Spring cleaning

It was absoloutely gorgeous outside today. Unfortunately, I spent almost all of it inside cleaning. I did have nearly every single window in the house open, though, so it could air out a bit. I like winter, I love snow, but I hate not being able to have open windows. Even with fans and a forced air heating system, it always feels stuffy to me.

I got a ton of stuff done. A couple of days ago, Shayne went though some of the boxes in the basement and got rid of lots of stuff. I managed to consolidate even more, which made it much easier to move around down there. Before you start to think we're psychotic hoarders who save everything and dig tunnels through our junk, I should mention that the storage area in the basement is only about 1/3 of the available space. That's about 200 square feet of space, which isn't much when you factor in all of my backpacking gear and our Christmas decorations. I'd still like to pare it down further, since some of the boxes have been moved to 2 different houses without ever being opened, but it's much better than it was. I also got the dining room cleaned up. It's become sort of a dumping ground, since we don't have a true mudroom yet, and it can get cluttered very easily.

Since I was in a purging mood, I went through my closet and re-organized it and found some clothes for Goodwill. Between the basement and my closet, I have quite a bit to drop off. It's amazing how much crap you can accumulate...

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'll be doing some stairway sanding. Yes, I know I was supposed to be done with that about 2 months ago, but you know how I am... I'll also be continuing my organizing and purging. I kind of fell off the Apartment Therapy wagon, since I got to a point where my house projects got in the way of any forward progress. I can't reorganize my living room; it has no furnishings. I can't evaluate the color choices in our bedroom, since we have to redo the walls in there. I'll definitely use the pointers from that book when I'm choosing my furniture and decor. And since I realized that the red isn't going to work, I'm eager to find a rug and get started on a color scheme that will work.

Apartment Therapy: Week 3

On to Week 3! My assignment is as follows:

1. Vacuum, dust, and mop throughout your home
2. Clean your entrance and any related closets (this could be scary, since my "entrance" is my laundry room)
3. Arrange to have all repairs taken care of within the next 3 weeks
4. Declutter your entrance
5. Move all old mail, catalogues, and magazines to the Outbox
6. Look into what you would need to create a "Landing Strip"
7. Cancel any unused subscriptions
8. Identify "cool" and "warm" rooms
9. Apply the 80/20 color rule
10. Cook 2 meals at home

Until we expand the back porch into a mud room, it remains our laundry room and tool storage. I'd love to get a stackable washer and dryer to save space, but our budget doesn't allow for it at this point (unless the old ones break...!). There are lots of cabinets out there, but the biggest one is hogged by all of the tools, paint, and shellac. I'm going to buy a couple shelving/storage units for the basement and move everything down there instead. That will free up room for cleaning products and pet food bags. I think I'll definitely get some use out of the Outbox while doing this...

We get lots of catalogues and junk mail, but just about everything goes straight into the recycling bin. Almost all of our bills are paid online, so we rarely have any "real" mail to attend to.

I'm finding it hard not to get ahead of myself. As I come up with ideas for one part of our home, it branches out into other spaces. I have difficulty sticking to one thing when there's so much going on in my head...

Apartment Therapy: Week 2 completed

The only things I had left to accomplish were to cook a meal using a new recipe and to clear one surface/go through one box in the basement. Both were completed before my trip to Maryland, so today I'll be moving on to Week 3. I thought I'd go ahead and post my recipe, since I liked it so much. It's a combination of 2 different versions of chicken pot pie, both by Paula Dean.

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (more if covering larger than a 9" casserole)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 chicken breast halves, cooked (or 2 cups leftover chicken)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 10 3/4 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 small can of peas
• 1 small can of carrots
• 1 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• salt and pepper (optional)

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut each sheet of frozen puff pastry into 1-inch strips. On a large cookie sheet, weave strips into a lattice large enough to cover pot pie. Brush beaten egg onto lattice square. Bake for 5 minutes, or until dough has risen and turned light golden brown. Set aside until ready to assemble pie. Leave oven on at 350 degrees F.

Filling:
In a 2 quart casserole, layer the chicken, carrots, and peas. Mix the broth with the soup and season with garlic, salt and pepper, if desired. Bake covered at 350° F for 25 - 35 minutes. Remove from oven and add pre-baked lattice square. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

It's actually a very simple recipe, and additional types of vegetables (green beans, corn, etc.) can be added if desired.

Apartment Therapy Progress Report: Week 2

So, well, I've been a bit of a slacker this week. In my defense, I did have to work a double shift last Sunday, then we had company for the next 3 days, including a belated Christmas party on New Year's Day. It's been a little hectic, and our schedule has really been thrown off. I'm going to take 3 extra days to finish everything up. For Week 3, I'll be out of town visiting my friend Diana in Maryland and having another belated Christmas celebration in Detroit with my family. Why have 12 days of Christmas when you can have a whole month?!

