apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi all,
I am new to the cure, and a little late to the discussion, but I spied some of the comments about cleaning out book collections. I am an avid reader and my collection seemed to be growing and growing and I was running out of space. I then learned about paperbackswap.com from another board that I read. The basic concept is that for every book you send to someone else, you get to order a book from someone else. This has done wonders for me -- I still get to read new books but my book collection is no longer expanding. My book collection size stays the same but it's constantly evolving.

Just some food for thought for those trying to downsize their book collections.

I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but my husband has been experimenting with something called lala.com which is a cd trading service. He's been quite happy with it. Knowing that the cds are going to someone who wants them makes it easier to let go.

Anna in SC,

You have KPIG! Why would you ever need to listen to a CD? heehee.

Cool! I've been quoted! You should have seen how wide my eyes got when I saw my words there on the front page. Whoa.

I'm enjoying this group so much (and as I was driving to work this morning, I was getting maudlin thinking about the end of the cure and the "break-up" of the group... Sheesh, get a grip, scb, there's still weeks to go, paper to shred, pics to comment on!)

Jacquelyn, your home is lovely (despite the wretched leak and the consequent hole in the ceiling). I was so glad to see that Maxwell had featured one of your pics. I know you said that table and chairs are going, but they do look great.

Oh...is coffee break over? (Working for a living really cuts into my Cure fun!)

I voted that I'm behind, but not stressing...really, I'm trying not to stress but it's creeping up on me!

In response to Maxwell's question/survey, I answered "on schedule and feeling great", which is amazing to me. As I've said before, I "did" the Cure twice on my own, a May-June Cure and a July-August Cure, and I've accomplished so much in this Real Cure, it's truly a joy. Part of it is because I'd done a lot of the purging, so I can get at the real nitty-gritty of the deep treatment, but most of it is having the community alongside me, doing the same things, sharing ideas, and yes, holding me accountable. That last one is important. When it was just me doing my own little Cure, no one knew if I didn't get around to doing parts of it. Wanting to post pictures and show progress is really working to keep me on track. Yay Cure!

I am behind and totally loving it! Why? Because I finally finished up the kitchen. It's looking good (or at least clean) and functioning better. My husband brewed beer in there yesterday and he was pleased with the additional counterspace (stashed some appliances in the cabinets) AND when he was done it looked just as good as it did the day before (i.e. it's easier to clean now). This is huge because we have the smallest, most cramped, least functional kitchen in Los Angeles! (I won't say anywhere 'cuz I've seen some NYC kitchens that are just as bad.) Before and after pictures to come tomorrow!

is there an option for ahead of the game, but still stressing?

because i've been thinking about what i'd do in my bedroom if i could for sooo long, and because my plans don't involve contractors, demolition, massive expenditures, etc. it just has not taken weeks of exploration to figure out my game plan. which makes me feel like i'm not getting anything done. even though it's already looking better and radical change is in the works. last night was the biggest yet -- i covered my bright overhead 'ceiling boob' with a lantern which really tones down the quality of light it issues. it's all sexy mood lighting from here on in.

i've decided that by the end of this week if i haven't found a desk i just can't live without, i'm buying the media stand from West Elm i've been eyeing. even if it is rather carby. i just have to come to a decision, and you know, if this piece only lasts 5 years, well then that's 5 years of having a work area of my own as well as an attractive way of displaying the television. in 5 years i'll probably be able to afford the MCM credenza i really want.

Hey, you were quoted, scb! Way to go!

I've sorted through the CD's (a nice stack) and the videos/dvd's. I took dh and mine out weeks ago to make room for a bunch of books....they can ALL go--really, if we haven't watched them in five years, we won't, right?

However, the kid's will only let go of three videos. Poot.

Hey--does anyone know how far one's curtain pole should extend from either side of the window?

I thought I read somewhere that I should have 1/3rd the length of the window for a proper "stack-back" of the drapes--but now I have a ridiculously loooooooog curtain pole.

Behind and a bit stressed, but I know I'll eventually catch up. I have to hold out on my landing strip for now until after the 1st of the month [hehe], but I think I know what I want to do. Fortunately, our living room is relatively bare so there isn't much an issue of purging. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town this weekend so I won't be able to do my usual weekend catch-up.

Hi, I would greatly appreciate some advice on my living room.

Namely, the Spousal Unit and I are thinking of swapping the couch for where the TV is currently and vice versa. Both of us *think* it would really improve the space, but this won't be the easiest task so we'd kind of like it if someone else thought so as well.

And if you have any other ideas as to where things could go, that'd be great too. :)

abby's white walls kind of look icey blue-green.
maybe she should paint them that color.

i found my book + i'm finally on page 85 + 3 weeks behind, but we've been remodeling for a year + so we've done some of the steps, like i totally know our style is mod + futuristic modern (i LOVED maxwell's style 101 :: so perfectly well worded + clearly defined). we've done a lot of the bare bones, but we have a lot to do, for instance, we haven't had a kitchen sink for 5 months + we haven't used one of our showers in over a year + our oven isn't wired/installed. there are big + small jobs in every room. so the cure will hopefully speed us along, so we can finish "moving in" + have a housewarming party :D

I voted behind but not stressed. I did the living room last week (or, at least my version of doing it), but before that there wasn't a landing strip to do. Now, I have an area. I'm looking at a bench for it as right now there is only a place for the shoes. I did find a neat Budda statue to put there to catch the keys, but that is jumping ahead of myself!

Trilobyte, I did leave comments in Flickr for you.

I really ~will~ get pics up. Right now I'm wondering what is taking so long for my 'next day' developing! Flickr is set up at least. Will add photos as soon as I get them...

Tara I saw, thank you!

I'm behind but not stressed, because I think I'd be pretty well on schedule if I weren't out of town this week. Overall, I can't believe how amazing the "done" parts of my home look and I can't wait to get back!

I am officially behind. My landing strip has not progressed at all, and I'm still waffling about shelves.

I did make it to IKEA this evening. I wasn't happy with their shelf selection, and I realized that I do not want to buy furniture from them. That said, I did get a few things: a bamboo shade for my back door, a new slipcover for my couch (hopefully it'll work better than the awful one I have now), a duvet cover in slightly brighter colors than my current comforter, and a cord set and shade to create a pendant lamp for my turret space. I almost considered a rattan chair for that space as well, but decided that if I put anything there instead of a table it won't be a rattan chair.

My bathroom demo is making me homicidal. Week Four started today. The drywall still isn't all up yet, there's wiring work that needs to be done, the window still needs to be replaced, and all of these things need to be finished before the skimcoating, painting, tiling, grouting, and caulking can even begin. I'm looking at ten more days at least. My landlord keeps calling off the guy doing the work to do other jobs at his other properties. That means the guy often doesn't start until 3 p.m. and sometimes he's here until 8 p.m. during the week and here on Saturday. I've called the landlord to complain, to no avail. Really disruptive. Oy.

I don't know if I'm behind or if I'm something else...I already had done a bunch of stuff on my own in the past year that we've lived here, and am using the AT cure to push through the rest of it. It's going to be a while before I can paint the kitchen and the living room, though - can't be on my foot for too long and I shouldn't have taxed it yesterday, but I just couldn't resist moving that bookshelf. Much more stuff to take to Sal's...the pile's just growing and growing. I did buy a big bunch of magenta dahlias today, on the way home from the foot MRI (NEVER doing that again...35 minutes inside a shaking magnet that sounds like the opening salvos of a Neubauten song, strapped down to a table...yigghhh). Word of advice: if you have to get an MRI, don't drink a giant cup of coffee beforehand.

Leela--I'll remember that! How do I find your photos on flickr?

JeffreyK--forget the bathroom for now. Out of your hands. It'll be over eventually, though--and won't that be great?!

Just spent too much time looking at photos and commenting: my word--you guys are so artistic and talented! I'm really looking forward to seeing your artistry come together in a personal expression of comfort and shelter in your apts.

So inspiring. Thanks so much, everyone, for participating--and a special than you to those who have left me comments. Very helpful.

I'm behind but not stressed. My life exploded this past week, and I decided that it was okay to put aside the Cure for a few days. But now I'm trying to get back on track.

