tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79965666170434881472024-03-13T11:56:49.783-06:00Prairie Home TherapyAlana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.comBlogger1339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-47331261257465942432018-10-03T23:21:00.002-06:002018-10-03T23:22:39.074-06:00Fall and New BeginningsRemember me?<br />
<br />
Hello my dears!<br />
<br />
I'm alive and well...really well! My long hiatus from all things home related and blogging has given me the space and time I needed to change my life! I am much healthier now and more fit.<br />
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I've also gone back to school. Guess what I'm taking?<br />
Yep.<br />
Interior design. It's a certificate program from the faculty of extension from our local university. (As the instructor in our introductory course put it, "so, it's not a Real Degree.") I started the program about 15 years ago--and got half done--but they wouldn't give me any credit for the courses I took as it was so long ago.<br />
<br />
But it's all good. I couldn't be happier. I intend to do interior design and decorating professionally--and so I've (finally) gotten started on that new blog I talked about. Here's the link to my first post!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thejoyofhome.ca/decorate-for-fall-like-a-minimalist/">How to Decorate for Fall like a Minimalist.</a><br />
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Hope you'll stop by for a visit and subscribe. :)Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-49076404011666040562017-10-21T10:53:00.001-06:002018-02-04T20:20:01.276-07:00Decluttering and Decorating at Mom's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1NTq8LCZ9r2uWLg1aZNhyccejVJjBg3fgevJ3qUUE5xPjkDBtIQAgL3vgCbu1duUuHjutGdvphpQ5dPlaICExh8G1rRauvJsLmbkkWCZvnwGXZH7i8D_1TD_yX-THgsw-y81_kqaWkg/s1600/At+Mom%2527s+House+with+border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1NTq8LCZ9r2uWLg1aZNhyccejVJjBg3fgevJ3qUUE5xPjkDBtIQAgL3vgCbu1duUuHjutGdvphpQ5dPlaICExh8G1rRauvJsLmbkkWCZvnwGXZH7i8D_1TD_yX-THgsw-y81_kqaWkg/s1600/At+Mom%2527s+House+with+border.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
We've done this before.<br />
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If I look too often at old "before" and "after" pictures of my Mom's place, I can easily get discouraged. The evidence suggests that all of the efforts we made this summer to decrapify and pretty up her house will only end in near-chaos again.<br />
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We declutter and I decorate: and then she brings home "finds" from Value Village, things she thinks are good for the house, or just things she thinks were good buys. And soon, everything piles up again and chaos overwhelms.<br />
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And in fact, with the effort to clear out the trailer as quickly as possible in order to get it rented, Mom's place is currently a cluttered disaster, once again. But I'm hoping it won't stay that way for too long.<br />
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Because this time, this time it feels different, even though there are some very old habits that need to be broken.<br />
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I realise I risk sounding like I am protesting too much.<br />
<br />
But truly.<br />
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Sometime in July, Mom was hospitalized for pneumonia. They kept her there for 10 days. While she was in hospital, the person my Mom got to care for Noah, my nine year old nephew who lives with her, let Noah and her own son of the same age just trash the house. There's no other way to put it. Used dishes with dried food lay on every surface. There were toys everywhere. The floors were filthy. Counter tops were sticky. The one around the sink was orange. There was food smeared into her white slipcovered couch. When Mother returned to her home she was compelled to clean. Instead of sleeping, she cleaned through her first night home from the hospital.<br />
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We chatted soon after and she declared she was going to use the strength of the steroids she was prescribed to declutter. The prescription would last until the end of August: would I help her?<br />
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I jumped. Of course I jumped.<br />
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I started with painting her living room--something I promised to do back in January. But to do that, she had to empty out the adjoining study which, at that time, was an overwhelming disaster.<br />
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She emptied out the room in record time. I was shocked. Later, I found bags of things she took out to the deck--and I was terribly worried she would just leave everything in the bags--and the stuff inside would either become lost or simply brought back in and nothing would be decluttered.<br />
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But, she sorted through it all eventually.<br />
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When we moved everything out of the living room, she spent days sorting through her dvds and her vast collection of cds.<br />
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That became the pattern, even though it alarmed me. She would empty out a space and then sort, toss and donate. I purchased a book on organizing for people with ADHD for her.<br />
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After the living room, we moved on to the area by her back door. I ran to Ikea and bought a kitchen cabinet and hung it with my husband's help. I painted and organized a closet.<br />
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I painted the hallway to the stairs. We installed a light. We put up some of her artwork.<br />
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We schemed and investigated how to get more lights up in the hall.<br />
We did a quick organizing project in her eating area so that all of her aromatic oils were in one place.<br />
I started revamping the front entry way.<br />
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In short order, we moved on to the bathroom. I painted the walls the same colour as the living room and painted a cabinet she'd had bought on sale and buried in the garage. We mounted it. Then Mom installed a new light fixture and I painted the eighties wood vanity navy blue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NnfbqjUtrFqEXG0-PlTaNyLoxy9jpbdfWwEXPh59YQUNs9AKXy6jTvhvN99bvPhToBjMym3JCre03h48oAZ-BjS01CR1KEpduQg14kibHt8eY5rmAxhR-ARaCT7BISV6sr6p32OJBeo/s1600/bathroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NnfbqjUtrFqEXG0-PlTaNyLoxy9jpbdfWwEXPh59YQUNs9AKXy6jTvhvN99bvPhToBjMym3JCre03h48oAZ-BjS01CR1KEpduQg14kibHt8eY5rmAxhR-ARaCT7BISV6sr6p32OJBeo/s1600/bathroom.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>I only have a photo of it primed. The doors aren't even back on. </i></div>
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I was about to move on to the study when <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/10/the-trailer.html">The Trailer</a> happened. Now that it is all set to rent, I will be focusing again on Mom's place and picking up where we left off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOespDfWAi8FXvr5cKHwy50dhZVBi2BXNavA4qlQCbnT_JL8oVHztJCbIJxjzDmsjOiec5owriMl8WchOBzMukIjDx-XJ8M3Y0PlQv_NRgsif5X_08FZivE2hMyy6scMwQnbgD2BIEbeo/s1600/sorting+room_Fotor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOespDfWAi8FXvr5cKHwy50dhZVBi2BXNavA4qlQCbnT_JL8oVHztJCbIJxjzDmsjOiec5owriMl8WchOBzMukIjDx-XJ8M3Y0PlQv_NRgsif5X_08FZivE2hMyy6scMwQnbgD2BIEbeo/s1600/sorting+room_Fotor.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This is how things were when The trailer happened. I'll be starting in here with Ikea furniture and storage pieces on Monday.</i></div>
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Stay tuned.Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-75148268261829014892017-10-16T11:48:00.001-06:002017-10-16T11:48:34.134-06:00The Trailer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLmW2C7DfElTq_nBSeELRQclLNfNwAotFZ2OIh9oQBDVPNrPN1yEJe4_yl7xXVA7EiFWsQfBsu4F3HcBGWNxZephiQOe1IpvOaVjMhzQvmp-kIrJ0EkNHW30Sg1OKJOJRNw-Xq0oBfmA/s1600/trailer+title+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLmW2C7DfElTq_nBSeELRQclLNfNwAotFZ2OIh9oQBDVPNrPN1yEJe4_yl7xXVA7EiFWsQfBsu4F3HcBGWNxZephiQOe1IpvOaVjMhzQvmp-kIrJ0EkNHW30Sg1OKJOJRNw-Xq0oBfmA/s1600/trailer+title+card.jpg" /></a></div>
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I am sorry I have disappeared off the face of the Earth like that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-kul_jHveSJ_dnS2Z5pccTH07a8d7tOa-gQ0LNR2_QVxMFSuO_cHymwpMwCfvPGSX0R21QurPxaQUJ3PI2XCKWmLcmvimaJPRG1gGMzR5VM9DX40ajOEqz-kDnHErj_l_-m-Z65l1pU/s1600/2+entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-kul_jHveSJ_dnS2Z5pccTH07a8d7tOa-gQ0LNR2_QVxMFSuO_cHymwpMwCfvPGSX0R21QurPxaQUJ3PI2XCKWmLcmvimaJPRG1gGMzR5VM9DX40ajOEqz-kDnHErj_l_-m-Z65l1pU/s1600/2+entry.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Like most trailers that have been parked (as this one is in a trailer park) there's an addition built on to the side of the trailer proper. This one has three rooms, shotgun style. This is the first one, the entry.</i></div>
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I have been so busy I can barely breathe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZSogiacHCeB6cB6rE86meloiBOXXZkPHTAa3oa1myaaUeNJoZ9vWkOKv3-z5zDdBlUs1ooTk8tiLVzh1-At0kEKb-BVkn-vcy6N-2xSLkDu-eTDAlHnzo1eiRoFgrp16fZHIGlcZAJA/s1600/3+bonus+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZSogiacHCeB6cB6rE86meloiBOXXZkPHTAa3oa1myaaUeNJoZ9vWkOKv3-z5zDdBlUs1ooTk8tiLVzh1-At0kEKb-BVkn-vcy6N-2xSLkDu-eTDAlHnzo1eiRoFgrp16fZHIGlcZAJA/s1600/3+bonus+room.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the second. We call this the bonus room. It is wired for a television cable. The junction box identifies it as the den. I have since painted the ceiling.</i></div>
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It started in mid-July with my Mom getting pneumonia--for the third time in the last twelve months. When she was released from hospital she was highly motivated to declutter and clear out her house. The doctors had also prescribed quite a high dose of prednisone to keep her lungs clear--and she used the energy and clear headedness it gave her to make the million and one decisions necessary. She asked me to help.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OUvWOVreHHcyv1pXRInPyKPufZVddMDqk1IiFsBynNICjyrmaJIv8pPidKHw0_1E0-nWvpMDBbkbomLb6MXQ3kD8cIAc6iV0Voni3Csa5LPdW_9d_LzXlRowe_yLBxpidboxilbe6Cs/s1600/4+back+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OUvWOVreHHcyv1pXRInPyKPufZVddMDqk1IiFsBynNICjyrmaJIv8pPidKHw0_1E0-nWvpMDBbkbomLb6MXQ3kD8cIAc6iV0Voni3Csa5LPdW_9d_LzXlRowe_yLBxpidboxilbe6Cs/s1600/4+back+bedroom.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the third room, the "back bedroom." My sister's three year old son had this room. There was a lot of marker on the walls, the door and trim. I've painted the room, and door since this photo was taken.</i></div>
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I jumped.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtLVRV2U60Fa3FjLRl7KqN_biCyuQ2rPJ-awQERvGjqpV5kScMuYsJMjCEhLpQGNEoakamf0hNg_zFJ-iNgULVIeLfnMPEOHAh12vjKZ8GbFrrM244wCj42suCXT-htnthUQ1zx10-Fs/s1600/5+entry+to+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtLVRV2U60Fa3FjLRl7KqN_biCyuQ2rPJ-awQERvGjqpV5kScMuYsJMjCEhLpQGNEoakamf0hNg_zFJ-iNgULVIeLfnMPEOHAh12vjKZ8GbFrrM244wCj42suCXT-htnthUQ1zx10-Fs/s1600/5+entry+to+kitchen.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Back at the entry, looking into the kitchen. </i></div>
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We made excellent progress. It was all quite exciting and wonderful (we decluttered the living room and threw out masses of dvds and cds and I painted the room. We turned to the upstairs bathroom and tossed mountains of bath products and towels and I painted the room and the vanity and we reorganized closets (and I painted them, of course) and put up cupboards and shelves and painted some more....when suddenly, we had to stop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXKijDH3EJLf-uSszODNAMP_FbtxSGZHmvsdu8f3TfZQv7fvhU3OchXnsz53FqQ0l6zvH-itq9dvsQiBRrFn1fGj1OUecpM0WLPeYBCA9f5zo5Ja0a4MJjkU22aQQtGbH3wkMfZjmde4/s1600/6+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXKijDH3EJLf-uSszODNAMP_FbtxSGZHmvsdu8f3TfZQv7fvhU3OchXnsz53FqQ0l6zvH-itq9dvsQiBRrFn1fGj1OUecpM0WLPeYBCA9f5zo5Ja0a4MJjkU22aQQtGbH3wkMfZjmde4/s1600/6+kitchen.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The kitchen and the living room/dining room are essentially one big room. That's not"wallpaper" in the kitchen. Those are pre-printed wall panels. </i></div>
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As the prednisone dose was being lowered to wean my Mom's body off of it--my sister broke up with her husband and left the house trailer she'd been living in with her two small children. They had been three months behind in rent to my Mom. They left a lot behind. I didn't understand the extent of it and welcomed a few weeks to myself as I let Mom sort things out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDobwsavBsNIvUbrpvgd9xnyWjMsy5FO9uyYRUmq_UnOtPe1Zn6bn0a5yQcysDJI1qdUI_fCM91gAVQ_4Gp1iXv1cjcDYhjtnMnzMtwlGx1kN-MvpdEJKJgF1EVVxQxlAqnMyeRqRTXM/s1600/7+livingroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDobwsavBsNIvUbrpvgd9xnyWjMsy5FO9uyYRUmq_UnOtPe1Zn6bn0a5yQcysDJI1qdUI_fCM91gAVQ_4Gp1iXv1cjcDYhjtnMnzMtwlGx1kN-MvpdEJKJgF1EVVxQxlAqnMyeRqRTXM/s1600/7+livingroom.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Living/Dining from the kitchen</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UTo3vFuNN2Z2Tff2J9Tqxg8uTFB3ErKOHwHL8jkJCFQFTBIslkUNDcnbEkPhGun9WSj3vhrPDzMZZoGU42jnl5ZImoFXk0BDLx0WPND93garZLj_CA_dM9zaMR3vXXxjn4bm2k9NFvU/s1600/8+livingroom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9UTo3vFuNN2Z2Tff2J9Tqxg8uTFB3ErKOHwHL8jkJCFQFTBIslkUNDcnbEkPhGun9WSj3vhrPDzMZZoGU42jnl5ZImoFXk0BDLx0WPND93garZLj_CA_dM9zaMR3vXXxjn4bm2k9NFvU/s1600/8+livingroom2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Living/Dining from the Living room window. It is not your imagination.The walls are different. </i></div>
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But I was alarmed at the amount of things coming from the trailer into my mother's house every single day. And then as the leaves on the trees were turning, I realised Mom could not handle it herself. Breathing became more and more difficult. She started moving more slowly. She needed naps.<br />
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<i>The hallway to the rest of the trailer. The walls are different, here too. </i></div>
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So, I jumped.<br />
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<i>This is the "first" bedroom. I have since repainted it. The door leads to the bathroom.</i></div>
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I have spent every single spare moment I have over there packing things up, sorting things into piles of garbage, recyclables, and donations. On my journey home (it's a half hour each way) I've been delivering an entire jeep stuffed full of things to Value Village. Today, I realized we've been cleaning up after my sister (and her family) for six solid weeks. I've painted two rooms and a door. Tomorrow, I paint a ceiling. We've replaced light fixtures, we've had to purchase curtain rods and blinds (my sister took those) and I still need to install them.<br />
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<i>The bathroom has been updated by previous owners: but the layout is odd. The tub is opposite the toilet. The entry from the hallway is opposite the vanity at the foot of the tub.</i></div>
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We skipped Thanksgiving this year, too, so we could clean out the shed.<br />
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<i>The laundry room is in the hallway outside the bathroom (the tub is right behind the machines) and main bedroom. Yes, they left a small load laundry in the hamper.</i></div>
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These pictures were taken when we had it almost ready for the cleaners at the beginning of October. Our plan is to rent it out for a while, at least a year, and then use those funds to spiff it up and sell it. Meanwhile, I have a lot to learn about how house trailers are constructed and how we can install an Ikea kitchen.<br />
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<i>The main bedroom. It was renovated, (The ceiling is drywall and not the usual drop panel affair. There is no door.) The bed was left behind with no way to take it down. We're hoping the good folks at Ikea can advise us and give us the appropriate allen keys. </i><br />
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<i>Looking back down the hallway to the kitchen/dining room. The door on the right goes outside to a nice little deck.</i></div>
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Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-44851811387594862592017-08-25T23:08:00.000-06:002017-08-25T23:08:01.269-06:00UnCluttered: Another Round Begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79tGiLjQYo8qjq22ouo-LjJqd8YLebR5mLfilZbgLvjlrjvnvkk7uNC12OoBY1PF_DiiWDyR2e4isoia2bghcVJDMeRccuYlrIupaxqjMc0KueuF2lh6bufeDKjrTjczJOHlWG0Dglb8/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79tGiLjQYo8qjq22ouo-LjJqd8YLebR5mLfilZbgLvjlrjvnvkk7uNC12OoBY1PF_DiiWDyR2e4isoia2bghcVJDMeRccuYlrIupaxqjMc0KueuF2lh6bufeDKjrTjczJOHlWG0Dglb8/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" /></a></div>
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Twelve weeks is a long time.<br />
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When I started the spring session of the course, we were working on the downstairs bathroom. My house was in utter chaos.<br />
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I didn't consider this cluttered, however. It was messy, yes, but everything out was either because of projects related to the bathroom or because it was just part of the ebb and flow of everyday life.<br />
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Oddly enough, when I decluttered, I chiefly ignored the main rooms of my house (except when told to do otherwise) and concentrated my efforts elsewhere right up until the final week when I finally woke up, had a look around and decided that everyday mess was clutter and needed to be addressed. <br />
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I'm happy to say it only took me a couple of hardworking days to get things in order. That felt like a kind of vindication. My goal is to keep the house "10 minutes to company ready." I'm not quite there, yet!<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">DECLUTTERING</span><br />
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When I started the course, I questioned whether or not I "needed" to get rid of any more stuff. But I kept finding stuff I could let go of!<br />
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The way the course is structured, there are six weeks of decluttering. I vowed to have something for each of those weeks. I almost made it.<br />
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Donations from the <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/plucking-low-hanging-fruit.html">first run through the basement</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/re-evaluating-self-via-decluttering.html"> Bedroom week</a>:<br />
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The homeschool stuff:<br />
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Consider these four boxes for just a second. These four unassuming boxes held more than well loved homeschooling curriculuum. They held hopes. Dreams. A few realised, a few not. They were cherished. <i>But they were no good to anyone sitting in my basement.</i><br />
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One of the things that makes this course so great--and different from other decluttering programs, is the shift in perspective from "me and my stuff" to "could this be useful to someone else?" It's subtle but profound and it happened to me when I considered the homeschooling stuff. I'd thought I'd sell it. But then someone suggested finding someone who may need it. So I did that. I found someone--and I was thrilled my stuff --still valuable--still meaningful-- could truly go and bless someone else.<br />
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<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/06/making-room-in-closet.html">Wardrobe Week</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-intentional-kitchen.html">Kitchen Week</a>:<br />
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Declutter "a common area" week.<br />
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I started losing a bit of steam, here. We shifted our attention away from decluttering and towards establishing clutter-free habits. So, for decluttering, I turned my attention to some dead easy stuff outside.<br />
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The garage: These boxes had been here for probably two years or more. Ridiculous. Nothing more than forgetfulness and lack of intention.<br />
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The playhouse. My youngest will be 17 in a few weeks! We have not needed any of this stuff in a long, long time.<br />
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I am extraordinarily proud of all I accomplished in <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-basement-oh-basement.html">the basement</a>. Especially this little area:<br />
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Decluttering gives me a sense of control over my surroundings. I am hoping to transfer that over into housekeeping.<br />
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I also cleared out areas not specifically "assigned" like the freezer:<br />
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and my inbox.<br />
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As a result of doing my inbox, I decided to pursue replacing some Canada Savings Bonds I had purchased before I was married. I'd lost my copies of the bonds, so I put the wheels in motion to replace and redeem them (since they matured about a year ago). I'd tried handling it a few years ago but got bogged down in the process. (At that time, I was able to call and have them re-invested.) So, there should be a tidy sum coming my way in a few weeks.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">HABITS</span><br />
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Joshua assigns the first habit: clean up the kitchen before bed! I did well the first week and then it all fell apart. I jumped into Uber Frugal Month which required a lot of planning and food prep right at the start of the month. Doesn't matter. I shifted my focus. I lost my intention--and the kitchen turned into a disaster area again very quickly.<br />
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It's taken me a while, as I mentioned above, but my second habit is to pick up the house for 10 minutes every day. Set the timer and go. It's the only way to stay clutter free!<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">EXPERIMENTS</span><br />
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Again, Joshua assigns the first one: try out Courtney Carver's 333 wardrobe experiment for three weeks (not 3 months as Courtney advocates.)<br />
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I had a really difficult time wrapping my head around this one--not because I have too many clothes, but the opposite. I may have less than 33 items--depending on how you count them. And I discovered, I am profoundly uninterested in counting my clothes.<br />
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<i>A pair of capris I bought during the course. </i></div>
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We were to experiment with simplifying other aspects of our lives. I chose to cut our grocery bill in half for the month of July. That wasn't exactly a challenge which simplified my life....but it did help me pay down some of our debt!<br />
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<i>A few meals made "ahead." Life savers.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">YOUR TURN!</span><br />
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The whole twelve weeks was an extraordinarily positive adventure. At one point, I actually wondered why I signed up--surely I was "decluttered." Turns out--not quite!<br />
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And it's not about decluttering anyway. Decluttering is simply a means to the end. What end? Whatever you decide. You get to choose. Your stuff, your life, your adventure.<br />
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<i>My adventure includes mason jar Chicken Cesar salads! </i></div>
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I'd love to have you join me and all my (Uncluttered) facebook friends. Registration is open only until September 3rd.<br />
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Follow this link: <a href="https://my.becomingminimalist.com/">Uncluttered: The Course</a> and use the coupon code FF25 for 25% off. (<b>Not</b> an affiliate link.)<br />
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I'd be thrilled to see you there.<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-3542499572133190552017-07-22T23:05:00.001-06:002017-07-23T20:32:34.141-06:00The Basement, Oh The Basement!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7nkvFOEusGcNGy_1H8ffJactfEfXEVhPbufvG7M0qTlzwzI_yJZGDCCesP4KTxMfjk6ZNOfOlYFfacNvHemx2pJMPi9M5utEd5aEbbzNaUWDoxIVolXrRHfeszDWz5u-foIZmd4x76U/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7nkvFOEusGcNGy_1H8ffJactfEfXEVhPbufvG7M0qTlzwzI_yJZGDCCesP4KTxMfjk6ZNOfOlYFfacNvHemx2pJMPi9M5utEd5aEbbzNaUWDoxIVolXrRHfeszDWz5u-foIZmd4x76U/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Uncluttered course is now complete. I've a few posts left to write to wrap up my experience. In short, it was a wonderful experience and I am thankful I did it. The next round is Sept 5th. I'll have a discount code for you around the end of August! I plan to take it again, (hopefully, with my mom).<br />
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But first --my crowning achievement-- the basement!<br />
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As the weeks went by, the basement just got better and better. No matter what area upstairs we were focusing on in the course, I would come down here and work. Things which had survived many past purges got taken upstairs and taken away. I am absolutely thrilled.<br />
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I started my decluttering for the course down here. And that means pictures! Before and afters! My favourite.<br />
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The view from the bottom of the stairs looking at the back wall:<br />
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From left to right: The white shelf unit held home decor items and the last of the homeschooling books. I donated them to a lovely woman who had lost a lifetime of homeschooling books and supplies in a devastating house fire last year.<br />
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With some space freed up, I put a few dishes down here from the <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/06/the-intentional-kitchen.html">kitchen clear out</a> to see if we can live without them.<br />
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Those blankets are protecting our new windows for the bedrooms upstairs. We will save some money by staining, varnishing and installing them ourselves.<br />
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The pine dresser and the black shelving unit hold various scrapbooking supplies.<br />
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There's my exercise ball and underneath it, my 12"/1" miniature townhouse. I am not sure whether I will ever finish it.<br />
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To the right, out of frame is my husband's workshop. I don't touch it--or photograph it. That's totally his domain! But I am happy to say it is in relatively good shape.<br />
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To the left is the Wall o' Shelves.<br />
