Assignment 3: Get a Fresh Perspective (01/06)

Avoidance, thy name is Maya. After the busy weekend I did anything but Monday’s task. I did a lot of thinking about my space, but most of it anxiety driven and very little of it focused or productive.

I actually managed to do this on Thursday, the same day that we picked a project. It hit me as I sat down for dinner on the couch, that the space I ought to meditate on is the space opposite my living room sofa. Even though it’s where I sit every day, I’m always looking away – at the tv, at my phone or computer, anywhere but at the wall.

And no wonder. It’s very blah and messy and cluttered. The space currently houses my book collection and craft corner. As a space it is most definitely not conductive to creativity or productivity, not great for what is supposed to be my workspace.

Imagining the space empty, I think about how the room is very long, so it is also conducive to being broken up into smaller sub-areas. The space definitely has potential, it just needs some tweaking.

To Do: Additional counter space, additional shelving, some vertical storage/visualization space, a serious decluttering, move the photos and trinkets off the counter-space, add some variable lighting, and FINALLY get some guest chairs

Assignment 4: Set Up an Outbox (01/07)

“The Outbox is not garbage, nor does it need to be an actual box; it is a halfway house where things sit while their fate is being decided. You should never be afraid to put something in the Outbox.”

That large box in the background is my outbox for the kitchen.

I didn’t feel too bad about procrastinating on assignment three because I knew I was already a little ahead of the game this week. I have an outbox in the front closet for clothes and other random items from the bedroom and living room, and I’ve got an entirely separate outbox for items coming out of the kitchen. So far I’ve pulled out a lot of duplicate kitchen items, lone wolf dishes and silverware, and things I’ll never use but somehow ended up with – egg cuber anyone? Goodbye old fishbowl from college (though I may take this back and repurpose into a terrarium), and good bye strangely shaped blue martini glass… I’m totally on board with this clearing out part of the cure!

Assignment 5: Pick a Project to Cross Off Your List (01/08)

As much as I’d like to get my bedroom spruced up and under control, the biggest impact on the whole apartment (and only project that ties in with one of my new year’s goals) would be to spruce up my craft corner – and by association, my library and seating area. Most of the living room to-dos will be swept up by various cure assignments, and I may or may not be able to do much with the curtains or the seating ($$$), but a corkboard/tweaked craft area is totally doable.

Assignment 6: Prep Artwork for Framing and Display (01/09)

Simple task – pick/plan to prep a piece of artwork for hanging by 1/28. I’ve got just the thing. Back in October a good friend went to a design show in Cleveland called Weapons of Mass Creation and brought me back a sweet limited run print that will look great with the blues and red in my living room.

I’m going to give myself bonus cure points if I can frame a few other things along the way. I’ve got a couple band posters and a number of family photos that could definitely use a presentation upgrade.

Assignment 7: Weekend Chores – Flowers, Kitchen Organizing and Cleaning, and Make a Meal (01/10-12)

“Using your kitchen regularly is the only way to keep it in good shape and is central to the well-being of a home.”

My kitchen looked particularly destroyed after a long week at work and letting everything pile up. I got to some deep cleaning here. Washed all the walls and cabinets, and I took everything out of the cabinets and washed out the insides, too. I gave the floors a preliminary cleaning last week, but this weekend I really got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floors under the sink and right up to the baseboards. I need to figure out how to move the fridge and the stove though, for now those are stationary.

I picked up some beautiful new flowers – sunflowers – some of my faves. I almost skipped the last chore, making a meal, but then my Sunday evening plans changed at the last minute and I didn’t feel like getting take-out. It turned out I had everything I needed for broccoli cheese soup – perfect for the end of a long weekend. More on that on Tuesday.

Other updates: I make an IKEA trip for my “project” and managed to buy only the two things I came in for. This is a serious shopping accomplishment for me. I worked on installing the new shelf I bought and destroyed the living room in the process, it’s mostly okay now though.