Moving furniture, removing wallpaper, and organizing

June 20, 2016

Tidied-up vanity
I've been doing a little fluffing-up-the-nest lately. There's a lot more to do. Somehow, spring cleaning has extended into summer this year. And it may extend a little longer, as right now I'm resting.

I think I cracked a rib last week moving our bed and nightstands. 

I should have got these before I attempted moving heavy furniture by myself.


A friend of mine who says that even glass bowls are getting heavy for her, and that she's switching to plastic because it's lighter, tells me that she can move the whole china cabinet by herself using these. They must be good. I went and got some for the next time.

I had just wanted to vacuum behind my bed. Then I decided to pull the bed out from the wall, turn it on a diagonal, and remove my nightstand. We've been sleeping in the same direction for 18 years! Why not change it up a little? And the SHUTi program I'm following for insomnia says no reading in bed. So why do I need a lamp, or a place to put books and my eyeglasses, paper and pen?

My husband still wants his books!

I kind of like the bed like this, and less clutter.

I removed this wallpaper in the powder room . . . finally. This has been on the list for a while.


Almost forgot to get a picture before it was gone. I should have rented a steamer, but last time I did that it was a two-person job, and I was doing this myself. So I used a spray bottle of wallpaper remover and a scraper; it took a long time. Next time I'll get the steamer. No wait . . . there's not going to be a next time! No more wallpaper.


I still have to do a little spackling.


My vanity needed some attention.


Seriously, my house might not always be spic-and-span clean, but it's usually pretty organized. What happened here?!


I dug out that plate holder thing-y that I use for parties, and used it to organize makeup by type. Foundation, concealer, blush, etc. on the bottom, eyes in the middle, and lips and nails on top.

No more rummaging in the a.m.



I organized my pantry by putting tea and other staples into glass canning jars.




And, lookit . . . an empty cabinet! Our daughter has stored a lot of dishes and tea things in our kitchen (hmmm . . . wonder where she got her love of dishes . . .  ?), and now that's she's packing I'm going to have some extra room. 


Ooh . . . did anyone say estate sale? Antique mall? E-bay? I have a weakness for vintage china, and it looks like I have some more room . . .

I still have oodles of things to do. In the fall, after our daughter moves out, I will be turning her room into a craft/sewing/office room for me. And we're scheduled to re-do our kitchen, which will include some more decluttering and reorganizing.

And then there will be the holidays to get ready for. I'm hoping to make a few gifts this year.

Being a homemaker, nest-builder is a full-time job, isn't it? Even without children in the home. Good thing I think it's the best job going. Truly, there's no place like home.

Linking with No Place Like Home.
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20 comments

  1. Wow! You are busy but I hope you did not really crack a rib. Be careful and take it easy. We moved to FL and I myself has been moving everything around. Tge garage is still full of boxes...Christine

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  2. I agree, Deborah, being a homemaker is the best job going! I still miss my kids though and they've been gone for a few years now. Good thing the two that live out west {one in Canada and the other in CO.} come home once or twice a year. I still have one here too who lives only minutes away. I like your idea of putting your teabags into jars. Take it easy with that cracked rib! I fractured mine in 2010 while visiting my son out in BC. It's no fun and takes a while to heal. Great post and Happy first day of Summer!

    Blessings,
    Sandi

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  3. A cracked rib is no fun. I've done that twice from coughing too much with two different horrible colds.

    Those furniture slides look like something I need to have.

    It feels great to tidy-up, your vanity looks nice.

    Enjoy your week ~ FlowerLady

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  4. You have been the organizing queen, my friend. Wow, everything looks great! I just LOVE what you used for your makeup and if I had room on my vanity than I would do the same thing - it's darling :)

    I always enjoy organizing things, but isn't it amazing how quickly everything becomes disheveled?

    Have a wonderful week. Love and hugs!

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  5. Everything looks nice, Deborah - I love the idea of using the tiered plate stand for your make-up! Love the pillows on your bed, too. I do hope you are ok - that sounds painful. Yes, home-making is the best job ever, but the job never ends, does it? I could stay busy for a thousand years and still not get it all done - Lol! Love your neat pantry - mine is a mess. Take care - no more furniture moving. xx K

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  6. Sorry to hear about your rib, you really do need to take things easy for awhile. Its amazing when the children move out how much more room you gain and how quickly you fill the space. The vanity looks wonderful. Take care.

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  7. Ouch! I hope that your cracked rib heals quickly, Deborah. Thanks for the tip about the EZ sliders--those would definitely be useful for a weakling like me. HA!

    I really liked how you repurposed the gold-framed mirror and tiered plate in your organized vanity. The minimalist in me is geeking out over your empty cupboard.

    Good job on removing the wallpaper. My parents recently finished renovating their kitchen and I'm rejoicing that the hideous wallpaper is finally gone!

