Over the weekend we had a couple sunny days and Jeremy and I got in the mood for a little spring cleaning. It was one of those things where it started off small. He suggested a laundry day, and I reluctantly agreed. Next thing I knew we were at the store looking at power washers and weed eaters for our yard. We got so much done in just one afternoon. It felt amazing, and now I can't turn off the mental list of more and more home improvements that I want to complete this coming weekend!
With all that said, I thought it would be fun to share my spring cleaning goals with you here on the blog. Beware, these are not just goals about actual cleaning, but rather goals for my home in general… stuff that would make our space feel more like a home! If you are in the same mood as me, blog yours too and leave us a link in the comments so we can read them!
1. Frame + hang art. This is my pile of art (and one tiny photo) that needs to be framed. I don't like to spend money on custom frames, so what I usually do is purchase over sized frames (hello, Hobby Lobby %40 off sales) and have a mat cut there for my art/frame size. Saving pennies is always good, especially when the rest of my decor wishlist seems to be overflowing!
The other day I walked around the whole house and took cell phone photos of all the bare walls I want to fill. One is pretty giant, needing a gallery type installment, but the rest are similar to this one. I don't know if any of you feel this way. But with so many things on my "to do" list, keeping photos of our decor progress on my phone is literally the only way I can remember what's next. I am constantly taking photos of our unfinished spaces just so I can look back when I'm out shopping and see what each spot needs.
2. Curtains and rugs.
If there is one thing I've learned this last year it's that I'm a rug person. I LOVE shopping for rugs. Curtains, not so much. I hate them. Because I hate shopping for curtains and I love natural light, I opted for mostly sheer lace curtains throughout the entire house. At first I worried that they were a little granny looking, but now I could never go back to heavy drapes. I love simple, delicate patterns like this one. One of my goals is 
to finish ordering curtains for every last window. I have a few awkward sized windows that will need custom (DIY!) curtains too. I'm also hunting for a good outdoor rug for our front porch. I love porches, and I want to create a super cozy space so that Jeremy and I have a place to enjoy the nice weather.
3. Get creative with storage. So, it's no secret that I love organizing my closet. Unfortunately there are other areas of the home that need the efforts far more. We need a new system for storing pots and pans, a smart solution for small appliances (I almost killed myself trying to get the juicer down this morning!) and a WAY prettier set up in the laundry room. These would all make great weekend projects. Time to get creative and figure out the best ways to make these space more functional—and hopefully better looking too.
4. Donate MORE.
Last year I made a goal to donate half my clothing. I was surprised how much I enjoyed that challenge. It was AMAZING. I find that I am much happier with less stuff and more able to enjoy what I do have. We donated a lot before our last move. But now that we are settled in, I think it's time for another round. Each time I move, I find there are "misfit" items I am no longer using, but I have some kind of mental block about getting rid of. De-cluttering takes a LOT of concentration and effort. I am determined this season to donate the rest of what we have that isn't being used or enjoyed. Less stuff means more space—yay!
Those are my simple goals for the next month. I love making our house feel more like a home. It's a hobby I love and really adds to our overall quality of life. So who wants to get clean, organized and decorated with me??
xo. Elsie
ps. just because… we really love our pugs. :)) photo by Arrow & Apple.
157 Comments
Why haven’t I ever thought of buying large standard frames and having mats cut to fit? I mean, really, that’s like seriously sensible. I have some great stuff that I’ve never gotten around to putting up because I don’t want to shell out the cash for framing. THANK YOU.
I’m trying to do the decluttering thing too…I got about 4 bags of clothes, shoes & accessories out to Goodwill but I need to do it quite a bit more. Maybe this spring…
I was SO determined to finish my spring clean/declutter and even organised a girls-day-out trip to a local car boot sale to incentivise the process. Then it was like -2 degrees on the day and, I confess, we bailed. We baked camembert, dipped strawberries in melted chocolate, and sat in my warm kitchen chatting instead. D’oh. There’s always next weekend I guess.
YAY! I have a Spring Cleaning Check list at home… All this nice weather has got me wanting to start it stat!! Thanks for sharing yours.. WRG
I’m on the Spring Cleaning bandwagon and I agree – the best part about cleaning & decluttering is the decorating 🙂
I just spring cleaned all my drawers and closet. I instantly felt about 100kg lighter! Now I also need to get onto hanging all the art works I’ve collected from Etsy etc. over the last couple of years…
Good for you Elsie!!
http://talisatalksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/oraginx-renewing-moroccan-argan.html
Thanks for the framing tips. I’m in the process of decorating my house and I never thought of this.
