Organized

After living a life being labeled “disorganized” by my parents, I’ve reached the conclusion that it’s been wrong; I’m hyper-organized, just not visually.  My desk will be a complete mess, but I can give you my February 2003 bank statement without having to rummage.  I haven’t done dishes in a few days, and I’m pretty sure there is mold growing somewhere in the gigantic pile by the sink, but can maintain the paperwork for the two out-of-state properties we own. I don’t bounce checks, I’m not late on payments and I haven’t overmaxed a credit card in my life.  That’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

I got some great suggestions for managing the house, but I haven’t implemented them yet.  I will… soon!  In the meantime, I’ll continue to be proud of my filing cabient, and ignore my spice rack, which is not even remtoely close to alphabetical (it’s supposed to be, right?)

Decorating Philosophy

My big rule for decorating: if it serves NO function whatsoever, it needs to be flat.  It can hang on a wall, lay on the floor or flat on a table, or hang from the ceiling, but it can’t just SIT THERE taking up space.  No throw pillows, no fancy please-don’t-wipe-your-fingers-on-them towels, no “shams” on the bed.  I have two exceptions: my vintage camera collection and the cake topper from my wedding; I commissioned an artist to create a bride and groom that looks just like me and the husband, right down to our wedding clothes, at a price that I’m still trying to justify. It made me really happy.

Pattern

I am currently considering this fabric as a single, skinny-panel curtain for my bedroom window.  the windo is 96 inches long, but a mere 36 inches wide.  Not uncommon in pre-war brownstones in Brooklyn, but uncommon enough that there aren’t curtains easily found in such a size.

The walls are light blue, and my bedspread is a mix of light blue, deep purple, orange, yellow, white, grey, sea foam green… LOADS of color in this bedspread!  So it will tie the blue walls and the purple in the spread together visually, but I’m wondering if the pattern is too bold for my own taste?  I guess I could buy it and do something else with it if it doesn’t work out.

New Apartment

So, between now and my last post, I moved from the suburbs to a sort of inner city neighborhood that’s “on the cusp” of getting safer and “gentrified”.  Still, there are crack deals on the corners, and there was a shooting right after we moved in.  I was traumatized seeing a dead body laying there, but the neighbors all say it was an isolated incident with really unfortunate timing (which is, right after I moved into the neighborhood!)

I cried for about a week.

Decorating is a combo of IKEA and vintage store finds, as well as Craigslist and Freecycle.  I’m trying not to buy new things when I can avoid it, because I don’t want to be contribute to the whole “consumeristic” society we live in (where having the “best you can afford”, or, worse, the “best you can put on credit” is pretty much the ultimate goal).  And I like that second-hand is “green” and also keeps you from buying something that several other people have in their houses.

Anyway, the ultimate score for me has been this 1960’s faux bois table and chair set, which fit BEAUTIFULLY into the back of my HHR.  I got it for the grand total of zero buckaroos! It’s so cute and kitchy, and just the right size for most of my vintage table cloth collection.

In case you’re wondering, the sugar shaker is one my grandfather “borrowed” from a diner in the 80’s and the old tea tin holds Splenda packets.  I found it at an antique store, and while I was there the woman who ran it kept hollering at me to not knock anything over.  I guess I looked younger than her usual customers, and made her nervous!

Stuck

Oh dear.  It’s happened.  I’m overwhelmed.

I’ve been a stay-at-home-wife for eight months now, and I’ve hit a strange point of being “over it”.   I never thought you could actually be “over” staying home all the time, but it’s a lot of pressure, especially in the environment I’m in.  Here in the the Northeast, and in the family I married into, it’s not very common for wives to not work, especially if they don’t have children.  A few of my husband’s family members have raised their eyebrows at me, even though he’s made it very clear it’s not a topic up for discussion.  I’ve always been one to disregard what other people are concerned about easily, but the snide comments and odd looks are getting to me.

I’m not staying home because of a religious conviction, or because I’m lazy.  I’m staying home because I don’t know what to do if I were to get a job.  I’m not about to go flipping burgers when my husband makes six figures a year, and I’m not going to go back to college just for the sake of going.

