Hello Hello. What's new? We've been waiting on pins and needles for the arrival of our first grandson. Everytime my phone rings I think it may be the call. So that's exciting. Other than that I've been cleaning and still decluttering. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to finally get our basement cleaned out.
What I didn't sell, we donated. I still have a few things left to get rid of but it isn't the overwhelming job that we started with. Again, the feeling of lightness is so wonderful.
These are just a few shots of the house I took over the last few days. For some reason everything looks lighter to me. Maybe I'm just nuts and the feeling I have inside has affected my eyesight, or possibly spring is in the air?
I've been tweaking a little bit in the living room too and when I'm done I'll share that space. I thought for a minute I might wallpaper but I think I've decided against that. But who knows what I'll end up doing. Have a wonderful weekend and see you soon. x
Your house always looks so immaculately clean (unlike mine). I am envious. Supposedly wallpaper is coming back in style, but ... I've put up and scraped down more than my share of wallpaper. If I ever succumb to the urge again, I will try to limit myself to just ONE accent wall. Whew. Ok, I just had to get that out of my system.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your grandbaby!
oh i've torn down quite a bit of wallpaper too. it's the worst! i think i've talked myself out of it mostly bc i tire so quickly of pattern. that's why i'm always moving things around here. if i did do it, it would def be just one wall. i think my house photographs much cleaner than it is in real life. :) x
DeleteThe light has changed here too, it suddenly changes in each room at certain points of the year and everything feels marvelous and new (or not, if we are headed into the darker months).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations of the grandson!
yes, i you are right aurora. the spring and summer light here is vv bright! we have so much shade from trees surrounding us that the winters are really dreary! x
DeleteI love your white walls and wood floors. And the gracefulness of the legs on that china cabinet make me want to trade in my chunky furniture!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new grandbaby!
awww thank you! i'm being drawn to much lighter things lately myself! x
DeleteLovely! Enjoy your posts very much. I'm wondering if you have a TV how you incorporate in your decorating.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, really enjoy this site.
Lis
yes, we have a tv! it's in the black armoire in our living room. x
DeleteThe way light comes in a room makes such a difference. I wish I could be happy with a white interior but every time I attempt it color wins out. Your rooms are very charming.
ReplyDeleteI just wallpapered my entire living room in a simple cream on cream stripe...might be a bit passe but it really shows off the details in my ceiling.
A new grandchild, how exciting! Enjoy.
oh your wallpaper sounds so pretty. a long time ago i painted really subtle stripes in our dining room and loved it. i don't think it is passe at all! xo
DeleteJanet, your house looks so fresh and lovely.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the impending arrival of your grandson!
thank you robin!
DeleteYour house looks amazing,so fresh and clean.I really envy you.Do you paper all your books in white paper?I really liked the image.What Jo Malone cologne is this?Thank you.Efi.
ReplyDeletethank you! no i don't paper all my books - just these 2 that are always by my bed. i read from them ea morning. the jo malone is orange blossom - my favorite! x
DeleteMay i ask the titles of those books?Are they devotionals?
Deleteyes, they are daily type devotionals, Jesus Calling and One Day at a Time which is an alanon book.:)
DeleteThe house looks wonderful and inspiring. I am pinning the picture of your open shelving as I gather ideas for my kitchen. Can't afford a full remodel, but will definitely pull out the over-the -sink cabinets to put in floating shelves. Right now, I have removed the doors of the top cabinets and it looks okay, but it will be so much better without the bulky dark cabinets. Also looking into refacing the current bottom cabinetry with white and, if budget permits, replace the flooring. All it takes is money, right?
ReplyDeleteyep kristien - just money. lol. it sounds like your plans are quite doable tho. exciting changes! x
DeleteYour kitchen is so sweet. Love that black & white floor - a classic. Happy weekend! :)
ReplyDeletethank you miranda! xo
DeleteYour house DOES look light...and elegant. Very clean; like I can smell lemony clean; fresh.
ReplyDeleteJanet, it's H.O.T. Are you getting tired of it yet? I am. I don't need 90 degrees at noon in early March, and it's so HUMID. Here we go again; wacko Southern California weather.
Congrats on the grandbaby; maybe I'll read in the comments if it's Alex and B?
thanks vicki. it has been warm but not too hot here. or maybe it seems that way bc our house is always cold. we have so much shade that it keeps the house really cool. i'm sitting here typing in a big heavy sweater! alex and b are having baby #2 - a boy. xo
DeleteYes, in my current house, I have no trees close to the structure. My neighbor's tall tree really intrudes on our property and rubs on my roof but they always beg that we don't trim too severely because they count on its shade to cool their bedroom (we're respectful; we just want it off our roof!).
