Another attempt to get organized and decluttered.

Here's the 1-2-3 of this book:

The process takes 6 months. You start with your clothes, all clothes. Put your tops in a pile. Starting with off-season clothes, pick up each item and ruthlessly toss it into a discard box (actually more than 1 box but that's a minor detail) unless you have worn it recently or can honestly say that it ... brings you joy. Then you do the same thing with piles of (1) skirts/pants, (2) shoes, (3) accessories.

Do the same with (1) books, (2) your papers, (3) miscellany, and (4) sentimental items.

I only read half of the book (it was overdue at the library) but I might give it a try. It's so very rigid and that might appeal to me. I've already decided to completely ignore her advice about books. I'm not normal about books and I'm not ever going to be, so the books stay. [By the way, she recommends having a tiny number, fewer than 30 I think she said. Snort. As if.]

Hi to Margaret, Zazzy, Peggy, and Kitt for saying hello!

Oh, and there's this. Makes me laugh every time I see it. So juvenile I know. Keith has a new album out.

How can I not?

In an email today the owner of the dinnerware writes, in part:

"just wondering if you've made any decisions ....

"I could go $375 for everything which is only 20% of the actual cost and less than the 4 serving pieces alone."

I think I'm going to.
Not totally sure yet.

Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions and opinions and votes. I just knew I'd get good feedback.

Even more dinnerware.

A lot of these are getting out of my price range but aren't they pretty?

More dinnerware.

Dinnerware. Can't decide. Too many choices.

We have horrible dinnerware. Bits and pieces of old sets, some really, really cheap, some very, very old, some in-between. So I'm treating my family to a new set of dishes and I'm not going to do what I usually do. Buy something cheap, easy, and dull. Here are a few of the patterns I'm thinking about.

The other day I had a light-bulb moment and said "craigslist!" Sure enough there were a good number of dishes that would have been acceptable. And there was one that I had actually been looking at. Villeroy and Boch Switch 3 -- the blue and green ones in the top picture. I can get a ton of pieces (place settings for 8, plus lots of serving dishes) for about 1/4 of the cost of buying that pattern new. And I suspect that I can negotiate the price even lower.

One possible problem is that my dining room is a very intense color: kind of like brick red. And those blue and green dishes might not look so great in such a room. Or does it matter? (oh I know that it doesn't really matter matter the way, say, nuclear power matters...I mean would most people ignore the clash? I know I would. Do I care if most people notice? What's the worst they can say or think?)

I'm terrible at making these kinds of decisions. It's one reason we only have horrible, horrible dishes.

Kitties are adjusting to their new home. I can see new living room drapes in our future.

These Roman shades were in this house when we bought it XX years ago (XX = a long,long time). I'm a very casual home decorator. If something works I let it live its natural lifespan. That means it stays in place until it falls apart. Just think of the money I've saved over the past XX years not replacing perfectly good, but way out of style, fixtures and furniture. Am I proud of this? Maybe a little. Is that wrong? I have many friends and relatives who must shake their heads upon leaving my home. "Did you see that wallpaper (carpeting, tile, paint, chair, couch, table, etc etc etc)?? Mygod, what is she thinking?" On the other hand, I live with the knowledge that my friends are my friends even in the face of my slothful ways. Mildly comforting.