Spring Cleaning

Our new carpet has been installed. Not quite the thrill I was hoping for, because it's essentially the same color we had before. But this carpet is CLEAN and NEW and that is a wonderful thing.

However. The whole event has gotten me into cleaning mode, and that might NOT be such a good thing. We had to move all the furniture, of course, which included a bookshelf. I have had this (Wal Mart) bookshelf for at least 5 years, and in that time it has accumulated many, many shelves' worth of c-r-a-p. Books, yes, but also crap. Where did I get a San Diego travel guide? And why? I've never gone touristing to San Diego. And why do we still have DH's fraternity tiki-shaped thing -- I don't know, is it a coffee mug? I think maybe we've outgrown tiki memorabilia by now. Also, why do I have 7 sets of playing cards, some of them still unopened? We have played cards exactly once in the time we've lived at our house (maybe a 2nd time when Mom and Sis visited, and we broke out in simultaneous Solitaire games, as is our tradition). Anyway, when I had to dislodge all this junk from the bookshelf, and more important, when I had to put it all back last night, I started having a panic attack about how to better decorate and how much stuff there is to get rid of. I'm even ready to toss some of the somewhat valuable stuff. I'm just sick of looking at all of it.

My house hasn't ever looked like a magazine, but I'd like to head more in that direction than the post-college, "no-money-to-buy-nice-things" look I've been harboring all these years. And less clutter! I've got to pare down if I'm going to keep my sanity. Truly. We can't continue to collect little junk items and me have a stress-fit every other year. I have two mantels in the house. One has a collection of family photos -- probably 15 or so. I want to wipe it clean. I'm sick of the pictures, sick of the frames. My other one has several books, a decorative plate, a crystal vase, a set of candles, 2 knick-knacky angels... ?! It's bad, it's really bad. They say a mantel is the focal point of the room, and mine need focus!

Here's my main problem. I know I joke about shopping... but I am NOT a very good shopper. I don't like spending money. I cringe when a decorative item is $29.99. That seems expensive to me. (I know, it's a sickness.) My developing theory is that, in order to have fewer things that look nicer.... I need to have somewhat expensive things. So there ya go, I'm in a fix. Quite literally. I will be fixing this problem from now, until.

Your kind offerings, on my behalf, to the gods of interior decorating are appreciated.