Would you like a Pretty Crafty Home?

Cherry Heart Blog

I have lifted the 'Cherry Heart' 'Mission Staement' for a Pretty Crafty Home from Sandra's Blog:

"This is what I want to do:

1.  Tidy, tidy, tidy and clean, clean clean!

The first step for me is to get rid of the junk and de-clutter.  It's time to get rid of the stuff I don't want, don't need and can't use or re-use and tidy up everything I'm keeping.  As I'm doing the tidying and de-cluttering I'm going to be giving this house the 'Spring clean' of it's life.

2.  If it has to live here, it should be pretty.

With a tat loving daughter and a husband with no thought for how things look, it's going to be tough to keep new ugliness and junk coming into the house, but I'm going to try hard.  If we do need something new, it should addto the home, not detract!

3.  If I don't like how it looks, and I can change it, I will.

I'm not planning on re-decorating the whole house, this is about finding the bits you don't like and changing them into something you do.

4.  Thrift, re-use and recycling are my watch words.

As it stands the budget for this little project is practically zero, so I'm looking for cheap solutions here! (Although there may be the odd exception, knowing me!)

5.  Crafting is king!

The most important thing thing of all.  This project is all about home improvement through crafting.  If it's home made and it makes me happier about my home then it's part of the project.



Now, this is just what I'm setting out to do.  If you'd like to join me you can define the challenge however you'd like to so it works for you and your home.  The principle is, if you're doing something crafty to improve your home, make it a more pleasurable environment to be in and look at then, it qualifies.  If you can thrift and recycle your way there - so much the better! "

There is a Flickr Group Here so we can see and share what each other has been up to.  I am on board with Sandra as my home is in desperate need of some Tender Loving Care.  There is no fun in 'Crafting in Clutter', I should know.  I find the blogging community very helpful and motivating where craft is concerned so I really like the idea of joining with others in a 'Mission' to have a 'Pretty Crafty Home'.  I am a little slow off the 'starting block' but today I have made some progress.  At least it is a step in the right direction.  I think I may be in 'Phase One' for quite some time.  'Tidy, tidy, tidy and clean, clean, clean.'  It isn't fun, it isn't glamorous and it sure is not pretty.  Euan has a physical reaction to de-cluttering his belongings, it ranges from going quiet and pale, to getting fretful and tearful and at all times there is the danger of a full blown meltdown of a tantrum!  I have made the mistake of tidying and de-cluttering his stuff when he is at school and the results were ugly!  I mentioned it this morning and explained it is getting a little out of hand and to enjoy our 'toys' we have to be able to have room to play with them.  He really really didn't like the idea.  Miraculously though he did get on board and we tackled his territory under his bed.  I have never known him willingly part with stuff.

Poor old broken sword!  My brother made 'Excalibur' for Henry and Euan inheritted it.  I think we will need to ask for another one.  We had a pile of stuff for the 'Tip' and another pile for the 'Salvation Army' shop.  It really feels like a result!  I felt guilty chucking stuff into the 'For Landfill' skip at the dump but needs must.  I hate going to the dump!  Usually you have to queue for ages and it is really busy but today the 'Declutter and Dump Angels' looked kindly upon us and we drove straight in.  We then went to the Barbers, for Euan not me!  After the Barbers we drove to the Salvation Army Shop with toys, books and clothes that would be good to re-sell.  Euan rescued one crocodile puppet that he decided he really did not want to part with.

It doesn't look much in the two photographs but it has really cleared a 'Play Space for Euan under his bed.  I have to go and do the 'Clean, clean, clean' part with the vacuum this afternoon as it was very dusty under there.  We found some Easter eggs that had been squirreled away!  Tut tut tut, shame on me!   Euan has a natural eye for a 'Pretty Craft Home' and said 'Do you know, I have always wanted curtains under here!' 

This is really the tiniest tip of the iceberg.  I have the whole house to work my way through.  Rome was not built in a day, and neither was a 'Pretty Crafty Home'!  I will just keep plodding in the right direction.  I will try and do a weekly update on my progress, it is rather like hanging ones dirty linen out in public though.  'My Name is Lucy and my house is a shocking mess!'