You know how you change a lamp in a room, or maybe a rug, which then tumbles into a series of other improvements which may or may not culminate in the full renovation of a bathroom? No? Just me? Well. (Ahem). We’ve been moving things around over here. It started with the biggest move of our daughter off to college. We packed up memorabilia, ordered bedding, bought new jeans, toiletries and glasses and shipped everything off to Chicago. It’s a happy move for her, she says she “loves everything about college” which is just what a mom and dad want to hear through the sound of their quiet sobs and softly blowing noses.
We have plans for her room. Not a total gut job, just a refresh to turn her bedroom into a part-time guest room. This will eventually require a new queen sized bed, but for the meantime, it just requires a clean carpet and a general tidying up. While we have the carpet cleaner out, we may as well clean our son’s carpet too. He recently organized his closet and cleaned his own room and I hardly recognize any of it anymore. A good carpet cleaning should seal the deal in there. While we’re at it, we should also clean the carpet in the studio (which gets lots of traffic) and the 9×12 area rug in the living room. That rug happens to be wool, so the living room will smell like wet dog for a couple days.
All this means all our furniture has been moved out and our rugs won’t be walkable until at least tomorrow. Our living room furniture is shoved to the dining area and my work table and upholstery supplies are filing the entry way. We don’t live in that big of a house. I’m currently writing this while perched on my bed, away from the wet dog smell, the general chaos and constant dampness underfoot.
Is it worth it to spend the first of a three day weekend moving everything around and creating chaos? Yes. I personally have a rather crazy six weeks ahead. I have an important slipcover job and a 30 page paper to write as well as a business to promote. Additionally, my son is about to start driver training and we will be hosting a 10-day guest in our newly organized guest room. It’s so worth it for us to buckle down and get a big job done before the rest of the chaos sets in.
So, while we get ourselves back to our new normal, how about a few dorm organization ideas? The dorm room is extraordinarily tiny. We had no idea how everything would fit in there when we first walked in. The first hour is bleak with stuff spread everywhere under a dim overhead light, and thankfully the roommate didn’t show up until the next day. The chaos would have been doubled. Well, we lofted Abi’s bed, and her roommate did as well. That made for more floor space. They each have a little study area under their beds, and the dresser fits there too. That IKEA Raskog rolling cart is the handiest thing. I have one in my studio, and this one works so well in the dorm room to keep food sorted from beauty and cleaning supplies. Abi’s roommate happened to have one as well.
I found that little chair while visiting my in-laws in Grand Rapids. My mother-in-law, Grace, tie-dyed the canvas cover for us. In the photo on the left above, you can also see the cute little throw rug I bought for her. We found another cozy chair at a local Goodwill store right before I left town. I forgot to get a photo of that, but maybe Abigail will send one. Abi bought a used fridge at the dorm “garage sale”, and I covered it with contact paper. It turns out to be a handy little coffee stand.
So, we’re all going through our changes and transitions. I’m wrapping up my degree program and Kaes is starting a new school year. Abi is off to college, and Roland is helping us all manage our new normals. Everything changes, but I’m also remembering, that good, new things are around the corner.
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