In my defense I was out of town for a few weeks while my hubby was alone with the kids, I’ve been nonstop sick with the virus from hell for the past month, and I’m grieving. But seriously, who am I kidding? My house looks like this on more days than I care to admit. Please tell me I’m not alone here.
Let’s just take a looksy at what is currently going on in my first level. I don’t dare take you upstairs right now. It’s near condemnable.
We will start our tour in the kitchen. I know, I know… I swear I will get to painting this stupid thing soon.
Okay, that was ewy. Let’s see how the rest of the level is fairing. Yikes. This is the joy of an open floor plan. You are greeted by your complete failure to manage your house all in one dose.
Maybe if we open a closet, we’ll get some relief from the mess. Yes! I could always retreat to my cute craft closet to escape. GASP! How does this happen? I can’t blame the kids or the dogs for this. Nope. This is all me here.
And all those cute scrapbook papers. You knew it would end this way. So sad. I can’t look.
Wow, so here is where we keep the vacuum. Let’s see what we can accomplish with just straightening up and vacuuming.
Painful Before:
Better After: Mind you, this pic will be serving as it’s own before pretty soon! Ah, so much better!
Blech Before:
Feel-my-blood-pressure-lowering After:
*Deep sigh.* My mind feels less cluttered just looking at the after pictures. Except I didn’t put the vacuum away because I wanted to tackle that darn closet…so there is the ugly vacuum cord haunting my after pic!
And the closet?
Embarrassing before:
And After:
Okay, this last one is a lie. My closet still looks awful and will need more intervention to return to its pretty state. A girl can only do so much in one morning.
And what you’ve really been waiting for….the winner of the Lisa Leonard giveaway! And just so you know, I pray over giveaways before picking a winner. Might sound silly to you, but I believe in divine intervention.
So God and Random.org have chosen:
I love her “mama” necklace! I covet that necklace!
~ Sarah
Well Sarah, I guess the “mama” necklace was meant to be yours! Congratulations! Contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Lisa. Thanks again to all who entered and thanks to Lisa for such an amazingly generous giveaway!
Stay tuned peeps, because I have another amazing giveaway coming up in a few weeks. Here’s a hint: It says tick tock.
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My house looks 10 times more worse than this just after being home with the kids for 15 minutes. You're rather lucky. This mess is next to nothing.
I was feeling sorry for myself because of the condition of my whole house! No one under 16 years of age lives here but I can not get any darn help! I may give up my pretty nails and get a maid, seriously! I am too old and tired for this these days! Grumble,grumble…
I love that you shared this with us. I know in our house we are always going through cycles of everything put away and waiting for the next set of hands or everything already really lived in and waiting to be put away.
Your home looks lovely and warm and lived in. Just beautiful!
Hello,
You have a fabulous home. We all have those times when we are taken over by the clutter monster. Looks like you won that battle. My craft/sewing area is the worst! Now that my daughter is old enough to "share" the sewing area I have someone to share the blame with!!!(She's making a quilt) You mentioned painting your kitchen. Love, love,love the red!!!! However, you might consider putting a stain on the White door and trim. It would make it like the old world photos you like so much. Just a thought. Love your blog.
Rosie
Ah – the joys of normal day-to-day living. Ain't it grand? Yup, my house looks worse than yours most days. You clean up well, can I hire you??
Um, yes. My house is always messy, no matter how hard I try. AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE KIDS YET.
I'm back. Because I really do covet your home. And your craft closet! GAH! Jealousy ensues….
I love your transparency as always, Beth! I think we've all been there. As a matter of fact, I think my house is in total disarray as we speak. I had all the intentions in the world last night to clean, but was too wiped from the long week, that I just pooped out and fell asleep. Anyhoo, you have still have a beautiful home!
I paused for a moment when I saw the first photo, b/c my own house currently resembles your "Before" photos. Our houses could be twins, except that yours would be the prettier twin. 😉
It is amazing how de cluttering one's home can make everything feel better…think I will try that today!
You have to be easier on yourself. Clutter does not a dirty house make. It's just stuff that can get put away.
Grieving alone is reason enough to feel like you're letting other things go, BUT that's what you do when you grieve. You're working through the painful stuff; no energy or desire to do much else.
Being away from home, where the husband is with the kids? Your house looked pretty darn good when you think in terms of that!
You have a lovely family and a beautiful home. It does not mean things have to be photo shoot ready all the time. That would make it a house, not a home. 😉
Beth, Just relax, everyone has many days when their house looks like yours or worse. Roy (husband) is gone for a week and during that week everything stays in place, is clean and neat and looks a little unlived in. Then comes Wed and he walks in with Food, papers, another dog, and in less than five minutes the house looks like a tornado hit in the kitchen and the den…..he gets to the other rooms later in the day and so we live in a state of chaos for one week and them off he goes again. I really would rather have chaos all the time and have him home.
Barbara
First of all your house is ADORABLE! Second it wasn't THAT bad, mine gets worse. So nope, you are not alone with an out of control house!
