Goodwill Trip'n

No, these aren't thrifty finds. They're donations. I'm going to drop them off tomorrow (errand day!) and take off before they start laughing. Many of the items are already marked with our Goodwill's signature sharpie. Most of this came from my daughter's walk-in closet but a lot of the clothes are mine. The rest of the closets in our house are only 3 ft. wide. Oh the sacrifice we make for "character". This is the result of just a few hours of sorting through things that were in the way.

For the first time since I quit working to stay home with the kids I've actually made a schedule for myself instead of flying by the seat of my pants. I've tried various plans over the years but got bogged down in perfecting the systems and never made it past the planning stage. When I get to the paper mountain in the office I'm sure I'll be able to fill a large garbage can with journals and loose paper with titles like, "Get Organized 2005!", or "Operation Declutter 1998". Every other page will have notes on decorating themes and projects. The sad thing is the lists are all the same. A few projects have been accomplished but mostly it's the same thing rehashed on a fresh clean sheet, like that would make the difference.

This time really feels different though. My husband and I made up our own plan that will work for us and our family. After two hectic, stressful weeks I realized it's now or never. I have to quit hiding behind the computer screen and shopping bags and deal with life, however messy it is or how tired I am. I've got more accomplished the last two days than I have for the last six months. And it feels good. You may see a little less of me around blogland in the coming months but I'm hoping when I do make the rounds you'll find I'm in more organized Cottage State of Mind. You might even get to see some whole room shots too! Not perfect rooms, but neat, comfortable rooms!

Perspective, A Happy Ending

Perspective is a funny thing.

Things aren't always what they appear.

Let's play a little word association game. If I said, "perfectionist" you might say, "neat freak". But is there any chance you would say "hoarder"? Not likely. The thing I've been most struck by on the shows about hoarding is that for many it really seems to be rooted in perfectionism.

One lady spoke of her dish collection (gasp! I hear all you tablescapers holding your breath. LOL!).

She bought tons of dishes. Even though no one could possibly come to dinner at her house. Even though she barely had room to make dinner for two. Even though those two had to eat in separate rooms. Why? The dishes were a symbol of the perfect dinner she would make for her family.

The need for that perfect family dinner was so strong it affected her perspective. She could no longer see the stacks of things in her kitchen that actually made it dangerous to cook. She could no longer see the precarious path from the front door, to the one spot to sit, to the stove. All she could see was the Norman Rockwell moment those dishes represented. So the dishes became more clutter.

The good news is she was making progress with the help of her daughter by the end of the show. But it made me wonder.

Where is the point that the perfectionism which drives the "neat freak" to be critical and controlling becomes the perfectionism that drives the "hoarder" to be lackadaisical and disconnected?

I received an advertisement for the Real Simple magazine in the mail recently. It had a Finnish proverb that said, "Happiness is the point between having too little and having too much". Well that makes it real simple! I hung it on my fridge with a bunch of other clutter.

So..I guess it all depends on your perspective.

Any one want some tea?

Yee haw!

By golly I think I figured it out. Woo Hoo! Yay Me! Doing the Happy Dance! And it's only 11: 25 pm... now I can sleep soundly till the alarm goes off at 4:15 am! Silly me, I've got to let go of the perfectionism...

Dawn