I was going to very consciously bail on one of the January Cure tasks this week. Specifically, the one that asks to take a media fast. I rationalized that I just didn't have the time, but then Zippy, my dog, chewed through my computer power cord (for the second time). So my fated but begrudging fast started on Saturday night and continued through Monday mid-day. I know it was good for me, and I should do it again regularly, but I'm still struggling to make up for lost time and subsequently not planning another one soon. At least I was able to take the opportunity to hit the slopes with my family and our boards.
The fast got me thinking a lot about my media usage, even more than I have been already. I have been going through a personal Social Media recoil (for lack of a better term). I'm wanting to dismiss most of Facebook, mostly because the voyeurism and false reality that I find there makes me really wonder about the healthiness of it all. Twitter is too fast paced and gives me a stress headache to try and keep up, so I am left with blogging and Pinterest (which do still make me happy). The media fast was great for reminding me that living without these services is ok, in fact it was once normal, and for me, going without is something I should continue to do as much as I feel like I need to. Shedding is enlightening, though in departing, I have started to truly think that Facebook addiction exists (as in medically) and that lots of people might have it —.and it might be a real social problem in our future.
I also keep wondering if my own re-coil is completely my own or if I might be part of a bigger trend that will lead to even more evolved tools and ways of social interaction. I'm curious, are these tools still as appealing now as maybe they once were? Or are you, like me, finding that they changed your life in ways that you aren't entirely liking?
The task of organizing media and books got us to (mostly) finish the project we started before Christmas. We got bookshelves and with them we are now able to enjoy our books, magazines and pretty things. We still need to add the overhead down-lights and I need to string the electrical and telephone cords through the back, but I feel a real lightness knowing that we don't have a pile of really heavy book boxes sitting over our heads in the attic. To me it literally felt like I'd lost a large amount of weight, or that I had actually taken weight off my shoulders. I guess this is the basis of Feng Shui? Plus, I think this corner went from boring to quite cozy.
I am still working though the piles of papers that get stashed. We have a cabinet in the kitchen dedicated to bills and important stuff that needs to get filed. But the problem is that the files don't really exist, so the 'needs to get filed' pile has overrun the cabinet and frequently spills out onto the counter below. This cleanout is a huge and daunting task (at least to my organizationally-challenged self). I've started, but not finished, but I did fully clean out two purses. They were each bordering on 10+ lb behemoths and were filled with the oddest collections of non-necessities. I have been loosing credit cards and IDs in these messes on a regular basis for years, largely because I haven't (as a grown woman) ever embraced the concept of a wallet. When I was younger, I thought it was old-ladyish and un-spontaneous to have a big clunky wallet, and I used cigarette cases (sparingly) and pockets instead (I thought I was so cool).
But I have long since outgrown those and haven't replaced them with anything. So I am proud to report that I am the new owner of a pretty bright green wallet that I kind of love — and it doesn't seem clunky or old ladyish. I feel so organized. I don't know what I was thinking — I should have done this wallet thing years ago. I also cleaned out those purses, got rid of one entirely (to the outbox!), and now can happily find a method of payment whenever I need it.
(Images: Rochelle Greayer)
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Hardware and electronics stores have tubing made to cover electric cords. Ask for "flex tubing" or "split loom tubing." I had a cat that liked to chew cords, but the tubing saved him from his bad habit. Chewed cords can be fire hazards, as well as electrocution risks.
The bookshelves look great and really warm up the room. The only drawback (to me) is the large TV covering the window. I understand that your use of the room may center around that, but since you are rethinking your media usage in general I thought I'd mention you might think about the TV as well as facebook. Either way, it's a very pleasant room now and the addition of the shelves is really a plus.
Love the wallet. The color makes me happy. The bookcases do indeed make this room more homey. Thanks for sharing!
i laughed out loud at the wallet thing. welcome to old lady adulthood!
Where is that wallet from? It's so pretty!
Exercise the dog more often, and buy him a kong or other rubber dog toy to chew on. That will get him out of the habit of chewing your power cords.
I do like the bookcases.
Very nice transformation with your new bookcases! That would be so fun to have all that shelving room!! I wonder if Zippy got zapped the first cord chew? I would think that would turn him off? That's scary.
