The Office: Ta Da
Sep192007
So I took my birthday and the next day off except I did work on the bookcases in the hall. I didn’t get them finished of course, but I worked on them. I couldn’t help myself, the momentum got me. But yes, there should be before and after pictures.
So here’s where we started:
And this is now:
And here’s the other view:
And this is now:
.
Okay, I accidentally focused on Wolfie who popped his head into the frame because he was sitting in the desk chair. Here’s the other end of the office in focus:
You’ll notice that while there are still books stacked in the hall beyond, they’re stacked more neatly. I feel this is crucial. And I will get them off the floor. So I can walk through the hall and clean up the living room. Damn, I have a lot of cr– stuff. But while I was cleaning up the hall, I found all the Mesopotamia books, so that’s good. Really, cleaning is a good thing.
Although that kind of shoots the “never have too much of a good thing” right in the instep, doesn’t it?
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46 Comments to 'The Office: Ta Da'
On September 19, 2007 at 5:27 pm Carol said...
You are our idol!!! Thanks for the after pictures.
On September 19, 2007 at 5:36 pm RESting CB said...
When you started cleaning, I felt inspired to go through my closets and get rid of stuff. And then I thought… Nah. But then last week my niece asked if she could move in. Of course I said yes. Now I really do have to clean, so I have a place to put her. Thanks to your 12 days I might actually get through it with my sanity. Thanks.
On September 19, 2007 at 5:39 pm ArkansasCyndi said...
I’m impressed! You’re making progress. I’ll send you the key to my house so you can do the same for me! LOL
Wolfie looks like one lucky dog
On September 19, 2007 at 5:46 pm Catherine said...
It looks so cute and comfortable now! You should host one of those design shows. Of course, I guess we all knew you were stylish and artistic already. Nah, keep writing books. That’s my final answer.
On September 19, 2007 at 5:49 pm Melissa said...
Love the office and let me tell you there is something about a clean office that makes you think you can take over the world.
On September 19, 2007 at 5:51 pm Louis said...
WOW! Such a difference.
Don’t you feel good now?
And you should.
On September 19, 2007 at 6:23 pm Inge_ Cherry Pi said...
Congratulations! I love the empty plastic box sitting squarely in the middle of the rug as if it’s on a pedestal waiting to be worshipped!
Your office is beautiful. Wolfie is adorable. Way to go.
i
On September 19, 2007 at 6:24 pm Pam W. said...
I love that stuffed lobster.
On September 19, 2007 at 6:30 pm Courtney De said...
Wolfie looks extremely proud of the clean office. Almosy as if HE was really responsible for the whole endeavor.
And I LOVE the empty box, sitting there on it’s very own rug. Although, if it were me, it would already be half full with new cr-stuff again.
Way to go! It looks FABulous!
On September 19, 2007 at 6:47 pm me said...
Beautiful. It almost makes me want to reorganize my home office.
Almost.
On September 19, 2007 at 6:47 pm Amanda said...
WHOA! That is really impressive. I feel like I should jump up and start cleaning my office! (although I really don’t think that it would end up this cute!)
On September 19, 2007 at 7:03 pm Mitzi - Cherry Crone said...
Congratulations!
Wolfie, of course, is the best part of it all.
On September 19, 2007 at 7:26 pm robena grant said...
I cracked up over Wolfie’s first picture, his eyes are wide open and I imagine he’s thinking, “So what d’you think? Mom did good, didn’t she?”
And you did. What an amazing result.
On September 19, 2007 at 7:29 pm Lynn said...
Seriously that is amazing and inspirational.
I’m not sure I could ever have been so honest.
Yay for you!
On September 19, 2007 at 7:34 pm Courtney said...
Wolfie is a cutie patootie!!!
Congrats on getting your office done. You’ve inspired me to clean out my nightstand and my computer desk. I am working my way up to the junk room:-)
On September 19, 2007 at 8:03 pm Brooke said...
I’m totally impressed. Do you hire out? I need you.
Also: What’s with the big empty transparent box in the middle of the floor? Is that your panic box? Sort of like a pacifier: If I need to pile crap somewhere, I can just pile it here! Whew. Like that?
Wolfie looks positively majestic.
On September 19, 2007 at 8:32 pm Brandy said...
