So I did make some progress today in decluttering the sewing room. (Actually, decluttering the living and dining rooms of the stuff FROM the sewing room.) I'm down to a pile in the corner that contains all the stuff that I want to turn into gifts for next year, a pile of magazine pages to file in binders, and a pile of things to photograph to see if my sister wants them. Oh yeah, and a pile of empty containers that no longer store stuff but might be needed before this organizational phase is over.

In my one excursion outside the house today, I think I found a piece of furniture for the living room, and it's marked down quite a bit. It's at an "antique" store, though it's not an antique--probably from the '60s. I think it's an old buffet--it's got great lines and quite a bit of storage so it would be a perfect solution for the living room's storage needs and would be a great entertainment center for me.

When I first moved into this flat, I could only imagine the living room set up in one arrangement. And I really haven't moved things around much, except when I brought the cardmaking stuff and drafting table in from the sun porch this fall. But since then, I've been thinking about options and I think I might have come up with one. The true inspiration is a chair I bought a few years ago--it's been in an unoften used corner of the living room. I love that chair--it's almost as comfortable on the chaise that I sit on any time I'm watching TV. But when I rearranged things to set up the Christmas tree, I put it in a corner that faces the TV and have gotten to sit in it more and realized I want it in a better position in the room. So I think I can do all this once I undecorate and it should solve a few challenges.

I got to see the upstairs flat today, which is very similar to mine in layout, but she's done great things with color and she's a VERY neat and tidy gal, so, unlike my more cluttered decor, their place is not only clean and tidy, but picture perfect! I have to keep reminding myself that I have 20 years more of stuff than they do, plus I have lots of hobbies, so there are reasons I have stuff around. But as I clear through the sewing room, I'm motivated to tidy up the rest of my home and life. Maybe next weekend I can tackle the dining room built-in linen drawers or the cabinet that holds all of the hair stuff, body wash, makeup, and all of that for a purge of its own.

So there is progress being made, though there's still the Christmas letter to write and some cookies to bake. But there's Sunday...