As for spring cleaning… I have a room full of clothes that needs folding and hanging. ugh
Such great ideas!
Carina
http://carstina.blogspot.co.nz/
Great posts. I never realized how much I could do with my space until I really started getting rid of the junk and looking at what was left, haha. I definitely want to hang more art (I usually use washi tape to hang pictures since we’re renters), and I want to hang some plants too! My cat eats everything I bring into the house so I’m hoping if I hang some plants above jumping height I can have my cat and my greenery too! Haha, thank god for ten foot ceilings.
The mix of patterns in your home is just stunning! You girls wow me with every post.
Stop by sometime! x
Laken
Girls for Pearls
We definitely need pictures too! Our walls feel so bare!
love the yellow ladder! I LOVE spring cleaning…(I do it all year!)
Kelly
http://www.mysoulfulhome.com
I have been accomplishing so many home projects that have been on my list for months! There is just something about spring that makes me want to get stuff done around the house :).
Decluttering is SO HARD but when it is done it feels so good!!! It is hard to even donate because I know a lot of donated items end up in the trash after a short time (or even no time!) so I try to use kijiji and freecycle as much as possible, but that takes time. Oi.
I think de-cluttering is great for your mental state. I feel so good when I get rid of things and make space. With my second one on the way I am doing some major nesting, I am loving it. Although my 2.5 year old still manages to make a contstant mess, but at least I have clear spaces to put her things back into (and she finds less things to pull out of spaces too). I also love all the colours you have used in your home.
What color white did you use throughout your home? It’s perfect! I want to paint my kitchen white and I’ve never had such a hard time picking one out! Thanks Elsie, love the blog…
I can’t wait until I have my own home or apartment! House decorating would be absolute fun besides money… The actual house cleaning aspect though, is not so fun.
I am moving in 2 weeks so I will be in major cleaning mode!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
awesome! the energy in a house brightens so much when you clear out space and clean; i like to do it sundays, so on mondays i wake up to this gorgeous house, then mondays aren’t so bad.
this spring i decided my living room needed a perk up, so i budgeted $100 for new curtain rods and fabric, and i picked up a few items at the goodwill and am working on a braided rug. you guys have inspired me to use more yellow!
Great ideas! I just put together 3 big bags of clothes to donate, sorting out shoes tomorrow… Spring cleaning is fun!
Wonderful goals and ideas! The idea of keeping photos on your phone for reference is so clever! I made a similar list of decorating goals for my room this year, and think it really helps keep me focused on the things I want to accomplish. Can’t wait to see the creative solutions you come up with! Here’s a link to my goals:
http://diaryofachicchick.typepad.com/my-blog/2013/02/decorating-goals.html
I love these goals and I believe writing them down helps tremendously! I few weeks ago I blogged about spring cleaning of your closet and how to determine what to get rid of. You can read it here: http://www.alwaysrooney.com/2013/03/clean-sweep.html?m=1
-Courtney
To be honest I feel more motivated to get a pug after that cute photo at the end! haha
Dreaming home!
It is lovely and perfect during spring time!
😉
http://carolinabin.com/
I just moved from Las Vegas to Phoenix and in with my boyfriend. I’ve had nesting on my mind and have decided to try a couple of small home projects as well as trying to organize my space a little bit more. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration, as always!
Framing and hanging art and pictures is always one of those little silent cues that a space has truly become a home.
Hooray for spring cleaning! And I love looking at rugs too – I just wish they weren’t so darn expensive. $$
Love,
Stephanie May*
http://www.maydae.com
My home is in need of a massive declutter. With three children, it’s so easy to feel boxed in with toys/items that they no longer need nor want. Two out of the three seem to be little hoarders.
Hi Elsie – love your Spring Cleaning/ Goal checklist for your home, which is looking quite lovely by the way…
I think that space needs a nice antique mirror, medium sized and maybe even oval shaped…would be a nice surprise in that space.
I am always thinking what next to do in my home…a blog post about it is a fab, fab idea!!
Love, love your dogs!!
Jeanine
Lots of good goals! Donating more is an awesome goal!
xo
love the interior decorating you guys have!
i should probably get started on my spring cleaning too..
🙂
http://theeoptimist.blogspot.com
I really need to make a cleaning goal too! Thanks for the inspiration! PS, your pugs are too adorable! xx
http://thehonestfox.blogspot.com
I’m doing some spring cleaning of my own!
Both in my tiny studio apartment & a cleanse of my body!
