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FINALIST: Constantly Moving Military Spouse in dire need of scrapping solution.
I am a military spouse who moves every two to 4 years. I NEVER know what kind of living arrangement I will have. Sometimes it is a corner in the diningroom...and sometimes it is a room in the basement. Move after move...I make the best of what I get handed. But this cabinet would be a huge help in embracing whatever living arrangements we land with each new assignment.
Last edited by lsmcvay; 09-26-2009 at 12:55 AM..
Reason: adding pictures
More pics of my temp. scrap room....and all the help it needs.
In all other areas, I am pretty organized. But the scrap-room suffers. While my husband is gone (which is more often than I like to think about), I often have only enough time to run in, do something quick...and continue with all the other demands (children, the house, the squadron responsibilities).... I enjoy my time creating so much, but sometimes I spend so much time getting things together that I am left with very little time to actually do something. It would be so wonderful for everything to have its place....move after move....and it would be so wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy what little time I have in the day during deployments and seperations to do something for myself. I dread every move that comes up...because I never know if I am going to land a a space for my scrapping and stamping or not. Our last base had me in the corner of the diningroom. The base before that, I was in a cold, unfinished basement in Minot, North Dakotah (which constantly threatened flooded basements)....This would give me the peace of mind to know that, no matter where we end up serving, I will have a place to go and "retreat."
Last edited by lsmcvay; 09-26-2009 at 01:21 AM..
Reason: adding a picture
Location: Where the Navy sends us... currently middle of no where Guam...
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If it was a vote that would make you win this contest my vote would go to you. Being a military wife myself, I know the moving story all too well. I've moved several times and would love to enter the contest myself but can't since we're stationed overseas in Guam. Our space is pretty small and my hubby's is even smaller when he's gone as he's on a submarine most of the year.
Good Luck & I wish you all the best in your crafting.
__________________ Jessica Schecter
He's married to the Navy, I'm just his mistress. My Blog � My Biz
I agree, the military spouse give up a lot. One little scrapbox could make a difference for you.
Jessica, don't worry, Guam will end. In fact after you leave Guam, you will miss the close social bonds.
__________________ ~Vee
It's not who you know-it's whom you know.
JKupa----your husband deserves a big giant kiss...... And Jessica....I know how you feel!!! Our tour in Turkey was a lesson in space management...now, everytime we move or buy something....all I have to do is think about the fact that, someday, space will be at a premium!! Guam will end (just like Turkey ended for me)...
At every base we have been stationed at, I have worked with other crafters in using our talents and skills to help support both military spouses, families, and troops downrange. I am currently working with my daughter's class to encourage wounded warriors while they recover away from their loved ones. A lot of my time is also spent making cards and gifts for spouses of deployed soldiers and airmen for different organizations. I open my home to women to come and create once a month, at no charge....as just a positive place to come and get away from it all for a few hours. I have found that doing this often brings a bit of peace during times of great stress.
Here are three more pics of my craftroom......kids toys and all. I have a 12 month old and a 5 year old. I never have time in there by myself....if I go in there, somehow both of them either start out in there....or are brought there by my adorable husband......
In these pictures you will see that my sewing, quilting, and knitting stuff cohabits with my papercrafting stuff. The two really don't get along that well...but they have to deal. You will also notice there there are baby toys here and there because if I want to work in there, I often have to take my 1 year old with me. There is also a table in there for my 5 year old. She really only uses it to hide punches, stamps, ink pads, and paper that she has squirreled away (as you can tell....it is a treasure hunt everytime I think she has snagged something)... I have pretty much come to terms with crafting with kids. Often times I set up something for my oldest to work on while I work too. She is often seated next to me at the cardtable.
It is embarrassing to post these pics....but here they are! And when we are assigned somewhere that doesn't have a spare room.....this is stashed all over the house....in spare nooks in the closets, under the computer desk, in boxes under the beds, and in large plastic tubs covered with a blanket. And, like most people under the sun, I have to do whatever I am working on at the diningroom table...
I must admit, I am laughing as I read all the very legit reasons why everyone else should win this beautiful cabinet. Kids seem to be a big, on going, reason....while cramped spaces are another. Now, husbands throwing away their stuff???? I don't understand that one as my wonderful husband is very happy with anything that keeps me happy. Please tell me there are other men out there that love seeing their wives happy and creative.....even if it adds a little chaos to their homes!?!?!?! Come on, I want to hear about some great guys. I can't be the only one!!
My Loving USAF husband that puts up with my crafting....and actually encourages it!!
I guess you can say that he and his support is another very good reason for my winning this cabinet. This is my loving husband, in Iraq.....he sent this picture to our daughter when she was 4 to show her that Winnie The Pooh comes to see him....so it can't be that bad. He is the guy on the right, with black hair.
Wow.. I'm a military wife too and how did you manage to get a craft room in your house??? I have no room, just a tiny area in the corner of the living room.
Location: Where the Navy sends us... currently middle of no where Guam...
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lsmcvay... you are not the only one with a great guy! Mine is also very supportive of my stamping habit, he's just not here much to really complain. He's gone about 300 days of the year, so when he is home he doesn't complain. Now I imagine if he were home more he might, because I spend so much time and energy in my stamping. But at the same time had he been home more, I may not spend as much time and energy with my stamps... I would be spending it with him. If that makes any sense.
I wish you luck with you contest entry and hope to see one of these great pieces in my house one day.