My landing strip is still non-existent, but at least the space for it has been emptied and cleaned (magic eraser RULES). Unfortunately, I have pretty much no idea what to do with the space! I know that: 1) I want a flat surface at least 30" high to corral keys/phone/stray library books, 2) The coats and winter sundries will go elsewhere, but I need a spot for my bag, 3) I'd rather not hang shelves since this is a rental and I've been naughty once already by putting shelves up elsewhere. I put a picture of the pre-landing strip up on my flickr. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I've got a little bit of a jump on the living room tasks. I decluttered books and other media shortly before the online Cure started, and I receive very few catalogs. Inspired by the magic eraser's work on the landing strip area, I tackled the smudgy living room walls (previous tenant was messy). Hey, maybe I'm not as far behind as I thought! Yay!

Alana - Here:

http://flickr.com/photos/46963079@N00/

under the name flimflamdamn.

I know who you are! Thanks.

geesh. These double identities can get really confusing.

Jacquelyn has a nice colour scheme in her appartment, everything fits quite nice together.

I'm getting mixed up with the double identities too.

Today, the painters are supposed to show up. We'll see. They were a no-show last week, and we had to cancel the week before that. I just want to start putting things back where they belong already. I can't even see my landing strip because it's become temp housing for plants and lamps and books.

I'm behind and OK with it, mostly.

Thanks to all for their comments on flickr and here!!! I must confess that after some of the comments for the color contest I was worried -- I'm grateful (not just for myself) that we are keeping to positive and constructive!!!

smallcitybeth in canada -- of couse I'm now having second thoughts about the table -- I actually was planning to strip it and paint it white, but found a set on craigslist that was already white and took the easy way out. I actually love how hand the table is (it opens to double its size) etc. But I've had a few inquiries from my ad, so I know it will go to a good home. :-)

JeffreyK -- sorry about your bathroom! the fact that you got your LL to do it gives me hope on my dream of getting new kitchen cabinets out of mine -- so thanks for that!

Milo -- thanks!

I voted that I was on schedule and feeling great, but then I started realizing that when it is time for the office and the bedroom, I will be behind and stressed because both of those rooms need their own 1 room cures. Which made me realize that the "public" spaces in my apt. are well thought out, co-hesive and organized and the "private" spaces, not so much. They aren't horrible, but they are just getting by. This is a complete metaphor for parts of my life. I feel that Freud's ear's just perked up. So, in addition to a clean and decluttered apt., I'm really grateful for the making me think aspect of the cure.

Maybe that was a little too deep for 7:30am!

Anyway, last night I got started on the LR -- am having a hard time letting go of books!!! Managed to get a small pile started (small as in 3) and am hopeful that tonight will yield more when I do 2 more bookcases. And I have a bookcase in the bedroom that I think will go when we re-do it at the first of 2007, so I might as well try to get those books to fit in the LR bookcases now.

The flowers I bought the first week have lasted the whole time so far, so I might just get more and add them to another room. And I'll put a plug in for the source -- Dahlia in Grand Central Terminal -- fabulous quality and reasonable prices.

I am behind schedule on the Cure more so behind two or three weeks. Week before last I got ill again with an ear infection and sinus congestion that had me out of work and school for most of that week.

Last week, came to work but trying to play catch up with getting organized again. Not to mention behind on my studying for a class I'm taking this semester.

I read last week that everyone doing the deep treatment was working on cleaning their kitchen. I have yet to do a deep cleaning in my kitchen.

I'm concerned about being behind but not stressed about it. I guess my main priority right now is catching up on my class and studying for exams. Sometimes it's just not enough hours in the day to do everything.

I had to do an enforced deep cleaning in my kitchen recently because of a terrible discovery - despite the Combats and Raid Max's I had laid out, roaches had nested in my kitchen shelving. These are below-waist level shelves that are built in beneath the pass-through counter. I keep cookbooks, takeout menus, tea, and up to that point hand towels there, as well as my cat's food dishes on the bottom level. And when I say that roaches had nested there, I don't mean a few. I mean CLOUDS of them, balls of them, at least 20 falling out of one shaken cookbook, countless more in the hand towels and the books and the menus, and in the dark corners of the shelves, piles of them, alive and dead. It must have been a recent birth, because I hadn't seen them there a few weeks before. I went crazy, pouring tea tree oil on everything, pulling out all objects and washing whichever ones were washable, scrubbing everything down, and throwing away tons of stuff that was creating caves and nest areas for the little frackers. Then I laid two fresh packs of baits out. I felt unclean for the rest of the week, but it did force me to declutter.

I'm actually in the Cure too and have been reading the threads, but haven't had time to join the discussion or check flicker photos, let alone take pictures and post them.

How do you all manage to purge, plan, deep clean, etc. read the Cure threads, read the regular AT threads, work and play, juggle job and family, AND stay on schedule?

I'm on the second read-through of Maxwell's book and this time around I'm underlining important tips.

I'm also applying the principles. The comparison to getting one's body in shape "clicked" for me. The Bones, Breath, Heart and Head discussion also clarified a lot. I discovered my apt. was suffering in the Breath and Head areas.

Am happy to report that my living room is much mor e functional now. I rearranged the furniture to get rid of a dead, underused corner, so that the flow now "meanders."

Another helpful section was on page 86 where we were asked to list the rooms we have and the rooms we want. Well, I made the two lists and learned that my "home office" was homeless. So I finally moved a desk from a dead corner in my bedroom to a corner in the living room, and voila! I suddenly, painlessly created a work area (from where I'm typing now). Thanks for that great tip, Maxwell.

Now I'm wrestling with the suggestion on p. 95 about moving media and telephones. I so want to do it, because my MBR floorplan is a total energy drain. (want to try the p. 94 tips about placing bed so foot points toward door and media equipment are on least visible wall). But in the case of my rental, ripping out cable lines and relocating telephone & TV sockets remains a monumental task at the moment.

I did, however, manage to move a lot of MBR clutter to the Outbox, so that I've created some breath in the room.

Now I'm finally on the color chapter and scared as heck to actually paint accent walls in my living room and MBR. Just don't know what colors will work!

sorry for the long post.

Finally decided to just jump in and join the discussion.

gekko - to answer your question about how I "manage to purge, plan, deep clean, etc. read the Cure threads, read the regular AT threads, work and play, juggle job and family, AND stay on schedule," I'm on a mission. When ski season starts, I spend 1 week per month at home. I basically am home to change clothes, sleep, eat and nothing else. So making sure that my place is working well and healthy before I'm away so much makes me feel better. I'm basically doing 5 months' worth of maintenance in 8 weeks. :)

Gekko... First of all, glad you joined the discussion! And don't worry about long posts. I'm a champion at long posts, and people keep telling me not to worry about them.

Now -- Long cords. That's the answer to relocating telephones and computers and such. You just have to then tuck them under things and get cover-thingies so you don't have cord snakes everywhere. In my do-it-myself-with-the-book version of a Cure this summer, I completely rearranged my living room, then called the cable guy to come and add a longer cable to reach my TV and a way longer one to reach my computer. For the phone, which also migrated across the room, I bought a long jack-cord at Staples or WalMart or somesuch (the phone company didn't have long ones..go figure..) Then I trailed all these long cables and cords along the edges of the walls to reach their new destinations. At the moment I have cord and cable snakes visible along the length of my living room, but that's going to change in Office Week, because I have my eye on some cover-thingies (I'm sure that's the technical name) at Office Depot. Link in my name, I hope. They will go along the baseboard, and be much less obvious than the cord snakes.

How I've managed to stay on schedule and do all the things you listed is, well, um, I had already done nearly all my purging in my summertime Cure, which has really really helped. Also, I'm not paying as much attention to the regular AT posts as usual. And, I confess, I'm not going to bed as early as usual most nights either. I seem to get inspired just at 9 p.m., and start doing things (quietly, so as not to disturb the neighbors). Also I don't have a husband and kids, which makes a big difference (although I have elderly parents whom I spend a fair bit of time with). I had also already rearranged the flow of my apartment, so that's dealt with. Really helps in keeping up -- if I had started cold, the way things were at the end of April, I'd be so far behind, I'd be looking at finishing sometime during next fall's Cure!

Jacquelyn -- I hear you about purging books. I used to keep umpty-bazillion books, then a few years ago I started purging, and the purging just took hold, and I was able to divest myself of many many oodles of books. I did more purging this summer, and still found the odd few last night that I was willing to let go of. So purging can kind of grow on a person, and you start to like the look of the bookshelves with a bit of clear space on them (and the idea of not having double layers of paperbacks on the shelves!) and it just snowballs. At least, it did for me. Good luck with it!

