messy and tidy corners

The kids' art table last evening. I look at this and think, "how can you work here?", but am reminded of Jack asking me the same question when he was unable to find a pen among my own chaos before last week's big desk clean-up. I love order. I love it when things are clean and simple and spare. I am not, however, a naturally orderly person. I'm a slob. I crave order, but struggle to maintain it. Except my blog. I keep it pretty neat and tidy around here, and I like it that way. No one is going to come along and leave a crew of Playmobil pirates behind on it or step on an open ink pad and trail red footprints all over it or cram play dough into its fibers or cut it with the wavy scissors or doodle grumpy vikings on it. My blog is my one neat and tidy corner, and I am thankful for it.

Comments

[Alison]

Great post. I have this wonderful image of you waking up to find someones left red footprints all over your blog...... :))) And a playmobil man in the corner over by the copyright notice...

[Lyn]

And a very lovely neat and tidy blog it is too !
: )

[Madeléne]

Just want to say that I LOVE your page, all the pictures are so inspiring to me!

Thank you for my everyday smile
/Madeléne

[AmyDe]

Oh I feel so much better! I don't know - somehow it just feels better to know that net everyone is a "neat studio" person. I too crave - really crave order, but truth is I'm a mess! I've learned to be ok with it, but it makes me feel better when others (esp w/children) are in the boat with me. Thank You Thank You Thank You!

BTW - the blog always looks good!

[Desirée]

I couldn't agree moore, a tidy and neat corner makes all the diffrence.

[katie]

Okay, are those actually Longaberger baskets that your kids keep their art stuff in? I wish I could be so effortlessly casual! But our Crayolas are in Tupperware. Sigh. =)

Love your blog--just found it through a link from Hilary's.

[hannah]

grumpy vikings. love that. ah order, i want it so badly too, but you are right, i get the majority of my tidy fix from blogs, and yours is looking spic and span!

[beki]

Ya know, I just came to this same realization about myself - I too am a slob that craves order and neatness. The constant struggle between the two drives me mad!

[Blair]

This looks like my kid's art table, there's never a square inch of empty space. I cleaned my studio the other day and came in later to a lego sculpture someone left for me on my work table. Apparently I had cleaned things up a little too much.

[elisa]

Oh Girl I can so relate. I can't tell you how many times I picked up the dumped Playmobil bin yesterday. I too want to be neat and orderly but I guess that must be the recessive gene because I am a total slob. Sigh. The blog though, right there with ya on that one.

[mimulus]

another reason to start a blog: it stays done, not like the meals that get eaten and need to be cooked again, the bed that gets unmade each night, the clutter cleared and then redistributed. Women;s work is never done they say, and homemaking can be dispiriting when you have little to show for your efforts (except happy kids and partner, I guess not so little) SO viva la blog! and any creative project with a shelf life longer than 20 minutes.

[amy h]

Hear, hear! I think this is a great reason to have pretty pictures -- not that you even need a reason. Personally, if I didn't post pretty pics on my blog, I'd spend all day noticing the things that need to be fixed or cleaned, rather than noticing the beauty in everyday things.

[Kristen]

I find beauty in that picture of chaos, but only because it's not mine! One's own clutter can be so overwhelming.

I've often thought about starting a small "clutter club", where the members meet occasionally at each member's home to help organize. Even if the help is to cheer the host member on, I think it could be beneficial. Anyone in the Portland area care to join me?

[Heels]

Just reading the phrase "doodle grumpy Vikings" makes me want to do exactly that.

Love it.

[lisa]

oh, i feel the same way. it's so nice to feel control over just one thing, isn't it? hugs.

[elisabetha]

Oh so true! I completely relate. In fact I think that's why I'm so obsessive about my own blog - because I have total control over what goes in. Great insight for the day.

[tracy]

so with you! my blog is a little piece that is mine - and that i control. a little piece of quiet in all the noise. and i love visiting your piece for a little extra peace.

[Jennifer]

Your blog provides respite and is just so beautiful. I too love the idea of order but it's a constant struggle for me to keep it! It kind of goes against the grain of the "perceiving" personality, I think. It's nice to know that I'm not alone with those feelings!

[Gerrie]

Ha! I went down to my office last night and found the M & M trail and it made me a happy grandma.

[jen b]

Amen to that!

[Siri]

That is just one of the reasons I come here: for the sparse, clean, lots-of-white, simplicity. So different than the world here surrounding the computer screen.
It's nice to have ideals and at least one small place to carry them out. Thanks for the reality check.

[Veronica TM]

Your blog is neat, tidy and beautiful!

[quenna]

I ask the same question to my kids regarding their desks! They always say it's fine and then I catch them using dining or kitchen table because they needed more space. But like you, it's the case of the pot calling the kettle black. No neat and tidy work spaces here!

[cheryl]

I really enjoy visiting your blog because it is so neat and tidy! I am always trying to elevate myself to what I call "clean and peaceful".I'm glad that you find lots of beautiful still lifes for us, even your art clutter is charming. Missing my hometown of Portland, though!

[colleengirl]

That photo looks like my brain.