Organizing & Small Decor Changes

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

This is a continuation of my decluttering and reorganizing efforts.

I'm so happy that at long last I've been getting to little bits of clutter that doesn't seem to have a permanent home. I should throw it all out but that is not like me, ha ha.  Instead, I stash it and hold on to it.  Now at last I'm going through it, sorting, organizing and disposing of it as needed. I can't tell you how good this makes me feel because these little bits stashed in bags and containers of all kinds is so much visual clutter.  

Visual clutter as opposed to hidden clutter, makes me uncomfortable and anxious every time I look it. I don't have hide away places where I can stash everything until I'm ready to deal with it.  That's probably a good thing. I want things 'out' so it's easier to access them and organize whenever I have a few minutes here and there. That time is now.

Tuesday and Wednesday I dealt with clutter in the living room and organized the TV cabinet shelves. I've still got too much 'stuff' housed there but I did get rid of a large bag of books and CDs & I will be getting rid of more. 

I've got a CD player or two and so I can still listen to them. I have a lot of study materials on them so I've kept those that I want to study soon.  Mainly foreign languages and Bible studies. 

Does anyone out there still listen to CDs?

I also continue making small decor changes. Although the changes are small they take so much time to research or consider products, order them, assess how they are working and package, return and reorder them as needed. Here are some of the recent changes.

This one is for paper recycling.

Replaced shopping bags with covered bins for recycling containers and papers. I got the new to me Sterlite bin from a woman in the neighbourhood. Previously I thrifted a covered Ikea bin which I'm using for containers.

Replaced the blue scatter mats (as in the photo above).  Every time I look at these mats in the entry way and kitchen I cringe a little because the edges are becoming quite frayed and the white-ish gray colour is looking 'dirty'.  I'm loving the lighter, brighter colours in the new mat and I hope they last for a while.

Covered chairs with slipcovers to bring cohesion to 2 different coloured chairs in 2 different styles which I've now put close to one another.  First I tried gray slipcovers.  They were supposed to be a light gray colour but instead they were quite dark. I returned them for this beige colour which I prefer.  The problem is the covers aren't quite long enough to cover the bottom of the chairs. I've ordered another style and I hope they will work better.

I've ordered a different type to see if it will work.

Replacing old outlet covers with new ones. No amount of washing the grooves made the plate look clean. It's hard to wash the switches. They need to be changed or removed to be washed and dried properly. I figure if I am going to remove them or have them removed, they may as well be replaced. Only a few need the switch mechanism changed but this is actually quite a low priority in the long list of things to do.

Old cover

I'm also still dealing with a few items from the recent renovations to the master bedroom and the patio. 

I have to review the patio work and complete a deficiency form. This is straightforward because we've been reviewing the work throughout the long renovation process and little changes were made here and there.  On the other hand, the movers involved in moving our furniture in and out, have damaged 2 items.  It's taking time to deal with because they don't want to pay for replacement costs. On my part, I don't see why I need to shoulder the majority of replacement costs. Hopefully this will be dealt with before the week is out. I'll be glad to put both of these issues completely to rest!

Last but not least, I'm busy moving things around trying to make things function and flow better. Of course that makes it easier for us to live here but I'm also expecting a guest soon. I sure hope I can have her soon because I don't want her to travel on the mountain roads during snowy or stormy weather. Winter comes early in the mountains.

If you're still here, thank you for stopping by. Your visit means a lot. I'd be interested in hearing whether you too are on a downsizing, decluttering and reorganizing mission? Have you jumped on the minimalist bandwagon or are you a maximalist? I would say I fall into the maximalist camp but I am trying very hard to reduce my possessions to live a life of less maintenance of 'stuff' and more freedom.  One thing I've noticed as I've been taking photos to share about the small household changes here and there, is that the photos reveal the flaws in furniture and the interior of the home (walls, corners, paint and so on). I'm finding it helpful in figuring out where to make small adjustments and repairs as well as identifying what areas need more cleaning.

New Faucet Installation ~ Part 1

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope your week is going well.

The other day when I was out doing errands I purchased new faucets for both bathrooms. 

I couldn't wait to install them. I've never installed faucets before but I've heard it's a simple job.

