I have become an organizing and decorating junkie. I just cannot get enough home organizing and decorating action. Kind of. Actually, that’s not true at all. What I really can’t get enough of is virtual home organizing and decorating. You know, the kind I do while wearing jammies, curled up on my couch with laptop in hand and faithful dog snuggled up at my side as I fanatically stalk leisurely browse Pinterest and the temptingly beautiful websites for places like Pier 1, Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, and IKEA.
Since I’m mentioning IKEA, can someone tell me why – in the name of everything good and decent in this world – is there no IKEA in Las Vegas? Sin City has beautiful hotel casinos that look like New York City (including a Statue of Liberty), an Egyptian pyramid, and even Italy. We can zipline across the Fremont Street Experience. We are blessed with beautiful parks, libraries, a fabulous children’s museum, plus we can eat at a buffet at 3 o’clock in the morning if we so choose (not that I choose to do anything other than drool on my pillow at 3 AM). How is it that IKEA remains a state line away? End of IKEA rant.
My meandering thought point here is my virtual organizing and decorating issue. So bountiful is my collection of Ideas-To-Make-Our-Home-Beautiful-And-Efficient that I had to create a private Pinterest board on which to pin those ideas so my Pinterest friends wouldn’t hate me for blowing up their feeds with my ideas. Even though they are super fabulous ideas.
At some point it might be wise of me to set down the laptop, get off the couch, put on grown-up people clothes in place of my jammies, and do some actual organizing and decorating. Maybe put some of those thousands of pins to use? Just yesterday morning that very thought occurred to me. My next thought was even better: Maybe I should just pour another cup of coffee and see if the first thought goes far, far, away.
Now, you inherently regimented freaks of nature inspirational people already have long since finished organizing, decorating, feeding the hungry and finding a completely organic homemade cure for male pattern baldness, so you probably don’t understand the concept of procrastination. I, on the other hand, excel at procrastination. Even now I am writing this post not because I know your life instantly will be changed for the better after reading my words. No. No. I write this post because I find it far more entertaining than going upstairs to assemble the shower organizer I bought yesterday. But I’m getting ahead of myself (not a common practice for a procrastinator).
Oddly, even after I poured another cup of coffee, my bizarre Let’s-Go-Organize-Stuff thought didn’t go away. Since I didn’t want to drive five hours to the nearest IKEA, I chose Target instead. Did I mention that in addition to being a procrastinator, I tend to be easily distracted? And I went to Target, the store that carries everything I could ever want to buy. Without a chaperone.
Still, I was feeling very proud of myself. After months of pinning, I was ready to conquer the world. Or at least a couple rooms in our house. I had visions in my head of hand-woven baskets in which to store like items, lovely cloth covered boxes with hanging file folders that will orderly contain all alphabetized household paperwork, perhaps boot hangers to end unsightly boot-clutter on the closet floor – and while we’re at it, matching clothes hangers sound dandy. Shelves for this, caddies for that, clips for whatever. I even dared to dream of a stately towel warmer to hold the matching towels I would buy to replace our mismatched towels.
I walked though the doors of that store feeling like a home organizing super hero. It was not long before I transformed into something more like a frolicking puppy distracted by a flittering butterfly. Oh there are books! Look at those adorable Christmas dresses for three year-olds (never mind that I don’t even know a three year-old). Oooh…I don’t know what that sparkly, glittery, useless thing is for, but it sure is pretty. Hey, toilet paper is on sale (at least that is useful).
Two hours and too many dollars later, after having a lovely little visit with the cashier, I loaded up my car and headed homeward to initiate Project Organize. I had browsed though every aisle, nook and cranny of the store. And I had purchased: 1 blouse, 1 cami, 2 necklaces, 3 bracelets, 1 ring, several Christmas presents, tea, plenty of on-sale toilet paper and… 1 shower organizer.
I think for now I’ll just stick with virtual organizing and decorating. Perhaps 2014 will be the year I dive into real organizing and decorating. Perhaps I will have pinned enough great ideas to fill up an entire home. Perhaps next time I will make a shopping list. Perhaps I will learn to bring a responsible adult chaperone next time I enter anything other than a grocery store. Meanwhile, the shampoo, conditioner and soap in our shower will be extremely well organized.
Not Afraid to Try 