DeleteWow, you were typing in a big heavy sweater while I was drinking ice water, wearing a sundress and air conditioning on full blast. (It's menopause, too, of course.)
Oh, isn't that nice; now a&b have a girl/boy pair and also close enough in age to be best buds.
I don't get any shade benefit from my neighbor's tree at all, unfortunately!
Deletehow considerate of you re your neighbors tree. at our last house the neighbors hated our trees. none of them came near their home they just hated that leaves dropped on their lawn. we would always pick up any leaves we saw but it was never enough for them. they never stopped complaining. i think we've had convos about neighbors from hell right?! linda will chime in too! lol and yes this little house is always cold!
DeleteI don't know what it is with some people and trees. Trees are incredibly beneficial for the environment...our air...and not just aesthetics. I see this continually, where somebody just chops down all their trees. The woman across the street from me did it; two, grown, lovely trees that weren't affecting the sidewalk or anything. I guess she didn't want the expense of trimming. We had a long-foreclosed house in our neighborhood which got beautifully flipped this past summer and the flipper tried really hard to save the front tree (not easy, in drought and neglected...but he did so, successfully). It was the last elm tree in the neighborhood from the 1950s. The minute the new people moved in, they cut down the tree, like within a week. I cried; I seriously cried. I'd played under that tree with Barbies and my friends when we were just little things. Conflicting stories from the new owners: 1) The tree blocked the streetlight. NOT. The flipper had conscientiously trimmed it. 2) A potential plumbing issue. NOT. Where it was located was not anywhere near pipes. And it had been there for 61 years. It's bad enough that, all over town, giant oaks have been falling due to drought...but then to have people intentionally cutting down a healthy tree? Well, to me, there should be a law. But apparently only sycamores and oaks are protected on private property, at least here in my area, in terms of city ordinance.
DeleteAnyway, end of tree stories. Thanks for all the conversation. Like minds here!
Haha yes you remember Janet & I know Vicki does too! Our neighbors were supposed to be moving but no signs of that yet. There is so much to be done over there, it's a big fat mess. I think he is waiting for his business to sell. :(
DeleteJust be patient a little while longer. Everything eventually changes! Collective sigh of relief from more than just me: My neighbor from hell (of eight unsettling years, although he was just an interloper/relative and not even the homeowner) is moving within 2 to 4 weeks and, even more thankfully, out of state as well; the house is in escrow. I can't believe the calm which came over me when I learned that house had sold and that this was really, truly coming to an end. It's a challenge sometimes to not let a near-neighbor ruin your life at your home. I feel like I want to go in that empty house before the new owner moves in, so that I can do some sort of cleansing with herbs and candles to remove all the previous, bad vibes. (Well, not me; I wouldn't know what I was doing. But somebody. I've read about people who do that for a living; I think they're called 'space clearers' ... I read an article about it a few years ago in The New York Times online.) Anybody new coming in there deserves to have a happy, nice life. No bad energy! I don't know why, but I'm feeling positive/faithful it's going to be a good person. I don't intend to say a word about what lived there before. A new owner will make their own history/memories. And so goes the cycle of any neighborhood, right?! I wish all this for you sooner than later, Linda! (Sorry you're feeling not so well these days; hope it gets better for you!)
DeleteHi Vicki, not sure if you will see this reply but I know one just has to be patient. (our neighbors have been here 8 years too) So happy for you that you will be getting some relief soon. I know what you mean about the calm, when I first heard they were moving I slept like a baby for the next few nights.
DeleteGood luck to you, I hope you get awesome new neighbors!
Linda
Thank you, Linda! I did come back here; I like to revisit Janet's posts and see added comments from all of her interesting readers.
DeleteHe's gone, Linda; GONE. As of St. Patrick's Day. The day you wrote this comment! Now, I can't stay out of my yard; LOVING BEING OUT IN MY OWN YARD. I feel like a different person; unchained. I spent the whole late afternoon til sundown tonight out there in the front, getting the plants watered (we're heating up and expecting wind), doing laundry with my garage door open (I don't have indoor laundry, unfortunately; the machines are in the garage); sweeping the walkways; enjoying the lovely, cool-warm evening. I even washed off the car (still trying to not waste water, though; the drought isn't yet broken in certain parts of SoCalif). I hope you can know this freedom from a horrible neighbor SOONEST!
