The Handy Homeowner Girl

I owe you all a bit of a mea culpa – it wasn’t that I forgot to post after Monday. It’s just that I was having a rather stressful (read: having trouble breathing because I was so stressed out) week, and I couldn’t bring myself to focus on the more enjoyable things in life, like blogging here.

But here I am tonight, with some of my pins from this week. Before I share those though, I wanted to mention a few things that made me happy this week around the house:

• Scented drawer liners: I know I mentioned that I was doing some de-cluttering (and I’m definitely working on it – went through my shoes earlier tonight!) and as I was de-cluttering some of my drawers, I found a box of drawer liners that I was saving. They’re Crabtree & Evelyn’s Nantucket Briar, and while I ordinarily do not go for such a flouncy scent, this one is just perfect for drawer liners.  I put one in my bedside table, so every night when I open it to get my journal and hand cream, I breathe in the smell and it makes me feel just a little bit peaceful.
• Cleaning routine: In the last few months, I’d gotten far, far away from my cleaning routine.  So that meant I was either doing ALL the cleaning on the weekends, or the house was getting messier and messier until I couldn’t stand it anymore.  This week, I resolved to get back to my routine of doing one or two cleaning chores a night, and I stuck to it! So all I have left for this weekend is to take out the garbage, vacuum, and steam clean the floors downstairs. I feel like a lady of leisure!
• Packing: I think this one made me the happiest. Normally, the few days before I leave for a trip are unbelievably hectic. I didn’t consciously realize this until last week, when I was a cleaning whirling dervish in anticipation of my friend’s visit, and all of my anxiety and running around-ness made Barney (the basset hound) convinced that we were going for a road trip to my parents’ house. I thought he was just excited for a walk, he thought I was going to put him in the car. So in an effort to not be a lunatic banshee (who, moi?), I thought I’d start my clothing plan/packing process very early – that’s right, I said clothing plan. Despite doing the international travel thing for the last seven and a half years, I have not gotten any more efficient at packing. I create a clothing plan that identifies exactly what I’m wearing for every single meeting, meal and event I have planned. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of getting dressed when I’m away, which is often helpful since sometimes, I have about five minutes to get dressed before dashing off somewhere else.  But it also stresses me out (and takes HOURS to do) because I have to try on outfits to see what works together, what fits, etc. I finished the clothing plan on Thursday night, and actually was able to get most of the clothes I’ll need packed and/or laundered. So there’s just a little bit more laundry to do and the packing of all my other bits and pieces (computer equipment and cords, camera and lenses, makeup, that kind of thing) and I’ll be ship shape!
• Miscellaneous: And some non-home-related things that made me happy this week: Mindy Kaling’s book – it’s laugh out loud while you’re reading funny. I highly recommend it. Downton Abbey – don’t tell me what happens, I still have a couple of episodes to catch up on. Love me some cousin Matthew! Camp Bow Wow – Ollie went there twice this week, and it helped me be more efficient. Twice next week too, for him and Barney. Episodes of Ellen – it was the best idea I’ve ever had to start DVRing her talk show so I could watch it again – she makes me laugh, reminds me I can dance for no reason (which I’ve started to do while cleaning), and always gives back to people on her show who need help, which puts my life into perspective.

Now, on to the pins!

 

Advice I needed to tell myself every day this week.

 

My sister has said she doesn’t get the obsession with chevrons. I like them, though I don’t have any in my home. I think if you like chevrons, but aren’t sure where to start with bringing them into your home, a pillow is a good place!

 

Another quote I need to tattoo on my forehead.

 

Daniel. A good one.

 

Umm, do these not look divine? Sea salt caramels wrapped around marshmallows?!? Sign me up….

 

I love this picture – it is so Barney’s dream life.

 

I can’t believe I’ve never seen this idea before – I absolutely love the idea of hanging a ladder from the ceiling that you can hang clothes on. I’m trying to figure out how it would work in my tiny bathroom/laundry room.

 

Another in the good ideas department – if you’re painting something, like the letter above, put push pins into the back of it, so that the paint doesn’t dry to the surface your painting it on.

 

A Daniel bonus. From Casino Royale.

 

Don’t you just adore this cabinet?

 

Yup, needs to be on my mirror.

 

Do people really not know who Paul McCartney is? I was a little more than horrified by this….

 

I’m not sure I’m ever brave enough to go black on the walls, but isn’t this room fabulous?

 

Since I first saw them on HGTV, I am obsessed with the idea of using barn doors in the house like this. I would love to replace my yucky closet doors with something like this!

 

This just makes me laugh. Every time.

 

Another good one.

 

What a beautiful door!

 

This cracks me up, particularly since we had an amazing a capella group in college who would sing that song.

 

What a darling shower curtain.  As my friend Maura would say “put a bird on it!”