Fall Cleaning and a Personality Disorder?

 
We missed spring cleaning this year, so over this past Labor Day weekend, we had "fall cleaning." You have to understand that I'm kind of strange, in that I am a recovering perfectionist in most areas of my life, yet I am somehow also a quite messy person (my bedroom would scare you most days). The other (or I should probably say another) strange thing about me is that I really, really like organization. I'm just too lazy to be organized, I guess, and don't mind too much if clothes are covering the bedroom floor. Feels cozy to me. Dan thinks otherwise. However, when I do decide to clean/organize (mostly for my husband's sake), I go overboard and have to make everything perfectly clean/organized. I always forget how much I love it when our home is clean and tidy! Yes, I'm that person who likes to alphabetize, categorize, and sometimes even color code their cd/dvd/book collection - if I get that rare urge to clean or organize, that is. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm usually all or nothing when it comes to cleaning/organizing, and usually nothing. But watch out when I'm in that cleaning mode!

This past weekend is a perfect example of my crazy extremes. I should have taken "before" pictures, but they would have frightened you. We keep our bedroom door shut most of the time for a reason. Lately, we have had to create a path from the bed to the door. That should give you a good enough mental picture. Knowing we had a three day weekend and nothing planned gave the perfect opportunity to start. Actually, it started with a random desire to finish decorating Charlie's room, since he is 9 months old, after all. Once I got started (and almost finished!) with that, I realized we needed another bookcase, or two, to house all of the books I kept finding everywhere. Well, with two new bookcases/pieces of furniture comes reorganizing the small spaces that will hold the new furniture. So, our living room was next, following our bedroom (one bookcase in each), then our dining room, bathroom (yes, even the tiny bathroom), and Dan worked on the basement a bit, too! It's kind of like when you have to change your shirt because you spill something on it. Then you have to change your pants, then your socks, then your shoes, and so-on because they don't match anymore.

Oh, I have to also mention my new semi-obsession with Pinterest. It has quickly brought out the crafty side of me (more on this in another post). So, in addition to crazily cleaning our house like a nesting pregnant lady (which I'm not, just to clarify), I convinced Dan to let me buy a bunch of craft supplies to make decorations for the bare walls in Charlie's room and our room. It was a busy and productive weekend! I love when our house is so organized! Why don't I keep it that way? Hmm.... (Now, I know all of my former roommates in life are nodding their heads to this. My apologies for what you had to experience in being my roommate. If you know and love Jesus, you will be rewarded in Heaven, I'm sure.)

Here are some pictures of our newly rearranged living room. We're not completely finished with the other rooms yet, so you'll have to be patient! Don't you just love bookcases? It's always been my secret dream to have a library with those tall gliding ladders (like in Beauty and the Beast) in my home. This one (below) is far from that, but perhaps in Heaven.

More to come!