Like Clockwork

I'm rounding the corner of the 8th year of writing this Joyful Puttering blog.  Back in January of 2015 I could not have imagined I would be still at it....every single day.....and Paul wondered if I would run out of things to say. 

But like clockwork....the seasons come and go...there are field trips and creative journeys....and an abundance of joy that comes from noticing what's right outside my door.  I have a constant flow on inspiration.

So if you've been with me long-term.....you get some of the same content at certain times of year.  And if you're new....consider yourself warned. I have annual rituals that I celebrate...even the ones that are more mundane.

Every year about this time I cover Christmas matchboxes for Folly 101.... a beautiful little home and gift store in downtown Portland.  It's a funny little job....but I get paid to cut papers....then sit and watch Netflix while I glue the colorful papers onto the boxes.  It's oddly comforting. And like clockwork it becomes the topic of another blog post...because it was one of the ways I joyfully puttered today. The photos look about the same every year....but I always take new one.  It's just what I do.

I've had the papers cut for a few weeks....a perfect mindfully mindless (love that phrase) task in the evening while I watch TV. 

I use matt medium as my glue...and this little chunky cutting board as a weight while they dry.  I've got the process down to a science.

Yesterday after the latest episode of The Great British Baking Show I was half done. 

And this morning....I finished covering the last of the 150 Christmas matchboxes.  I just looked back at my invoices....and I've been doing this for 17 years.  That's a lot of matchboxes.

And the best part is now I get to take a creative excursion downtown to this charming little store for the delivery....and I'm going to take Patty along for the ride.

Next year....some time in the early fall....like clockwork....I'll probably be writing about this mindfully mindless joyful puttering task again.

I found this photo on Folly's Instagram Page.