Thursday, March 12, 2015

~A BOOK ON DECLUTTERING? ~

It's called.."How to Get Organized"
I read it.  This is the good it did!
I should rename my blog "The Cluttered Cottage" because it would certainly fit.

I have spent the last few days puttering...putting up curtains, leaving them a few hours and suddenly not liking the way they look, dragging my step ladder over and taking them down.  The only ones I've left up are the ones I hung in that LARGE opening into the family room.
Don't men have to duck?  So??   :)
Like everyone, I surround myself with things and people I love.  I nestle in and warm myself in color and love.
Have you ever wondered where your traits to do this or that come from.  Most of my relations lived in their homes with the necessities, never a potted plant, and red in the 1940's and 50's was thought to be ...just wrong.  If you wore a red dress...well...you know, you were just flaunting yourself.
We had our idea's didn't we?  
So..am I "flaunting" my kitchen?  I'm trying to think here.  Nope.  Not.  Now THAT made me laugh.

See? More clutter.

I always forget to "stage" my photo's..sliced oranges, coffee pot, my book, all sit where I left them;
But..
you came to see me, not my home....right?
My Mom always used to always say that..and I never quite bought it.  I will always rush around making sure everything is ready for company.  Now if, I suppose, I did things right, I would always, ALWAYS, be ready for company.

Love,
Mona

P.S.  Would you just LOOK at that refrigerator??  I definitely need to do some uncluttering, but please don't hold your breath.  Okay? :)

33 comments:

  1. I don't think there is a right or wrong when decorating your nest. It's all about what makes you happy and when you walk through the door you can feel the welcome of home. I have been told my house is cluttered and I have too many plants. That's OK everyone is entitled to their opinion, but its what I love and that's all that matters. You can't live your life and design your world for someone else or you'll never be truly happy.
    I think your home is very warm and cozy so it must reflect you Mona.
    Sherry

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  2. Lordy Mercy! :P Do I ever have clutter. I have little spots where I just cram things. The main thing is your home is so welcoming and comfy cozy each time I pop in and I love seeing your stuff! ;) Red! As a little girl growing up in the 50s we had one of those little metal tables that had a red trim around the edge and my little stool was red! :)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelai ;)

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  3. i agree with Sherry there is no wrong or right way to decorate your home. we have to do what makes us happy.. i have zero clutter except in several drawers. 3 drawers that drive me crazy but each time i decide to get rid of the stuff in the drawers i think, i MIGHT need this.. hubby's garage drives me nuts but all i do is park my Kia and go in the house, and use the washer/dryer and bring in the house to fold.. for me less is best but that doesn't mean every one has to be that way.
    i told hubby if everyone was like me the economy would bomb out for lack of sales.

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  4. Your home is your place to be yourself. It looks very comfortable, lived in and beautiful too.

    I surround myself with things I enjoy. I have decluttered and discover I just find more to put in those empty spots.

    Home is about love and comfort and you have done that beautifully.

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  5. another perfect post!!!

    this is you! and pretty, informative photos. more about you!

    and what do most of us, in pretty blog land want? to find out more about the blogger! you!

    you have this blogging thing, "down pat", my Dear.

    Tessa

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  6. and on top of sharing more about "you" with us....

    you share your thoughts and "wonderings." yessss!!!!!

    and me too, I love to think about "why" we like, what we like. "why" one trait, makes me happy... and "why" another trait, makes you happy... etc.

    again, my constant refrain... there is always something to blog about! all we need to do is...

    think of what we'd talk about, if our blogging friends were sitting across the table from us, sharing a cup of coffee. we'd easily think of something-to-say.

    same with sitting at our keyboard. ,-)

    OK, off my soapbox!

    -grinnnnn-

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  7. Oh dear Mona...decorate with what you love. I so love your home...what I wouldn't give to visit and see that darling kitchen up close and personal! It's a home where family and happy times abound.

