HomeGoods buying spree motivates clutter clean up

I wrote recently about turning a cabinet alcove into a personal office space. There is something motivating about making a change like that, and I've been very industrious lately about de-cluttering and organizing upstairs, which I've neglected to do while decorating the downstairs. I wanted to have a place to entertain before I had a comfortable place to take care of my personal affairs, I guess. Party now, pay the bills later -- or something like that.

I couldn't wait to add a few touches to the new desk area, so off I went to Target and HomeGoods to secure some organizers and art to continue claiming that space and making it my own. The alcove - as you may or may not recall - is part of my upstairs hallway and overlooks a wall of windows on one side of the staircase. I have not gotten around to painting either the staircase or the hallway yet, but I already have colors planned for both as well as for my bedroom right off of that hall.

I plan to do a contemporary bedroom with Old World touches. I came across several framed photos and art depicting various aspects of Venice, Italy, as I was rummaging through my closets. Since I am addicted to everything-Italy having spent a year there studying art and literature when I was in college, I decided to bathe my bedroom in the mood of that mysterious, watery city. So it was that when I went to Target and HomeGoods that along with organizers, I also found Venetian wall art that I knew instantly would fit in the hall adjacent to the bedroom. Why not start setting the mood before I even enter the bedroom?

How I motivated myself to wait…and work

So here's the thing…I fall in love impulsively, but I take my time committing. I couldn't bring myself to spend the money on the artwork until I gave it more thought, so I took home the organizers and busied myself plowing through piles of mail and papers in record time that needed sorting, filing, and shredding. My desk has never looked neater. How did I motivate myself? Well, I would not go back to the stores to buy the art unless the desk was cleared of the mountain of junk I had collected and dumped on it. And I also knew that if I didn't get back to the store the next day, those pieces of art would probably be gone -- one was a clearance item and the other two were original oil paintings, the frames alone of which were worth more than what HomeGoods wanted for them with the paintings. I made it back in time and bought all three pieces of art.

Sneak preview

The sad part is that I don't want to hang them up until the hall and desk area are painted. It would be like trying on a prom dress so much that when the big night arrives, it's a let-down. Looks like I'll be getting my old paint clothes on this weekend.