I have been helping my son with his basement bedroom….have to say, what a mess!

Give a kid a room that is out of sight, and it is definitely out of mind, and it sure gets out of control. Seems like a couple of times a year I need to help both kids think about what they are holding on to and make sure that  a purge of sorts happens.

They usually resist, but when we are done, it feels so much better. I know they would begrudgingly agree.

As I was coming up the old staircase with bags of donations, this was the view that greeted me. Decluttering is fascinating, no? What is she bringing up now???

This morning, I spoke at 8th Grade Career Day at my kids’ school–it was a hoot. Not only did I get to talk about things I am passionate about, but I got to embarrass my own children at the same time. What could be more fun?!?

One of the things I asked the participants to envision (as I often do whenever I speak somewhere) was their favorite place on the planet–it could be a house, a room, a place in nature–anywhere, but it had to be the place they once felt at their very best, felt most like themselves.

After they had this very special place in mind, I had them try to describe it in just one or two words. The thing is, from 13 year olds to adults, the important qualities people mention when talking about their “just-right” places are almost always the same–their description is consistently about feeling at peace, feeling calm.

So how do we create more of this feeling in our homes, since it obviously makes us feel so good?

This is our quick assignment for this month, so I want you to pick one place–maybe your bathroom shelf, the top of your desk, or one section of your kitchen counter–a small area where you know you have a lot of stuff laying around, out in view. A place that this is true for many is the FRONT OF THE REFRIGERATOR. Is that true for you?

You see, when we have a lot of stuff sitting out, it is almost like having a group of people all talking at us at the same time. You may not really “see” all of those items on the shelf or refrigerator anymore –it may have become white noise to you–but trust me, they are still trying to get your attention and causing a commotion every time your eye glances over them….

Set your timer for 15 minutes and quickly throw out anything that may be trash, create a pile of things that may belong other places in the house (we will put them away when our timer goes off), and consider the things that truly belong in that space and how you want to store them….

Is it possible to store them in a drawer? A basket? In a closet or cabinet nearby?–somewhere out of sight.  Having less on the surfaces in our homes automatically makes it feel more settled. It helps us to feel more calm. 

Of course, selecting a couple of beautiful or sentimental items (just a few!) to put on display gives the room interest…but just like a good piece of writing, those displays should be carefully edited and changed from time to time.

I selected this assignment this month, because it is something I recently noticed I needed to do in my own office. Things were just hangin’ out, and cluttering my visual space. I feel so much better now that I took some time to clear the decks and restore peace and calm again.

 

My Mother’s Day was a quiet day at home–just as I wanted it to be…

There were a few memorable characters involved for sure.

It was such a beautiful day with a cool breeze…we just hung around in the grass, played catch…
and took some fun pictures

Lots of things were blooming too…. And the best was coming across the station master on our garden railroad who looked like he didn’t know what the hell happened to his beautiful station after that heavy rainstorm….

Poor guy looks like he is frozen with fear. Don’t worry–we’ll clean it off for you! It’ll be good as new….

I think the afternoon of taking pictures must have made my daughter feel more at home with my camera. Found this one today as I was downloading the pictures….

Classic.

Hope you had a great Mother’s Day, too!!!!

What is the first thing that one sees when they enter your house?? 

How do you feel about the way your house greets you? How it greets your guests??

Is it pretty? Or just pretty unremarkable? Maybe it is something that you would rather not have anyone see at all.

For my clients, their entry (pictured here) was just “milk toast,” a space that despite its stunning Victorian-era high ceilings and dramatic millwork, didn’t really have anything to say.

AND it lacked the functionality that this family with three small children needed. All those tiny shoes take up more room than you think…. 

I knew with a punch of color, and some simple changes, this entryway could have enough drama and organization to make everyone happy.

A lot has changed and the space now feels completely different…

With choosing a deep blue for the walls that would compliment the adjacent rooms, a crisp white for the trim to create contrast, and an eye-catching ceiling light fixture, we were off to the races…

A new rug with the same palette, and the homeowners own blue and white pillows repurposed from the master bedroom pull everything together. The new large mirror reflects light and gives you one more chance to straighten your tie, touch up your lipstick–or maybe just make sure you don’t have food in your teeth–before you dash out the door…

The rustic bench that had always been a welcome place to sit down and pull off boots remained, and to add much needed storage we put in this clever IKEA shoe storage cabinet…

I have recommended this small but mighty piece to many clients. The top drawer holds keys and smaller items, while the two bottom “drawers” actually tilt forward so that shoes slide in vertically–holding twelve pairs of shoes or more!  So useful, and it takes up so little space. 

And its functionality doesn’t end there. The shoe cabinet also acts as a front hall table that holds flowers and a petite lamp–giving the room a sense of place and additional charm.

Your entryway needs to impress YOU–this isn’t about keeping up with the Joneses, but it is about making sure you feel welcomed home when you walk through the door after a long day. Beauty and functionality are things that make us feel good in our soul…and what is more important that that when we are at home?

As I mentioned a while back, I have (slowly) been working on my own workspace, wanting it to be more beautiful and functional….however, it keeps getting bumped down in the queue by other more important activities/projects. This week, I made sure to set aside an hour and a half to just look things over and see what is needing my attention.

First, I took some pictures. Lots of pictures. It is amazing to me how removing myself, in a way, from the room can help me “see” it so much better. While looking at the snapshots, I realized that I have a lot of sh** going on in here! Things that I never would tolerate in a client’s space, have snuck into mine…often with my permission and invitation. Time to calm things down.