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Some cubbies I decluttered, others I left alone. I went through the bins of fabric and home decor. I didn't touch the memorabilia. I also left the photos alone: but I have <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/06/unclutter-interlude-my-space-hogging.html">a project in mind</a> that once I'm done will see more than half --and dare I hope? 75%-- of those photo boxes gone. <br />
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I would like to pare down our luggage, too, but I doubt my husband would agree.<br />
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(No, the table is not longer. I turned it lengthwise to make more room for our bags of recycling (blue) and bottles and cans (clear).)<br />
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Turn left again and you're in the "game room." I did ask the boy whether we could get rid of this TV (and some of the Lego pieces) but he said, "no," even though the Xbox is now upstairs (and very infrequently played. Still, he and his father still enjoy a game from time to time.)<br />
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I made room for this piano. It's well-traveled! It belongs to my Mom. We borrowed it for years and it had pride of place in the living room while the kids took lessons. When the lessons were finished, we returned it to my Mom. A few months ago, we took it back when Emma said she wanted it in her room. No sooner did we haul it over and all the way upstairs when she declared it "too big" (it was) and she wanted it out. I doubt anyone will ever play it again but Mom is not ready to let it go (and be useful to someone else) so I'll store it here for a while.<br />
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Isn't that cozy? The picture over the piano used to be in the living room. It is one of the first things Chris and I ever bought together. I'm glad it is on disply again. That's the flooring leftover from the bathroom. We had to buy an an ginormous piece of it. </div>
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Going through some art I had stored on top of the wall o' shelves, I came across a few pieces Ben had done when he was around four or five. I'd gone to the trouble to frame them way back when, so I decided to hang them in here with a few other pieces I found. After all, if we were going to keep it, we may as well enjoy it!<br />
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I am still struggling to put into words the uniqueness--or the difference, if you will--between this decluttering program and others I've participated in. As I went through my buckets and bins and shelves the interior monologue was something like this: "Am I using this stuff? No? Why hang on to it then? Could someone else get value from it?" And I think the difference I am seeking is right there in that last sentence. There was a whole lot of awareness for me of other people and how they may be blessed with my things. Decluttering became this huge act of giving. And so it was easy --and fun!</div>
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And then there's the laundry room:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI-6C89YE06t8xBnFLeJwi5mHA48Hs5DE8psHuozh5Dv7NuzPDUP5JuFtQLgUn2NCVeYCnmkjsXLaqfHrF-T2oC6I-riNWPuS42_rmoqyTFBZwBE0aWqMJ_GPYfY1XoL5G5U9tdLtMHk/s1600/laundry+room+b4+and+fter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTI-6C89YE06t8xBnFLeJwi5mHA48Hs5DE8psHuozh5Dv7NuzPDUP5JuFtQLgUn2NCVeYCnmkjsXLaqfHrF-T2oC6I-riNWPuS42_rmoqyTFBZwBE0aWqMJ_GPYfY1XoL5G5U9tdLtMHk/s1600/laundry+room+b4+and+fter.jpg" /></a><i>and look at that: stuff in the donation station! I'll take that out Tuesday. I wonder if I can scrounge some more to go with it? I bet I can!</i></div>
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Aaaaaand, last but not least, the area beside the stairs: the painting supplies.</div>
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aaah, that's so much better!</div>
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Of course, I am under no delusion that this is it, that for once and for all, the basement is done! No. Things change. And when they do, stuff comes down here to die. So, it will get cluttered up again, I suspect. But you bet I will enjoy all this space as long as I can!<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-60268608700455065862017-07-10T18:36:00.002-06:002017-07-31T17:47:35.085-06:00Make Ahead Meals: Bye bye Pizza Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC5nMQ5Xc4xQ8I9FvtPykxaILqpaUEHxPTuUOh0xDEjDnPr4C0Qr8cJKAFl1VlGGR6Sd5F-J_vB-BqcjbAF_PDG9lpNbtDHbANPTlYF6WGtOWTNYgwKgl4XQRVCsYRF7z2G-Zo_Ab1jA/s1600/title+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaC5nMQ5Xc4xQ8I9FvtPykxaILqpaUEHxPTuUOh0xDEjDnPr4C0Qr8cJKAFl1VlGGR6Sd5F-J_vB-BqcjbAF_PDG9lpNbtDHbANPTlYF6WGtOWTNYgwKgl4XQRVCsYRF7z2G-Zo_Ab1jA/s1600/title+card.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Set Up</span><br />
<br />
A long, long time ago, I used to plan all of our suppers for the month. This was so I could shop for all of the meat and pantry items we needed during Safeway's Customer Appreciation Day. We would get 10% off the entire grocery bill. Now it's 15% and I'm even more interested in saving money than I was then, so I sat down earlier this week and planned two weeks plus everything we needed for the Make Ahead Meals. (All of our other shopping trips will be at other grocery stores so I can compare prices.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Rationale</span><br />
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It's summer. And while I normally love to cook, I am not a fan of spending any more time than absolutely necessary near hot things--like a stove--when it's summertime.<br />
<br />
Eating out--or, more likely in our case, ordering out is expensive. And it doesn't help my waistline, either! So, the only way to beat the heat, save time (and money) and stay mean and lean--is--you guessed it--to make meals I can re-heat quickly or throw in the crockpot.<br />
<br />
Because I am an excessive planner, I sat down with my work schedule and figured out how many of these meals I'd actually need--and then I doubled it (sort of).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Recipes</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8uXwSK79he4y447U7GyALb3kcGgz3zFB3e8ugAPPVPYzZmgiVBrTc3ng73OhFx-flC7-ig1R1R-N0xGKDAjsAvalSAz5N5vBEYCoCS4DkXgHH4UTRRRkVRbVrWGYWbbZTPlshb4wVqc/s1600/recipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8uXwSK79he4y447U7GyALb3kcGgz3zFB3e8ugAPPVPYzZmgiVBrTc3ng73OhFx-flC7-ig1R1R-N0xGKDAjsAvalSAz5N5vBEYCoCS4DkXgHH4UTRRRkVRbVrWGYWbbZTPlshb4wVqc/s1600/recipes.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.superhealthykids.com/10-quick-healthy-freezer-slow-cooker-meals-no-prep-cooking-needed/">Lentil Butternut Squash Curry</a> x2<br />
<a href="http://www.superhealthykids.com/10-quick-healthy-freezer-slow-cooker-meals-no-prep-cooking-needed/">Cilantro Lime Chicken</a> x2<br />
<a href="http://newleafwellness.biz/2013/02/13/slow-cooker-turkey-black-bean-chili/">Slow Cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili</a> x2<br />
<a href="http://www.apronstringsblog.com/slow-cooker-mediterranean-eggplant-salad/">Mediterranean Eggplant</a> x1<br />
Spicy Peanut Chicken x2<br />
8 hamburger patties<br />
<br />
We've eaten all but the Spicy Peanut Chicken before. That one is from a recipe I found in a book from the library. Any Peanut Chicken recipe would do, really, as it is essentially cooking the meal and the freezing it, just as you would left-overs. The rest of the MAMs are all assembled, frozen, and then thawed and dumped into a slow cooker. Easy peasy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Assembly</span><br />
<br />
"I made thirty meals in four hours--and then I didn't dread dinner-time any more."<br />
Most blogs are full of cheerful statements like this one.<br />
Not this one.<br />
<br />
I may never set foot in my kitchen again.<br />
<br />
I set everything up (well, what I thought was everything) and began. I honestly expected I would be able to chop and assemble everything the same day. I had only one small problem--I needed black beans-- but I hadn't cooked them yet. And then I realised I didn't have enough spices for everything. I had to make a late night run to Walmart for paprika, chili powder, and parsley flakes. Of all the stupid things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqYuMn5uH1ilr-csw04kHKkuznt2WFi2VgRYzLkbF25icKuZlYnT7pVXpu_6fgIQ6kTdZ0vHwHHuFLLWZysg0MlHJR1duXlmTchoRMLx_osGwnl-m6W-grvbYQ7OcTdprMG_1BUhN44A/s1600/raw+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqYuMn5uH1ilr-csw04kHKkuznt2WFi2VgRYzLkbF25icKuZlYnT7pVXpu_6fgIQ6kTdZ0vHwHHuFLLWZysg0MlHJR1duXlmTchoRMLx_osGwnl-m6W-grvbYQ7OcTdprMG_1BUhN44A/s1600/raw+food.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
This shows them after they'd soaked for a couple of hours. I put them on the boil while I chopped the squash.<br />
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The squash nearly killed me. It seemed I chopped forever. And of course, I had to make dinner, too.<br />
At the end of Day 1, I'd made only two of my recipes. Just before bed, I realised I needed to cook even more black beans.<br />
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On Day 2, I was pretty anxious to get the meat based meals out of the fridge and into the freezer. I took the beans I'd soaked overnight and started cooking them. As I had to leave for work at 5pm, I'd also planned a crock pot meal for supper with some really old chicken backs I'd found while doing my freezer inventory. Thawing and deboning those took a solid hour. So, after about three hours in the kitchen...with temperatures rising by the hour.... I'd managed to make only one of my Make Ahead Meals, the slow cooker Turkey and Black Bean Chili (which is awesome, by the way).<br />
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The third Day I was desperate to get the remaining chicken breasts and ground beef into the freezer. The Spicy peanut stir fry was time consuming, but very simple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6zfRmzb7kZ9V7XGvOBfWSJYLQiT-i3RobK6q2uD0q_ApUIhZWvOxOi32VvSyhH8TDb6NycF9eHUCrotGX3nTeoR-ZQrHhto3NQZLqGcbR1G1fswuFJyJVxc95mTdI5hHM5RNq56hhrM/s1600/peanut+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6zfRmzb7kZ9V7XGvOBfWSJYLQiT-i3RobK6q2uD0q_ApUIhZWvOxOi32VvSyhH8TDb6NycF9eHUCrotGX3nTeoR-ZQrHhto3NQZLqGcbR1G1fswuFJyJVxc95mTdI5hHM5RNq56hhrM/s1600/peanut+chicken.jpg" /></a></div>
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The burgers were messy--but also simple. Apparently, the key to homemade burgers is not to man handle the ground meat too much--and to dimple the center of each patty. My husband was quite disappointed we weren't having any for dinner that night.<br />
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Finally, finally, late today I made the Mediterranean Eggplant.<br />
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<br />
So, now I am all set for those night's when I am not home to cook--and the morning's are too rushed to make anything.<br />
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Bye bye, pizza night.<br />
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<br />
More MAM's:<br />
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<a href="http://newleafwellness.biz/">New Leaf Wellness</a> has several recipes and free batch cooking/assembly instructions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://5dinners1hour.com/">5 Dinners 1 Hour</a> is a batch cooking meal plan site. There are some recipes for free.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/31-crockpot-freezer-meals-for-busy-weeknights/">Thirty Handmade Days</a> has quite a few original recipes. Looking forward to trying them.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/crockpot-mongolian-beef/">Once a Month Meals</a> is another meal plan site. All the meals are freezable, though. I tried a few of their free plans but didn't really like it. I also found the way they constructed the prep lists confusing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meals/">Happy Money Saver Mom</a> has many different kinds of Make Ahead Freezer meals, including some that can go into the crock pot.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.self.com/gallery/11-slow-cooker-meals-you-can-prep-and-freeze-ahead-of-time">Self Magazine</a> has some really delish looking MAMs for the crockpot.<br />
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eta from the comments: Living Well Spending Less has an 11 part series, each one with five recipes made twice for freezer to crockpot cooking. I'm linking to <a href="http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2017/03/29/10-meals-in-an-hour-part-11/">Part 11</a> as it has all the previous parts linked on the page. (Thanks Marie!)<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-87872061186563739852017-07-05T01:07:00.000-06:002017-07-05T01:07:01.367-06:00The Musical Fruit: Saving on the Grocery Bill.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EO3rN-CzTtLiHp59fRdl9U_ADy2DSXFbDFGW3Pr8uyOmYAHZAZLbFZcO-TuAP28GWnMrwmqhAPQasOe_ti50iijepD3xG0FRE4JWjwcew0Pxwf_ADlCgcTwzxFcaT2lfCvRyvQtmwxs/s1600/title+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1EO3rN-CzTtLiHp59fRdl9U_ADy2DSXFbDFGW3Pr8uyOmYAHZAZLbFZcO-TuAP28GWnMrwmqhAPQasOe_ti50iijepD3xG0FRE4JWjwcew0Pxwf_ADlCgcTwzxFcaT2lfCvRyvQtmwxs/s1600/title+card.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
Our single largest expense, by far, each month is our grocery bill. It eats up about 15% of our income--net income. That is more than we should be spending--even given the higher price of food in Canada. (<a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/3437328/groceries-budget-canada/">source</a>) <br />
<br />
So, one of the first pieces of advice you get when you ask "how can I save money on my grocery bill?" is "Buy dried beans. Not canned!" But how much do you save, soaking, cooking and freezing your own?<br />
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And so, needing kidney beans and chick peas (alias garbanzo beans), I bought a two pound bag of each.<br />
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<i>I was so excited about cooking my chick peas, I forgot to get a picture!</i></div>
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<br />
I asked Google how to cook them, and ever helpful, it offered me several methods. I portioned out a pound. Then, I chose to rinse them, boil them for 10 minutes on medium, change the water and then bring them back to a low simmer until they were done. (I tasted them.) I was anxious to get this done.<br />
<br />
Then, I carefully measured them out into a pint mason jar (in the past, I figured out that a pint holds the same amount as the cans I usually buy.)<br />
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I would have preferred to freeze them in the jars, but I don't have enough.<br />
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<br />
I got 3 "cans" from one pound.<br />
<br />
So. The bag of chickpeas cost me $3.39 at Safeway.<br />
<br />
Assuming I'll get the equivalent of 6 "cans" of beans this way, each "can" costs $0.56 1/2<br />
<br />
I made sure to price check the can of chickpeas I usually buy. They were $1.79 at Safeway. That seems like lot. (I rarely, if ever, buy them at regular price, though. I usually get them on sale and stock up.)<br />
<br />
So, my "homemade" beans are 1/3 the price.<br />
<br />
An instant 66% savings on our grocery bill!<br />
<br />
I wish all of it could be that simple.Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-82652696956288018702017-07-01T02:30:00.000-06:002017-07-01T02:30:42.392-06:00Introducing Uber Frugal Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwPiPHUcvB9dOso12etoXfJ7MVAp1lGZoRDaq5HeaY2y8RAnGx9ZCMqY5lAznGGshZggxfnTozMUIW4kQVTG4hCf6ecFaZdHNuUrsN2fL2-Lnlmk5DOHll_sC66riCFHdqr0v7KP_VlI/s1600/title+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="574" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwPiPHUcvB9dOso12etoXfJ7MVAp1lGZoRDaq5HeaY2y8RAnGx9ZCMqY5lAznGGshZggxfnTozMUIW4kQVTG4hCf6ecFaZdHNuUrsN2fL2-Lnlmk5DOHll_sC66riCFHdqr0v7KP_VlI/s320/title+card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The next step towards a more minimal, no, scratch that, a more intentional life, seems obvious to me: get a handle on our finances and get out of debt.<br />
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As well, our situation is dicey. My husband is losing his job some time this fall and, I confess, it is freaking me out not a little. There are all sorts of complications with the timing of it all, his pension (and cuts to it depending on various scenarios which we are still trying to work out) and the severance package. The fact that we are thisclose to the warehouse shutting down and no one has answers for us is maddening to say the least. One thing we can pretty much count on, unfortunately, is that it is not likely he will be employed again at anywhere near the wage he is getting now.<br />
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This is the rainy day we should have been preparing for--and we haven't. So, rather than learning to be frugal proactively, which we should have done--we are going to do it reactively.<br />
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But we are going to do it!<br />
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I am not sure what to expect.<br />
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I just wanted to put this out there so you can have a chance to<a href="http://www.frugalwoods.com/2017/06/30/the-july-2017-uber-frugal-month-challenge-starts-tomorrow/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Frugalwoods+%28Frugalwoods%29"> join up</a> as well, if it interests you. Every day during the month of July, starting on the first, the blogger behind Frugalwoods will be sending out prompts to encourage u to be, well, uber frugal.<br />
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We had some<a href="http://www.frugalwoods.com/2016/12/19/uber-frugal-month-the-ultimate-guide-to-saving-more-money-than-you-ever-thought-possible/"> homework</a> to do prior to starting. Here is mine.<br />
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Step 1: Establish your goals.</h3>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">1. Why are you participating in this Challenge?</span></h3>
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I want to get a handle on our finances. I need some help and support to spend less.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. What do you hope to achieve?</span></span></div>
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At the end of the month, I want a clear do-able plan for living uber-frugally until our debt is gone, no matter what our income may be. (Yes, we did Dave Ramsey. No, we were not gazelles.) Specifically, I want to see my way clearly through Steps 4 thru 10, below.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">3. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">What are your long term life goals?</span></span></div>
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I still want to travel. I'd love to take hiking and biking tours in Europe, Iceland and the U.K. If I dared dream big, I'd say Thailand, too, or another equally exotic location. Dreams. Dreams are nice.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">4. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Where do you want to be in 10 years?</span></span><br />
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I want to be in a small house by the sea.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410531322254857150/">source</a></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. What about your current lifestyle might prevent those goals from coming to fruition and what can you do about it?</span></span></div>
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I think I spend money mainly for convenience and to treat myself, food-wise. I also use money to indulge my love for creating, designing, and decorating.<br />
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Step 2: Review last month’s spending.</h3>
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Done. I used to track our spending. I haven't in a long time. Funny, there's a direct correlation between how much we save to how much I track. I guess it really isn't funny at all. </div>
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Step 3: Categorize your expenses.</h3>
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Fixed Mandatory Expenses. Yep. Got 'em. Surprisingly, they only make up about 20% of our income. </div>
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Discretionary Expenses (everything else.)</div>
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Step 4: What can I eliminate entirely?</h3>
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Eating out and snacks</div>
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Clothing (for a while)</div>
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Entertainment</div>
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Step 5: Embrace the art of substitution.</h3>
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The idea behind this frugal step is to substitute something free for something you are paying for. So, for example, I do pay the city a certain amount to use the pool for my aquafit classes. I try to go once a week. I love aquafit. </div>
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Step 6: Reduce spending on discretionary expenses.</h3>
I could shop for groceries at a cheaper place than Safeway, I'm sure. </div>
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Now that I've lost a bit of weight, I'm looking into paying a little less for life insurance, perhaps.</div>
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As for our utilities, I have this little project in mind for a spot in our basement:</div>
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I am hoping the challenge can help with this step.</div>
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Step 7: Empower yourself to insource!</h3>
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The idea with this one is to stop paying other peopleto do things for you. Do them yourself. So, these are the things we paid other people to do this month: </div>
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<li>repair the Jeep</li>
<li>make two windows to replace our bedroom windows which are failing.</li>
<li>prepare food in restaurants so I (or someone else) didn't have to cook.</li>
<li>repair teeth (the dentist)</li>
<li>align the body (the chiropractor)</li>
<li>cut hair </li>
<li>teach me what to wear, and how to declutter. (two on-line courses)</li>
<li>groom the dog</li>
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Hmmm, that seems like a lot all written out that way.</div>
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Step 8: Examine your habits.</h3>
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Someone needs to be taking shorter showers, ahem. Again, this is an area I hope will be easier for me to see and thus do something about by the end of the challenge.</div>
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Step 9: Plan ahead.</h3>
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Yes. Keeping up the meal planning and grocery shopping is de rigeur and it would be wise to add in what I plan to eat for lunch, too. I should also talk to the teenagers about this. </div>
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We could also seriously cut down on the number of trips we make to the grocery store. We made over 25 visits to Safeway this month alone--only two were large weekly shopping trips with responsible lists. Not really sure what's going on there.</div>
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Step 10: If you do buy stuff, get it used (or cheap!)</h3>
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This is an area we do not do well in, I admit. But, I have promised myself that I will go to Value Village for temporary clothes while I am losing weight. Of course, I say that, and yes, I did buy a pair of shorts there this month--but I also bought two T-shirts, a pair of capris and a dress--at a regular clothing store where people bring you alternate sizes to try on and you don't have to wait in line for a change room. sigh. Frugality is hard.</div>
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Step 11: Banish excuses.</h3>
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I take it back. </div>
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Major Lifestyle Changes</h3>
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This whole section of our "homework" seems a bit premature and since this post is already too long, I'll spare you my thought processes for now. In brief:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1) Do you need to earn more?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes. We will.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2) Would moving help?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No. The house is paid off. We will move, eventually, and that will help substantially but that won't happen until the youngest finishes University--in about 5-6 years.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3) Should you get rid of your car (or one of your cars)?</span><span style="font-weight: 300;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">We would have to be pretty desperate for me to live without a car again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4) Are you paying to work?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No.</span></span></div>
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Conclusion</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am going to give the penultimate word to Mrs. Frugalwoods:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "titillium" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">The crux of successful, joyful frugality is spending in service of your goals and on the things that matter most to you. By identifying what you want out of life and eliminating spending that doesn’t get you to that final destination, you will succeed.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I only wish I had started down (and stayed on!) this path long, long ago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We'll see what happens.</span></span></div>
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Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-55895994178789998692017-06-28T00:03:00.000-06:002017-06-28T00:03:50.254-06:00Habits: A Clutter-Free Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our challenge this week was<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #5c4b43; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">to tidy up the kitchen to clutterfree each evening before going to bed. </em></blockquote>
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This is not my first kick at this particular proverbial can. From courses I've taken at Simplify 101, I've learned two things:<br />
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1) As Abby advised, if you hate something...do it often.<br />
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Say what?<br />
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But if you do the dreaded task--before it becomes a gigantic dreaded task you can avoid all the discouragement and overwhelm that comes with just <i>thinking</i> about doing the dreaded task. And, of course, it's the only way you can avoid this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBHs4hDJuJVJP2-vQ1GsYdhWP2fBXwcSUR3zdrmAZbyhhH2LFAsF4AXDxKiBNFXL0iS-Zfe59ybvHLv3hBF08avJzbdmFv26LHBDEfrkScuUH5pZy12cYo3AmALBGAhkmE-MaKB4qznA/s1600/may+13+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBHs4hDJuJVJP2-vQ1GsYdhWP2fBXwcSUR3zdrmAZbyhhH2LFAsF4AXDxKiBNFXL0iS-Zfe59ybvHLv3hBF08avJzbdmFv26LHBDEfrkScuUH5pZy12cYo3AmALBGAhkmE-MaKB4qznA/s1600/may+13+before.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This is what my kitchen counter looked like on May 13, when I began the course. I think that is every dish we own. On the stove, you can bet there was every pot we own. </i></div>
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Doing it more often makes it more manageable, hands down!<br />
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2) It works! </div>