Now, a question of my own. I want to inject a bit of different color into my living room. The two matchy-matchy chairs are a soft green (they look grayer in the Flickr pics), but they're a green that tones in well with the dark sage green of the drapes. The loveseat will be covered in a soft floral that has a base color of the same green as the chairs, with a hint of cream and darker (but still soft) yellowy-cream. There's a lot of "soft" going on. I want to bring in a couple of throw-pillows on the loveseat, and a throw/blanket to drape over one of the chairs, but the only colors that are coming to mind are dark sagy green, or beige. It would all go together, but would be pretty pedestrian. Any suggestions? (I thought of red, which would tie in the kitchen next door, but would also make it look as though Santa Claus was coming to town.) Thanks in advance...

Beth - a lively pale blue/turquoise (not baby-color, but still light) can look really nice with soft greens. Or try some hotter colors, like orange, rust, deeper saturated green with some brightness to it, turquoise, magenta...

Well, I called the Rent Board and the Housing Inspector's Office this morning, and I was told I should be grateful my landlord is doing the work at all. So, I'll count my blessings and try harder to wait patiently.

Still don't have my pictures up but I found something worth rejoicing over today! The desk I want is on sale!

http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf116&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1SLENEW&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1SLENEW

I wanted it in lacquered white, but a wooden desk in the exact design I want for $99? Can't beat it. I'll slap a coat of white lacquer on it and be done with it.

Ordered it today! Yay! This is going in my black/white/red home office. It will be accompanied by a Bertoia black wire side chair with white pad. :)

Ack! I'm ahead and behind! Kitchen will have to wait--LL decided to put granite and tile in! :-)

Two years ago we got rid of over 1000 books--We now have to get rid of two books for every book that we bring into the house! I suggest taking EVERY book off the shelves and put them in the same place, then pick 10 books you know you can't part with, then another 10, and so on until your shelves look nice. Then stick the rest in the Outbox. Trust me--you won't miss them. Really.

I did something HUGE this week! (For me!) I went through my yarn stash--got rid of about a third of it. (4 laundry baskets full!) Now I am looking for charities to donate it to...any help? (I can't believe I'm letting go of my "babies"! Someone tell me that I won't miss them!) When techno-boy comes home from school, I'll post pictures. (Pretty funny impressing your 14 year old with your Flickr account!) I'm really sorry that I didn't take pictures of my "before"! Will also include photos of my landing strip.

bella: less yarn to knit, lees carpal tunnel problems. I gave up mine completely, and it seems worst than giving up cigarettes.

Bella--see if you have a local freecycle or knitting club and offer it up. Also some after school groups might like your yarn for craft projects.

Gekko, I can do all of this because I have a job where I never have to take work home and a boyfriend who is always willing to lend a hand with cleaning and handyman tasks (he's also a good cook...I hit the jackpot). But I'm *still* a little behind! Though as a couple people have said before, behind is relative. Mark the time from when you got started, not the online Cure. :) Heehee, I took so long typing out my answer to your media problem that smallcitybeth beat me to the punch! Longer cables are definitely the key. Experiment with laying them next to your moldings and doorframes. You'd be surprised how unobtrusive they can be.

Bella - Wow, a third of your stash fills up FOUR laundry baskets?? I will not have stash envy, I will not have stash envy, I will not have stash envy.

You will not miss that yarn, I promise! If you're anything like me, you buy yarn thinking, "Oooo...preeeeetty...and it'll be great for such-and-such a project down the road!" Then I forget that I even have it or get distracted by a new project, and all the while the poor yarn languishes in it's stash-bin prison. Let your "babies" be free!! :)

Lets just say, I'm glad I'm at work right now, my entire kitchen is on my table. I was able to buy shelf paper last night, but didn't have time to start putting it in.

It was rather comical trying to find breakfast this morning and we ate a pizza on the living room floor last night because the coffee table is holding everything not on the dining table right now.

However, I did get my downstairs floorplan done, felt all the walls. I knew our walls were pretty solid because we don't hear noise from our neighbors, but everything felt fine to me. No drafts, no warm spots, only a buzzing sound by the circut breaker box.

How do I do what I've been doing? (Notice the past tense, please). In the week before the m-i-l came, dh was home on holidays--so I was able to delegate a lot of my normal chores (except the laundry for some reason....surely he did his laundry before we met???)

And I let the kids have a week off of school. (We homeschool.) That cannot, of course, continue, so I will probably be around less this week.

However, my son has problems falling asleep--so I'm often up very late with him--just keeping him "company" while he is in his room and I'm on the 'puter.

Purging the living room is such a bugaboo cause it's mostly kids' stuff on those shelves. And of course as soon as you unearth anything they haven't played with in a while and say, "Oh you never play with this, let's give it away" it's suddenly their new favourite toy/puzzle/game, whatever.

Martine - Do feel better!

Leela - How absolutely unfortunate...at least some good came of it? That you HAD to clean the kitchen? Not worth it in my opinion, and I'm sure you feel the same way.

CathyinMN - I feel like something like this should go there (though probably not this exact one unless you have $400 to spare on a corner unit...ha!)
http://ww1.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpcbthflrcab%7Crshop%2Fshpcbth%7Crshop&pkey=cbthflrcab&gids=p7026

Jacquelyn - Your kitchen is beautiful!

Jeffrey K - I agree, just be happy that they're doing the renovation! I'm afraid to ask my LL to do anything because we aren't on a lease any more, just month-to-month, and then they'll jack up the rent even more.

Bella, if you could get rid of that many books, I'm sure that the yarn will eventually feel the same way. Plus, when you're working on a new project, you can go out looking for just that project, not other possible ones in the future, your focus can help make it a better experience, even if at first it's hard to stay focused on looking for just that one project's supplies

Alana - Perhaps you could hide a few toys away at a time and see if they miss them while they're hidden away? Then after a few months, when there's something they really really want, tell them they have to give these up, in exchange for getting that one thing they want. Maybe?? You'll be able to point out that they haven't said anything about it or probably even thought about those toys for a couple of months, so they can be at the point of parting with it. It also depends on how old your kids are...

Alana -- My friend does an "outbox" for her daughter's toys/stuffed animals etc. She puts the toys that she thinks Emily is done with in a box in Emily's room and leaves them there. Anything that is still in the box a week later goes to Salvation Army...Emily has never once asked what happened to a toy from the outbox. Might work for your kids??

I've finally been able to upload my kitchen pics! I still am not done, and will post finished pictures when I get there...

I have the example pic of what I do to corral my smallest appliances and tupperware. The picture isn't great because it's in the far corner of my small kitchen, and I can't get into the right angle unless I climbed into the stove!

I need to size my pics better before posting because I'm already at 77% of my limit for the month.

I need to wipe everything down in the kitchen still, though everything is otherwise organized. Most of it was anyway, so that's why I didn't have to take it all out when I was organizing. I added the dry good glass containers on Sunday, I love them!

I decided against buying the expedit landing strip because I knew DH wouldn't be thrilled with me bringing it home, yet. Once I get things more under control, it won't be a problem. And need to keep up with the kitchen, which I managed to do for the last two days now!

I am going to loose this weekend for organizing, but I'm going to Milwaukee to see my family, and my mom and I are going to sew the curtain for our wall of storage in the bedroom, a duvet cover for the bed, a curtain for in the bathroom (to go between the bathroom and the storage area) - I actually still have to get this fabric - and pillow case covers for the living room.

I pulled out the fabric I had picked out mid-winter, for the pillow case covers for the couch pillows, and I'm really not thrilled with it. Well, I love the fabric, shantung (sp?), but I had picked out two shades of gold and a lilac. The lilac still works, but the gold just doesn't. It's just not me.

I've had this problem of buying things I think I should like when it comes to decorating, if I'm looking for a change, but coming back to and not liking it. None of my choices have been all out bad, and I haven't really done this since I lived at my parents, until now.

But I have to get fabric to go with the shower curtain in the bathroom anyway, so I'll try and find something new there then.

well, I marked "on schedule, but stressed" but that's not completely true. Everytime I think I'm caught up I find that a project I thought I was done with needs more work.

The husband and I spent most of saturday afternoon making a cork-lined top shelf for the cart in the kitchen. It fits (and looks) great.

but I realized yesterday if we don't seal the cork somehow it's going to look nasty in a matter of weeks from all the dirty spoons and measuring cups that get set on it.

So now, I have a bunch more work to do on a project I thought was done.

On a more humorous note, we discovered on sunday that a 4 foot tendril of vina minor has grown inside our house.

