Remember last week when I made the choice to deal with sticks instead of clearing off an obviously cluttered shelf in my living room?
Remember how I chose the sticks based completely on the assumption that the sticks would be quicker?
I was wrong.
Today, I dealt with the shelf, and it took all of about a minute.
Fine, maybe a little more, but not much. I started by testing out the CD player that I was pretty sure no longer worked. Obviously, I’ve been pretty sure for a long time because the extension cord that used to there (a necessary thing) was nowhere to be found. And I have no recollection of when it disappeared.
I think I realized that this CD player didn’t work around a year ago. But I thought, “Surely I shouldn’t throw it away! Like, completely away . . . in the trash and everything?”
Because throwing it away would be crazy, while leaving it out on a shelf where it’s never used BECAUSE IT DOESN’T WORK . . . is totally sane.
Mmm-hmmmm.
I tested it with two different CDs, one that my daughter was just playing yesterday on another player. Neither worked. So I threw it away, which was amazingly painless and quick.
Then I moved the scattered CDs to a place near a working CD player, and the DVDs to the DVD spot. Again, painless and quick.
I dusted, took a hidden Easter egg back to the Easter-egg-storing-place, and rearranged the now-pretty-much-empty shelf.
I like the way pretty-much-empty looks.
This was a detail. Not a project, but a detail. One that took very little time or effort once I paid attention.
I have been loving your Details, Nony! I have to agree with this today: “I like the way pretty-much-empty looks.”
I emptied our bedroom last week for it to be painted, and when I put the bed, 2 bedside tables, 2 dressers, and 2 lamps back, I LOVED it!! Clear floors, dresser tops, and bedside tables!
Now nothing is going back in my room unless I need or love it. So far very little has made it back into the room. I think that if it doesn’t make it back into the room in 1 or 2 or 6 months (I haven’t decided yet), it will be donated or thrown out.
Thanks for your inspiration and I voted every day for you until voting closed yesterday.
…Lisa
Thank you! I was excited to come in second!!!
I know the feeling. My husband likes to hang on to things, but I really enjoy the “pretty much empty” look and I also love giving away, throwing away, or recycling.
tiannamae.blogspot.com
Love “almost-empty.” It looks fantastic. My Mom has her difficulties–and one of them is that she has yet to look at an empty space–and like it. She sees “empty” and thinks “needs to be filled.” Oh we laugh about it, she shakes her head at herself: and fills up the space.
I’m amazed every day how I get “accustomed” to a stack or a pile or a box that is there “just for now”…why IS that? Once its gone I’m so glad, but truely it could sit there for days/weeks/months? before I “notice” it??? I get so much inspiration from your posts, thank you!
You might want to add a couple more pictures or evenly space the ones you have. Otherwise your shelf will start feeling naked and start inviting its clutter buddies to invade. You know, just for a minute.
I have been the loving the details too!! You keep me motivated! Thanks for showing us a detail can be just that. It can be something small that makes a difference. It doesn’t have to be a project to make a difference! I plan on continuing the detail thing after your 31 days are up! I even told my OCD husband he should try it too (ok so he is OCD about his stuff staying perfect but he lacks on finishing details of projects sometimes). Thanks for being such a huge motivation!
Very nice!
I have 2 half working CD players upstairs that I haven’t used in over a year. Maybe 2 years. But…. but… but…. they HALF work. I can’ throw away something that HALF works, can I?????????
ugh… being a slob sucks….