Thanks Vicki, our neighbor was trying to sell his business...basically a house he had converted. So I assumed he wouldn't list his home until that sold first. He was originally asking a million (ridiculous because it was a mess...I saw the photos on the internet) I just saw last night that it sold for $470,000. My husband high fived me when I told him.
DeleteI'm so glad that you are able to once enjoy your home again...I'm so happy for you. I can't wait for that day.
Linda
Hi Janet, I know what you are going through...I couldn't focus last week waiting for my granddaughter's birth!
ReplyDeleteI started decluttering this week...stuff I'll never list on ebay, clothing, paperwork, etc. It's going to be a long process. I decided to completely shut down ebay at least for now. Too much going on and have other priorities right now. I was just telling someone today how smart you were to downsize when you did. We are going to be faced w/ that probably in the next 5-10 years. Not a house to age in place...too much yard, have to drive everywhere. The only thing in walking distance is a 7-11 & our auto mechanic. It will be a sad day but have to face reality at some point.
Your house does very fresh and clean. I'm getting a cleaning person soon, it kills me but just can't do it with my health issues right now. Just the day to day stuff is getting hard.
Linda
xo
oh linda i hope you are getting some relief from the pain. a housekeeper is a great idea - so worth it while you are down. also, good idea re ebay too. just take it as easy as possible. i know that's much easier said than done. xo
DeleteYour house is sooooo pretty! Also was wondering if I could give you a list of blog topics since you have a blog audience that seem to "get" each other.
ReplyDeleteThey are:
Morning and evening routines
Daily "well being" items
What do you do in your low energy part of your day
Money savings tips
Homemaking tips
Peaks inside your drawers
Marriage tips
Daily routines
Internet / phone time limits
Simple pleasures for each month
How to create a simple home
That should keep you/us busy!
Lol. Thanks Janet! Bossy aren't I? But I love yours and everyone's wisdom!!! I get a lot of inspiration from your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!
lol jennifer. i think i've covered most of your ideas at one time or another haven't i? maybe i just think i have? lol i can give it a shot tho. xo
DeleteYes please !
DeleteOh yes you have! Just need another round. Lol. Thanks!!!!!
DeleteI'm wondering how you're doing with paying off your house, Janet. I've become obsessed with the idea. I don't see how we can, in my world, but I want to see how much I can take it down (like doubling monthly payments, somehow; maybe...) in the very-few years left we have before my husband retires. It's awful to take a mortgage loan into old age but, sadly, it's happened to some of us (I wish, if anything, I'd gotten married younger and started earlier!). I have to tap down my envy of people my age who have paid-for homes, nice pensions, IRAs, interest income from big savings accounts; sigh. Anyway, is it too nosy to ask? I just remember when, in the past, you talked of it here on the blog in terms of budgeting, how you'd look for deals at the dollar store, etc. (All still so very timely!) Maybe an update? You're our guru for a lot of things, you know...you lead an inspiring life in so many ways even though I know the minute I say that, you'll tell me to get real (smile).
Deletevicki - the goal is to have the house paid off in the next few years. since we are self employed we are always a little worried about sending any extra money away to the mortgage so we do it in lump sums when we feel comfortable. i'm still shopping at the .99 store. always shop 2nd hand for most everything else. every once in awhile i do buy retail but it's pretty rare. xo
DeleteThanks for the comment. I saw quite a few people my age buying canned goods at the dollar store this morning but the frustrating part is that our store does not carry fresh produce and nothing refrigerated/frozen; all is packaged and/or canned, and a lot of hit & miss unless you go very frequently to the store. Or drive to another city.
DeleteI just read something about how to live on Social Security alone when you don't have much of anything else although I had to take some of it with a grain of salt. When my mom became ill in the last years of her life, that's what it was about down to, SS only, as she'd used up all her savings/interest to pay for care at home (her choice) rather than going to a convalescent facility, including reverse mortgaging her house to where there was just nothing left but a very-dwindling, long-term care policy (finite; she'd about used up all of it, too). Her Social Security check (my parents were also self-employed, over 40 years) couldn't alone make her bills once Dad died...so, after interest income/savings went out the window to supplement the SS, my husband and I made up the diff. But, in his and my case, we don't have kids to be advocates for us like we were for Ma and, clearly, seeing how all this went down with her and still thinking about it 4 years later since her death, I get really scared because my husband and I aren't in nearly the good financial shape my parents were in the last half-dozen years of their lives when it took every cent they had to care for themselves in old age. I saw firsthand how it slips right through your fingers; getting old is costly!
