Staggering under the piles

I might have slipped, but I have done some decluttering.  We sorted out the conservatory to accommodate a change in focus from playroom to sewing room and this inspired me to get rid of a lot of old art supplies and a sewing machine - all to my neighbour's daughter who is studying art and textiles at A level with little in the form of materials for either.

I estimate that I got rid of at least 80 items and I am loving how light and airy the conservatory is.  I have a lot more art stuff to get rid of and unfortunately no motivation to do so - anyone have any suggestions?

I seem to have slipped away from my decluttering again.  I've not added to my total, but I am feeling overwhelmed by the amount of ironing that I have in store.  I think part of this is that DH is going through a spell of not doing anything (apart from the cooking, for which I am truly grateful) when he comes home.  Maybe in his mind, as I am at home all day, he has a 1950s division of labour going on.  Now if he were to share that with me, I would be happy to discuss it, but what I do not like is the unspoken assumption that I will do everything because I'm at home.

So instead, the inner brat has me sat here messing about on the computer, thumbing my nose.

Now having typed all that, I feel ready to iron - I will not let the brat win

Oh what happened to June?

I realised I'd not been very diligent in counting for June, so I've decided to just ignore the ins and outs for the month - let's call it a draw and not change the count!

However, I've been more focused so far in July (as focused as I will be anyhow - life's far too fun to make decluttering my be all and end all)

So, how am I doing?

Out
bag of Christmas card tags, kid's bag, teddy, scraperfoil, sudoku toy, shorts, 2 belts, hair straighteners, bath mitt, decorative tile, 3 frames, ruler, socks, book, 2 kids plaster mould sets, cuddly toy, window paints, 6 kids CDs, 3 cub badges, scented oil ring, ornament, 2 feathers, 5 tops, toy

In
companion table, skirt, bag of kids clothes, 2 pairs homemade bloomers

I make that 35 out so far

Yippee!

Contest

I know I'm trying to get rid, not acquire, but this contest on What Shall I Make Today? is irresistible

Dawning

It pays off!  I might not be able to keep everywhere freakishly neat, but it sure makes it easier to get there once in a while - yippee!

Another small regret

Wish I'd bought these when I saw them in a charity shop 18 months ago - how could I have passed up the chance to own Fetish stockings?!

The happy tap

I am hoping that the weather will be a little cooler next week, then I can finish off the bathroom - there's just painting to do, then it's new lino and bathroom accessories to source as and when. I plan to declutter with a vengeance as soon as the temperature drops - I can't let that count linger much longer!

In anticipation, here's a cheery chap I spotted in a Costa bathroom.....

Another 15 minute wonder

Sometimes I just hate it when other people are right!

I was feeling out of sorts when I went into my bedroom so as an experiment I set the timer for 15 minutes to sort out the dressing table area and damn me, 'they' were right.

Afterwards I felt so much better!

Off the Wagon

Not by much - I've not got rid of many items, a lot worse is the number of new to me items creeping into the house.....

I've tried to resist the twin siren calls of freegle and charity shops, but sometimes, just sometimes it's impossible, especially when the weather's so hot and the week has held a disappointing rejection within it.

So, updated numbers are still being calculated, but I can confess to having picked up 5 volumes of Golden Hands Craft magazines (just need to find the pattern pack now!) and a volume of an 80s dressmaking partwork; the dressing table set of comb, brush and mirror which I love despite them being so heavy that brushing my hair is a workout on its own; and the most wonderful snake charmer basket and contents that will have a post of its own either here or on my other blog

I did, somehow, manage to resist some things, like these sweet little glasses four in each size:

And creepy but possibly reasonably old, these costume dolls:

There was also a lovely wooden bookend / trinket box thing which I was intrigued by, but I just could not picture where I could put it.  Plus there was no price on it, so I passed on that one

Waving

I promise that I am here, maybe not decluttering at the greatest of speeds, but I am working on not bringing things into the house

So, things I am not bringing in, but enjoyed admiring:

Lovely pen set - I particularly liked the packaging

A scary manicure set (I think) with a wicked little blade thing and what the heck is that red thing in the case on the left?  The case and the buffer were in a shocking state

Aw, how sweet!

these last two I have put by - I love the glamour of this dressing table set (comb almost out of shot) so might make an exception and bring them home tomorrow

and I wondered if my new friend Katie would like this?

Playing around isn't always good

I'm trying to thwart the dreaded spammers so I've moved onto a different comments system, but have somehow lost everyone's words of wisdom on here and my other blog - woe is me!

I'm in!

Alison on BrocanteHome is running a giveaway here, so please go and experience her most delightful blog for yourself.  Seh's recently moved to her own website and I must say that her red dots are particularly fetching

Babystepping

We have a room that is used for crafts, a computer and Xbox playing.  It is stuffed to the gills with my craft stuff that I really need to get to, but I haven't quite got the courage to do so yet.  I was brave and sorted out two annoying corners over the weekend

The PC corner went from this muddle to this far more tranquil space.

I love my lemon timer- I may have strayed from the Flylady ethic, but I still do my 15 minutes!