Have you ever changed a faucet? Was it a simple job?

When I started the installation I found it very difficult to loosen the big nuts.  I could also see that the small bolts holding the faucets underneath the sink are completely rusted so that might make them difficult to remove (as in the experience with changing the toilet lid cover in the main bathroom recently).

This simple job is going to take more time than it should.  Normally my brother would help out, but he's very tall and it's a very cramped space in which to work.  There's no way he will have room to splay out in the tiny bathroom or be able to fit underneath the sink.  My husband might fit, but he's not home until quite late. I hope I can manage it myself. Wish me luck or say a prayer.

Tuesday 4 - Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

 

a 1939 Living Room

 Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

This week the subject is Your Home.

1. What kind of home do you have and does it need repair or improvements this year?

I have a smallish condo (986 square feet and a deck that is 518 square feet) in the heart of the city. It's handy to everything I need.  I can walk or take a short bus ride to where I need to go and this is a major factor in why I purchased the place.  

Over the past year I've made some cosmetic changes to refresh my home (painting, changing out door knobs, bathroom shower curtains/cabinet knobs and towels).  But major improvements are needed in both the kitchen and master bathroom.  I would like to replace the kitchen cabinets and counters and convert the master bathroom tub to a shower but it's doubtful those changes will be made in 2023.  I would also like to change out the flooring throughout the condo but the other changes are more important. 

New shower curtain and of course new towels are coordinated with the colours.

New door knobs. The old ones were gold colour that had worn off.

2. How do you accessorize your home inside and out?  Plants, art, books, wall hangings, maybe music in the background?

I do accessorize my home both inside and out. Outside it is primarily with an outdoor dining table and chairs for enjoying an outside meal or relaxing. I also plant a lot of container plants.  

In the front rooms the colours are mainly earth tones (beige, orange, gold, deep red an pops of black) whilst in the master bedroom and bathroom the colours are various shades of blue and some complementary colours (white, burgundy, rose pink).  Basically I kept the same colours that were in the unit when I moved in though it has been repainted a few times over years.

Inside I try to have plants but there isn't enough warmth or light for most of them to survive, let alone thrive.  The plants are always changing because I buy more when they eventually die off even though it is a waste of money.  Lately I've been wanting large artificial plants to fill some corners. Though I did buy one it turned out to be far too big so I returned it and my search continues. I also have ethnic art, wall hangings like soapstone plates and calabashes from Africa, mirrors, lots of books and a few knick knacks.  I love music but no longer play it for the home since the CD player went the way of the Dodo bird.  My computer doesn't have a good stereo set up to play the music for the home so I mainly just listen with headphones whenever I have some down time.  I have a lot of crafting supplies and so they are stored in every nook and cranny or bin I can find. It is a challenge and I've been trying to pare everything down but still save what I hope to use one day in the not too distant future.

 

 3. What objects reside on your coffee table? Night stand? Side tables? Kitchen/Dining table?    

I had this ladder custom made and ordered it wider than their standard.

Artificial flowers with fairy lights fill the space in a dark corner.

The side table holds the phone and a place for pens, paper and coffee/drinks. I also have some storage containers on the other side of the sofa which has space on top for someone else to place their refreshments when visiting or relaxing. The dining table is always covered with a tablecloth and usually has a centrepiece of some kind. At the holidays, the centrepiece is usually a seasonal one.

A Christmas display of artificial flowers.

 

4.  Do you like your kitchen organized and with counters cleared off or do you prefer to have  the things you use often out on counters?     Do you mind  what some might see as clutter or do you hate having to dig out tools and appliances  when it comes time to use them? and prefer to have them within easy reach?

above : a 1940's Kitchen.

I dislike clutter and am doing my best to get rid of it. If I had adequate space in the kitchen I would prefer to have everything organized and put away but with easy access to tools and appliances since it's a pain to get them out and put them away if you use them often.  For now the kitchen hasn't been my priority for decluttering but eventually I will get rid of a lot of dried goods and things I haven't used for a long time. In future I hope to also be more selective about what I buy that needs to be stored. It's been a process of learning as I've also been making so many changes to diet and cooking over the years.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to read you soon!