Key takeaway from what I read, and I've read a hundred articles like this: If you're mainly counting on Social Security, which was always meant to be supplemental income and not primary, whatever you do, pay off your mortgage. Make sacrifices now for the benefit later of a mortgage-free home. It's the #1 thing they ALL say to do. The only way I can really see that happening with us is for my husband and me to sell this SoCalif house and invest in a small one out of state where housing is much cheaper (buying something outright) although the property taxes are higher (and we might have to pay someone to shovel snow).
I just go 'round and 'round on the idea. My husband feels we should stay put, age in place and just make a mortgage payment til we die, no diff than some people who will always have a rental payment each month. There is one neighbor who didn't buy her first house til she was nearly age 60 (single lady who escaped with nothing from a bad marriage); conventional 30-year mortgage; she's 88 now and it'll be paid up/off next year (says she's going to throw a huge party, although most of her friends are dead now). I'll never live that long, and my monthly payment is one heck of a lot higher than hers. But I try to count my blessings and just thank God I do have a roof over my head.
Sounds like you're doing everything right, Janet. Keep chipping away at it!
well vicki i feel for you. we've looked at real estate in diff states too. arizona is much cheaper than california, most places are. i look at gorgeous homes in the south that are so inexpensive! so that is def an option for you. getting old is costly. and never has my health been so important to me! omgosh so many things can go wrong. i'm like you, i count my blessings every single day. we are all in this together. x
DeleteYeah, my last comment, swear(!)..but I did live in the Southeast U.S. (Houston, TX) for almost three years (long time ago now) and we had a beautiful, brand-new brick home which was under $100,000 (whereas the same house in SoCalif at the time was almost triple that) but, I'm telling you, for a SoCalifornian to wind up in that kind of heat/humidity? To me, and I had to go out to work every day...couldn't escape it...it was unbearable. You live under air conditioning and if it goes out, you can actually DIE. We had one period where I think it was this record-breaking straight number of days, like weeks, where it was over 95 degrees every day and, factoring in the heat index, like what it feels against your skin, they were saying it felt more like 105 degrees. It just wore me out and our air conditioning bill was out of this world...like, at the time, well over $200 a month. So, always a trade-off; we can't get everything; paradise doesn't exist here on Earth. I just wish at this age that I felt more settled/secure. My own folks stayed in the same house for 60 years, never having to face a move/relocation ever again.
DeleteSo excited for you, won't be long now before you're holding a beautiful little bundle in your arms.
ReplyDeleteYour house is truly looking light and airy and fresh, it always does, but I guess you're feeling it's lighter knowing what you've freed your home of these past couple of months. Well done you.
thanks mary. i can't wait! i've gotten rid of soooo much and so far i've brought in about 3 or 4 items! i hope i can keep this going! x
DeleteBUT YOU DO HAVE GRANDCHILDREN GIRLS..............??
ReplyDeleteHOW EXCITING YOU GET A GRAND BOY SOON and I got BANKSY!!!!!!!!
XO
yes elizabeth i have 2 grandaughters and now soon a boy! x
DeleteYour floors look amazing too!
ReplyDeleteSo fresh and clean...
BTW I am excited for you about the arrival of a new grandchild...they are such a gift!
XO
thanks leslie!
DeleteYour home looks so perfectly edited. Your work continues to inspire me to sort and purge. Congratulations on the new grandson! I love my Jo Malone, Mimosa and Cardamom. It was fun seeing Jo Malone on your dresser, too.
ReplyDeleteoh i've never tried that one kathy. all her scents are truly amazing right?! x
DeleteBeautiful pictures.
ReplyDeletejanicce.
thank you!
DeleteYou're such an inspiration. Congratulations on the impending birth of your grandson!
ReplyDeletethank you jeannine! x
DeleteSo fresh and springy. Perfection!
ReplyDeleteaww thanks jen. x
DeleteCongratulations on your newest grandchild! I have 2 girls and the light of my life can't begin to cover the feeling. Your house never fails to inspire me. I'm shutting down now, getting some bags and starting in my bedroom!
