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!