Here's my progress so far on my assignment:

1. Fix one thing in my home myself - I fixed the wobbly dining room chairs, which have been bugging me for a few months
2. Clean the kitchen from top to bottom and throw away old food - I'm halfway done. I cleaned out the fridge, but haven't made it to the pantry yet. All of the counters and surfaces were wiped down.
3. Buy a water filter and use it (we have well water that is taste-free, so no filter is necessary)
4. Run my hands over every wall in the house - check
5. Clear space for an Outbox - There's now a small box in the office just waiting to be filled...
6. Clear one surface utilizing the Outbox - not yet... It would help a lot of our surfaces had things on them. Most of our stuff is still packed in boxes, safe from sawdust and the other hazards of renovation. Maybe instead I'll go through one box that we have stored in the basement??
7. Buy fresh flowers - Haven't been to the store...
8. Determine our style - I'd label us as Mission/Craftsman with some contemporary, eclectic influences. Shayne and I do have different tastes, but we have the above influences in common. We've also recently found that we like Art Noveau, especially Alphonse Mucha. What's funny to me is that things I've always liked, I'm now finding out fit into categories that go together. I've always liked Craftsman homes and Mission furniture, but didn't realize until a few years ago that they came from the same time period and were meant for each other. Now it's art noveau, which was still popular into the teens and twenties, and is sometimes considered to be an offshoot of the Arts and Crafts movement. It makes sense that I like them all, since they are all part of the same movement and time period, but I didn't realize that when I started liking them...
9. Find a new recipe and cook one meal at home - It wasn't new, but I've cooked three meals! I'll work on the whole "new" part in the next few days...

I might have picked a bad time to start the whole AT thing, but our lives are always busy and slightly unpredictable. I don't see our schedules improving any time soon, so I'll just have to do my best to work around it.

Apartment Therapy: Week 2

Now that Week 1 is completed, here's my assignment for Week 2:

1. Fix one thing in my home myself
2. Clean the kitchen from top to bottom and throw away old food
3. Buy a water filter and use it (we have well water that is taste-free, so no filter is necessary)
4. Run my hands over every wall in the hosue
5. Clear space for an Outbox
6. clear one surface utilizing the Outbox
7. Buy fresh flowers
8. Determine our style
9. Find a new recipe and cook one meal at home

The assignments are getting harder...! :)

Apartment Therapy Progress Report: Week 1

I'm feeling very motivated and proud of myself. Week 1 was a success, and I managed to complete all of the tasks assigned. I just bought the flowers last night, but I hadn't been to the store all week (unusual for me), and I didn't want to make a special trip. All of the floors were vacuumed at least once, and most got it at least twice due to German Shepherd tumbleweeds. There's no such thing as shedding season with that dog, it's just a year-round thing. I already use earth-friendly cleaning supplies, but I bought a fresh stock of some of the things I've been running low on. I also asked Maggie at 1901 House for a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I have a large box for Goodwill that I will drop off tonight after work. Sitting for 10 minutes in a part of my home I don't usually sit in was difficult. Our house isn't that big, and I use it all nearly every day. Instead, I substituted a walkthrough of the entire house, taking time to study each room and figuring out what its strengths and weaknesses are. I also brainstormed for improvements. Here's what I came up with, starting at the bottom.


Basement storage/utility room

1. not enough shelves
2. too many boxes of furnishings and other items that are not ever used
3. one full wall of wasted storage space
4. kitty litter out in the open
5. items from previous owners must go (paint cans galore)!
6. love the high ceilings
7. walls and floors in good condition
8. nook under stairs perfect for additional shelving
9. lots of light for a basement

Basement family room

1. cluttered!
2. not enough storage for Shayne's electronics projects
3. need shelving or storage solution for DVDs and CDs
4. needs new carpet
5. excercise machine takes up lots of space and is rarely used

Kitchen

1. need recycling/trash area to be better organized
2. junk accumulates on top of microwave
3. good counter space
4. probably the most organized room in the house

Dining room

1. "Drop Zone" for mail, shoes, uniform items and work supplies
2. cluttered by living room furniture and furnishings
3. needs curtains
4. HATE the wall color - repaint ASAP as a temporary fix
5. excellent light

Laundry room/bathroom

1. Small and cold (or hot in summer)
2. lots of storage, but unorganized and poorly utilized
3. need solution for dog food bags
4. need curtains

Living room

1. needs to be finished!
2. love the wall colors
3. beautiful wood floors
4. lots of natural light

Office

1. least favorite room in the house
2. need new cushion for papasan chair or bring in futon to use for guests
3. new bookcase/armoire for books, magazines, and office supplies
4. wallpaper MUST GO!

