KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

GQ it's mmf007 who's sil is doing a boot sale, so hopefully she will be selling all her stuff and making some funds.

Oops! Sorry, not paying close enough attention to detail. Good luck to that lady, whoever's SIL she is.

MMF007

Yep, Mrs MP is right GQ, it's my SIL carbooting and looking for work. Thanks for the good wishes, which are much needed. BTW, she just txtd to tell me her takings, a measly £30. It was very cold here this morning so attendance was low, apparently. She is hopeful about a job she had a second interview for (a second interview for a shop assistant, why?? Responsible job though it is, surely they can cover all the issues at one interview?).

Last of Stuff and furniture out of back bedroom - Kondo'd an old printer and some party plates n decs that had been tidied away last summer. We will never use them, no idea why they escaped Kondo round one, but they are being released now!

DH has now got the decorating bug, which he will neatly pass to me - he's the ideas man, I'm the executioner, as it were He says the bedroom wallpaper is looking tired in places. Actually, I'd thought the same. I really love the paper we have in there so am reluctant to change it......I did keep the best part of a roll so could strip tatty area and re-do but will need to check if any fading etc before trying to match up.

I just need to free up some time for an autumn round of decorating. It's a very small house but old, so 'quirky', no square walls, lots of nooks n crannies and deep window reveals etc. I find it a bit challenging but rewarding when done, of course!

M

Low carb moussaka made ready to go in oven for tea. Used all fridge bottom veg and roasted 2 aubergines, very low fat mince and have prepped big salad, so should be healthy!

GreyQueen

Back home and dodged another rain shower. Have also picked up a puncture on the front tyre, the original from when the bike was bought in 1997. Given the age, and that the tyre is perishing anyway, I shall stump up for a new tyre and tube and not faddle around with a puncture repair kit.

I was pleasantly surprised at finding that the bonfire mound was almost flat, it obviously smouldered on for quite a while despite the heavy rain. There were just a few small bits of carbonised rotten fence posts left over, which were themselves left over from last year's bonfire.

Bonfires being so fast and furious that proper timber doesn't usually get time to burn. I like some proper wood in a bonfire as it retains some heat and allows the rest of the stuff to burn better, but you don't always get rid of it all in one go.

I raked through the ashes and you can only see where the bonfire was if you look very closely. The ashes were cool as there was rain yesterday afternoon and overnight and this morning.

MMF007, shame that your SIL only took £30, it's a lot of work in the cold for that, but better than a poke in the eye. Hope the job interview works well. Don't you have to jump through some hoops these days to get some pretty ordinary-type employment?!

Still no takers for my freegle offerings but the day is young. I shall make a salad-y type tea with some fresh veggies off the lottie. I have pruned one of the side branches off a chard which is desperately trying to turn into a chard tree. No one should have veggies taller than she is, it just ain't right.:rotfl:

Serendipitious

Good afternoon all, and what a beautiful one it is, about 17 degrees here and the sun is showing all the dust and streaks on my windows.

Been busy with work and play so nothing much done, though some Bay sales have been made so at least 4 items are going out there.

Wishing everyone well, and I will add my name to the list of GQ anecdote fans.

Hoping to get back on track during the next couple of days. x

Slinky

Been catching up with the ironing today, and put another wash on with some of the stuff out of our holiday suitcases. I fear it will take another 2-3 weeks to clear things through at the current rate, but seeing that it's all summer stuff there's no immediate need for it to be clean.


OH cut the grass which grew a heck of a lot last week, more than the 2 weeks we were away. I managed to remember to remind him to check an old mower in the back of the shed we were unsure if it works or not. Has been found to have a very dodgy switch, so has been moved to the garage to be taken on our next trip to the tip at the end of the month.


A couple of OH's shirts have been identified to be released, one to CS the other for CS ragging. I really must make the effort to shift them to the CS as there are a couple of bags of stuff which have been lurking about for a while but are yet to leave. Note to self, it doesn't count if the stuff is still in the house!


MMF we're also considering some redecoration. Got some wallpaper samples this week. We're going to be moving in the next couple of years and I want to make the place look a bit more modern. My d!cor in our hall will be perfect for the 'new' Victorian house we're trying to buy, but prints of stage coach scenes and old maps probably don't do much to 'sell' our 1970s home. We're told people make up their minds in the first few seconds so the hall needs to be a bit more appealing.

greenbee

Slinky - if you're decorating with a view to selling get as much light into the hall as you can. Light and space (and lifestyle...) are what sells. Either work with character if the house is quirky, or dress it to reflect current fashion if it isn't. But light is key.

I moved the dehumifier last night while moving furniture as I remembered there had been a leak in a corner while the new pipework was being done. However, the office still needs drying out too. So I've been in touch with my brother who is going to drop his dehumidifier off sometime this week. So thanks to GQ for the reminder that this needs dealing with...

Having started moving stuff out of the kitchen/utility/dining room to get the floors done, and then the builders not getting them done in the timescales, I now need to move everything back out of the bedrooms (mostly just china) and make all three workable for the winter.

Slinky

I agree greenbee I'm removing pictures with dark wood frames and some wall plates. Don't know what I'll replace with pictures wise. The hall is already painted a very pale Dulux rose white, I'm just going to do one wall with paper and the facing wall at the top of the stairs in the same paper, and keep the rest of it the same. We've got a pine Welsh dresser which won't suit the new house so I've been looking at finding a metal etagere which will be used for display in the hall here, then move the dresser on to CS.


We also desperately need to declut my OH's 'office'. It's so grim he won't even work in it, it's just full of his junk. It needs decorating as it hasn't been done for about 17 years. Full of furniture, going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff, then will purchase a day-bed which will eventually go into the hall in the new house (huge hall) with the etagere.


Will need to change the carpets at some point, we've got pale blue right through the house which won't be to everybody's taste. Will probably keep it in the bedrooms but replace the downstairs and hall/landing with a more neutral colour just before we try to sell (giving the cat less time to claw them).

MMF007

Slinky, sounds like you have it well thought out. Someone told me that it's a good idea to visit some newbuilds to check the zeitgeist- style as well as colours and accessories.

M

GreyQueen

Might be a good idea to check out interiors magazines or style articles in women's glossy mags to see what's fashionable. They sometimes have these in the public libraries.

I understand from those in the know that most buyers want the kind of looks which would mean that they could just move their stuff in without having to do a shedload of decorating first. Neutral-fashionable, if there's such a thing.

And that light is very important. Lightness, cleanliness, declutteredness (not sure that's actually a word), that kind of thing.

Slinky

Good idea on the visiting newbuilds MMF, they're building new houses in our village so I could go and look at what the competition is!


GQ I'm fortunate to have just got a subscription to House Beautiful as a freebie with a bank account, so this is being devoured as it comes through the door. I will however be looking for cheaper alternatives to some of the £64 a roll wallpapers on show! I was very pleased to learn that our joyful bedlinen was the Gold choice in readers' votes in the magazine's 101 best buy competition.