Showing these photos is very instructional - I get an outside view of each space.  From these I see I still need to work out a better way of storing various computer related cables and I would like to get better at closing drawers,

I also worked on a little odd corner I have

I was so happy when DH said that he was bringing home some narrow drawer filing cabinets that were no longer needed - at last somewhere to store my beloved collections of rubber stamps, ink pads, glitter etc etc.  Unfortunately of the four cabinets only two are the same size, hence this odd little arrangement.  I haven't yet figured out what I'm going to do with this corner, apart from wash off or paint over that bit of colourwash overspray!

Anyhow, once I'd got tidying, here's the result - looks like I can't bear to leave a surface without something on it!

Launchpad Relaunch

This set of shelves is intended to be our launchpad.  It sits in the hall opposite the door and the idea is that we all have a shelf where we store the things we need for the next day and so have an easy time locating and collecting them.

As you can see, it's become an unholy dumping ground of just stuff.  I had a blindingly obvious revelation this morning.  I know I don't want to be responsible for sorting out everyone else's messes, but that doesn't mean I can't gently tidy up what they've left until they deal with it. I set to, sorting out my own things, getting rid of any obvious rubbish from the other family members' shelves and just straightened it all up. 

I was reasonably happy with the result

Once other areas are in a better state the filing trays will move and that document box will probably go, but it's a start which I hope will spur on the others to do their thing!

Raking in the bin

Not a lot has moved from here this week, but I did tidy out the knitting corner when I sorted out that sofa

Out
- 1 kiddy toy that DD annoyed me with for months so I hid it until she forgot it
-1 knitted Christmas ornament that was just hideous yet dull
- 1 bag of yarn leftovers

In
+ 1 length of oilcloth type stuff for making some lunch bags

Total

-2

so that's OK

Clear the Decks

Oooh - piccies!

We've got into a really bad habit of doing the ironing and leaving it dumped on the second sofa.  I didn't realise how shameful it looked until I saw the pictures (one of which is so out of focus I won't share, but it got the message across to me)

So after having a great afternoon out with a friend I set to and in double quick time here's how it looks

And on the other side

The Merry Month of May

I was very, very late to this party, not starting until 25th May, but I'm pleased that I've made such a big start.  By my reckoning I had a balance of -81 items into / out of the house by the end of the month and some of those single items were bags of clothes / toys.

It's easy at the moment as I have so much stuff to get rid of.  I was talking with a friend who thinks she would not have 730 excess items in her house.  She's at a very different life stage to me and maybe hasn't had the same hoarding tendencies, so I hope she keeps that way.  I do wonder what it will be like when I've not got so much stuff to get rid of.  Will it be harder?  I'm hoping it will be a cyclical thing and that I'll be able to return to things I can't quite bear to part with yet and merrily escort them from the premises.  Get me envisaging that future!

Doing this challenge is really interesting for me, particularly as I'm keeping tabs on items in as well as out and measuring myself on the balance.  I have noticed I am thinking differently, considering if bringing something new into the house is worth reducing my balance.  I have a few internal debates to resolve - whether I should count the kids' stuff, whether I should record individual clothes out and in to make it equitable, what about magazines (luckily not an obsession of mine - I suspect I buy about 6 a year if that, so not really worth the debate), what should I do if I use, for example, one piece of fabric and create two items from it?

Opinions on these kind of things would be welcome, even if you just tell me to stop with the small stuff and look at the bigger picture!

Half term catch up

Half term was fantastic with my lovelies and action packed.  I still managed to turf out a few little corners so I've loads to add to my total

into the charity bag
- 21 DVDs
- 4 picture frames
- 1 weight watchers keyring
- 4 swim hats
- 1 green facepaint
- 1 set of hair straighteners
= - 32

given to a friend
- 1 bag of girls clothes
= - 1

into the bin
- 1 bag kids underwear
- 1 odd glove
- 1 calendar from 2005
- 1 kids craft set
= -4

into the house
+ 1 map
+ 1 girls clothes set
+ 2 pictures from my mum - one from my grandma's house and one for DS of his grandad
= +4

I make that another 33 items gone - yippee!

Half term week confessions

Of course having the lovelies at home with me is going to change the rhythm and form of my days - thank goodness!

So today has been a bit of doing, a bit of cleaning, a bit of shopping and a haircut

Since my last post I've removed

-3 books to bookmooch
-1 bag of old underwear into the rubbish
-1 kid's jacket

however this was overwhelmed by
+ 1 freegled lamp
+1 Wii game
+1 Wii club
+1 teapot
+1 1 soft toy
+1 freegled sewing machine

so guilt got the better of me and I cleared another shelf in a cupboard

- 1 bag of polystyrene balls/eggs
- 1 toy
- 1 marbling dip kit
- 1 Guess Who game
- 1 flower press

so I make that 4 to the good - phew!

Bubbling with ideas

Ah, the enthusiasm for a new project!

I really should push myself away from this screen and go do something. I've been having a float around a few housekeeping blogs / sites. I've been in love with brocantehome for years, following Alison silently through tears and triumph. Through the finer things in life which spawned this blog, I found What if No One's Watching and her before and after pictures of her cupboards here (scroll to bottom) are an inspiration, so you might just see some clutter to tranquility shots (if I dare!)