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I found that if I did the dishes--if even only once--before dinner, doing the dinner dishes was a snap. And there's no excuse not to do something if you know it takes less than 10 minutes. No excuse. Even better-- other people in my house did up a few dishes here and there. Here, my daughter--without prompting from me-- looked after the dishes she used to make Mac 'n' Cheese for a pot luck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-TecAvNFsO3cF3i79-61GGefUnTIP-ny8meN_MEnLBCTZOFoaWvuoaMciyu-JjJQPy3DzNiCGlN-P68jhh1r1u2kxFPOL1WL63hz6xxPA64170FtWuATtjJFibn0k8MBd5KFWYyNFfs/s1600/emmas+dishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-TecAvNFsO3cF3i79-61GGefUnTIP-ny8meN_MEnLBCTZOFoaWvuoaMciyu-JjJQPy3DzNiCGlN-P68jhh1r1u2kxFPOL1WL63hz6xxPA64170FtWuATtjJFibn0k8MBd5KFWYyNFfs/s1600/emmas+dishes.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Yes, from scratch!</i></div>
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Other things I learned this week:</div>
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3) Clutter attracts clutter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D5eNhhJlZmqDgwJo9lPXPOGq1Kl71Mn8IToQcaPhvUmyVtBhNn4yWKXQCdYtNgtnMydCurD9DYl5ZsxO9aXt3ZdSmUOfSCI8BNc7MfYMW6Xb2mfvExrvNrU99fHjXTqgfsuXzW0TsHE/s1600/clutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D5eNhhJlZmqDgwJo9lPXPOGq1Kl71Mn8IToQcaPhvUmyVtBhNn4yWKXQCdYtNgtnMydCurD9DYl5ZsxO9aXt3ZdSmUOfSCI8BNc7MfYMW6Xb2mfvExrvNrU99fHjXTqgfsuXzW0TsHE/s320/clutter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The day before, I had cleaned out the fridge. I had left these cherries out of the counter as an invitation to people to eat them. Instead, a certain member of my household took it as an invitation to leave out his breakfast things. </div>
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4) A tidy kitchen is essential.</div>
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I have been doing a lot of thinking about what is essential this year. I've been trying to figure out what those things are which I absolutely have to do in order to feel like my life is ok.... And by OK, I mean, not spinning out of control, not casting me into despair and helplessness.<br />
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Yes, well, not going there would definitely be a plus!<br />
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The standard is a bit higher than that (but I seem to have only two settings on my internal gauge.) I was thinking about this: what do I need to feel like my life is OK?On the right track? As trite as it sounds, I came up with what my Grandmother told me, what I tell my kids and random facebook strangers. "As long as you do your best., you'll have done all you can." And so that's the new daily standard. Do my best, every day. And do what is best for my life, every day.<br />
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And cleaning up the kitchen is one of those things. The rest of the house can be in chaos (actually, this week, most of it was) but if the kitchen wasclean--even just before bed-- I found that I could think more clearly and I was calmer than, say, the week before, when it wasn't. A tidy kitchen is essential to my peace of mind.</div>
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5) It brings me joy. </div>
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Actual caught-in-the-throat joy.</div>
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More than a tidy dining room (where I spend all my time), or a tidy bedroom (where I am in the habit of making my bed every day) or even a clean bathroom (though that's up there), a clean and tidy kitchen is essential to my happiness. I have actually felt joy as I have looked at my kitchen every night this week. And that feeling was worth overcoming the pull towards bed at midnight more than once. (I worked late shifts this week.) </div>
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And so, my joy-filled week in review:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W91QY8AVOpEXkm-NY-csRWROgMEuoQhLgJ9iEGLD7LMyyc3Kv2UcBoNBX2kIr6HMlePA_KmXXHGfp9JljRk-7dhsrRiP8qVmmqPcP56b8NQwHcqEGUsBlWBQ4WTeIQxH8jpC5_9_Dgo/s1600/kitchen+habit+collagePicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4W91QY8AVOpEXkm-NY-csRWROgMEuoQhLgJ9iEGLD7LMyyc3Kv2UcBoNBX2kIr6HMlePA_KmXXHGfp9JljRk-7dhsrRiP8qVmmqPcP56b8NQwHcqEGUsBlWBQ4WTeIQxH8jpC5_9_Dgo/s400/kitchen+habit+collagePicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>There is no Day 6 because I was heading up to bed--without doing the kitchen! and I thought I'd just do one thing...and then I did another...and another...and before you could say "I am so tired I can't even remember Jack Robinson's middle name" I had tidied the kitchen...and gone to bed.</i></div>
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On Friday, I grabbed a few things still hanging around in the garage from previous decluttering sessions. Previous YEARS, I mean. This course has been amazing that way--pretty much everything I've gotten rid of is stuff that has survived past purges. This time, I'm looking at it with fresh eyes and wondering, "why?" So, out it goes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5S9s6fMo7gocv1AAEMrqo1wORTMSVk7oweHYd1BKZ0-jA4FjP_CiyXOZKvM5Es6RuIeMDj49EsZY-YDN9UuBkIFj892HY94DlpEkCeyLik2plMB-pC7cKHTPQT8gcWn9M3lbAA39z-c/s1600/june+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5S9s6fMo7gocv1AAEMrqo1wORTMSVk7oweHYd1BKZ0-jA4FjP_CiyXOZKvM5Es6RuIeMDj49EsZY-YDN9UuBkIFj892HY94DlpEkCeyLik2plMB-pC7cKHTPQT8gcWn9M3lbAA39z-c/s1600/june+24.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>These are all books from the <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2015/01/from-weekend-scenes-from-bedroom-cure.html">bedroom bookshelf purge of January 2015</a>. I confess, I did fish out two books to keep. But only two.</i></div>
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The mirror for the bathroom is still bedeviling me.</div>
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Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-35514332273985636572017-06-19T09:29:00.001-06:002017-06-19T09:35:24.106-06:00Unclutter The Interlude: My Space Hogging Hobby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlBvp7HIHy-S3TvDvZcvbeR4p9t47aa4ZPudY5EofHWfQ_KO_ZYkKBKFBlSZxFXf8PqWE9ytWpFounUV-nPiuytS63tKDYgXnx9LavnoLn7oA-ReAC0e9s2W1qhIGCJ-uDgId7TV3jW8/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlBvp7HIHy-S3TvDvZcvbeR4p9t47aa4ZPudY5EofHWfQ_KO_ZYkKBKFBlSZxFXf8PqWE9ytWpFounUV-nPiuytS63tKDYgXnx9LavnoLn7oA-ReAC0e9s2W1qhIGCJ-uDgId7TV3jW8/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This week our assignment was to declutter the kids' rooms. Since mine are 16 and 19, other than moving the piano out of Emma's room and clearing her floor for someone to access her window to give us an estimate for a replacement, I didn't touch them. Instead, I stayed in the basement and confronted some demons. </i></div>
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It makes me so sad.<br />
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I loved this hobby. I loved scrapbooking our lives almost more than the life I was scrapbooking. I remember I had layouts on the go all the time.<br />
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But no one ever looked at them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-NMkYe4ox3DM5ZA6xeVeZDfYt6_VAT-amOqdpJ2QQHd87zq-8GRAkNpozxzVHkAZQolMbLgqeihiLRTcbYK7Lz-ztXZF1O8BSv8XFhaCregKhnKoGajOl7gwz3R1-JP1I4Jy1Mjxcr8/s1600/the+scrapbooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-NMkYe4ox3DM5ZA6xeVeZDfYt6_VAT-amOqdpJ2QQHd87zq-8GRAkNpozxzVHkAZQolMbLgqeihiLRTcbYK7Lz-ztXZF1O8BSv8XFhaCregKhnKoGajOl7gwz3R1-JP1I4Jy1Mjxcr8/s1600/the+scrapbooks.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>the scrapbooks in the dining room</i></div>
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Except my Mom.<br />
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But I barely noticed this, or if I did, I didn't think it was important. They would look at them later, I thought, when they are older. I enjoyed making pages, anyway.<br />
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I had a goal to be published--and I pursued that for many years. I was published, actually, and I am quite proud of those layouts.<br />
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I think they are some of the last I ever did--except for <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2011/12/calendar-one-down-two-to-go.html">Mom's Annual album</a>. I stopped making that in 2014. Or was it 2015?<br />
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I had pretty much stopped taking photos of us altogether by then.<br />
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I am not sure why that happened. The problem with not keeping records, of course, is that you have no way of referencing the past.<br />
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I started working in the fall of 2013. Maybe that was it?<br />
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When you declutter, you essentially force yourself to deal with things you have ignored --either out of laziness, forgetfulness, or disinterest. Those things are easy to get rid of. But things you have been avoiding--as I have my scrapbooking--are much more difficult. I ask myself: why haven't I been scrapbooking all these years? Why did I quit?<br />
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I think there are lots of mundane reasons, like it's a messy cluttery hobby, it takes up a lot of space, you have to chase people down with a camera and teenagers don't appreciate that, it feels like an invasion of privacy once the kids reach a certain age, and whose story am I telling, anyway?<br />
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OK, so that last one is not mundane. But the real kicker for me was this: our family is, actually, boring. And since our last family trip --to the West Coast in 2014-- we haven't done anything as a family together (except for attending the first Star Wars re-boot movie.) We don't even eat dinner together. And it's been a crushing disappointment. That's what I've been avoiding.<br />
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The question is: what now?<br />
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Can I scrapbook? Can I accept the reality of our lives now, as well as how they have been? I mean, I do love each person in my family. I have a good relationship with each person. It is just that the four of us aren't a "family unit."<br />
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Here are some of my unscrapped photos, filed away in boxes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYGKskU_6OHpCygmM3MJnEqUlITNI4zzfcSYvF7XPc7O0cmut9YvaeXwOCntZs0-cQKbir1ahosfKl7piCYwgCtOxWoeTJm7ItyQZhUmBePbJIWk_fvf0Uz_U-LWzO8rwvTJjz0QJtTo/s1600/photos+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYGKskU_6OHpCygmM3MJnEqUlITNI4zzfcSYvF7XPc7O0cmut9YvaeXwOCntZs0-cQKbir1ahosfKl7piCYwgCtOxWoeTJm7ItyQZhUmBePbJIWk_fvf0Uz_U-LWzO8rwvTJjz0QJtTo/s1600/photos+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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On this wall in the basement are most of my tools and supplies (and more photos).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1gc0fQp4lA7OScpVXl4eyCoy7f4x3oRjZ3w2RY-58du2mqbllFdqgu1wxnm8Hh6-PuJ0CNaf1JlNXbZfFRXBeQUdgOvX93479KiKjktiokAq6vgInE4lT49XYVWdHGKl8HtwKNvEsMU/s1600/basement+supplies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1gc0fQp4lA7OScpVXl4eyCoy7f4x3oRjZ3w2RY-58du2mqbllFdqgu1wxnm8Hh6-PuJ0CNaf1JlNXbZfFRXBeQUdgOvX93479KiKjktiokAq6vgInE4lT49XYVWdHGKl8HtwKNvEsMU/s1600/basement+supplies+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>can you believe it? those plastic cases contain albums "in progress." </i><br />
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Underneath this table are more supplies (paper, mostly):<br />
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<i>yes, that's the toilet seat from the bathroom. It is in better shape than the one we have currently, we just can't figure out how to work the bolts properly. (We smashed the old toilet to release it). We haven't given up on it, though.</i><br />
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It is past time to let this all go. As much as I loved it, I don't see scrapbooking in my long-term future. But I'm not quite ready to let everything go. I think I have one more project that needs to be done.<br />
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Story albums.<br />
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Specifically, the Story of Ben, the Story of Emma, and the Story of Us. I'm thinking of 8 1/2 x 11 albums that begin with Chris and I getting married, then the birth of each child and carrying on until High School graduation. Ben's album will contain more pages about him and what he did as he was growing up, Emma's will have more of hers--and the "Us" album will be both albums in one (minus any duplicate pages, of course, like vacation, and holiday spreads.) To keep it simple, I feel each one should be more "photo album" than "scrapbook."<br />
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It seems daunting and exciting all at once. But if I died without doing it, I'd regret it.<br />
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I haven't decided exactly how I will do this. Handmade spreads seem exhausting, yet it's the tactile aspects of scrapping I've always enjoyed. I like the idea of creating a digital photobook....but I would have to scan in all the photos!! I have hundreds, if not thousands of physical photos. I have a few digital photos...but they have pretty much trickled down into nothing since 2013. That's a pretty big gap. I have some logistical issues to sort out, obviously.<br />
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I've given myself a year and a bit to complete it. Emma graduates high school in June of 2019. My Mom's birthday is July 27th. (She'll get a copy of the compilation album).<br />
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I am hoping this will be enough to satisfy my urge to create as I think we are truly done with decorating this house, at least! I'm looking forward to it.<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-42147380747808526602017-06-15T00:30:00.000-06:002017-06-15T00:30:09.317-06:00Persevering in the Bathroom. An Update.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5XX2Ad4WpRxBsGcZKpHpoopBlt6OhBDV3aD_nGWq4n2NRTBBv9jkPmqusnCnpx_ImeapmBDket6D14Ag9dfpDa5VtgsbVeQPRPxpnukgEWKjmQkghFlKbIQ-tXVNcQyOZaz5iL7Wb2Q/s1600/bath+today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5XX2Ad4WpRxBsGcZKpHpoopBlt6OhBDV3aD_nGWq4n2NRTBBv9jkPmqusnCnpx_ImeapmBDket6D14Ag9dfpDa5VtgsbVeQPRPxpnukgEWKjmQkghFlKbIQ-tXVNcQyOZaz5iL7Wb2Q/s1600/bath+today.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The bathroom, just as it is today.</i></div>
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I confess, <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-6-disaster.html">when the sink bracket broke</a>, I just didn't have the heart to continue in the bathroom for a good long while. Luckily, Chris kept going.<br />
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He rummaged through his incredible selection of odds and ends and found something called an "anti-tilt bracket." He figured he could make it work and thank goodness he did, because the blacksmith I called just laughed at me. We talked about trying a welder--but given how expensive labour is-- he'd probably laugh at us too for such a small job.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-9hCLIqYrI227zXwC50zZJdjniQFSZ1YYFbgg8-Xe_rTCurT-tdoePsimhIXqmhUx0iv-358Cey-e4pc25I1DIIYr-ZI7Yv1OgdsWBjVFhSvArcdumNKGEzw2Yv9rBLwAC62HzBDkW4/s1600/bracket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-9hCLIqYrI227zXwC50zZJdjniQFSZ1YYFbgg8-Xe_rTCurT-tdoePsimhIXqmhUx0iv-358Cey-e4pc25I1DIIYr-ZI7Yv1OgdsWBjVFhSvArcdumNKGEzw2Yv9rBLwAC62HzBDkW4/s1600/bracket.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
Thank God, it worked.<br />
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But it made the sink too high for her beautiful chrome legs. So, I hunted down some replacements --but we didn't like them-- and I don't believe they were any higher than our original ones. But they did give Chris the idea to use big washers to raise the height--so that fixed that.<br />
<br />
So, looking it over, we have actually come a long way--just chipping away slowly.<br />
<br />
Here was my "vision" board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ1Pa4zcAndOKeMz8sgsSw6CYhx-wUMZ2Cgru3B-LHxh7L6audNIbS2Q7EJYFV8nv1Otm4nooUr6AhVNdIIT0zpqdde_6vYKxMRYOgnbM9ZHI8IPGpQphMCmY7sEVEjJ2_UD8Xr5XZQU/s1600/love+at+first+sight+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJ1Pa4zcAndOKeMz8sgsSw6CYhx-wUMZ2Cgru3B-LHxh7L6audNIbS2Q7EJYFV8nv1Otm4nooUr6AhVNdIIT0zpqdde_6vYKxMRYOgnbM9ZHI8IPGpQphMCmY7sEVEjJ2_UD8Xr5XZQU/s1600/love+at+first+sight+web.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The light fixture turned out to be too large for the space--the door to the medicine cabinet would have had next to zero clearance, and the fabric is about 10x darker than this. Imagine that background a muddy grey and those white bits as bone coloured.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I never did show you my alternate plan. I made it when I was trying to decide which fabric to purchase. As it involved buying a new shower curtain, I rejected it. But that mirror frame sure would have been simpler to make!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrlzY1NvzlEeJ-bpdqyKc31tgSZssYBxny9Gbhqh8LSF2cAmZuNZfyGASmsBaQE6J30tRaUmKtDm9kvVdWt7oGEE4ydj9wWeT9Wsf7zAJkTHZkjVw0NPyAJjdTtE5q4p8HVj90ntgJCQ/s1600/all+eyes+on+us+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrlzY1NvzlEeJ-bpdqyKc31tgSZssYBxny9Gbhqh8LSF2cAmZuNZfyGASmsBaQE6J30tRaUmKtDm9kvVdWt7oGEE4ydj9wWeT9Wsf7zAJkTHZkjVw0NPyAJjdTtE5q4p8HVj90ntgJCQ/s1600/all+eyes+on+us+web.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And here was the to do list:<br />
<br />
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">new fan </span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">new paint job</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">new light fixture</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">remove the tiles over the sink</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">create some sort of wainscoting</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">replace the old nasty black drain pipes with pretty chrome ones</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">new flooring</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">new window treatment</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">install new toilet</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">sew and install a new laundry bag</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">hang hooks for towels</span></li>
<li style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">put up shelves (maybe)</li>
<li style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">hang artwork</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">frame mirror</li>
</ul>
<br />
By <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-5-tick-tock.html">week 5.</a> everything in blue and green was done. We had removed the tiles above the sink, nailed in the wainscoting, painted the room, installed the fan and the light fixture, and I'd sewn the window shade the day Chris and Ben put in the floor. I had also installed the pretty chrome drain pipes for the sink, but we were having problems with leaks. After Chris fixed the sink and adjusted the legs, he gave the pipes a good turn with the wrench--and they worked! No more leaks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFI1lB6MiIgqnzWYMznHu4BVrkRJjc7r8oF_d2fMm3HAb5neAlgR-PAKl-OpoploQihldYlDfk4z3BOQV1JWOXItGvVIymwwzXJWl6lMea1FCWKK-LxwKGJn6Impo-eYjsE4FDeiknNo/s1600/drain+pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFI1lB6MiIgqnzWYMznHu4BVrkRJjc7r8oF_d2fMm3HAb5neAlgR-PAKl-OpoploQihldYlDfk4z3BOQV1JWOXItGvVIymwwzXJWl6lMea1FCWKK-LxwKGJn6Impo-eYjsE4FDeiknNo/s1600/drain+pipe.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Isn't that purdy? So happy.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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The sink caused a few glitches with spackling and sanding and re-painting the walls, but Chris persevered.<br />
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The toilet was apparently a nightmare. We purchased the tank already lined....and apparently it just causes problems when you try to attach the water line to it. (And yes, we needed a longer water line than the one we had, so another glitch. But easily solved.) Poor Chris just had a terrible time with it. We'd installed a one piece in the upstairs bathroom just before Christmas and Chris has sworn he'll never install another two piece again!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x1nngdeIHc8RfEA4NzICiAjCTUEoZcqSWGpv2AEnJ_zmUyqf5EyqvB19SbSpLZEN7LgmZDYHRuC4W-3y-_8aT3l7kfXzfQ-NSi220yvgcBaptC1a5KJMK19A7KIyr_HDLDX-ZuRt4I0/s1600/toilet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1x1nngdeIHc8RfEA4NzICiAjCTUEoZcqSWGpv2AEnJ_zmUyqf5EyqvB19SbSpLZEN7LgmZDYHRuC4W-3y-_8aT3l7kfXzfQ-NSi220yvgcBaptC1a5KJMK19A7KIyr_HDLDX-ZuRt4I0/s1600/toilet.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I just noticed I need to remove the tag on the water line hose.</i> </div>
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<br />
And it is high! You can actually see out the window while you are sitting on it.<br />
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I decided not to use the fabric from Tonic Living. It was just too dark. Instead, I headed out to Home Sense and browsed their table cloths and shower curtains. I wanted something with blue in it--and organic--like leaves or flowers. Both the mirror and the striped shower curtain have really strong geometric lines, so I wanted to counter that.<br />
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The best I could do was circles. It kind of talks to the floor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFF-9K5zeSH0s0pGa_mQGLhkwK4hm1dFpq9he9_7U8ept7ivXO6Ttts07UpuHbr_UI5vR4vwh5m8IcKFurYWyGYtm-s22rHnnuYcz4Cwmhyye-1lhPngoH4G2uC7dVyjgl-kd5d1hNW8/s1600/bathroom+in+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFF-9K5zeSH0s0pGa_mQGLhkwK4hm1dFpq9he9_7U8ept7ivXO6Ttts07UpuHbr_UI5vR4vwh5m8IcKFurYWyGYtm-s22rHnnuYcz4Cwmhyye-1lhPngoH4G2uC7dVyjgl-kd5d1hNW8/s1600/bathroom+in+May.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The shade, right after it was installed. I love this shot. As soon as we put the toilet in, the room felt instantly crowded.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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I got the hooks installed fairly quickly once I figured out how to do it. As the bathroom possesses our only tub and shower for four people, I needed them sooner, rather than later. Still, we had to wait 24 hours after they were installed before we could use them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDpb9kl2pHf863FSqINQT-LCsgZ4ooXRK4oevsOKoqi1SKUDMZxbkFcRCJvSjrWS8WDI0PBSuGiEBZpqqBq3xLWFzIpOzmG6glQXDUVFXrJIWsIMrXrNSZ98RVHI4HO8z9sGuLyKLmz0/s1600/hooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDpb9kl2pHf863FSqINQT-LCsgZ4ooXRK4oevsOKoqi1SKUDMZxbkFcRCJvSjrWS8WDI0PBSuGiEBZpqqBq3xLWFzIpOzmG6glQXDUVFXrJIWsIMrXrNSZ98RVHI4HO8z9sGuLyKLmz0/s1600/hooks.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
I'd had the laundry bag sewn up before the fiasco. I'd cut the old curtains apart and reused the fabric. I installed it just this week. I got fed up with everyone just piling their laundry behind the door!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzB-MEU8pPxuTrEL_CE3SNuI3RBsv_lICJbZgCjUUtB2v9dic-X4aB5CaTvoo9galE1PeJxUW7AOgE1qQISsJmYedk2QKY7wLJPttsxihMJh_V5Hfpb9EmzsIh-EevotsrvH3Lx76ehk/s1600/laundry+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzB-MEU8pPxuTrEL_CE3SNuI3RBsv_lICJbZgCjUUtB2v9dic-X4aB5CaTvoo9galE1PeJxUW7AOgE1qQISsJmYedk2QKY7wLJPttsxihMJh_V5Hfpb9EmzsIh-EevotsrvH3Lx76ehk/s1600/laundry+bag.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Note how high the door is from the floor. Apparently you need two full inches in order for the fan to draw air properly to vent the moisture. Since we've done that, we have not had any water drip down the walls.</i></div>
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It is working well...and I love it, even though no one can actually see it beneath the towels!<br />
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<br />
I'm still working on the mirror.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RC5PzhoFaFhD2zptWypmKAYS7NIkCOJitg0lpJ4lcdVCFH4iR8gsP58gWmy8Aie9XM4SWgj2Vb0XA3qHyrU9ryZ9AaM81xV1_bbKDIxTfsw7os73xFyIcJ9qIv99RXfr75HSMi6h9ZE/s1600/mirror+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RC5PzhoFaFhD2zptWypmKAYS7NIkCOJitg0lpJ4lcdVCFH4iR8gsP58gWmy8Aie9XM4SWgj2Vb0XA3qHyrU9ryZ9AaM81xV1_bbKDIxTfsw7os73xFyIcJ9qIv99RXfr75HSMi6h9ZE/s1600/mirror+in+progress.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's coming along well, actually, though very slowly. If it were just a matter of making a mirror in a frame, we'd be done by now. It's complicated by the fact that it needs to be a door.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>whoa, dusty!</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I cut the horizontal wainscot board purposefully short so I could install a board there as the new right edge --and create a mirror centered over the sink. Of course, I didn't realise until much too late that the light was centered over the medicine cabinet--not the sink. Oh well.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I'd planned to install shelves, but I'm hesitating. I purchased glass ones from IKEA--and spray painted the hardware, so I can't return them ...but we seem to be managing just fine without them and I love not having the clutter.<br />
<br />
I will hang some artwork, though. (I think.)<br />
<br />
Ironically, I still have to clean and seal my grout! And I would really like to re-caulk the bath tub, too. I absolutely have to caulk behind the sink and around the toilet on the floor before too long.<br />
<br />
In case you'd like to catch up on all the posts on the bathroom makeover, here they are:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 2:</span><a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Jumping in Relunctantly.</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 2a: </span><a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2a-evaluating-bathroom.html" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Evaluating the Bathroom</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 3: </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7996566617043488147#editor/target=post;postID=2780161164305936461;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=5;src=postname" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design Dilemma</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 3a: </span><a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-progress-report.html" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Progress Report</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 4: </span><a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-4-yellow-alert-yellow-alert.html" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Yellow Alert! Yellow Alert!</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15.4px;">ORC 5: </span><a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-5-tick-tock.html" style="background-color: white; color: #757081; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15.4px; text-decoration-line: none;">Tick Tock</a><br />
ORC 6: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-6-disaster.html">Disaster</a><br />
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<br />
Thanks to all of you who have kept me going through all of this. I am getting anxious to get this finished and out of my life--so let's hope I'll have that reveal for you soon!<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-44601553235706150202017-06-12T23:29:00.001-06:002017-06-12T23:36:29.597-06:00The Intentional Kitchen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlzpgSnTp3gHcyEE3mvsNpXZ8zIprPfbtNguDr6CFW8MF_ihra52UoQ69DGW3wNEXXaFq5doyRLL90lxAdcSsGQCg3tAQSHXsKWY4VHr1bjlhMzw8b4doX6AVia4-EhZEuQ_l8i7FGQQ/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBlzpgSnTp3gHcyEE3mvsNpXZ8zIprPfbtNguDr6CFW8MF_ihra52UoQ69DGW3wNEXXaFq5doyRLL90lxAdcSsGQCg3tAQSHXsKWY4VHr1bjlhMzw8b4doX6AVia4-EhZEuQ_l8i7FGQQ/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The assignment for this week<span style="background-color: white; color: #5c4b43; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> (#6): declutter the kitchen cabinets, drawers, closets, and countertops.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99bZmfo0yqiRxHgZ7ftI4H8Kdch_bvXJ7e74dvrNWgLuNLzzLdI8LMzrSaJx74-dqAJ6px0nRzcF2BjZZ9Ib0dL4tCDCQtNlG6dyU1pKmvNpEBnK0IR4AwTd9ztW9N447HnUsxa9V1-8/s1600/kitchen++floor+plan+540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99bZmfo0yqiRxHgZ7ftI4H8Kdch_bvXJ7e74dvrNWgLuNLzzLdI8LMzrSaJx74-dqAJ6px0nRzcF2BjZZ9Ib0dL4tCDCQtNlG6dyU1pKmvNpEBnK0IR4AwTd9ztW9N447HnUsxa9V1-8/s1600/kitchen++floor+plan+540.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>This is a doozy of a post. You may want to get a coffee (or something).</i><br />