Word of the Year - 2020 - 2022

 

As the new year begins I thought I would take a moment to review my words of the year for the past few years and see how accurate or helpful they were. 

Theme Word for 2020

In my search for my theme word I discovered I didn't have one! That was the year that things got off to a very bad start when my nephew and the horse he was riding were struck by a moving train in a blinding snowstorm. At the time (and continuing to now), we have been unable to make a road trip to where he lives or to where any other loved ones live. As the year progressed, a lot was accomplished including reading a record number of books, sewing and mending, a bit of painting and furniture rearrangement, setting up a shelving unit to act as a kitchen pantry and a significant amount of decluttering which included copious amounts of paper and documents.

Theme Word for 2021

Completion was my theme word for 2021. I chose this word because I had been in the middle of trying to accomplish many things for a few years and progress was not fast enough for me.  I felt I needed to complete some things so I could move forward.  It turned out to be a good word for the year and I accomplished a lot of the things that had been on my list for a long time. 

At the start of the year I set a goal of reading 45 books, a reduction from the previous year.  The reading goal was again reduced to 25 books with the idea that I could accomplish more around the home if I spent less time reading.  However I ended up reading a record 69 books. I don't read as voraciously as some people but I usually have a book on hand for the quiet times or late at night when I am unwinding.

In 2021 I also limited the time spent on crafting.  However, I did make a few dishcloths to keep in my stash which dwindles at birthdays and at Christmas. I also completed an afghan throw as a Christmas gift for a dear friend. She surprised me by saying she had been waiting patiently for me to make one for her, lol. She had seen many other afghans I had made and gifted to family members and other friends.

One big digital project I wanted and needed to complete took up almost half of the year.  Completion date was far past the original timeline of mid - January 2021.  It was early June 2021 before it was all done. Several other people were inputting and so the delays were caused by their other time constraints.  Needless to say I was thrilled when everything was finally concluded!

That digital project needed to be done before I could commence a larger scale digital decluttering project. To date I've deleted thousands of photos and documents, unsubscribed from countless online newsletters, blogs and vlogs and unfollowed multiple social media accounts. I've always had an innate curiosity and desire to learn new things or keep on top of subjects and issues. These days I no longer have the energy or time to do it all.  Like many other people, I am trying to focus on the things that matter most although I admit to still trying to do too much.

Beyond the digital realm, I accomplished a lot in the physical realm of my home.  The decluttering of all things large and small continued along with a few modest decor changes which I had started late in 2020. Some of the decor changes included:

•    Unpicked, washed, re-stuffed and restitched a few kapok cushions
•    Purchased a blanket ladder for the living room
•    Purchased 4 new to me dining chairs to replace the antique ones I gave away
  
•     Purchased a lot of planters and plants
•    Purchased a small chest freezer 
•    Purchased a new lighting fixture for the dining room   
•    Purchased 2 area rugs (dining area and living room) and blackout curtains (living room)
  

 

I got long curtains to reach the floor

This is to replace an all silver fixture

Two area rugs which are interchangeable between dining and living rooms.

 

These projects had been on my list for a very long time but I either didn't have the time or the budget. Even seemingly simple things take so much time.  For example, the kapok cushion refurbishment sounds rather simple.  But it took a good week or more to unpick the cushions, take out the stuffing which flies all over the place, wash the covers, refill the cushions (again the kapok flies all over the place) and stitch the cushions back up. I also had to go to the fabric store to buy muslin to make more covers and check the on line shops for a few, new cushion covers.  It's a 'small' project but altogether the time commitment put me off of it for some time. I'm glad it's done now.

For the other projects, I needed to make time to sit down and scour the internet for best prices, then try to coordinate colours through photographs before buying. Inevitably something ordered does not work and you have to try something else. It all takes time.  I wanted to spread the purchases out over several months so it would not have negative impacts on helping people through the Kenyan Missions of Hope. Feeding people and getting them medical care is far more important in the long term than whether I get a blanket ladder or an area rug. But in 2021 it all came together and I was able to spread out the purchases (most are pictured above) over the year.  This helped the budget. I've written about most of the above in various posts during the year.

