So now that the joy of Christmas is over falalalala, like a good American I am jumping right ahead to new year’s resolutions. Trust me, I think big, so my “official” list will be very hearty. But, at the top, for sure, is gonna be: Cleaning out and better organizing my home office — aka “the computer cave” — to accommodate my solidified real life as blogger and freelance writer. Oh, that also means figuring out what I am going to do about all the lovely and delightful treaures that I Must Rescue from the basements, nooks and crannies of Pittsfield estate sales. I must admit, I publish this photo with great trepidation. It showcases my hoarding gene. But, I think most of you Retro Renovators will understand. My love for It All is a blessing – and a curse. Now that I have gone public with my office nightmare, the pressure is on to clean it up and get it beautifully organized so that you may take my advice on how to create a beautiful retro home at least halfway seriously. I am filing this one under “Mid Mod Madness/Happiness” because, yes, Happiness is a Clean House.
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43 comments
Linda Blackmore says
Oh, one more funny sidenote–My grown daughter and granddaughter live with me. I never really want anything for Christmas, as I really don’t need anything. We were all talking about cleaning out the garage, and my daughter laughingly said she could just go out there and pull out some stuff and wrap it and I’d never know the difference. That’s the truth!! I know I like it all, and I’ve forgotten most of it!
Jeff says
Agreed!
When it gets to that point, it’s time to purge!
Leave it to Pam to get such a great idea out there- we all probably need to set an example and streamline things a bit.
Mark says
I just spent a week cleaning out my basement, I’m still in shock at the amount of…..stuff…… I had down there!
I used the ‘divide and concur’ method. I divided my basement up into 3rds, emptied, yes, emptied a 3rd and cleaned and painted the space, then as I moved stuff back in I used the 6 month/5 second rule,
If you haven’t seen/used or thought about an item in 6 months, out it goes.
If it takes you more than 5 seconds to answer the above questions or remember where it came from or why you even have it, out it goes.
Once each 3rd was done I would move on to the next, using the newly gained space to move the next 3rd into.
I put up shelving and put as little on the floor as I could, freeing up a huge amount of wasted space.
It was hard at first to get rid of things but once the first 3rd was done, it became really easy to place things in the ‘sell/donate/toss’ piles and move them up and OUT of the basement!
Everything was sold, donated or recycled and some….stuff…… just went to the dump.
Divide and concur it worked for me!
Amy Hill says
As bad as it looks, it’s still not as messy as Albert Einsteins. That thought should comfort you!
Gavin, I can so relate to your post…Something about being over 50 makes you want to “de-nest”, lighten the load, keep what’s necessary & get rid of the rest.
There are so many more interesting things to do with your time than dust. Plus, anything that “bites” me – stubs my toes, knicks my shins, pinches my fingers, needs to get gone.
Good luck with your decluttering! Martha Stewart has the untimate workspace in her attic.
http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/marthas-craft-room
pam kueber says
yes, i think the ridiculousness of it all is that from about age 25-50 we are super busy and excited ACQUIRING all this stuff…. then at age 50, we are overwhelmed to GET RID OF IT
Gavin Hastings says
….As it should be.
You just have to know when it is time.
My mother is down to TWO dinner plates. Her bakeware is gone, because she doesn’t plan on making any cakes in the next 10 years….ditto frying, playing records or anything else she did at 40..She even has a little free tag sale going on in her living room- 24/7 -where guests can take a little “parting gift” with them when they leave……
It sounds depressing, but she’s actually pretty smart..
pam kueber says
I should have a contest: Guess the pieces of crapola in Pam’s office. You can’t even see all the itty bitties in the boxes.
Gavin Hastings says
I see an Astro bed beside you, too sweet.
That said…and not to be the Voice of Doom:
This year I promise to rid my home of the dreams I had at age 30. Out with the projects and “objects d’art” from previous years (which are still waiting for their 15 minutes of fame) and focus on the upcoming twenty.
You all saw my dishes…and that is just the tip of the vintage iceberg. I am tired of sticking a toe under my bed only to hit a cardboard box….several, and walking thought a basement that looks like the waiting room at an upholstery shop.
At 52, it is time to focus on “where I’m at/and where I’m going”. I have been to enough Estate Sales to see what happens when THINGS and STUFF and DREAMS gets the upper hand. No thanks.
