Luisa in Dallas's Profile

Nice job and lovely cat. And it is so nice to see a couch that does NOT face a TV set.

Love your labels! I'm a "word person," too. Labels help in maintaining an organizing system and avoiding creeping chaos.

I browsed your website's organizing ideas, and I was impressed. "Sheets stored under the bed" is inspired, and I'm going to copy that.

I receive the Wisteria catalog but never order anything because I think their items are overpriced, plus I like to see items in person and avoid made-in-China stuff. Luckily I live near their outlet store where the prices are much more reasonable. Last December they had a 50% off Christmas items before Christmas with a lot of unique items for really great prices, so I've made a calendar reminder note for December 2009.

Their quality seems OK to me (about same as World Market or Pier One) but I will avoid the "antiques" after reading these reviews.

Loretta, I feel your pain. I have almost daily thoughts of leaving as having an inviting home is essential to me. Talking doesn't work. Action works (sometimes).

See if your library has "When You Live with a Messie" by Sandra Felton. If not, Amazon has some cheap used copies. The author has some good advice, especially the section on anger (yours and mine).

Here's an idea for a first step: choose one room to declutter. Your bedroom is a good choice because an uncluttered bedroom really is more relaxing even to a person who doesn't appear to be bothered by mess. My Significant Other didn't believe this until we tried it. The bedroom has a king-size bed, two bedside tables and one armoire (used for linens), and a side chair. That's it for furniture. My clothes are in the closet so I control that area.

Second step, try to give him a room of his own that he can keep any way he wants. Whenever he dumps his stuff around the house, move it to his room. (a giant version of Willliamsweyr's shove-it-in-a-drawer solution). My Significant Other has the master bedroom and bathroom as "his." (We use one of the small bedrooms for sleeping.) For "his room" I ask only that he leave me a path to his clothes closet, as I'm the Laundry Lady. (When the path closes up, I just stop washing his clothes. Very motivating!). I ignore his room otherwise.

Don't give in. You have a right make the changes that you need to live a life that is satisfying to you.

Nice post, Amy! Thank you for sharing your place and your cats.

Wonderfully pared down in a way that I could not and would not do, but you still included at least seven plants, so you are "super cool" in my vote.

Thanks, AmyE, for tactfully saying what I've been thinking for days now. Editors, are you really totally committed to this round-up stuff?

P(too),

As a vegetarian guest I do not expect people to go to a lot of trouble to accommodate me, but I would hope they wouldn't add a pointless carnivore ingredient to an item such as gingersnaps that are usually ovo-lacto vegetarian. Why add pointless restrictions for people you supposedly like.

For a dinner party, I let the hostess know that I'm vegetarian and offer to bring a vegetarian dish.

As a hostess I don't offer totally meatless food because my significant other likes to cook and isn't a vegetarian. If I lived alone, I would serve only vegetarian food when entertaining, but I wouldn't kick you out for bringing in crab dip or BBQ!

Teebz, you made a good point about the Omnivore's Dilemma. If that's what is chosen, I'll join in, and I'm sure to learn something. Thanks!

If you can remember to scan the barcode, surely you can just as easily remember to write the item on your shopping list (which takes up only a teeny space compared to this).

Of course, this might appeal to gadget lovers like my Significant Other. His idea of "put it on the list" is to set the empty package on top of the list!