When there is a lot to look at–lots of small items, lots of chatchkas, lots of STUFF–it can be overstimulating. Even if the items are loved and useful (meaning they aren’t clutter), it can still be too much to have to LOOK at them all of the time. Part of calming down my workspace is going to be just removing a lot of the items from view and storing them in a more streamlined way.

Just like a good piece of writing, a room needs editing. Time to get out my red pen! I will keep you posted….

Hopefully it won’t be another three months before I get back to it again!

Today is a BIG DAY for me, and I am SO EXCITED to share it with you!

I have been thinking, organizing, brainstorming, and writing these past few months so that I can share the work I do in a whole new way . The result is a fun, interactive collection of assignments–

Project Home Workbook: 4 Weeks To A Nurturing, Lovely Home

With this workbook you will be able to:

• Create a nurturing and lovely space using my four simple weekly assignments.
• Produce a beautiful ‘After’ from a frustrating ‘Before.’
• Feel peaceful and proud (finally) of where you live.

Today is one of those days that I wish I had a time machine…

Because, if I did I would go back and make myself take more before pictures! Here are the only two I have to share…not the best perspectives, but they will have to do.

My clients are getting ready to sell their house of 25+ years, and asked me to come and help them get it ready for potential buyers to see. I was so excited to get started, I forgot to take pictures!

Rooms that they hadn’t been sure how to arrange were given a new lease on life, so that it is easier for new people to envision how they would live in the house. The space that had housed a ping pong table  and a mixture of many different types and styles of furniture, is now a lovely seating area adjacent to the kitchen. We just used existing furnishings from all over the house to make it work better and look more inviting.

I want to take a seat, don’t you?? And that is the whole point!

I understand that my clients have been SITTING IN THIS ROOM this past week and enjoying it now–something they had not done in a long time. That just, like, makes my day x 1,000.

Once again, I am amazed by their stunning display, so I have to share the story….

About twelve years ago, I was wandering through the big box home store and stumbled upon some puny, sad little trees on sale. I stood there and wondered. Hmmm…..would those look nice? Not much to look at now….but maybe…..

With an infant and toddler in tow, I somehow hauled a couple of sad saplings up to the register, stuffed them into the minivan, and even managed to plant them before they died. 

Much like the house they were planted next to, they were humble things with humble beginnings, but I hoped that, despite their lack of pedigree, they would find a way to be the wonderful trees I thought they could be…someday.

This morning those crabapple trees weren’t thinking “Well, I had better hold back. I’m nothin’ special afterall….”

Nope. Those pathetic twigs in plastic pots have become glorious trees that are proud to be in full bloom, perfuming the breeze and intoxicating each bumblebee that buzzes by.

So, how about you? Are you proudly blooming where you are planted? Maybe your home isn’t where you always dreamed of living, maybe it isn’t  the style of house or the neighborhood of your dreams….but you can bloom there anyway.

When you arrive home each day, I hope you feel a sense of deep satisfaction and pride in where you live. I hope you feel that your home is beautiful and shows the world in some way who you are. 

I hope you can put your feet up there, and feel that it is a place that helps you to become more of who you want to be. Have faith that with time, creativity, and proper nurturing the simplest of dwellings can become simply beautiful…plastic pots, twigs and all. 

Well, I haven’t been here much lately….

because I have been many other places!!! It has been an exciting few weeks.

At the beginning of the month, I was so honored to be a part of the day-long retreat Creating Sacred Space: Paths To Simplicity And Spirituality At Home….

You may remember me talking about it before.

Well, the day finally came!

and it was AMAZING –full of inspiring ideas, lovely people…

wonderful presentations, and heart-warming fellowship…

I was honored to be a part of it, and be able to speak about the things that are so dear to my heart–creating a nurturing, uncluttered home that speaks to your soul –one that supports you and those you love….

The very next day, I jumped on a plane…or two…

and into a taxi…

so that I could be in Asheville, North Carolina for a 4 day business retreat….

 I so enjoyed Asheville– I learned so much and gained so many insights about Revealing Redesign that I think my business will forever be changed for the better!

All in all, a very busy and truly amazing April.

When we think of Tupperware, or Gladware, or any other nice storage container, we think of the order and neatness we can create! OH THE POSSIBILITIES!! (I mean, doesn’t the woman above in this vintage Tupperware ad look so happy!?!?–That could be us too!!)

But the reality is that our storage containers themselves probably are jumbled in some dark, dusty cabinet or drawer…and who knows where the matching lids are…

If this is true in your kitchen, then this month’s assignment is for you!

Set your timer for 15 minutes and quickly match up each container with its corresponding lid. Those that no longer have a lid, are stained, cracked, or are just way past their prime NEED TO GO. Really. Like NOW.

(Don’t even bring up all of the empty yogurt tubs, take out pans, and other things that should have been recycled immediately in the first place

Put all of the containers you are keeping (hopefully it is a small, manageable number) back neatly where they go, nesting similar shapes inside of one another. With the lids, it is easiest to stack all of them together in an open bin or compartment of some kind, so they aren’t rattling around, loose and hard to find.

I know this may seem overly simple, but if your Tupperware is neat and easy to get to when you are clearing up dinner, think of how much time you will save…and how much more enjoyable your time in the kitchen will be.

HOORAY!