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  8. the older i get, the simpler i strive to be. clutter now drives me crazy. my idea would be to live like andrew wyeth did. i love his wife's style.

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  9. I love your house, and your decorating style! We must do what we love, and feel peace in! After all, are not our homes for us? We need to love it.

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  10. Your home looks happy and welcoming! That's the way it should be. When I see clutter I also see something of the person who lives there. Their interests and loves and what makes them smile. :)

    Jane x

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  11. Oh girl, do I need to read that book... REALLY I do:) I have a tad too much clutter but I can't seem to part with my things! I, like you, love being surrounded with things I love! Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!

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  12. You do have a lot of stuff! But it's your stuff, your home, your comfort and your delight! You should be able to enjoy it and you do..it's perfect for you! I love red and have lots of that in my home too! I'm getting more and more into having less. I'm thinking of having a garage sale this summer and getting rid of even more! We'll see! Anyway, enjoy your beautiful home and do what you want...although Jack, who's 6'3, would not like the hanging curtain if he had to duck! Ha!

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  13. What a cozy, shiny kitchen! I don't see clutter. I think I see the same thing I see in my own kitchen...no other place to put things.

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  14. I think we all have our own "clutter" in one way or another, whether it be closets, shoes, linens, etc! Being you is what matters...:)JP

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  15. I love your clutter Mona. I would feel really comfortable having a coffee with you amongst it all. So homely. I love the red but have not had much red in any of my houses. I am starting to de clutter, not much to get rid of in house but plenty in outbuildings etc. Will probably have a garage sale or do a few boot sales when the weather gets better.
    Rosezeeta.

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  16. What a nice surprise to see your lovely kitchen as your header ....I think your kitchen is just perfect! hugs....

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  17. Treasures my dear...not your clutter. Things that you have been given or purchased that have a special meaning. Enjoy it all! After all, it is your house and your treasure trove.

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  18. I love all all the red in your kitchen - it all looks so warm and cozy! And, I can tell it makes you so happy - and it should. It looks so warm and cozy.

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  19. It is not clutter Mona we are just surrounding ourselves with things that make us happy. And that is what matters. I enjoy my little displays and things I have collected over the years. They make me feel at home and at peace. I am always flabbergasted by all the great things you find in your rounds of yard sales and things. LOL! I can never find such goodies very often on my hunts. Take care my friend.

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  20. After reading this post and all the comments, Mona, it seems clear that clutter or "stuff" is only negative if you feel it is getting in your way. We have had to do some serious de-cluttering (also called downsizing) in moving from a 2-story Victorian home to a 1-floor 2BR apt and there have been many days I wanted to just give up. But, I am learning what things matter and which do not AND if you things matter then keep them!

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  21. A happy house is what makes a home beautiful to me - and I definitely see a home that's filled with happiness and love! Love your posts, Mona. Jane

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  22. What I like about you and coming here is REAL LIFE!!! What you see is what you get and I think that is the perfect kind of person to be and home to have. I love it- the red reflects your warm and loving personality. Great fun!!! xo Diana

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  23. Mona, you should decorate your home the way you want it, not what you think people want. If they don't like your things, then don't come. A home should feel comfortable. I felt very comfortable when I visited you.
    Hope you knee is better and your getting around good.
    Take care my dear friend.
    Mary

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  24. Your home is so pretty and welcoming. I love all of your cheerful red items. It's always fun seeing the amazing pretty things you have found for your home.



