Small Things

I've been busily working away at smaller things lately. There's the entertainment unit - which was filled to the brim with VCR tapes I'd like to see on dvd. And then there was my wardrobe that I worked through again rather successfully.

And now, I'm looking at the smaller things in the house. You know those things around the place, they make the machine of the house work more efficiently, smoothly and easily. I had to only look around for the past week because I had no money to put towards it.

But today was pay day, and I went out and did my grocery shopping and bought the things I needed to make the house run better again. 

I bought two of these work caddies to use around the house. One is for the upstairs bathroom, and the other is for the downstairs area. I think they'll work really well! And them being both red will make them stand out too. I'll be able to put them away in the same place every time and they'll work out for the house each time too. 

Then there was the garden hose connections I had to buy new ones of because the old ones were broken by people stuffing around with them too much. So, I bought good, expensive ones and I just hope nobody screws with them. I hate to use profanity on here, but really I just don't need somebody stuffing with my property when I'm not here. And disconnecting my own hose when I need it there to use to wash my car or water my lawn isn't a choice. If everyone else around me can have their hoses connected without a worry, why can't I? 

Anyway, I hope nobody breaks these ones. 

But the house is coming along so well! 

I've begun knitting a throw for my bed; using all my yarn that I have in the suitcase up the top of my wardrobe. This will get rid of the yarn stocked up in there... and make something nice and colourful. Otherwise, I've been getting rid of crappy yarn I no longer need and can't use or want to give away either into the bin.

I scored a new iron through my Fly-Buys and it's a Panasonic... it's lovely, light and I could iron with it forever! I used it the other day and didn't want to put it away. Now, that's a first for me!

Anyway, I'm still going through my bedroom and looking at things to see if I need them. My money box collection is bigger than I first thought; and yet most of them are empty. And I'm looking at what clothes I really do wear compared to the ones I just love to have because they look good.

Yep, it's the small things that I'm looking into this time around... really, isn't it the devil in the details that keep things going? Of course it is.

The Entertainment Unit

This afternoon, I went into my living room and opened up the doors of the entertainment unit to see what a mess I was going to make in this decluttering session.

Now, this entertainment unit is old... so old I remember when Uncle Allan bought it. I was seventeen years old and he was living at Dunrod Street, Holland Park West. His house is no longer there anymore as it's been replaced by what passes for a stylish home nowadays (better known as a concrete monstrosity). But I remember the night he had the family over to see his new entertainment unit... and that I was kind of pushed out of the way by everyone else when I was looking at it. But all I did was run my hand along the top of it, say it was pretty and then get pushed out of the way; at which point I walked off and admired it from across the room. I was asked if I liked it or not - and I said Uncle Allan: 'It's gorgeous.'
Fast forward to 2011 and he calls me up telling me that he'd bought new television, but forgot to measure the space in the entertainment unit... and would I like it? This was the same unit he'd bought way back when I was seventeen years old. Would I like this piece of furniture? Of course I would! 

Now, today, I opened the bottom doors to be greeted with so much junk!!! But then, it was supposed to be used as storage under there, just not this kind of storage. 

Most of the things in there are VCR tapes - so many of them! - and none of them work on the digital television; but I can hear them. Such a pity about the visual being static. So, we're going to get them all put onto dvds so we can watch them whenever we want. 
Anyway, I got my videos all into boxes and worked out, and sorted out everything else in the entertainment unit as well. Now, I have so much more space! I can store the 70's ice bucket, my new iron and knee rugs for the living room, as well as some dvds and cds and a lazy susan I have bought for special occasions. 

So, how much more of your own place have you gotten done? I'm so please I got the entertainment unit fixed up today. 

Boxes

Today, I went out to a charity store and did some very cool op-shopping. I scored 2 ice buckets. One was 1970's and once was a much smaller one from around 1930's. The 70's one was plastic and insulated, while the 30's one was glass and metal and looked gorgeous and tiny. So, I polished up the glass one and displayed it on my piano, and looked around the house to put the 70's one so I could use it. 

But I couldn't find a place for it.

So, I opened the bottom doors of the entertainment unit and found it was filled with boxes from my kitchen items. However, these were lined so I could put my Bird Collection items away when the time came and I needed to move; and I could put them inside their right boxes. 
I pulled them out of the unit, and found just how many VCR tapes I had of some great films - all collector's items - and I have just kept them for one reason or another. But now, I really don't need them anymore. So, over the next day or so, I'll be pulling them out and bagging them up to sell online for a collector to buy off me.