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I've been looking forward to this week. I've been itching to weed out a few things for the past couple of months. I did a great job of decluttering and reorganizing just before Christmas, but I'd noticed recently that the kitchen had become almost completely unmanageable. I joke that I can get dinner in 2 square inches of space, but when you do that night after night after night, it isn't funny any more.<br />
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As well, when the kitchen is messy, the whole house feels bad. And then I feel bad, and hopeless and angry. And, really, who wants that?<br />
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When I started this course, about 5 weeks ago, I had a mitre saw in the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviuX_ue5BDZIL71ohRAurFsQR9SJvvYiZum2R9w2cjPk0uXvAJkNu90FtSVTVF89hJgrPSvBq3yKyj3d0XmtUmqPenEjNEMMdmtwBW7IPGdG-CM1MmwvtzCVP0g9XI9O1gCDS5PFCHpI/s1600/mitre+saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviuX_ue5BDZIL71ohRAurFsQR9SJvvYiZum2R9w2cjPk0uXvAJkNu90FtSVTVF89hJgrPSvBq3yKyj3d0XmtUmqPenEjNEMMdmtwBW7IPGdG-CM1MmwvtzCVP0g9XI9O1gCDS5PFCHpI/s1600/mitre+saw.jpg" /></a></div>
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Fortunately, I started this project a little further ahead than that! But it was still outrageous.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Before:</span><br />
Looking towards the back door:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriOp9zYxL2COLg7ASz3HpRjkUmT4gz40VDokpm3yGiLZlYKnp6zL_5QuNUUHu_xnsGPzV8LVBdUyXLp1612aqK7IqD2UdVgaw0JjRyE8fUk7DIpRgHYNS0DbNAzBK-Mz5023BczzVOfA/s1600/01+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriOp9zYxL2COLg7ASz3HpRjkUmT4gz40VDokpm3yGiLZlYKnp6zL_5QuNUUHu_xnsGPzV8LVBdUyXLp1612aqK7IqD2UdVgaw0JjRyE8fUk7DIpRgHYNS0DbNAzBK-Mz5023BczzVOfA/s1600/01+kitchen.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Stove Wall:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPfdy02Q8CRE4j0oLHlJiV4cFk5dLzwN08U03Qmu7KwKgcRpvWg2o9QumoEDeZ8flwN8wQ-aDpuG87OycJVkzmxcXFCpHikPZ4CgGUKYZfgzBxcpFjShB6sE4eOCqE2LxMut5OWbOIuA/s1600/02+stove+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPfdy02Q8CRE4j0oLHlJiV4cFk5dLzwN08U03Qmu7KwKgcRpvWg2o9QumoEDeZ8flwN8wQ-aDpuG87OycJVkzmxcXFCpHikPZ4CgGUKYZfgzBxcpFjShB6sE4eOCqE2LxMut5OWbOIuA/s1600/02+stove+wall.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Details:</span></div>
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cart to the left of the stove:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMEFSjSvWJlMLU_eh8CIiTsuf7Dbf6yWlXFWelznnsekm499efUxE_iFZNgDv1EYjeJ45vG3WVnAWTp1SoD2tHC_ilO6a9ZipyDLaXSNb8yba0mS1De-ZApsHOdeKkTRj6BZ07K_whcM/s1600/01+stove+wall+cart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMEFSjSvWJlMLU_eh8CIiTsuf7Dbf6yWlXFWelznnsekm499efUxE_iFZNgDv1EYjeJ45vG3WVnAWTp1SoD2tHC_ilO6a9ZipyDLaXSNb8yba0mS1De-ZApsHOdeKkTRj6BZ07K_whcM/s1600/01+stove+wall+cart.jpg" /></a></div>
cabinet above the stove<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBm0DUluYVp0gC8eioqSWirDq3pP-mbgyJBfbsXQytluYH-ctVL4U0E_Vs8G7HqvwozfhecIF_yL8F0f4YWzS-K0aeoQN3h23RUb63Emk4ntty7GkMQ4sYSQ_4rWOOCql0q7rmLUgddA/s1600/02+cupboard+over+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBm0DUluYVp0gC8eioqSWirDq3pP-mbgyJBfbsXQytluYH-ctVL4U0E_Vs8G7HqvwozfhecIF_yL8F0f4YWzS-K0aeoQN3h23RUb63Emk4ntty7GkMQ4sYSQ_4rWOOCql0q7rmLUgddA/s1600/02+cupboard+over+stove.jpg" /></a></div>
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the drawer in the stove:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55ZzcuAAp9PU93klXQKioGfnzrAyxnsBlJFVsC2Qi0wPufdReEA-2WGxGV9UOSsklUO2Y0KK54KX1hmiNuXnLYzuKFEurfKRNK3ZMb1rLc4lgRQkafRImDOxG4CfRCkxaDWd4EPiQVi8/s1600/03+stove+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55ZzcuAAp9PU93klXQKioGfnzrAyxnsBlJFVsC2Qi0wPufdReEA-2WGxGV9UOSsklUO2Y0KK54KX1hmiNuXnLYzuKFEurfKRNK3ZMb1rLc4lgRQkafRImDOxG4CfRCkxaDWd4EPiQVi8/s1600/03+stove+drawer.jpg" /></a></div>
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to the right of the stove, beside the back door. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit11gW8Res88CKYbgp-2hSzIbpT5Rkxus3awI_hHgTIddFmOagRDm-nE163f9pwo9vqeRip9F2DVQ4oZZTUbbx8K1xkR5_KjWuawWj_RNRgY8vvIbfdqN2VSIyVzK7t8wzYkVKyzsJvrw/s1600/04+shelf+beside+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit11gW8Res88CKYbgp-2hSzIbpT5Rkxus3awI_hHgTIddFmOagRDm-nE163f9pwo9vqeRip9F2DVQ4oZZTUbbx8K1xkR5_KjWuawWj_RNRgY8vvIbfdqN2VSIyVzK7t8wzYkVKyzsJvrw/s1600/04+shelf+beside+stove.jpg" /></a></div>
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The mess at the back door.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bXmzcGhQCeEHZCElWJuxhR4gKFT3eJK_oIsu6S9IUL0LSfzMX9d86NwOgUUj_Vx70AEqW8cUra_eDG1JNWeDGUEqaXHMakjKYn14Mzu9gZXdx39RvyE-i_woqEDd-Hj6s2mBfnaRmNo/s1600/03+back+door+pile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bXmzcGhQCeEHZCElWJuxhR4gKFT3eJK_oIsu6S9IUL0LSfzMX9d86NwOgUUj_Vx70AEqW8cUra_eDG1JNWeDGUEqaXHMakjKYn14Mzu9gZXdx39RvyE-i_woqEDd-Hj6s2mBfnaRmNo/s1600/03+back+door+pile.jpg" /></a></div>
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The mess of the table:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMZC7rtQ443t3VOOKnt9gBQic9zYKLwMtltVsFtG-mjFm4OVB2EOEF2WsaW9Geo3hSd2Ojvkx9iiHBrMaZ6LoUUDPsCgq5vQOKu3l45Xw0NwYD_cZjnFi5khUmOh4dhsc54ueRUG_GCQ/s1600/04+kitchen+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMZC7rtQ443t3VOOKnt9gBQic9zYKLwMtltVsFtG-mjFm4OVB2EOEF2WsaW9Geo3hSd2Ojvkx9iiHBrMaZ6LoUUDPsCgq5vQOKu3l45Xw0NwYD_cZjnFi5khUmOh4dhsc54ueRUG_GCQ/s1600/04+kitchen+table.jpg" /></a></div>
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The cabinets and drawers:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedL-DszuOHU-iQeIsg0gRGWFJk1-DgDFYH8xUpd6cGWr0mfKXAmzD6sIQxJgnlpDyn7_iAShfqr6U212A5vZWf6Tl0LC6UO65w3RUd6CfTFcBnRbY4Ge3rMl5YFxC8kcgw35b_R7kJUw/s1600/5+kitchen+cabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedL-DszuOHU-iQeIsg0gRGWFJk1-DgDFYH8xUpd6cGWr0mfKXAmzD6sIQxJgnlpDyn7_iAShfqr6U212A5vZWf6Tl0LC6UO65w3RUd6CfTFcBnRbY4Ge3rMl5YFxC8kcgw35b_R7kJUw/s1600/5+kitchen+cabinets.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Details:</span><br />
The bank of drawers to the left of the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6yC70hzokmbpAomupvJKqqvLXBC2dk5WF4qc3CXcDKtfkVxDbUS-fMq7eIrbBiYBPh90hyj4tgofMt24itVSDrvBAPBQNmqAWPECkvEoPIZ1NNlh-lvFOB7XMQZWtMkgFsHNfR4cyiA/s1600/bank+of+drawers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6yC70hzokmbpAomupvJKqqvLXBC2dk5WF4qc3CXcDKtfkVxDbUS-fMq7eIrbBiYBPh90hyj4tgofMt24itVSDrvBAPBQNmqAWPECkvEoPIZ1NNlh-lvFOB7XMQZWtMkgFsHNfR4cyiA/s1600/bank+of+drawers+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC_tfq2j4QGv8HsDjJPb7EUfP4gAlWslvHkNbyrfIu3nLCRXiuxc27OOX9L4B1MZwypyYeKcEaRLWNCsp4myr8vL3XJg0HyruAopjahL6KrJAHQD3j5ePE-SYcJN-yMA8mJUtDkccbn0/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC_tfq2j4QGv8HsDjJPb7EUfP4gAlWslvHkNbyrfIu3nLCRXiuxc27OOX9L4B1MZwypyYeKcEaRLWNCsp4myr8vL3XJg0HyruAopjahL6KrJAHQD3j5ePE-SYcJN-yMA8mJUtDkccbn0/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72IOwW8X-kpzDpec2eeVcrqhN_VBy0kV1hLtW-AQpRtIP1H5rUT60KFlnhY8L00KXQceoKCSKxnZd6luA_MPKbQiQcxVLs6F2W_jInvi5kHBN0MIiR0yDdEEf_aZq3bmJBdp1ckugUc4/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72IOwW8X-kpzDpec2eeVcrqhN_VBy0kV1hLtW-AQpRtIP1H5rUT60KFlnhY8L00KXQceoKCSKxnZd6luA_MPKbQiQcxVLs6F2W_jInvi5kHBN0MIiR0yDdEEf_aZq3bmJBdp1ckugUc4/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIlH4UezsrHuyMDdsSkzxBH94ZXdKDJ7q0u5adQ9qsU3y0bvOLvmQ6xnIYW7yLb3hshAQwLKwa8y2PsW4mMGBI1NmuW6pTIhWBXRODixIQuoCO40SIMXzKXLXmdK5Le0TrSS_a9wHAYs/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIlH4UezsrHuyMDdsSkzxBH94ZXdKDJ7q0u5adQ9qsU3y0bvOLvmQ6xnIYW7yLb3hshAQwLKwa8y2PsW4mMGBI1NmuW6pTIhWBXRODixIQuoCO40SIMXzKXLXmdK5Le0TrSS_a9wHAYs/s1600/Bank+of+Drawers+4.jpg" /></a></div>
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Under the sink cabinet (we keep recyclables here):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqj3TP8TTUfGPs33WW91_veUuWnMO3l6O5b3dCsrcjQlHENkKMImdK0EOAdHzaPX7oiN8M7pmuZtkaEKY__JjuypIfIHkre_eSfODDrhn0Ne3uYKkg3iS-shaGq72Rxr-p4BATLeEWlA/s1600/Under+the+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvqj3TP8TTUfGPs33WW91_veUuWnMO3l6O5b3dCsrcjQlHENkKMImdK0EOAdHzaPX7oiN8M7pmuZtkaEKY__JjuypIfIHkre_eSfODDrhn0Ne3uYKkg3iS-shaGq72Rxr-p4BATLeEWlA/s1600/Under+the+sink.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The drawers</span><br />
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The "baking drawer"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMZzr8-yM-ppqJHi-yGDsdaI78e-hVRzrR7E5sjOvrvK2eQk6UaIPkXBNMQX7NiAYxXTZ9hYMeVclfPSwLwLA-0oysIGzgLPiFvw_RFY_6tPKwq2Cd9C9qi8VzQ5jLrn3yOX85lMuYyc/s1600/baking+utensil+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMZzr8-yM-ppqJHi-yGDsdaI78e-hVRzrR7E5sjOvrvK2eQk6UaIPkXBNMQX7NiAYxXTZ9hYMeVclfPSwLwLA-0oysIGzgLPiFvw_RFY_6tPKwq2Cd9C9qi8VzQ5jLrn3yOX85lMuYyc/s1600/baking+utensil+drawer.jpg" /></a></div>
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The "utensils drawer"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaOQXWbBNEUM5K8RF9GtqaxwdNUq_aCznOzDlnhB4990-7R1DQizTwwYONY8IUdKIANOH_Vtj-AseRowjKzkG-QKvvsBmCA-NE4W5Dd7KZWk76tK_JpzNlBKPNQSmZ0rOCFHWqaExnj0/s1600/utensil+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaOQXWbBNEUM5K8RF9GtqaxwdNUq_aCznOzDlnhB4990-7R1DQizTwwYONY8IUdKIANOH_Vtj-AseRowjKzkG-QKvvsBmCA-NE4W5Dd7KZWk76tK_JpzNlBKPNQSmZ0rOCFHWqaExnj0/s1600/utensil+drawer.jpg" /></a></div>
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The cabinet underneath them, to the right of the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MW2gPhurzt26wnrRw93vABEw_g_3E5XRjjxZ6PYoDhuGHMSQXF9c42I_AaA6hUxlalIBqCEv6ifvLRCw7b3OXyw_pocxrY9vkzWl3nV2h9E2AHGiLAKLgnyBu2FAoYxRjHa7fGy_Z8o/s1600/lower+cabinet+beside+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MW2gPhurzt26wnrRw93vABEw_g_3E5XRjjxZ6PYoDhuGHMSQXF9c42I_AaA6hUxlalIBqCEv6ifvLRCw7b3OXyw_pocxrY9vkzWl3nV2h9E2AHGiLAKLgnyBu2FAoYxRjHa7fGy_Z8o/s1600/lower+cabinet+beside+sink.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The "junk" drawer beside the fridge:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido6XUxYA6hVkAT6yyCA2wDBMccrYrNPOYESYDRWt01P-JcvPxKlHsg17uaprqa3EHzn6zUReGHY9XPYLuyCr9kocNSMsgPPivChtI5Of5HlZkJurVUL1YgCV2Wl5SQe5LIOd0oud6AlE/s1600/junk+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido6XUxYA6hVkAT6yyCA2wDBMccrYrNPOYESYDRWt01P-JcvPxKlHsg17uaprqa3EHzn6zUReGHY9XPYLuyCr9kocNSMsgPPivChtI5Of5HlZkJurVUL1YgCV2Wl5SQe5LIOd0oud6AlE/s1600/junk+drawer.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The cabinet beneath that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE2OSvwVR3WrEo4RGYpzzJLIp_2mVci5-xAtt9n3_w9FpNNmnbtN82M59MqHkG-VTkiVEh4e9guLlh_NeWhz7a6Eiv6rp_gj1jB4dOfrckqbaqpQ9oGMBgR5DlVISVKQ1wgh3fb4xmco/s1600/lower+cabinet+beside+fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE2OSvwVR3WrEo4RGYpzzJLIp_2mVci5-xAtt9n3_w9FpNNmnbtN82M59MqHkG-VTkiVEh4e9guLlh_NeWhz7a6Eiv6rp_gj1jB4dOfrckqbaqpQ9oGMBgR5DlVISVKQ1wgh3fb4xmco/s1600/lower+cabinet+beside+fridge.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Upper Cabinets.</span><br />
<br />
To the right of the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JesQY0jAjaYvBXK6b1McncOpfjAfsM-wLVMUE4eanQ-kGPCQuUjT4B6YW0YVAAkW3BG6nbFDmlJvzWsF40PAOZpefwW-vqAorpN7SAqzb8oSW6bcnaWFvBhPCoiwpWNA7G3MpC7AeSs/s1600/upper+cabinet+beside+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JesQY0jAjaYvBXK6b1McncOpfjAfsM-wLVMUE4eanQ-kGPCQuUjT4B6YW0YVAAkW3BG6nbFDmlJvzWsF40PAOZpefwW-vqAorpN7SAqzb8oSW6bcnaWFvBhPCoiwpWNA7G3MpC7AeSs/s1600/upper+cabinet+beside+sink.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Beside the Fridge:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9RWCgzpEX_q64gloOJhN9KgRuMdcWDDvP6PB3J62dLOHo1W4dMuZODHAzZnQgIgi0tZcJ0fpWVww5aZzrAACNSFZcneOlyCG3Az4xRuq39i9KSjAtleRD2MWmAOPjuawIvN1EzQ_tnc/s1600/cabinet+beside+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9RWCgzpEX_q64gloOJhN9KgRuMdcWDDvP6PB3J62dLOHo1W4dMuZODHAzZnQgIgi0tZcJ0fpWVww5aZzrAACNSFZcneOlyCG3Az4xRuq39i9KSjAtleRD2MWmAOPjuawIvN1EzQ_tnc/s1600/cabinet+beside+stove.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Above the fridge:<br />
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<br />
And back around to the fridge and corner doorway.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0SRrny3O6Vp9-YH4wsp6ZMsImS4jKL8zg4MeuFOhLF5LgxrNOVCgOODu5SFSlnibvgtXw78pCeY2Sn0hs2IyNeBcaSlObOOiAMnRZj9jTOJh6TDxiQH1A40FV1qodxdVWClMNcmqpP0/s1600/06+fridge+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0SRrny3O6Vp9-YH4wsp6ZMsImS4jKL8zg4MeuFOhLF5LgxrNOVCgOODu5SFSlnibvgtXw78pCeY2Sn0hs2IyNeBcaSlObOOiAMnRZj9jTOJh6TDxiQH1A40FV1qodxdVWClMNcmqpP0/s1600/06+fridge+wall.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Straight ahead, the dining room. To the right, the back hallway.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Method</span><br />
<br />
There are four of us. I decided we needed only two glasses and two mugs each. I pared down our cutlery. Our plates and bowls are already down to two or less per person, so they stayed the same.<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Then, I took an evening and went through all the food cabinets and sorted and consolidated.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUHqiFj6ssKyKJEVerdnllbcJVB2sW2kqOhvE6y1zaP8fBYDO6_TgXgUONgfs2JtFGzQ9zd8Mps6-J7nAoTJn-wCBxZnJeyCXIUBaNbbXNysJP7UcIVQUFbgkZltqyV6PyK4jySxmTWI/s1600/foodstuffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUHqiFj6ssKyKJEVerdnllbcJVB2sW2kqOhvE6y1zaP8fBYDO6_TgXgUONgfs2JtFGzQ9zd8Mps6-J7nAoTJn-wCBxZnJeyCXIUBaNbbXNysJP7UcIVQUFbgkZltqyV6PyK4jySxmTWI/s1600/foodstuffs.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I had half filled jars and open bags and unopened bags--sometimes all of the same thing! I have a huge selection of mason jars--and since jars are easier to manage than floppy bags--I put all I could into them. When I could, I labelled them simply by cutting open the bag and taping it onto the jar I wrote the expiry date on it with a fine point sharpie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooeh67Co6njE4oin0NkKEqNdYFoa38Xpkjp06MX_ft9Ft9dR8Kta3K0DbE9BqLmQrN9DcKnrSYnzeyluiF6mABrSLPAvC9fxW8quh0e3O7lJCR5F9UASBIEDaZ8EnFs6uVUCPtM1KmPI/s1600/labelled+jars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooeh67Co6njE4oin0NkKEqNdYFoa38Xpkjp06MX_ft9Ft9dR8Kta3K0DbE9BqLmQrN9DcKnrSYnzeyluiF6mABrSLPAvC9fxW8quh0e3O7lJCR5F9UASBIEDaZ8EnFs6uVUCPtM1KmPI/s320/labelled+jars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As part of our course material, Joshua Becker asked us to read an article by Mark Bittman on the essential tools and supplies one needs to outfit a kitchen in order to cook in it.<br />
<br />
These are some of the items Bittman recommended:<br />
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<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>vegetable peeler (U shape)</li>
<li>Stainless alloy chef's knife</li>
<li>bread knife</li>
<li>paring knife</li>
<li>knife sharpener--either a whetstone or "a steel" (which is what I assume I have.)</li>
<li>can opener</li>
<li>(not mentioned by Bittman, but included: the metal spatula or "turner" or "fish slice." (Thanks to the Brits in my Facebook group for that last one!)</li>
<li>slotted spoon</li>
<li>sturdy tongs</li>
<li>heat resistant rubber spatula (can replace the wooden spoon, apparently)</li>
<li>big whisk</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>plastic cutting board</li>
<li>3 stainless steel bowls (I have 3 ceramic ones on their last legs)</li>
<li>Sturdy sheet pan</li>
<li>colander</li>
<li>3 Pots/Saucepans: small, medium and large "cast aluminum." (I have stainless steel)</li>
<li>2 fry pans: 1 medium (10") non-stick, 1 steep sided heavier duty steel pan (14"). I have my two cast iron pans.</li>
<li>single lid. Absurd. I have lids for all my pots and pans.</li>
<li>blender</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Bittman also recommended a few things I don't have:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>instant read thermometer</li>
<li>Japanese mandoline</li>
<li>skimmer</li>
<li>12 cup capacity food processor</li>
<li>salad spinner</li>
<li>microplane grater</li>
<li>coffee and spice grinder</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
But I happen to use a lot more items for cooking, so I got out those things and put them on the table.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRuKT5I8Y3Z2SByOB0S8QfUlPsjP1YbEb6DCN_qdZiKMaoaMAe9Dr8SeQ7f3U5z6Xxx9TeJMlSTpCDS9Gy2FA0WKgUz4V1sO-BimaoX0Gqo61BThfkDa_2CaRJamP1tEnBSfkNONAtdY/s1600/essentials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRuKT5I8Y3Z2SByOB0S8QfUlPsjP1YbEb6DCN_qdZiKMaoaMAe9Dr8SeQ7f3U5z6Xxx9TeJMlSTpCDS9Gy2FA0WKgUz4V1sO-BimaoX0Gqo61BThfkDa_2CaRJamP1tEnBSfkNONAtdY/s1600/essentials.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
clockwise from left:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>small aluminum pan with lid, perfect for boiling eggs</li>
<li>rice cooker with insert and server</li>
<li>weigh scale nd basket</li>
<li>two saucepans with lids</li>
<li>steamer</li>
<li>1 tea ball</li>
<li>1 tea strainer</li>
<li>cake/pie server</li>
<li>meat fork</li>
<li>thin rubber spatula ( for digging things out of long jars)</li>
<li>short rubber spatula (for digging things like honey out of measuring spoons)</li>
<li>salad tossers</li>
<li>soup ladle</li>
<li>pasta ladle</li>
<li>large spoon</li>
<li>potato masher</li>
<li>pasta measurer</li>
<li>egg slicer</li>
<li>microwave lid</li>
<li><br /></li>
<li>across the bottom:</li>
<li>ice cream scoop</li>
<li>pizza cutter</li>
<li>basting brush</li>
<li>zester</li>
<li>tiny whisk (I don't use this (I prefer a fork) but my husband does.)</li>
</ul>
<div>
missing: small non-stick frying pan and non-stick plastic "turner" or flipper, and the crockpot.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
As I was sorting, I realised Bittman's list did not include items for baking. So, I piled up those next:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyZgD3VBhHLNEgFJSM7nj8V0LkKlOCOtxqZbTEq7zQZ-2D6kxeMM3Zk8yNGMZJlSbFrD5LVPlsIaC1fzbZPjmrJG-3KwPth53MxCZT_3ae07Vhu7UkUrdkS89cc5xQMO5o0lTKU4SL30/s1600/baking+items.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyZgD3VBhHLNEgFJSM7nj8V0LkKlOCOtxqZbTEq7zQZ-2D6kxeMM3Zk8yNGMZJlSbFrD5LVPlsIaC1fzbZPjmrJG-3KwPth53MxCZT_3ae07Vhu7UkUrdkS89cc5xQMO5o0lTKU4SL30/s1600/baking+items.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>two sets of stainless measuring cups</li>
<li>top half of double boiler</li>
<li>3 ceramic bowls (same as above)</li>
<li>electric mixer</li>
<li>rolling pin</li>
<li>sheet pan (as above)</li>
<li>muffin tin</li>
<li>12 silicone muffin cups</li>
<li>biscuit cutter (I have used a floured glass in years past)</li>
<li>whisk and beaters for mixer</li>
<li>rubber spatula (as above)</li>
<li>2 wooden spoons (1 as above)</li>
<li>icing tip</li>
<li>basket of various stainless steel measuring spoons (not pictured: One complete set of plastic measuring spoons)</li>
<li>pastry mixer</li>
<li>two cooling racks</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
But then, I turned around and confronted two areas I'd completely forgotten: above the fridge and beneath the stove.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJeO1AuM0c7efi5N6C21GGOce8OPeHIKDeGPcupxJmcFUbcmvrzdIWosMw9AXttD7wyNips7Cr3LEWmaB8aghk7L3DMzyvd3-T-FOCTXt8KbRqJ_sIEDPl5kkItKm3KY5rar_vqkhiY/s1600/everything+else.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJeO1AuM0c7efi5N6C21GGOce8OPeHIKDeGPcupxJmcFUbcmvrzdIWosMw9AXttD7wyNips7Cr3LEWmaB8aghk7L3DMzyvd3-T-FOCTXt8KbRqJ_sIEDPl5kkItKm3KY5rar_vqkhiY/s1600/everything+else.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>pedestal cake thing</li>
<li>roaster</li>
<li>angel food cake pan</li>
<li>spring bottom cheese cake pan</li>
<li>3 bread baking pans, 1 glass, 2, metal</li>
<li>2 glass 8x8 pans</li>
<li>1 glass 9x13 baking/roasting pan</li>
<li>large round metal cake pan</li>
<li>2 metal pie pans</li>
<li>2 metal cake pans</li>
</ul>
<br />
I didn't declutter too many of these baking pans, even thoughI don't use them very often. The thing is--an angel food cake must have an angel food cake pan....a cheesecake is a million times easier with a springform pan. I have the space. Even if I only ever make one of each again before I die...it'll be worth keeping them.<br />
<br />
<br />
I got rid of a few items. But a lot more I took down to the basement "to see" if we can live without them for 29 days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrLBs0QHBokUxLshcafwd59PM20qjGhZQvodZkr4kHXQ6FRPp0UjWzhupwRsBku5BVdOU6H1CiBkZrHIjg0tPnIyJFX6PltZbTYpZF3Hk1xpARuL6lQmbVADQNjg_N3dAejrVvvKlIBE/s1600/basement+stash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrLBs0QHBokUxLshcafwd59PM20qjGhZQvodZkr4kHXQ6FRPp0UjWzhupwRsBku5BVdOU6H1CiBkZrHIjg0tPnIyJFX6PltZbTYpZF3Hk1xpARuL6lQmbVADQNjg_N3dAejrVvvKlIBE/s1600/basement+stash.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure if I'd want it again or not, so it is on these shelves in the basement in the meantime (where the homeschooling books used to be, coincidently).<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
This was my donation/drop off pile for this week. (I do wish I had gotten better pictures of the kitchen items I gave away, but oh well.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7feNUjjbL4DV23bBvp60CEfUinAobnoLPDYBv890qrmw71GnoiX2-YAJ1l0s1MU2NRlaGQTHZ3vZmfezBgdJAMd7D_TNA555F9NcvI-kd2KOYDSVJzQwtCOdF8sT9Ah7y8xfGM42aBcQ/s1600/donations+june+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7feNUjjbL4DV23bBvp60CEfUinAobnoLPDYBv890qrmw71GnoiX2-YAJ1l0s1MU2NRlaGQTHZ3vZmfezBgdJAMd7D_TNA555F9NcvI-kd2KOYDSVJzQwtCOdF8sT9Ah7y8xfGM42aBcQ/s1600/donations+june+9.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>yep, there's the old bathroom light in that box. And the bathroom "fish" tiles.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">After:</span><br />
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<br />
stove wall:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEk0s0oDhlY2Hwv9wMwudvk_yN2h7oBsM279rx_GIwLdy8lNzdMaEhIaP1xp_9IZ5yTILumazvalltpidv3WcUwjHgFHZrppdFlnLniXs9gpFkrStdKp8xZFIkWTPepYTd8hxS9jNLkk/s1600/02+stove+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEk0s0oDhlY2Hwv9wMwudvk_yN2h7oBsM279rx_GIwLdy8lNzdMaEhIaP1xp_9IZ5yTILumazvalltpidv3WcUwjHgFHZrppdFlnLniXs9gpFkrStdKp8xZFIkWTPepYTd8hxS9jNLkk/s1600/02+stove+wall.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I have decanted these drink mixes into jars and I may do it again.<br />
<br />
<br />
Left:<br />
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<br />
above:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dP3OyYYvM1soBeTk_bzjywcpxMunsOjD1XhvOlA3krqAYFou4DtzmilencdG8tOl5KDv6QTK9tRA_UED67qtiQWWi1g6gmy9Nj9XT01WJhHMZWzfEXFQXrBXtsLG9-XkRvaJiC_LbSw/s1600/04+above+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dP3OyYYvM1soBeTk_bzjywcpxMunsOjD1XhvOlA3krqAYFou4DtzmilencdG8tOl5KDv6QTK9tRA_UED67qtiQWWi1g6gmy9Nj9XT01WJhHMZWzfEXFQXrBXtsLG9-XkRvaJiC_LbSw/s1600/04+above+stove.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I removed an old tin full of sweet 'n' low...and my "everyday" serving dishes. We just don't eat "family style" anymore, but plate from the stove and go our separate ways.<br />
<br />
below:<br />
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<br />
to the right:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSovRThVaxW6kC2Aijj1lbb6XMiJuBIy80hEOdQS11fjQmBxwfJZDcAfRmb_V1dgmBtu-1ZWjA2terBeyol-svLhcod3dfRS5a-aqrX9uP4AonBUZlFc6IPsXXXKBcEnC_BLdKhwN960/s1600/06+right++of+stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSovRThVaxW6kC2Aijj1lbb6XMiJuBIy80hEOdQS11fjQmBxwfJZDcAfRmb_V1dgmBtu-1ZWjA2terBeyol-svLhcod3dfRS5a-aqrX9uP4AonBUZlFc6IPsXXXKBcEnC_BLdKhwN960/s1600/06+right++of+stove.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I still love that spice rack!<br />
<br />
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<br />
I really wanted JUST flowers on mt table, but there's really no where else for the fruit!<br />
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<br />
The bank of drawers to the left of the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrloFxcfsgesX7EhQSAeXSwk8uqhDWYrpugDSZtI_Uyif0HXeNrupVsrrDsmCpPQN3xCQJ_5w3bkc-dgL-U2fls1lDTviguSeCQTwHSe6bG0FOg4jSEsHzAE3LPT-cg2MK8zADggaChxs/s1600/09+drawer+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrloFxcfsgesX7EhQSAeXSwk8uqhDWYrpugDSZtI_Uyif0HXeNrupVsrrDsmCpPQN3xCQJ_5w3bkc-dgL-U2fls1lDTviguSeCQTwHSe6bG0FOg4jSEsHzAE3LPT-cg2MK8zADggaChxs/s1600/09+drawer+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
I'd like to get rid of that water filter, but I am not sure how.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HDvQQ_GCOMjCVv-SO7OX6p6BI5vpT4ZYN9awzdgY2SLjZoX3MDo-67KvQRemXmzoC8E21M1_bNCRBAhkBnYx_E25TNsW20z8iJ0tT1A-eXBVUM_fDKDQYp_eUYQplDDkhNWHQwMiAR4/s1600/13+under+sink+cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HDvQQ_GCOMjCVv-SO7OX6p6BI5vpT4ZYN9awzdgY2SLjZoX3MDo-67KvQRemXmzoC8E21M1_bNCRBAhkBnYx_E25TNsW20z8iJ0tT1A-eXBVUM_fDKDQYp_eUYQplDDkhNWHQwMiAR4/s1600/13+under+sink+cabinet.jpg" /></a></div>
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Drawers:<br />
<br />
Baking supplies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPebveYfGqNoqhIE74DHzbTO8eE8alJzbXhyphenhyphenIEavY96A4cgHvOZfv5gY5HljFtbojPmoc7dwR7ECdOWHv8OyrTbURvFzIApq_4qzfQKazs8dCPGGIEZktWZXe-uzqtGwSRgQ-uHbLlo4A/s1600/14+baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPebveYfGqNoqhIE74DHzbTO8eE8alJzbXhyphenhyphenIEavY96A4cgHvOZfv5gY5HljFtbojPmoc7dwR7ECdOWHv8OyrTbURvFzIApq_4qzfQKazs8dCPGGIEZktWZXe-uzqtGwSRgQ-uHbLlo4A/s1600/14+baking.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
I decluttered all the black plastic measuring spoons I always avoided....and a set ofplastic square measuring cups I'd had since the 90s.<br />
<br />
The utensil drawer<br />
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The junk drawer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMGGR-uWds81vRiVNStZx_CCpcaQkKvxD0DoSXzG7nUPnyRcu7mGS3h2gRd0VtqYxC1PjYCWKVmtOJGI95_Ygll1HKo36aAV24OvRs4jebwwfSu_3nSNkBYuDGIeUKexkmyU1mAtyHPw/s1600/17+junk+drawer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMGGR-uWds81vRiVNStZx_CCpcaQkKvxD0DoSXzG7nUPnyRcu7mGS3h2gRd0VtqYxC1PjYCWKVmtOJGI95_Ygll1HKo36aAV24OvRs4jebwwfSu_3nSNkBYuDGIeUKexkmyU1mAtyHPw/s1600/17+junk+drawer.jpg" /></a></div>
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Lower Cabinets<br />
<br />
to the left of the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81oaoW_5yI2J96hkYr2_Htf8ZOiCrpxpsDRkAZygajonoSDgGlAsbveqoRYJLrYfQXZZQIdCfdCRARy0t0lY_y3ZFVwevOLhL68YshPVOODITzpbj9igGo2c3C7jXw9JwHmOw5oO8PyI/s1600/16+lower+cabinet+left+of+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81oaoW_5yI2J96hkYr2_Htf8ZOiCrpxpsDRkAZygajonoSDgGlAsbveqoRYJLrYfQXZZQIdCfdCRARy0t0lY_y3ZFVwevOLhL68YshPVOODITzpbj9igGo2c3C7jXw9JwHmOw5oO8PyI/s1600/16+lower+cabinet+left+of+sink.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
the large soup pot and lid is on the stove.<br />
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<br />
the cabinet beside the fridge:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnapnvnGVUu91r74JLiL7zQpAem2Qy9gx1cqPGy86cbdemW_E0V8Fsz4cQhUkja53tq8EqyRMdgDXwu8QdyWEh8zD_7Npp5c_kFIMSg8sMw6qhcbCoJ5BcP8cnqJ4SKwiqrM8cdL4Wzc/s1600/18+lower+cabinet+beside+fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnapnvnGVUu91r74JLiL7zQpAem2Qy9gx1cqPGy86cbdemW_E0V8Fsz4cQhUkja53tq8EqyRMdgDXwu8QdyWEh8zD_7Npp5c_kFIMSg8sMw6qhcbCoJ5BcP8cnqJ4SKwiqrM8cdL4Wzc/s1600/18+lower+cabinet+beside+fridge.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The Uppers:</span><br />
beside the sink:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlicX1MhaCRIsSLzFR5QW9vlqsGsNQ1tq-UsmiPJxkfqRSazgBOy7U4oW0T1OUBKZPzN5eivttFEseKYD9I0CezAKPzl87LBzoF1wyw2dFfXXHF5ZlYQ3BuMb0-ccaExfk7oJvIEXlD70/s1600/19+upper+right+of+sink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlicX1MhaCRIsSLzFR5QW9vlqsGsNQ1tq-UsmiPJxkfqRSazgBOy7U4oW0T1OUBKZPzN5eivttFEseKYD9I0CezAKPzl87LBzoF1wyw2dFfXXHF5ZlYQ3BuMb0-ccaExfk7oJvIEXlD70/s1600/19+upper+right+of+sink.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