I keep trying to figure out what to do.  I know some things that interest me, but I’m not sure how to parlay those into a job that lets me work and still maintain our lives here at home.  Even with no kiddos to worry about, keeping up with his long work schedule, the stock portfolio, the cooking, cleaning, laundry, paying bills, arranging dinner parties, keeping up with family and making sure our lives are in order and on track is a pretty demanding gig!

I’m hoping that moving to an area with more creative people will enhance my opportunities, but right now I’m in the middle of suburbia, stuck in a bit of a rut.

Lessons From Moving

We’re moving and this means open houses to sell our current house.  I never thought too much to the level of cleanliness.  It’s never, ever perfectly clean, but it’s not so bad, and I’ve gotten a lot better at keeping it neat since I’ve stopped working and been a full-time housewife.   Still, the knowledge that folks are coming over makes me look at the place in a whole other light, and I’m seeing dust bunnies, falling stacks of paper, and crumbs.  We did a massive cleanup and took care of all those things “we’ve been meaning to do”, and I’m thrilled.  I wish I had done it a long time ago: halls in the walls are fixed, bad paint jobs have been smoothed over, and “clusters of crap” have been reorganized in cute baskets.  I kind of wish we did it for us, not for selling, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson.  In my next house, I’m not going to “let things go”.

Load of Crock!

Ok, ok.  I’ll get a crock pot!  I really, really, really, really don’t want one, and not just because it takes up room, but because “owning a crock pot” to me is right up there with “darning socks” and “knitting tea cozies”… Grandma territory.  But my best friend, who is super cute and pretty hip, has one, and she loves it.  So at least I’ll be in good company.  I’m not a huge fan of “stewy” food, either, but maybe I’ll get used to it?  At any rate, it’ll be nice to have something to cook rice in.  I am absolutely CRUDDY at making rice!  It’s unbelievable, and humorous, how terrible mine turns out.

What kind should I get?

I Went Squashy on Everything!

Dude.

After spending yesterday driving around certain parts of NYC and realizing that everything is RIDICULOUSLY expensive and we’ll probably have to downgrade the house size if we move, I’m exhausted.  It’s a national holiday today, so I’m taking the day off of “work”.  We have leftovers, the laundry can wait until tomorrow, and, um, who needs to wear normal clothes?  Sweats will do.  There’s Tivo to catch up on, and it’s SO.  COLD.

I did make it to the dentist, so this day is not a total waste.

Food thus far today:  Oh my goodness.  2 leftover cupcakes for breakfast, and popcorn and cheese for lunch.  Time to go grocery shopping.

This is the world’s worst case of “the Mondays”.

De-Squashying My Homemaking

The “squashy” (lazy) housewife is finally breaking out of the “foreverly dirty” house syndrome! Every day, I’m resolved to cleaning something that is in desperate need. It’s sad that, being home full-time for three months now, I still have REALLY dirty things that need TLC. The reason is that I just got so overwhelmed by my house being in disarray, not knowing where to start, that I just didn’t do anything. I kind of broke out of that. The living room is spiffy, and today I cleaned the bathroom really well. Those “dark grey foot grips” in the tub are actually white, and practically invisible! That means that I have been standing on grimyness every time I’ve showered since I moved into this house. EWWWWWW! Barkeepers Friend helped a lot with scrubbing it out. I didn’t want to use it all up, though, so I opted for baking soda to finish the job. It got a lot out, but not everything, so I’m sucking it up and using Barkeepers Friend again. But tomorrow. I just can’t do any more today.

I also dusted the vanity lights and the top of the mirrors in the bathroom. Then I cleaned the ceiling, which had some sort of weird, orange goo on it; possibly mold. And hair. HAIR! ON THE CEILING! I have no idea how it go there. I cleaned the sink and can, too, and now the bathroom smells lavender fresh, thanks to Method all-purpose cleaner, which you can buy at Target in many different scents.