spring steals

i'm stocking up on some new spring/summer stuff - my seasonal wardrobe is seriously lacking some basics. i've cleaned out my closet and now i need to replace a few of the older/ill fitting items of which i've disposed. i've been looking for a cute straw clutch for a long time and came across two in the same day a couple of weeks ago. and at some very fantastic prices, i might add! i'm in love!

bow clutch: 5.99 @ rugged warehouse
yellow clutch: vintage (and i'm pretty sure never used), 2.00 @ local consignment store

joy

this has been my favorite quote for a while, but i don't think i've ever shared it here. i think this embodies, in a general sense, the life to which we've all been called:

"this is the true joy of life — being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;…being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining the world will not devote itself to making you happy. i am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as i live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever i can. i want to be thoroughly used up when i die, for the harder i work, the more i live."

- george bernard shaw

image via flickr

spring cleaning

i consider myself a fairly organized person. i believe in alphabetizing whatever i can. i like uniformity. all of my clothes hang with their similar counterparts in the same direction in my closet. i know where everything on my computers (at work and at home) are. i even have spiffy ikea drawer organizers in several of my more cluttered drawers. but despite my best efforts, i still have too much stuff and i end up with embarassingly messy pockets of random things stuffed in drawers and corners. it doesn't help that my house is barely 600 square feet and has only one very narrow closet. (i have to walk sideways just to fit.) it also doesn't help that i have a sentimental gene that finds it difficult to throw things away - no matter how little i use them - just because they were part of my life at a certain time or given to me by someone i love. i must admit that i still have every stuffed animal i've ever owned in my parents' attic because i just can't bear to part with them. i watch those oprah shows about hoarding and am horrified, but in some ways we all hold on to things we don't need. i watched the blind side last night (finally) and was reminded just how little some people have. christ calls us to simple living and when i look at my closet and its contents i know i haven't quite mastered that yet.
i am inspired to slowly (but surely) organize my tiny house and its contents. i dream of matching file folders, dresser drawers that close easily and aren't stuffed full, shoes stored in matching plastic boxes, and shelves/closets/drawers full of only what i actually eat/wear/use. maybe someday my house will look like these photos...

(okay, my closet will probably never be this awesome. unless i marry big and move in to carrie's penthouse.)

my spring cleaning efforts this weekend haven't really extended beyond a few cluttered drawers. hopefully, however, as spring continues i can slowly but surely continue the effort and maintain enough room for liam and i to live comfortably.

need some inspiration? i'm loving benita larsson's blog. click on the organizing tab for some especially fabulous before and afters! additionally, check out her top ten organizing tips on apartment therapy.

images: 1.liveearth.org 2.apartment therapy 3-5.chez larsson

happy weekend!

oh my goodness. how long has it been since i posted? like, forever. and i have no excuse. except that i started reading the twilight books. and they're a lot better than i anticipated (note: the movies are dreadful). and i've been spending (wasting) my spare time reading about bella and edward. oh geez. i'm that girl.
this weekend i'm celebrating my last saturday of freedom (i'll be spending saturdays starting next week working) with some spring cleaning and yard sale-ing. in the meantime, enjoy some links from around the web:

i'm completely obsessed with these bowls. i want to fill them with lemons and fill my kitchen shelves with them.

the yummiest vegan cookies. i modified the recipie with an extra banana and a teaspoon of cinnamon. and then i ate half the batch. try them - they're delicious!

possibly the most stunning wedding photo ever.

i love that this is finally catching on. i will certainly be participating in the trend when training for this. want to join me? anyone?

very cool coffee table book #1 and #2. i couldn't resist and bought them both recently (way below cover price, i might add).

i would like a permanent supply of viktor & rolf's debut perfume, flowerbomb. it smells like the good ol' marc jacobs fragrance might have some competition.

have a lovely weekend!

image via http://www.youaremyfave.com