Can’t wait to see the results of your spring cleaning 🙂
I have been on a serious cleaning kick lately too! The bulk of my spring cleaning got done about a month ago while I was on spring break. In fact, that seems to be a common theme on my blog lately…haha!
Last week, I tackled cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer, which needed it a lot more than I thought. Go ahead and check it out below, and best of luck with the rest of your projects!
http://fancyalterego.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/spring-cleaning-the-refrigerator/
I love the feathers above your drapes in the first picture! It’s such a delicate and cute element 🙂
That room with the yellow couch and hanging chair is UH-MAZ-ING!!!! Love it! Such style, and class! 🙂
spring cleaning. I’m in need of some of that 🙂
-Deana, from Birds&Oxfords
Elsie, your home is beautiful. I love how colorful it is and how it looks like it has been effortlessly styled. This post reminds me that I have a lot of spring cleaning of my own to do!
http://www.sincerelysammie.com/
I love spring cleaning! I seem to get in the mood for it at the start of each season… It’s Autumn here in Aust atm, and I’ve cleaned out my craft room over the last month, and have started on my clothing now. It’s the best feeling getting rid of the stuff you don’t use or love! I’m moving sometime in the next year once our house is built, so it’s even better to get rid of the junk now, and not have to pack it up and move it! Decorating is the best part though!
I have a to-do list… in my head 😉 I’m making new cushions to our future new couch (more like new cover) and I have made giant crochet rugs and fabric flowers and the list is growing… I think soon I will have more to-do lists after we finally found a new home! I love your rug,by the way! Where is it from?
I am so excited to join in on spring cleaning goals. The bank just accepted our offer on a house so now it’s time to organize and pack up our rental of the past NINE years. That’s a lot of stuff and a lot of work.i would be so honored if you guys checked out our progress. A little “peer pressure ” is just what I need!
6 bags of clothes to goodwill abd I think I still need to do more. I love spring cleaning.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
Hi Elsie and Emma!
“Less staff more space” means you can make somebody happy!
I always donate something, as well as , I receive gift from my friends.
Definetly, I’m agree with you
Hi Francis!
The rug in my yellow couch living room is Nate Berkus for Target. 🙂 The one in the blue couch room is from Ikea.
XO!
I, too, love natural light and tend to the “less is more” theory of window treatments. I would love to hear more of your thoughts on light window treatments.
This is so funny!! I’m just 16, but I got in this mood as well, and I all but gutted my room! threw away trash, recycled, donated, rearranged and reorganized (LOVE organizing, and even steam cleaned the rug! I feel o good and clean and it makes me feel more efficient too!
I just love Spring Cleaning! There’s a bag full of clothes by my front door which is just waiting to be donated. I wanted to share with you an elegant quote by William Morris which helps me a lot when I don’t know what to keep or not. Here it is (more or less):
“Is this thing useful? Is it beautiful?” If the answers are “no” and “no”, then you know what to do!
xoxo Lilsirene
Oh lordy I have been spring cleaning like a mad woman. It started with washing the windows (inside and out) and screens in my bedroom (it’s like a whole. new. room.) and quickly progressed to refinishing a vintage table from my grandparents to replace a boring Ikea desk, rearranging and styling all the shelves, and this weekend I’m planning on a massive closet clean-out. Eventually I’ll document the results for the blog!
I have this rug in our living room and it stands up to a one year old and three year old, so it would work great on the porch! http://www.ballarddesigns.com/chevron-stripe-indoor-2foutdoor-rug/235870?defattrib=&defattribvalue=&listIndex=0
What a wonderful idea to donate half of your clothes! I believe I am going to do that, it will definitely cut down on my laundry and decisions of what to wear! Thanks for the idea!
this is a great idea! i take photos of the walls too!
kw ladies in navy
The spring definitely makes me want to revamp my apartment! I can relate on that corner of art you have! It looks very similar to my pile of art that needs frames too, my husband collects gig posters so its a mighty big pile, probably not enough walls to put them all up. Good Luck on your spring cleaning :]
wow, thanks for sharing! your place is amazing, even without the art on the walls. i have the same problem, though. nothing like spending money on a great piece of art and then having it hide away for a couple of years. =) love the puggies! i’m a pug owner as well. they are super dogs.
Ugh I want a rug in my studio so badly but alas the doxies thing that any rug in the house is a place for them to pee. Poor short to the ground dogs will do anything to not go outside in the wet oregon spring.
I really wish I had more than a bedroom to decorate! I love seeing your pictures through your homing process.
i’ve been doing this too! i just recently started hanging pictures and art in my white room.. definitely brings everything together! and i love the white chandelier in the room with the blue couch! so pretty.
