I never posted this Way Back Wednesday entry from ten years ago (until today, that is), but when I found the draft, it seemed timely. Though I no longer sell Thirty-One, I embarked on a purse organizing adventure yesterday with my Kate Spade bags, trying to find a space where they would be accessible, yet protected. And, while our new sunroom has added living space to our house, it has not added appreciable storage space, so finding a home for my bags required some creativity.
The little house that was our starter home has become our home for the foreseeable future. This weekend, we’re hosting our card club. Let the logistical planning begin.
On Saturday, I had a Thirty-One open house — an Out With the Old/In With the New party to showcase both the retiring items and the new summer goodies. I had a great time talking with all my guests, but before they arrived, I had to make the house guest-ready.
My husband is a big help in these situations. I long ago abandoned perfectionism when it comes to housekeeping, but he is eagle-eyed about things that have long since blended into the landscape for me. I am frustrated by this, but also extremely grateful. Though I would love to have my mother's spotless house, I never seem to accomplish that, and years of trying at both full tilt and half-heartedly have convinced me that I would never invite anyone over if I waited for my house to be spotless.
You would think that in a little house, that would be easy - it's not as though I have twenty rooms to keep clean. But instead, I am continuously surprised by how much stuff we manage to cram into such a relatively small amount of space.
But, once the stuff got cleared (aka stashed) the challenges of a small house that are beyond my control surfaced. If I needed the dining room table to showcase the bags, where would the food go? I have a lovely pass-through counter between the kitchen and the dining room, but using that space would have required clearing/stashing mail, appliances and a small variety of odds and ends that I ran the risk of never seeing again because once they were out of sight, it could take me weeks to locate them and restore them to their rightful place.
So I settled on "nibbles" set on a small table on the living room where guests could socialize if they wished. Placemats dressed up a small folding table and protected the top of a decorative trunk and voila! Nibbles to go.
My husband is a big help in these situations. I long ago abandoned perfectionism when it comes to housekeeping, but he is eagle-eyed about things that have long since blended into the landscape for me. I am frustrated by this, but also extremely grateful. Though I would love to have my mother's spotless house, I never seem to accomplish that, and years of trying at both full tilt and half-heartedly have convinced me that I would never invite anyone over if I waited for my house to be spotless.
You would think that in a little house, that would be easy - it's not as though I have twenty rooms to keep clean. But instead, I am continuously surprised by how much stuff we manage to cram into such a relatively small amount of space.
But, once the stuff got cleared (aka stashed) the challenges of a small house that are beyond my control surfaced. If I needed the dining room table to showcase the bags, where would the food go? I have a lovely pass-through counter between the kitchen and the dining room, but using that space would have required clearing/stashing mail, appliances and a small variety of odds and ends that I ran the risk of never seeing again because once they were out of sight, it could take me weeks to locate them and restore them to their rightful place.
So I settled on "nibbles" set on a small table on the living room where guests could socialize if they wished. Placemats dressed up a small folding table and protected the top of a decorative trunk and voila! Nibbles to go.
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| Phase One of my purse-on-the-wall display. After I took this photo, I moved the colorful Coach bag and ordered a brass accordion rack that's likely to replace the hanger. |
Living in a small house is an exercise in creativity. Creative entertaining, creative organizing, and creative storage -- not to mention the creativity inherent in decorating itself. What's more, I have our little Cape Cod to thank, in part, for all of the writing I do about organizing. If I had more space and more storage, my organizing might be a little more traditional.
Or at least I imagine that it would be. With my I need to see it personal style, unless all of those extra closets were walk-ins, perhaps they'd all go to waste.
From here in my tiny converted-porch of an office, I can only imagine. And create.
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