In my head I am keeping and image of Jacob Marley’s Ghost….only my chains will be attached to lamps, chairs, sewing machines and dishes…..
pam kueber says
Yup. Attending all those estate sales this year affected me similarly. I have even more to chronicle re my clean-it-out efforts… It is all so IRONIC
Linda Blackmore says
Gavin–I am with you. I just turned 63 on Thursday, and every year I make the same promises to myself. And every Dec. 26th I’m worse than the last. However, I am joining the creative hoarders and making a pact with you all to do the same. I can’t even show you pictures of all my mess. My drug of choice is altered art–I collect all the wonderful stuff to do it, but never get around to actually DOING it because I feel guilty having fun when I should be cleaning, throwing away.
I agree creative people seem by nature to be messy–our heads are so full of ideas we just can’t seem to take time for the mundane. This is the stupid part for me, however–I love to organize stuff. I have all these organized ideas running around in my head, but they seem to be trapped there.
But, alas, I’m not going to ramble anymore. Let’s keep this support group going–Pam, try to report occasionally and hold us accountable(well, me anyway).
Take heed of my warning all you youngsters–every year slows you down. Arthritis has also complicated my plight, so it takes me way longer to “get ur done” than it did in olden day.
I have a small sunroom, garage, attic, and 3 storage building that need emptied and only the things I really NEED AND LOVE organized. HELP!!
Gavin Hastings says
I am a SECRET Stasher.
Ozzie and Harriet until you open a closet…..or notice that every bedroom comes with a 7ft sofa……
The pay-off will hit when I realise that the proceeds from my secret life can finace the doll house I really want.
gayla says
I’ve rationalized my hoarding with “I’ll have all this bought up so when I retire and my income shrinks, I’ll just work on all these projects I’ve stashed. Stashed in my garage where my car has never been, the biggest storage I can rent and in my house in every closet, under all the furniture and piled in my office/ sewing/craft room. So, I retired at 62 and now I’m 65 and the piles seem to be getting larger instead of smaller. My New Year’s resolution is to scrapbook one picture, sew one seam, give one thing to charity and sort one pile a day until the weather gets nice and I can go out and do a similar program on the garden. Any one want to bet how much I’m going to get done? LOLOLOL
pam kueber says
yup gayla, i have that rationalization, too. all my collections are “investments”. by the way, i think we have not yet arrived at the frenzy of mid mod madness…. prices are still on the rise!
Martha says
I like you idea. I may just have to borrow it.
At 50 soon approaching 51 I am moving from a larger house to a smaller one. My basement is crammed with projects that have sat for 15 yrs in this house. I won’t take them with me…
Thanks for the inspiration. And the honesty.
glad to know I am not the only one facing this!
M
pam kueber says
Oh, I will be sure to document this, don’t worry. I must redeem.
Nancy says
Here is a wonderful blog written by someone gentle and kind. Let your house nurture yourself. Happy New Year!
http://brooks-palmer.blogspot.com/
Nancy says
the name of the blog is Clutter Busting with Brooks Palmer
Trouble aka Shane says
Thank the LORD your house looks like that! Thank you….I’ve been crying since yesterday at the condition of my retro castle: Crap everywhere, unused wrapping paper, used wrapping paper, vaguely a clean spot on the floor, stocking on the floor because my daughter didn’t watch the Beagle eating her chocolate, the kitchen is a WRECK from canning home made spaghetti sauce….and…toys…and…boxes…everywhere!
Cliff’s notes version: Take your picture there, throw in a GSD and a Beagle, and two kids who let themselves go and you get the idea!
Lorrie says
You are not alone. It must the creative gene exacerbating the hoarding gene — I too have one secret shame and it’s my office/hoarding room. The rest of the house is presentable and tidy but the creative den is an abomination. And to make matters worse my husband has decided to store his golf clubs and scuba gear in here too (I am surrounded as I type this) which has pushed me over the edge (we have no basement or attic in our 1964 Florida ranch, just a teeny one-car garage). Time to clean out!!! I can’t think with all this crapola piled everywhere!!!!
PS: I am a fulltime writer/editor. Oh, the humanity.
pam kueber says
yes, Lorrie, let’s claim it’s critical to the creative process 🙂 and that we are Very Creative!
Stacey says
Looks familiar, unfortunately.
Once you have the mess tamed, will you be posting pics and sharing tips? I look forward to it! Good luck…I have some disorganized messiness in my house too, mainly in the pantry. Need to get myself to the Container Store with a blank check.