Very excited to start the cure! I tried it over a year ago and it took more like 4 months for me, so it's about time for me to try again!

Just bought the book yesterday and am getting excited and scared at the same time. All I want to do is lay in bed and read the book though... Love the philosophy behind getting rid of the clutter and the rest will follow... Thanks AT!

I'm also very excited to start. I'm using the cure to get stuff out of my apartment so I'm looking forward to an organized and decluttered home.

I'm really enjoying the book so far - I am so ready to go!

Hoping I can overcome ten years of paint color indecision. :)

So I'm assuming we're supposed to start reading Part 1 of the book...

Did anyone have fun with the "Interview/Favorites" section? p.42-46

I'm finding my answers fall in line with Answering slowly (careful decision maker) and Answers are eclectic (style may not be focused). At first glance, I'd probably define my style as:
- Classic
- Clean
- Unconventional
- Cozy
(But I wanted to add Organic, Pop, Comfortable and Modern -- must be that unfocused style coming out!)

Anybody else having luck defining their style? Apparently I don't do well with labels. :)

thesoybean, I'm there with you--I have a horrible time defining my style. I know I'm eclectic, but sometimes find it frustrating to really make my place look and feel put together instead of mish-mashy. I did the cure for my old apartment and it really helped. I'm having to re-cure because I just got married and we've moved to a new house. We're trying to meld households and styles.

My biggest challege is going to be getting my husband onboard with this. He always refers to AT as "That internet therapy thing" with just a bit of annoyance in his voice. Still, it's important to me that both of us be happy with the outcome. He swears up and down that he doesn't have an opinion about home decor, but start moving furniture or painting walls and suddenly he pipes up. He's far more opinionated than he wants to believe and it's going to be like pulling teeth to get him to speak up early enough to avoid re-curing every room.

If anyone has any tips on getting your reluctant partners/roommates to go with you on this home-curing journey, I'd love to hear them.

Just wanted to say welcome, everyone! We're really excited to get the Cure going this week, and can't wait to see how it goes for all of you! We hope you use this discussion board to check in with other Curees and to post your questions, concerns, and triumphs. I and the rest of the "West" team will be weighing in periodically to help the discussion along.

And by all means, please send us your submissions! We can't wait to include your photos in our posts and support you along the way.

Happy Curing!

- Susie

I'm so happy! I've been waiting months for this!

My poor husband hasn't recovered from the Spring Cure! You have my sympathy Harlie! I have no idea how to get him onboard, except bribing him that I'll do everything but the heavy lifting and that I won't spend too much money! His creative input is nearly impossible to bribe out!

I think he is appreciative deep down inside, to live in a intentionally designed space that gets him many compliments from his friends!

This cure will focus on our library. I'll be taking out the multitude of computer desks (3!) and building a custom desk inside the room's closet!

Wish me luck!
Renee

This could not have come at a better time! I have spent the last two months on the sofa with severe morning sickness. Plus I have a home business and inventory is spread all over my house =0

Needless to say, the house is in desperate need of some help. How to pick just one room is the part I am finding hardest!

Good luck to us all! Can't wait to see some pictures...

Alex

I'm tackling our second bedroom, which we need to use as an office (I work from home, he's a student). I'm a little nervous because we're broke and have extremely limited organizational skills. And my husband likes to keep the boxes for everything. "Makes it easier to move." Gah. And yes, we move frequently. But other than the box insanity, he's on board with helping AND trusting my taste. Bless him.

I'm so excited! And scared!

My focus is going to be my kitchen. I love it's style - very modern, but I have too much "stuff" and have clutter creep on my clean-lined stainless countertops. Enough!

I am v. lucky as I have a place for much of this stuff - a second "country" kitchen in the boonies of New Mexico.

So the challenge is to give away and send away "stuff" that I don't use and love. Move only useful and lovable kitchenware to the country place. And move on the rest of it for someone else to find and love.

I will also move to the hidden clutter in several of my closets in other parts of the house.

I need to pick a main focus--the bedroom, kitchen, and closets all need attention. The kitchen is the most manageable, because it's probably 75% of the way there already, so I think I should probably identify the bedroom as my focus.

Very excited about getting this going!

This is my first cure and I desperately need it. My husband and I inherited my grandmother's house when she passed away and we never fully moved all of her stuff out before we moved it. It's beyond cluttered- it's a disaster! Now that everyone in the family has taken the things they want I'm ready to get down to business and rescue this house from the early 1970's and turn it into a house that fits my husband and my aesthetic.
I'm having trouble with the survey, as well. I thought I had a defined style until I started the book! Because this house is such an undertaking I may focus on one specific area for this cure- like our bedroom. Photos coming soon!

This is my first cure and it's coinciding with moving in to my first non-roommate apartment. Is anyone else starting a home from scratch rather than revamping one that is already set up?

Oh, I'm so excited. Photos to come!

I guess I need to add that I need to create a vision of the "country" kitchen in New Mexico into which I am moving excess equipment from my modern one.

This is just what I needed to get started on some projects that have been haunting me. I moved into Senior Housing last year and have not put the finishing touches on anything. I still have stuff in boxes, something I have never done before. I am excited to get on board with this.

I'm excited to be doing the cure with you all! The Spring Cure was a lot of fun, and my home is in need of curing once again, so the timing couldn't be better.

