Monday, November 12, 2012

Making Room For Baby

 Let me preface that this post is about home stuff.  Just in case you're not interested in that sort of thing.  Because oh boy, there are some major changes going on in the Jane household.  Who knew we owned so much crap.  So much crap.  It's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate without even realizing it.  J and I are making room for baby and our house is totally turned upside down.  I have had to clean out every closet and shuffle all sorts of things around.  It's my own fault, though, since I was using two different closets for selfish purposes.  We have gotten rid of so much stuff.  It feels good.  Only I know with a new baby we are about to accumulate so much more... 


First, I want to profess my love for my house.  I really, really love the house we live in.  I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about what a nice place we have.  I'm so grateful.  We bought our house at the right time and got way more bang for our buck than I ever imagined.  We moved in almost two years ago and we have slowly redone every room but two.   We put in the maple floors right away.  A perk of having a husband who works for a hardwood flooring company.  J and I have painted every surface in all the rooms we've done so far- walls, ceilings, and trim.  We had no choice with the trim since the previous owners painted latex trim paint over the old oil paint- grrrrrr.  It really has made it all feel brand new, even though the house is the same age as me (which is extremely young and vibrant, imho!).  
 

Besides the bathrooms (which we're not remodeling until we have more money- that will be awhile), the only two rooms we haven't redone are the master bedroom and this bedroom, which will now be a nursery.  This particular bedroom was our junk room.  Anytime we didn't have a place for something, we put it in the junk room.  Furniture, boxes of junk, books, old computers... anything and everything.  This room also used to house my fabric.  The previous owners had a baby boy in this room.  I'll admit, the stripes are not my favorite.


J is in the process of putting in some picture frame molding (or would you call it fake wainscoting? I'm never sure of the term).  I think it already looks better with just some primer.  He's pretty darn handy.  We haven't picked a wall color yet but I'm leaning a certain way.  Do you think the moldings are too formal for a nursery?  We liked the idea of doing something different-- trying something new.  And quite honestly, I prefer when the decor doesn't just fit one style.  I like the out-of-place.  Perfect symmetry makes me nervous, too.  Anyway, we have some more nursery ideas in the works.  I'm excited to see it all come together.  Nothing too cutesy.


Somehow in the shuffle I managed to claim the guest room closet for my fabric.  A whole entire closet!  I am very much ashamed of the size of my stash yet also weirdly giddy about seeing it all put away like this.  My only compromise was that I had to share the closet with an old tv that we have absolutely no use for.  I guess if J is willing to let me have a whole closet for fabric I can't complain about hanging on to an old television for no apparent reason.


I'm awfully proud of my organization.  I sorted through everything.  I gave several pieces of fabric away and took some bundles of scraps to school.  And then I organized.  I have every type of fabric imaginable.   I have no reason to buy any more fabric for years.  Seriously.  Except of course for some baby related things ;)


I also redid my sewing space out in the sunroom.  My old sewing space (seen here) had a huge desk set up in an L shape.  In the beginning, I thought it was great.  As I used it, however, I realized that it was really hard to get in and out of.  I was sort of squeezed in to an uncomfortably tight space.  And my chair doesn't roll very well on the carpet.  We needed to get our old computer desk out of the junk room so it became my new sewing desk.  The book shelf came from the junk room, too.  I'm so pleased with the set up so far.  I sewed this past weekend and it was really nice having open space, though my chair could be a little higher.

 

Even though we've done a major cull and reorganization, I still feel the burden of too much stuff.   I still want to simplify.  Between sewing supplies, tools, art supplies and the upcoming new addition- we're swamped.   Years ago, I spent my entire junior year of college overseas (plus another month) and I lived out of one bag.  One bag!  I remember how free and uninhibited I felt not being tied down by stuff.  Not to get too philosophical, but I want life to be about the important things, not the stuff.  How do you manage it all in your home?  And is it possible to sew as a hobby without accumulating so many things?  I think I already know the answer to this...  Time to take up a hobby that doesn't require supplies.  What do you suggest? :) 
 

13 comments:

  1. Very nice! Your room looks great! Well as for the organization of your stuff....sorry I can't help....I have so much stuff in my new Sewing Center. I have tried to refrain from purchasing fabric and work with only my stash. I've been pretty successful so far this year. I've only purchased a small quantity of fabric. But I did go a little crazy at the Sewing Expo in Chantilly, VA. Hey you only live once, enjoy your hobby (stuff and all).

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  2. We had to do a massive cull when we needed to make room for baby. We had a spare room and my sewing room. I had to move all the spare room stuff into my sewing room much to my dismay. It was loads of fun....not! I didn't realise how much stuff we had accumulated.

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  3. Getting rid of stuff feels SOOOO good! I always love wainscoting/moulding, etc, so a resounding yes to that question. I like starting with a traditional base and then layering in the quirky/asymmetrical/modern decor. I wouldn't worry about the sewing accumulation because it is mostly comprised of stuff you really use. Its the unused junk we need to chuck.

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  4. Oh, I agree tidying up can be sooo therapeutic! I think I'm way overdue for some of that too, hehe. I'm srsly impressed by that incredibly tidy stash, as well as your beautiful nursery in the making.
    And don't worry; you are about to embark on one big grand new "hobby"; and new supplies will be mandatory ;)

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  5. Looks like some major nesting is going on! I think that is all part of being pregnant, wanting to get things organised and just right. Your house is lovely. I like the view out of the window. All that green! Looks like a nice neighbourhood.

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    1. I am nesting! It started right away. I thought the nesting was supposed to happen towards the end?! The second week I knew I was pregnant, I sat down and made a "before baby" list-- all the things I want done around the house before baby arrives. We'll be lucky if we get halfway through!

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  6. I was pleased to see your stash looks a similar size to mine, and I have the same ambivalent feelings about it that you do :) I am going to take inspiration from your commenters and try to sew only from stash and just get rid of other stuff I don't use!!

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  7. I can related to that feeling of being smothered by 'stuff'. I get a trailer in the garage at least once a year and just throw out stuff but it hardly seems to make a dent. I'm getting less sentimental and I'm about to have another clean-out. Sometimes selling things on ebay makes it less painful to part with them!
    I was happy to see your pattern stash - mine is not quite that bad.... yet... nearly though!
    Loving the baby room, adorable. Can I move in? I sleep through the night...

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  8. This is tough! I´m a minimalist and try to have as little stuff as possible, but mu husband loves things... he has tons of books, and his main hobby is planting orchids, cactuses and the like. He has tons of these too. It´s horrible for me to live like this, but... what can I do? So far, I keep my husband, lol :).

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  9. I have no reason to buy any more fabric for years. - It is so difficult not to buy if you see something very beautiful in the fabric shop on good price! Ehhh! I think that my stash is too big for me but cannot stop buy a little bit more!
    It is difficult questions - about stuff around, sometimes I am very ill because of all this stuff around, we try to minimize it, but when you hobby need some stuff and you have not only one hobby - it is very difficult%((( i don't know the answer, but I try not to bring new stuff in the apartments.

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  10. I have no reason to buy more fabric, but that doesn't stop me. I have a sewing room, a box in the spare room and a attic space with 2 boxes one of fabric, one of patterns. I too am in the clearing out stage as we don't have any in built cupboards at our house, my husband is making some this month for our hallway. I think society encourages us to buy more as this will equal happiness.
    Just wait to your baby shower, you'll get heaps. :)
    Congratulations on your news btw, I love your nursery, I think its going to look great by the time its finished.

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  11. Can't wait to see all the nesty baby things you do! You don't have to call it fake, he is so talented that is just wainscoting flat out. Enjoy this time!

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