Tuesday 9 February 2010

It All Started When This Arrived...

My 'Your Home and Garden' magazine.  It's a gift subscription from my parents, but I fear it's going to run out soon.  Well it all looks fairly innocent, does it not?

Mmmm, well, until you arrive at this page!  I think anyone who wears pastel blue would have to be more organised than myself at the best of times.  I dream of living in an organised home.  Well OK, probably not actually dream of such things because that would perhaps make me a little obsessive with cleaning, organising, tidying etc.  But more along the lines of, gosh I wish this place were a little tidier.

It's a bit of a one (or two when hubby is home) man game at keeping this house tidyish.  I really lost that battle years ago with four children.  But I do have the odd area that I do have well organised and it really does keep tidy.

Now click on this little bit of writing.  Go on, just for a laugh!

OK are you thinking you are outrageously filthy, like I now do?  Or are you wondering what the problem is?  Now be truthful!  I have to admit that I'm failing pretty much all of the above.  I won't say I'm proud of the fact, but it's just how it is.  Personally I would consider these things a 'once a year' spring clean!

Then I happened upon this dinky little photo of a very neat and tidy bookcase.  Well I thought, where better to start with a bit of a tidy up than here.  Pretty harmless really.  Oh please No.3's toes.  You know how they are sometimes!!

Here we have a pre-prepared, messy bookcase for your viewing...

And now we have a very neat and tidy bookcase, where one can actually find a book with ease.  It's a bit like using the local library really.  Would you care to borrow one?  Please just remember to put it back in the correct place when you return it.  There's a love.


Well today I need another wee project didn't I?  No.1's wardrobe.  It's a dangerous place at the best of times.  Takes after her mother this one. 

I now have tidy shelves and a jolly sore bruise on my right foot.  Seems mother put a farily large glass picture frame, on top of a whole pile of papers, on the top shelf.  Mmmm and I can't even blame her.

Does it look more organised?  I think it does.  Well if she could only see what I threw out!!  Oh the paper and the pencils we own.  Goodness, does anyone else have enough to open their own stationery shop?

And of course, just for us, there was a section on revamping your bathroom.  Ours is about to have a makeover, along with our bedroom.  Jolly exciting I can tell you!  Did I tell you this man of mine is on a mission??
I'm thinking ours will be along the lines of the clean/minimal picture.  But with coloured walls.  Not sure of the exact colour yet.  Perhaps darkish, brownish, greyish?  Or a half strength if I chicken out.  Oh and some outrageous accessories!  I'm prepping hubby for some splashes of orange.

This is our current bathroom.  So plain and boring.  The shower is about to fall apart.  And there's the same boring wallpaper on the walls.  It was a whole house job, the wallpaper. 

So that's what I'm up to at the moment.  So if I go missing for a few days you can picture me surrounded by bags, boxes and rubbish.  Lovely isn't it?

Anyone inspired to join me in a little clean out?

15 comments:

sallgood said...

I love organizing all most as much as I love making a mess! Good work on getting things done!! :D

Aunty Bee said...

I know how you feel, I always feel inferior when I look at NZ House and Gardens. Those perfect houses never seem to have 2 huge teenage boys lying around, or a husband who is a shift worker, always things to make any home not so perfect, which is way I like Your Home & Garden better.

JuanitaTortilla said...

Mmm! Those 'after' shots look right out of the magazine! But seriously, who on earth has the time to arm herself with a bucket and rags and detergents to keep up with these mandatory dust-cleaning? Life gets in the way of cleaning.

janjan said...

Well I was there, I do all that, right up until the weekly one, the weekly one is what I do monthly and the monthly one is what I do whenever. But I am trying very hard to discipline myself, though as I look around my messy home in the middle of a big de-clutter I think I'm a little bit disallusioned.

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Indeed who has time, or the desire to clean for that matter. It's a bit OTT in my opinion.

And so you get your house looking super duper and then you start on a quilt. That's where it all goes pear shaped!

Luisa said...

Do I clean?
Do I sew?
Do I clean?
Do I sew?

One always suffers at the expense of the other....!

Then throw in de-cluttering, kids, cooking from scratch, trying to garden, and life...and how on earth??!!
LOL

Floss said...

Well, I'm wearing pastel blue, but I'm not organised! Half of me laughs at those lists, and half of me realises that life works better when I have SOME sort of system, even though it's never as scary as that list! I have realised that while I've been ill the systems have largely fallen to bits and that, most of the time, I am kind of organised...

Well done on the sorting out, and I'll be thinking of you, hoping you don't sustain any more housewifely injuries!

. said...

Never trust anyone who cleans in a pale blue jumper...you know it's all a cheesecake ruse.I recommend a baggy pyjama TShirt, a pair of my husbands boxer shorts and leg warmers that can be pulled up over the knees for the scrubbing the shower floor moments. Add fingerless gloves,a straw hat and clogs for gardening, and some red lippie if you're hitting the supermarket!
See you in Foodtown...you can't miss me! x

VintageVicki said...

I love the idea of systems and tidyness - sometimes I even vaguely achieve them - but mostly I don't!!

When there's a choice of dusting or knitting there is no choice.

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Oh this is looking good for me then! And goodness, I'm rather glad I'm a Pak'n'Save kind of girl Jus!! Do you think she's serious?? I never change for anything, gardening, cleaning whatever, it's what I'm wearing at that moment. Gosh if I changed for cleaning I'd never ever do it.

Anonymous said...

I'm now feeling more inadequate than ever. just off to console myself with a cup of tea and a slice of cake...

Lululiz said...

I am not even going to bother commenting, sigh, I'll just go and stand in a corner and hang my head in shame .....

Oh sod that, I'll just join CraftyHelen and have a cup of tea and a slice of cake with her

Jodie said...

I so need to buy that mag if it will make me do that, clean my clutter... Great job!!!

Take Care
Jodie :)

Jude said...

It all sounds like the 40's and 50's where Mother had to be ready to greet her husband with hair done and renewed lipstick and children bathed and toys tidied away. of course his pipe and newspaper in pristine condition. Not like Sarah's father who never found his Listener magazine with it's cover still on! Jude

Carole said...

Hello,
I arrived from Floss's blog, and I'm also a decluttering addict. I think I have been in that process my whole life !!! Well, if you are looking for a "system" that really works and is very life changing and forgiving, go check www.flylady.net, it's free ! It sure helped me a lot.
I had to laugh when you told about your daughter's closet... same thing here ! We could open 5 stationnary shops and as many art galleries...
Good luck with the decluttering and keep those before / after pics coming, I love them !