My Weekend Project - The Jewelry Organizer

   So, as stated in my previous post, last week was hard for me. I felt alone and a little depressed. So I deleted my facebook account, to gain some insight. I realized that I was expending too much emotional energy, checking and posting, and not really receiving any emotional substance in return. To sum it up, I was left feeling kind of empty. So... in the absence of social media, I finally finished a project I had been wanting to do for a couple weeks now; a custom jewelry organizer.

The problem : loads of jewelry tangled up in bags and boxes. 

    I got the idea from some DIY blogs that I follow, where crafters had taken old printing trays and converted them to jewelry organizers. I wasn't sure where I might find a printing tray, or something like it, until I was riding down the street on my bike and found this old board game set out to the trash. It is a traditional dutch game called "Sjoelbak" and it is kind of a miniature version of our shuffleboard. Anyway, I thought it would be perfect.

  I then visited our local thrift shop, and the hardware store, where I purchased several odds and ends that I thought would work for jewelry hanging. Then, while Jacob did his Hockey thing, I got to work on my jewelry organizer. I think it turned out very well. :)

Step one : paint. 

I wanted it to match the clothes shelf I already made. 

Faux finishing. 

I cut and painted dowel rods, added a mirror, and some jewelry making pieces that I customized for hanging. 

Waiting for the glue to dry. 

And Tadaaaah!! Finished!!

The perfect way to organize my mess. :)

Dutch Field Hockey Championships

Pre Game Huddle.

  Okay, so this past week was a difficult one. The constant rain and need for winter coats, coupled with the loneliness of not having my friends and family here made me feel alone and depressed. I was frustrated by things like social media (Facebook) because people see my pictures and they feel they have caught up on me, but then I never actually hear from them.  SO- I deleted my Facebook account for the weekend to gain some insight, and boy what a weekend it was.  First off, for those of you who don't know, Jacob plays professional Field Hockey for the Amsterdam team. Well this Saturday, they won the Dutch Championship, and next week they go on to compete in the European Finals. Their current position is #1 in Europe, so they have high hopes. As most of you know, I couldn't give a rats-ass about sports, but this game was special. Obviously because my boyfriend played, but also because I had never been to a competition of this caliber. It was actually very cool to see.


     The game was played in the neighboring town of Rotterdam. Jacob's Father, Jacob #1, decided to seat us (His mother, his father, and myself) right in the middle of the stadium seats, with all the Rotterdam Fans. Let me tell you, if looks could kill, the kid in front of me would have murdered me twenty times over. Ha!! Jacob 1, said "I think he's going to be waiting for you after the game." I imagined the kid, with his freckles and curly hair, standing under a light post, palming his little hockey stick, and giving me the stink eye. Made me laugh.  Anyway, the game was pretty intense and the Amsterdam team took home the cup with a 2-1 victory!! Woo Hoo!!

The boys hugging it out as the press runs in for a good shot.