Last week we launched “Finish What You Started” Mondays: Group therapy in which we project procrastinators inspire each other to get those gosh-darned projects that we began — then abandoned — complete. Note: While I originally thought we would do this on Monday, I actually think Sunday is better — more time for most folks (probably) to upload photos and, well, dash to complete something if they haven’t already. Me first: For Week #1, I organized all of my vintage magazines, which I use as resources for information about midcentury home building and decorating trends. Now if you ask me a question about trends in, say, 1953, I can put my hands on the info that much faster. So procrastinators-with-renewed-enthusiasm: What project(s) did finish this Week #1. I’ve added the Photo Uploader — you can show us, too. I will award Gold Stars –>
More of my confessional: I first organized everything in boxes, by year, about three years ago. But since then, I did not put things back where they belonged as I used them. I don’t have a “before” photo. It was embarrassing. It looked pretty similar to my office (which I also have been working on.) What I learned last week: Put Things Away As I Go Along. I am a pile-creator by LAZY habit – yes, I am judging! Last week, really concentrating on putting everything in its place after I use it was actually kind of … calming. DH noticed, too, and was real nice to me about it. 🙂
What project(s) did you complete in Week #1?
Comment and/or share a photo with the uploader, below
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gavin hastings says
I cleaned out (well actually re-arranged) the furniture in the showroom warehouse I call a basement….
Here’s a nifty idea:
I have been saving all those Folgers Coffee cans and put each leg of every piece of furniture in a plastic can. 4 legs on a chair? 4 cans….
I am now ready for the eventual sudden demise of the water heater or spring thaw!
pam kueber says
I had to read this three times to visualize what you were talking about, but I finally got it. Excellent use for old coffee cans, even if the entire topic is ridiculous to the absurd.
denise says
Gavin, what a great idea.
As I was reading I thought it would work really well for moving furniture in a carpeted room, too, instead of buying sliders. Put felt on the bottom and they can be used in a non-carpeted room.
SusieQ says
So I amazed even myself by what I got done this week.I finished the wallpaper in the victorian house and then made an exciting discovery in the 1951 ranch.I’d been thinking I would have to redo the entire kitchen floor because it had at least 2 layers of old vinyl tile on it.I was so overjoyed to find perfect original linoleum under the stick on tiles.It is varigated black and red checked and the whole kitchen looks so glamorous and beautiful.I still don’t know how to take pictures or send them so maybe one of these days I’ll slow down enough to learn that. So sorry I can’t “show” what happened. Heh maybe I should put that on the list of things I need to do.
matt says
haven’t “finished” it yet, but we made some progress on picking a paint color for the house. Went to home depot this morning and got more samples. (I’ve lost count of how many of those samples we have in the garage now!). Hoping to get it done next spring!
Marta says
I acquired 20 new (to me) more copies of American Home, my favorite vintage magazine. Actually, 21 if you include the American Home Patterns edition “1064 designs–over 109 never before published in book form”. I haven’t found a date of publication yet, but I think 1955 or earlier.
By the end of the day, I will have all my magazines in their holders on the top shelf of the closet of my sewing room.
I’m wondering if anyone has a way to get mildewy smell out of old magazines.
gavin hastings says
Put them in a plastic bag with charcoal briquettes!
Do small groups at a time.
Sometimes if I pick up a book that has been in a wet basement too long…I blast it for a few seconds in the microwave…turning sections of pages each time.
Call me Bill Nye……
gavin hastings says
If the editor of American Home Magazine (a dead-ringer for Larry Mondello’s mother) came back from the dead…she would say that we are a nation of slackers.
It was a very busy, busy magazine.
I read an article once…: “YOU Can Make Awnings From Old Venetian Blinds!”
pam kueber says
Yup.
Marta says
Thanks so much, Gavin! My go-to, always-works smell removal system is to stuff paper in or around the stinky thing. I’ve never had to get the stench OUT of paper. I’ll give the charcoal a try, probably by dumping a bag into a bin, laying some paper towels over, then adding a few magazines. Fortunately, only a few are bad.
I’ve been perusing the American Home pattern book with jaw locked permanently open. You’re right as to the energizer bunny aspect. There’s this laundry room, with built in organizers to include hinged tole-painted covers for the double set sink. The front of the sinks are painted to match. There’s a hand-painted mural. And the mommy and daughter are wearing matching laundry-day pinafores. I only wish I could get my hands on some of the patterns.
Peggy says
I shredded very old income tax files and tax booklets from back to 1982. Kept only the IRS (and tax preparers) recommended years and I now have about 12″ of extra file drawer space. Next project is shredding old bank statements, checks and pay stubs from the 70’s. Having to deal with all of this when we cleaned out my mother’s house last year has given me the incentive to do it now and not leave it for my son to do later – much later, I hope.
gsciencechick says
See if in your area they do “Community Shred Days” where you can take your items to a shredding truck where they are shredded right in front of you. Police are on-site, too. Here they are sponsored by the BBB or other organizations. I put all the stuff in a banker’s box and save it up. That way it saves time from using our shredder.
BTW, got some good cleaning done this week. That’s about it. Next weekend I am on fall break from school, so there’s much more than can be done.
Dulcie says
My harvest gold corner wall of my otherwise lime-green dining room is still harvest gold. But, it’s October in Wisconsin and the temps for the last week have been in the upper 70’s. This beautiful weather will not last so I can’t waste time in the house. On the bright side though, I managed to plant 32 tulip and daffodil bulbs, so, come spring, my yard is going to look gaw-jus!
dawn says
I finished painting an old dresser to use as storage in my laundry room. We moved into our first house about 6 months ago and it has been project after project.
http://digadig-home.blogspot.com/2011/10/amazing.html
chris says
Nothing. I finished nothing.
I started laundry — haven’t finished that either.
Started cleaning the kitchen — not finished.
I’m starting to see a trend here.
🙂
Lynne says
I too need to better organize my old magazine collection. I went to a garage sale last week and I got 100+ more to add to my already disorganized stash for a mere $5.00.
Pam, have you found anything that accommodates the over sized mags like the Better Homes and Gardens and American Home?
Katey Lady says
Lynne, I got some archival magazine files the right size for the old BHG etc magazines. I’m pretty sure they came from a company called Bags Unlimited.
My collection got started with $5- for 70+ WWII era BHGs at an estate sale.
I didn’t get anything done this weekend, I worked. Today is the real start of my ‘weekend’ and all I did was spend money at the car repair shop. 🙁
Melanie says
Well, I don’t have a photo to share, but I boxed up some glassware and miscellaneous to go on a rummage sale next spring. Everything is clean, priced, and wrapped up, ready to go and out of my way! Still have a little more stuff to move before I can get to finishing the window project from last fall.