Skirt Redo

I wore the same skirt this week to Church that I wore last week, but I sewed the "gores" closed, leaving the bottom four inches as pleats, and cutting out the extra fabric. Changed the entire sillouette, from pouffy to pencil. Lots of compliments. Felt good. Lady-like instead of frumpy. I never would have tried on a skirt this shape--I've always bought the flowing, lots of fabric options because I worried how they would fit. And fit makes a huge difference in how things look. Hard when your size is going up and down having children and experimenting with dieting/exercising. My challenge has been to go through all my clothes and take photos to help me decide if it is a flattering outfit, or a fail, and either change something or get rid of it. Declutter that wardrobe!

AFTER

BEFORE

Ruthlessly Decluttered Closet

What is in your closet? BC clothing? (Before Children?)

I need to give link credit to Simple Mom hot spot strategies for decluttering. They said start with your own closet, before you attack the rest of the house. I am a few weeks behind, they've moved on to paper clutter and children areas...

I was not gentle, pulling EVERYTHING out, trying everything on, and making a decision. If it didn't fit NOW, it was out. I had the sister missionaries go through the dressy business stuff. Big bag for the clothing exchange.
The things I love and FIT organized. I could close my wardrobe door for the first time in years...The choices are an interesting color palette.
John asked, "Where is the orange?"

When I Want to Paint, I SHOULD Clean

I am itching to paint again. But I should really clean today. I have lost a spiral notebook with measurements for curtains I am sewing for someone. I should really finish up that project, and would, if I could find that silly notebook.

Why can't I find it? Buried treasure. It is somewhere around here.

Shoulds vs. Desires...

I think I want a clean house. I should want an organized, clean house. Maybe it is my definition of "clean" that I need to re-think.

I don't want to be frustrated when I am looking for something specific and I can't find it. I want to be more organized. I want to be able to walk into rooms, and not steer through deep piles threatening to collapse. I want company to feel comfortable.

I was impressed last Sunday by a comment from one of the sisters at Church about how to simplify my life: de-clutter. How freeing and un-complicated it feels afterwards. Not really during. It's painful, dealing with all those delayed decisions.

That is what my piles are. Am I going to do this thing, or not?

1. I have my must save-I-love-this pile.

2. Garbage pile.

3. Someone-else-will-love-it more pile.

But making these piles is messy! Cleaning is messy! I expose all my projects, the things I want to do/try. I have been in a gathering-stage for years.

John told me this morning about a show, "Raising Hope" and the joke about the mom's shed. Hoarding-style. We probably all have a little bit of that in us, the saving-just-in-case collection.

(And don't we encourage this, as Mormons? Food-storage? Domestic goddesses?)

I used to feel sorry for quilters who had one bookcase of fabric, and that was it. Most quilters I know have closets and bins and creeping stashes throughout the house. It would be nice to have it all in one place, all the colors organized in your sewing studio. Access to all of it, all the time.

I know I need to see storage or I forget about it.

So today is a day of unearthing treasures, remembering goals, and deciding if I am still going to make that beautiful creation, or give it/dump it.

Meteor Shower Morning

We invited seminary students to come at 4 am and join us in the soccer field next door to watch the meteor shower! I was pleasantly surprised at how many came-12 students 2 hours early?! We saw at least one big good one that was long enough that everyone ooohhed and ahhhed and asked for an encore. Earlier, at 3:30 am, John and I saw a spectacular orange one! Most of what we saw was a streak of white light, like a falling star. Donuts, hot chocolate, and during class olives (we are on Jacob 5) and cheese and crackers.

(photo by Sam, taken in stairwell)

Looking at this photo makes me want to paint the mirror frame pink, like my earrings. Taking a photo and looking at it objectively helps me see things with a new eye.

I want my mom to take photos of every room she wants me to paint, the way it looks right now. Send me copies, or blog post them (I dare you?) so we can create true "BEFORE" and "AFTER" pictures. But do it before changing anything or any more prep. I'll even be fair and give you a big messy one of mine:
Before Emma comes home for Christmas break, this will turn back into a bedroom for her...When I am non-emotional about this room and look at it critically, I can see that I need to organize my shelves, open up the entryway, get things off of horizontal surfaces, lose the many inspiration piles, find a better way to declutter...Right now this isn't a bedroom, it is a half-way house for indecision. De-cluttering means deciding, committing.