My list is similar to yours. At least the “hang up the art” and “curtains & rugs”. We have already ordered new Moroccan rug from RUG USA and new blinds are already here. Redecorating is so much more fun than cleaning. 🙂 And it’s a good inspiration, maybe I will really do a post on this topic. Have a nice evening!
lovelovelove all the pops of yellow – which reminds me – could you please tell us the name of the mustard yellow paint you used on the upstairs door? i know a ton of us are dying to know!
Such great tips. I love finding places for art around the house and have my own pile that I need to get out and up 🙂 Thanks for sharing! And I love your pugs <3
xo Ashley
thetiniestfirecracker.com
These are great goals! And I love that you took cell phone photos of blank walls you would like to fill… I’m stealing that gem 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Talk about organizational skills =)
I’m definitely planning on attackibg more of my spring cleaning goals! Last Saturday, I started by going through my closet. Even though I do have just enough clothes, I was able to round up a bag to donate – which feels awesome! Plus, everything is now very organized and accessible and I love that.
I’m thinking of doing a bit more spring cleaning, which will include decorating my walls, finding new curtains and rugs for the room and entrance to the room and perhaps figuring out the furniture and storage situation in my tiny space. Hopefully, I can write up an entire entry on it!
just ‘de-cluttered’ two weeks ago. it’s amazing how much better i feel with the place clean and organized. still need to get rid of a TON of clothes, but this post makes me feel inspired to get to it.
xoxo
Cecile In L.A.
Going through the same thing, thanks for the inspiration! Currently, I’m focusing on decluttering and getting rid of stuff. When I’m done with that I’m planning to start over fresh and see what our home really needs.
I attended a flea market a couple of weeks ago (as a seller). It was just so fun, my stuff got new happy owners to love them AND I even made some money 🙂
Yesterday, it was time for the closet. Not that I’m done yet. Where do all these dresses and trousers and shoes come from??? Did I buy them? No….
great post! i love that feeling of accomplishment spring cleaning gives me.
we live in rented accommodation so we can’t hang photos or art which is such a shame! but i definitely agree with donating lots it’s like the main thing i do at home sort clothes and bits and donate to thrift stores but it’s finally got to the point where there’s nothing left to donate! haha!
I started my spring cleaning a few weeks ago. I’m trying to de-clutter and throw stuff out mainly as I’m moving in August. However, the bare bulb in the entrance-way has been annoying me for awhile, so I took the time to create a shade for it (out of an old CD and a washi paper placemat no less) and instead of getting rid of some T-shirts, I used them as stuffing to make cushions for my couch. I’ll likely wear them again in the future, but for now they were taking up valuable space.
The best part is that I haven’t spent any money yet! yay!
I love the first picture of your living room! I also have a few things to do, mostly painting and cleaning the balcony.
Kim.
http://www.birdskies.net
Elsie, I am a huge lace curtain fan too, but at night we have heavy curtains we pull over the lace ones to stop our neighbours from being able to see in. Just wondering what you do at night?
Xx
I hear YOU! I just did a garage sale last saturday with 3 other girl friends. With a baby on the way (for real) and a closet so full that I had to borrow one of my best friend’s closet (who lives 20 minutes away, not so convenient, right!) I had the urge to finally get rid of clothes and all kind of things that had not been used for a long time.
OMG what a relief! The garage sale was a lot of fun, I even got sunburned! Did not make much money but was truly happy to give away clothes to happy people passing by. All our left-over ended up as donations to a thrift store. It feels so good it’s amazing! I even have hangers hanging by themselves now…WOW! I am cleaning up the house now, throwing away all the junk that I love to keep “just in case I’d need it in 20 years from now”….and spring is blossoming all over! I LOVE IT. x o x o
Your photographs are gorgeous. Beautiful light.
http://maltmemories.blogspot.com
I am soo enjoying reading your house decor posts.. you are amazingly creative… i am inspired 🙂
XOXO
Manali
http://secretsofmissdaydreamer.blogspot.in
Your dogs are sooo cute !
http://www.thestilettoholic.com/
Love from Paris <3
I have to much work to do in my home…all the things you mentioned and much more!
Maybe this weekend i start making a list… this is a begining, isn´t it?
I feel so lazy about that!
Your post have given energy to me
Wow you guys are good! My room is a total mess and if I weren’t moving I would probably be doing the same too. P.S. LOVE the pups 🙂
awesome. The interiors are looking very nice. I just want to have these type of interiors for my house but don’t know when it will be possible.
I’m so bad at spring cleaning, i always make piles of things to donate but then leave it so long that i start to question whether i actually need to keep some of it.. before i know it its all been put away again x
I also started a spring cleaning project, actually a serious decluttering … right after Christmas. 🙂 And I focused on one room until it was done (no matter how long it took me) – and it actually went quite fast, even with a 2 year old!
Three huge boxes later I was quite proud and could breathe a little better.
(Love reading your blog every day now that Lent is over – woot!)
Lisa
I am obsessed with finding the perfect sofa for my living room, and you have two! They are both amazing, as is the entire vibe of your home. I love it.
http://myinspiredstyle.com
You have such great taste! Your decor and furniture are so beautiful! I can’t imagine how much better it can get. 🙂
I have SO many goals this month! You just re-motivated me! We are moving away from our beloved Korea, so I’ve been getting all my worldly travel art framed this past month (we get textiles from each country to travel to so we save space in our bags AND get to add something fun to our walls!) the most adorable couple does the framing for me for ridiculously wonderful prices compared to the states. ANYWAY you said link it, so here is the couple and their work in all their cuteness!: http://rlcraboda.blogspot.kr/2013/03/framed.html
I love this post… I have a similar list of spring to-do’s. Elsie, can you please share where you got the black enamel light shade in the first picture? I have been trying to source one just like that. I would love to know where to look! (I have been mainly browsing etsy)
Gorgeous pugs 😀
What an inspirational post, thanks girls! I’m living in a rented (beautiful) house, which comes with limitations, but we are planning on moving as soon as the right house comes to the market. I have created my own spring cleaning list, but first of all I walked around photographing things I like in our house, to inspire me to sort out the ugly spots and things! Here’s my blog entry:
http://nordicinspiration.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/spring-cleaning-goals.html
I have a running ‘to-do’ list for our home and we’ve lived here 10 years already! I just think it’s always evolving into how we’re living our life presently… finished a window project for the bathroom last night [blog post soon] and covered our breakfast chairs in burlap coffee bags last weekend – blog post is Friday – come on over and join me — http://www.bepresentbereal.blogspot.com
– and if you’re into paper crafts – there’s still time to enter my OnceaMonth [oldstuff] Giveaway!
I wanted to start spring-cleaning tomorrow, but you inspired me and I already started before I went to work this morning. When I’m done I will blog it so you can see how I did…
By the way, I really like the way both of you arranged your homes. Everything is lovely and unique. I love this way of living…Every time I see pictures of your homes I get inspired and want to change something at home… Thank you for this…
Of course I told my husband that I wanted to organize our bathrooms and linen closet, so of COURSE we spent the entire day cleaning gutters and ripping out bushes instead. Not that I mind, turned out our yard needed more help than the medicine cabinet! But, my list still stands.
http://semi-grownuplife.blogspot.com/2013/04/ive-got-spring-cleaning-on-brain.html
I love decluttering my house. I cleaned out my closet about a month ago and was really honest with myself about what I wear. I agree, I actually find it easier to pull together outfits because there’s less of the things that I wouldn’t wear.
Thanks!
Good luck! My Spring cleaning is going sorta ok so far. I’ve been doing little chunks every weekend. Getting there little by little!
Jillian – http://epic-thread.blogspot.com
All the best for your goals. You are creative in cleaning too..
cheers, Janika
http://crazysketchbook.blogspot.com/
Hanging my art has been on my to do list for longer than I care to admit: I really have a commitment problem when it comes to drilling holes in my walls 🙂 I also always purchase cheaper, but still pretty frames at Ikea: they are good value, and they don’t ruin me!
Oh, and I’m right there with you on the organization issue. I need to think about it a lot more 🙂
xx Ivana
Macarons and Pearls
Great post, it really does feel awesome to get organised!
CELIAROSE
PS, Your pugs are soooo cute!!!
What a cute site! I’d love to order this bag: http://www.tands.com/collections/purses/products/the-bella-bag
I need to focus in organizing some of my home spots. The thing is that I get really anxious about the process and I get easily overwhelm. I think I need to relax a little and enjoy the process. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
I started my spring cleaning this week with half my wardrobe gone including purses and coats! It’s amazing how many things I had I didn’t use! Happy these will be used by others!
Now off to clean the rest… Keeping my studio for last cause this will be the hardest I know! 🙂
Just one question though… What shade of white did you use to paint your home? I want to paint mine all white but find it harder than picking a colour! 😉
Great post! Something so many of us are thinking of right now…in fact I’ve been thinking about it since Christmas. I think you may have inspired me to get my but in gear!
I hate parting with clothing, but it’s on my To Do list. Thanks for the encouragement!
http://www.hellohomebody.wordpress.com
great goals!
Valentina
http://valentinaduracinsky.blogspot.com/
i organized my closet last weekend and ended up donating 4 and a half large bags of my clothes- it was scary at first but is absolutely wonderful now that i have more space and can actually see what i own. so glad i am no longer a candidate for hoarders. spring cleaning is so refreshingggg! check out the transformation…
http://thriftandstyle.com
I’m intrigued by your framing method. I have a ton of odd-sized things I’ve been needing to frame for a long time (my pile is quite a bit bigger than yours…and spread all over the house 🙂 but I haven’t gotten around to it because custom framing is so expensive! I never stopped to think that maybe I could just get the mat custom cut and buy a larger frame….
Now you’ve got my wheels turning. Thanks!
I LOVE that hanging chair in the top picture of your living room! Was that a DIY? I’d love to recreate something like that in my little apartment.
Mary
circlecitytwentysix.wordpress.com
Ohhh, boy, do I need to do this. I have that pile of art too! Thanks for the inspiration!
http://www.bluebesos.com
I am a recovering hoarder currently managing a thrift shop (also known as a hoarder’s mecca). My family and I worked in the yard last weekend and found ourselves at Home Depot to buy a firepit and a weed whacker. I abhor spending so much money, but felt redeemed later when I found two gorgeous reclining deck chairs on the side of the street. For free!! I need to make new cushions so that will be a top-of-the-list project. Thanks for providing so much inspiration!!
http://www.lecrafteur.com/2013/03/things-to-make-and-do.html
cleanings is the worst
http://natwest-thatgirl.blogspot.co.uk/
Hey! I like this blog and i liked this blog post. It was really inspiring. I’ve spent the last half hour slouched on my couch eating chocolate and watching the sun set but now you guys gave me lots of energy to do things. Like my recycling… ps. love when you post pictures of your pets. Does the pugs snore? Perhaps we could get a little film clip of them being puggie and silly? 😛 Keep on the good work. xx
I really need to frame some pictures too. I have a bunch of them. And I definitely need to donate a lot of excess STUFF…toys, clothes, books, etc.
I felt like cleaning this weekend too. On Friday, I bribed the husband and kids to help with the promise of a sushi party:
http://womaninreallife.blogspot.ca/2013/03/insta-friday-in-real-lifea-real-life.html
Jo
Brilliant goals. I need to rethink my wall art with the new season. Freshen up my walls. I love the idea of sheer curtains. This would be a great solution to keep my tiny apartment bright but providing some necessary privacy. Beautiful ideas!
I would take any and all of your donated clothes haha!!!! Love these tips and your lovely, fresh home 🙂 x
I am inspired!
Love all that mustard yellow! And the PUGS!
http://threeinchstitch.blogspot.com
I moved last Nov, so I can totally relate to all of this! I want to get pictures framed and find prints for certain areas of the house. I need to work on curtains and rugs and I’ve also been trying to “downsize” and organize etc. It really is a never-ending process… Thanks for sharing!
Yes, we’ve been trying to paint our tiny apartment for a couple of years, I think it’s all of the sanding that is causing the procrastination!!!
I usually love spring cleaning but with our incredibly old carpet, it’s so demotivating to dust everything and have it become crazy dusty again mere hours later. I’d love to change the carpet, but you know how it is with pets that claw and puke, claw and puke.
I’m sure I’ve got something around you could hang on your walls! Ha! /shameless plug
seems like a lot to do, but I m sure it will be awsome at the end.
http://underthestarsandsun.blogspot.com/
I love spring cleaning. We started last weekend and I plan to do more this weekend. It’s so nice to come home to a clean space free of clutter.
We also did lace curtains throughout the house. It took me forever to order them because I thought they would look granny, but I wouldn’t give up the natural daylight for anything and now I love them.
Jenna
http://jennaloublog.blogspot.com
This post came at SUCH a perfect time for me. I’m in the process of setting up my home office space and generally revamping the house. Thank you!
I love the frame idea!
curtains really do make such a difference! I’m starting to realize that’s what’s lacking in my dorm room. I’ll have to fix that next year. 🙂
I love the pouf in the first picture. Can I buy this online?
I have delicate tulle curtains from H&M Home and made some matching floral drapes from heavier fabric to close at night. Take a look here http://modewaerts.de/?p=blog&id=150
I still think about adding doily to the hem 🙂
Love spring cleaning! It is so rewarding and refreshing!
xoxo
Juliette Laura
juliettelaura.blogspot.com
Love your hanging chair, I want one so much!