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  25. Your home is a "collectible concoction of lovely warm articles" - h-m-m-m-m - which bring the love of the heart and warmth into each and every room. That's just you Mona - that's how you are and so your home must be a reflection of yourself and how you are. I love your vibrant colours and decorations. My house would be completely the opposite of yours. You would think you were at the library. ha,ha My Father came home one day with a bucket of RED paint which a friend gave him for cutting his hair and Dad said to Mom "Madeline, I tink dis would look nice on da front door"......well, only the ladies uptown on "Sleazy Street" had red doors and my Mother sent that can of paint out the door. ha,ha Ha,ha....so, put some colour and glam on Ph and tell him thanks for the weather the past few days. The snowbanks have gone down at least 2-3 feet. lol

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  26. Mona your home looks like it is lived in not cluttered. I love the color red and it was my husband favorite color for me to wear. Have a blessed day and a wonderful weekend. Madeline

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  27. I love all of the red in your kitchen! I am not especially a "red" person myself, but I truly admire it in the homes or dress of others and have a couple of touches of red in my own home.

    By some standards, your home could be considered "cluttered", but that's purely an individual observation! The important thing is what makes YOU happy! Some are minimalist, others such as yourself love to be surrounded by a profusion of treasures! There is no right or wrong way...only each person's OWN WAY!

    You have created a beautiful home that reflects exactly who you are and therefore,nit is perfect!

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  28. I've decided to declutter believe it or not. I've got a pile of things in the living room to take to the consignment shop. I'm going for a cleaner sleeker look for this home.

    I think your cottage looks so warm and cozy. I like it.

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  29. My dear sweet Mona, your red kitchen glows warmth, and love and personality. Don't ever change doing what you like because it just screams"Mona's beautiful Home". I could well do with a lovely red mixer like yours. I'm sure it makes lots of cakes for when the family comes home.
    You are precious, and I love you.
    Hugs Kay

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  30. We decorate our nest the way we like it . . . that isn't wrong! I will say though, I have rethought about STUFF after spending days in my brothers condo and cleaning and getting rid of STUFF, I am tackling my own stuff as soon as I get my taxes done! SMILE . . .

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  31. Every so often I have the need to de-clutter, it makes me a bit nervous being surrounded by too many things, so Goodwill sees me a few times a year. We all live the way we want, and for some people they just feel better when nestled or surrounded by things. I just don't want my husband or our children to have to be concerned with getting rid of all my things when I am gone. Just the way I am.

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  32. Mona - My home may not be decorated in a style similar to yours, but that does not mean I don't enjoy seeing the home you have created for yourself. I love all kinds of different decorating styles. I may not have my home decorated like yours, but I still admire & enjoy seeing how you have chosen to make your home a place you love to spend time. I think a home should reveal some of the personality of the people who live there. I hate cold sterile homes that look like a showroom in Crate & Barrel. When there is no personalizing of a home, it is like the owners do not want to reveal who they really are. When I am in a home that has no books, photos & little artwork, it does little to reveal who lives there. When I see the photos of your home Mona, I feel like I already know a lot about you before you say a word. I can see your strong love of family, your affinity for the color red, that you are sentimental & fond of vintage things & times past while looking to the future. Your decorating style matches the person I have come to know through this blog & that is not always something easy to achieve. I may decorate differently, but that doesn't mean that I can't admire & enjoy many of the same things you have done with your home.
    Each person's home should be their sanctuary. The one place we can go & feel comfortable & completely at ease. It should be our safe place to fall at the end of a difficult day. Our homes are a canvas that we choose how to color & fill with objects that make us feel good. Some of us are constantly changing our homes looks. Others settle on one look & rarely make changes their surroundings. We should never critize another person's decorating style or personal taste. There is no one right way to have our homes look. Our home is a reflection of who we are as well as out personal taste. I think your home is perfect for you Mona. It represents what you like & speaks volumes about what a wonderful loving person you are as well as how creative and artistic you are. Please don't ever apologize for the way you have decorated your sweet home. It simply wouldn't be Moma's home if you changed a thing,

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  33. O MY!! Some one else who has a red Kitchen!!! I totally love your Kitchen.
    And I too love me my stuff as I am a Victorian soul and the Victorians believed in the more is more theory!!
    Glad to meet someone else who likes their stuff!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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Thank you SO much for sharing your thoughts! Your comments are very important to me.