Just recently discovered your blog! LOVE everything about it! You have a beautiful home, even when life gets in the way and it gets a little messy:)
I've been wanting to make something with the corks I've been saving–I just keep drinking more and more wine to collect a worthwhile amount:) I'm getting there!
Anyone's house that doesn't look like that at times must not have any family. I don't mind my house getting out of order, just don't let it stay that way to long! Things in order just makes me feel better. By the way, my husband teasingly calls me Mrs. Monk.
I do hope you are doing all right. Thinking of you.
what i always loved about you from the beginning was your boldness (and openness, and honesty)! i love that you'll just put it out there. i would love to do it too, but there may not be any 'after" shots, just the "befores"!
wow inspiring!!! the peed on sweatpants cracked me up. i'm loving your blog!
I love it. We should do a "Keepin' it Real" party! Realtime:My kitchen sink is full o' dishes, and it looks like a shoe store (ok a Goodwill shoe section) in my front hallway. Not to mentions SOCKS threatening to takeover the entire house… thanks for sharing. No you are NOT the only one!
This is my first time to your blog, and I love it! I'm so glad I did.
i feel like i am constantly doing circles in the kitchen to keep it clean, my couch is always full of magazines, mail and other miscellany, and my craft desk is always strewn with stuff!
WOW your "messy" looks better than our usual! I would LOVE to get that much accomplished in one day! GO U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! prayin for ya gal!
Your house is so cute, even with a little clutter. Great job. I don't know how you can be cleaning right now. I'm praying for you and thinking of you constantly. XOXOXO
My house looks like that RIGHT now! Except without the AWESOME brick wall!
I have no good excuses for why… "I have a 2 year old" is the only one I can come up with (Ok- I think that is a pretty good one!)
I need some motivation to clean! Maybe this will do it!
You are not alone. It happens here at my house too. As a matter of fact right now.
Good lord, woman. You've been busy! I was kind of hoping you'd say you never got to cleaning it, so I could feel better about the tornado stricken place that I call home. It's a disaster. Instead of cleaning it, I'm commenting on your blog. I'll blame you.
Your house is not that bad! mine looks like that about 75% of the time. Its normal and looks lived in. LOL Thats what I tell myself anyways! I need to work on my house as well but hurt my back the day before yesterday so I gave myself a 2 day break and now I'm really paying for it!
Whats my excuse…no hubby, no kids…just me and the dog. That's it, I can blame it all on the DOG! Sorry you have been sick on top of going through what you have and I hope that things begin to brighten your path before long. Hang in there, it takes time. But on the flip side, cleaning is a good way to work through your grief……it helps me.
Beth-I love that you posted this! I love that other people's houses look like mine too!
If only the other people who lived in our house-decided that a clean house looks so much better than a dirty one!
Ok-big question! I am having a hard time coming up with storage for all of my scrapbook paper. How did you store yours. Is that raingutter shelves I see in the pics? Do tell. How many papers can you store per shelf? How deep is it? Do they stay? Thanks in advance for answering all of my nosy questions!
PS-come and look at my "cute" carrots. Who knew a root vegetable could be cute!!
I don't have to be sick to get the before pics–I just need my grandkids to pop in for a visit and it looks like an earthquake has hit my home (in about 6 minutes!)–I am NOT KIDDING.
It's so hard to keep up with it all! If only nobody lived here…then it would stay clean!! LOL! Okay, so that won't work either. But a clean house is like a rest–it just feels good. I completely relate!
Happens to me all the time and my house ain't pretty so the mess looks worse…
Oh my, you are so not alone! And amazing how you got it all finished too!
By the way I ♥ that chair with the red plaid cushions!
Now go put your feet up, you earned it!
Hi Beth – hehe, bare all? Give yourself a little break!!! Ha, but you have really put the pressure on us now. My house doesn't look as tidy as I make it appear in the pics that I put up in my blog. In fact, I tend to "selectively clean" when I am shooting my projects in situ – only what is visible gets a tidy-over, never mind the invisible corner of the room behind the camera LOL.
So, well done – you are my hero, both for baring it all, and then for actually tidying it all up!
My house is always a mess. I don't know where all the clutter comes from (maybe from the two boys!) but I swear I put something away and two seconds later something else is in the same exact spot. There are days when I just give up.
So nice to see there are other HUMANS out there. Sometimes you feel all alone. I get what you mean about the blood pressure and the relief when things are cleaned up. But, with kids and husband, you do have to let loose a little or you will go crazy.
Hang in there!
Brooke
WOW! Your house is beautiful…so much character! Love that your shared your true day to day self once again. Thanks for making me feel more normal.
This happens to EVERYONE. I've noticed that the most interesting people tend to have the biggest messes 🙂
Hope you're hanging in there and feeling better.
Of course my home looks like that sometimes! two boys, a dog and husband! I have the same kitchen light at you, I love it:) Honestly, I was not noticing the mess, I love your home:)
Hahaha – that totally looks like my house right now. I'm not even kidding. I'll email you photos if you need proof.
