Fall nesting syndrome

I don't know if it's fall, or the state of the economy, or the age I'm reaching, or what, but I've been feeling a large urge lately to nest. Or should I say, an urge to make my nest smaller, more cozy, more economical in every way.

It's really not a completely new feeling. Earlier in the year, I went through a big process of elimination and got a LOT of stuff out of the house. That helped, but didn't completely scratch the "downsize" itch. Now, with costs continually going up and my income staying pretty much the same, the voice in the back of my head that says things like, "Do you really NEED this? When's the last time you used THAT? Why do you need all this space? Wouldn't it be easier to have a smaller house and less stuff?" is getting louder.

I spent last Sunday reorganizing the fiber room. I figured if I did that, maybe the voice would shut up for a little while. And besides, things had gotten way out of hand in there.

It now looks like this:













A decidedly wonderful improvement. All those bins you see are sorted and labeled. There are bins of miscellaneous sock yarns, bins with nothing but Socks That Rock in them, lace bins, worsted bins, etcetera. I can now actually find that Malabrigo Lace yarn I searched for a while back and never located. It's in a bin marked "Lace weight" that also has a sticker for Malabrigo. When I use it, I can simply peel the "Malabrigo" tag off the bin and voila! organization remains.

I'm very happy with the room. Unfortunately, the itch to downsize didn't get scratched. Instead, it seems to be enhanced by this reorganization. My brain is saying, "Hmm, why do you need a guest room when you never have guests?" A very logical question. That room serves more as a last chance clutter room than anything else -- and a storage area for my parent's bedroom set, sans matress. Even though it's much better than it used to be, there's still a tangle of stuff in there that I rarely, if ever use. Heck, there are still a myriad of craft supplies in the closet and I'm not even sure what it all is. (Although I do plan to raid it soon and see what I can put together for Christmas gifts. There is, after all, something to be said for being able to go shopping for craft supplies in your spare room.)

Anyway, while most people get the "spring cleaning" bug, I seem to have the "fall nesting" syndrome instead. But heck, some of those condos on RMLS.com sure look cozy!