She's no Vanessa.
Keep sweeping,
Martha
1.26.2015
1.08.2015
a portrait of a young girl waiting for a new year
I know this won't solve all my problems. But, right now, it feels like it will.
Keep sweeping, Martha
1.06.2015
just like the ones i used to know
So glad I didn't take my tree down yet. There's something about snow outside and twinkling lights inside that makes the days seem easier.
Keep sweeping, Martha
Watched In A World.
1.02.2015
9 stones (but post-Christmas), alcohol units 1/2 glass of champagne, cigarettes 0, new baskets bought 2
My New Year's resolution.
To get organized.
You can laugh. I know. It's cliche. I am a scholar of women's magazines. I know from the research that I did for my dissertation and subsequent book that January is THE month that women's magazines exploit women's insecurities and make even more outrageous promises about how they can fix your body, your clothes, your hair, your skin, your home. I also know that if they did fix you then their magazines would fold. Hence, the promises never actualize, and you keep needing to buy their magazines because you have not yet perfected your body, your clothes, your hair, your skin, your home.
You can also laugh because, if you know me, you know that I am constantly struggling to tame this home. On one hand, I swear it has a life of its own - its cosmetic challenges, its strange, pulsing energy (which a good smudging ever once in a while tends to erase - thank you, EB's dad). On the other hand, it has two pretty serious hoarders and a toddler living in it. The bottlecaps, the magazines, the toys. Ugh. I need Mehran to perform an intervention.*
But then I remembered. My sister-in-law K (who seriously has it together) swears by baskets. I remember she had a ton on her wedding registry and then on her baby registry. At the time, I laughed. Who needs so many baskets, I thought? I was seriously, seriously naive. And, K was apparently seriously, seriously enlightened.
SIXTY-SEVEN NEW WAYS TO BRING ORDER TO YOUR HOME!
THIRTY-TWO SURE FIRE WAYS TO ELIMINATE CLUTTER!
NINETY-NINE PROBLEMS AND HOME ORGANIZATION ISN'T ONE!
TWO NEW BASKETS AT THE SMITH STEARNS' HOUSE!
I am waaaaay too excited about these baskets.
First of all, let me just say that about two days before Christmas I discovered the Marshalls in Silver Spring. How I did not know it was there, I will never know. But, it's there, and as every Marshalls is, it's fabulous. The basket at the top came from there. It's housing the magnetic blocks and the Marbleworks sets that Boy Beeton received from Grammy and Papa for Christmas. Chaos contained.
The second basket comes from the Marshalls in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has... wait for it... A. FULL. ON. HOMEGOODS. COMPONENT. (KPP knows the beauty of this!) This basket will house all our mittens, scarves, hats. They will no longer be strewn about the floor as though a Patagonia store exploded in our living room.
Despite the beauty of these baskets, you'll notice in the corner of the second photo is the handle from a long abandoned push toy, covered in Marbleworks blocks and ribbon.
This is what I'm up against, people.
Small victories, I suppose.
Keep sweeping, Martha
* I was simultaneously horrified and excited by the episode of True Tori where her hoarding was revealed. Oh, how I can relate. Thank goodness I'm an academic and not a reality star.
To get organized.
You can laugh. I know. It's cliche. I am a scholar of women's magazines. I know from the research that I did for my dissertation and subsequent book that January is THE month that women's magazines exploit women's insecurities and make even more outrageous promises about how they can fix your body, your clothes, your hair, your skin, your home. I also know that if they did fix you then their magazines would fold. Hence, the promises never actualize, and you keep needing to buy their magazines because you have not yet perfected your body, your clothes, your hair, your skin, your home.
You can also laugh because, if you know me, you know that I am constantly struggling to tame this home. On one hand, I swear it has a life of its own - its cosmetic challenges, its strange, pulsing energy (which a good smudging ever once in a while tends to erase - thank you, EB's dad). On the other hand, it has two pretty serious hoarders and a toddler living in it. The bottlecaps, the magazines, the toys. Ugh. I need Mehran to perform an intervention.*
But then I remembered. My sister-in-law K (who seriously has it together) swears by baskets. I remember she had a ton on her wedding registry and then on her baby registry. At the time, I laughed. Who needs so many baskets, I thought? I was seriously, seriously naive. And, K was apparently seriously, seriously enlightened.
SIXTY-SEVEN NEW WAYS TO BRING ORDER TO YOUR HOME!
THIRTY-TWO SURE FIRE WAYS TO ELIMINATE CLUTTER!
NINETY-NINE PROBLEMS AND HOME ORGANIZATION ISN'T ONE!
TWO NEW BASKETS AT THE SMITH STEARNS' HOUSE!
I am waaaaay too excited about these baskets.
First of all, let me just say that about two days before Christmas I discovered the Marshalls in Silver Spring. How I did not know it was there, I will never know. But, it's there, and as every Marshalls is, it's fabulous. The basket at the top came from there. It's housing the magnetic blocks and the Marbleworks sets that Boy Beeton received from Grammy and Papa for Christmas. Chaos contained.
The second basket comes from the Marshalls in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which has... wait for it... A. FULL. ON. HOMEGOODS. COMPONENT. (KPP knows the beauty of this!) This basket will house all our mittens, scarves, hats. They will no longer be strewn about the floor as though a Patagonia store exploded in our living room.
Despite the beauty of these baskets, you'll notice in the corner of the second photo is the handle from a long abandoned push toy, covered in Marbleworks blocks and ribbon.
This is what I'm up against, people.
Small victories, I suppose.
* I was simultaneously horrified and excited by the episode of True Tori where her hoarding was revealed. Oh, how I can relate. Thank goodness I'm an academic and not a reality star.
1.01.2015
but a whimper
I wish I could say I ended 2014 with some excitement, but the energy level around here lately hasn't been conducive to merriment. I'm feeling positive about 2015, though, making resolutions at Bridget Jones's breakneck speed. Though my time - right now - would be better served working on my reappointment materials (which are almost - miraculously - done), I am going to follow in the footsteps of my truly inspirational undergraduates this semester and binge watch Vanderpump Rules. Forgive me.
Keep sweeping, Martha
Finished reading Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer and Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham. Watched Gone Girl (!!!) and Girls: Season Three.
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