No offense, the office looks FANTASTIC, but Wolfie steals the show! So cute!
On September 19, 2007 at 8:33 pm Sheri said...
I see you finally conquered The Box From Hell. Daas Box. Or whatever you want to call it. Almost made me want to pull out my own and do the same. And then I went into my garage, where my own personal Box From Hell is safely stowed away on the top shelf in the corner farthest from the light and I thought “Naaahhh” and came in the house and watched a rerun of the Gilmore Girls and life was good. It was very VERY good. And The Box was safe for another day…..
And besides, there was so much cr–er, stuff piled up in front of the shelf on which The Box resides that I couldn’t have gotten to it even if I had really wanted to without going through all the debris and flotsam that has gathered to worship at it’s feet (does a box have “feet”?) in awe of it’s incredible staying power and longevity. I mean, it has lasted over twenty YEARS–seems to me that the statute of limitations should have expired a long time ago and The Box should be able to rest in peace…
Sorry–REALLY long day at work–I appear to be rambling… Time for a hot bath and a hot toddy, and not in any particular order!!
On September 19, 2007 at 9:47 pm Jan D said...
Wonderful. I have every confidence in you that it will stay this way.
Unlike me. See an empty space and cr-stuff just migrates there of its own accord. I have nothing to do with it.
But it seems to me that Wolfie is taking it all very seriously. He’ll see it through.
On September 19, 2007 at 9:57 pm Penny-scope dope cherrybomb said...
Way to go Jenny and a belated Happy Birthday to you.
On September 19, 2007 at 10:13 pm Yvonne Lindsay said...
Okay, be honest. It was Wolfie who did it, wasn’t it? Man, he looks very proud of the clean up doesn’t he?
Jenny, even though you were all done I felt obliged to keep up my end down here (in NZ). As it was time for the monthly Child Cancer Foundation good used clothing pick up and I attacked my wardrobe and dresser drawers. Three huge pink clothing recycle bags later and one bag full of shoes I was done. It felt soooo good. Until some deadbeat stole the bags from the front of my house before the Child Cancer Foundation pick up people could get there. I put pics up on my blog about it. I’m still gobsmacked.
Thanks for the before and after shots. Gives you a whole new appreciation of how hard you worked to get it all done.
On September 20, 2007 at 12:37 am Jenny said...
Yes, it was all Wolfie, the mad genius. I’m just a front for a demented cleaning dachshund.
But then, you knew that.
On September 20, 2007 at 1:19 am inkgrrl said...
The look on his face gave it away. Congratulations to both of you – a job well done!
On September 20, 2007 at 2:45 am Mel said...
It’s beautiful. Obviously every office needs a fiendish yet adorable mad genius cleaning mastermind like Wolfie. And some minions to do the cleaning would be great.
So worth all your hard work!
On September 20, 2007 at 4:50 am Susan Flemming said...
The transformation is amazing. Your office looks great.
On September 20, 2007 at 4:57 am Evelyn said...
Hi, I’m new and in that respect probably ignorant, but the organizing boxes on the shelf, the ones with the adorable multi-colored pattern – could I ask where you got them?
My apologies if this has been answered before.
thanks in advance.
On September 20, 2007 at 7:38 am pattie said...
Congrats on the ‘new’ office and belated happy birthday, Jenny!
LOVE Wolfie, and he looks so proud of Mom/you.
On September 20, 2007 at 7:42 am bookgirl said...
Yah you! The hallway looks like it should have taken 12 days all by itself.
How could you not have focused on Wolfie in that photo? He is absolutely adorable, but does look like he is hatching some sinister plan in the second photo.
On September 20, 2007 at 7:53 am DownUnderGal said...
Go you – that should be a law.
Thou shall not clean on your birthday.
Okay, apparently my psyche demanded a commandment….
On September 20, 2007 at 8:05 am Nancy said...
Hi Jenny,
Wow. Wow. Wow.
My mother’s coming for the weekend so I did the same thing as you did. I also took the opportunity to take EVERYTHING out of the closet and reorganize. Took every book out of the bookcases and dusted.
Did you have much dust?
I feel so light and carefree now. As if I’d dropped ten pounds. Odd.
Nancy
On September 20, 2007 at 8:34 am me said...
Oh, Happy Birthday!