You are not alone in the social media recoil. I dropped off Facebook completely after about a year. I reconnected with a few people from high school and was quickly reminded why I didn't keep in touch with them! ;) There and Twitter just has too much fake and yuck that I'm not into. I was chased off Twitter by a porn email invite or whatever they call it. EW. I clicked into some girl spread eagle wanting to follow me. And Twitter didn't even care when I tried to report it! Pinterest and good blogs only for me.
I have a bag obsession but very rarely carry one. A few things I need in the center console of the car and a cardholder wallet in my back pocket. Keys in the front. People look at me funny when they see I don't carry a traditional "purse". Oh well! I like to travel light!
I think that the bookshelves look great. The room feels very different. However, I wanted to ask if the TV works for you in front of the window. It seems to me that the glare would be awful while trying to watch TV.
I will say your wallet might be my favorite shade of green.
It looks like a new room! I love the layout.
Mom wallets for the win! I picked my coral faux-crocodile one up a few years ago from Target and love it. I even have *gasp* my checkbook in there (no cover, just the checks fit). Plus if you get a pretty one you can carry it like a clutch if need be.
Agreed, my grown-up wallet changed my life. And I <3 the green color!
I love your bookshelves. It kinda cracked me up to see the cat in the first pic and then the fur thing on the couch in the next pic. You didn't make a throw out of your cat did you?
We are very concerned about your tv placement in this comment section :) Can you hang the TV on the front of the bookcase and put the couch on the other side of the room? That could look cool.
Cute wallet - what's the brand? I can't quite see it in the photo.
rotflmao re cat, I didn't even think of it until you mentioned it.
And the room looks much better!
Hmmm, I confess I prefer the before. I agree with the comment about the tv placement (which is also a huge conundrum in my own home). Perhaps if the bookcase were the same colour as the wall? They appear very heavy and make me slightly clausterphobic (sp?)
Your room looks great! Good work!
Also, welcome to wallet-land. You'll be glad you came! ;^) Mine is kind of similar, and they can be used alone (like a clutch) if you need to travel light. I like that there is a change purse, a place for bills, and storage for credit cards and all those annoying pieces of plastic we haul around these days. (Although I confess, I have lots more pieces of plastic than I need on a daily basis, so the secondary ones -- ID cards I only rarely need like my Dental plan card, already on file at the dentist, and others) are in a separate little case in my bag.)
My goal is to be able to instantly find anything in my handbag blindfolded. So my wallet, glasses case, and iPad are the only items in the main sections. My little cosmetics bag (nail clippers, pill case, comb, lip balm) and the extra cards case go in the central zippered pocket with my check book. My keys go in the little interior zippered side pocket, and my phone in the exterior zippered pocked. If I find extra stuff starting to accumulate in there, I purge it ASAP. Works for me, and is a far cry from my teen years when I had an office supply store with me at all times, including many extra pens, tape, and a stapler!
In the first picture, your cat is on the rug. In the second, it looks like you made a nice couch accessory out of him.
Love the bookshelves, but don't really like the TV in front of the window either.
I completely agree with you about social media! I've been feeling like Facebook is both boring and irritating at the same time. It's an easy way to keep up with friends and family who live very far away, but not worth much more than that. Never joined Twitter and don't think I will. Love blogs and Pinterest though. I wonder why those are so much more enjoyable?
I would also love to know the brand of the wallet!
I like the before better, as well. The bookshelf makes it look cluttered and unsettling.
Dinosaurpuke- that's hilarious.
I love the new arrangement. The book cases do look cozy, and give the room architecture. I understand the tv in front of the window, it's also my best choice. I could get fancy and hang it elsewhere, but the reconfiguration of the whole room would then leave something else wanting. But my biggest burning question is, how do you keep the cat from jumping on the tv? I lost a tv 3 weeks into owning it, because a cat knocked it over. Then I anchored a new one to the shelf it's on, and the cat tried jumping on it again. This time, it survived, but barely. Is there something I don't see in the photo? some trick you have?
Same feeling with me and purses! It took so long for me to get a purse. I always carried around canvas bags or backpacks. Now I am a proper lady with a child and a proper purse.
