Oh my goodness, where did everyone go?
I hate to "dominate" the threads, but I suppose someone has to break the ice.

I saw my chiropractor yesterday and told him about cleaning the ceiling. He suggested I wait a week before attempting to paint.

I'm glad to have an excuse for my reluctance to jump in and paint the dining room right away. So, I'm going to focus on week three deep treatment taks (which are pretty light) and plugging away on my projects.

I did sort through the backlog of mail. What's left (and this is no surprise) is a bunch of stuff to be filed. Financial statements mostly--you know, the stuff that can't really be filed without going through the file itself and chucking the old stuff.

Not my favourite thing.
I'd like to wash a floor or something today too. That'll be immediate gratification!

Well, filing those financial papers didn't take long! Pulled out the extraneous stuff, too.
Funny how everthing was mostly in order from the fall of 2006 back. (Last time I did the cure!) It's a great idea to do this every 12 months or so!

Alana - I was wondering the same thing! But then I noticed that some folks are discussing over on Flickr this week.

Speaking of financial paperwork: Does anyone know what the rule (if any) is for how far back one should keep statements and such? I'm guessing it probably varies by what type, but any advice on this would be much appreciated.

Not sure this is the question, but I'm a nerd about organizing/clearing out financial paperwork, so here goes:

For anything tax-related you have to keep it for seven years. That's the window during which you can be audited for a past return. I just keep a separate tax file for each year. When it's older than seven, I empty it, give it a new label for the current year, and move it to the front.

As far as statements go: For utilities and things, just keep the most recent one, if that. For bank statements, same, as long as you're keeping track of things. You can access most of these things online, anyway, but it's a good practice to just check your latest statement against your own records, and if everything agrees, it's toss-able.

If you save receipts, it only makes sense to keep the ones you are using for tax purposes for seven years, flex spending/cafeteria plans until you get reimbursed, or things you might need to return (appliances that could break or anything from Nordstrom, etc) indefinitely.

I'm a big advocate of using Excel to keep track of things. I use a "Monthly Numbers" template I designed for myself that I use to build an end-of-year spreadsheet as well. Really helps eliminate clutter!

Hope that spoke to your question and wasn't just a gratuitous revelation of my utter OCD state.

:)

Thanks, Leah! That does help. Now I can get started on shredding lots of old bills and statements. I've been hanging on to some for far too long for no good reason.

Well, I can't keep track of flickr threads and this cure thread, plus New York, my blog and seven or so other blogs AND do the cure, so I'm limited to talking to you all here.

I'm just not feeling the whole community vibe like I did last year. It's too spread out.

But that's really neither here nor there.
Good advice Leah Hannah. I wish we could take it. Dh is just too attached to his paper!

I agree Alana, everything is so spread out now I feel disconnected. I check on the blogs and the NY thread but this one is the hardest to follow since it disappears so fast and there's no book blog link on this page. Makes me sad.

That's too bad Anne.
Come talk to me at the blog!
Or right here--I have it saved to favourites. So, it's easy to check.

I can hear the mouse. I am full of hate.

I asked a question here and could use some advice.

Also, the kitchen is finally done! I should really take some pictures.

I left you some comments on your picture--and then I browsed through your set and saw the little cart by the door. That's an excellent place for a landing strip. Maybe something like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46773919@N00/1444706373/

And yes, I'd love to see pictures!

Oh my gosh. I am feeling so far flung off the Cure wagon!
Somehow I can't. Keep. Up. Chalk it up to the toddler's insane energy levels maybe? Yes, I do still plan to start a thread about Curing w/kids on flickr (is Alana the only one in our group who is in this boat?)...if I can ever get enough time at the computer to do so!
I am also terribly, horribly behind at commenting on anyone's photos. sigh. I too am feeling like not having one consistent page to visit for a quick check-in is making me feel even more scattered, but not sure what I'd suggest as a remedy to that. (Or, rather, don't really feel it's my place to try and reorganize things for everyone else, especially since I'm hardly ever able to be here!)

OH! Thank you all sooooo much for your support, advice, and lovely comments on our blik entry. The room has changed so much, and we're all so happy with it! Now on to the rest of the house... :)

Crap, gotta run. Will really try to get back on track, but have some other stuff going on that's really derailing the process. Need. Clone. Now!

Jessicat...I hope you get that clone soon.
You just finished a big project. Just focus in on the entryway for a bit. Does it work? Yes, then leave it alone. No? Jot down a few ideas before bed. Implement them when you can. That's it.

Your son is definitely at that age where it's nearly impossible to get things done. I remember those days well. But, it won't be like this forever. Honest.

Yes, there sure are a lot of different places where folks are posting. It'd be nice if there was one central hub where folks knew to head first. I've been enjoying seeing and hearing about everyone's progress and process here and on flickr though.

In my realm, I've needed to revise and reorganize my To Do List:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98704941@N00/1446397110/in/set-72157601955717111
The original list was a bit too ambitious to work on while also following the Deep Treatment. I'm also wanting to fill out my style tray a bit more before buying.

I think I've found a new pendant lamp for over the kitchen sink! Is there an optimal length for it to hang? I'm imagining that it should hang to about the middle of the upper pane? Do folks have recommendations? It will be replacing an ugly light fixture here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/98704941@N00/1357262916/in/set-72157601955717111

The kitchen is rearranged- looks a lot better. We need the sink epoxied. (Landlord is too cheap to get a new one.)
Someday we will address the ugly tile and vinyl floor.
Purchased some bowls, candlesticks and vases to enliven the kitchen. Made a banana bread with nuts and seeds in it, and a beef stew and pasta primavera w/ vodka sauce. Starting to add pumpkin pie spice to our morning coffee.