My husband was re-organizing the cable octopus when he found it. At first he thought it was a phone cord; then he noticed the leaves.

and I thought I had finished my repair list. sigh.

wow that was so cool to go to the jump and see my living room. but also embarrassing cause to me the room still feels so half-finished. so maxwell, it makes me even more appreciative of your thumbs up since i may have to hold here for a while cause although i'm still on schedule i'm feeling stressed. more accurately i'm feeling financially challenged because i spaced on thanksgiving. flying home to nyc will eat into a chunk of my furniture budget. i definitely don't want to compromise protein furniture for carbs so i may have to hold off on my couch purchasing.

mod*mom, to clarify the colors, the couch is navy blue, the chairs are hot pink and the walls are pale yellow -- maxwell is so right -- warm with cool just makes a person feel jumpy.

i got some big pieces of foam core to test out my paint samples on. that's this week's big project. i've scheduled a trip to the paint store tomorrow. i want to nail down a color so i can then get curtain fabric & set my upholsterer to work.

gekko, here's my method, maybe it will work for you. i try to read the chapter on sunday and break down the objectives for that week into small steps i can accomplish on my lunch hour or before work. i also made a list of what i wanted to do in my apt, broken down by room. my big challenge is not to beat myself up if i don't get everything done. i've found that just the momentum of the process has me thinking differently about my space, how i want it to function and i'm more discerning about bringing objects into my space. now that everything is starting to have a place, my time for the other things i want to do in my life has started to expand, maybe because i'm not looking thru piles of junk for what i need and that, for me, may be the most exciting part of this whole process!

Thanks for the encouragement! I have found a lady at work who will knit hats for our coworkers and then knit for charity. I'm relieved!

Also wanted to mention that AT principles work for things that are not "stuff"--I realized that commitments of my time could use some thinning out!

So I gave two weeks notice at my VERY part-time job (loved it but only made the gas money it cost me to drive there!) and handed over the Committee Secretary position to someone else in my sons' Boy Scout troop this week. I'm thrilled! I find myself wandering around the house looking for stuff to get rid off AND looking at my calendar for commitments to lose! :-)

Ha! Awesome, Bella!

Bella, that's fantastic! Nothing like freeing up some time.

And skywaykate and jacquelyn--duh! Of course, an out-box for the kids! That makes a lot of sense. I'll have to figure something out--time and whatnot. The kids are certainly old enough to learn to let go of stuff--and besides, Christmas is coming!

skywaykate--you say you haven't had this problem (confusion about what you really want for decorating) since you left home--could the fact that you'll be doing all this sewing with your mother be influencing you subconciously?

And a mix of warm and cool makes one jumpy? I guess it depends on your tolerance for "jumpy." Mine is quite high. The idea of a completely neutral room with only 20% colour from one side of the colour wheel makes me jumpy--antsy--actually. It's all so persoanl isn't it? I have been studying examples of room designed that way in books and the mags--and I think just because I'm so saturated with those images, I'm afraid I would feel like I was living in a mag or a hotel--not a home.

I "did flylady" for a while--got the place absolutely functional and clean and picked up every night....nirvana, right? nah--it was nervana--I found myself more concerned with "making a mess" than with living and creating--it just wasn't healthy for us.

I like the amish thing where when anything is made, they leave or create a small imperfection in the work--just to remind themselves to be humble--to be "real." At least, I think it's amish. This is not to say one should lower one's standards--one look at an amish quilt should put that objection to rest--just a reminder that not everything has to be perfect--and probably shouldn't be--all the time.

About cooking--I can't find it now, but someone posted about the chaos in the kitchen/living room/eating area (I think you said you had pizza on the floor because the coffee table was full too)--I cook everyday--but during the cure I have actually cooked less! If *I* find it hard to cook in this house--I can't IMAGINE what it's like to cook in those closets you folks call kitchens while involved in 100 million projects. I understand, I think, what Maxwell wants us to do by getting us to cook at home (When I was single it was the hardest thing to do) but, heavens, THIS is the time in your life when you don't HAVE to--it's a treat not to cook at home.

What do you guys think? Does it work for you, this cooking requirement? How are you all doing with that?

(I must confess that the smell of supper cooking tonight is filling the house with joy and making our tummies rumble!)

abby, i think a muted orange would look f-ing amazing with those chairs.

Ok--who's abby?

Oh, never mind. I'm having a bad post day.

A note on books:

When I moved into this place in April, I moved 16 liquor boxes of books (packed relatively lightly so that I, personally, could carry them up to the third floor. Prior to the move, I took roughly ten grocery bags full to the library. That being said, I know I can still get rid of more books.

I love books, I love to read, and I write. However, I have plenty of books that I am holding on to for no good reason. There are things that I just plain don't look at anymore, but just can't bring myself to get rid of. I seem to have inherited my parents' book-acquisitiveness.

Okay, I don't know that I'm going anywhere concrete with this, except that I am going to try to get rid of some books this week.

I don't have much when it comes to music or movies, so that won't be as much of an issue. How to store them, yes, but not so much with volume.

Then there are photos...

I've just spent some quality time in the Here Be Dragons storage room, and came here for a breath of fresh air! I "thought" I had purged my music (piano/organ/choral/vocal sheet music and books) fairly thoroughly a year or so ago. Well, that may have been so then, but tonight I managed to stack a nice little pile of music books in the OutBox, and tossed a few that would have been OutBox material if they hadn't been falling apart. I also got rid of a couple of scrapbooking projects that were just never going to happen. Ditto with CDs and DVDs, I "thought" I'd finished purging them, but found 8 or 9 of each that I could say goodbye to, as well as a couple of videos. I thought that when I emptied my OutBox last week on donation day, that there'd hardly be anything for next month's donation day. Boy, was I wrong!

Purging photos got done this summer, but I keep running across more as I'm getting deeper and deeper into the storage room. (This is a task that does not end, yes it goes on and on, my friend... ...)

Technically I'm not doing well in the "cooking at home" department. After work I pop over to see how my parents are doing (age 93 and 85, living in an apartment). I generally cook my supper at their place, so although I may be cooking, it's not "at home". I like having people to eat with, instead of eating alone, and they're not going to be around forever, loathe as I am to voice that.

Also, I anticipate that a media fast is not going to be easy for me. Especially with the World Series on! :-) I'll give it the old college try, though... ... ...

The books, not so bad. The CDs, a disaster area. It has been agreed that they need culling, but there is no possible time soon where that may occur (they are predominantly the mister's). The goal for now is to clean off some of the display shelves since they display a LOT of junk. And some cool stuff that you can't see because there's crap in the way.

The books are under control right now, there is still a load in the trunk waiting to go to the paperback exchange. Culling is constant with them as I have no room for another bookshelf in my office.

I've cheated quite a bit on the cooking at home portion of the Cure. However, I don't feel particularly bad about it because I think I'm following the spirit of the task. While the way I make food doesn't really count as cooking (microwaves are great), I do utilize my kitchen and dining space regularly. When I don't eat or cook at home, it's because I'm eating a good meal with my boyfriend (takes real joy in cooking and is quite good at it) or enjoying a meal with friends. I try to make sure that I'm nourishing myself both physically and mentally when I eat, and I think that attitude is part of what Maxwell is trying to encourage with his cooking assignments (of course, I'm sure he'd prefer that I *also* make more use of my kitchen....).

wrtrmaus, I suffered from book acquisitiveness too. Just remember: You're getting rid of the books, not the stories. The significant part of the book will still be with you even after the more tangible part is gone. And if someday you find yourself yearning after a book you've culled, there's always the library or the bookstore or a friend who owns a copy.

Books and cooking and media fasts! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I confess--we has hot dogs (they were organic!) for dinner. My kids asked me where their mother went! I cook breakfast and dinner every day so it's nice to relax the reins a bit. Glad I'm not the only one "cheating"!

CathyinMN, you're right about the story staying with you. I take photos of mementos and then continue to put stuff in the Outbox. Also think of the pleasure someone else will get when they buy that book again!

Two years ago when we moved into this house, I started to put like items with like items--last weekend I went through all the kids paperwork that I had saved for years. It was a finite project that I could easily start and finish in a day. (Well, it's not finished but it's closer!)

As for the kids stuff, I have one that must channel Maxwell--she is great about knowing what is useful and what brings her joy. Another that hangs on to EVERYTHING! Sat down and did the pick 10 stuffed animals that you love, pick another 10, pick 10 that you know you can give away right now, put the rest in a box and see if you miss them... It worked really well, kiddo had control, made good decisions, and we did it with few tears! (Even I didn't cry!)