No worries – you'll get to it when you can get to it :).
My house always looks like your before pictures!
Now that is keeping it real, girlfriend!!!! My kitchen looks a lot like your before right now. I am going to go pull a tasmanian devil and clean it quickly so the hubby thinks I have been working hard today especially since I just got back from Europe, Disney and purchased pictures of my sweet daughter from a real live photographer! I am finished with my trip blog and ready to do some fun things. Once I figure out how to link up, I hope to join some of your parties!!
I'd like to say I had a million other things that prevented me from cleaning today but no, I won't lie. I did nothing but read and played on the computer. I knew no one else was going to do the laundry or dishes so tomorrow they will still be. Boy did I have fun! Glad you live like the rest of us!
all i can say beth is don't have anymore kids! cause despite this ultra-organized mama, mine looks a heck of a lot worse than that all the time! barring maybe an hour after i get to clean it up every 2 months! and i am completely holding it against you and God that i didn't win the giveaway! : )
NO WAY?! Seriously, I won?! I'm having a terrible day–this is making me cry. Thank you SO much. I really won. I've been wanting that necklace for a year now and dropped so many hints to my husband (um, does emailing him the link to the website AND a discount code even count as a hint or an all out request?) and now I finally will get to have it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
And, for the record, my kitchen looks waaaaay worse than yours. I keep almost getting it clean and then it becomes a disaster again.
~ Sarah
Girl, I will clean all day and by the NEXT day, you can't tell I have done a thing!!!
Never ending!
Hope you are feeling better!
Lou Cinda 🙂
I am currently sitting in the middle of my mess. I can't even blame my kids or husband. Most of the clutter is mine….all mine. Rats!
Oh, yes happens here too. All the time. Your home is gorgeous even when its a mess! Great post!
My goodness darlin' give yourself some grace–you have been dealing with more than your fair share of "stuff" lately. However, I must say, I always feel so much better when my house is picked up and clean. I swear when it is company purdy I am going to always keep it that way, but alas, life happens! I love your dining room area!!
Have no fear…you are not alone!
Let me just say that I am not going through anything like you have been and my house is still a MESS! An awful mess. I have been painting the living room for two days now and that's made it even MORE of a mess. But even if your house was a little messy (it wasn't THAT bad), I still think it's gorgeous. LOVE the wood floors! What color will you be painting the kitchen, have you decided?
Oh Beth, I had so much laugh when I read this post!
Sorry, but it´s so funny!
I can sympathize! I fly in a couple of weeks to London and I think when I get home, it happend to me!
C`est la vie!
Greetings
Marion
Don't have time to comment, gotta run go pick up the house.
I love this post. This is exactly what my house looks like every morning, except I don't have little kids…I have big kids and that makes it all the more frustrating!
Again, your honestly makes for an interesting and fun post…and I loved seeing pictures of your home. Love the line about the open floor plan, always thought that but never put it into words!!
Hope all is well with you and that your heart is on the mend.
xoxo
Janie
I just popped on to see if I won.
Boo for me, yah for the winner!
I'll be back to covet your home. seriously.
Wow! It must have something to do with the name "Beth" lol! My house basically stays like that…and I don't have the excuse of having small kids at home anymore!!!! =(
Is that pear on your kitchen counter from Cracker Barrel? Is it mosaic glass? I have one just like it I think, except mine is "bruised"…. ha…I had it on the coffee table and kinda sorta knocked it off the coffee table during a Wii game!!! So now it's on a bookshelf instead! Love your house, your cabinets and colors are very similar to mine!
Beth,
All I have to say is that this posting made me so happy…..maybe in a sick way, but nonetheless, it made me happy. I am so glad to see that even though you are a modern day wonderwoman, you still have a house that gets cluttered. I was thinking you were not fully human:) I love that you are so real, even on your blog when you can control what goes out. Thanks for "keeping it real" and for not making those of us who are less gifted feel totally inept:) Love you and praying for you!
Carolyn
Hi Beth!
{hug} I hope you are doing okay!!! I have been thinking about you!
I can TOTALLY relate… my house is a disaster… I am trying to declutter and springify the house and it is getting worse instead of better!
Congratulations to the LL winner
I am looking forward to the new giveaway!
Blessings
Patricia
This never happens to me. My house is always as neat as a pin. You could eat off my floors. And every closet and drawer is totally organized. No need to stop by to see for yourself–just take my word for it. Ha. 😉
But seriously, I am woefully behind on my blog reading and am trying to catch up today. I haven't been here for awhile because I just now saw your post about your dad. I'm so sorry, Beth! My heart goes out to you and your family. xo
Ugh. That.is.my.life. I litterally ran THROUGH myself cleaning this morning, and it's already filthy again! 😉
i am going to say…yes…it happens. i love the layout of your home. lovely.
I have only one comment – I covet your foyer/entry/air lock! I have a "in the city house" and walk directly into my living room.
I have had a really hard day and I looked around my house and mine looked worst then yours did. Thank you for showing me your so that I could have the strength to do mine!