On September 20, 2007 at 8:36 am Diane (TT) said...
Now, see, I thought that in photo#2 Wolfie looked abashed at having stolen the show in photo#1. This is why dogs make such good companions – one can read into their expressions what one wills, and they can’t contradict!
I took last night off from cleaning, even though it wasn’t my birthday, partly because I was frustrated by being unable to get my front license plate off to replace it (rusted on after less than 10 years!). Probably partly because I was reading Emma Watson though.
On September 20, 2007 at 9:07 am JulieB said...
I love the look on Wolfie’s face. He’s beaming.
On September 20, 2007 at 9:28 am Ray-Anne said...
INKGRRL says it for me. Wolfie is my hero. Now, if only I was not allergic to animal hair/fur/whatever…
On September 20, 2007 at 10:28 am Sheryl said...
Where’s the recipe for Agnes’ pecan buttermilk pancakes? It’s been two weeks since I read that scene and I’m still salivating.
On September 20, 2007 at 11:40 am Diane L. said...
Wolfie: “Ahh, FINALLY, a setting fit for a dachshund.”
On September 20, 2007 at 11:45 am Lou said...
Ahhh, Jenny, you should be SO pleased and proud of yourself!! Way to go!
Wolfie is adorable!!
On September 20, 2007 at 12:37 pm Jenny said...
The boxes are bankers boxes from Staples that I covered with contact paper from Target.
I’m not really a high-end kind of girl.
And thank you all for the congratulations. I’d be feeling smug if the paper wasn’t piling up again already. But I’m going to get through all the new stuff today. Argh.
On September 20, 2007 at 12:53 pm Mary Stella said...
The office is a thing of absolute beauty. So is Wolfie. I was inspired to organize two closets last weekend — 15 minutes at a time. I’m happy every time I open a closet door and see the neatness. Haven’t tackled the office yet because I thought the next thing I should be inspired to do was write. There’s always another weekend. My clutter isn’t going anywhere.
Unfortunately.
Congratulations on a job well done, Jenny!
On September 20, 2007 at 1:36 pm Lynn said...
Off topic …
I’m perusing the September 15th edition of Booklist (hunting for children’s books) and Agnes and the Hitman is one of their top 10 in Romance fiction for the last 12 months choices: “the best romance novels of the last 12 months feature not only captivating characters but also imaginative predicaents, and as much humor and suspense as sex and love” (p. 46).
And that’s beyond the initial review … may a few added sales come your way from libraries with money to spend.
On September 20, 2007 at 1:45 pm lady T said...
Love Wolfie! Thanks for the before and after pics. You both did a great job!
On September 20, 2007 at 2:34 pm ZaZa said...
I really love that little footstool/hassock/whatever. For some reason, I like those things in general. If I didn’t exert almost superhuman control, there’d be a dozen in each room anywhere I lived. ;+) Go you for sticking to one as an accent piece, and a very cool one indeed.
I get the impression that Wolfie thinks this cleaning has been all about him, for, surely, this space is his to command. That first pic of him in focus, you could do a lolcat: “Minyun plz to bring cheezbrgr now.” Heh. Awful, I know.
On September 20, 2007 at 2:50 pm Deirdre said...
What a great job – such an accomplishment! Much more satisfying than just cleaning the bathroom or doing the laundry – this is house stuff with substance!
And really, Wolfie just makes it for me…
On September 25, 2007 at 2:28 am micki said...
(-: Great job! I spent the whole afternoon yesterday cleaning out under the bedroom desk. It was pretty bad, and the dust was worse, but two hours in, I finally realized I could wear a surgical mask while cleaning, and I wouldn’t breathe in all that dust. Duh!
Thanks for sharing your 12 days with us. You did wonderful. (-: NOW you can clean your office in 15 minutes a day, right?
On September 25, 2007 at 6:35 pm Jill said...
I love it and I am so jealous.
I am messy and my better half is a terrible packrat. Whenever I do get in the mood to purge things he will not budge. We do however have a clean closet. It took three years, but we finally threw out a computer monitor and decluttered. Now when I feel frustrated, I just go to the perfect closet and gaze in happiness.
On October 1, 2007 at 5:40 pm visualvotary said...
That’s amazing! I love it when the results are SO dramatic!!