the small one beside the fridge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWWrXnpIgUR9KuvpKQBGk_a_xsw-IFqWyUUfXabxaU6m9q3QTPBPGOS2jW6Trl5O_j7uVQpaC_VXgFw_Al-BefYtatj5m-uTmrww0gSQxVenOljs4Dn9vpg2Usuy8KlegBbaQe-170cs/s1600/20+a+beside+fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWWrXnpIgUR9KuvpKQBGk_a_xsw-IFqWyUUfXabxaU6m9q3QTPBPGOS2jW6Trl5O_j7uVQpaC_VXgFw_Al-BefYtatj5m-uTmrww0gSQxVenOljs4Dn9vpg2Usuy8KlegBbaQe-170cs/s1600/20+a+beside+fridge.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
the larger one beside the fridge:<br />
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above the fridge:<br />
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<br />
and back around to the fridge and the doorway.<br />
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All that stuff on the fridge is necessary. One of those pieces of paper is my 2 week menu plan. Another is my Smoothie formula...and the big pile in the middle are all the recipes we need for the week. Oh, and there are some store coupons, too.<br />
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We keep our bread in those baskets on top of the fridge.<br />
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I don't feel like I actually removed all that much from the kitchen...and yet, it feels different. It feels like its easier to keep clean--easier to prepare food. I don't know if that's because I have been keeping it clean (which mostly means I've been doing the dishes) or because there's less in it--but it feels good and I'm glad I've skimmed another layer, as it were.</div>
<br />
But I don't think by any stretch of the imagination you can say I have a minimalist kitchen.<br />
Nor, I think, will I ever.<br />
<br />
But I do have a very intentional kitchen.<br />
And, I hope I always will.<br />
<br />
If you would like to see the kitchen as it has evolved through the years --and gotten less and less cluttered-- check out this post: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2015/10/a-retrospective-6-kitchen-2007-2014.html">A Retrospective: 6 The Kitchen, 2007-2014.</a>Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-29094550798584478572017-06-04T23:14:00.000-06:002017-06-09T20:03:22.385-06:00Making Room in the ClosetLet's get to it, shall we?<br />
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<br />
This week's assignment (#5):<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Go through your wardrobe and get rid of 25% of your clothing. Then, also declutter your bathrooms.</blockquote>
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As I've been writing up this post, I keep looking for an aha moment or a story to tell about me and my clothes. After all, our clothes are fraught with meaning, with self-expression--and for most of us in the Western world--excess.<br />
<br />
But, honestly, my closet isn't like that. Never has been. I have been infatuated with the whole capsule wardrobe idea ever since I enrolled in The Canadian Armed Forces--Reserves at the age of seventeen so I could leave home for the summer and not be homeless. There, I experienced the efficiency of having just enough items for two sets of uniforms (one, my combat field uniform: combat boots, field jacket, field pants, two t-shirts (issued to women only and much coveted) and two--or was it three pairs of socks (an army is only as good as its feet)? My "dress"uniform was similarly sparse and less clearly remembered since I hardly ever wore it. I was only a reservist for six months.<br />
<br />
The other reason I don't have a lot of clothes is that I truly hate shopping. But, I still had sentimental clothing. Clothing I had kept--not because I could wear it --no, not that-- clothing I kept because I was emotionally attached to it. <br />
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Some of it was here:<br />
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<br />
In the basement, under the stairs. Surprise, surprise--sentimental clothing. These are the few items I have left from the days when I was young and skinny. These are items which have survived many past purges. These are clothes that would either be expensive to replace (like wool dress coats) or were such favourites, I wore them only a few times, "saving" them for "best." A couple of dresses were just fun--and one was a spontaneous gift from an old dear friend.<br />
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I went to my wise facebook group and asked them, "How do I get rid of these?"<br />
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Two thoughts emerged.<br />
<br />
1) If you are hanging on to something because you feel you <i>must</i>, somehow, for some reason, fit into it again (like expensive wool coats), let them go.<br />
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2) If you are hanging on to them because you would really miss them if you didn't have them when you were that weight again where you could wear them, keep them. (Like the dress my old dear friend gifted me. I tried googling her and looking her up on Facebook, but I didn't find her.)<br />
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I also go rid of a dress I had sewn (but never hemmed) (size 8), a beautiful cobalt blue dress and jacket(also size 8), and an old much loved but fairly ratty jean jacket. (size unknown).<br />
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And then I stopped. I kept thinking about a few items that I assumed I would find...but didn't. A denim skirt. A denim jumper. A beautiful, heavily patterned light cotton dress. I found myself grieving for these items. Sometimes, I thought, sometimes I purge too much. (Ihave132 blog posts with "declutter" as a label. This will be #133)<br />
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So, then I turned to my bedroom closet.<br />
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<i>Chris's side, the center, my side.</i></div>
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I emptied it--and gathered clothes to give away as I went, putting them in a designated spot on the bed.<br />
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I don't even remember what was in that pile, now.<br />
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While the closet was empty, I decided to paint it. It's on my latest <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/the-project-list-for-2017.html">home list</a>, after all!<br />
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It was shocking how filthy the walls were. I used the paint I had purchased --but didn't use-- for the downstairs bath. I took one day and pushed through. I was determined to get my gorgeous, clean and tidy bedroom back!<br />
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I also took the opportunity to go through some boxes I had on the wall of shelves in the basement holding old textiles, curtains, and pillows and the like.<br />
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I wound up with five garbage bags, a box, a grocery bag of hangers and a lampshade for donation and a paper grocery bag for textile recycling. I also decided to consign one item.<br />
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When I restocked the closet, I discovered I had only one pair of capris and no shorts. Nothing, in other words, shorter than ankle pants. And I didn't have any shirts with short sleeves, either--only sleeveless. I purged everything "too small" last year.<br />
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So, in a fit of uncertainty and madness I decided to purchase Alison Lumbatis's Get Your Pretty On Summer Challenge 2017. I wanted to see what would constitute the quintessential summer wardrobe.<br />
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Turns out it is four tops, four bottoms, four pairs of shoes, two dresses, two purses, two pairs of earrings, two bracelets, two patterned scarves, a denim jacket and a hat. (Oh, and a swim suit and cover up.)<br />
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So, I went shopping. I bought two t-shirts (which surprisingly had the second one discounted to 1/2 off because I bought two) and a pair of bright blue capris.<br />
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I don't have all the pieces in the Summer Challenge--but I have more than enough for me!<br />
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<i> In case you're keeping track, I am missing a dress, and another purse (a bright coloured cross body bag). Those "neutral" capris were supposed to be olive shorts, but I didn't find any which fit.</i></div>
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This is quite the liberal interpretation of the footwear required, (and not nearly as much fun as the recommended sandals with pom poms) but I'm fine with it.<br />
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What I really lack is jewellery. Oh well.<br />
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I am actually hoping that none of the clothes in my closet this summer will be in my closet next summer. I am hoping (and actively working towards) being a smaller size. The summer 2018 wardrobe post will be a fun one to write!<br />
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(PS. I could not wrap my head around the bathroom portion of this week's assignment given the downstairs one is still not quite finished.)<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-65474428366472771872017-05-29T09:32:00.001-06:002017-06-09T20:04:00.464-06:00Re-evaluating the Self via Decluttering the Bedroom.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The course leader, Joshua Becker likes to approach decluttering room by room. This week we're in the bedroom. The assignment (#4):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
remove everything and anything that does not contribute to the two main purposes of the room: sleep and intimacy. </blockquote>
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Of course, it's also where I get dressed, so holding items necessary for that is important too--but we'll sort that later when our wardrobes get an entire week to themselves.<br />
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Like <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/decluttering-and-tidying.html">last week</a>, my shelves gave me grief.<br />
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<br />
Those white boxes at the top are cassette tapes. Back in the day when I put 1,000 miles a month on my little Toyota, those tunes kept me company--and sane. I was able to get rid of about 1/2.<br />
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As I went through them, I got rid of anything I knew I wouldn't likely listen to again, (Sorry, New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band.) Anything easily replaceable, (Miles Davis' greatest hits) but I kept really precious ones (Nirvana), and personal ones (mixed tapes from long-ago friends).<br />
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I need to revisit these and decide what I am going to do with what's left. But I still have my cassette player, so I can choose to listen to them from time to time, too.<br />
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Then, my journals.<br />
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I opened one of them at random. It was from the months I'd just started Journalism school in London, Ontario. I wrote at great length about my plans and frustrations with trying to sew slipcovers for my couch cushions--and a chair. I was in love with something called "that flower fabric." There I am....starting a new school--a new career--and there's barely a word about my classes or what I'm learning. It's all about my decorating plan for my new apartment--and I knew I was only going to be there a year. Yet nothing was more important to me.<br />
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I picked up another. The one that covers the months surrounding my daughter's birth. I started reading. This one, I realised, this one is one I keep.<br />
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And so I am not ready to part with the Journals, just yet. A part of me just wants to burn them. Let that past go. Purify it with flame. Become someone who has left the past behind, utterly.<br />
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Yet that's rather dramatic for what's mostly a laundry list of things I did and planned to do. Heart pourings about people and my wooden headedness. I would like to revisit them at leisure and read through them, thank you very much. And then I'll know what to do with them.<br />
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For some, these shelves would not contribute <span style="font-family: inherit;">to<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the two main purposes of the room: rest and intimacy. I thought about removing the shelves completely when, as I was </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">going through two old binders that were on those shelves, binders holding many, many of my thoughts about my home and decorating plans and swatches and what not, I found a few pages talking about my bedroom. I wish I had the pages to quote right now, but I'd said something along the lines of "my books mean home to me. They comfort me. I need to put shelves up in my bedroom." So, there we are! Several years ago, I was quite deliberate about it--and the books there are the most meaningful to me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">Books still mean "home" to me--though, if I ever get the chance to move to my little dream cottage near the sea on Vancouver Island, all of it would be gone-- in a flash.</span></span><br />
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<i>Joshua encourages us to touch every single item as we're decluttering. I did that as I dusted.</i></div>
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Decluttering makes room for us, as people, to change. It seems odd, but a lot of our self-identity is wrapped up in our possessions--the person we tell ourselves we are, is a person, often, who has this, but not that--who does this sort of thing over here--but not that. That's what this bookshelf in the basement held. The boxes are full of homeschooling books and scrapbooking things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUphywWEtlE96XRXDceinbxweLPdXUyOZ5nRB0s0i9IdKH7ZJn15SaWT35xTSqO9Da9v8qYxaj5CI1EoZUTo9z_tnz49zZi6D2hvdQerrq2xPjWjPKLkPJ_pue1qHSfJ4ZQ4r4mlqN_2M/s1600/basement+shelves+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUphywWEtlE96XRXDceinbxweLPdXUyOZ5nRB0s0i9IdKH7ZJn15SaWT35xTSqO9Da9v8qYxaj5CI1EoZUTo9z_tnz49zZi6D2hvdQerrq2xPjWjPKLkPJ_pue1qHSfJ4ZQ4r4mlqN_2M/s1600/basement+shelves+before.jpg" /></a></div>
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Two past selves.<br />
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And I want to move forward--and give myself room to breathe--to let go of my old self--and embrace whatever the future has in store. Not to become someone new, but renewed. Evolved.<br />
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I actually started to cry when I opened the boxes of homeschooling stuff. So many memories! So many dreams that weren't quite fulfilled. We were never quite that homeschooling family I'd hoped we be--and these books were both a reminder and a remonstrance. And I realised that it really was time to let them go. Emma starts Grade 12 next year. Ben will start University.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypxEPbsrIGXGpmw-O4UVdyK1iXV_1CTRb9INYjj203512DZgwYXPRTVEhMbyZ47fx2Z_0cKclv5PJQf0gGDzrSJyfPZUv8-SgrdAWGDk3jG9K9CRxYEUn_vuhQpM4DGtJSwOEYxQYDtE/s1600/Homeschooling+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypxEPbsrIGXGpmw-O4UVdyK1iXV_1CTRb9INYjj203512DZgwYXPRTVEhMbyZ47fx2Z_0cKclv5PJQf0gGDzrSJyfPZUv8-SgrdAWGDk3jG9K9CRxYEUn_vuhQpM4DGtJSwOEYxQYDtE/s1600/Homeschooling+books.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>I also ran around the house and collected any audio recordings we still had on hand. Turned out Ben still had quite a few.</i></div>
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Joshua Becker encouraged me to donate these precious items--and so I've put out feelers to home school groups to see if there is a family who might benefit from these last four boxes. I hope we find someone who will take it all.<br />
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I've decided that I will make a donation run every Friday while the course is on.<br />
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This was the pile collected Thursday night:<br />
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And this was the pile the next morning:<br />
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I'd gone to bed thinking about all the things I hadn't touched. I collected it in about 1/2 an hour--before coffee!<br />
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Our next assignment is our closets (and drawers) and the bathrooms. I wonder if my husband will be willing to part with any of his clothes?<br />
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I'd like to paint the closet, too.Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-10148704225267022662017-05-22T08:22:00.001-06:002017-05-22T08:22:04.652-06:00Decluttering and Tidying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u1Oa9siVYazFfQK8MG09gIxKCacEQrciHZat0RFCxzR3ohQRq7B6SYNgz_SoVVY9eglVha4P8p7znX9ULh4n0rGl0T7IBZFWS76M8n7BpaRgXahKzG9j1zeqXwQtBJTyHX_tvbfx2l0/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u1Oa9siVYazFfQK8MG09gIxKCacEQrciHZat0RFCxzR3ohQRq7B6SYNgz_SoVVY9eglVha4P8p7znX9ULh4n0rGl0T7IBZFWS76M8n7BpaRgXahKzG9j1zeqXwQtBJTyHX_tvbfx2l0/s1600/Uncluttered+title+block.jpg" /></a></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">Assignment 3: Declutter the living room, the car, and one other shared space.</span></blockquote>
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The car was easy--and fun. I emptied out the glove compartment and that "box" between the seats. Didn't find anything useful. It was mostly filled with stuff my Mother had had there before she gave me the car <i>two years ago</i>. (shhhh). I returned some things and got a $24 gift card from Home Depot--nice! I have a few things which I want to return to my mother left in it: but soon it will be empty and clear for my groceries which will be fabulous.<br />
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The living room, on the other hand, was not fun.<br />
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I went through the boxes on the TV stand <br />
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and came up with a few CDs and DVDs.<br />
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<i>(Yes, LOST! I don't think I'll want them in the nursing home--the next time I think I'd actually watch it. I put them up for sale. And a toy flip phone. I've hung onto that for years. The kids loved it.)</i></div>
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Mostly, the room just needed some tidying and a whole lot of straightening.</div>
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But these shelves, flanking the fireplace, are causing me a bit of grief.</div>
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I mean, they aren't the sort of thing that belongs in a minimalist household, now are they? There are meaningful things --and things which are not--but I still like them immensely and think they add a lot to the coziness of the room. </div>
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And it occurred to me, not for the first time, to wonder why I am in this course. First, I am really enjoying all the energy from my fellow participants--it's so positive and encouraging. But, as I listened to our Webinar Thursday night, it occurred to me that perhaps I am taking this course to settle in my mind, once and for all, that perhaps I really am done minimizing-- (at least as far as our living spaces re concerned. I don't think the basement will ever be "done.") and I can move on with my life, in some other way. I don't know. I am going to continue to mull it over.</div>
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For my third communal area, I decided to tidy up the area immediately outside the bathroom.(Which is coming along, by the way. The toilet tank is giving us a great deal of trouble with leaks and such. The mirror is also on hold for a bit.)</div>
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We were not able to access the only two closets we have on this floor for all this stuff piled in front of them. Again, it was a case of taking the time to truck everything down to the basement and just put things away. I also got about two small shopping bags of garbage. I kept back the supplies we need for the last few projects.<br />
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I am so relieved.<br />
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Next up: The bedroom. </div>
Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-27020979401601072882017-05-12T00:30:00.000-06:002017-05-19T07:58:03.906-06:00Plucking the Low Hanging Fruit.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Assignment #2.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Go through the rooms of your house with a trash bag and just remove items you know you do not want. Sort the bag (or bags) into donate/trash/recycling when you are done. (paraphrased)</i></blockquote>
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This is an excellent assignment. I have given it to my Mom several times--though I may have limited the scope to one room--or, when it comes to her basement, whatever she can reach.<br />
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As the main living spaces of my home are pretty well sorted, (though an absolute mess due to the <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-6-disaster.html">One Room Challenge</a>), I will be doing this assignment in <i>my</i> basement. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-e83CuhgWbuSgEwk5EslqbODvnkwwv2ghdwo0209wDduAgvc_HZD4uNBOHyWeuEGF2mYLx40hLmDyDRylc8TLMgJCvVi_mc8T_5dLul90LpRjXNbGrC8r-itLBapzXNfaLQzqUWYzO0/s1600/basement+540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-e83CuhgWbuSgEwk5EslqbODvnkwwv2ghdwo0209wDduAgvc_HZD4uNBOHyWeuEGF2mYLx40hLmDyDRylc8TLMgJCvVi_mc8T_5dLul90LpRjXNbGrC8r-itLBapzXNfaLQzqUWYzO0/s1600/basement+540.jpg" /></a></div>
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At the bottom of the stairs, this is what you see:<br />
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<i>To the left (and most of what you see) is the stroage area (yeah, I know). To the right is the workshop. </i></div>
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Looking at the Wall of Shelves:<br />
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(To the left in the floor plan above.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccQzqywMp52nouXc1VzUYqmk4yCrNNT1m7rQ4DXLtzvA3RlA_qJayHjt_MFtJGJXWQCKgN5fWCuEAGhw2N5rh9bV9uz1dwCZLRNbUI0Ec6IJk7GOUzWnlUsBU4-feoVBqwD6cOaNziQw/s1600/wall+of+shelves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccQzqywMp52nouXc1VzUYqmk4yCrNNT1m7rQ4DXLtzvA3RlA_qJayHjt_MFtJGJXWQCKgN5fWCuEAGhw2N5rh9bV9uz1dwCZLRNbUI0Ec6IJk7GOUzWnlUsBU4-feoVBqwD6cOaNziQw/s1600/wall+of+shelves.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This is the main area which needs work. But the other areas are pretty bad, too.<br />
<br />
Game room and furnace:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZYKOEW2rHdaeRKXgbpklU-KfQUTDwWm12F-tBo3rA-BMG5FxNL276bh6xcolz6ZtAu8mbr6sy242fLr8e-hIN6UTruoiNeKfBmKXrkZNd7L0yUUt-3iSZ_JUTecwVuQKit_rEL2JA8M/s1600/game+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZYKOEW2rHdaeRKXgbpklU-KfQUTDwWm12F-tBo3rA-BMG5FxNL276bh6xcolz6ZtAu8mbr6sy242fLr8e-hIN6UTruoiNeKfBmKXrkZNd7L0yUUt-3iSZ_JUTecwVuQKit_rEL2JA8M/s1600/game+room.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Laundry Room and Pantry:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Su8jMlFdzE3CD81dii_Dvg0iiWFVqoLW8siO-XB_ViVT2cH4N0M7l4ungOTIQACxz5bjk0LBZnYIqSvbJqMHAgWXFkFqZStJI0zGlV1VBdufhUcDzRn4pyVGJnljXszEisSqWhYXxV4/s1600/laundry+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Su8jMlFdzE3CD81dii_Dvg0iiWFVqoLW8siO-XB_ViVT2cH4N0M7l4ungOTIQACxz5bjk0LBZnYIqSvbJqMHAgWXFkFqZStJI0zGlV1VBdufhUcDzRn4pyVGJnljXszEisSqWhYXxV4/s1600/laundry+room.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I never photograph the workshop (at my husband's request) and though it needs a clean out--it is not my domain!<br />
<br />
But this area by the stairs (to the right of the drawer unit above) is certainly within my purview:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKCsLD1akm-VWba7hRP79Mmrr4JIdaRHeUr4GxVKAwnhIHhA02_WTwp9ag-RFjxAIkEDFebZ7cSinXCptqzD_LUfOWnmsOdTwY8zgMSQ3BahQmT7FATrvpMitPj0A4eRssn4D3n6bNXk/s1600/by+the+stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKCsLD1akm-VWba7hRP79Mmrr4JIdaRHeUr4GxVKAwnhIHhA02_WTwp9ag-RFjxAIkEDFebZ7cSinXCptqzD_LUfOWnmsOdTwY8zgMSQ3BahQmT7FATrvpMitPj0A4eRssn4D3n6bNXk/s1600/by+the+stairs.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I just dashed through the basement...looking for anything I no longer wanted, just grabbing it quickly, looking for a quick win. I was on fire. I only spent about an hour down there. Here's the haul I took to Value Village.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBlANKHf-tt5KhT7KjKNuzU-UOEozH7EhesAOoALunkSxux58oRIIZdVTYlDLr7xSl9NQwRqRfqWbPqqRaDnCXCtnU_xteLAWm68LXdzVIunPXyFuF6bYJDuoT3ynYMsBAjss2rhyphenhyphen4-Q/s1600/pile+of+donations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBlANKHf-tt5KhT7KjKNuzU-UOEozH7EhesAOoALunkSxux58oRIIZdVTYlDLr7xSl9NQwRqRfqWbPqqRaDnCXCtnU_xteLAWm68LXdzVIunPXyFuF6bYJDuoT3ynYMsBAjss2rhyphenhyphen4-Q/s1600/pile+of+donations.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There's more for the Eco-Station (batteries, inks, CFLs, and the like) and the animal shelter. I'll do that before the week is out.<br />
<br />
A good start, I think.<br />
<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-47188933742034054032017-05-11T00:01:00.000-06:002017-05-11T08:03:03.489-06:00ORC 6: Disaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRx3Q8-V4874DcfYG2vwLM_hP-WQ69eNZTsPZRNOY2U830L0bn2t54hhsL_u-VnWGsIlK-AseFfxI5YZxdzQXsFZkFxxZrgmPrvMQSrmpktXae5Ev345DnmmurdbxnA4jToseApTBW0w/s1600/sink+with+peg+leg+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCRx3Q8-V4874DcfYG2vwLM_hP-WQ69eNZTsPZRNOY2U830L0bn2t54hhsL_u-VnWGsIlK-AseFfxI5YZxdzQXsFZkFxxZrgmPrvMQSrmpktXae5Ev345DnmmurdbxnA4jToseApTBW0w/s1600/sink+with+peg+leg+web.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The worst possible thing has happened.<br />
<br />
It has been quite the ride. Ever since jumping in late, this ORC has not gone well. I decided to "freshen up" our problematic main bath and try to make it look like it belonged to the rest of my house. Plagued with moisture and storage problems, I'd sort of given up on it.<br />
<br />
So, when the ORC coincided with my little spruce up (new paint, cleaning the tile, and remediating the mold) I decided to give it the full on ORC treatment.<br />
<br />
Chronicles of the One Room Challenge, Spring 2017, to date:<br />
<br />
ORC 2:<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html"> Jumping in Relunctantly.</a><br />
ORC 2a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2a-evaluating-bathroom.html">Evaluating the Bathroom</a><br />
ORC 3: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7996566617043488147#editor/target=post;postID=2780161164305936461;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=5;src=postname">Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design Dilemma</a><br />
ORC 3a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-progress-report.html">Progress Report</a><br />
ORC 4: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-4-yellow-alert-yellow-alert.html">Yellow Alert! Yellow Alert!</a><br />
ORC 5: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/05/orc-5-tick-tock.html">Tick Tock</a><br />
<br />
And just what is the full on ORC treatment?<br />
<br />
That is me, living a fantasy where I'm a designer, a decorator and DIYer extraordinaire--where I belong with <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/5/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-6">all the brilliant designers hand picked by Linda for the ORC</a>. In reality, it's me working feverishly along with my husband (this time) and my mom (other times, and sometimes, but rarely, both) to decorate a room as best I can according to my vision--and budget (usually blown).<br />
<br />
I think I am far too ambitious for the resources I have available to me. For the entire five weeks, I am STRESSED.<br />