Anyway, I grabbed the boxes and went to put them into the kitchen (where there's a cabinet I could fit them all) but I found there were still more boxes! These boxes were from mugs I have bought over the years. So, I organised which ones to throw out and which ones to keep and then bagged up the ones to toss and did just that! Now, I have room in the entertainment unit for my 70's ice box and my boxes for my Bird Collection mugs, sugar bowl, creamer and salt'n'pepper shakers are all under the counter where they belong.

The next thing I need to do - I think is create a bar for my growing collection of items... but where would I make it? There's so little room here. So, how is your decluttering going? Better than mine I hope... I'm still one step forwards and two steps back at times. But today was a good day.

Craft Gear Toss-Out

Being a crafter and painter, I find it difficult to throw out things to do with my creative side. Seriously, you should see how much paperwork I have to do with books and my writing still sitting around my office! 

It's atrocious! 

Anyway, seeing I'm down with a head cold this week, I've forced myself to open the house up and pull out my craft gear from my bedroom to sort through.

As Peter Walsh always says in step 1 of everything: pull it all out onto the floor! And that's what I've done. And wouldn't you believe it? I've got a vintage suitcase of yarn - yes I have that much knitting yarn that it requires a suitcase to store it! I've also got about 5 other reusable bags filled with yarn too!

Man, have I got some yarn! But that's what happens when I buy it on the cheap at craft group, have nowhere to put it and toss it into the wardrobe without thinking. Then, months later, look up there and think: 'Wow, that's a lot of yarn!' 

Anyway, I pulled down a few bags and the suitcase and began going through them in my living room - it's just that I find it easier to work in a larger space than my bedroom there; plus with the front window open, it was nice to get some fresh air into the living room. 
I tossed out a full bin of crap I didn't need, found some yarn I wanted to use, found some needlepoint yarn I had been looking for and then found some ties I had stitched up to sew onto some old cushion covers from the lounge. I reorganised the suitcase to take everything better - put the ties into colours in ziplock bags and then found I had a lot more space in it... which will mean when I want to put it all away this arvo, the space will be there! 

Wonderful!

Well, that was only half the craft gear I've stored away in bedroom wardrobe. Now, to see what other crap I've shoved up into the top of my wardrobe over the past 6 months. I seriously need a craft room - that means a 3rd bedroom. Yes, that means I have to move out of here... but where to? So, how is your cleaning out going? 

Depression And Decluttering

I'm suffering from the Black Dog - have been for some time; have also been trying to ignore it for just as long. In the last week, it's really jumped on me and so it's bothering me quite a bit.

In the past week, I looked on the fridge - at my tally of the donations - and found that I've donated 10 times to my local charity stores. This is more than I did last year (which was 9 times), and yet it's only June. So, there's more to donate before the year is out.

However, I'm just finding it hard to get myself back into the decluttering this month. So, I haven't ignored you guys. I'm not motivated right now. 

In amongst all the decluttering and the dumping of my lounge at the tip (I can't believe I had to do that - what a waste!), I am attending art school and have a workshop this weekend to keep myself active. I'm not keeping quiet about my depression - as it's just not me to keep this kind of thing bottled up, and talking about it usually helps me. 

The house has come so far, and I've donated so much over the years. However, now, I know it's time I moved into a proper, real house; and out of the townhouse. This is a financial thing as well as a situational and area thing... I don't do my grocery shopping where I live, I don't socialise with anyone in the unit complex and I don't talk to any of my neighbours anymore - this is over the past 6 months - and so these are strong signals that it's time to move. My brother has noticed my silence and that my need to get out - as I'm never home when he calls me - and he's told me that I need to move and I have agreed with him. 

So, it's a matter of getting my folks to agree to moving me as well. This will take time... until then, I'll have to live with my depression and keep on cleaning out my tiny townhouse until they realise I'm truly not happy with my living situation. But I'd like to move within a year. I know that sounds like a short amount of time; but really, it doesn't take me long to find a place to live, and I would like to start looking soon so I can take my 70's retro style to the next level, and not be stuck with a tiny house unable to have a dinner party, bbq or friends come over without them feeling as though we're sitting on top of each other.