Last weekend we visited an old friend who had recently moved to a new house. Where her last house was beautiful and perfectly decorated, this one was a huge, gorgeous showplace. And that wasn't even where the monster got me, although it certainly could have. No, it was the absolute absence of clutter. The tables and shelves had only what should have been there, tastefully decorated of course, but no excess of books shoved into the bookshelves, no shelves overloaded with trinkets that had to be kept somewhere. The end result was very relaxing and looked easy to clean as well.
I felt the sting when we got home and I walked into my kitchen, cluttered with mismatched coffee cups, seeds sprouting on the windowsill, and a pile of a laundry waiting for it's turn in the washer. My whole house is like that because I have more stuff than places to put it, and I am weighed down with "heirlooms" that someone else in the family wanted to get rid of. Then, there's the furniture and household items both daughters are collecting to feather their own nests but currently storing in every vacant corner of my house. Donna's house had none of that, not even a little pile of mail anywhere.
That reminds me that the Hubster and I haven't been making any headway on our 2009 goals, especially the ones about clearing the clutter and putting up everything after using it. If it takes 30 to 60 days for something to become a habit, then I still have time to achieve those goals this year. Since one or both girls will move by the end of May, that's when I'd like to have "putting things away" a solid habit.
Marti
I felt the sting when we got home and I walked into my kitchen, cluttered with mismatched coffee cups, seeds sprouting on the windowsill, and a pile of a laundry waiting for it's turn in the washer. My whole house is like that because I have more stuff than places to put it, and I am weighed down with "heirlooms" that someone else in the family wanted to get rid of. Then, there's the furniture and household items both daughters are collecting to feather their own nests but currently storing in every vacant corner of my house. Donna's house had none of that, not even a little pile of mail anywhere.
That reminds me that the Hubster and I haven't been making any headway on our 2009 goals, especially the ones about clearing the clutter and putting up everything after using it. If it takes 30 to 60 days for something to become a habit, then I still have time to achieve those goals this year. Since one or both girls will move by the end of May, that's when I'd like to have "putting things away" a solid habit.
Marti
I like this! You are right about the extra stuff. My sis keeps her house/cabinets so uncluttered. Not me.
ReplyDeleteBut we're trying over here too. It will get there.