I have never been one to settle in a space. If I have a space, I am usually running away from it because there is life debris (clothes, dust, sheets, etc) accumulating all over the place. My knowledge of how to keep house, or even appliances is so low, that when I fist moved out of my parents house, I thought Clorox wipes could double to clean dishes. As a result, my college dorm room guests would have cloroxy citron hints to go along with their Rwandan coffee. yum. I don’t know how I became so estranged from anything homemaking, was it my mom’s fault, the elimination of home economics in the class room, or was I just to aloof to pay attention to what people do in their homes? . Although, 10 years later, I have indeed discovered things such as dish soap and even sponges, keeping house is still rather intimidating.
When Philippe and I moved into together, three years ago, I would watch the piles of dishes build up in the kitchen sink, the laundry piles take over our bedroom, and dust bunnies pop up everywhere. It was a real horrible, frighteneing..ok, diabolical apartment. Philippe was at work from 7am-7pm. I was at school from 7-2pm, so it was I who inhabited this space most of the time..alone. What did I do? I shoved things under the bed. I stayed out of the kitchen, and watched desperate housewives. It’s not that I didn’t want to clean, it’s that I didn’t know where to start. My life went from being the little St. Louis socialite, getting up at 5am (running, University, working) to come to a screeching halt in France. The world stopped, and instead of being in constant motion, I had to settle. AHH!!!! After days of anxiety and many an escapism road trip I began studying websites such as Martha Stewart or House Therapy.
Yesterday, I received a little gem in the mail. A book I forgot that I ordered off of a blog that poured out tips and tidbits about how to be self-sufficient and create a home. It’s called ‘The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking’ by Kate Payne. Ms. Payne you have saved my life…or at least my bedroom closet. For the first time in 27 years I learned how to properly fold a sheet, and now have oodles of closet space. I invested in a snake plant, which according to Payne, will survive the dark apartment and little attention, with an added plus of filtering my air. This book is full of little Grandma tidbits that most of my friends seemed to acquire throughout their lives, Kate Payne maps out in this wonderful homemaking 101 book. I am beginning to understand the little nick knacks of life and I couldn’t be more grateful. It is not easy to confess (although easy to spot) that you have no idea what you are doing in a house. Kate Payne, you saved me from asking advice from my mother in law. Thank you. Today I will be reading more about gardening, and perhaps tackle the kitchen.