Oops! It's late! I'll go to bed and stop bothering you all.

Good for you with the stuffed animals, Bella.
And never would you bother me. It's nice to have company.

I have all the kids' puzzle pieces in baggies with the box top cut out and put into the baggie. (Takes up a whole lot less room than those nasty boxes which fall apart).

They've been sitting rather messily in a shoebox in a corner of my living room shelves. My mom recently added about six more (still in boxes)to our collection: so I dealt with them tonight. But the collection (14) is now too large to go back into the ugly shoebox.......

so, the long and short of it is I repurposed a large copper coloured bread tin I had on the bookshelf in the bedroom and I'm so pleased.

BUT: there was a pair of great slippers and a pair of grannie boots that will never fit me again stored inside it.

Oh, how I lusted after those boots, and then when I finally put down the cold hard earned cash for them I wore them so cautiously and carefully. Man, I loved them. I think I'd actually like to frame one of them...but shadow boxes are not cheap. (And then what would I do with the other one?)

So I am going to have to get me an outbox after all. (What I have always used was a "donation" pile....I've never done the outbox thing before. (blushing smilie here).

True confessions time is over--except for one thing:

opo--you have never ever been rude to me, and I don't understand at all where folks' were coming from on your contest entry. You are a brave woman for putting yourself out there.....(but you knew that already, didn't you?)

I want to hear how the bedroom/desk etc situation turns out, so don't you leave us, OK?

This is our cozy little friendly "cure" space in here and we're going to keep it that way.

I'm behind schedule (no stress, lots of life going on), but will be jumping in and catching up where I can. Books are something I didn't finish in Cure I. I've gone through numerous cycles of book weeding (moving long distances helps a lot), so I do keep up, and generally, when I finish a book it goes into a sell or giveaway bag in the front closet. But, I need to go through my bookcase, stir up the stagnant chi, and see what's doing.

Also want to reaffirm my goal to whittle down my repair list, AKA my "never-do" list.

Alana - interesting hypothesis. I don't think it's true, I've had her sewing machine for months now expecting to try and do this on my own, but maybe it's something I got from my mom, that I feel things should be a certain way, even if it's not my most favorite way. I just need to stay true to who I am!

And smart move on storing the puzzle pieces, both in the baggies and in the repurposed container!

I haven't totally kept up with the cooking bit, mostly because my life during the week doesn't allow it, it would be 9 pm or later before I would get to eat otherwise. But I have been making my favorite egg sandwiches again this week, for breakfast, so that has to count for something, right? We try new recipies all the time, so I'm not going to follow that.

The media fast isn't too hard for me, except that I love my internet. Ironic that he's telling us (indirectly) to avoid AT.com! 8-)

Ya, it was me who ate pizza on the living room floor, felt just like we were moving in again. I was able to clear the coffee table and move it back into the living room last night and just posted a pic of my newly papered cupboard. I expected to get to more than one cupboard and one drawer last night, but as it turns out, papering a cupboard isn't a fast task and by the time 10:00 rolled around I decided it was time to eat dinner and whipped up a quick box of mac and cheese.

Wish I could work on more tonight, but we're going over to the in-laws to carve pumpkins. I'll have to save the shelf papering for thursday.

Awwwwww....i just got my book and wanted to jump in but feel its too late now. :(

Maxwell- when is the next cure?! can i jump in now? you guys seem to be having so much fun. keep up the good work! i'm slowly nicking away at my own cluttered apartment!

Dolly, welcome to the Cure!

Go right ahead & jump in now. Time yourself from when you started rather than where we are & don't worry about being 'behind.'

Jump in with both feet, Dolly! I don't think a Cure is only 8 weeks--it's a life-long commitment to living an uncluttered, happy life! It's forced me to think long and hard about what is really important--we spend a lot of time here on earth living pretty comfortably compared to a lot of the world. So why did I fill it with stuff that got in the way of what was REALLY important!?

I've been at this for just over 2 years now--I didn't know I was "curing" until about a month ago--and it has been such a TREAT to find kindred souls!

I just weeded out 12 cartons of books. I decided to keep only the ones I have reread at least once, knowing that I will go back to them often ( at least rereading a few pages). I also kept a few reference books. I have not been able to convince the husband to weed out very many, but I'm working on him.
I do appreciate too that the cure part of AT is so friendly and cozy.

Great tips all on book and toy purging -- thanks for sharing am definitely going to implement some of your strategies.

Opop's contest entry thread is ridiculous. I for one have found Opop's comments on the cure discussion to be very constructive and welcomed.

Dolly -- definitely jump in...you can finish after us, or back track when you have "spare" time. I'm going to be away next weekend and hosting a wedding brunch the following weekend, so I have my doubts that I'll be finishing "on time". It will be good to have others still plugging away to chat with.

I continued to clean the LR last night -- 3 very tall bookcases = lots of dust! And having the windows open all summer left a yucky layer of dirty dust on the ledges. Bleck. I did do much better on the book purge and I kicked VHS butt on the video purge -- they are all going save 3 that aren't mine.

Have decided to empty a bookshelf in bedroom and put the books on the main bookshelves in LR and put the smaller bookcase in office as part of plans for curing bedroom and office. The bookcase crowds the area near my bed and creates a lot of dust etc. Not good.

Am going to leave work early to go home to finish the living room. Yes, I'm serious. Work is quiet right now and my apt. needs me! I had to go to CLE (continuing ed for attorneys) this a.m. and got in a solid 2 hours of brain storming time -- I can't wait to go home and see if my ideas will actually work when I measure (novel idea for me) the space in the office.

Good news on the hole in my ceiling front. It is fixed for the most part -- there may be a bubble in the plaster that the contractor has to come and repair and it still needs to be painted. But, there is no hole. Yay. Will post repair photos with LR photos soon.

Congratulations to everyone who purged books! Got to the library if you like to read a lot of fiction or history - you don't need to weigh yourself down so permanently.

I do that, but even so, the volume of our art and reference books (my husband is a teacher and uses them a lot) is still huge. I just don't buy novels, even though I read constantly. I'd be broke if I did.

Any advice on getting Sal's or Goodwill to pick up donated objects? No one at Sal's is calling me back, and I want to get this stuff out of here. I can't carry it all right now. Who picks up donations in Brooklyn?

thanks for the encouraging words! i think i will jump in now. Going to post some photos on flickr. I just put them under "AT the Cure", right?
Also, as far as pickups go- there is a wonderful service that picks up in brooklyn and queens (not the city though) called St. Marys. They take clothes mainly but i think you can slip a few other things in. Ask them. Their number is: 718-529-6070.

I, unfortunately, do not have much to add to this thread. Been slacking off! I wish I had a job like Jacquelyn so that I could go home and do some curing. And sleeping. =) I am dreading the book purge though. I don't have an insane amount, but I like the idea of having my own books. I think it makes me feel smarter or something. But there are definitely some that I should get rid of.

Any suggestions on VHS tapes? I have a lot that I want to keep, but they're ugly and deteriorating fast. Has anyone tried transferring VHS to DVD?

And yes, cooking is tough for me, simply because I cannot. Hehe.

well, hello Dolly!

(Bet you get that a lot.)--be sure to link your flickr pics to your name--and put them in the "apartment therapy" group too.

Frustrating not being able to do much at the moment. I forgot how long "school" can take! The kids just aren't into their routines so they dawdle like snails.

I'm going to finish up the picture rail moulding as per the suggestions on my flickr photos...just haven't made it to the moulding store where we bought it to see if they still have it. I sure hope so, though I'm sure dh isn't going to be thrilled with this assignment. (The walls are quite wavy).

You know how there's something right under your nose that needs fixing and you've lived with it for so long you just don't notice anymore?

I had an aha moment about the dimmer switch in the dining room/office. For 10 YEARS I've been turning the light up and down with a PENCIL! (Rotary dimmer)

So, today I bought a proper slide switch and a new switchplate for it. Doh. Will get that installed in "office" week.

Leela, out here in the Midwest it's the Purple Heart Association, the Federation of the Blind, and Easter Seals who do pickups. Try them. Also, my county puts together a donation/recycle pamphlet of all nonprofits who want specific things. See if your county has a similar publication. Also keep in mind, drama groups might want clothes, historical society or other groups who run sales might take household items, freecycle, etc.

