Update - the living room

Well, I'm ALMOST done with the living room, about 2 weeks too late. This is what it looked like yesterday.



It still needs a lot of work and some decoration, but as a whole, we've got our living room back!

I'd rather look at furniture...

I should be studying Linguistics right now but I'm a bit bored. Having sick kids are getting on my nerves and I'm having a hard time concentrating on my studies. So I decided that I needed a break. I decided I'd look at furniture instead. *lol* Today a friend of mine asked me what I would do if I had the chance to decorate a home all by myself, money being no problem, and being able to chose exactly what I want without having to consult with the rest of the family. Wow, isn't that a great thought? What would you do? Would you stay in your home or would you buy a bigger/smaller one?

I ended up on Furniture From Home, the bedroom store. I've been there before so it was easy to find what I was looking for. I want a new bed. Well, actually, I'd love to be able to get myself a whole new bedroom set. So let's pretend that I can pick whatever I like and that I'm the owner of a big apartment with at least one huge balcony. My choice for my big bedroom would be Cherry Hardwood Marble Top Bedroom Furniture Set or the Cherry Hardwood Marble Top Bedroom Furniture Set.

And in my pretend home I would have at least two livingrooms. One Moroccan with couches and one European with "normal" sofas. Actually I don't like leather furniture. I don't know why, I just dislike it. But I did find a sofa I like. It's called Chaise Couch Lounger Sectional Sofa Set and it reminds me a bit of the Morrocan style.

After this trip to the furniture store it's about time I got back to my studies. Because I need to study so I can get a well payed job and buy that huge apartment with views of the Mediterranean. *lol* If I don't study there won't be an apartment, so now I'm off to work on the apartment. ;-)

The 30 Day Organization Challenge

The winners to the challenge have been notified and as expected, I didn't win any prizes. But you know what? I don't mind. First of all, because I didn't quite finish on time and there's still a lot of work to do in my living room before I'm done. But at least we've got our living room back and that what matters most. So I already feel like a winner. ;-) And because the other girls have done a great job. Have a look for yourself over at I´m an Organizing Junkie.

I will keep on organizing and improving my home over the coming months. I know fairly well what I want to do so it's all about having time (and money!) to achieve that. But I will get there, one day... *lol*

More updates

Today I went back to Kitea to buy the desks for the boys. They will be delivered on Friday. The kids are really thrilled because having a desk instead of a tiny table is something "big kids" have. So all of a sudden they feel "big". *lol*

B is so happy with his new closet. Today I finished putting his clothes in there so at least his room is almost fixed. The desk on Friday and that's it. *phew* One room done.

I've made some progress in the bedroom too. Or maybe not. I've brought all the boxes with photos from G:s room, but they are standing all over the floor right now. I need shelves! Most of my clothes are back in my closet. It still looks very empty, probably because I've found better places for a lot of stuff that used to be in there.

It did not rain today but it's been really cold. I hope the sun will shine tomorrow and dry things a bit. The outer walls are really damp and unless they dry soon we're going to get humidity spots on the walls. I hate that! But what can you do? That's the way the houses are built here. :-( All I can do is to use the electric heaters every evening and leave the windows open as soon as the sun comes out. Hopefully I'll buy a gas heater next week and that will keep the house warm and dry.

Tomorrow I'm going to take out the curtains. I will have to ask my neighbor to give me my iron back, so I can iron them before I put them back. I really didn't need it so I thought she could keep it while we were occupied with the makeover. I hate ironing! Probably because I don't know how to do it and try to avoid it as much as I can. But I need to get the curtains back in place because they help a lot to keep the house warm.

Beautiful windows

The next step on my To Do list for the makeover is to find inspiration for curtains and blinds that go with my new furniture. I've had a look at Terry’s Fabric Warehouse, a UK based company that sells curtains, tiebacks, tassels, hooks, holdbacks, tapes, haberdashery, blinds, cushions, throws, bedding, rugs and lighting. They sell online and deliver to the UK and the Republic of Ireland. There is so much to look at their website.

I happen to be very fond of blinds. I think they are a smart solution to dress a window. At Terry's there's a wide selection of different blinds, like roller blinds, roman blinds, venetian blinds, vertical blinds and wooden blinds.

In Sweden venetian blinds is a must in most windows. They are very functional - they work as a sun screen and protect your intimacy. So far I have not seen a single house with venetian blinds here yet. I wish I could find venetian blinds for my laundry room windows, I think they would give us enough shade in summer. Besides, I'm not sure on how much the neighbors actually see. I would feel a lot safer if I knew they couldn't look straight into my home. The ultimate solution would be the brown chocolate leather venetian blinds I found at Terry's. The slats of this blind are constructed from a faux leather material. Wooden venetian blinds would also be okey, but I love the leather look of these blinds. That rich chocolate color would combine perfectly with the tiles.

Me - a hoarder?

I found this test on hoarding through A Cluttered Life and I thought it could be interesting. And well, I'm not that surprised by the results.

Hoarding Severity Scale Results:

• Clutter score: 12
• Difficulty Discarding score: 11
• Acquiring score: 9

8–12: Moderate
In all likelihood, you have a significant hoarding-related problem. People who score in this range typically find their lives to be impacted by clutter, difficulty discarding or acquiring. You might benefit from working on the problem on your own with a manual such as Buried in Treasures. However, you could also consider working with a mental health professional who knows about the treatment of hoarding.

