Zen Poppy

In case you were wondering why I've been kind of quiet lately, I've been busy.

See, right before Spring Break, when I was starting to pack, I had to make the children play fashion show to see what, if anything, still fit from last summer.

In the case of my daughter that was "not much." So the outgrown stuff is stacked up on what seems like every horizontal surface in the house.

Also I've been doing the vast mountain of laundry we brought back from Florida. And putting things away. This is a pain because it's not warm enough to wear our Florida clothes around here yet. So that means packing them away so our bureaus and closets don't choke. And I haven't finished. So that stuff is getting stacked up all over the place, too.

So piles of clothes that still fit, but aren't warm enough to wear, are keeping company with piles of clothes that have been outgrown.

Once this starts happening, I am seized with an uncontrollable urge to declutter. (I mean, good Lord. What if they start to breed? Like budgies? And I end up with huge flocks of neatly folded clean clothes flying around the house?)*

On top of that, it's chilly outside, but very sunny. And what with no leaves yet on the trees and Daylight Savings time, the light is pouring into my house. Which leaves me longing for the pale, cool colors and general spareness depicted in those books about Swedish style that had us all (OK, maybe it was just me) longing for painted wooden Gustavian furniture. Or at least, light colors and no crap all over the place.

So I'm packing up stuff to take to the thrift shop. And I'm listing stuff on half.com and titletrader and bringing stuff to the post office. Be gone, revolting clutter! Out! Be gone!

I'm aiming for a zen, minimalist exquisitely orderly somewhat tidy ok, not completely trashed house. And then I'll invite you all over post pictures.

* Monty Python routines will haunt me 'til the day I die. You have been warned.