For those of you wondering about your VHS tapes - many stores like Blockbuster will give you a tiny bit of trade-in credit for them if you want to replace them with DVDs. At leat they did for a while. Also if you are attached to them you can get a DVD burner and hook it up to your VCR (somehow). My dad has burned a lot of VHS home videos onto DVD for me now quite successfully. I think once you figure out the logistics it's pretty quick and you can get a cheap DVD burner that also works as a player if you look for one.

Anyways, I'm now on the hunt for an electrician to make sure that my oven hookup is safe and up to code and whatnot before it comes (supposedly) on Monday. I'm counting down the days until I can really cook again! I bought all these lasagna ingredients and then realized that I have to wait until next week to make it. It will be so exciting to have that done!

And once my flickr account lets me (I assume November) I will put up a new and improved landing strip pic and an office pic with all hte art that I just got mats cut for so I could frame them. That was a heck of a sentence! But I'm really excited at how well things are going!

AMvets picks up almost every two weeks in the San Diego area! They even call to ask if you have any donations. (I must be on their speed dial!) If anyone knows of a charity that picks up in New Jersey, I would love to share with my mom...I've threatened to buy her a dumpster for Christmas!

gah...

ok, i'm not gone. definitely still here. i'm just busy at work lately, and my 'net connection at home has been on the brink as well (probably for the best as it's kept me away from the fray over in my color contest entry page). but. butbutbut. in my webless hours i have been curing.

mostly experiments in lighting. i picked up the clamp light i've wanted as my reading lamp. i wasn't able to set it up exactly as planned, but i worked something out and, man, i have to say the change from overhead to occasional lighting has really changed the nighttime vibe in my bedroom. it's sort of halfway between bordello and treehouse. which is exactly what i'm going for in the evening... i love playing up the enforced makeshift-ness of my place.

i'm trying really hard to purge books and media, but it's really, really difficult. mostly because feminist titles from the 60's, 70's, and 80's are going out of print faster than you can say 'patriarchy', so i snap them up wherever i find them. partly for my own enjoyment and edification, and partly for directly political reasons. so many of the changes brought about by the women's movement of the nineteenth century were erased simply because their books went out of print and you simply couldn't DO that research anymore. and it's happening again with the late 20th century movement. even now you can't depend on libraries or mainstream bookstores to carry women's studies texts. this is way more important than whether my apartment is cluttered or not. the books stay.

that said, i've been carving away at my fiction and pop nonfiction holdings, not counting treasured favorites i've read over and over. i also got rid of all my DVDs snapped up just for the sake of kinda liking that movie and seeing it in the $5 bin. that was a lot easier than i thought it would be.

I've finally made a landing strip decision! I didn't want to put more holes in the wall, but I'm caving for financial and aesthetic reasons. I can't afford the furniture that would fit (thanks for the suggestion, kate!) and what I can afford looks...well...ew. So as soon as I decide on brackets, I'll be installing a nice little shelf with a hook or two underneath. I even have a lovely piece of cherry wood left over from another project. Sorry Mr. Landlord! I promise I'll patch the holes when I leave. :-p

Opo, any chance you could bin up some of the books that you don't need right on hand but still want to keep and store them under a bed or in a closet? I did that with most of my sentimental/worried I'll never find them again books. I refuse to let go of them, but they don't need to be out on a shelf. So I picked up a rubbermaid bin at Target, stacked them inside, and slid it under the bed. Of course, it all depends on whether or not you've got a few extra pockets of storage space.

...just wrapping my mind around the concept of "halfway between bordello and treehouse"... interesting image, opo!

Salvation Army used to pick up here, but I don't think they do anymore (staffing is the reason, I think), and they don't even have a donation bin out anymore because it was a) attracting dumpster-divers, b) getting all kinds of other junk dumped into it. Our building managers have made an arrangement with a local mission, who come out once a month and pick up donations (they'll even come upstairs and get large items, like my dresser and microwave that left my apartment in the summer). What they can't use at the mission is given directly to people who really need it. I like that approach.

I finally got the information I need to be able to get rid of the stack of LPs in my living room. They're going to the local symphony orchestra's annual book & music sale. (I finally found out where their drop-off storefront is.) Yay! They'll be out of my living room this Saturday! The music books I culled last night, the DVDs, videos, and books will also be going. Yay. More music book culling tonight.

Hi all,

I could probably use the Deep Treatment, but instead am focusing on the room with the most problems: my bedroom. I have gotten into the habit of staying up too late and realized part of the problem is my bedroom. It's not inviting, it's cluttered and there is too much furniture crammed into it (it's only 8ft wide!). Worst of all though, it's cold, literally freezing. I definitely need a rug for the tile floor and some curtains to cover the drafty windows.

Part of the problem is the barely sealed front door which the landlords have said they plan to replace. It must also be not that well insulated - there was an actual leak in there over the summer from outside during heavy rains. I don't know how I'm going to convince them to repair the water damaged walls as they don't seem to take that seriously. Maybe find someone to do it myself?

I will post a room layout tonight - the good part is that it's a south facing room and gets a lot of light.

Opoponax -

I think CathyinMN's suggestion will work for a while, but ultimately being a new yorker and personally rescuing 20th century scholarship are fundamentally incompatible goals.

You could maybe pull it off if you lived in a giant farmhouse in the middle of nowhere - but then no one would read these important works. And that's the point, right? To keep these ideas accessible and part of the public discussion?

So it seems like a good long-term goal would be to identify an institution or library to hold your collection. You might also consider various technologies for putting your collection on the web. That way, it will be available to more people and you won't have to trip over it in the lving room.

someday when my collection is large enough and important enough, i would love to do that.

right now, however, it amounts to maybe 100 books, all manageably displayed in my apartment. also, i mostly get the books from libraries trying to thin their circulating stacks. they don't consider them worth having around, and in some cases the research departments don't even consider them worth keeping on hand for posterity.

my short term plan is that i have to prioritize this stuff and be willing to purge whatever i need to in order to keep things manageable. in the long run, i may look into a research institution (though it'd have to be a carefully selected one as it's these very institutions who are partly to blame for the disappearance of this sort of thing the first go-round).

I can see it now--The Opoponax Feminist Historical Research Special Collection! And in the entry way is a very large picture of Opo in all her Donna Reed glory, wheeling out her collection. =)

Gah! I got the wrong type of lampshade at IKEA when I got my cord set! This is what I get for shopping after an all-day seminar and a too-circuitous drive to the store. It's 1 1/2 hours from me, so just popping in to do an exchange isn't exactly in the cards.

So, I'll have to shop closer for another shade. I also need S-hooks to hang it from the ring in the ceiling.

I took the tablecloth off the turret table, not sure what I think yet.

Wow, opo, your color thread has gotten really nasty, I hope it doesn't effect you too much. I posted on your flickr about the cabinet doors coming off, but I'm sure at this point looking at those cabinets brings throngs of hateful posts to your mind.

I'm in the middle of papering some cabinets myself, so if you need any tips, just ask.

I have to agree with jessi that the opoponax color thread has been very uninspiring. It really surprised me because I found her kitchen inviting: from the still life in silver and blue in one corner, to the vintage tea kettle of unusual shape, to the whimsical touch of the cows on the window and Elvis as a backsplash, everything seemed to be pulled together well, in spite of the cabinets. While some entries have elicited from me a " oh, beautiful", a lot of them have left me cold with their sterility and plasticity (is that a word?), lacking a sense of what a home should be. I would gladly go into her kitchen for a cup of tea: I would definetivily not fit in or feel welcome in a lot of those other entries.

Posted photos of my landing strip. Proof that I can be taught new tricks! Need to gather the courage to expose my soft underbelly and post before/during photos...realize that I still have too much stuff. And that sometimes I like that. Sigh.

Any tips on handling the backlog of paperwork? I'm good at the first pitching--no old newspapers, mags, junk mail--and good about paying the bills...but it's the "to do"/action item stuff that I have trouble with...catching up on the old stuff is horrible! I would post a photo of the two laundry baskets of paperwork that were removed from surfaces but you all know what that looks like. I keep telling myself "just do it". Help.

Bella -- those laundry baskets (or piles, or however one contains or doesn't contain Mount Papermore) can be overwhelming, can't they? I was working in the storage room of dragons just now, and a bunch of stuff slithered down the mountain, and scattered itself on the floor. Luckily there's not too much floor in there, so it was a contained landslide.