Question: What is the title of the book we're supposed to be reading? I've gone through all the emails that I can find, and can't find the info. I'd appreciate it if someone can clue me in!

Harlie and ReneeNouveau, I'm in the same boat as you. My husband comes unglued every time I want to decorate/redecorate, but then he always loves the results when I'm done, and it turns into "we did this" . . . Ha! We've been in our house for about a year and a half, and haven't done any decorating to speak of, aside from ripping out an overhead kitchen cabinet that blocked the view of the eating nook and living room . . . and replacing some extremely 1970s (in a bad way!) light fixtures.

I wish to focus on our bedroom. It has so many possibilities!

EllieA, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with your kitchen! I love NM architecture (used to live in the Abiquiu area, and sorely miss it!).

Artlady- My place is just south of the Abiquiu Dam in Regina.

Question???? Where is a good, not expensive source of southwestern/country chest of drawers. I have been looking for about 6 weeks at Goodwill and retain little hope there. Other second-hand places to check? I am a novice at Craig's List (is there a way of selecting the search?)

So i have begun...I started my vision tray on my computer but I have more images in magazines that I haven't gone through yet. I have decided what to get rid of I just haven't managed to do it yet. So I feel you Maxwell! Its not even the thing that I know I really need to get rid of, its the baby step and I'm still having a hard time. Anway...I haven't been able to submit photos yet but I will. Okay, off to read ch.2. hang in there everybody.

live in Idaho and I think Idaho should really belong in the "West" group, since the cities nearest Idaho are Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City--all cities that are in the West group.

Montana and Wyoming belong in the West group, too.

Better late than never. This will be my 3rd Cure. I just bought a new computer over the weekend, so now I can get online from home again. It's been months of hell without it.

So, hopefully, I'll have time to get caught up with everyone. Although since this IS my 3rd, I can move at my pace if I need to and still accomplish a lot.

Good luck everyone! Cure away!

:)

This is our second cure. Last time, my husband was dubious. His first question was "How much does this cure cost?" But after seeing how much improvement we did last spring at relatively little cost, he is really, really on board. He's been asking for weeks when is the next cure? If you do this regularly, its less overwhelming than the first time around. Last night we knocked out about 1/2 the kitchen in an hour and a half. So nice!

EllieA: I had very little luck with Craigslist or Freecycle in NM. There's a really good Salvation Army or Goodwill (can't remember which) on Cerrillos Rd in Santa Fe. If you can't find something there, you might have to go to ABQ. To get something new, and handmade, go to (?? can't remember the name!) a place that's near the intersection of Cerrillos and Hwy 84/285 (St. Francis Dr). It will be on the SW side of the intersection. They always have lots of hand carved furniture (the rosette designs, etc) sitting outside. It's usually pine, and you might have to special order, but it's worth the wait! The prices are super low. Another option: go to Northern NM College (Espanola and/or El Rito). They have a furniture making class there, and you can commission whatever you want or need from the instructor! Wouldn't it be great to have a hand carved cabinet with custom tinwork? :) Good luck! Can't wait to hear how it goes!

A general and not-at-all hypothetical question: is it worth sacrificing functionality in a room in favor of peace of mind?

I'm thinking of dismantling the intricate loft bed/storage system/entertainment center/dog pen my ex built in what is now just *my* bedroom. This will mean reclaiming my space, but will also mean the dogs will have no more crate, and I will have no more television and elliptical machine - if the bed is on the floor there will be no room. Is this okay? Is it worth it? I use the machine when I don't feel like running outside, maybe once a week. Joining a gym is out of the question, because I can't afford anything new in my budget and I just wouldn't go. The room is functional now but uncomfortable.

Is it worth it? I've been approaching the one-room remedy as if I'm definitely doing it, but I'm having second thoughts.

@no accounting for taste,

You pose a good question. It seems to me that if you will be happier in your bedroom once the loft system is dismantled, you should do it... but maybe consider what you are giving up and how each thing will affect your lifestyle.

It sounds like giving up the exercise machine is a good move. If you are a runner and you only use the elliptical once a week, maybe it's not worth it to keep it around. Those machines are incredibly bulky, and they take up a lot of "mental" space too, in that they are constant reminders of an item on your "to-do" list.

Giving up the television may also be a good choice; having a TV in the bedroom can be a distraction from getting good sleep. That being said, it's a very personal choice. If you really want to keep the television in your room, you could always explore a wall-mount option, which would get it out of the way.

It sounds like keeping the loft system is untenable, as it makes the space uncomfortable for you. So why not remove it, put the exercise machine, television, and dog crate in your outbox (in other words - get them out of the room), arrange the room without them, and then decide whether you want to bring any of the three items back. At that point you can consider creative solutions for re-integrating these things if you so choose. (A smaller bed, for instance, might be an option?)

I hope this is helpful! Good luck!

- Susie

Thanks Susie! I ended up taking the loft/crate down/out, and couldn't be happier. I left the TV and the machine for now, and it feels fine at the moment, but we'll see - I'm still open to getting rid of it, but now that winter is upon us I'm sure I'll be using it a lot more.

I'm also thinking of having a yard sale on Sunday - anyone in the LA area interested in any of this?

vintage stuff for sale

How is everyone doing? This forum has become a ghost town . . .

I'm busy de-cluttering and my home has much more energy and lightness as a result. How's everyone else doing?