Despite not working there for 3 years now, much of my life is still on my old school year calendar schedule. I guess it takes a while to eradicate 18 years of influence. Typically I cleaned the winter mess out my perennial garden during April vacation, I did my biggest redecorating projects in the summer months when we had 3 months off and once school ended around Memorial Day, I took stock of the closets and cabinets and cleaned and organized. Well - mostly organized. My friends all know that I can be quite anal about organizing. I suspect it is a mild case of OCD, but I prefer to say that if I can put my hands on something I am looking for right away, it leaves me with more time to read, craft, make cards, garden, blog or whatever else I want or need to do. Makes sense, right?? So several years ago, when I was finally free from chauffeuring kids to dance and sports events, over seeing homework, getting grass stains out of football uniforms and sewing sequins and beads on dance costumes, I started organizing all the spaces in our home. . (humm - I can hear all you amateur shrinks now - was she replacing one need with another??) A place for everything and everything it it's place. All those organizing shows on HGTV and TLC certainly added fuel to my fire! Now, periodically I need to repeat the process because even I get a little sloppy about putting everything in it's place over time. There - MY SECRET IS OUT - sometimes I get sloppy! Shh - don't tell anyone!!
So this week, I started my organizing frenzy. One of my projects involved moving all of my sewing supplies into this room - my office/craft room - including bringing my cute little white colonial sewing box from the dining room side board in here. It looks great in here even though that now meant moving a bunch of other things around in this room - another project in and of itself. And of course, where to put all the fabric I brought in here? - that created yet another organizing project and all my Angel gifts and cards got pulled out and found new homes in here too. Finally, a few hours of mess later, I went back into the dining and room and took one look and realized my perfect display on the sideboard was now in need of help. I walked around the house at least a dozen times and tried several things in place of the missing sewing box and of course, nothing worked. What is a girl to do?
Luckily for me, Karrie Rogers, Shopkeeper of Pepperberry Cottage in Westborough, one of my favorite places to spend money, sent out an email with a coupon that expires before Mother's Day. Well, I couldn't let that kind of bargain go to waste, could I? So after doing my chores and Angel work, armed with my coupon, and some meager winnings from a slot machine in the Vegas hotel lobby, I headed down route 9. I was just in time to wish Karrie a safe trip to Vegas - she leaves today. I knew that I would find something to solve my 'decorating dilemma' and sure enough, tucked back in dark little a corner, I found this great stack of fabric covered boxes. I love the colonial look. My coupon was burning a hole in my pocket so I disturbed Karrie's perfect display and decided they were coming home with me. (And Karrie can go off to Vegas and take my meager winnings back with her to replenish the Vegas economy.) They are perfect in the dining room and bring a much needed splash of color to that side of the room - don't you think?
I found some other goodies as well - a wonderful runner for the coffee table for the summer, a neat berry candle ring and a new valance for the bathroom. My meager winnings are all gone but all is well in my decorating world - for the moment anyway. It's a good thing!
Speaking of decorating, I am off to answer a dear friend's request to help her with some of her decorating needs. Humm - maybe this could be my newest career??
Until then - hugs, Linda