Love the wallet
First off the cat in the Before looks like a dog
Then in the After, the cat that looks like a dog is now skinned and draping over the arm of the couch. I like the before cat. lol
omg the change is so dramatic! Thats amazing, the esthetic of the after version is so much warmer.
Wow! huge difference. LOL. My christmas lights are on my list to come down too! I feel like I've out grown them and last year I think I used them only at christmas time.
Also: I want your wallet!
Sorry to negate the hard work but the before is my favorite. Either way you have a gorgeous rug and a honking huge cat.
Thank you for the good laugh, dinosaurpuke :)
Bookcases look great and really make the room feel cozy. Also, totally digging the rug you have in that room.
Due to the shape/size of my living room, and that I have a HUGE 3 panel slider in my living room, I almost have no choice but to put the TV in front of part of it, if I want to sit and enjoy the view out.
Otherwise, it'd be on a wall where it can be hung.
As to the living room, the before is nice, but a tad bland, the after is quite nice and the dark bookcases add drama and warmth to the space. I like that you already chose warm colors in the orange couches. Looks quite nice IMO.
As to the TV in front of the window, I don't have much of an issue with it myself, but in the photo, it looks like it was placed there without thought almost but I will understand if that's the only good spot for it.
please, for the love of God, "losing" not "loosing." These two words are NOT synonymous!
could you slide the big couch down to the window, facing the cool bookcases, L shape with the shorter couch and hang the black tv in front of the bookcase. Seems like you would lose the same amount of storage space? Love the couches and the wallet! Nice all the way around!
You are all making me laugh -- Lyle my cat loves to pose and stretch....and though it is not him, I certainly see the resemblance with my sheepskin. HA !
To answer other questions:
I found the wallet at TJMaxx - a lucky find - the brand is B.Makowsky (http://www.bmakowsky.com/)
and the all the notes about the TV in front of the window are well taken, but what you cannot see from these pictures is that I have (what I think is) the worlds most difficult to arrange living room. What you see here is only half the room (it is long and narrow) and the entire left side wall that is behind the second (and equally sized) sofa is all window. so There is almost no place to put the TV that is not in front of a window or, all the way on the other side of the room. We went with having it in front of this window because the view out of it is not the best by comparison to the other wall of windows. We struggle with this, but think it is the best we can make of it.
But you're not giving up your secrets on the cat living in harmony with the tv?
I like the idea of using the bookcases on the perimeter of the room. However, could you maybe cover them with a coordinating curtain making it look like the sofa is in front of a window instead of a library?
cassandraH - forgot to say -- the cat just doesn't care about the TV....not his bag...hes kinda lazy and just loves to sit on our laps....
Shoot. Thanks for responding. Wish you had a more technical answer. Oh well, still loving what you shared.
Love the shelves but I'm wondering if you could hang the tv in the shelving? That way it would be a little camouflaged when it is off but still watchable.
Love the library style shelves. I've been dying to do something like this but have to wait for my existing bookshelf/tv unit to officially die (just can't throw it away otherwise). I especially like the couch in front of the shelves--I think it looks great and love the idea of the hidden storage.
I've always felt that way about facebook--never got as into it as a lot of people are. I like the newish feature where you can star some people so that you are alerted whenever they post. That way I can keep track of what my closest friends and family say, and that's pretty much the only time I check fb. I have a twitter account for work (to stay in touch with freelancers) but never post or check it. But Pinterest and my RSS feed are my favorite things about the internet right now.
If you're happy with it, then that's the main thing. Admittedly though, I'm with the prefer-the-before group. It was just so calm and spacious. For me personally, I might have gone with bookshelves on one wall only as an accent wall of sorts. Maybe white Billy shelves against a black wall. Regarding the TV, you have my full sympathy. Our 20" TV is intrusive as it is. I wouldn't know where to put a big flat-screen thingy in our place.
The bookcases look so nice! It really fills up the room (in a good way). I've just started on my "big project" so I hope to finish by the end of the week.
http://katskull.com/tag/the-january-cure/
Love the green wallet? Make your own bright green wallet or clutch. Check out my tutorial!
http://happinessiscreating.com/purse/
Love the bookcase! Is that a separate piece in the corner that you turned on an angle or is it built for corners? I've never seen a bookcase that wraps around like that.