Organization & Beautification

Before:

Not so organized, clean, or pretty room

I think I will echo the sentiments of most women when I say that life is not always organized nor pretty. On my way to work this morning, I was thinking about how some weeks I am completely on my A-game. As a result my house, life, and career (and blog) stay 100% caught up and I still manage to both work out and watch TV with the hubbs while also going to bed early. Then there are the weeks when it feels like life is completely out of whack. The clothes that never seem to look right in the morning lay strung all over the house, dinner is never home cooked and never happens before 10 pm, and my husband and I neither watch TV nor go to bed early.  

Let me assure you that I'm by no means a Master at it, but I have learned that attaining some sort of balance in life is as much a mental game as it is anything else. As a result, part of my weekly ritual (usually Sunday nights) is aimed at organizing and beautifying some aspect of our life - laundry, email, finances, our house in general, etc. This week's focus: our bedroom. It's amazing how much a new lamp, a clear floor (sans shoes) and some clean sheets will do for your morale and mental ability to deal with the week ahead. 

*Side Note: the beautiful lamp you see on our bedside table cost me $50 at Tuesday Morning, originally $135! 

After:

Chest & painting from my parents (sans laundry & shoes)

Clean bedding on a freshly made bed

Bedside table with newly purchased lamp

Lampshade beside bed

A Fresh Start

There's something about the beginning of the year that inspires me to undertake a somewhat extensive re-organization of our house.  I think it has to do with a combination of New Year's Resolutions, taking down the Christmas decorations, and just wanting to start the year off right.  There is something to be said for minimalism.  Although, I rarely feel like our household knows what that word means.  Last night, when the tree left our living room, so did some other items for which I had been wanting to find another home.  For me, it feels so freeing to see all the clutter go away.  Here's some great spaces that really motivate me to want to keep our house looking this way. 

Have a great Sunday night, and happy first of the week to everyone!