It's Almost Spring

It's Almost Spring....and here's a little idea for keeping track of Gardening and Yard stuff...Buy a package of Oxford Classic Ruled Index Cards....Spiral Bound....5" x 8".....these are available at most office supply stores although I first looked at Walmart. Our Walmart had the smaller sized cards spiral bound but not the large ones. The spiral binding is across the top and you open the cards up just like a little notebook but the pages are a bit sturdier...

If you'd like and I'd suggest it decorate the cover of this little notecard set with something spring-like. I believe that when things are pretty we tend tos use them more and they bring joy into our lives. Then use the first card in the set to create a little title page....use some inspirational quotations and other "fun" things....

This is going to be your outside...to do list, master chore list, garden journal etc...all rolled into one...and unless you are an avid gardener and journal keeper...50 cards should be plenty for the whole season.

Start by creating a card for each outdoor space that you hope to care for or create in this season. For example: Front Flower Bed by porch, Patio, Beds behind the Garage, Rock Bed, Fairy Garden, etc. At the top of the card write the outdoor space name and then on that card write a list of things that you need/want to accomplish with that particular area. Be sure to include routine chores also...like weed the bed, mulch etc...In the end the card should contain plans/dreams for that area as well as the to dos that are necessary for upkeep. This becomes your to do list and master card for that particular space. Right now I have seven or eight such areas....haven't decided if I am going to replant one area beside the patio or let it return to its natural state.

Now let's say I end up with 8 Area Cards.....Following those 8 cards I will create 8-16 reference cards one for each area...they will be labeled Front Flower Bed Notes, Patio Notes etc. The purpose of these cards are to record information about the type of plants I try in those beds this year. I am working toward perrenials but I also have some annuals too...so instead of keeping all those little stakes...I write the info on these cards...if you have a big bed or big list...allow two cards for each bed. If you like you can create a little map of each bed and label the plants as they are located in that bed.

The next section will be my Gardening Journal....thoughts, notes, ideas, etc about the season as it unfolds....some may just be inspirational...some may be important for remembering next year. At the very back of the notecard book I will reserve 3-5 cards for a section called Things I Want to Try Next Year....Then when I come across a certain plant I'd like to try out...or a friend suggests one...I'll jot a note to myself in this little section....or perhaps this year it is too late to thin out some plantings but I know next year I will HAVE to do it....those notes go in this section also.

This is just my little take on outdoor planning...so if the Spring bug is biting you already....maybe you will want to set one up also...When I get a minute....I'll post a picture of the little creation!!

Room Personalities: The Living Room

Home Journal Entry 1

The personality of my living room is lively and maybe even a bit hyper. This is our main gathering place along with the kitchen. Here is where my family visits, watches TV, and plays games. I would like for it to be a bright airy space with lots of comfy seating. I would like it to be clear of clutter and the storage in this room to be easy to access and organized. I would like to keep the main focal parts (shelves above sofa and loveseat, dry sink, and dresser top) seasonal with a frequently rotating display of things that I love! I would like the furniture to be more functional and "open up" the room as currently it has a recliner that is sort of angled into the room.
This summer I need to play around with a different arrangement but that requires moving an antique cabinet full of stuff right now.Almost one whole wall of this room is a BIG window. Right now there are mini blinds on it. They are dusty and I am dreaming of taking them down and putting up some curtains on perhaps a wrought iron curtain rod. The kind that has the little straps that slide over the rod. I hate dust and minimizing it is important to me. Also the blinds are sort of "dated".
There is a long shelf above the window that we put up several years ago. It has never been as I envisioned because it is too high and there is a wallpaper border behind it that distracts from anything placed on it. I would like to take it down!The entertainment center has great storage but there are usually DVDs scattered. I need to examine how these can be handled better. The wooden antique furniture I have in this room is perfect. It supplies storage, is beautiful, and fits in the space I have. If I can figure out a way to move that recliner I would like to keep an eye out for a smallish, wooden, coffee table for in front of the sofa...definitely a flea market treasure hunt.

My Home Journal

I have been thinking a bit about my other blog: My Home Journal. Thinking about what "topics" might fit there. Of course, "home as art" is a natural there but what else? I asked myself....today I decided that since clutter appears to be building up AGAIN...that My Home Journal would be the perfect place to talk about dealing with clutter, develop a plan and work the plan with updates and reflections on the process. It also fits in with the "home as art" and the house's "personality" because clutter says a lot about us and our approach to life!

So for at least the next two months and possibly longer the main focus at My Home Journal will be decluttering the house. If you have a clutter problem or just a problem area...please feel free to join me over at My Home Journal...you may post your plans and updates either as comments or in the chat box there. Maybe you are clutter-free.... if so Congratualtions...you are awesome!!!

Home Journal Exercise #1 Room Personalities

Start by thinking about each of the rooms in your home. Devote a page or two to each room (over time not all at once). Write about the way the room is used (or you would like it to be used). Think of it as the "personality" of that room. Is it quiet, calm, and serene? Is it lively, talkative, and full of action? As you envision it, think about how you would like the room to be. PLEASE do not spend time dwelling on what you can not have...I know I wish all my rooms were larger and had more storage space but it is not going to happen. The purpose of this exercise is to allow you to "love the room" as it is (size and shape wise) while making it the best room possible with things that can be changed! Jot down your thoughts at the moment. No need to worry that you might change your mind. That is to be expected.

Keeping a Home Journal

A home journal is a place to dream, plan, envision, and reflect on making the house you live in, not just a place to sleep at night but a HOME. With our busy lives, our homes should be safe, functional, but most of all a comfortable oasis for relaxing and recharging.

You can use a plain spiral notebook, an artistically altered notebook, a purchased journal or even a blog. If you are buying a journal I would suggest a somewhat larger sized one. (at least 81/2 by 11) rather than the smaller versions. Sometimes I like to include photos torm from magazines and therefore a bit larger is better for me.

You may be curious about what goes in a home journal. Well fear not! There is no right or wrong but I do have a few tips and ideas to get you started. I'll be back either later today or early tomorrow to post the first one...in the meantime be thinking about what kind of journal you will use. I am using a REAL journal and a BLOG...so I can share with you my actual writing for the different exercises we will be completing BUT more about that later!