In house-cleaning mode today, since we're back and I have it all to myself. Here I am in my daughter's room, where there's a full-length mirror and decent lighting –– not messing with anything, just being here.
Mostly I've been decluttering the upstairs hall, which was a no-man's-land all summer long. I don't know why I couldn't clean and declutter with people here, but somehow it's a lot easier to motivate myself when I'm the only one home. I haven't yet tackled the Book Table of Doom ––
–– but I did clear and straighten the windowseat alcove at the end of the hall.
I'm on the lookout right now for ways to shift things to make room for more bookshelves, because holy cow, do I have a lot of books stacked up around this house with noplace to go. Some of the books on this table can be boxed up for my older son, to whom they belong, but really I'd like to have them out where we can see and read them. I think I'll probably put that table, which is not all that nice, out on the curb and replace it with a shelf in that space.
Then I think I'm going to carve out some space for a shelf in the downstairs hall under the stairs, where this deacon's bench currently resides.
I'm thinking I could switch this bench for a shorter one currently in residence in the dining room, to create more wall space where a decent-sized shelf could go. The deacon's bench, which belonged to my grandparents, has lived in the dining room before, so I know it'll go.
Book space at the end of the downstairs hall, which I love very much:
Bonus shot of phone-alcove shrine in the downstairs hall:
This house is showing thirteen years of hard wear since our family moved in. Our floors reflect the patina of six people and one large dog who hated having his toenails trimmed . . . Not going to do anything about the floors at present, but one of my plans for the next few weeks is to do some woodwork painting. As you can see, the woodwork is pretty dinged up. Once I'm finished with my reorganizing and cleaning inside, I'll embark on that.
But yes, here's Camellia under my apron:
I hand-washed her around midnight last night, when we got home, and after rolling her in a towel, laid her over my drying rack to dry. This morning when I got up, around 8:30, she was dry enough to put on.
It's been a pretty physical, sweaty day, going outside and back in, up and down the stairs. Our upstairs isn't air-conditioned, so working up there was a warm proposition, but my dress has stayed dry and fresh all day.
Here, finally, is a scarf hanger my daughter sent home with me. I'm not sure it's supposed to look like this, but whatever. Now I can see my favorite scarves:
