After
This under-the-staircase area was so crammed with crap that I could not enter it, Before Flood. Now look at it! My husband built me some shelves (AFTER insulating the space). He only used wood that was on-hand. Now, I have a place for my batting THAT I CAN GET TO, and a place to put fabric that I think my students will like, but that I don’t really want getting in my way. As soon as I find a BEFORE picture, I’ll post that, too.
And perhaps somewhere in my studio, I should post the picture below, of the apartment of the Collyer brothers in New York who literally collected themselves to death:
Collyer Brothers mess
Infamous hoarders, indeed. (THIS blog’s subtitle is “saving the world, one room at a time” — funny)
I like my cousin’s philosophy of circulating her finds (read her entertaining and visually beautiful blog here).
She thinks of herself as a ‘foster parent’ to finds rather than a collector. I like it.
In the last three weeks I have:
- Thrown out 10 to 12 huge bags of stuff from the studio (probably all worth saving to someone);
- Filled two huge garbage cans with cardboard, frames, ruined boxes, etc.;
- Given away 9 large garbage bags of fabric and sundry items to a ‘free on Craigslist’ responder (a sewing/crocheting mother of five, so THAT felt good & it meant I was able to throw in a couple pairs of boots and snow pants, too);
- Added 26 new drawers to my workspace that allow a whole new level of organization — including THREE drawers for works-in-progress (these were buried here and there all over, largely forgotten);
- Coralled all my rubber stamps into one area; and
- Decided to leave sump pump well area empty — and will ‘dress’ it somehow soon — any suggestions? It also happens to be the ‘Wealth Corner’ of my studio — eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeks — could that be why I’m not making much money?!! and
- Begun to bore myself on the topic, so the Garbage Picking Annals will not reach No. 5 anytime soon.
But, I’m serious about the Feng Shui request — What would YOU put in the wealth corner of a room that was seriously rendered negative by a sump pump well and drain pipe being located in it? This isn’t even SYMBOLIC of draining — it IS draining!
Can you make the sump pump into wishing well or a fountain? A rock garden? What does it look like now? Mine is just a nasty hole in the floor and we keep suit cases back by it not fengschwang at all.
ooh, I love the idea of a wishing well… I’ll post its ugly picture later…
fengschwang sounds like a German sausage…
Unbelievable how much work you’ve done! It must feel cleansing. Will it take a near disaster to get me to clean up *my* basement? Probably. What came to mind on dressing the wealth corner is a beautiful and bright hammock (symblic size, not full size) draped across that corner and above the sump pump. The hammock will be high and dry, inviting and capacious, ready to hold what comes. You could put some of your dolls in it.
I think it takes most of us a near-disaster to clean the basement… I still have quite a bit of sorting to do, and the last part is going to be hard, because I don’t want to just stuff the rest in somewhere… do YOU want some fabric, Chris?!! I like the hammock idea… intriguing. Could be very colorful.
with out knowing what it looks like, its hard to suggest. but… what about some smooth rocks to make a bed for some jade plants which are for good fortune. the rocks are for solidity. a little fountain…circulating type so it doesn’t lose water… this year is the chinese year of the metal dragon so we all need to add water to our environments.
I should have posted a picture and will do so, but such good suggestions! thank you. I’m going to think on metal dragon.
Oh, I am so inspired to follow your lead here! I’ve been trying to clean my house for several months now, without much luck, and the accumulation of clutter is one of the main problems, although I’m not quite as bad as the Collyers ~ yet. I wish I could help with your sump pump well problem, but I barely know the words feng shui or sump, so I might take you down the wrong path. However, I do like Ginny’s idea about a wishing well, as it fits in with wealth so nicely, what with the throwing of coins into it that it would attract. I will definitely come back to see what happens here. And I will come back to see more of your very lovely and welcoming and spirited blog! xo Kari
thanks for visiting Kari… good luck with cleaning… the satisfactions of letting stuff go are immediate and have all kinds of unanticipated benefits! and, do come back.