<br />
And then, when things happen--like you discover the light fixture you based an entire design around is too big (and the only other option --to make the ORC deadline-- is to buy another and spray paint it), or the fabric you chose is nothing like it appeared on-line and is much too dark, and the plumbing part is wrong, and you need a work around for a part you don't have--and then when the pipes are installed and they leak, and you fix them, and they leak somewhere else, and you fix that, and when they leak again and again--and you are about to fix them for the fifth time and you decide to level the sink because your husband has just put down the new floor (and made mistakes because he was tired and fixed them but it meant a quick trip to Home Depot for the third time that day to get a new threshold)--and then you get home dead tired, ready to level the sink and get the legs in their final position so you can fix that damn leak<br />
<br />
and then,<br />
<br />
while you're holding the sink up so your hubby can screw in the front legs,<br />
<br />
you both hear a gigantic CRACK<br />
<br />
and you say, "what's that?" thinking the pipes have snapped apart--<br />
<br />
but no....<br />
<br />
it's the ancient bracket holding your ancient beloved sink.<br />
<br />
<b>Gone.</b><br />
<br />
Just like that. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OwAqM2nfFyV_pH1yOoy5vYX54k2wP5fk2rlei2ptSlLrf1VIIyuk91-w6s8a1auVqi0SZGnPkiQaNx3-vBK3YMff5sC1mPHz71mtVq-xGquc45fn2Nb514TTEkLVCGLap3_CsuIET7s/s1600/sink+bracket+showing+break+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OwAqM2nfFyV_pH1yOoy5vYX54k2wP5fk2rlei2ptSlLrf1VIIyuk91-w6s8a1auVqi0SZGnPkiQaNx3-vBK3YMff5sC1mPHz71mtVq-xGquc45fn2Nb514TTEkLVCGLap3_CsuIET7s/s1600/sink+bracket+showing+break+web.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And when that happens, I just want to give up and never, ever decorate again. (I have been tearing up all day.)<br />
<br />
I called around, I went to several places, including Architectural Clearing House which is just what it sounds like---and he has a thousand and one parts, even a one hundred year old hanger for a wall mounted sink--but not my "very old and very rare" sink bracket.<br />
<br />
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkpyqQbuSWfMXiaYjC_4k-fRBuTjkPZcdu4yMyOOLepUV2tJJwE0523A_Fgnm7AFZgg_354_qziElA1jkhjK1yuCHezeuUezmhX4ZPIJy9EWYnJuoCnKG4H_7poYgU6y657xRfDlgybg/s1600/intact+bracket+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkpyqQbuSWfMXiaYjC_4k-fRBuTjkPZcdu4yMyOOLepUV2tJJwE0523A_Fgnm7AFZgg_354_qziElA1jkhjK1yuCHezeuUezmhX4ZPIJy9EWYnJuoCnKG4H_7poYgU6y657xRfDlgybg/s1600/intact+bracket+web.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>the elusive bracket, still intact on the right side of the sink.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
And all you can think is.....<i><b>of course</b></i>.<br />
<br />
It's the ORC and what can go wrong, will go wrong. Not to whine--but nothing has gone without a hitch. Nothing.<br />
<br />
I don't know when we'll be done. I am gutted I don't have a reveal. It kills me I won't be linking up with a finished room....not unless all the stars align and Linda keeps the linky open for a good while.<br />
<br />
So, we'll see what happens.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, do check out all the others who have transformed their rooms in these five brief weeks. Amazingness abounds.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/5/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-6">The chosen participants.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/5/spring-2017-one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-6">The guest participants.</a><br />
<br />
They deserve all the praises.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF9h8l8Sf2u7xjB3ao9ghzQQ7fx7uhXc72MwlRuvapuCUbdKGuOumf0Vv2qCkd27UxIzdZiTkfzMzL3pmgzmgP7WwP_7zuCOLssVPHr4XaIEwPBbQS-D65B0fCIXTShHWIY1-4_bYOYI/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF9h8l8Sf2u7xjB3ao9ghzQQ7fx7uhXc72MwlRuvapuCUbdKGuOumf0Vv2qCkd27UxIzdZiTkfzMzL3pmgzmgP7WwP_7zuCOLssVPHr4XaIEwPBbQS-D65B0fCIXTShHWIY1-4_bYOYI/s320/download.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-82298755567986815882017-05-04T00:25:00.000-06:002017-05-11T07:44:27.542-06:00ORC 5: Tick tockOh migoodness.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKZ7wToLk3u0iNEBRHIcGGDE1gxMxnnx2x3ss9_jCdIIV9wtPT-B68hPsRwq8BO1REGmCkDxLaE-L4LBqqyACRSe1OCKbyLIXlsib-l-cjrTg2KmdTTMGmXKnaRm1acXqcnJ5nyzTYLQ/s1600/chop+saw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKZ7wToLk3u0iNEBRHIcGGDE1gxMxnnx2x3ss9_jCdIIV9wtPT-B68hPsRwq8BO1REGmCkDxLaE-L4LBqqyACRSe1OCKbyLIXlsib-l-cjrTg2KmdTTMGmXKnaRm1acXqcnJ5nyzTYLQ/s1600/chop+saw.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>doesn't every body have a chop saw set up in the kitchen?</i></div>
<br />
I will say this: if it were not for the One Room Challenge-- this little bathroom face lift would have taken me a lot longer. And I don't think I could have survived it.<br />
<br />
ALSO--It definitely would not look as fabulous as I hope it will in just one short week.<br />
One week.<br />
Actually less, given it has to be photographed and the post written.<br />
<br />
Eeeek.<br />
<br />
Here's where we are now:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzhv37SGdXieEQ2XllXdsfeCQ9KURPeB-IwcUdqKKEPSiy3stLWBclq33O4yWdixBnanvOXFp8skZKk5MqdGbYAXHy5wwNOPds69_DEZo_dCj6KRwCrSn85GoJcevAn_WgHWOary18Bs/s1600/end+of+week+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzhv37SGdXieEQ2XllXdsfeCQ9KURPeB-IwcUdqKKEPSiy3stLWBclq33O4yWdixBnanvOXFp8skZKk5MqdGbYAXHy5wwNOPds69_DEZo_dCj6KRwCrSn85GoJcevAn_WgHWOary18Bs/s1600/end+of+week+5.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Here's the vision (partly):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17SMBbOjydmbyIJQN3XPbY87nEVzrH83kekVSz_Kz3K3MaxUjiPxxIfiz-QQ_nkkFKLO568MslPQEMTxj83s89Qe0GbY5EDP7Cto3c-nhxxnXUgTEKCx8MoPuT17W9DxkjNLvtLP-D9E/s1600/love+at+first+sight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17SMBbOjydmbyIJQN3XPbY87nEVzrH83kekVSz_Kz3K3MaxUjiPxxIfiz-QQ_nkkFKLO568MslPQEMTxj83s89Qe0GbY5EDP7Cto3c-nhxxnXUgTEKCx8MoPuT17W9DxkjNLvtLP-D9E/s400/love+at+first+sight.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's how we got here:<br />
<br />
ORC 2:<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html"> Jumping in Relunctantly.</a><br />
ORC 2a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2a-evaluating-bathroom.html">Evaluating the Bathroom</a><br />
ORC 3: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7996566617043488147#editor/target=post;postID=2780161164305936461;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=5;src=postname">Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design Dilemma</a><br />
ORC 3a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-progress-report.html">Progress Report</a><br />
ORC 4: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-4-yellow-alert-yellow-alert.html">Yellow Alert! Yellow Alert!</a><br />
<br />
And finally, here's the progress on our various little projects.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">PAINTING</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNaQWSEPrRuAqu-61DaHxZhYNk9mZWE9BCzYlwmvd0XiT0kupB53VfW9O3zpL_aWVwWwIhKaD9Ax31CzZwcxkgBhP7aPeYyUJUsPTNo562TPV_mk0X_epwr-AehCJ04mEwGUlI49ZAZE/s1600/painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNaQWSEPrRuAqu-61DaHxZhYNk9mZWE9BCzYlwmvd0XiT0kupB53VfW9O3zpL_aWVwWwIhKaD9Ax31CzZwcxkgBhP7aPeYyUJUsPTNo562TPV_mk0X_epwr-AehCJ04mEwGUlI49ZAZE/s1600/painting.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
I got two coats of my Hague Blue on the upper part of the walls when I noticed some horrible spots that needed smoothing. So, less than an hour after the second coat, Chris had the sander out.<br />
<br />
Then we removed the old light (not as difficult a job as we'd feared. It came out quite easily.) and discovered at least fifty years of crusty paint build up. So, that got sanded, too. There was a sizeable chunk missing from the wall--and the new light would not be covering that up, so I repaired it.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4SkZ2xpFfUaXSnSQnqaFOnhb29pVBhsfnhyphenhyphenH-HznkdgadPBoGlqYx6-_M5uTanXCNZ73u_BqOeMRdAYwg_EeHvVZKAi0PrdJMGY1400lZ7rUuHKW6XnpfDbufZHllZ2JRvbqC8H_NfU/s1600/light+hole+repair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4SkZ2xpFfUaXSnSQnqaFOnhb29pVBhsfnhyphenhyphenH-HznkdgadPBoGlqYx6-_M5uTanXCNZ73u_BqOeMRdAYwg_EeHvVZKAi0PrdJMGY1400lZ7rUuHKW6XnpfDbufZHllZ2JRvbqC8H_NfU/s1600/light+hole+repair.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I used wet and set. After it dried, it was spackled and sanded until it was all smooth.</i></div>
<br />
And we sanded, spackled and painted for another four days. ("We" means my husband. Man, am I grateful he's so patient.) The Hague Blue is in semi-gloss--so it shows every dang spot and ding. But where it is smooth --oh my-- it's like a still, deep, magical pool. Gorgeous.<br />
<br />
I'm now in the process of painting the window.<br />
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<i>Yay--green grass! That's the first we've seen it since last year.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">WAINSCOTING</span><br />
All the horizontal boards are in. Working on the verticals.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">INSTALL NEW BATH FAN</span><br />
I've learned more about bath fans and venting than you'd probably ever want to know this past week.<br />
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We had quite the time installing the new bath fan. I'd picked it up at Lowe's about a week ago. But when we went to install it Monday, Chris noticed that the flap in the duct housing did not close all the way. I jumped online but I couldn't figure out whether it was all that important or not, but we hopped in the car and ran to Lowe's for another one anyway.<br />
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In my research I had discovered that flexible hose venting --like we had-- can reduce the efficiency of the fan by 50% Good grief. We also discovered that we really need to lop off about two inches off the bottom of the door so the fan can draw air when the door is closed. So, we will do that.<br />
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It took all day Monday to install the fan. After our trip to Lowe's, Chris replaced the flimsy mounting board with something substantial. He had the housing up --but fortunately had not attached anything to it -- when I noticed it wasn't centered. He graciously took it down and remounted it for me. Then we had to figure out the ducting. He solved it most elegantly with an elbow he had lying around in the garage.<br />
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Whew.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">LIGHTING</span><br />
Worried it won't fit!<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">DRAIN PIPE PROJECT</span><br />
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<i>The drain pipe from the wall: it shall not be moved.</i></div>
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I've had an awful time with the plumbing. In short, in order to get this drain pipe in the wall to attach to my pretty chrome drain pipe, I have to use an ugly thing called a compression fitting. I thought I'd found something to hide the ugly thing--- but just as I was about to spend $50 US to ship a $12 plumbing part--- I discovered that the part was not, in fact, the dimensions I thought it was--but something entirely different and hopelessly inadequate! So, so glad I discovered that before pulling out the credit card! I think I've come up with an acceptable work around. I'll be doing up a whole post on it later, when the ORC is over.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">FLOORING</span><br />
It's here. Waiting.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">TOILET</span><br />
Ordered. Waiting for us to pick it up!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">WINDOW TREATMENT</span><br />
My fabric from Tonic Living arrived. I ordered it Thursday and I got it Monday. Amazing. But it was not AT ALL what I was expecting. It's not as vibrant as it looked on my computer screen. I am disappointed, but it is still pretty and it will do.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">THE MIRROR</span><br />
It is going to be so wonderful!<br />
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I played around with the pieces today and realised I was making it far too complicated. It'll be easy. I just have to cut a gazillion little half chevrons (anybody remember what those are called? parallelograms?), stain them and then glue the whole shebang. I am going to wait until I have the actual mirror before I glue it. Oh --and then I actually have to hang it-- as a door!<br />
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I should have the glass in my hands Friday.<br />
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I feel like I should be panicking, but I'm strangely calm. Maybe it's just because I'm so tired I haven't the energy to be anxious? Mostly, I'm just having fun and enjoying spending time with my husband as we work on this together.<br />
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As it should be, I think.<br />
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Do check out the other participants: especially the select 20 which Linda hand-picked to wow us with their designs. Some are very close to the wire. Here's <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/5/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-5">the link</a> via Linda's site, Calling it Home.<br />
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Then there are those, like me, the guest participants. So exciting to catch up on a handful each week. See them all <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/5/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-5">here.</a><br />
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Next week: the reveal!<br />
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But until then....<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-39422877554486768692017-05-01T00:30:00.000-06:002017-06-09T17:41:07.250-06:00Uncluttered--The CourseI've signed up for Joshua Becker's 12 week course Uncluttered.<br />
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I am not entirely sure why.<br />
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I've been decluttering the house, off and on, for years. I am fairly satisfied with the decisions I've made and the amount of stuff we have--on the main floors, at least. The basement is a whole 'nother beast.<br />
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I still do not have the tidying and cleaning routines I want in place to help me keep the house looking its best. I think the course deals with that, somewhat.<br />
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One of the things Becker --and other minimalists-- say is that decluttering is not the goal. Having fewer possessions is not the goal. Owning less is merely the means to something else--and it is that something else which is your "why", your reason for decluttering.<br />
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But, honestly? I think there's a good case to be made for decluttering for its own sake:<br />
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Fewer things means a house that is easier to clean and tidy.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I want a house that is easier to tidy and clean.</span><br />
Apparently, getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40% of housework. (<a href="https://www.sparefoot.com/self-storage/blog/75-15-fantastic-reasons-to-clear-out-the-clutter-at-home/">source</a>) It stands to reason,<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I want to be able to find things, easily.</span><br />
That's intuitive, right? If I only have three sheets of sandpaper, say, it is easier to see whether I have that 220 grit I need --rather than trying to go through two large boxes of scraps. Right? (Of course, as my husband would argue, it reduces the likelihood that I'll actually have it, necessitating a gas guzzling and time consuming trip to the store, so....there's that.) But I certainly do not need two can openers. Or a food processor that doesn't work....<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I want my mind clear. </span><br />
Princeton scientists discovered that<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">When your environment is cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> The clutter also limits your brain’s ability to process information. <a href="https://unclutterer.com/2011/03/29/scientists-find-physical-clutter-negatively-affects-your-ability-to-focus-process-information/">source</a></span></span></blockquote>
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As Erin Doland says, clutter is like a toddler standing at your side,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">repeating, “candy, candy, candy, candy, I want candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy …”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span> </span></blockquote>
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Most of all,<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"> I want to unstick my life.</span> At the moment, I just feel stuck. Nothing is happening. (Well, OK, we are doing a <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-4-yellow-alert-yellow-alert.html">mini-renovation of the main bathroom</a>, but other than that...) With Chris' lay off "sometime this summer" looming over us, so much is uncertain that I feel paralyzed.<br />
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All that other stuff-- less debt, better relationships, more time for whatever I want to do (including service to others) --that's all good. Nothing wrong with that. But this promised la-la land after decluttering may manifest--and it may not. It reminds me a lot of the promises of weight loss. And, like weight loss, there's no reason to put off having the kind of life you want because your body--or your house--isn't quite what it could be. Unless, of course, you want to run a marathon or host a wedding. Then losing the extra weight whether from the the body or the house is an excellent plan. Respectively speaking, of course.<br />
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*<i>these photos were taken just before dear blog reader Marie came by for a too short visit. She was passing through town, on her way to visit friends. </i>Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-51203795406159318652017-04-27T01:20:00.002-06:002017-05-11T07:44:46.063-06:00ORC 4: Yellow Alert! Yellow Alert! Dear heaven, here we are --less than two weeks left. My husband has been struggling with getting the walls next to perfect and I have been struggling with decisions. But are ready to move on to the next stage.<br />
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Here are my previous blog posts about this project. I committed to this project in Week 2 when some quick touch ups took longer than expected--and we decided we may as well replace the toilet. And then the floor. And then the light. You get the picture.<br />
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That's this post here: ORC 2:<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html"> Jumping in Relunctantly.</a><br />
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Then, I decided to lay out all of our problems with this room in this post: ORC 2a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2a-evaluating-bathroom.html">Evaluating the Bathroom</a><br />
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For the third week, I posted twice. The first time I showed you how I use Pinterest to think through a design dilemma. ORC 3: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7996566617043488147#editor/target=post;postID=2780161164305936461;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=5;src=postname">Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design Dilemma</a><br />
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The second was a straight forward progress report: ORC 3a: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-progress-report.html">Progress Report</a><br />
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So today begins week four. Week FOUR! (<span style="color: #bf9000;">overall panic</span>)<br />
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But first: this is where we are.<br />
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<i>Not a whole lot further than last week, I'm afraid.</i></div>
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And this is where we need to be in about 12 days:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6mTDyOYiH2v4FaLIL5pfn766sucGDT4OvIINGyq9R_6wkiVHjvCfnCA3dryZTqAD_Brbh4nBqbIZtL4j9fYV4WAkFEx0MoeWJfl0Ee6OzKHCO4cxIxKd3CMN3RTqF62u6HDySunnE2E/s1600/love+at+first+sight+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6mTDyOYiH2v4FaLIL5pfn766sucGDT4OvIINGyq9R_6wkiVHjvCfnCA3dryZTqAD_Brbh4nBqbIZtL4j9fYV4WAkFEx0MoeWJfl0Ee6OzKHCO4cxIxKd3CMN3RTqF62u6HDySunnE2E/s1600/love+at+first+sight+web.jpg" /></a></div>
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I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent finalizing this! I kept going back and forth on the paint colour above the wainscoting: light blue or dark? I couldn't decide what to do about the window fabric. Should I go plain--or fancy? I fell in love with a John Robshaw fabric--and though I sourced it at an astonishingly affordable price--shipping was atrocious.<br />
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The crazy endless uncertainty all started when I noticed the medicine cabinet over the sink was not centered.<br />
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Like so:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L6321Ocevt8IUJo215TYbmQIJh2rVS6ej-MWIgdYL_MUxFPclNI6LKhkFzgHW5dPt-VtBuqDd28tLHrpydpmBKrhSYKFMqTQnbR7_jUmPQF0j7-COvijCddzdiQzQ48-iKJuvEgEKr8/s1600/not+wow+mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L6321Ocevt8IUJo215TYbmQIJh2rVS6ej-MWIgdYL_MUxFPclNI6LKhkFzgHW5dPt-VtBuqDd28tLHrpydpmBKrhSYKFMqTQnbR7_jUmPQF0j7-COvijCddzdiQzQ48-iKJuvEgEKr8/s1600/not+wow+mirror.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>in case that green tape to the left there looks too wonky to convince you, notice the piece of green tape in the centre of the cabinet. Now, note where the paint stick is. Yep. Not centered.</i></div>
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<br />
THE MIRROR<br />
I knew I wanted to put a frame around the mirror on the door to the cabinet, to dress it up a bit. But then, I realised it would bug me no end to have a new light centered over the sink ....but not over the mirror. And my design for the mirror frame called for a wider mirror anyway. The tricky part was figuring it all out.<br />
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So, if I can't actually center the cabinet--I can at least center the cabinet door, right? So. A huge project awaits. I've bought my materials. I have a sketch. All I need now is access to the chop saw. I am going to make this:<br />
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Fabulous, isn't it? <span style="color: #bf9000;">Very worried. Very, very worried.</span><br />
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I have to have the wood installed on the left for the hinge before we start the wainscoting.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">WAINSCOTING:</span><br />
Materials are purchased, primed and painted. Now that the walls are to my husband's satisfaction we can, perhaps, install the boards in the next couple of days. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Under control.</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">FINISH PAINTING</span><span style="color: #444444;">: </span><span style="color: #444444;">You'd think that with only three colours being used we'd be done by now, but no. I just realised we've forgotten to do the door frame! And the upper part of the wall, above the wainscoting will be Hague Blue--the same as the door.</span><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000;">No Worries. If the paint is drying while I take the reveal photos, no one will know but me!</span><br />
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WINDOW TREATMENT:<br />
Outside mount, roman shade. I am using this fabric from Tonic Living.<br />
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I just ordered it this morning. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Worried. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">DRAIN PIPE PROJECT:</span><br />
I wish this wasn't important to me. But it is. I want my pipes pretty. I'll spare you the details, but this may not be possible without opening up the wall and ripping out the cast iron already there. (And that won't be straight forward. Not at all.) You can bet the husband is NOT thrilled about this one. In fact, he wants nothing at all to do with it, so I am entirely on my own with this one. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Sweating bullets.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>I started taping off to spray paint that 1 1/2" kitchen drain pipe white--and realised I really, really wanted the proper 1 1/4" bath drain in chrome. The question is: why did the plumber install the kitchen pipe in the first place? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
NEW FAN</span><br />
I've bought it.<br />
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All we need is a sunny day to install it. Our wiring has it connected to the light. We're not going to bother messing around with that set up--though I made sure the new fan is much quieter than the old one! <span style="color: #bf9000;">Under control.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">INSTALL NEW LIGHT FIXTURE</span>: It is sitting in a box right here beside me. Looks easy enough. The challenge will be removing the old one. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Quite anxious.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">INSTALL FLOORING</span><br />
This turned out to be more complicated than it would seem. Sheet vinyl is not glued, it's held in place with the baseboards. We are not removing our baseboards. Instead, we will hold down the vinyl with the corner round--just like we did the stuff we installed a few years ago. But, that meant we had to buy new corner round. The profile we wanted (3/4" x 3/4" is the closest equivalent to what we have) wasn't available at our Big Box store--I had to source it at an actual moulding maker and retailer. It was fun visiting them, actually. We did that earlier this week. So, that's all purchased, primed and painted. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Under control.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Everything in blue has to happen before we install the floor and the toilet goes in!</b></span><br />
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NEW TOILET<br />
Cross your fingers it is still in stock! We need to order it and pick it up...and of course install it! <span style="color: #bf9000;">Anxious.</span><br />
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ALL. THE. LITTLE. THINGS:<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">A shelf </span>for storage. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Fine</span>. If I don't have it in time for the ORC reveal, I'm not going to get upset.<br />
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Some <span style="color: #6aa84f;">artwork</span>. Photography chosen. Frame purchased. It just needs to be spray painted flat gold. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Under control.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Towel racks.</span> I need to hang three large towels. (There are towel racks which will do that but they take up more space than we have which is only seven inches.) <span style="color: #bf9000;">Slightly panicking.</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Laundry Bag</span>: Again, not something I am going to panic over if it isn't done in time, but I have my supplies--it's a simple matter of finding a couple of hours (if that) to sew it up. <span style="color: #bf9000;">Under control.</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span>
Finish <span style="color: #6aa84f;">cleaning the grout and seal it</span>. This is where I started this project! I was simply going to paint the room and clean.
