Still here, and Small Space Living

We are still alive...although I have to say there have been times this week I have wondered if we still would be by this time. I don't *ever* remember a bug hitting us as hard as this one did. Every time we would think someone was getting better, they would be down again. We have literally worn a dent in the sofa because there has been someone lying on it 24 hours a day for a week and a half.

I have a whole list of blog posts that need to be typed. I was on the verge of Ammah Grace's birthday posts when I got sick. I have a couple of posts still to do there. My dad's birthday was Monday...I had a post all planned for that as well. A post on our Abraham Lincoln studies yesterday. My 888 book list post which I *still* haven't gotten around to. And so on.

Of course, I'm trying so hard to get caught up that I don't have time to stop and *type* all these posts. Hopefully I will, in time, get them out of my head and onto my blog.

In the meantime, I thought I would give you something inspiring to look at. I have seen this before...perhaps even posted a link at some point. But I found it again today and was really inspired. We are in the process of getting serious about working on this house again, with lots of exciting plans on the horizon. Partly as part of that process, and partly because of some *extra* motivation recently, we are doing some intensive decluttering. I have gotten rid of things I never thought I would part with (my stacks of old Creating Keepsakes magazines, for instance...other than the one in which I was published!) When I saw these photos today I was struck, not only by the excellent use of space, and the eye-catching style...but by the lack of *clutter*. It is homey, it is comfortable, and it is obvious that the *stuff* that is there is stuff they *use* and *love*. How refreshing to have *just* what you need and love, and nothing more. I've been trying to re-train my pack-rattish personality in that direction, and these photos really gave me a vision of what the end result of our purging here could be. After all, we have over four times as much space as they have!

Small is the New Big

Enjoy...hope you are inspired as I was.