A Small Switcheroo

We are planning some changes around here, and in the process, ended up with an extra bedroom nightstand.  The side table in the living room was never a conscious choice we made, it was just what we had, and it fit.  But now, if you put two and two together, we go from this:

to this:

It's a spur of the moment change I really like.  Of course, now, the picture which was once hung at the perfect height for the lamp, is now covered up just a smidge, but I think we can learn to live with that.  I also like the fact that we can use the drawers to store stuff.  I'm not quite sure what yet, and I'll have to clear the stuff out that had accumulated in them since being in our guest room, but I'm sure I'll get to that on my organization rampage here in the next month or two.  (I can't decide if that was a joke or the truth...)  But since we occasionally have a "clutter" problem around here, extra drawers will come in handy!

My First Purge

First of all, let me just say that purge is not a very pretty word.  But it makes me feel so good.  It makes me feel so good when I get rid of things, that is.  I cleansed my closet.  This is something that is not very easy for me, because for some reason, I think that if I get rid of an item of clothing, even the ones I never wear, I feel like I am severely limiting my clothing options.  To write that down actually sounds silly, and I don't know if the point is really coming across or not, but for whatever reason it's how I feel.  So anyway, I went through my closet with a serious goal of purging, and here is the result:

What felt like a huge pile to me ended up being only 24 items.  These items were either things that didn't fit right, weren't my style, or were worn out.  And even though they were extremely hard for me to part with, in the end, it made me feel much better about what I got to keep.  And on top of that, I started to organize my closet, and could actually see what was in it much better.  I bundled these items up and will be dropping them off at Goodwill on my next trip.  Woo hoo!
And...just for the record I tossed/recycled two other items (my husband would definitely call them pieces of junk) that were taking up space in the guest room closet.  I am definitely counting this as a small victory, too.
So chalk this up to the first move toward making my new years resolution a reality.  I only need to repeat this process like 50 more times and I might just consider myself on top of things!

My Resolution

Now that we are a week or so into 2011, I'm going to announce my official 2011 resolution.  I have actually known what my resolution would be since mid-2010 and I've been saving it just for the new year.  I know that sounds silly...if I already knew what I was going to resolve, why didn't I just make an August resolution or something like that?  I don't know.  Maybe because I procrastinate.  But anyway.  The time has come NOW.  My 2011 resolution is to...BE MORE ORGANIZED!
In my life, I definitely put out the "I'm organized" vibe, but open some of my closet doors and kitchen drawers and you will see a big mess.  I am a magnet for clutter.  I just can't stay on top of it.  I want to be in control of the goings on of my home, and honestly, my life.
So how will I be more organized this year?  Here are some ideas that represent organization to me.  I may not stick to all of these 100%, and some more ideas will be added to the list I'm sure, but here is where I'm at right now:
* Sort through mail regularly and don't let it pile up
* Reduce clutter - I would like to get rid of at least 100 things in the next month or so
* Clean more frequently (and take the burden off my wonderful husband who does it now!)
* Plan meals in advance
* Finish the projects that I start
* Be more prepared for holidays
* Do not store junk in the guest room closet
* Sort through our moving boxes that are still packed in the basement
So that's it.  This is the year that I will be organized.  Think I can stick to it?  I hope so.  Time will tell, but for right now, I'm off to sort through my closet.

Merry Christmas

Small Victory

Not a lot has been going on around here, but I did manage to rectify the framing situation.  Thanks to some urgings from my husband, a quick trip to Lowe's, and some muscle and brains (not from me), we got the frame up on the wall.  Unfortunately the rest of the photos didn't turn out so well, but you've seen this area before, so hopefully this will do!

I hope to be getting my behind in gear and get more projects started around here.  Otherwise it is getting to be a pretty boring read.

Come on, peephole

This post could alternately be titled What a Hoot.
I am sitting on the couch again, though this time I don't feel quite as worthless, when to my internet-browsing eyes should appear an interesting sight.

To which I turned the computer toward Byron and said, "Should we get a peephole?"
It doesn't happen very often, but he had no response.  I guess the best way I could describe his response was a silent giggle.  He gathered his composure, and to my surprise, said he actually like the owl.  (There was also a chick and a flower, that I saw.)  Now truthfully, installing a peephole in our front door reminds me a little too much of a hotel or apartment.  Do people in real houses actually have these?  Just a few weeks after we moved in, our neighbors house was robbed (nice welcome to the neighborhood) so I am all for increased security measures, but I don't know if this is the way of going about it.  It is just too humorous.
Image found here.

A little bit of nothing...

Monday night I came home from work tired.  Tuesday night I came home from work exhausted.  Tonight I came home from work and I feel totally spent.  I have been trying to muster up some energy, picking up a few things here and there, loading the dishwasher, but I'm not really doing much.  I got a little frustrated with my lack of energy that I was bound and determined to complete one of the projects that I had been putting off - hanging a picture.  I have done that before many times, but tonight it was a total fail.  To start with, the frame was 18 inches square, but the picture inside is only around 4 inches square.  So the frame is a lot of wood.  In the back, there is a little part carved out and a cleat for hanging.  Apparently the normal type of hook that is usually our fall back won't fit with the cleat.  Too bad we didn't know that ahead of time.  Now I am just left with my picture sitting on the floor and a hole in the wall.  Lovely.  Project = not tackled.
I have just been feeling like that lately.  I am tired, which makes me feel worthless.  And I don't really have any projects that I am working on at home, so I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything.
I don't know if I shared this, but a few weeks ago Byron and I went to IKEA.  On our list to get were cabinet handles for the kitchen.  Mission accomplished.  We got these.  But now they have been sitting on the table for three weeks because I am too scared to start attaching them.  Since when have I been intimidated by a DIY project?  I just feel so overwhelmed.
I know that seasons like this happen in life.  And I know it won't last forever.  I will rally.  And I will conquer the kitchen handles.  So I guess this was a little bit of me giving you one part getting things off my chest and one part apologizing for the boredom around here.  For now, though, I'm off to take a nap!