found some great sales at Joann’s, Michaels and A.C. Moore, and now there’s kind of a hoarder’s path to walk through.  Technically there is barely a path because the presents I’ve purchased for Christmas have spread into my craft room as well.  I also have a few larger crafty things I’m working on for Christmas that are real space suckers (if you know what I mean.)  My real problem is that when I moved into my new craft room, I left a lot of things behind.  And I mean A LOT.  So even though I am destashing those things, they don’t make any impact in my craft room.  The restashing I’m doing, does.  Everything I buy goes into the craft room and let’s face it, I need to stop buying things and well, use the things I have.  I’m proud that I’m starting to finally purge the things from the old craft room.  Just think what could happen if I did the same thing in the new craft room.  Ok, it’s just not going to happen for the short run, or maybe ever.  I’m getting really attached to my chaos and maybe I am turning into a hoarder.  Only time, and boxes stacked to the ceiling, will tell.

My destashing is under way.  I decided I couldn’t stand it a minute longer, so I started listing things on ebay. I feel better about myself already so immediately talked Rich into going to craft stores (he sat in the car and played on his computer) and I restashed what I had just started to destash.  Is it a sickness?  I think it might be.  I spoke with a woman who had a cart full of Christmas ornaments.  She said it was her second trip to Michael’s today having purchased another cart full of the same ornaments.  I asked her what her plans were and she said she was going to do craft fairs next year.  As soon as she said that a light bulb went on in my head (well, not literally).  Michael’s was selling these ornaments at 70% off.  Of course they might be cheaper after Christmas, but this deal was too good to pass up.  Sure I could use them next year.  Didn’t I just clear off a shelf with my destashing?  Now I have room for next year’s You Tube projects.  Is this smart thinking?  I seriously doubt it, but it was a lot of fun.  I did have to talk the woman out of three sets of ornaments since she bought the entire store’s worth.  She was gracious and said she wasn’t going to be a hog about it, and let me take them.   So I’m on my way to 2016 or 2017’s Christmas You Tube projects.  I should have destashed awhile ago.  I never realized how much fun it could be.

I’ve decided I have difficulty in deciding when to say when.  You know how when you were a kid and you ate candy until you either got sick or wanted to get sick?  That’s how I get when I am consumed with a mission.  I just can’t stop.  One thing leads to another and another and eventually, I’m consumed.  I think about the domino affect. When you touch one and they fall into each other until the whole row is down.  That is how I view this Christmas and the bedroom I’m creating for this little girl.  It started out with the comforter set and some butterfly decals that her mom can hang on the walls around her bed.  Then it went to the lamp that will match the comforter.  Then the curtains that will match as well.  Now I’m redoing an old picnic basket to create storage and make it match the set which lead to the photo/memory board that will go on the wall and now a pillow with matching bling and a magnetic board for her artwork.  I realize it’s over the top and I’m mostly crazy, but could this room be the domino that she and her mother have to remind them that someone wants more for them?  I’m sure you are thinking I’m missing the big picture..what about clothes and shoes, boots, etc.  I’m even more obsessive about those things because if you don’t have life’s necessities, you are floundering.  Money is nothing if you can’t do something good with it.  What’s better than relieving the anxiety and stress of a young mother?  Or helping her daughter really believe in Santa Claus.  The dominoes are beginning to fall in their favor and I believe that my crazy is going to be their domino.  We’re lucky to have each other.