Declutter, part one

Not my best photos, but they get the point, er, clutter, across.

This is my sewing table. It's in the dining room. You can see it the minute you walk in the front door. You can see it from the half bath (I'm standing in the door of the half-bath to take all of these pictures), from the dining room table, from the kitchen and from the den. Basically, it's an eyesore that you can see FROM EVERY SINGLE SPACE downstairs. It's been cluttered for so long that I don't even pay attention to it anymore. See the purple box? A box of envelopes. See the book on top? M's Christmas present. The brown box is a Christmas present from my co-worker and there are bath gels (yes, BATH gels) on top of that. There is a UGA Santa hat, my old 35 mm body, a stack of parenting, scrapbooking, and handyman magazines. My pin doll and sewing basket, plus all my patterns in a totally cute container behind the sewing basket. Oh, yes...and a half used skein of yarn and some scrap fabric.

Here is a full view. That's my sewing machine UNDER the sewing desk beside the 12 pack of Sprites. The ball caps are hanging from a picture thingy that has a magnetic board on it. I have an apron hanging there, too.

And here it is: DECLUTTERED! The only things on the desk now are my sewing items! YEAH!!!! Just before I snapped that picture, M stuck that little stuffed animal up there. It's in a more permanent home now. All of the items on the sewing table are in more appropriate homes now (like the trashcan). I did move the magazines to my desk, which is my next area to be decluttered. Does anyone have a good way to organize old magazines? I think I might just tear out the articles I want to keep and create an idea book. I'd love any other ideas you might have.

On a side note, this table isn't beautiful and it isn't what I might have picked out, but it is so important to me. It's one of the few things (sewing table, dining table, and a chair) that belonged to H's mother. She died when he was a teenager, so I love knowing that I have something that was hers. It connects us somehow. Silly, I know, but very important to me.

Not only did I accomplish decluttering one tiny part of my tiny house, but I also went to the gym this morning.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.


And I have even BETTER news than the first phase of declutter! I DON'T HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW! All Christmas vacation, I've planned on returning to work Thursday, Jan. 3. I called one of my coworkers today who told me we don't return until Friday. I called another co-worker who CONFIRMED THE GOOD NEWS! I have NO idea how I got so confused. But I sure am glad.