After having spied at least one of her books on Maz's shelves, I'm going to dust off my copies of Simple Abundance and Romancing the Ordinary and let them inspire even more self and house loving!

Rav Package

So leaving me today are

2 Rowan pattern books
1 lovely felted and beaded leaf brooch

and not in the count, a selection of fruit teas and some mini eggs

I doubt the recipient knows about this blog, so I feel safe blabbing on here!

Nothing spectacular here

An odd day - DH up in the middle of the night.  He tripped on the stairs last night and squashed his hand against the banister so woke up with it painful and useless.  Bandaged and ibuprofened, he had a very disturbed night, went to see the nurse practitioner who declared it sprained, not broken as he feared, then recovered enough to go cycling and then to the pub this evening!  DS then woke with a bad stomach so he had to stay at home for the day - hence little got done here, just odd bits of tidying and vacuuming, quilting and fiddling. Drift drift drift

Even with this lack of action, I managed to lighten the house by

1 dressing up dress given to a friend
2 books and
1 old filofax style thing into the charity bag

4 items lighter

I also got together a promised package to a fellow Raveller but it won't go out of the house until tomorrow so I will add the constituent items to the count then

Feeling tired and jaded now so I'll love myself by going to bed

Update

before I go to bed, I'm happy to report I gave

3 books to a knitting friend
1 dressing up dress to another friend
3 cookery books and
1 chip and dips plate to the charity bag

less the 2 items I bought

6 items lighter in this house

however I've just realised that another knitting friend gave me a length of technical material to make some macho morsbags

5 items

Another day, another twist

It must look like I'm decluttering my bank account of cash - had to take the car for an MOT, which showed up a 3 figure repair and that's before it goes in for a service.  Ah well, at least we're safe again

That all took longer than I expected so my plans for today have gone awry.  While waiting I just happened (hah, as if) to go into a couple of charity shops.  I fingered all of the vintage hand embroidered linens and being a good girl asked myself what I would do with them, where I would store them and happily left them for someone else to admire and take home. 

I could not, however, pass up the chance to pick up a beautiful silk jersey dress with a beaded neckline made by Ghost.  Looking on ther site their dresses when new cost at least 10 times what I paid.  So a bargain and a symmetrical one at that - a few months ago in a different charity shop I was beaten to another dress from the same label by a woman who had quicker reflexes than mine!

My second bargain (and last) was an Alice Starmore knitting book that I can admire for some of its stitch patterns and enjoy how she gets her inspiration then sell on for a hopefully reasonable price (currently going on E Bay for over £30 new)

so, that's 2 items brought in before I turf anything out today

Excited

So pleased to have a decluttering buddy.  We've both been bad enablers to each other over the years, despite living 65 miles apart, so maybe we can encourage each other to have the tranquil homes we deserve.

In addition to the work I listed below, I've filled and emptied the dishwasher, mopped the kitchen and toilet floor and most exciting of all, triggered sewing enthusiasm in DD

I'm just about to advertise a dressing up costume on my local facebook classified - it was a butterfly princess dress that I designed and made when DD was little - layers of blue and butterfly printed voile over a blue cotton dress.  She looked lovely in it, but it languished in the toy shed for many years and it's time for someone else to enjoy it.  Here it is 'fresh' from the shed in a bit of a crumpled state:

Day Two

Well I was on a roll today

removed and given to the charity shop

4 cassette tapes
1 chess set
1 collection of pilates bands
2 swimming badges
45 videos (at least - I didn't count them all)
6 plates
3 bin bags of old toys (no idea of how many individual toys there were in there so I'll just count the bags)

posted

2 bookmooch books

ready for gifting tomorrow

3 books to a friend

I make that 67 items minimum and it's only the afternoon!

Additionally I've

called a contact about a job
joined Postcrossing and sent 5 postcards
taken the bags to the charity shop
got an important document endorsed and sent off
made medical and dental appontments
booked the car in for MOT
paid my credit card bill
made dinner in advance

Day one

I got rid of a cherry/olive de-stoner, a miniature water dispenser, a mug tree (all in the charity bag) and two large pots of various metal bits (given to my silversmithing teacher) = - 5 objects

However, I picked up two pairs of curtains for morsbag making and a bag full of patchworking material and received a book to review = +3 objects

so I am only just keeping to the 2 items a day pledge already!

I thought about just tracking what goes out, but surely the whole clutter thing stems from not keeping just as firm an eye on what comes in?  I'm also not counting paperwork in the tally - that would send me mad(der) counting it either in or out, so it is just getting sorted as we go

The challenge

Over on my craft blog, http://www.alteredeye.blogspot.com/ I pledged to take the declutter challenge on amys finer things.  So, from today I will aim to have removed from the house at least 730 items in the next 12 months - an average of 2 per day.  I'll also parade my shame on here with lists of what has gone and even some photos.

I'm kind of already doing a lot of decluttering as I feel overwhelmed with stuff, but I like the accountability that this gives me.  Wonder if anyone else will join me?