Bedroom

1. need headboard and coordinating furniture
2. new fan/light fixture
3. drab wall color (very light sage/tan/gray) that I hate
4. built-in shelves give extra storage
5. needs more decoration to feel cozy

Spare bedroom

1. catch-all room with lots of clutter
2. used as ironing center
3. AWFUL wall color (bright yellow with green trim)
4. might work well as a utility room

Bathroom

1. needs ventilation fan
2. tons of storage
3. small but organized

I was surprised to find that only 1 thing in the house needs repair (the furnace ignition works sporadically), and I found 2 light bulbs that are burned out.

I've been motivated this week to start organizing. I bought a magazine file to keep in the bathroom, since both of us usually take something to read while we take baths or if we plan on spending a little time in there. There was a small pile that moved between the floor and the counter, and it's now neat and orderly. I don't really like having reading material in there, but since it ended up there anyways, I might as well make it look as nice as I can! I also cleaned and organized my nightstand, which was pretty scary. Shayne and I are both making an effort to pick up after ourselves and not leave anything laying around that shouldn't be. Training ourselves to new habits will take some time, but I'm so sick of the clutter...

Apartment Therapy: Week 1

Here's my assignment to myself for week 1:

1. Make a complete list of repairs and solutions
2. Vacuum and mop all floors
3. Remove one item from your home and put it outside (Goodwill for me)
4. Buy fresh flowers
5. Sit for 10 minutes in a part of your home that you never sit in
6. Look into earth-friendly cleaning products (I already use them, due to our septic situation)

Today will start with a thorough cleaning and a house tour. As I clean, I'll make notes about what I like and dislike about each room and what purpose I'd like it to serve.

More later!

Apartment Therapy: The Quizzes

After being inspired by the Apartment Therapy going on over at The Litter Box House, I decided to start a little of my own. Shayne and I agreed to work on one room at a time, but nothing in the house feels right anymore. The renovation/restoration has squashed any hint of comfort or style in the entire house, even in the basement family room. I've known there was a problem for quite a while, but thought it would get better once the living room was out of the dining room. It didn't. Even though one room is destined to be a mess, there's no reason not to make the rest of the house as comfortable and inviting as possible. So today I started with the Quiz...

Favorites

List your favorite in each category:
Actress: Keira Knightley
Actor: Ralph Fiennes, Russell Crowe
Artist: Michael Whelan
Writer: Melanie Rawn, Stephen King, Terry Goodkind
Music: Classical (Bach), swing/big band, country
Restaurant: The Vine, The Chocolate Cafe
Automobile: pickup truck, Jeep Wrangler
TV Show: NYPD Blue, The Shield
Clothing (designer or store): Eddie Bauer, NY&Co

How would you describe your style (3 words)?
1. earthy
2. simple
3. functional


Personal History

Where have you lived?
Where you were born: Dearborn, MI
Where you grew up: Riverview, MI and Mishawaka, IN
As an adult: Mishawaka, South Bend, and Lydick, IN

Whom would you consider a role model?
My mother and grandmother, my friends, my uncle Chuck

What 3 adjectives describe the qualities you admire in this person (perople)?
Honest, hardworking, high integrity


Apartment

What is the problem with your home?
1. Clutter
2. Lack of storage in bedrooms
3. Not enough furnishings

If your home could speak, what would it say is the problem?
"Too many layers on top of the original surfaces keep me from expressing my true self. The clutter hasn't helped..."

What one thing would you like to do or do more of in your home?
Entertain small groups of friends

8 weeks from now, when this project is done, if friends came to visit, how would you like them to describe your home (3 words)?
1. Inviting
2. Cozy
3. Warm


The above questions are designed to illustrate my personal style and aspirations, which seem to me to be mostly in harmony with each other. I do have tendencies towards fantasy (Michael Whelan, Melanie Rawn, Terry Goodkind), but even those somewhat embrace my core values of simplicity and integrity. Stephen King and The Shield show that I have a bit of a dark side... Overall, I like simple elegance and high functionality. Maybe I should work on having some things around that are purely decorative? There's also nothing particularly feminine about my answers. Aside from NY&Co, you probably couldn't even tell that the answers came from a female. Hmm.

There is also a second quiz designed to assess the "health" of your home. I scored in the low end of the "healthy" range, but I feel personally that my home fits more into the "weak" bracket. Especially since it refers to energy drain, which the house definitely does. It also talks about problems being put off for some time, which I have. Nothing needs repair, but I'm definitely a procrastinator on the cosmetic end of things.

I've decided to do the deep treatment, since some of the rooms need ore help than others. It focuses on cleaning and decluttering (which definitely needs to be done) and sets out an 8 week schedule designed for a 1 bedroom apartment. Since my home is obviously much larger than that, I think I may allot myself some extra time on some weeks, but I'll try to stick as closely as possible to the 8 week plan.