The intention of all of changes made in the home is to make things "cosy" and to 'finish' the spaces.  I also wanted to open up space in my small home and use it more effectively.  The purpose of something like the chest freezer is to take advantage of sales on fresh and frozen foods and from time to time to cook and freeze ready meals. 

I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is for me to decide on what to buy.  Not just because of cost but also because my decor style is rather eclectic. Consequently everything looks like a 'mish mash' and doesn't always go together the way I'd like. I'm trying to change that.  Since I'm not a spender when it comes to home decor and I don't tend to change things every year, I need to try and stick to a theme I can live with for awhile. I chose ethnic/tribal bohemian.  This way I can incorporate plants, some of the African items I picked up in Kenya and some of the First Nations pieces I've had in my possession for awhile.  I hesitated in this decision because once I decide to sell, I think some people will have an issue with seeing beyond what I have in terms of decor. These days people seem to like the hotel look where I live and it has been trending for long. In any case, that is what I've decided and if, and when, the time comes for selling, I can pack up some of the pieces and store them away.

A lot of outstanding paperwork was also done in 2021.  I'm mostly caught up but still have to sort and shred a lot of paper. I also have more work to streamline the closets full of clothing and shoes. This job seems to be a never ending one because I've been giving away things for years.  The problem is I keep buying clothes and shoes due to weight gain then weight loss over the years.  I expect to lose more weight and so I see more clothing purchases and clothing decluttering sessions in my future.

In conclusion, completion hasn't been fully realized in 2021 but the majority of things that needed action were acted upon.  I was also able to clear away a lot of old things and whatever is left will likely be dealt with much more quickly.

Theme Word for 2022

Now that 2021 is over, I've decided to pick a new word for the year.  My new word is "refresh".  The meaning is to "give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate."

When I think back over the past 5 years I realize I have been through a lot. The death of several close family members and friends, near tragic accidents of loved ones, personal health challenges, an accident in late September, responsibilities with the Kenyan Missions of Hope, and a global pandemic over the past several years have all been a bit much to contend with.  Prior to that, I had many very emotionally and physically taxing demands relating to care giving of two now deceased family members. I have responsibilities for one family member.  I don't regret any of this but the time demands did mean that I had to put a lot of my own life and needs on the backburner.  Some things piled up which now have to be dealt with. 

I am grateful for everything I've experienced in my life, the good, the bad, the ugly. It all made me who I am today and every year I hopefully learn and grow into the person I'm meant to be.