So, obviously I'm probably not the person to be trying to answer your plea for help, but here goes... like you say "just do it", but don't try to do it all at once. Set yourself a time limit, say half an hour, and just start at the top of one of the baskets, and deal with stuff in the order its in, in the pile. (There are probably ways to sort it all first, but then you're spending a bunch of time sorting when you could be just dealing.) When I've tackled a bunch of stuff like this at work, it just seems to work to just start at the top of the pile and plodge on down through it. Sometimes, as you actually look at the stuff that has accumulated, you find that some of it isn't as crucial or as scary as you've built it up to be in your mind. At least that's been my experience. Looking at the piles, and thinking about them, turns out to be worse than actually working away and dealing with them. So just go at it a bit of time, and remember that we're in your corner cheering you on.

Deborah -- I think I've seen drapes that have special draft-blocking linings. Sears has some on their website (at least the Canadian version of Sears does). They have a foam backing that's supposed to help insulate against heat and cold. They may not be the look you're going for, but they might help. I bought some in a previous apartment where the bedroom window faced east, and they were good for blocking out early morning sunlight, as well.

Bella, could you link to your pics for us?

About the 'action' pile - my suggestion would simply be to sit and sort through each basket once. New piles would be trash, file, deal with(anything not in the other two). Just a quick sort! I've had this cut my pile down by half. The 'deal with' pile goes back in a basket, shred & toss the trash, and file the file-pile. If you have the will power, watch a movie or show while you're sorting.

When I go through the action pile again after that, I will get, say, 3 things and put them away. If that's all I do that's fine. It may take a long time but the pile does go away.

As for me - I finally got my pictures back. I've got them posted at Flickr (link in name). Comments are welcome!

I figured out how to arrange my living room!!! This is a huge thing for me. Because of the big closet and the windows, my furniture can be arranged in a very limited number of ways. I was having trouble getting a nice flow; the desk kept feeling cut off from the rest of the room. But now I've figured out how to encourage flow to the desk *and* give myself more seating options! Whee! I need to buy another chair to make it work, but I can save up for that. Now I'm off to clean the living room windowsills!

Bella, I second smallcitybeth's advice. Set a timer for 30 minutes, put on some music if it gets you going, and just start working your way through. There's a story in the book about one of Maxwell's clients who would start from the bottom of a pile by turning the whole thing over. The stuff on the bottom is the oldest and probably the easiest to discard. You may want to try that as well.

Yay, CathyinMN! Living room arrangement is hard! I rearranged things umpteen times before I arrived at what I have now. Way to go!

Dawn1, if you're out there, I just put a bunch of comments on your Flickr pictures.

Here's a link to Bella's photos:

http://flickr.com/photos/33219108@N00/

Well, I came home tonight with:
1)Blackboard paint
2)Some sort of product to tone down the gold framed mirror
3) A quart of paint to do the cornice in the living room
4) A new dimmer switch
5) More wood putty to colour match and fix the m-i-l scratch. (I've got enough little bits of wood filler/colour products I need to find a home for).
6) New lightbulbs, including a tri-light to go in the three way lamp.

Dh didn't even blink.
I think he's getting cured.

oh--and I found that the moulding store does indeed still have our moulding. $1.29/lf. When I told dh, I did get a grunt.


Has anyone ever worked with a product containing xylol? (Is it related to xylene?)

It looks as if it will dry very, very quickly--I just want to rub it on the gold frame of the mirror in my living room and tone down the gold a bit.--Just give it a greenish cast. I'd be happy if I could thin it, but the bottle says I have to use xylol for that--so it's probably not going to happen.

Anyway, a lot of artistic types here, so I thought I'd ask if anyone has used a product with xylol and ask for tips.
Thanks.

I put a link to the living room showing the cornice and the mirror.

I just added a few notes to my floorplan in Flickr so that it would make a little more sense. :)

Alana,

You sweet thing! Thanks for setting up the link. Could you teach me how to do that via the blog? Is it posted somewhere else? I'm educatable!

I think the 30 minute thing will work. I know I can sit down and spend hours...it just seems to get shoved around. Will report tomorrow. Keep nagging me. Please!

Alex!!

I bought the paint, today. I didn't see your comment until now--I hadn't even considered a colour because I thought you said a neutral.

Oh well. It'll be fine, I'm sure.

I can't confirm the colour--I e-mailed BM some time ago to ask if they had a "converter" from US to Cdn names (and vice versa) but got no response.

With the help of the paint guy, we chose CC 306 (Cable knit).

But I loved your suggestions: I actually have something very similiar to Castleton Mist in the hallway between the red and brown rooms (1/2 strength Timothy Straw) and I love it.

The woodlawn blue would have been so pretty!
(great knashing of teeth). Though it does make the wheatsheaf (probably what BM-US calls the yellow bisque) look very yellow!

However, we'll see what happens. If I don't get the "lift" I'm wanting, I'll be repainting the room in the Spring--a nice yellow. It faces North and gets a bit dreary in the winter.

And I am definitely re-doing the red dining room.

You really seem to know what you are talking about though: could I pick your brain in about another six months? You can leave me an e-mail through flickr.

How's your curing coming?

Alana/aka/scraplolly

Bella--
I learned this from fellow cure-mates, so it's fitting I should pass it on!

See where it says "url" under the two yellow boxes above?

That's where you paste your web address for your flickr photos.

I hereby declare that by the end of the week I will be officially "behind but not stressing". All along, I have known that the living room with its office corner could not be completely finished until the storage room was cleaned out, so that the vacuum and floor mop/bucket could quit living as squatters in the living room, and could have a proper home in the storage room. I'm okay with that. The old TV has to wait until November, so that I can hire someone to come and take it away. I'm okay with that. I had no idea that my outbox would grow so much this month, I thought I was pretty much finished the outbox stage, but I'm okay with that. Some of the outbox will go this weekend, some will have to wait until the third week of November when the mission does its pickup. Also, last night, inspired by the thought of a rummage sale in my parents' building, I sorted through my Christmas decorations. I have a decent pile of things to donate to their rummage sale (you guessed it, the third weekend in November), and I freed up two nice storage boxes that I can put keepsake papers in. The rummage sale donations are currently sitting on the loveseat that needs to be recovered. But I'm okay with that. So there won't be pictures of the "after" of my living room and office until after the third weekend in November. (Now, everyone in chorus, "but I'm okay with that".)

Gotta have breakfast and get to work...

hi, I've been following this cure from my computer (to imagine what I can do when I finally get the book).... anyway, I was moved to say something by seeing Bella's fantastic landing strip! Wow! Could you tell me where the wire filing thing you have for the mail is from? Sooo much more attractive than my plastic hanging-file box.

good work everyone!

Hi All! It looks like everyone was sooo productive yesterday. Congrats and I'm jealous. I seemed to have gotten bogged down and don't feel that I'm making much progress.

Bella -- your landing strip rocks!!

I was able to get out of here a little early yesterday -- less than an hour in the end. I sold my kitchen/dining set which was good, but the buyer needed a lot of help with getting it in the car and taking it apart, so the 5 minutes I thought it would take to wrap it up was nearly an hour. So really, I didn't get any extra time in on cure work despite leaving early. Bummer.
I guess the positive is that the table is sold and out of my apt. so I can concentrate on cleaning and arranging the new one.

And I took 2 large shopping bags of books and vhs to the curb with me this a.m. another positive note.

Alana in Canada -- Way to go to get all of those errands done and supplies gathered. Am jealous of your successful shopping trip yesterday. I'm feeling a little thwarted in the shopping dept. as well as both Target and Ikea are out of the pieces I wanted to buy and add this weekend. There is a faux leather storage ottoman that I really liked at Target -- a carb piece I know, but I saw the black version (I want brown) and it seemed pretty sturdy and it received good reviews on the web, so...oh ya, and it is in my price range. And I'm getting my new china hutch from Ikea -- another carb, but my dining room is so small that it really is the best option for space and price. I have my great gma's wedding china and crystal and I like having it on display so I'm hoping that that balances the carb-iness. If I ever live in a apt/house with a full dining room, I definitely want protein pieces as I love to entertain, but this will do for now. Anyway, the doors are sold separately from the case, they have the case, not the doors...ugh. And I have cats that I wouldn't trust with open shelving, so that is on hold for now.