As for the entryway: We have so much stuff in a tiny apartment. It is hard to get rid of papers!! They are all over the desk, and the entryway. How to get this stuff from the 'keep' to the 'throw out' pile? Our files are very full as well. We moved all our heavy furniture to the entry way to create a "hall." We will add a mirror, shelf and hooks for keys instead of the nails we currently use. Things are coming together! Just more clutter elimination or storage! Oh! I changed all the pots on our potted plants on the top bookshelves in the entry to the same color- white. They have different patterns, but are all white...like this: http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/70005_PE185337_S4.jpg

Got a variety of sizes, though. It is a beautiful effect!

I don't know about you guys, but I come here first for all my posting, bragging and question needs. I can't keep up with all the other pages about the Fall Cure.

I just want to say that I think you guys are pretty amazing. The amount you guys get done each week (and it's only the 3rd!) is to be admired. I feel like I'm barely scraping by, with just a litle time between work and dance classes, but I'm happy to hear about other's work. You all have amazing spaces!

This week finds me staring at my entryway a lot and not doing much about it. The turkey stares back.
(I did, however, bleach my sink and MAN did it make a difference. It's whiter than it was when I moved in now.)

lauraloo, I LOVE those pots! I might have to steal your idea and get some for the herbs I keep meaning to buy.

Taking the thread over to flickr felt like you girls left for another pub while I was in the bathroom.
Glad you're back!

Wig--what pendant are you looking at?
Where you hang it sort of depends on the scale of it--but obviously it shouldn't be so low you bang your head on it while your doing the dishes. (You, plural, here. Meaning, anyone who does the dishes. The best dishwasher I know is my six foot two male cousin. I'd want to be sure it wasn't in his way!)

Lauraloo--take a good hard look at what you file away. You'll never see 80% of it again. Can you perhaps put things in attractive binders and put them on a bookcase? (caution, see below) I have one file drawer for "active" files--financial stuff, and warrenties. (The warrenties/instructions, etc could really go into a box in storage, but I have the space to keep it handy).

Maceelaine: keep staring at that turkey. Inspiration will come.

I am slowly packing up my dining room. Thing is, I know I won't want to fill it back up! I've been weeding as I go: though I have too many binders! I did manage to eliminate the contents of one and reduce the bulk of a few others. I could definitely consolidate and combine the contents of a few of them, but that will have to wait until I have table space again, after the cure.

I have one storage cabinet and two shelves emptied and a book case and the China cabinet are partially emptied. I'm out of boxes. I still feel like I'm in the middle of a nightmare.

Good point about tall dishwashers, Alana. I'm looking at the Brightwood pendant from Rejuvenation:
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowC162/templates/selection.phtml
They'll do it in polished chrome and at a custom height for us. The shade is quite small at 4" tall and 6 " in diameter.

Good work with your outboxes, everyone! Doesn't it feel like a good time to help others out with their buying lists from things we are all getting rid of? I have an unassembled/never used Knappa shade from Ikea that I'll happily ship off to one of my fellow Curees if someone would like it.

Wig, I like that light. It has a neat diner feel that I like. And it's certainly better than the tiny fixture that's currently there.

I have another question for you all (it's also on my flickr): I found . Everything else in the area is white - will it look too weird to put a black wire organizer and hooks?

Sigh. My html skills are obviously rusty. But I think you get the idea.

Oh wow, they have 79! different shades that will fit in the Brightwood fixture. Love it!:
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowC162/templates/selection.phtml?n=v&custom_code=kdkg&newC162[15SHADE]=RECHOOSETHIS&page=all

p.s.-- the Knappa looks like this:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60071344

wig--can you fit more than one in that space? They are just too beautiful. Maybe one for now and two to either side at a later date?

Mace elaine--that rack is pretty...and aesthetically, it will work...but is it practical? A bunch of mail on display like that can look pretty ratty after a while...and will it do all you need it to do? I looked at it and wondered how they got the keys attached. $40 seems like a lot to spend, too.

I'm impressed you even have html skills! I don't. It takes me forever to put those cute little links into the blog.

mace, It's a pretty thing (black wire organizer), but I can't tell whether it will conflict with your door lattice. Better consult the guard turkey!

Thanks for the pendant opinion. Our place was built in the 20's so I like to reference that with fixtures even though I most certainly have an eclectic style. It'll look nice with our Wedgewood oven too.

Alana, thanks for your vote of confidence!

Good luck and tally ho, everyone! For the most part, I shall be offline through the weekend but back with my opinions on Monday.

I'll miss you wig!

Today's plans are to finally finish the kitchen chairs. I want to put two/three coats of varnish on them and I've already got the first done! Only require two hours between coats!

The second goal is slightly more ambitious: Get the dining room completely packed up! Hopefully I got enough boxes to do that yesterday....

Then I just have to figure out what I'm doing with the computer...what paint supplies we have and what we need to get and so on. (I have the car tomorrow, yay! I can actually go and get whatever we need.)

I feeling hopeful I can get the room completely packed today. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to put all the boxes, but one thing at a time, I guess.

I am starting to slide away from the wall rack and into something more like THIS, either mounted on the wall next to the door or left on the bar/shelf across from the door. Or, if a bench ever magically appears in my room, on there.

WIG! You have to get the owl light cover! Okay, I'm kidding. It's maybe a little much.

Turkey says "as long as I get to keep my perch, you can do whatever you want."