I'm very grateful to God for helping me through everything and keeping me strong enough to deal with what was on my plate.  I will continue to move to complete things in 2022, but I am also moving into a rest and refreshing stage.  I have some ideas about how I will go about it.  My story is to be continued as days, weeks and months go by. 

~~~

 "Maybe you're not perfect, but you're willing to actually look at yourself and take some kind of accountability. That's a change. It might not mean that you can turn everything around, but I think there's something incredibly hopeful about that."
--Brie Larson

 "[I]f you are grateful for your life ... then you have to be grateful for all of it. You can't pick and choose what you're grateful for."
--Stephen Colbert

Update - Mostly Health and Decor

 Hi again,

 It seems so very long since I've written here about what is going on so here goes.  I meant to post on Thursday for Skywatch Friday and post some autumn photos but time slipped away on me.

I'm still recovering.  My face still looks like quite a fright but the swelling has gone down a lot.  Now I watch the colourful bruises change from day to day.  I have a big bump under my right eye. When I touch it is is very hard.  This is where I have a fractured bone. After a lot of telephone tag, I finally have an appointment to see the plastic surgeon in just over a week. 

I've been working very hard for over a month to try and manage my blood sugar levels better. I had been eating well, exercising and watching snacks but the sugar levels just keep going up. I have been researching all about the causes of insulin resistance and the effects of low carbohydrate diet on insulin and blood glucose. I am now on one meal a day (OMAD) and Intermittent Fasting. I'm glad to say the blood sugar level has come down a lot. I compared my current reading to the last few years and I see that I haven't had such a good reading in 4 years.  So I 'm very excited and will keep doing what I'm doing. Hopefully in 3 months the blood sugar will be even better.  Since I've been trying this new way of eating I am not posting photos of my cooked meals.  It just isn't that interesting but if I should somehow become more creative about the meals, I will post about it.

I haven't been able to get back to household routines while I've been recovering. I'm too sore and tired and I still have a lot of neck and shoulder tension.  But I am moving forward every day to complete a number of 'to dos' and errands that I've been wanting to get to for long. That is how I happened to be out to get some photos some of which I'm sharing today.

The Sea bus to the North Shore leaves regularly from downtown.

During Covid it has been much harder to do the shopping for anything other than groceries and medicines.  Over the summer things opened up more and  now I'm running around trying to get what I need.  I'm also worried that things might become more restrictive again so the more I can do now, the better.

Most of my 'to dos' have been focussed on trying to fill the gaps and needs in my home.  I'm doing everything on a very tight budget so it takes a lot of looking around, consideration of the overall theme and colour scheme, seeing about the size of pieces and how to get them home. Truth is, I've been looking for some of these items for a few years already but wanted to get rid of other things first. I'm not much of a decorator. I usually see something I like and then I try to make it work. But now I have to be far more mindful if I want to avoid collecting a bunch of things that just sit unused.

I took this photo from the downtown Simon Fraser Uni. campus

I have needed dining chairs for a very long time.  Whenever I'd have people for dinner it would usually be a crowd so we didn't sit at the table anyway. We would gather on sofa, ottoman and side chairs.  Before I got different chairs I wanted to get rid of my old ones.  I did that just over a year ago. I've been searching for quite awhile for just the right chairs: sturdy, right colour, appropriate style and good price.  I finally bought some thrifted dining room chairs and they are absolutely nothing like I originally planned to buy. In the end I got tired of looking and considering and these chairs will do just fine. As it turns out my late sis owned a set of these oak dining chairs an an oak table to go with them.

They are just solid, oak wood chairs that will blend in with many other furniture items and decor.  These are not very popular chairs where I live.  Most people want modern or post-modern furnishings, not traditional or farmhouse.  However I happened to look at a new issue of Victoria magazine and saw the chairs featured in a restaurant and in some beautiful photos. I also saw them in a music joint in a You Tube video featuring Zydeco music and dancing.  So I'm thinking the chairs are popular with restaurants and bars in rural areas of the USA.  I think if I lived in a rural area in Canada, I could also find a lot of these chairs but not here in the city.  I found some on the Wayfair website (see photo below).  They vary in price from about $250 per chair to $550 per chair. If you find the chair in a brick and mortar store I'm certain they would cost a lot less.  In fact, my late sis used to own the exact same chairs and an oak table to go with them.  They and can be stained or painted a different colour and that was one of the reasons I bought them besides the fact that they are solid.  I had been looking for new chairs in a more traditional style and primarily made of wood or a neutral coloured fabric.  It wasn't easy to find anything in a style and material that I like and that won't need constant tightening of the screws and also fit the budget.  The antique oak and cane dining chairs I gave to my cousin needed regular tightening of the legs and I grew tired of dealing with that.  It seems modern chairs may be no better.  My cousin lives in the country where there are craftspeople who can repair what needs repair. In fact, her father-in-law did the job of fixing up the chairs for her and she absolutely loves them.  I am happy too that I found a good home for them because my late mother bought the chairs for me as a gift.  I picked the chairs against my mother's better judgement. I should have listened to her.