<span style="color: #bf9000;"> ha ha ha</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><br /></span>
Hope you are having a great week! If you are in the ORC <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-4">like all these other fools along with me</a>, best of luck to you!<br />
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And may you enjoy all that coffee you'll be drinking. I sure will!<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-82306406187113345332017-04-21T23:06:00.001-06:002017-05-11T07:49:44.310-06:00The Spring 2017 ORC. Canadian Style!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started this post the first day the <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-1">One Room Challenge, Spring 2017 Edition</a> opened its <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-1">link up to the guest participants.</a> At that time, I didn't think I would participate--and so I wanted to follow a few and live the ORC vicariously through them. When I started stumbling over Canadians, I thought I'd feature my intrepid countrymen who commit to the insanity that is tackling a room and re-doing it completely in five weeks (and six posts.)<br />
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So, here we are, two weeks later. There were a gazillion blogs to visit! And <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html">my own ORC project</a> to start. How could I not with all this inspiration from the ORC?<br />
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Among Linda's chosen <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-1">featured participants</a>, there are three Canadians. I am so proud.<br />
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Jacquelyn Clark is taking on her very first ORC. A designer from Toronto, she's re-doing her living room. Unfortunately, there were no "before" pictures on her blog, <a href="http://www.jacquelynclark.com/2017/04/05/an-exciting-announcement/">Lark& Linen.</a><br />
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Another Torontonian is Jen who blogs at <a href="http://www.ramblingrenovators.ca/2017/04/one-room-challenge-preppy-living-room.html">Rambling Renovators</a>. She's making over her living room. It's quite pretty already--but I know it will be amazing once these short five weeks have flown.<br />
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A designer from Oakville, Ontario is the inimitable Christine Dovey. She is transforming the basement of her latest house. It's a doozy of a project. This is going to be a great one to watch at <a href="http://christinedovey.com/blog/">Bijou & Boheme.</a> This particular area (there are many) has me intrigued:<br />
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And then, and then there are the truly intrepid souls who take this on, most without sponsorship and with crews consisting mostly of partners and family! This year, 259 linked up to declare their passion and commitment. <br />
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Here are the Canadians!<br />
(Voici le Canadiens!)<br />
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With four ORC's in her portfolio, Sarah Walker of Oakville, Ontario is applying her considerable talent to a client's space this go round. She's creating a wellness center for her Naturopath and blogging all the goodness at <a href="http://www.thecuratedhouse.com/2017/04/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-one/">The Curated House</a>.<br />
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Fellow Albertan Lindi is re-doing her Master Bedroom--while the adjoining master bath reno is in progress! She's blogging the madness at <a href="https://lovecreatecelebrate.com/one-room-challenge-week-one-master-bedroom-evolution/">Love, Create Celebrate</a>. This is her fifth ORC! She knows what she is in for.<br />
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Kristi is another Albertan. Making over her powder room will be her fifth ORC project. She's blogging all about it at <a href="http://www.makingitinthemountains.com/one-room-challenge-spring-2017-week-two-farmhouse-powder-room-design-plans/">Making It in the Mountains.</a><br />
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<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.makingitinthemountains.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ORC-Powder-Room-Before-5.jpg?w=600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.makingitinthemountains.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ORC-Powder-Room-Before-5.jpg?w=600" width="213" /></a></div>
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(My mother has that exact medicine chest/mirror combo in her main bathroom. I'm curious to see what Kristi will do with it.)<br />
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Here's Tim, from <a href="http://designmaze-tim.blogspot.ca/2017/04/one-room-challenge-spring-2017.html">Design Maze</a> in Toronto. He is doing a dining room. He's a professional from Toronto with a lovely, clean, pattern filled aesthetic. This is his second ORC.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rkqtgKmlOFE3vgZzZGOcJZITvjhgvE8XAQY1_kPbEKWgy38hsLlYLkCltDh0cMMGI9hncbTutowCBGcXbWiHVS-2YD1wassGLni0kldT1cvFB1FRc9IBulHQn4C2Rao0ACtCKpVBXpE/s1600/interiors-timlam-dining-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rkqtgKmlOFE3vgZzZGOcJZITvjhgvE8XAQY1_kPbEKWgy38hsLlYLkCltDh0cMMGI9hncbTutowCBGcXbWiHVS-2YD1wassGLni0kldT1cvFB1FRc9IBulHQn4C2Rao0ACtCKpVBXpE/s320/interiors-timlam-dining-room.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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Isn't it gorgeous? That would make a very happy "after!" He says he needs more storage. OK fine.<br />
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This brave soul is the wife of a military man and is making over not, one, not two, not three--but four outdoor spaces! Four. She must be living in a warmer part of the country! From her blog, <a href="http://www.pmqfortwo.com/2017/04/spring-orc-week-1-the-great-outdoors/">PMQ for Two</a>, it looks like she has great style, too:<br />
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<a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.pmqfortwo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/back-door-and-step.jpg?w=900" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.pmqfortwo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/back-door-and-step.jpg?w=900" width="213" /></a></div>
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I'll be following this one with interest.<br />
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Vanessa Francis, another Torontonian, is tackling her sixth! ORC. A new home--and a dedicated home office will be her focus this time on her <a href="http://www.vanessafrancis.com/2017/04/one-room-challenge-week-1-spring-2017/">epynonomous blog</a>. <br />
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Christina is just a stone's throw away from me as these things go. <a href="http://thediymommy.com/">The DIY Mommy</a> will be making over her gorgeous sitting room into a family dining room.<br />
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Julie at <a href="http://www.ellivenstudio.com/2017/04/one-room-challenge-week-1-kids-bedroom.html">Elliven Studio</a> is taking on her very first ORC! I'm not sure where she is but words like "Home Sense" (the Canadian equivalent of Home Goods in the States) and "Canadian Tire" (a retail institution that defies categorization) appear on her blog. She is making over her son's bedroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2KWLzU_GfvBiXThoXlhsT0rK18q8r9KkRE-bOedJn-nPFyQLf0Z2VCPJb_jQzY-JLKJZheGFYFI8P8mp8Mf_PvVB2NhVpLQMR-ApGGRnODMmeOErHuYT4eg3A4OwC32k6H1d1eNo7LU/s640/ORC_before-1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2KWLzU_GfvBiXThoXlhsT0rK18q8r9KkRE-bOedJn-nPFyQLf0Z2VCPJb_jQzY-JLKJZheGFYFI8P8mp8Mf_PvVB2NhVpLQMR-ApGGRnODMmeOErHuYT4eg3A4OwC32k6H1d1eNo7LU/s320/ORC_before-1-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Maureen hails from the Niagara Pennisula. I don't now if that means she's on the American side or the Canadian--so since we Canadians are an inclusive bunch, we'll just say so. She and her husband are renovating their roomy kitchen--entirely by themselves. It's her first ORC at <a href="http://www.redcottagechronicles.com/">Red Cottage Chronicles. </a><br />
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Lori is an ORC virgin. She's from Nova Scotia and she's blogging at <a href="http://www.farmfreshstyle.ca/">Farm Fresh Style</a>. She's going to makeover her studio. (It looks like an upholstery studio?) I love first-timers. They take on spaces that really matter to them--no matter how daunting.</div>
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Debi, from the Greater Toronto Area, has a business staging homes. She is blogging about her media room transformation at <a href="http://www.addvaluetoyourhome.ca/">Add Value to Your Home.</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.addvaluetoyourhome.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Media-Room-Before-west-view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.addvaluetoyourhome.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Media-Room-Before-west-view.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thalita is a veteran of the ORC. Her laundry room will be her fifth! She's blogging it all at <a href="http://thelearnerobserver.com/">The Learner Observer.</a><br />
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Leslie is another first-timer. She's in Windsor, Ontario and blogs at <a href="http://thelesliestyle.com/one-room-challenge-week-one/">The Leslie Style</a>. She's starting with her family room. Looks like a good start--though apparently it took them 14 months to get here! The next five weeks are going to fly by!<br />
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Gemma is joining the ORC for the first time from Ottawa. That's the city named on my birth certificate--and where I spent my first ten years. She's making over her Master Bedroom since completing a massive renovation of her home. It's all there on her blog, <a href="http://www.jacquelynclark.com/2017/04/05/an-exciting-announcement/">The Sweetest Digs.</a><br />
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Another first-timer --and also taking on her Master Bedroom is new mom Amanda, from somewhere she calls "rural" Ontario. Catch the fun at <a href="http://www.lifeatcloverhill.com/2017/04/one-room-challenge-week-1-farmhouse-master-bedroom-inspiration-board.html">Life at Cloverhill</a>.<br />
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This is Dannyelle's second time doing the ORC. As she puts it, she lives "outside Toronto." She's refreshing and restyling her neutral caramel coloured living room into a the cool contrasty tones of rustic Scandinavian at her blog, <a href="https://www.lifeisaparty.ca/2017/one-room-challenge-week-one-rustic-scandinavian-living-room-eating-area/">Life is a Party</a>.</div>
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Sue, from <a href="http://www.apurdylittlehouse.com/2017/04/06/girls-bedroom-makeover/">A Purdy Little House</a> is taking on her daughter's room for her first ORC. She;s from Ontario. Her mood board includes one of my favoiurite colour combos: deep blue-green and pink.<br />
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<a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.apurdylittlehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Girls-Bedroom-Makeover-for-the-One-Room-Challenge%E2%84%A2-at-apurdylittlehouse.com-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.apurdylittlehouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Girls-Bedroom-Makeover-for-the-One-Room-Challenge%E2%84%A2-at-apurdylittlehouse.com-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1024" width="240" /></a></div>
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I can't figure out exactly where in Canada Shannon is blogging from, but she has a sponsorship with Home Depot Canada for her kitchen makeover--so it's a pretty good guess she gets included on this list! Which is great because it will be fun to watch her whip her kitchen into shape during the next five weeks on <a href="https://akadesign.ca/our-modern-farmhouse-kitchen-makeover-style-board-and-plans/">aka design. </a><br />
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From Mississauga, we have Amy transforming her bathroom in her fourth One Room Challenge. She says it's a tiny room--and, like Shannon, she didn't include and before photos on her blog, <a href="http://www.loveonsunday.com/blog/one-room-challenge-week-1-bathroom-makeover">Love on Sunday.</a><br />
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Nat has only been in her new home in B.C. for 16 months--and she's decided to decorate her Master Bedroom. She's starting with a pretty blank slate--and a new blog, too: <a href="https://www.simplefamilycrazylife.com/ready-challenge-planning-master-bedroom-one-room-challenge-week-1/">Simple Family - Crazy Life</a><br />
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Kristina and her husband flip homes in my town! Ugh. I am actually envious. She's undecided about whether to do her front entry--or the bathroom. Maybe she'll have it figured out next week at <a href="http://www.kristinalynne.ca/spring-one-room-challenge/">Kristina Lynne.</a><br />
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<a href="http://sarahgunn.com/one-room-challenge-week-one/">Sarah Gunn</a> comes from somewhere where she can cross the border and make a Target run. (hint, hint). So, Canadian, for sure. She's decorating her dining room in her first ever ORC.<br />
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<a href="http://sarahgunn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Screen-Shot-2017-04-06-at-3.26.37-PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://sarahgunn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Screen-Shot-2017-04-06-at-3.26.37-PM.png" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lisa doesn't say where she's from--but that she's a member of the Canadian Decorator's Association. She's taking her grown up and gone daughter's room and turning it into a craft/sewing room. Check it out at her blog, <a href="http://www.lisagouletdesign.com/index.php/one-room-challenge-guest-participant-sewingcraft-room-week-1/">Haven.</a><br />
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Robyn is adding some pizzazz--and some privacy--to her backyard. A Canadian spring is a fickle thing, even in the Greater Toronto area. Can she pull it off? She's blogging at <a href="https://shibangdesigns.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/one-room-challenge-week-1/">Shibang Designs.</a></div>
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Casey is another member of the Canadian Decorator's Association. She's tearing down walls and creating a walk-in closet! Sounds familiar! She's blogging all about the adventure at <a href="https://shibangdesigns.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/img_5628.jpg?w=1024&h=683">House by the Bay.</a></div>
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<a href="https://i2.wp.com/housebythebay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Closet_Makeover_Hallway_Doors.jpg?w=550" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i2.wp.com/housebythebay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Closet_Makeover_Hallway_Doors.jpg?w=550" width="212" /></a></div>
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So many Canadians...who knew?<br />
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New mom Katie lives in Burlington--a suburb of Toronto. She's decided to create an office at home for her first ORC challenge. She needs to remove this bar, among other things. Read all about it at her eponymous blog,<a href="http://katiecampbellinteriors.com/one-room-challenge-week-1/"> Katie Campbell Interiors.</a><br />
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Lisa Canning is a television personality from Toronto. She's designing and installing two kitchens--yes, two! kitchens! for clients. Seriously ambitious. And interesting. The houses are mirror images of each other--but totally different styles. Check it out on her blog, <a href="https://lisacanning.ca/blog/orc-week-one-tale-two-houses">Lisa Canning Interiors.</a><br />
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Alyssa is also designing for a client--her four year old daughter who loves pink! Alyssa and her husband own their own interior design business in Hamilton, Ontario where she is blogging on <a href="http://www.cocoandjack.com/blog/">Coco and Jack</a>, all about her daughter's bedroom.<br />
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Tash also calls Toronto home. She and her husband are finishing up a previous ORC project--this time tackling the bedroom side of their master suite. This is their fourth ORC--though apparently they don't talk about the first one on their blog, <a href="http://thedreamhouseproject.ca/back-to-the-bedroom-master-suite-inspiration-orc-week-1/">The Dream House Project</a>!<br />
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Ashley lives with her parents in Toronto. She and her Dad are going to take on their living room in their third ORC challenge. She's blogging at <a href="https://minnley.blogspot.ca/2017/04/one-room-challenge-living-room-makeover.html">Homegirl.</a><br />
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Kim is a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. She is making over her small foyer in her third ORC. She has some great ideas at <a href="http://knockitoffkim.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Foyer-Makeover-1-700x1024.jpg">Knock It Off Kim</a>.<br />
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And finally, Honourable Mention goes to a challenger from Ireland. Here's Norma, blogging at <a href="http://www.thehousethatwill.com/blog/35-decor/266-orc-sun-lounge-1">The House That Will</a> about her sunroom.<br />
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<a href="http://www.thehousethatwill.com/images/THTW_decor/17_sun-lounge/ORC1/17_sun-lounge-before_164511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thehousethatwill.com/images/THTW_decor/17_sun-lounge/ORC1/17_sun-lounge-before_164511.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And that, dear readers, is that. I have visited all the blogs of the 20 featured participants and each and every one of the 259 guest link ups to the first week of the One Room Challenge. It's been absolutely wonderful to see so much creativity and passion!<br />
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I am sure you find lots of inspiration!<br />
Here's the link to the blog that started the semi-annual goodness: <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/">Calling it Home</a>.Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-62585138369376257642017-04-20T00:30:00.000-06:002017-05-11T07:45:02.173-06:00ORC 3a: Progress ReportAt the very last minute, I decided to make over our main bathroom downstairs.<br />
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Here are all the posts in the series, so far:<br />
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<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html">ORC 2: Jumping In, Reluctantly</a><br />
<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2a-evaluating-bathroom.html">ORC 2a: Evaluating the Bathroom</a><br />
<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-using-inspiration-to-solve.html">ORC 3: Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design Dilemma</a><br />
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It's taken me a long time to find a direction--but I finally have it!<br />
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Here's one of my inspiration pics:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0YdTCys-nhZJGOLZWaAf0Qsmh65VBPPwpg50yO2NIKdlSVNkUONiqof1Mfv1nfvfqBger27JSB1vwX8l6LDio2Zi689bii6B3cU-K9cjlPoXW1LgWmyYuLb5fpZ8z85JUyxZ12cUdjs/s1600/c5044d42082747faae3dc2aacb22e777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0YdTCys-nhZJGOLZWaAf0Qsmh65VBPPwpg50yO2NIKdlSVNkUONiqof1Mfv1nfvfqBger27JSB1vwX8l6LDio2Zi689bii6B3cU-K9cjlPoXW1LgWmyYuLb5fpZ8z85JUyxZ12cUdjs/s1600/c5044d42082747faae3dc2aacb22e777.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's where we're at:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LV7o8TqgcppQTM13xFRo3UqvkOW4aNyWqmsFvTNR1ia0R20bxP_iaSMAJQVqu_pcmtMWjbiYZDhJjylYFYL2oJpVg-Z3eAg8_Cy4cMfzrwhIxMpjgWQtGMpzicdDE2FTRJsxgyuTkck/s1600/bath+week+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LV7o8TqgcppQTM13xFRo3UqvkOW4aNyWqmsFvTNR1ia0R20bxP_iaSMAJQVqu_pcmtMWjbiYZDhJjylYFYL2oJpVg-Z3eAg8_Cy4cMfzrwhIxMpjgWQtGMpzicdDE2FTRJsxgyuTkck/s1600/bath+week+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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The ceiling panels have been removed and they are being painted in the basement.<br />
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At the suggestion of one of my long-time readers, I decided to take down the tile over the sink. I still like it: but it has had its day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4lRCIjXVRyPqhR81AJLeWuuz-jPAP7yLxRIaKCj2rw3kqTogelf3duwcOPAKxRNtP9CM2VjUwoye1rynDNGq6RQ7tqBF3c6XzDksxxQTnFwhkWeJXiwsWQw4pcVOP0VvEutsD5Eyckw/s1600/sink+tiles+removed+text+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4lRCIjXVRyPqhR81AJLeWuuz-jPAP7yLxRIaKCj2rw3kqTogelf3duwcOPAKxRNtP9CM2VjUwoye1rynDNGq6RQ7tqBF3c6XzDksxxQTnFwhkWeJXiwsWQw4pcVOP0VvEutsD5Eyckw/s1600/sink+tiles+removed+text+600.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><i>I love the clean bare expanse above the sink! </i></span></div>
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I've chosen some new sheet vinyl for the floor. Quite excited about that. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-XPq22J4D5xKZMxMQwCPXRwLnrZCHF27TC-L5vKFTPhyphenhyphenvtkDIiBPIx-5hJos8g9C8H79D1UeYhaulF7f7arsLiH0T3FhvP2lunr3FNya2zOF6m3H7f9LP2-fDRTS8RQn3oljWZaQ9WU/s1600/old+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-XPq22J4D5xKZMxMQwCPXRwLnrZCHF27TC-L5vKFTPhyphenhyphenvtkDIiBPIx-5hJos8g9C8H79D1UeYhaulF7f7arsLiH0T3FhvP2lunr3FNya2zOF6m3H7f9LP2-fDRTS8RQn3oljWZaQ9WU/s1600/old+floor.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J430yYXDGp74RVtlHdeFsdExqzZrtEX9oxFcaUaZayzgdeKD9Q_y1nPfYKPJFlA91VjaWoAGmyPd_A09dKlbs0Zd5_TRqbR9Hvdwln1Gxzo10z6-OtE7xSEvYCCfrRIvQQ33of7BTUA/s1600/a4463a400b5d6ebb613b4f434d9e65e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J430yYXDGp74RVtlHdeFsdExqzZrtEX9oxFcaUaZayzgdeKD9Q_y1nPfYKPJFlA91VjaWoAGmyPd_A09dKlbs0Zd5_TRqbR9Hvdwln1Gxzo10z6-OtE7xSEvYCCfrRIvQQ33of7BTUA/s320/a4463a400b5d6ebb613b4f434d9e65e2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">Tarkett 12-ft W Grey Geometric FiberFloor Sheet Vinyl from <a href="https://www.lowes.ca/vinyl-flooring/tarkett-12-ft-w-grey-geometric-fiberfloor-sheet-vinyl_g1536274.html?searchTerm=tarkett-sheet-vinyl">Lowe's</a></span></i></h1>
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I've also picked out and purchased a new light fixture. I looked at a gazillion--and discovered that lighting, for me, is the "starter" piece. I think this will create an elegant tone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzp2aSf5JyXZWUygr_jGsu8bpgRNz1n76rqZdNwumhI2zbSm0LS1GPKYZrTsdJKUmxj5xprjUikrjiH0TlkBalj71IgPf6_MXk_dSEVAlhwngpNK91Eu-7Iuejgv40wg4P4LKXDV8CHY/s1600/a43a3a3fe4f48065a9605546dbab5435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzp2aSf5JyXZWUygr_jGsu8bpgRNz1n76rqZdNwumhI2zbSm0LS1GPKYZrTsdJKUmxj5xprjUikrjiH0TlkBalj71IgPf6_MXk_dSEVAlhwngpNK91Eu-7Iuejgv40wg4P4LKXDV8CHY/s320/a43a3a3fe4f48065a9605546dbab5435.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>from<a href="https://www.lowes.ca/bathroom-vanity-lighting/bel-air-lighting-3-light-soft-tone-gold-bell-vanity-light_g2734522.html?searchTerm=bel-air-lighting"> Lowe's</a> by Bel-Air Lighting. I will be installing it shades down.</i></div>
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But I am chewing my lip about getting the old one out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ScSTyFcGsKeTrNehTvGzcnlhFJmA6976FN2ymLHn3zFwZpo2QygqSWnW_fICQvNpyBuW72kJj0thT9Tz5MP8kD701_3XoHfggd21qwoV2nrtKUJPXJYC3D8inrb4nYYQ3jXCCg5kjZ8/s1600/sink+wall+and+ceiling++week+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ScSTyFcGsKeTrNehTvGzcnlhFJmA6976FN2ymLHn3zFwZpo2QygqSWnW_fICQvNpyBuW72kJj0thT9Tz5MP8kD701_3XoHfggd21qwoV2nrtKUJPXJYC3D8inrb4nYYQ3jXCCg5kjZ8/s1600/sink+wall+and+ceiling++week+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>How hard could it have been to center that fan? </i></div>
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I would be freaking out--I still have the fabric for the window to pick out--and to sew. We have yet to purchase the vertical boards for our wainscoting...let alone install everything. I am still trying to decide whether to replace the faucet set or not--and I definitely want to do something about the drain pipes under the sink! And, of course, we still need a toilet--and a new fan. </div>
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But I know how these things go. It will be all very last minute and rush rush rush but it'll all work out.</div>
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Oh--and I nearly forgot--I want to do something with the frame round the mirror.</div>
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Dear Lord. OK. So maybe I am freaking just a little. </div>
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Do see what the other Guest participants are doing, <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-3">here</a>. There are some great projects in the works! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp_-fxG1yNkLr9ZafhPqQ4wGGeQPw6pTqNdcesnLfI55tzyeW7lWols5wYldiKcbDZg43DXu-Wx9c6J8U06Hm2YWQKRNG-3JvQt4XHfWbM61TgITICO9PzanGYYFZd0Co0b1voKI-jx4/s1600/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwp_-fxG1yNkLr9ZafhPqQ4wGGeQPw6pTqNdcesnLfI55tzyeW7lWols5wYldiKcbDZg43DXu-Wx9c6J8U06Hm2YWQKRNG-3JvQt4XHfWbM61TgITICO9PzanGYYFZd0Co0b1voKI-jx4/s320/download.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-27801611643059364612017-04-19T20:06:00.001-06:002017-04-19T20:06:43.010-06:00ORC 3: Using Inspiration to Solve a Bathroom Design DilemmaMy bathroom has a problem. Well it has a lot of problems, as I discussed in this interim ORC Post.<br />
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This particular one isn't uncommon in a bathroom. In fact, it has been solved in many ways, many times, sometimes rather ingeniously.<br />
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But I am getting ahead of myself.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GGMMCYELYIsI4XZs2xZGvf41Bm52j9ite79aNrI6bMfX5tfOHtXJt7bJ2qnk8ouX3eZCrAzWhj0NAt_fKhHJZTsHoXhuDhII35SRZ7ccprhsc8RY2ChyHwMO-JioFkXr_EA_ZoNNC3k/s1600/before+400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GGMMCYELYIsI4XZs2xZGvf41Bm52j9ite79aNrI6bMfX5tfOHtXJt7bJ2qnk8ouX3eZCrAzWhj0NAt_fKhHJZTsHoXhuDhII35SRZ7ccprhsc8RY2ChyHwMO-JioFkXr_EA_ZoNNC3k/s1600/before+400.jpg" /></a></div>
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Can you tell what it is?</div>
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Look at the ceiling.</div>
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Yup, there's two of them --and they're different. </div>
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Now look at the walls.</div>
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It's not that we chose to end the tile "short" of where the ceiling ends (that's also, incidentally where we would run into the window, so it made sense at the time) --well, that IS a problem-- but the real problem is bigger than that.</div>
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It's that combined, what we did was effectively halve the room into two distinct parts. This teeny tiny family bath.</div>
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And the halves are not aligned. Which drives me crazy.</div>
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So, one half is the tub with its 4x4 tile. Blinding white. The other is the sink and toilet area with a planked ceiling and blue painted walls.</div>
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Meh.</div>
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This is a design dilemma of the first order. </div>
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Do I play up the difference? Or try to unify the areas while adding just enough difference to keep things interesting? And, bonus problem, how can I integrate the planked ceiling--so it doesn't look like the random (but cool) feature it really is?</div>
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Here is a dramatic example of dramatizing the differences:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdhytN4wRCCCJ7meuV9I50BTaBf1yByaC3h_pfGdiT3MjOjh7XQ-lZvt1kUafEcIl279T-YZY1o_fkLlbOB-lpLp9ju4uhkN2xiTj_MSNMubxSr1_oo5Q5Wd8FdWOE79-Xyp6Hnlgd0k/s1600/gallery-hbx080116stewart07-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdhytN4wRCCCJ7meuV9I50BTaBf1yByaC3h_pfGdiT3MjOjh7XQ-lZvt1kUafEcIl279T-YZY1o_fkLlbOB-lpLp9ju4uhkN2xiTj_MSNMubxSr1_oo5Q5Wd8FdWOE79-Xyp6Hnlgd0k/s400/gallery-hbx080116stewart07-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/bathrooms/tips/g626/designer-bathrooms/?slide=22">source</a></i></div>
