A Little Mums the Word

It is amazing how simple things can change our entire outlook.  I tend to be one who simply thinks “it’s waaay past handling easily” where cleaning homes and organizing life on the fly happens. That all or nothing thinking bites me regularly when it comes to handling our 1955 renovation. Something about living through eighteen months of “living in the house while you work” renovations simply can be a challenge.

Enter Chris.  Chris works with us to get things done. He has that natural gift of organizing and seeing beauty where only clutter exists.  He’ll come in for a few hours each week or every other week and within those hours magic happens.  He’ll tweak this there or move something else another place and suddenly everything works well in their spaces.  Yesterday was that kind of day.  We’re not landscaping the front yard until spring 2016, but Chris suggested we bed the big ole bushes and add to the monkey grass we planted last spring some bright yellow mums to cheer on the front door. What a difference. After a few hours and less than $50 invested between the cubic yard of mulch and flowers it was beginning to look more like a home that will invite folks in Saturday.

Last night as Les continued work on the built in closets we changed out a glass front shelving system for the wardrobe that was our temporary home for clothes. What a difference in less than 5 minutes. The walk way was clearer, the bedroom felt lighter, and after some careful staging of the shelves, the much loved glassfront french shelves looked chic and hip.

Vision. It’s not just about decorating. What’s not working in your world? What is the stop gap to change what you’re not ready to completely change out right now? Maybe it’s boxing things until you’re ready for them another season, adding 1/2 your closet back. Maybe it’s putting away the extras or giving away the extras so that there is less clutter to bust. Maybe it’s arranging in a beautiful way that which you need around you, or creating new coordinating materials by covering old ones with material, contact paper, or tying them with ribbon. I know when I take time to beautify my surroundings my heart is happier too. How about you?

I’m writing over at DareWhimsy.com today, come visit! It’s a fun bunch of creative and gifted women sharing how they keep life strategy in their living.