I worked on the living room more. It is taking way longer than I thought it would. We did what was was essentially a one room cure of the LR last Oct. (before we knew what a 1 room cure was)-- took everything out, painted, matched new pieces, had slip covers made and really worked on it for about 3 months carefully. So, I figured that besides wanting to get the ottoman and move more books in, I'd clean and be done in an evening or so. Three evenings later... The parts that are done are super clean, but I still have a little more to do with cleaning the furniture. It is a pet-free zone, but sometimes they sneak in and we definitely bring pet hair in on clothes and feet. So all of the furniture and curtains needed a good vacuuming, pillows flipped, new coat of scotchguard etc. And I don't like to run the vacuum after 9pm as a courtesy to my neighbor. So I still have 1 and 1/2 chairs left to go and a little more dusting of the last corner. The SO is trying to be supportive and point out that it is the biggest room in the apt., but I'm feeling a little down about not getting it done as planned. I can't work on it at all because we have theatre tickets for tonight. Maybe a night away will be a good pick-me up.

+++I'm trying really hard to purge books and media, but it's really, really difficult. mostly because feminist titles from the 60's, 70's, and 80's are going out of print faster than you can say 'patriarchy', so i snap them up wherever i find them.+++

Oh cool, no don't purge this stuff.

I'm doing a certain amount of informal research at the moment (mostly books through inter-library loan and purchased) into lesbian/feminist/gender issues and I have aspirations of eventually writing a compare/contrast of Rubyfruit Jungle and Stone Butch Blues. These are not books you can just get rid of and expect to find again.

AB,

I bought the wire filing box at Pier 1 two years ago. I cruise through Pier 1 once a month or so looking for this kind of thing--it's always on the back wall. Just went last week--nothing in my shop in SoCal. Sorry and good luck!

Bookcase was from CostPlus World Market--it wasn't super cheap but it wasn't expensive either--I really like the quality! Thank you for the complement--now I have to keep it looking nice!

Just a quick thought about Carb Furniture--my MIL calls some furniture a "place holder"...it's just something you need to get the job done but it is not your hearts desire...my sofa is not and never will be a mid-century marvel, but when purchased I needed a sleeper sofa and a comfy place to put our bottoms. It's holding the place of my fab-Italian dream quite nicely until the right time (fewer children and dogs in the house!) and the right budget (when I hit the lottery!) Ditto for the dining room table (it's NOT round and not my style but I traded it for two tabletop CD holders! The right price!) Having a place holder somehow quiets my internal voice and I am content!

Opoponax -- Definitely don't purge from that kind of collection! I've noticed that most book-culling discussions start from the assumption that the book owner has mostly popular novels or popular non-fiction that can be obtained from the public library. People with specialized collections that we use for specialized research needs CANNOT dump significant amounts of books. I have frequently bought books not because I wanted to own more books, but because my work couldn't proceed without the book, and no library available to me could help.

We can be selective about what books we buy, and we can be smart about storing the books efficiently and attractively -- but we would be hamstringing ourselves to try to be the kinds of people who own seven books and get everything else from the library.

(BTW, I really like your kitchen -- I've stayed out of that thread because I don't have the emotional energy for that kind of ruckus right now.)

It is so cool to see what people are doing! Haven't gotten much done myself due to real life getting in the way... I can fudge and say I'll catch up until we get to the "office" week, and then I need to panic!

For NYC folks who might want a good place to donate lesbian/feminist/gender issue books for all to share, you might want to contact the Herstory Archives in Park Slope. They might be willing to house a collection and they have quite an extensive library already if you are looking for something. Just a thought.

Man, I cannot keep up with these cure threads / flickr groups. You people are Cure maniacs! Don't stop!

Bella, I like your MIL's idea about "placeholder" furniture. It's a good way to think about carby stuff you're stuck with until you can afford what you really would like (or stuck with until it breaks down).

In my own little corner of the Curing universe, as of yesterday, the painting is finito. Finally! I'm hoping to have some pictures ready this weekend. I'm especially pleased with the living room, which was the iffiest choice.

Ever onward.

Oh -- I'll record this bit of embarrassment so I can't forget it -- now I know why stores here have lousy selections of cut flowers. The dry air kills the flowers almost instantly, leading to horrible feng shui or at least an unpleasant mess. (My lantana/verbena outside also needed more water than it got. Oops. And of course, that was the expensive plant. Isn't that always the way?)

I'll be looking for succulents with a more floral effect, like Christmas Cactus -- but it's going to be succulents, succulents, succulents here.

Indeed, I've never met such a bunch of morning people in my life, lol!

My decision today--
incur the possible wrath of dh and go and get another can of paint to replace the one I bought yesterday (the blue is really growing on me) OR just go ahead and paint with the neutral????? (It's a very nice neutral.)

If anyone has a moment, I'd love an opinion.

I painted a room over at Benjamin moore with the two options: but it is a pop up--and I can't seem to find a way to "capture" it to link you.

right clicking on the image isn't working either.

Alana, have you tried print-screen? You will need to paste it into an image editor but that will only take a sec (just trim the extra & save). Just about any program should be able to do that.

How do I find the option "print screen"? that would be handy to know.

Thanks Tara.

Yay, Marm! I bet it feels good to get that painting behind you, finally. It's a pain to have to wait on someone else's schedule.

Tara, those floor plans are great -- how did you do them?

Alan - "print screen" is a key on the keyboard. On mine here it is above the 'Insert' key, above the arrow keys (right side of keyboard). Any other questions, just ask, kinda sitting on here while I do other things.

Smallcitybeth - thanks! Glad you like the layouts! The floor plans were done at HGTV.com:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_wide/text/0,,HGTV_17897_23822,00.html
I did the layouts there, clicked "print" and then saved the image from the page it popped up. I also cleaned the images up a bit in Photoshop, so they would be easier to 'read.'

Any ideas on what color I should use for the long wall in the living room with the painting on it? I want to put an accent color on that wall but am clueless what to use.

Alana,
Sorry - busy, busy week at work.

In the US, Benjamin Moore - CC306 is Lion Heart - a very romantic name for the color similar to the orange goo on nachos - definately not a neutral. So, I think it is safe to say that Benjamin Moore Classic Colors are not consistent btwn the US and CAN - but the Historic Colors seem to be. (I wonder if the new palette is consistent?)

My thoughts on the color of your hall ..... if you like the neutral you have purchased (and it sounds as if you do), I think you should go for it and paint the hall. It will look great and will keep the husband's blood pressure down for a bit. If not - the hall IS small and can be repainted next fall in blue. It could be a seasonal tradition!! It'll drive the husband nuts, but what the hey...

BTW, what color are you planning on painting the dining if you don't want red anymore?

Okay ... need to run out for lunch and to pick up photos of apartment to share my very own personal chaos with you all.

Ok, Alex, I'm thoroughly confused now. I thought we were talking about painting the cornice: the bit in the living room between the picture rail moulding and the ceiling.

Oh well.

And I found the print screen button. I pushed it, and nothing happened.
The darn pop up is controlled by macromedia flash player--if that helps explain things.

I did try "print to file" and it saved something on my desk top--but I can't open it with anything I've got. Under "properties" in type of file it just says "file". grrr.

And it's really frustrating because there are at least two buttons in the pop up window that say "save" but when you click on them--that option seems to disappear.

About re-painting?
My kitchen is yellow, and green with blue accents. I love it.

So, for the living room I was thinking yellow, green (my couch is green) and orange....and the dining room yellow, orange and blue. (I have a lot of pine in the dining room: it'll be the "orange")

The hallway will stay Timothy Straw (1/2 strength--it's such a tiny dark space that the impression of the colour is as intense as the chip this way).

"Orange" however, is very trendy and I may not "love" it like I do now--so I'll use it for accents, I think.

Click on my name to see my "inspiration photo." Funny, I just realised it has no yellow!

Alana - I will walk you through this. When the picture you want is on-screen, click 'print screen.' Open your image editor, and create a new blank image about the size of your desktop. Paste in your image (Print screen will work like a "copy" in Word that you then "paste" into your image). Crop the resulting image down to what you want to keep, and save the file.

Alana, forgot to tell you, when you hit print screen you don't see anything happen. Just trust that it did & keep going.

Ooooo....love the inspiration picture! Can you verbalize exactly why you're considering blue for the cornice? From the sound of your living room plan, you've already got a nice color palette picked out, and it doesn't include blue! On that alone, I'd say stick with a neutral for the cornice.

Man, I cannot get over that picture. Gorgeous!

Isn't it though? That's actually someone's "garden"--planted with native wild grasses apparently....Can you imagine that view in the morning?

Tara--glad you added that little bit about not noticing anything happen!

However, this is the step on which I'm now stuck:
Paste in your image

How do I do that?

Thanks.

whoo-hoo-I tried and I got a very small blurry thing--but hey, it worked!!