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I just did a response to Randy on the topic of attractive food presentation and thought this topic could use it's own post. Here's what I wrote...
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It's funny how we all strive for our individual interests. I love to interior decorate. I feel at peace in a clutter free environment that looks really good, out of a magazine good. Other artists could care less what their houses look like and sit on a pile of newspapers littered all over the sofa but rather would put all their efforts into making something else look outstanding.
It's all part of who we are as artsy folks.
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What sort of things do you like to achieve to perfection?
For my dh, it's detailing vehicles. He carries a dust cloth on the dash of his truck. LOL
My truck is generally a pigsty (although I prefer it spotless, but I don't keep it up), but I love my kitchen PERFECT. No clutter, no unused things on the counters, just enough to make it look homey and for good presentation, but then the counters are mine, all mine!
I love to unclutter and give the stuff away to a thrift store. I never feel a loss when I do it. I feel richer! I have so much extra space to buy the stuff I really want in that spot. How cool is that?
I love a well manicured garden area. Something in bloom all the time and well balanced. (not the way this present location is but our last home was perfect). Gardening takes alot of time, something I don't have too much extra of at the moment. But it is my desire to achive this status again soon!
I guess I should add I like figuring out what food looks best on what plate now that I seem to be getting some education on it. LOL! Kimberly, I loved your comment about putting your food on a grandmother's quilt. That is so true!
I have a "junk drawer" philosophy that says that when the "everything has a place & everything in it's place" theory is not realistic in a modern-day homeowner, business owner, family member life... then a person needs the equivilent of a junk drawer.
Everything that hasn't yet found it's "place"... or isn't ready to be returned to it's "place"... goes in the junk drawer as an easy way to have beautiful, spacious refreshing uncluttered perfection everywhere else... quickly & easily!
The other important description of this theory is that the junk "drawer" can be anywhere from a drawer or shelf... to an entire closet, garage, or attic. However big it needs to be to contain the flotsam & jetsam of life that needs, at least for the moment, to reside in the limbo land between the uncluttered areas of your domain.
Just last night I downloaded some pics from my camera & resized for posting on this board. The last 2 weekends I spent some time on shop organization, & when I get those pics posted, I will add that link here, as I think it applies.
To respond to the other implied part of your inquiry Donna... the areas of my life that are less important... I never wash my truck. Currently I drive a 3 month old truck. My last truck was bought new & traded at 3 years... same with the truck before it. I love it clean... & I pay to get it cleaned occassionally... but I never wash it myself. I guess it just doesn't nother me as much as other things, so it's not a priority. On the other hand, there is NEVER any junk left in it for more then one night... usually not even that.
My desk gets very cluttered during the day. The weeding & production tables & shop benches are usually cleaned between each project... but my desk is where there is evidence of the fact that 3 dozen things are always going on simultaneously. I do try to clean it every night before I go home... because that is when I find the post-it notes (PIN's for those of you who have advanced to using PDA's)to myself reminding me of the critically important things I MUST do before going home (or often MUST do 4 hours ago )
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Well heck, in a "perfect for me world" there are a lot of things I'd like "just so". But alas! I live in my life! ... which is far from perfect. hahahhahahaa
One thing I absolutely gotta have "just right" is my coffee. I'd rather do without otherwise. I can't do the regular perculator stuff, ... make mine espresso ... the kind that'll grow hair on your chest .... please. And I MUST have cream ... NOT milk. Give me half and half baby! I like to fix up my espresso maker the night before, so it's easy to get started the next day with just one click on the stove.
Two more things done in my house daily will make for a good start to a day. A clean kitchen with an empty sink (done the night before) ... and a made bed. (upon ejection)
I love a clean and uncluttered living room. Remote put away, pillows in place on the sofa, and armoire doors closed. No matter how tired I am the night before, I do manage to do this most of the time before going to bed.
I have dreams of a well landscaped, and lush yard ... but I'm still working on that. For that I'm using the 'ol "enjoy the journey" story.
I've been freeing myself of clutter now for years ... I'm so close! Very liberating indeed.
Ideally a clean desk would be grand ... but then maybe I'd be out of work! I do try, (but usually fail) at cleaning up my work table daily.
