I love Domesticali's New category of things;

"small elements of my home that I do not detest and that I have photographed so as to eliminate all traces of dirt and detritus".

I love reading all the blogs on my list. I love reading all the house books that I can lay my hands on, ripping them to pieces and sticking them into my inspiration books. I won't get into how much more time I have to actually do things around my house if I don't go on t'internet and how much more money I would have available if I didn't have this programmed need to buy buy buy .....

I admire the true homemakers, I really do. I have a hankering to have a successful business, clean house and a family who can find matching socks without looking in three different places and finally finding the match half way behind the sofa cushion where it's been for three weeks so that I have to wash it before they can wear it and they either have to wear it wet, in which case I worry about pneumonia, or start again on the quest for a pair with another singleton. I have been known to tell them that as long as they can justify the relationship, they can wear the socks; Buzz Lightyear goes with Zurg, Star Wars and Dr Who are both Sci-fi, both socks originally were white and now have a faint pink tinge, you know what I mean.

Until quite recently my own house has been in a nasty case of crap-itus. Every surface, every cupboard, every shelf full to busting and no where safe to sit and relax. I did post some pictures when I started this blog of the "Toy Room" (from hell). I must post the pictures that show what it looks like now..... I am nearly proud. Just labels.... but I digress. What I mean to say is that there were no corners of my home I loved. Well, perhaps the bed, but only if I were in it, and not to look at which I think made it a bit of a one night fling, as in one night I'll get out of you and make you into a boudoir (french for sulking room.... what's romantic about that?) but until then I'll fling everything around. So when I read Domesticali's title for a new category of place, "small elements of my home that I do not detest and that I have photographed so as to eliminate all traces of dirt and detritus". it stuck a real chord with me. There are elements of my home that I do not detest, there really are, and I should celebrate them. Tomorrow if the weather is good I can take better pictures, but for now here is my new favourite place.


My spice cupboard. I did a Simple Abundance on it. I emptied it, I threw away anything that could protest about being thrown away, I stocked up on new and spicy spices, I transferred herbs etc into little and pretty pots, but most crazily of all, I lined it with a flowery wallpaper (50p a roll in B&Q's sale) and made it into its own little boudoir.



I want to line the shelves with lace, simply because I want some shelves to line with lace and these are the least public shelves I have. No one uses them but me, no one else has a reason to.



This is my little oasis of calm and tranquility and, a week later, it is still tidy, I still smile when I open the door and I still enjoy using the spices. With thanks and apologies to Domesticali, one of my heroes, I would love to nick your category. For the domestically dyslexic (and I think I am), it has to be one of the best ways to explain how we feel.






By the way, Happy 4th of July to all the Americans.... I'd ask you over to a tea party but if you come from Boston, it would be a waste of good tea (!) Have a good Independence day & it's nice to see our American Cousins in good party form!