Less is More

It might be the pregnancy, but I've had this huge need to de-clutter lately. Maybe this is my version of nesting- except instead of focusing on the baby's room, I've been doing things around the house. One thing that's been bugging me was my cluttered bookshelf. Observe the bookshelf in my dining room:



 I'm telling you, if you're looking for a way to spruce up your house (or stage your house to sell) and change things a bit without spending very much, then de-cluttering's the way to go. It's like instant gratification. So here's what I did:

All the books got taken out. I put some of them below in the cabinet doors and some upstairs. Others are going to be donated.

Next I decided on what to keep. The milk glass is special to me. Most pieces were given to me and I like the little collection I've formed. Emphasis on "little"- I've never been big on going overboard with things. I went into my driftwood collection and found two pieces that I thought might look nice displayed. My mom brought me some starfish from Florida on her visit this time, and the driftwood made a perfect backdrop for it. I left the few frames I had because they were in the beachy-white theme, and added some greenery, a candle, a teapot and a coke bottle filled with sand that I brought back from the Sahara desert.





 Next I attacked the buffet and dining table. Trimming down what I had displayed, and adding some fresh flowers, placemats, and more driftwood to the equation.





 Not much change, but overall it just has a fresher, less crowded feel in here.