Lauren
livinginaboxx
I’m all for spring cleaning and getting organised!! My dining room table is a mess of wedding crafting and planning so need to sort that out haha! 🙂
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
Elsie, where are your wonderful couches from? I’m in the market for something very similar. Thanks!
Great idea to blog about it and create accountability for yourself! I have a new blog (so new, that I’m still deciding on a name, etc — please don’t judge!), but I decided to go ahead and participate. I’m excited about knocking out my April goals! Good luck with yours, Elsie!
http://pamelapetrus.com/2013/04/spring-cleaning-2/
I am completely with you on the sheer curtains. I love natural light and cant imagine heavy curtaining but I do love the soft whimsical feeling that lacey curtains add to a room. About a year ago I moved into a very old place with high ceilings and BIG sash windows. It was impossible to find curtains that was long enough so I shopped around at some fabric stores and found the most beautiful sheer fabric for next to nothing (similar to the pic you linked). So I sew a little loop on top so that it could hang on a rod and voila. Perfect lace curtains at a fraction of the cost.
Love this! You’ve inspired me to get started on a spring clean (even though it’s autumn where I live)! I’m going to donate a lot of my clothes too. Thanks!
Hannah
http://alovelylook.com
Where do you shop for rugs? I love your taste and would put any of the rugs I’ve seen on your blog in my home as well but rugs (good ones) are typically sooo expensive! Is it an item you splurge on like good furniture or do you know a good source for affordability?
Yeah… probably it’s time for me, too, to roll up sleeves and do a bit of spring cleaning 🙂
Ooo yes to 1, 3, & 4. Big time!
nice…
http://hidinginheaven.blogspot.com/
A former Hobby Lobby Framer in the house!
The 40% coupons are great and all, but if you watch the sales going on at your local Hobby Lobby, you’ll realize that the Open back frames (the ones without glass) are 50% one week and the Ones with Glass are 50% the next week. Basically they alternate weeks. The Table Top frames (the easel backed ones) are always 50% as is the Custom Framing which is just frame only.
To me, people spend more money than necessary on mats, some art just needs one mat, while there are some that have so much color, or are so understated that need to have two/three mats to make the image pop, but for the most part, one mat is only needed. There are in-stock mats that are cheaper than custom mats, but you have to remember one thing In-Stock mats are not made to preserve your image! There will be discolouration marks at the edge of your image after a while from the in-stock mats. That will take time, but its something I like to let people know.
Hanging hangers on your own is VERY EASY, but if you’re not sure of yourself, then for an extra $1.00 you can have the person at the counter do it for you.
Also, if you’re willing to wait, Hobby Lobby has free installation (Labor) to put your image into your frame. THis is fine, but keep in consideration the amount of people around the framing counter. There are times where you will not be able to get something framed right then and there.
If they’re still there, go to the Clearance section of your Hobby Lobby, there may be custom-made frames there being sold at FRACTION of the original cost. Now these frames were either not picked up by the people who ordered them, the customer did not like the frame, or they came in the wrong size/damaged. These should be about 66% or 80% off right now. Since these things are in the clearance section of Hobby Lobby, these frames will look like a buggy ran over them repeatedly, which is actually the case, but if you use a sharpie (I preffer copic markers) and touch them up that way, you should be fine.
Hope this helps!
I need to write a blog post about this….
Melinda
I have a 9 month old daughter and a pug…needless to say spring cleaning is HUGE on my list of ” to do’s ” dog hair + brand new crawling baby = ;( This has inspired me to do a new post on my blog annnd hopefully get it done! Thanks.
Yesss de-cluttering feels amaziiing!!! Good luck on your weekend projects. I might steal that idea of taking pictures of areas that need to be filled *cough – my empty walls – cough*
Estoy enamorada de vuestro blog cada dia me gusta mas tambiuen estoy pensando en hacer limpieza de primavera asi que ya os contare un besico!!!
We have sheer curtains for the day and regular curtains for night. I don’t want people looking in when the lights are on at night. Donating clothes gets easier every time I do it, I’m much stricter with myself now. I love the idea of taking photos to keep track of your to do list. We’re moving to a new house next month and I can’t wait.
Love your black and white rug! I recently got one that is similar for my house. It is so fun getting to decorate. Now that you are in a new house we need to see a new home tour : )
-Ashley
http://pencilleddaydream.com
Spring really is in the air! Even though over here (the Netherlands) it’s barely noticeable.
