A few months ago our book group read A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (which I cannot recommend enough). It talks a lot about living a better story and that sometimes living a better story requires an "inciting incident". I didn't really want to pray asking for an "inciting incident" (be careful what you pray for, right?), so my friend Michelle helped me out by giving me one.
You see, I have this problem spot in my house (well, actually I have many such spots, but this is the biggest). At the bottom of my stairs I have an open area where we have our computer, my sewing machine, books, files, junk, etc. It is always, always a mess. And I can never seem to get to it what with people needing to be fed and to have clean clothes and such. Michelle had offered to teach me how to use iMovie, but I told her there was no way in hell I would let her see my computer area. So Michelle said to me, "I will come teach you iMovie on a certain date and you have until that date to get it organized." Done! This was something I could wrap my head around! (This makes Michelle sound like a bit of a pushy jerk, but it was a mutual conversation and her idea to assign a date to it. She's actually anything but a jerk and I love her for still liking me and my messy house.)
This requires courage to post these pictures, because of how embarrassing this is and how it reflects on me. So much of our self-esteem as women is wrapped up in how well we keep house, ergo this makes me feel less than stellar.
Before.
Before.
After.
After.
It's certainly no magazine spread, and I'll never be a poster-child for Pottery Barn, but so far I'm happy with the results.
By the way, how do you shelve books? Alphabetically by author? By genre? By color? By height?
4 comments:
Ha ha, there are a few people that might disagree about the pushy jerk thing. But that was definitely not the intent in this case. Coming over was one of my favorite things I've done this year, as was book group and our "inciting incident" lunch. It's time for a new book discussion—maybe I'll invite everyone over here so I have an inciting incident to get my house clean. :) I'd love to discuss either The Whistling Season or both Gift of an Ordinary Day AND Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Let's set something up...
Just to make you feel better, your before pictures are my after pictures!!
Why is it I can't read anything today without shedding tears? I just noticed the comments on your side bar and now I can hardly see the screen.
Oh- and your shelves do look fabulous!
Way to go, girl! No wonder I haven't talked to you in forever!
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