ReplyDeletehaha, good for you! x
DeleteLove your insights and refreshing posts each time❤ thank you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new sweet
Grandbaby ❤
thanks so much nancy. xo
DeleteI decluttered the garden, pruned everything and high pressure hosed- it felt wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLove your home and v excited for you about the baby boy!! xxx
thanks k. slowly doing a garden declutter too. xo
DeleteFor the past several days, I keep going back and looking at the last picture, the one of the hutch. I'm drawn to the space around it. Nothing else on the floor. That is my goal. That is what makes my heart pitter patter. The clean spaces. But, I'm drawn to old foot stools with books stacked on them, and vintage ladderback chairs, and big vintage baskets filled with smaller vintage baskets, and small occassional tables here and there, and apparently, lots of other little things that clutter my floors. Edit. Edit. Edit. Thanks for keeping me on track.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Welcome, little one.
I feel the same. That hutch photo screams CLEAN. I always check back here for more comments because I learn a lot on Janet's blog. Valuable conversations. I copied the photos to show just to my husband, Janet. They fill me with peace. Just the title of this post, "Light"...and for all that it is/means...seems to calm me. I wish I could hire you to streamline my life but you've been a huge motivator these past few years and I think you'd be proud of the decluttering I've pulled off although I feel like I'll never be completely DONE. The key at this point is to just.not.buy.anything. Don't add; yes, instead, EDIT. You are so right, Kerri L.
Deletekerri i'm drawn to all that too! i have the battle in my brain myself. less always seems to win in the end with me. but i do love that english decor look so much!
Deletevicki - i think i'd make a great declutter for hire. lol. people would probably hate me tho bc i'd want to throw all their stuff away or donate it. lol ps - i bought something pretty major the other day! still not sure if i'm keeping it. i'll post about it soon. xo
So exciting! Hope the delivery is quick and easy! I've heard of so many women going way over their due dates lately! Funny how the trends ebb and flow with the times. A few years ago they were inducing everyone early. Seems they're back to letting people go on their own time. Congratulations! Your house certainly looks energized and fresh.
ReplyDeletethanks stephen. still no baby as of tonight. she is so wanting this to be over! i know that feeling. xo
DeleteJust when I thought I've seen every inch of your home (which we all never tire of) you provide some shots that look new to my eye. Great captures! Looking forward to hearing your squeals when baby grandson arrives! All my best to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteaww you are sweet emily. thank you!!! x
DeleteCongrats on the arrival, or soon to arrive grandson.
ReplyDeleteI will wait to hear his name, and see his sweet face.
As for reducing, purging, and spring cleaning, this is just what I am doing as well. I skipped the house today and moved right into the garage studio, where yes two cars park and lots of junk that I think I may use or want, but the way I look at it, if it's been a couple of years and not touched or used as decor then out it goes. I was not going to wait to yard sale, I just loaded it up 2 full trips with the SUV loaded down and off to a dumpster and the goodwill donation drop off.
I still have some work in it, but if I quite today then it's a great dent in the reducing, and the sweeping and vacuming all the dust and dirt felt amazing. Friday through the weekend will be going through drawers, closets, and cupboards to rid everything not known to be useful or beautiful, trust me there is nothing beautiful in the spaces.
Oh! HOW I would LOVE to have an open shelving unit as yours over the sink. It looks fabulous. Nothing keeps you on top of your organizing and scaling back then open cupboards and cabinets. Your home is dreamy, and so tastefully placed, as well as creatively arranged from floor up.
Enjoy your nesting place, it's just perfect.
Xx
Dore
dore, you are so sweet. you are right in that open shelves and only one closet really do keep me in check...to a certain point. i always have my tiny basement that slowly gets filled with junk. i did really good selling things at the flea market and now that basement can breathe again. the key is to not fill it back up! lol good luck with that janet.:)
Deletei cannot imagine the stuff you donated, it was probably v v beautiful! xo
I love your cottage.
ReplyDeleteJanet, you really should write a book about how you came to embrace this lifestyle and what it has done for you. There are so many of us out here who aspire to your lifestyle but just don't know how to get started and once started, how to keep on keeping on. How you decided what to keep and what to let go. How you became a vegetarian and what led to that. How you shop. How you decorate. I think you would be surprised how well it would sell. Your cottage is very small but it lives very large. And your beautiful gardens I could go on but I won't. Thank you for what you do share - I have taken so much of it to heart.
ReplyDeleteSo fresh and springy. Perfection!
ReplyDeleteแตกใน xxx