My husband and I bought our first home together just over two years ago, but it was a wreck. And after doing a lot of home improvement before we got married (we had the reception/brunch at our home, so we needed floors and walls) we were all DIYed-out.
But recently I have been going like mad again, and I love it! Not so much the work itself (for example, I don’t mind painting, but I really don’t like the sanding and the cleaning that you have to do before you can actually start painting) but I do love the almost instant results!
Here is a link to my spring/diy post, and of course, my pug, Maggie! http://oldesarahs.blogspot.nl/2013/04/minty-spring.html
Hope you are enjoying spring!
Sarah
(aka OldeSarah)
Great framing tips!
I recently just reorganized my closet and I am loving it! It makes me want to go around the house to find ways to store things, esp in my small kitchen!
Sarah
http://www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage
First of all congrats for your work!
I’m in love with the white chair, i think it’s a rocker…
where can i buy it?
thanks!
One question elsie: Will you show us all your beautiful house when you will have finish all the rooms? I really love what I see in your pictures and I’d really like to discover the final result!
Kisses from madrid (spain)
Aitana,
Hi! Yes, Emma and I both plan to share full home tours in the future. 🙂 Right now we are writing a decor book so we have to be careful not to show any “spoilers” of our book projects so that it’s still fresh when it comes out next year. After we finish the book and rearrange a little we will share the home tours- probably in the fall or winter coming up!
Thanks so much for asking! It means a lot to us that you’re excited to see more. We definitely can’t wait to share. 😀
OMG!We have the same rug from IKEA!I just have it in another color but it`s the same one!And it definitely looks great in your house!
xoxo
I’m having a hard time finding a rug that I love and will want to keep around for several years. Do you have any recommendations for good places to look for rugs, since you are so talented at rug shopping? 🙂 Thanks so much!
Send all the clothes to my thirldworldy but fashionista home!!! Haha
We are getting ready to take over our place (messy roomate moving out) I’m not IN LOVE with the space, but it will do for me and my hubby for now. With all that being said we are geared up and ready for a huge de-clutter, get rid of, scrub down of the whole place! Stressful but exciting because i will finally be able to stretch out and really decorate what we have! I pull a lot from your blog, I love a lot of the home shots you do, with furniture and color patters. I was wondering if you could post somethign about your “media” set up? TV stand? DVD storage if any? I struggle with that more than any room or area honestly and I am curious to see what you have done???
We are getting ready to take over our place (messy roomate moving out) I’m not IN LOVE with the space, but it will do for me and my hubby for now. With all that being said we are geared up and ready for a huge de-clutter, get rid of, scrub down of the whole place! Stressful but exciting because i will finally be able to stretch out and really decorate what we have! I pull a lot from your blog, I love a lot of the home shots you do, with furniture and color patters. I was wondering if you could post somethign about your “media” set up? TV stand? DVD storage if any? I struggle with that more than any room or area honestly and I am curious to see what you have done???
We are getting ready to take over our place (messy roomate moving out) I’m not IN LOVE with the space, but it will do for me and my hubby for now. We are geared up and ready for a huge de-clutter scrub down of the whole place! Stressful but exciting because I will finally be able to stretch out and really decorate what we have! I pull a lot from your blog, I love a lot of the home shots you do I was wondering if you could post something about your “media” set up? TV stand? DVD storage if any? I struggle with that more than any room or area honestly and I am curious to see what you have done???
What color is the thrive teal sofa?
Hi! I love spring cleaning. I am keeping this idea of picturing empty spaces for the to-do list and also to bring to shops!
Olive xox
Declutter here I come! I’m currently on the same page. My fiancé and I just bought a house…. And I’m finding that despite the pre-move declutter there is still tons that should go.
Like you said above; I’ve heard many say that getting rid of clothes makes them enjoy what they have just that much more. I was so nervous… But as each bag is packed… I feel that much lighter! 🙂
Happy Spring!!!
Xoxo Renee
Your post got me thinking about what all I hope to complete in the warmer months!
http://confettiandink.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/in-the-works/
1. New to your blog, and I love your pugs! Such nuggets. 2. This post inspired me to set my own spring cleaning goals, which is nothing short of a miracle. Breaking my cleaning into manageable (and fun) sections makes it so much easier.
The house cleaning services are not apart now in CA, these are easily accessible at rosiescleanteam.com at affordable prices.
I’ve started going through unused items/ clothing to either sell or donate and it feels so good to have a fresh space to work with.
I’m totally inspired by this post. 20 days later, I blog about it….
http://hellpellet.com/2013/04/22/spring-has-sprung/
I love your “sunshiney” house. Thanks!