My car and garage are lost causes. I find they need gutting weekly ... and I'm not always up to it.
I guess I can go on ... but I really have been wanting less stress in life above all. I've found that to accomplish that, I've had to let go of some of my persnickity-ness in things, and let things land where they fall at times. Of course, this applies to things that just don't matter much in the big picture.
Um, oh yeah, I want the toilet seat kept down when not in use, the TP flap coming from bottom to top and I always put the cap back on the toothpaste.
Nettie
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
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I'm a mess 100%............ If it wasn't for Patti, it would show....lol
-------------------- Ed CJ Williams CJ Graffx Christiana,Pa. cjgraffx@comcast.net Just have'n fun.... Posts: 296 | From: Christiana,Pa. | Registered: May 1999
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We try to keep our shop clean and uncluttered although when things get hectic it tends to show. My desk never seems to get straightened from end to end although I continually work at it.
My truck tends to suffer although I'l admit it sure feels good when it's clean.
The only thing I truly stay on top of is the lawn... I LOVE riding my little John Deere and like to keep things neat and tidy. I think its as much to relax as anything... And I can daydream and plan to my hearts as I cruise around the rolling green grass. It's therapudic!
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8741 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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Donna, I love 'spring cleaning' and hauling stuff off to the thrift store too!!. . .Then I go to another thrift store and buy new different stuff to give away the next time . . .lol.
. . .I like clean, large, open spaces . . .I like lots of windows and being outside. I like working in the yard. . .I can't stand for the yard to be a mess. . . I love to keep the grass cut. Emily helps rake or pick up limbs, etc. in the yard.
I can't stand, won't tolerate, and personally prevent dirty dishes pilin' up . . . and unswept floors. LOL. I keep the shop floor swept too. But especially in the house, I can't stand a gritty floor when I'm barefoot.
Emily's jobs are to take out any garbage out when it's full and fold and hang clean laundry. I wash and dry a load of clothes each day and wash & change sheets on the weekends. I usually make the bed while I'm gettin' up. Emily usually makes her bed before she goes to school...but if we're rushed, I do it.
When I was younger, married and worked part-time my house was immaculate and perfectly organized . . .now, between remodeling this house, and working full-time, and bein' Mom & Dad . . .well, I have to pick & choose my battles . . .and a perfectly immaculate house is history.
I have a lot of stuff . . .but it IS stacked up neatly . . . I now can tolerate my 'clutter' if it is at least somewhat organized...lol
If anyone gets somethin', from where ever . . .I expect it to be put right back there when they finish with it. I can get pretty ill if I have to stop and hunt something simply because someone left it in an unikely place.
Whether it's a remote peice of paper-work, a tool, a spool of thread, whatever . . .I like to be able to know it's in it's respective file cabinet, tool bench or sewing box . . .
I usually only wash and vacuum my truck before a long trip . . .it's pretty much a 'work' truck and I'm liable to have just about any kind'a tool tossed in the back seat on top of some book or thing of Emily's. . .but I keep a garbage can in there for trash as I will not tolerate anyone chunkin' trash out the window . . .I'll make a U-turn and they'll have to get out and pick it up if they wanna ride with me. . . lol
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Gotta have my dashboard clear, bed has to made right away, the garbage can't sit too long, alot of "quirks" (obsessive compulsive), but I do have a few lost causes such as a garage with too much stuff, a kitchen drawer that has an unbelievable amount of stuff in it, a stack of books and magazines waiting to read, a website that needs to get finsihed -up, blah, blah, blah,...it's aggravating just to start thinking of these unfinished chores.
-------------------- Rich Stebbing RichSigns Rohnert Park CA 707-795-5588 Posts: 755 | From: Rohnert Park, CA | Registered: Nov 1998
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lets see, the sun shinning, birds singing, temp about 76-78, the smell of fresh cut grass,and a slight breeze which makes my wind chimes make sweet tinkling sounds.....soft enought to be heard, but not loud enough to cover the other sounds......yep thats perfection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! rest of this stuff is just a distraction.....
[ March 02, 2005, 01:10 AM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I do try, (but usually fail) at cleaning up my work table daily.
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