I’m sitting in the den, sipping my second cup of coffee, listening to classical music and feeling grateful that the sun has made an appearance.
Actually, I’m feeling grateful in general. I miss Don and wish I was with him this weekend, but we’ve come to the conclusion that it’s winter out there and visits will be decided by weather conditions. And coaching conditions. I work on Anastasia on Wednesday and Thursday this week, so I’ll most likely go in on Wednesday morning.
Taking a brief break.
I’m back. Don called and we chatted for a while. I love our morning phone calls. They sort of ground me for the day ahead.
Does this ever happen to you? You’re reading an article in a shelter magazine or even on a site like Houzz or Design Sponge and you become captivated by someone’s home and the way he/she has decorated it and then, as you’re about to finish the article, you read that they no longer live there and you’re incredibly disappointed?
That happened to me this morning as I was looking at a home in one of those special editions of Country Home magazine (which, it turns out, is a reprint, but since I didn’t see it the first time, I’m okay with it.) The house is in upstate New York and it was so individual and quirky and charming. And none of the furniture or pictures or accessories are there any longer. Makes me sad. Of course, with the time that elapses between photographing the space and actual publication, many things can and do change. I get it. But I always feel a wee bit let down.
I think I’m going to tackle the closet in the den today. It’s a black hole that has never been used in an efficient manner and since storage space is lacking in this house, I need to address it. I have some ideas, which include dumping all the VHS tapes that are stacked up on the top shelf. Really, Claudia? When is the last time you watched one? Why are they still there???
Happy Saturday.
Decisions this time of year must include weather forecasts! I finally got rid of my VHS tapes and boy did they take up some space. Enjoy your cozy Saturday.
I can’t wait to yank them all down from the shelf in the closet!
Glad you are having a good day and the sun is shining where you are. Hope you can find a place to recycle the VHS tapes . Good luck next week and Have a good weekend from Iowa
Salvation Army, I imagine. That kind of thing is welcome there.
Hope closet clean out goes quickly and you can go on to something more fun. I recently discovered the VHS part of my player still works. I have to try and convert some of our personal VHS tapes to DVD. They’re mostly of the children…school events, trips. Hope the VHS is still ok.
Actually, I’m looking forward to it! I’m in the mood for a clean out!
Yes…it’s always a good day when the sun shines. We donated a few boxes full of VHS tapes to the thrift store before Christmas. They were grateful for them, as many people still do watch them. Happy sorting and purging! ;)
I will probably donate them to our local Salvation Army!
We had that moment last summer when we were cleaning a cupboard. It had 2 shelves of VCR tapes. My first reaction was to just straighten them up. Then I looked at my husband and asked if we still had a VCR to play them on. We both laughed as we had been keeping this huge bunch of tapes with no way to play them, and we don’t know anyone who still has a VCR. That “problem” was solved, and got 2 empty shelves in an instant. Several, we later realized, we had repurchased as DVDs along the way at some point. Sometimes I have to think of it like moving into a new space. If it was a new house, how would I use that cupboard, closet, shelf…. for me it becomes mindless and I keep doing what I always have done. Old dog, I guess.
Glad the sun is shining there, it is here, as well. Puts a happy face on the day, that is for sure! Happy cleaning, purging, and reinventing your closet!!
We just put up with them for long enough that we don’t ‘see’ them anymore!
I have 3 boxes of DVDs and the same thing… can’t remember when I watched one last.
but treasured are the Joan Hickson as Miss Marple series. they seldom show those anymore.
and another BBC favorite “As Time Goes By” with Judi Dench. sure enough if I got rid of those I would be sorry! still… I should purge and keep only those I truly want.
I love that first picture of the living area. the sun and shadow pictures are so beautiful always!
still fighting that dang dizziness here. I think it’s a side effect of some med.
trying to get feeling well for Spring! just around the corner!
adorable shots of little Z and Hank on Mere’s post! two CLEAN little CHARMERS! LOL. ♥
I got rid of some of our DVDs as well. But I did save some! Feel better soon!
LOL!! I get the same feeling! I once found an incredible blog with the loveliest of photos and the home was in my own state. I read it from the very beginning, a wonderful story of home and family and when I got to the end… it was 3 years ago! What? I couldn’t believe the story had ended. Lucky I found she had an Instagram account and occasionally she posts a pic. So at least I know they are still in that lovely place. :) Kit
Thank goodness she’s on IG! I know the feeling!
I absolutely love your pictures!! But I have to ask, why do you keep clothes pins near your stove? (I am an organizing junkie, or I wouldn’t ask) I look at other people’s homes to get ideas for arranging things, to look good or be more useful.
I use clothes pins to close bags of chips and that sort of thing. Much less expensive than the clips they sell in the stores.
Yeah, jettison those VHS tapes. You’ll really be glad you did. In my own downsizing, I’ve learned that if [1] you haven’t used it in the past year AND/OR [2] it holds no sentimental value, you really won’t miss it when it’s not around any longer. Besides these days if you really want to see something, it can usually be found on Netflix or YouTube [often both]. Lately I’ve even seen commercials from the 50s & 60s on YouTube – and wow, are those things bringing on flashbacks!! LOL. Have fun cleaning out that closet! Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
Two hugs bags of trash went to the dump. Two big bins of CDs that we never play went to our storage space. We’ve agreed that if we don’t miss them after a year or two, we’ll donate them. I’m donating the VHS tapes that weren’t our personal tapes of shows, etc. (they went to the dump) to our local Salvation Army.
Good luck with cleaning out your closet. We still have a VCR/DVD in working order. We do use our tapes. We are buying DVD versions of some of the tapes.
Marilyn
Our VCR still works, too, but we never watch VHS tapes anymore, so it’s time to get rid of the tapes.
So nice to hear that you are having a wonderful day even with cleaning the closet!…Maybe you will find something good that you forgot about!
No. Just stuff to throw out or store!
We have some DVDs that we watch from time to time, but our VHS need to go away. You are right that they just take up space, but there are a whole lot of things in this house that fall into that category. LOL Space wasters!
I wish I could get a handle on all the space wasters in this house!
I got rid of all our VHS tapes many years ago. And DVD movies and music CD’s were cleaned out and donated a couple of years ago, since everything is streaming now. We kept maybe 5 movies (that we hadn’t seen and weren’t on Netflix) and Brian kept a few CD’s (that weren’t on Spotify).
It’s very satisfying.
Some people decorate a space to perfection and then are ready to move on. Their whole life is tackling one project after the next. I’m perfectly content to stay put and move old things around to make them feel new again. :) We have so many video tapes and cds that are just sitting, taking up space. What the heck do we do with all of them?
Me too! Well, I’m donating my VHS tapes to Salvation Army. There are people out there who still use their VCRs!
Good for you in tackling that closet.
Doesn’t it feel great. Seems like everyone I know is working on something like this. I am facing a
small room in the back of the house
that had become overstuffed. I haven’t
even allow d the kitties in there because they would be hard to find. Sooooo, for 15-30 minutes each
evening I have been facing it and am amazed at the progress. How do we collect so much stuff?
For the excess books, videos, CDs
magazines, I have been taking them to the library. They sell some and there is a box for magazines so people can help themselves.
Happy winter cleanout!’
It’s a good way to shed things and somehow the new year and winter temps seems to bring the organizer out in all of us!