Every Thursday, a man touting flowers sets up a temporary stall just outside my train station. Last summer, it became habit for me to buy a couple bouquets at the end of each week. I love the drama of pink Asian lilies, and would pick up three stems for the front room and then a smaller bouquet of something lighter and more delicate for the bedroom (like snap dragons or lisianthus). Over the long, winter months, I just wasn't in the mood to buy flowers, but with the weather finally turning warmer and sunny this week, I decided to treat myself. As soon as I saw these beautiful, white hydrangeas, I knew they would go perfectly in the bedroom (especially after my spring overhaul).
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I woke up early on Saturday morning after an early night to bed on Friday. My alarm wakes me up at 5:30am during the week, and by Friday I'm usually so shattered that I find it very difficult to keep my eyes open past 9:00pm. If M is home, I'll be fast asleep on the couch, with my head resting on his lap, as soon as we've finished dinner.
After consuming a bowl of cereal, a large cup of coffee, and an hour in front of the television, I started the big Spring Clean of 2013. I find the process goes a lot more smoothly if you have a plan. Sometimes, the hardest part about tackling a big task, or many tasks, is just knowing where to start.
I decided to leave the bed linen changes until last because I knew I would be piling clothes and shoes on top of the bed while I did my sorting. So the first thing I tackled was the closet. I went through each item of clothing and in a few seconds decided if it would stay, go, or be put into storage. I find the less you think about it, the easier it is to make good decisions, at least when it comes to your wardrobe. That said, I did "hem and haw" over a few items. My general rule when it comes to purging your wardrobe is to get rid of anything that you've not worn for an entire season. It may be pretty, it may have been expensive, but there's a reason why you never chose to wear it . This rule generally doesn't apply to special occasion pieces, like black tie gowns for example (I say this as if I own a gown, but I do not).
From the photos below, you can see how quickly the "give away" pile started to grow. I had already done an initial culling a few weeks prior; despite this, I still managed to amass a large amount of items. It always amazes me how much "stuff" I have, given that I've been forced to minimise my belongings so many times in the past ten years. I guess this is just more evidence of my shopping problem. Most of the items in the pile have been worn and loved over the years, but I am ashamed to admit that there are a few pieces that have only been worn once or twice (like the cream dress with the black lace trim - worn only once, 2 years ago).
After I had sorted the wardrobe, I moved onto the storage cupboars above the wardrobe and then finally tackled the bed. I removed the heated underblanket, changed the sheets and switched over to the summer tog duvet. I also removed the top quilt, gifted to me and Martin and handmade by my mom. It went up into the newly cleared out storage cupboards above the wardrobe with the other winter items for the bed.
I seperated the three bunches of hydrangeas into two vases, one for the wardrobe and one for the bedside table. I love how clean and crisp the white duvet looks in contract with the colourful pop of the wallpaper. This new, clean look makes me want to curl up in bed with a good book and a steaming cup of fruit tea, while the spring sun filters in through the window...beckoning me to go outside and play because summer is fast approaching.
Do you have any spring cleaning tips to share or do you skip this ritual altogether?
- Bryxx
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