One chair on Wayfair for $450.

When I'm up to it, I'll share a few of my container finds from the thrift store for those of you who like thrift hauls.  I did a bit of research on the pieces I bought before I decided to go ahead and buy them.  I wanted to be sure the prices were not too high and I also wanted to consider whether I would really use them or they would just become clutter.  I hesitated to buy them at all because I'm not yet ready to display and use them.  I  need to get a few shelves to put up  in the kitchen and then I'll be ready to put out the containers.

I  also found new planter pots to repot some the aloe vera plants and other large plants that already out grew the pots I put them in over the summer. I was glad to complete this job before winter arrives.  They should all be good in their new pots for a long time to come. 

I've long had an interest in Chinese porcelain but to be honest, they don't go with my decor. I have such eclectic tastes which lean toward bohemian or classic. However this past 6 months or so, I've been trying to hone in on a style and I'm going for ethnic or tribal bohemian to incorporate different things I've collected over the years. It might seem a bit strange to hone in on a style as I head into my the last third of my life but I see it as one way to harness my purchasing habits so that I don't end up with a lot of needless things as the years go by.

• Can anyone relate to being indecisive about what style you really like or do you just go all eclectic? 
• Does anyone relate to ethnic or tribal bohemian decor?  

So the Chinese porcelain doesn't really fit in though perhaps some small items here and there will work. 

A jaunt to Chinatown to check out plants and porcelain

 

The Bamboo Village was my destination. They carry a lot of plants and pots

The thrift store where I bought the dining chairs was selling 2 Chinese porcelain pieces that had not yet been priced. I was a bit interested in them so I went to Chinatown to see if I could price similar items. I also checked on line and then went back to the store. It turns out the larger porcelain piece, which is the one I liked most, had been sold just a few minutes before I arrived.

I found out it was sold for $140. I couldn't believe it because though that is less expensive than what you will pay on the Wayfair website, it is definitely not what I consider thrift store prices. I also think you can buy a similar piece in store for a lot less if you look around.  he thrift store isn't an antique store and of course like all thrift stores the items are donated to them for charitable purposes.  I just don't agree with pricing donated items out of the range of most thrift shoppers. I likely wouldn't have purchased it anyway but I had to go through the process. The store has a second item which hasn't been put out yet because the lady who prices the items told me she is still researching.  When she researched the piece she found it on line for $3000. and on that basis she is going to price it on the expensive but hasn't yet decided on the final amount.  

I had discovered that there is a city in China (and quite likely many cities) where making porcelain reproductions is their chief business. So I asked "how do you know the vase isn't a reproduction?" She didn't have a good answer for me and acknowledged it could be a reproduction and that she hasn't finalized her research.  This is another reason why thrift stores should not try to act like they know about authentic art vs. fakes and reproductions.  If they keep prices on the high side they might end up selling something to some unsuspecting person who pays a lot and the purchaser might end up with a fake!  Anyway, I'm glad I was not interested in purchasing the piece.  It is a vase with butterflies painted on them similar to the photo above.  It wasn't that pretty to my eye.  The one in the photo is nicer. If I ever do purchase a Chinese porcelain pot or two I won't be looking to buy originals so I don't want to pay high prices. I am no collector of fine porcelain. I just want something pretty that catches my eye.

More fun for me was going to the fabric store and buying muslin and cotton fabric and cotton webbing. I have some tea towels on hand that I want to turn into some bags.  This is just to occupy my time and perhaps give some gifts as it is that time of year again. I have one or two people in mind for the bags. 

We celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada on Monday. I will be making ham for dinner so we don't have turkey for two holidays in a row. I like to have turkey on Christmas Day. If you are a Canadian reader, have a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

 

One of my brothers who lives far from me will be visiting with his wife a week after Thanksgiving. They are coming to Vancouver on a short vacation and it will be nice to see them again.  Since it's Covid times, their options for travel are limited.  Though we've talked and visited by phone, I haven't seen them since mom's funeral service in April 2017. Time does fly by so fast.

Last but not least, I'm reading a bit. Here are 3 books on my list at this time. I can recommend them all. 

 

The Book of Candlelight is a mystery set in a town called Miracle Springs. The town suffers a flood and mystery unfolds concerning the death of a Cherokee pottery maker. 

Under the Table is chick literature.  The story concerns a woman who separates from her husband, moves to New York City to live with her sister and start a new life through cooking and catering private dinner parties. On one of her jobs she meets a reclusive, nerdy multi-millionaire and with his consent, begins a process of making him over.

1000 White Women is a fictional book based on a historical fact. It's the story of May Dodd who was committed to an insane asylum by her rich family because she married a man they felt was beneath her station in life. In 1875, she decides to volunteer to travel to the American West and marry the chief of the Cherokee Nation. The marriage opportunity is through a secretive government program and she joins up so she can escape the asylum.

Enjoy your weekend and the week ahead.