more things done

Tired, so this is unedited:

- repotted all plants
- planted thyme seeds
- hung hooks in bedroom (desperately needed; almost done)
- hung curtains in bedroom. Don't know what height to hang them so am sleeping on it before installing the other five.
- finally hung up trash bin on the inside of the cabinet door
- carried in bookshelf
- chose lamps to replace ceiling fans

I have never been so happy to have an unassembled chair in my kitchen

The Lunna chair by Ikea doesn't look like much, but after the ass test I was smitten. It is the perfect size and shape for my body, and provides lots of support without being too squishy. It also has no armrests, so it is the perfect knitting chair.

I have been trying to buy this goddamn chair since August, when the computer said there was only one left in the store-- one that was not on the shelf. They were getting more in on Monday. I bought the footrest and went home. I know Ikea and their atrocious stocking abilities, so I called several times before I had planned to go back. Every time I called they had a different expected ship date, and I was starting to think they had discontinued the chair entirely. I was in Ikea on Thursday because it was convenient, but no chair. I happened to check the website today on a whim, and THEY HAD IT IN STOCK. After running back and forth around the apartment looking for my cell phone, which was in my pocket, I called Ikea and swore I would never shop from them again if they did not hold that chair for me. They held it, I borrowed a truck, I picked it up, and checked the stock again just now. It is sold out again.

I don't get it. Why only get shipments of 4 chairs when it is ridiculously popular?

Meet Jasper.

I went to the Soho Room & Board store this weekend to take a look at the couches I've been eyeing online. I'm really glad I did-- they vary widely in comfort. On the catalogue page they all look pretty similar, but in person the effects are quite different. Klein and Jasper were neck-and-neck for a while, but Jasper won out. The reasonable depth measurements helped turn the tide, but little legs pushed me over the edge.

It feels really good to have this big decision made.

Commandment #11

Thou shalt not covet furniture that in no way, shape, or form fits into thy budget.

back into it

I've been reading lots of Apartment Therapy in the last few months, and one idea I really liked is a list of things you've done. The list of things I have yet to do is totally overwhelming, especially with my time so limited by work, so I'll start with what I did today, my first unscheduled day in what feels like months:

• slept for 13 hours
• completely stripped bed & washed sheets & duvet cover
• wiped down dresser and drawers
• put away everything that was on the floor of my bedroom
• moved several items up to storage
• swept porch and threw out/moved lingering items
• sorted through my entire giant clothes outbox. Marked 3/4 of it for goodwill, the other 1/4 is heading for the wash because it smells like box
  
• frogged several knitting projects that have been sitting around for months
• set up stereo in the living room
• took apart and thoroughly cleaned rotating fan, a task I've been putting off for two years

My room looked like this at the beginning of the day:

I ruthlessly decided to get rid of this huge pile of clothes:

I am about to finish three more loads of laundry, go get groceries, prime some lightswitch covers and my microwave cart, and paint the last remaining wall of my living room.

I'm finding this process very satisfying, but I cannot wait to have an apartment I'm proud of.

But it's purple!!

This chair is currently on Craigslist in my area, and it's affordable. I love the lush but classic styling, and it might contrast nicely with the modern couch and easy chair that I have picked out. However, the carpeting is pink in my living room, which I'm trying to minimize by picking furniture in neutral palatte. I think this purple might push it over the edge into a pink and purple girly palace. Argh. Wish I could see it in the space and then decide!

The Three Keys to Decluttering

Remembering these three ideas is literally the only way I can keep my apartment in reasonable condition.

Every object must have a home. Once this is true, it's just a matter of returning each thing to its proper place, a process that should take minimal thinking.

Every object must have a purpose. If you find something that's been sitting around for a while with no real intent, ask yourself why it's still there. If it has a purpose, find it a home. If it doesn't, get rid of it. Be ruthless, and remember that you won't miss it in a week.

Just do one object at a time. If you try to tackle a whole room (or even a whole bookcase or box) you will feel a powerful urge to do something else. Instead, start at one end of the room and work your way around. Pick up one or two objects at a time, and find their home. Repeat for each object without skipping any. Music helps you get in a rhythm.