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  8. Your energy is inspiring! Doesn't it feel great to get things cleaned and organized? I'm looking forward to doing some of that once I'm done with report cards and exams next week.

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  9. Oh Deborah, you really should move furniture with the hubs. I do hope that your rib heals and please take it easy. I love the feeling of organizing a house and you have done a great job so far with your stuff in the bathroom. Good luck with everything on your list. Take care of yourself and have a nice week.
    Julie xo

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  10. I love the bed in that direction. We've had our bed the same way since we moved into this house almost 11 years ago. I may take your idea and move our bed to the diagonal.

    Also, I LOVE the way you organized your makeup with that 3-tiered plate stand. What a fantastic idea.

    My daughter took all her cookbooks (dozens of them) when she moved out, and that freed up an entire shelf in my pantry. I, too, now have the space for dishes, and fill it I did, with the Fiestaware a friend gave me. In fact, her gift of the Fiestaware was the push I needed to finish organizing my pantry. I also used glass canning jars and some really cute chalkboard labels. Seems our minds are thinking alike.

    Hope your rib heals quickly, but in the meantime, take it easy.

    Blessings,
    Patti

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  11. Oh dear, Deborah, hope your rib heals quickly. Looks like you found the perfect items for moving those heavy things, the next time. Your vanity and pantry look so nicely organized now. And look at all that space you have for your weakness of vintage China pieces!! Enjoy your tidy home, my friend! Love and blessings, Kitty

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  12. OMG sweet friend, I do hope you didn't brake a rib, lord!!
    You do have a lot to do, but it's fun. I like those items for moving things and tks for sharing.
    Love how the vanity looks and it's so lovely to see it all neatly organized.
    Take care please and don't move heavy things anymore !
    Hugs,
    FABBY

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  13. Dearest Deborah,
    Guess with owning a home we always will be facing some kind of chore to tackle.
    You did very well on that bath room and yes, we have to ask ourselves why did we ever want wall paper? We got it also in our two bathrooms. Below in the Rose Suite it is just tiled around the shower and vanity area, which is perfect.
    My makeup is in the cabinet above the vanity, I try to keep as little as possible on the vanity.
    Still very pleased with the two vanities we did ship home from Italy after we backed out from building our home there.
    Love your pantry and also the welcoming empty shelves for you to fill. That will be fun.
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

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  14. Well, you certainly have been a busy girl, Deb! First of all, I love the new look of your blog! Secondly, I wouldn't be without my EZ Sliders! I have them in a couple of different sizes and I can attest to being able to move heavy and I mean HEAVY pieces of furniture. Now this was the slick side on carpeting, mind you. They are awesome! And I want to come and pull that beautiful chenille bedspread right off your bed! It is GORGEOUS! And just when you are ripping your wallpaper off, I have been thinking about putting some back up (probably not in this house but in our future farm house). I'm sorry...I'm a sucker for wallpaper. Great organization of your cosmetics as well...I would have never thought to use that dessert server thingy...it looks awesome! Try to get some rest and enjoy your week :)

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  15. Hi Deborah, yes it is the best job ever. I love being organized too and keeping things straight makes everything run smoother doesn't it? I love how your used the serving plate rack to organize your makeup. That's a great idea. For me, I keep just a few items out on the vanity top decorative mostly. I have a utility tote for my makeup and it sits under the vanity in the cabinet. Pull it out, put it back.
    Love your organizing using the canning jars and wow all the extra space you will have in the cabinet is incredible. Somehow I think you will fill it up!! You are going to have so much fun setting up your craft, office room too. What a job the wallpaper removal was and you did a great job. Thanks for sharing and have fun. Hope your rib feels better too.
    Hugs. xo

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  16. Very nice! Inspired me to do some organizing here (or ask you to come do it for me).

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  17. Hi dear debora ,,, esa es una gran idea m, espero que tengas un buen día
    Cariños

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  18. I need to follow your lead and do some decluttering of my own! Yes we have a bit more wallpaper to remove and like you, it will be the last wallpaper EVER! There will not be a next time here either! I agree now that you have all that space, a trip to a vintage mall is in order! Happy shopping! :)
    Linda

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  19. Oh my Deborah, you have inspired me to get organized too. My makeup is not disorganized but it could use some cleaning and better storage. And that goes for my pantry as well.

    You have some nice counter space in your bathroom which is great. I had to get a couple of units from Ikea to add extra storage in my bathroom and it worked out perfectly. I stopped all the Dior, Chanel and Josie Maran products. Isn't that face oil wonderful??

    Hugs,

    Janet

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  20. So true. I love being home. Even though my job is very part-time, I still dread it a bit and long to be home all the time. Your clean-up job looks fabulous! I agree about No More Wallpaper :) We're slowing getting rid of ours too. In addition to a kitchen redo (like you), my hubby plans to put a new roof on our house in the fall, so the kitchen will wait until another year. LOVE your pie stand idea! Genius!

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