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Cypress shiplap in tung oil finish. Gorgeous. And a complete and total contrast to the marble used in the shower enclosure. (There is a bit of a tie back to the enclosure with the marble countertop. It helps the two relate--as do the more formal sconces, I think.) </div>
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But, oh my word, in my tiny bathroom, on my knotty pine budget? It's a way to go, certainly, but not, I think,<b> the</b> way.</div>
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This bathroom design is doing the same thing: playing up the differences.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJY-8hWevSETrMPBubB7eUg4AS_wbz09nD1rpEUnKv9UrcvT8iGa8tXmiXF57qNCCkRn5nZWwDGoW1B5Zo8ViG-vDZkSpuc5xLRouSQc5WNuRhDeL3YATBzafRpd7zIAjjpOwtrBm5dOE/s1600/0215b2380bf9c8d56331b2f5cd1bfa65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJY-8hWevSETrMPBubB7eUg4AS_wbz09nD1rpEUnKv9UrcvT8iGa8tXmiXF57qNCCkRn5nZWwDGoW1B5Zo8ViG-vDZkSpuc5xLRouSQc5WNuRhDeL3YATBzafRpd7zIAjjpOwtrBm5dOE/s400/0215b2380bf9c8d56331b2f5cd1bfa65.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/284500901441903747/">source</a></div>
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Not only is there contrast in the materials, but in light/dark as well. Notice, though, that even here, there's a unifying element that crosses the divide, so to speak. The wood. It is essential. Repeated in both halves, the wood unifies these dramatically different halves of the same space. Without it, it would look like someone tried to put the ends of two different rooms together. </div>
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Contrast between the tub/shower area and the toilet and sink area --but with a unifying element-- recurs over and over again in the bathroom, once you start to look for it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TraYW0YAPkFIE1pzZbUTuHWaxAO4kecDzK0Wk4LJjR03k5yTbN7K7rSogSP3QsmEJjYlR9USfErlUQCVLYhs0iVEiQKF8YtVSB3iAXJISrw3nJdPxBZiPTTAU8ZyFnN_ccAwgPDMFEk/s1600/1d6468f26da1b8f1f16233dd5496f220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TraYW0YAPkFIE1pzZbUTuHWaxAO4kecDzK0Wk4LJjR03k5yTbN7K7rSogSP3QsmEJjYlR9USfErlUQCVLYhs0iVEiQKF8YtVSB3iAXJISrw3nJdPxBZiPTTAU8ZyFnN_ccAwgPDMFEk/s400/1d6468f26da1b8f1f16233dd5496f220.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://parka-architecture.com/2015/08/19/residence-rue-de-lanse/">source</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXbx7a7zLSzDz7gLhKKTEIOowOE9ZFGfNoMBTHxoNWLi-lR9zzV0l0FrkEUFq2W6DRRqB7QFE4dgdEwH812lyLoET9ajgaOyiwzCbVycYc0bRoAdlEpAsaTRd95jr2OL769kVIMVMtiE/s1600/c8f2b5669db7d0be9fbab0eb35e7b2e1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXbx7a7zLSzDz7gLhKKTEIOowOE9ZFGfNoMBTHxoNWLi-lR9zzV0l0FrkEUFq2W6DRRqB7QFE4dgdEwH812lyLoET9ajgaOyiwzCbVycYc0bRoAdlEpAsaTRd95jr2OL769kVIMVMtiE/s400/c8f2b5669db7d0be9fbab0eb35e7b2e1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.homebook.pl/tematy/13/komfort-w-lazience-temat-miesiaca-pazdziernik-2016?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fb_homebook"> source</a></i></div>
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I love this! The wood in the shower enclosure comes right out onto the floor and ceiling of the rest of the room. It's a great way to set the shower enclosure apart while integrating it at the same time.</div>
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This more traditional bathroom does the same thing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOelkJ2l1URClxDfBhahJqYZyNrqvywyablhHW9gQHtVwSHhFTDMTKWX1mQ5DXm5mjfPrHEH-1hPjkPXj3UTlxZaVe24iM8gNb1G74tVhrm2uOUqRgJDLJm8yMNnLlCn-9gMXS5EG_xl8/s1600/the+effect+of+wainscotting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOelkJ2l1URClxDfBhahJqYZyNrqvywyablhHW9gQHtVwSHhFTDMTKWX1mQ5DXm5mjfPrHEH-1hPjkPXj3UTlxZaVe24iM8gNb1G74tVhrm2uOUqRgJDLJm8yMNnLlCn-9gMXS5EG_xl8/s400/the+effect+of+wainscotting.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theperfectbath.com/tag/inspiration/">source</a></div>
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In this case, the tile from the tub area is lowered and continued into the bathroom area. Choosing a horizontally striped shower curtain ties the two area together as well. </div>
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At first, I thought the designer had used the same marble in both the shower enclosure and on the sink wall. But looking at them more closely, it looks like there's a fish scale pattern to the tile on the sink wall...and the tiles in the shower area are large squares.</div>
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<a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e5/1f/e8/e51fe808a25f56702cdc7c51d3be1fb8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/e5/1f/e8/e51fe808a25f56702cdc7c51d3be1fb8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDaVuwuk-Pl/">source</a></i></div>
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To my eye, it reads as a "near miss," though over five thousand people liked it on Instagram! </div>
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In this traditional bathroom, the marriage is more complete--but also more subtle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH7Csxka0Ir8BzBwdnl-bG9ZIqaR_DzBmu5nU4r4TnKStpoxo37cPqhtaOX6fcbTaNDzBYTZI4XP1lbVz_yVC29hvQVGUSkAcsrCtK4Yv0fkidy9OB_upnTt0SwG7UfO-iR93LqtDwEU/s1600/23ed40744e03e73df59f39abbafbc419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH7Csxka0Ir8BzBwdnl-bG9ZIqaR_DzBmu5nU4r4TnKStpoxo37cPqhtaOX6fcbTaNDzBYTZI4XP1lbVz_yVC29hvQVGUSkAcsrCtK4Yv0fkidy9OB_upnTt0SwG7UfO-iR93LqtDwEU/s400/23ed40744e03e73df59f39abbafbc419.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://www.decorpad.com/photo.htm?photoId=127614">source </a></i><br />
<i>Isn't that mirror frame fantastic?</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
This, too, had me fooled. I thought the tile wrapped around the wall behind the toilet and vanity--but no. That is just a brilliant match between the paint colour and the tile! Note, though, that the band of mosaic tile continues around the room--and the ceiling is the same throughout.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
But it is encouraging. Look at how different this image is from the first ones above. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So, here are my options, as I see them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) play up the differences: Uptown Meets Downtown</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Take the planks on the ceiling back to natural.</div>
<div>
Install similar planks horizontally on the walls, like the first image from House Beautiful above. Should I do the wall from floor to ceiling? Or just the waisncotting? Then, choose more "refined" looking lighting. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2) In the light vs. dark example above, the bath tub and tile area is "light," the "dark" area is the sink and toilet. They are white porcelain--so they will "call" back to the white tiles area, anyway. But the ceiling and walls could be painted a dark colour. </div>
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<div>
Honestly? No. Neither of these two. This house is just not that modern. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Normally, I love contrast, but this room is too tiny to handle too much of it. I could leave the ceiling natural but paint the wood around the room. Like so:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe3cOr8Y5sTHJfo7TXgYyVu5kom7-suJD2CdO0Wsob51ASbBV_VjJbLkec9RdpGpcW2LuqdcnHMXlnwc6t_p2X74-HqWSYrALzpy73ZrJcqkELqf_7xObcmnE7P_MJN4_nOcC-nYTgh8/s1600/c2dcab2862dd19b9c618dba7f05add6c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRe3cOr8Y5sTHJfo7TXgYyVu5kom7-suJD2CdO0Wsob51ASbBV_VjJbLkec9RdpGpcW2LuqdcnHMXlnwc6t_p2X74-HqWSYrALzpy73ZrJcqkELqf_7xObcmnE7P_MJN4_nOcC-nYTgh8/s400/c2dcab2862dd19b9c618dba7f05add6c.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://mountainmodernlife.com/rustic-modern-bathroom-designs/">source</a></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
That might help integrate the wood in the ceiling without making it overbearing.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Or.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I could meld the two ideas and keep the wood natural in the ceiling, duplicate it in the frame around the mirror and in some shelving. Then, I could paint the walls whatever I want. Maybe even go dark!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like so:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-1wgQKZqdI604Uk4tAGCKX8RMcuM9BaTQmB184U5cWcNpVT6XGMAAiPXjVZQGj5CqSjy0ZIgE0GjYkxUJiheUVjVjfeiLXo0gsI53qWoQVgnUUfLk3Umcs-fXArT7fsUF4ubZxyWGOw/s1600/23108e93515e2fead47a11bb5e933507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-1wgQKZqdI604Uk4tAGCKX8RMcuM9BaTQmB184U5cWcNpVT6XGMAAiPXjVZQGj5CqSjy0ZIgE0GjYkxUJiheUVjVjfeiLXo0gsI53qWoQVgnUUfLk3Umcs-fXArT7fsUF4ubZxyWGOw/s400/23108e93515e2fead47a11bb5e933507.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/bathrooms/g756/colorful-bathrooms/">source</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
and (imagine half this ceiling natural wood)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarQeROGz-XXr0bcoiX31WRitbozuhnvJ7lmGJPTBfd2uLijzM8eQJcxKIBmrSpAVbaAoticjRnnHQXHD_RRvaGeA8O0Nk8ypgWXR5bCH_50kSoW9csdx-VKS6ajxETztBfc3NlqumppA/s1600/980476f9647ebeac2d449f6d01bfff3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarQeROGz-XXr0bcoiX31WRitbozuhnvJ7lmGJPTBfd2uLijzM8eQJcxKIBmrSpAVbaAoticjRnnHQXHD_RRvaGeA8O0Nk8ypgWXR5bCH_50kSoW9csdx-VKS6ajxETztBfc3NlqumppA/s320/980476f9647ebeac2d449f6d01bfff3d.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.garvinandco.com/?b2w=http://littlebabygarvin.blogspot.ca/2015/06/our-weekend-bathroom-sneak-peek.html">source</a></i></div>
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<div>
<br />
<br />
Ugh. Half the ceiling. These are gorgeous, but they just aren't working for me--because I am dealing with one half of the ceiling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwodGMpa4HfD1gcahdWWY1mVl862uiCgSEwmJT_l6Rs93PUpMcdbje73midI_J6ZpSNuV_ZjYn4q-VNJNsLVbM-07TzIqjTt8uozDRwNxSPoOXYoFntIKqOqdUoroppZfBtju9xuYZtuQ/s1600/ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwodGMpa4HfD1gcahdWWY1mVl862uiCgSEwmJT_l6Rs93PUpMcdbje73midI_J6ZpSNuV_ZjYn4q-VNJNsLVbM-07TzIqjTt8uozDRwNxSPoOXYoFntIKqOqdUoroppZfBtju9xuYZtuQ/s1600/ceiling.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So. No.<br />
<br />
The two ceilings have to be the same colour. They just do. They can be exactly the same, as in both painted the same --or they can be similar, as in a white washed wood and a white ceiling. Maybe. And if that's what I want to do, then, they are unified. <br />
<br />
But to deal with the "randomness" of the wood half, all I really need do is repeat the idea of wood somewhere--white washed or painted, whatever I choose for the ceiling.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Then the question becomes--how much wood? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
This board and batten wainscoting is less intensive (and less costly) than planking:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s1De-VSjFB6Bw-yfBCiW9fFSC3cLU57Agt2rsD6ZFgjgMsYdIY5J5bUkmCcefziWzUvz7E21dgxS0TQiihgQcb0SnHcngX_XbLSCcmenmYQM_vNXm2bk6FcSkiKfIIaAPS-ELcRNa10/s1600/c5044d42082747faae3dc2aacb22e777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s1De-VSjFB6Bw-yfBCiW9fFSC3cLU57Agt2rsD6ZFgjgMsYdIY5J5bUkmCcefziWzUvz7E21dgxS0TQiihgQcb0SnHcngX_XbLSCcmenmYQM_vNXm2bk6FcSkiKfIIaAPS-ELcRNa10/s400/c5044d42082747faae3dc2aacb22e777.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://www.homebunch.com/luxurious-cottage-interiors/">source</a></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
We've come a long, long way from the first House Beautiful image above, haven't we? And though this image does not show a planked ceiling (never mind a partially planked ceiling) as long as the stiles are kept to the same width as my ceiling planks, I think it will work. Oh--and the wainscotting should be painted the same colour--to match the tile! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So, it seems we've decided on a direction. Just in time--there's only three weeks left!<br />
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Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-80276788660651586252017-04-14T18:29:00.000-06:002017-05-11T07:47:05.334-06:00ORC 2a: Evaluating The BathroomThe One Room Challenge is all about making over one room in five short weeks. I didn't choose to do the bathroom--it chose me when some short-term fixes took longer than they should have. Read all about that here: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-2-jumping-in-reluctantly.html">ORC 2: Jumping In, Reluctantly</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Design is all about solving problems. It makes sense that before you can even think about developing a design plan, you have to figure out what problems you want to solve--and just what the heck you want to accomplish with a decorating project, anyway. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMdn03EwYSNmy7mk7l3L40nK1wJr6MsGOi2UuH4xMIcpT1YGkVNrLZhkpO1BAImUJVRCR4gDQoefUubi5nVzfMH94HlBSxBuwmWJ0XyxgwyH6U7jvJk7jTnnHkudgMvuA8cQB9MZe1H4/s1600/limitations+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMdn03EwYSNmy7mk7l3L40nK1wJr6MsGOi2UuH4xMIcpT1YGkVNrLZhkpO1BAImUJVRCR4gDQoefUubi5nVzfMH94HlBSxBuwmWJ0XyxgwyH6U7jvJk7jTnnHkudgMvuA8cQB9MZe1H4/s1600/limitations+1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>yes, here I am in the bath tub backed up all the way against the wall to get this shot.</i></div>
<br />
<br />
So, that's what I'm doing here.....backing all the way up and addressing the issues with this bathroom.<br />
<br />
The room has some serious problems--what <a href="http://thenester.com/">the Nester</a> would call "<b><span style="color: #073763;">lovely limitations</span></b>."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCfqbVt6mqM-fLUC2zkrYSp4tzQJ7OdeF9byHrgWhuYU8mo1aaK_85XrJU7mCrxv3KDGZiXaCg11LnpbgL1FBwxvLLpEj4H_oSpca0Pst80ESVh_jM-ZieboBHrW6U6uVmc7ipEsdrx4/s1600/limitations+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCfqbVt6mqM-fLUC2zkrYSp4tzQJ7OdeF9byHrgWhuYU8mo1aaK_85XrJU7mCrxv3KDGZiXaCg11LnpbgL1FBwxvLLpEj4H_oSpca0Pst80ESVh_jM-ZieboBHrW6U6uVmc7ipEsdrx4/s1600/limitations+2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Most of our lovely limitations concern this wall right here.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>Only One.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
It's our one and only bathroom with a tub and shower. Shocking, I know. In this world where everyone has their own television, almost everyone in the house has their own bathroom, too. Or so it seems. And it's not a big deal--except we need room for towels and storage and stuff.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>Mold and moisture.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
I blame the kids and their long showers. (Ok, to be fair, one kid in particular and her long, hot, steamy showers) but I am beginning to think it is more than that. I think the exterior wall is not properly insulated. We are reluctant to do any major repairs on this house as we're likely only here another ten years. (And the way things go in this neighbourhood, it will be torn down). The fan we have is inadequate. But even after we spend big bucks for a fan, I'm afraid we may still have problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbw0rG_94-mstCJWnCmsGRJ-zOEf4f7uxfILy7J080GzOK8-sZfl8Au6kYQ89RyEmgF7OpP0R5XSoB2aN1Nm9pJj17ISugezgqPsnRrMGouPYdpEWZDs91NNkLeaE_WYMRsFOVFYMod0/s1600/mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbw0rG_94-mstCJWnCmsGRJ-zOEf4f7uxfILy7J080GzOK8-sZfl8Au6kYQ89RyEmgF7OpP0R5XSoB2aN1Nm9pJj17ISugezgqPsnRrMGouPYdpEWZDs91NNkLeaE_WYMRsFOVFYMod0/s1600/mold.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I managed to get this mold remediated and this part of the ceiling primed and painted before deciding the bathroom would be my One Room Challenge project.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">Low Ceilings.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
This definitely adds to our moisture problems. It is low over the tub and shower because the turn in the stairs is right there at the back of the tub area. And the ceiling has been lowered over the sink and toilet area to allow for the installation of a fan. Someone used pine wood planks for the dropped portion of the ceiling. They worked well until I painted them. They are now yellowing. So I need to strip them and go back to wood: or repaint. But, because they are low, I feel I should keep things light and bright in here. </div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>Teeny Tiny.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
There is barely room to get out of the tub and towel off. That presents certain constraints with buying a new toilet, for example. Most are too long. (Our rough-in is also fourteen inches away from the back wall. Fourteen bloody inches. Who did that? WHY?)<br />
<br />
Oh, what's a rough-in? The distance from the center of the bolts (i.e., the drainage hole) to the finished wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialw3YIJEyyyErBPm-hjDPsAGpk_wTbBsjOxsct_wOV1sVcRi0n8AjT_E-hcpGPnIEPKzeM1_-2DoF6e6I-z6OyRx2qbLxHgW_ZPQcJL2TRroo5a5cT9sdbpk1t82vC2Ez-JvM4K7atW8/s1600/measuring-for-toilet-installation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialw3YIJEyyyErBPm-hjDPsAGpk_wTbBsjOxsct_wOV1sVcRi0n8AjT_E-hcpGPnIEPKzeM1_-2DoF6e6I-z6OyRx2qbLxHgW_ZPQcJL2TRroo5a5cT9sdbpk1t82vC2Ez-JvM4K7atW8/s320/measuring-for-toilet-installation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2277896/our-toilet-rough-in-is-13">source</a></div>
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For us, that means a toilet with a rough-in of 12" (which is fairly standard) will stick out from the wall 2". What a waste of space! Meanwhile, my knees will hit the tub when I sit down. Ugh.<br />
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<br />
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">It's Vintage-ness.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
The sink is amazing. I believe it is a half-moon Crane. I want to keep it. The room would feel too closed in with a vanity, anyway, but it does mean we don't have drawers or storage of any kind.<br />
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<br />
The light fixture is undoubtedly original. It is lovely, but it has absolutely no wow factor. I am kind of scared to replace it though. And I'm not entirely sure I want to replace one builder fixture with another, albeit from a different era.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielbI-F-a3y5sm8LC1-YaRk7xBSy7eevKDV3347pwHo3odNzSpPfhT5hzNm2J9THI1vG2UXvmbBIaa30RWY5OpJX7x8aAlcbxMq19v3j3fCxWoHh5vx-3l5L_mFkqRYVnvlt_RhIGgQH8/s1600/original+shade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielbI-F-a3y5sm8LC1-YaRk7xBSy7eevKDV3347pwHo3odNzSpPfhT5hzNm2J9THI1vG2UXvmbBIaa30RWY5OpJX7x8aAlcbxMq19v3j3fCxWoHh5vx-3l5L_mFkqRYVnvlt_RhIGgQH8/s1600/original+shade.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is 24" long</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>detail of the lovely u shaped vintage glass shade.</i></div>
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<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>Bossy tile.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
We could remove this tile over the sink. I am afraid of damaging the walls beyond my ability to repair them. (We have plaster board, not drywall. It's practically an inch and a half thick.) My daughter has already threatened mutiny if I take them down. They were one of the very first decisions I ever made for the house--and I was so proud of myself for going bold!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">The budget.</span></b><br />
<br />
sigh. We've already agreed on a toilet less expensive than the one I really want. (The Champion Pro, by American Standard: right height round front toilet with lined tank). I don't think we want to pay for a new floor. I've already bought paint for the walls, so I feel committed there, even though I can feel my mind beginning to change.....<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><b>The je ne sais quoi.</b></span><br />
<br />
The bathroom is choppy. Nothing unifies it. It has different materials on the ceiling--and the walls in the two separate areas. I feel I need to unify this teeny tiny room. It is also kind of uncomfortable. <i>Nothing</i> about it makes me smile. And more than anything, I want my home to make me happy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Option 1:</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>new fan</li>
<li>new toilet</li>
<li>new paint job</li>
<li>new window treatment</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Option 2:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><i>all of the above, plus</i></li>
<li>new light fixture</li>
<li>frame mirror</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Option 3:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li>remove the tiles over the sink</li>
<li>create some sort of wainscoting</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Option 4:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><i>all of the above, plus</i></li>
<li>new flooring</li>
</ul>
<br />
Notice something missing? I want to try an experiment. While Chris is in there doing all the patching and painting, I am going to see just how much we miss the shelves. It would be fantastic if we could live without them!<br />
<br />
<br />
Next up: <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2017/04/orc-3a-using-inspiration-to-solve.html">Using Inspiration to solve a design dilemma</a>. (I will link once it is up).<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7996566617043488147.post-28765394446030277892017-04-13T00:16:00.003-06:002017-05-11T07:47:40.835-06:00ORC 2: Jumping In, Reluctantly.Am I really going to do this?<br />
I've done this <i>five times</i> already. I know how crazy this is!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFqGWw2taqhmV3PIIdpXFcnbNDOaqk0vdfC2nMGxR2phlVQimBfku0s9vOwzeuTcwQGwU4-L3lFDSuuXCiIOrhSdhyphenhyphenJUaGjAdR1RDWOeGDYNOucGkeFWISFyIxST7Zh1Ryf5_ADn6NOg/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFqGWw2taqhmV3PIIdpXFcnbNDOaqk0vdfC2nMGxR2phlVQimBfku0s9vOwzeuTcwQGwU4-L3lFDSuuXCiIOrhSdhyphenhyphenJUaGjAdR1RDWOeGDYNOucGkeFWISFyIxST7Zh1Ryf5_ADn6NOg/s1600/before.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week, when I discovered the One Room Challenge (ORC) was beginning again this year (this is its tenth season!), I was a bit upset that I would not be participating. I was in the midst of a few updates around the house and well, honestly, it snuck up on me.<br />
<br />
I just wasn't ready.<br />
<br />
As part of my little "whole home refresh" I started to clean the grout in the downstairs bath.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJbUJAOiGD6ko6g3PWwe-jzLWM3T5wBcdzXsVt79wSAkJ__UaVyT1U8DwMeXEkbrnxZ8liHzAilg-k8Up8YctK0OQSVAQAecmJbXhCS3inszo23v9w0nIV5jUG5HD7jGOiwU3BCSI7Mo/s1600/shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJbUJAOiGD6ko6g3PWwe-jzLWM3T5wBcdzXsVt79wSAkJ__UaVyT1U8DwMeXEkbrnxZ8liHzAilg-k8Up8YctK0OQSVAQAecmJbXhCS3inszo23v9w0nIV5jUG5HD7jGOiwU3BCSI7Mo/s1600/shower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
....a few days later....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEphZRNhrUuRryQKrVwKnadH_MoMZiald012VkD44jy7pB06C-UujRFM1TRo1_G5Cfjata0_j9Jiv8ZpDQV-cnMQiBRiPIqoIKOaZNtRN1vHFrNvXFEemPkxpifT5WHpeFBte0hMS9Pw/s1600/tile+almost+clean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEphZRNhrUuRryQKrVwKnadH_MoMZiald012VkD44jy7pB06C-UujRFM1TRo1_G5Cfjata0_j9Jiv8ZpDQV-cnMQiBRiPIqoIKOaZNtRN1vHFrNvXFEemPkxpifT5WHpeFBte0hMS9Pw/s1600/tile+almost+clean.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And I asked my husband to paint.<br />
<br />
That would mean patching the wall beside the toilet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALG-_o7OqGSljj2wsya5_0jXpWQRUoAEeSwcjROZmcDwXsVaF1dewdaA2jCs-gQsIGznBdTVPSA49YlqPcDZ5ym2qD6aiTr8qPwxMRzsDJ8FDn_d0-9PU4sVHIw0tNXE9Vz3YCESTNKg/s1600/peeling+paint+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALG-_o7OqGSljj2wsya5_0jXpWQRUoAEeSwcjROZmcDwXsVaF1dewdaA2jCs-gQsIGznBdTVPSA49YlqPcDZ5ym2qD6aiTr8qPwxMRzsDJ8FDn_d0-9PU4sVHIw0tNXE9Vz3YCESTNKg/s1600/peeling+paint+600.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>It goes all the way to the floor.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
A tricky job with the toilet there, so Chris asked me if he could remove it.<br />
<br />
"Sure," I said. "As long as we have a new one in place by Wednesday (today)." We were expecting company.<br />
<br />
Well, he ran into problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEO-ZtnRoli5jROc3qCZBOiW-mbGk4ExDVHQwhiTikU3QZQqK2JtT6IQHnyuDLoXzrQGwC_XiN_JlOUMm8QuxayMWspTUfTr7IXVJsSDKcJnjrMjqAzW_8OR6CuGVf8ZsNWyiyNITvZk/s1600/patch+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEO-ZtnRoli5jROc3qCZBOiW-mbGk4ExDVHQwhiTikU3QZQqK2JtT6IQHnyuDLoXzrQGwC_XiN_JlOUMm8QuxayMWspTUfTr7IXVJsSDKcJnjrMjqAzW_8OR6CuGVf8ZsNWyiyNITvZk/s320/patch+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
...a few days later...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YjmfvxEdhuSCrv8U4EogBxfyv6OKF1Wa781H_oGSbcNBLv9YGZyRe030_54RxH-Qyxe_2yUSyTlcnTWUTERqY_vdAunqJnDCF9ln9ltTmMg8z7rwQVSk25HuqpmlFdrFeX8RI91xo0k/s1600/patch+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YjmfvxEdhuSCrv8U4EogBxfyv6OKF1Wa781H_oGSbcNBLv9YGZyRe030_54RxH-Qyxe_2yUSyTlcnTWUTERqY_vdAunqJnDCF9ln9ltTmMg8z7rwQVSk25HuqpmlFdrFeX8RI91xo0k/s320/patch+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Of course.<br />
<br />
<br />
And I decided we should remove the wall unit--and not put it back up again. It is showing its age--and while I loved the storage, it has always felt intrusive.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM2n9Z8vVYlz24Zk3QbDWK-SS6f7sjPbIja_dIvqk-kCWN6GThLP7dR71aLqaiFBdDLMuiVRJJKd8qM2v4Sr7bpAE_Xuc9aEq8teBHlhuNlE6wLBRTWRWB0f3G1BBmyQkKkL2x_hyphenhyphenwIQ/s1600/bath+cabinet+with+toels+vertical+retrofit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM2n9Z8vVYlz24Zk3QbDWK-SS6f7sjPbIja_dIvqk-kCWN6GThLP7dR71aLqaiFBdDLMuiVRJJKd8qM2v4Sr7bpAE_Xuc9aEq8teBHlhuNlE6wLBRTWRWB0f3G1BBmyQkKkL2x_hyphenhyphenwIQ/s1600/bath+cabinet+with+toels+vertical+retrofit.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This photo was taken right after<a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2015/09/a-retrospective-3-bathrooms-laundry.html"> the cabinet was installed. </a></i></div>
<br />
<br />
I want a sleek new cabinet, instead.<br />
<br />
And, I decided I don't want to put the old curtains back up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFljAAktpURKfK-K7zSRn1RQvLquvTCPKSkeQUmV67vwDvQ8Rnz6zsOVXWA0ZOWI-C05AdJBfAIMSo0lK7a2jjFu8XK8kv8lf1qXR6MN6K-Ol8A3WPP1vZc8AVCriWb2cStObDLjYR65ku/s400/finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFljAAktpURKfK-K7zSRn1RQvLquvTCPKSkeQUmV67vwDvQ8Rnz6zsOVXWA0ZOWI-C05AdJBfAIMSo0lK7a2jjFu8XK8kv8lf1qXR6MN6K-Ol8A3WPP1vZc8AVCriWb2cStObDLjYR65ku/s1600/finished.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This picture was taken the day <a href="https://prairiehometherapy.blogspot.ca/2012/06/bathroom-curtains.html">the curtains went up </a>in 2012!</i></div>
<br />
<br />
I love my roman shades in the kitchen and I think one would be fabulous here.<br />
<br />
And then, there's the new paint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtRp8VaqZQzdECJsA0nbhIofG4QHjGs64XiafQEniLVaODP5p5jneLxdTrQOc-z4ApEs_AD5d5wMA4kk_JtifFONtlV5fxQgIRbrD-nKc4krPdXBznCpmno8RY2e74TZ0ODAyiC6n2Aw/s1600/new+colour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtRp8VaqZQzdECJsA0nbhIofG4QHjGs64XiafQEniLVaODP5p5jneLxdTrQOc-z4ApEs_AD5d5wMA4kk_JtifFONtlV5fxQgIRbrD-nKc4krPdXBznCpmno8RY2e74TZ0ODAyiC6n2Aw/s1600/new+colour.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I chose Farrow and Ball's "Borrowed Light" mixed into Behr Marquee paint. I chose it without thinking too much --which is not like me at all!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
There a few other projects we can throw in as well.<br />
<br />
1) Repaint the ceiling planks.<br />
2) Buy and install a new fan<br />
3) Buy and install a new toilet<br />
4) Sew up a new laundry hamper. I've had my eye on making something like one of these at <a href="http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2016/07/20/a-diy-laundry-sorter-solution/">Yellow Brick House</a> for a while.<br />
<br />
<br />
And there, just like that, is a johnny on the spot, why the hell not six (but really five and now !) week challenge.<br />
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<br />
<br />
I told my husband our time line, tonight. He said, "good luck!"<br />
<br />
I hope we don't need it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Here's to all the intrepid <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/blog/2017/4/one-room-challenge-guest-participants-week-2">linking participants</a> at Linda's blog, Calling It Home.<br />
<br />
I am working on a ginormous post with links to all the Canadians involved in the ORC, but with over 250 blogs to visit, it is taking a while to come together!<br />
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<br />Alana in Canadahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08440969357242099169noreply@blogger.com4