I have a hard time balancing my tendency to keep stuff with my desire for things to be organized. Then, add to that the fact that apartments here come with NO STORAGE SPACE, and my dilemma is huge. There are no closets, no shelves, and very little cabinets unless you install them all yourself.
When we moved to this apartment, there was one set of shelves that we used for books. Three years ago, we filled it up quickly, but there was room for everything. That was BEFORE our kids grew, accumulated their own books, I returned to my fiction-reading roots, and started thinking about homeschooling. (And also before we knew that yes, for the right price, Amazon would ship to our home.)
My problem started getting serious. My bookshelf had No. More. Space. Not even a tiny little bit. So I started storing books wherever I could find extra space.
On top of the copier/printer:
We started buying furniture that had built-in tables for extra storage, like this lamp:
The bookshelf. I wasn't kidding about that extra space issue:
Baskets of books, tucked in the corner:
Even hidden behind pictures on the piano:
My bedside table...boy, this is cathartic...it's messy, huh?
Josh managed to keep his cleaner than mine, but still...
More tables that doubled as bookshelves:
Until finally, with $400 of Amazon and Homeschooling materials on the way, I could stand it no longer. We HAD to, absolutely MUST, buy a bookshelf. I went one morning and it was delivered that afternoon. Some assembly was required, though thankfully not by me.
Ah! A bookshelf! With room to grow! Goodbye, piles! Goodbye, stacks! Hello, fresh wood smell and dreams of implementing the dewey decimal system! (just kidding...about the dewey decimal system. I'm not that organized! Plus, I'd need to have a cool card catalog to go along with it, and I heard that it's nearly impossible these days to buy those card things. Ooookay, enough of that tangent.)
I can't wait for all my books to arrive and get settled in their new home!
2 comments:
awesome!!!
and that picture of it in your bedroom reminds me of eden in a pack-in-play in that same corner!
My goodness...what you need is a...Shiela. :) I realize only you and the other kids and dad (possibly nana) understand this reference..but I just had to make it, Rach. Remember how she'd neatly stack everything..behind counters, under tables, in cabinets. Whew..it was great until we actually needed to find something.
I'm glad you've got that new bookshelf (it's beautiful) because when this new stuff gets mailed and has to find a place..they'll have one. There's all kind of books you're getting..most of them are kinda skinny children's books..but not all of them. I'm just glad you and your family..READ!!!
I'll never..ever..forget the book that Emma brought me to read when we came to visit. Out of the zillion books in her room and all about, it was an Asianese book. I was so sad. And you were so helpful and made it seem like I wasn't a total idiot. "Emma, Mimi can't read Asianese." Emma was so precious and asked me with those big, blue eyes, "Why, Mimi?" Why can't you?" Definitely Emma made a memory for me.
She promised she would learn how and someday read to me. I'm so excited. My days for that will come pretty soon. We love you! I know next year..next Thanksgiving..Emma will be reading to Mimi..God willing. ;)
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