2014 - I am liking white!

It is bitter cold this morning.. a minus 7 degrees here in Southwest Missouri. Our poor heat pump has been working non-stop trying to keep us at a warm 72 inside our home. Emmer Lou, our Chocolate Labrador is laying on her blanket by the patio door wondering if she will ever get back to her normal morning routine of begging the neighbors for biscuits. The weatherman has said it will be even colder tomorrow then we should see the temperature rising. I am ready, this is just too cold.

This morning, I found a new site that I just fell in love with, became a follower, a Pinterest follower and saved it to my favorites bar. 

Diane, over at

www.itsmyownstyle.com

is a great organizer, "diy"er, and an easy to follow writer. I read just a few posts this morning and sent a bookmark to my daughter who is wanting to reorganize her office. Her photo on my google+ feed caught my eye and I had to check out her site.

My goal for 2014 is to get better organized.

Since my husband moved our office to our home, my home organization felt like a lost cause, I just gave up. I now have our business 24/7 in our home complete with phone calls, messages, scanners, email, copies, and all that office stuff, throughout the day and evening. Santa lovingly brought me a new camera, one that I will find much pleasure with, and a new printer. So out the door went the old ones. 

2014 is also a year for discovery and discovering at our house. I must blame my blogging friends for this change in my personality. They have opened up a new world to me. I have seen so much, enjoyed so much and felt a lift in my spirit for places I have never been. My most recent big change is:

I am understanding and beginning

a love of white and neutrals.

Linda over at

http://lindaslifejournal-artlady1948.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-cleanest-room-in-house.html

recently posted photos of her white bedroom. It felt homey, cozy and genuine, a room full of her spirit and it is white. In the past, most white rooms I have seen have felt (to me) cold, lonely and a bit too stark but her room just felt comfortable, like a place to sit and feel good. I had started my journey towards liking neutrals and neutrals so her post just gave me the “boot in the pants” that I needed to get started. 

White is moving in.

I have even been adding white items throughout the house. Kdaughter gave me the white teapot for Christmas and it is my new favorite "white" thing. I found the  small white cannisters at TJ Maxx and they were a bargain I had to have. I wanted them so bad, I dug deep into my secret wallet stash to pay for them.

 We have started with the easiest room in the house, our guest bedroom. It was two tones of blue with matching denim tab top curtains, and a blue quilt and was only used for company.

The old room with the tan colored comforter I am going to use.

Saturday we emptied it of everything, cleaned the walls and trim boards, and taped it off. Yesterday thehubs spent most of the day painting with only the trimmings/cutting in left to finish up today. 

I am going to raise the bed with risers so I can organize baskets underneath it for storage space for my “post menopausal hobbies”. (If you read my blog, you will understand that I have been struggling to enjoy a hobby or two without devoting an entire room or bank account towards it.) Maybe if I can have a set place, and have it organized I won't feel so overwhelmed about “enjoying” time for creativity.

I am going to sale/trade/barter the antique desk for something with more function and also the kitty cat tapestry must go. The desk is great for setting suitcases and overnight bags so it does have a purpose. The walls are going to be a neutral tan with colorful accents and perhaps a more modern twist. 

I am excited to see where it goes from here. So please follow along and offer assistance, encouragement and opinions as we welcome this change.

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It has been a while since I posted a pet peeve so I thought I would share a few today. If you have any you would like to share, please leave a comment and feel free to express yourself!

Pet Peeve #1:

Have you priced paint lately? So far we have spent $124 at our favorite Lowes Home Improvement Store, and I haven't even looked at window treatments. Paint must be made from pigs, because it and the price of bacon now have their own column in my budget planner.

Pet Peeve #2:

Where did we get all of this stuff and why have I kept it? I have clothes that are older than I will admit. I haven't worn them in years. Like that fancy dress I bought for a special occasion, who knows when another occasion may arise and I will need that expensive fancy dress (I have even thought it would make a great Halloween costume, just another reason to hold on, so please insert “kick in the butt” here).

Pet Peeve #3:

Children who do not want any of their parents stuff, really, they don't want any of of it. They have better stuff than we do. Their house is bigger, more modern and efficient, and they don't want to dust any chachkies, nick nacks, or little adorable things they made in grade school. They have smart phones that turn on their lights and lock their doors, robot vacuums, robot mops, and a housekeeper whom I wish I could borrow from time to time.

Thank you for listening.

I hope you will be back again

to take another peek!