Metamorphosis Monday & Decluttering the wires...

Metamorphosis Monday is hosted by one of my favorite decorating bloggers, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch...

If you'd like to see more of Metamorphosis Monday participants, link here to visit Between Naps on the Porch... Visit Susan to see more participant posts today!

Part one of this post... Decorate...

I had a great painting that hung in my old house (pre-Ricky), but since marrying Ricky and moving into his house, the painting has just set stored in the guestroom, behind the bed. It had a very old and tattered antique gold frame. I've grown not to care much for the frame... but hadn't decided what to do... until the home office project...

Once I started my home office project... decluttering and decorating... I knew I had to paint.

Ricky bought me this really cool spray thingy that makes it easier to use spray paint.... no more arthritic finger cramps... works great!

So... I painted the frame... flat black... mmmmmmmmmmm...

pretty woodwork don't you think... ?

let it dry in the sun a couple of Saturday's ago...

Then reframed my beautiful Magnolia painting... Reminds me of my childhood and the South...

and hung it on the wall behind my desk... yep... I think it's going to work right there...

nope... not finished yet... but I'm getting there...

and now part two of this post... Declutter...

While I'm decorating, I'm also decluttering. One of my biggest pet peeves has been the wires. It's the reason my desk use to face the wall... there are just so many wires and they're everywhere!

But then one day at work, the IT gal was in my office installing a new flat screen for the computer on my desk. When she finished, she pulled out some of this stuff and wrapped the cords, then neatly tucked them behind the computer... so neat and organized! So, off to the Office Depot for my search... found it... (it's just a double sided velcro)...

Now the back of my desk looks like this! What a difference. I no longer cringe every time I see it!

these are a few close-ups of my computer cord declutter...

Sometimes it's the little things...

That makes all the difference down here in French Lique...

Metamorphosis Monday - just a snippit!

Metamorphosis Monday is hosted by one of my favorite decorating bloggers, Susan at Between Naps on the Porch... If you'd like to see more of Metamorphosis Monday participants, link here to visit Between Naps on the Porch...

Now, those that read my blog know that I'm currently in the throws of reorganizing and redecorating my home office... Ricky and I have been working hard at getting the physical changes made... floor to ... well not the ceiling... we still have the popcorn... but floor to nearly the ceiling...

the floor... from 25 year old orange/gold carpet... uggggghhhhhh

Metamorphosis (think fairy sprinkles here.... )

the walls... blue... not an ugly blue... but they were dingy and not my favorite color blue (this was Ricky's son's room... so lots of holes in the wall where posters had hung... a Nerf basketball goal still hung above the door... etc... you get the picture... oh... here's a picture...

Metamorphosis (sprinkles...) pretty, sunny pale yellow...

and the entry door to my office... nondescript... and not me... (we're working on changing all the interior doors in the house)...
Metamorphosis (you know what to do...) and this will Morph some more next week...

So... we're further along than these pics show, but still not quite there... this is a process. Each Monday I'll be posting a few updates until the big reveal... when all is done (maybe March!)... this is a redecorate and declutter project you know... I like the decorating... the declutter... not so much...

And... here's a little peek at next weeks Metamorphosis post... I'm calling this picture... "Where's Roxy"... I had a roommate in school that had one of these rugs and I have wanted one ever since and so.... I purchased this fabulous Flokati rug months ago in anticipation of my redecorating... I think Roxy approves!

Have a lovely Metamorphosis Monday; and thank you Susan for the inspiration to become a butterfly... and to my friend Marcia at Organising Queen for providing the declutter inspiration... you ladies are Deee-Vine!

Just taking it a day at a time down here in French Lique...

declutter - decorate update...

I didn't want you guys to think I had suffocated under all the clutter... I'm still alive and well... What I had hoped would take 3-days looks like it is going to actually take 5-days plus a few evenings... I've mostly cleared the room... there was no where to send my desk and computer - I still have to have my computer for work - but the desk is on wheels, so easy to shuffle around....

So far, cleared the room, cleaned the walls and woodwork, prepped the walls (filled in nail holes etc.) painted over blue paint with Kilz, painted over Kilz with pretty yellow paint. Pulled up he old carpet and padding. Prepped the sub-floor for the new flooring.... I ran into a problem with the flooring - Home Depot had discontinued the flooring I wanted... I had to make today (Tuesday) a shopping day... I did some on line research this morning and went into town (yep, that's what we call it out here in the country), purchased my flooring, had Ricky pick it up and will start putting it in tomorrow evening after work.

I think my expectations may have been a little too high... I have a fabulous chair that I wanted to move into my office from another room, but I'm not sure it is going to fit! I have a new piece of furniture to pick up; once it is in the room I'll know if my chair that I love will fit, or, if I'm going to have to go chair shopping?!

In the meantime, most of my books have found a home on the dining room table. All organized by type of book and size; I have a really cool surprise for you to see (regarding the books) once the room is complete. I've promised to post my completed project on Metamorphosis Monday, but... I can at least show you the book piles...

Things are looking good for a successful declutter and decorating office project, down here in French Lique!

The China Cabinet Declutter... a success!

Let me preface this post by saying... I can't tell you how many times I've searched the internet for help with organizing my china cabinet. I was looking for something practical, with pictures (I'm a visual person); because I wanted it to be organized, but also pretty. Until now, I had absolutely zero success... and then one day...

Browsing though magazines while getting my monthly hair highlights at "Bernie's Mane Event" last month... I came across the February 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Inside I found a piece on organizing your China Cabinet. "Bernie (short for Bernadette), can I borrow this magazine...?"... Bernie replied, "Take it... and don't bring it back." (that's Bernie!)... and so I did.

sorry the photos of the magazine aren't so good, but I think you'll get the idea...

Finally, last weekend, while putting up Christmas, I took time to follow the instructions and organize my china cabinet. Wow! Looks great! I couldn't believe how much stuff I was able to get in there... and when I get my office organized and redecorated this weekend... I'll move my Lladro into my new curio in my office, and my china cabinet will be perfect!

Why can I never remember to do the before photos????!!! Ah, well!

and while I was in the kitchen/dining decluttering mode...

I finally convinced Ricky that we could let go of this 30-year old set of everyday Corell. Yep, 5-piece place settings... 10 of them for everyday... going to Goodwill this weekend. Goodbye old friend; you survived the tough years, now it's time to retire from this household and move on to greener pastures, where someone else will love you for the next 30-years... everyday. And thank you Organising Queen for the encouragement & inspiration to declutter!

I've already done my Pink Saturday and Blue Monday posts, and scheduled them to show up on my blog on the right day. Why you ask? Because for the next 4-days I'll be organizing and redecorating my home office. That means, limited access to my computer. I'm going to take the before pictures today, and hopefully, post the before and the after pictures early next week!

Dreaming about being decluttered and organized in my home office, down here in French Lique!

An organized desk in French Lique...

I recently participated in a linkie: Show Me Your Desk, posted by one of my favorite bloggers, Organising Queen, Marcia Francios. As it turned out, I probably had the most cluttered, disorganized desk posted that day. I have since undertaken the task of decluttering and organizing my home office, beginning with, step 1, the desk. Here are the pictures, proof that I'm making progress! Thank you for the inspiration Organising Queen. I am forever indebted!


This photograph makes my office look positively serene!


No more clutter!

and no more disorganization!

Now all I have to do is finish the other side of the office, and decorate. Steps 2 and 3... stay tuned... lots of decluttering, organizing and decorating going on here in French Lique!