__________________ Jessica Schecter
He's married to the Navy, I'm just his mistress. My Blog � My Biz
Jessica, That was great! I must admit, when my my guy is gone, I am stamping up a storm!! You know how it is....they are gone, and their spot in your life becomes loneliness..... Gotta take that visiter by the horns and show it what for!!! I do it by creating....and people can tell when he is gone by the flood of cards and completed scrapbook pages. It sounds like you are the same way. Who would have thought that the military would also create the spread of beauty (our cards) during times of war?
Boy oh boy do I understand what's going on...have 4 kids myself and a military husband. It's awful to downgrade in size from one base to another and wonder, "What do I have to give up now?"
Wife of a military brat here.. My husband while not in the military himself was the son of a Col. of USAF.. never spent more than 3 years in a single location in his life. I STILL (even after 10 years of marriage) have to keep listening to him lament (or rave) about the various places he has lived over the years.
You have my complete and total sympathy. A scrapbox would be perfect for a military family that is always on the move. At least when you change bases all you would need to do is close the box and then roll it into the next location.
You ladies are great! With all these moves, we make the most of what is handed to us. Sometimes we smile, nod, and say it is "ok".....all the while counting down the days till the next assignment to get us anywhere but the pit we are currently put in. Sometimes we are able to pull it off....because, hey, what use does complaining do but make a possiblily difficult situation even stickier? It isn't like our guys enjoy living in a pit of a base either??
Like most of my surving (the fighters that don't let it get them down), crafting (whatever their creative addiction may be) is the thing that gets us all through the constant changes....when days get dark, we turn around and make something beautiful....when times are hard, we create something to encourage....
Share with us:
(1) why you craft
(2) what you do with your completed handcrafted projects, and
(3) what the biggest impact any of your projects has had on you, someone else, or the world at large!
ISMcVey, congratulations on making the final!!! So happy for you to be here and wish you good luck. It is inspiring to see the supportive comments from other military families that are walking your road. Best wishes to you!
-tania
Ismcvay,
Congrats on being in the final 10! It was exciting to read the notification, wasn't it? I know I was surprised and excited!
I can so-oo relate to your experiences, since I, too, am a military spouse. It'd be fun to find ourselves stationed somewhere together and be able to get together to craft!
I wish you the best of luck. And if you win, be sure to share pictures so we can all enjoy the Workbox, too!
Best wishes,
SammyKu
I am laughing right now......my lovely husband came home from work a week and a half ago with Swine Flu. Gotta love those guys....I kept him hydrated and he is up and running again...
Ok....why do I craft?
I craft because I love it and I love helping others find an escape through crafting. The deployments and stress that come with the military are hard. I know a lot of people who drink, shop, overeat, and leave their husbands due to the stress that comes with this life in the military. Instead...I craft. The act of creating something out of raw materials brings a lot of beauty and peace to an often dark and lonely existance. When I hear that others are battling depression due to the weight on their shoulders, I will often invite them over for a time of escaping it all. And we create...
What do I do with what I create???
Give it away. I have 89 families within my squadron alone that I have to take care of (Being the Key Spouse)...new babies, new comers, those leaving, deployments, illnesses....you name it, my stock pile doesn't stay plentiful for long. I am also part of a women's support network that has 250 women that I also do the same thing for. I create and give away. I have found that the quiet encouragment of giving helps everyone make it through rough times...
And the last question...
The biggest impact??? For me....it is knowing that someone, somewhere, has something small and beautiful that may bring a smile when no smiles would have been. I have been touched by others' willingness to reach out....I know how hard it is to go, day after day, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Just knowing that someone, somewhere, may have a bit of peace that comes with knowing they are not alone...that is what makes my day. Others??? I do it so quietly that I often will never hear about how they feel....but I know and that is enough. Now, the work that I send downrange, I know the impact that makes. From the card workshops that I have for children whose parents are gone to those that are replenishing unit stockpiles....I know that the troops feel like they are not so far from home. I know that the single members feel like someone, somewhere, is thinking about them. I know that the parents hold the cards made by their children and cherish them.
Sometimes, it is the little things that keep everyone going. From the spouse left behind, to the military member serving an 18 month tour while their children grow older....
As the spouse of an injured vet, are you getting everything that your family needs? You have our family's respect and support (and I mean actual support.....)....if you find there is anything you need.....I would be more than happy to find out what can be done!
I too am an Army wife in Canada. I know the stress of moving. I wish all military housing across Canada could be exactly the same. At least that way I would know where to put everything with each move. It is stressful enough just hoping that all of your stuff arrives and in one piece. I currently scrap in the spare bedroom (paid extra to have 4 bedrooms this time) which is also the computer room and where my husband stores and displays all of his memorabilia. Oh ya, and there is a gun case behind my scrapping table. Good luck to you with the contest. I know many women who can relate. And kudos for the sacrifices you make as a Military wife. We are the Silent Ranks.
__________________ Crystal
Year Goal 8/30 Aug 5/8
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.
Ah.....tonight I am heading down to the craftroom. Me, my paper & ink, and my latest audio book. And yes, it is a scheduled date that has been written on the calendar for the last week. How many of you do the same? I find myself doing it quite often lately. Often, other "requirements" trump the need to create. I am sure that each and everyone of you do the same. So, tell me.....how is your relationship with your paper doing right now? Do you communicate the way you should.....or is there a long drawn out silence between you???
FINALIST: Constantly Moving Military Spouse in dire need of scrapping solution.