I definitely need to work more on getting rid of the clutter. But clutter itself really isn't my problem. I think my problem is that I don't get organized and I don't get a good organization system to put things away. I need boxes, containers and shelves to put the things in/on because just throwing it all into one of the closets won't solve the problem. I do have great closets (now I do), but I need to get myself to put things in there too. In an organized way.

Today I've been putting things in my fixed closet, so G:s room is almost okey. Just a few things left that I need to take to the living room and he has a room once again. I hope they will bring the desks next Friday, so he can get rid of his tiny table. I'll put the tables in the room upstairs.

Before I'm done today I'll need to take everything away from B:s bed as well. I had to use it as my closet since my closet fell apart, and now it's about time that he gets it back.*lol* That's what I'll do today. Baby steps...

The upstairs room

We've got our room back! My BIL came yesterday to take their stuff away so now the room is finally ours, ours, ours! It's been ours ever since we bought the apartment 7 years ago but somehow my BIL and his family moved in at the same time and have been here ever since. But not anymore. By next summer we're going to have a great summer room up there, a place where our guests can stay for as long as they want to (as long as it's not 7 years *lol*), so we can use the roof as a living space instead of a place to put things we no longer need.

This is a picture of the room in September, while we had to live up there as our apartment was covered in concrete dust:



A glimpse of the view from the room. You can see the beach and the Mediterranean Sea!



This is a picture of part of the roof, where we will be having our evening snacks from now on, watching the stars at night. It really is quite big, but since my BIL used it as their living room we never really had a chance to use it ourselves.



I will use the room to put away all the extra stuff that have been hanging around the stairs and the apartment ever since the makeover began. There's no use to fix the room now, since the windows are not real windows, just pieces of wood to give shade in summer. I will seal them so the rain can't get in. And then as soon as the rain stops I will start the makeover: new windows, new furniture, new decoration. It's going to be great!

Too much noise

It's hard to study with the kids at home. Even when I go into another room I can still hear them and that makes it hard to concentrate on what I'm reading. My house is still suffering from the makeover so at the moment we only have one table where I can sit down and work, and that's the dining table, in the middle of the apartment. Surrounded by toys, TV and kids... I think I need ear plugs. There are actually ear plugs made especially for students!

Even when I study in the library at work I get distracted. There's so much noise everywhere. And I'm getting worn out by studying at night, because I don't get enough sleep. I really, really need to get back on track and learn how to study at home. I know what I need to do - get my home back in shape, buy the furniture we so badly need, get some ear plugs, a lamp for the living room and most important, get organized. I have my books all over the place, because I don't have a desk or drawer or even a shelf to put them on, so I leave them wherever I can. I might not pass all my exams in January, I accept that, because things have not been going my way lately, but I will do my best. Out of 5 classes I hope to pass at least 3 of them. Right now I feel like I won't pass a single one, I don't feel prepared at all, but I'll study like crazy all Christmas and we'll see what I can come up with. I'm still very much in the game.

Update - the Organization Challenge

Well, the month of November is almost over and what has happened in my home? Not much that can be seen at first glance. But things are changing, one babystep at a time.

Yesterday was a day with a lot of work. The carpenter finally showed up to fix the bedroom closet. Let me tell you this, it's not pretty but I think it will last for a few more years. At least I have a closet again, after several weeks with the clothes all over the apartment. I can't wait to get everything back in place! And this time I'm going to get it all organized from the start. So yes, I'm still in. My start has been really slow (I had to wait for the carpenter) but I'll try to get everything in place by tomorrow night.



The delivery guys from Kitea came yesterday morning with B:s closet so he finally has his own. That's great because his clothes have been all over the place too, so I think the clothes crisis is about to end. Woohooo! It's about time!


Yesterday morning I took all the furniture and extra stuff that have been in the stairs for ages (ever since the makeover begun) and put it in the rooftop room. It was really crammed by the time I was done.

My brother in law finally came this morning to get his stuff. That was also about time since I've been waiting for him to show up since mid September. Oh well, it's done now and he has taken his stuff away. All of it. I hope. I haven't checked yet. As soon as the weather gets better (May or June) I will get that room fixed so we can use it whenever we want to/need to. But that's another story. *lol*

A cozy feeling

Now that winter officially is here I would like to get more lamps. My house is really nice during summer, but when the winter comes it seems dark and dull. I would like new lighting because that would make my house look more like a HOME. You know that cozy feeling when you sit on the couch, all wrapped up in blankets, having a cup of tea, the lights are dim and you're reading a good book or watching a good show on TV. I want that too... And now that we're in the middle of a makeover it would be the perfect time. If I only could find what I'm looking for.

My living room really need new lamps. I only have a ceiling lamp and it isn't enough. I would like some forecast lighting because I think it's beautiful. I really like the wall fixed lamps, like the Java Collection. Or the Allure collection from Hinkley lighting. Unfortunately, they don't match my ceiling lamp. So I'm still looking for something that could go with our Moroccan lamps. And that seems to be a problem. Moroccans don't usually have wall fixed lamps so if I want that I think I'd have to start from scratch. No, not now... I think I'd better get my home back together first.

I guess I'll have to go for candles instead. I really love candles but with two boys in the house I seldom light candles, I'm too afraid something might happen. I wish I could find lights that look like candles, that would be the perfect solution. Especially if they use batteries, because every now and then there's a power cut and we have to take out the candles and the flashlights.

Buying a new house

My home is slowly coming back together. I'm far from finished but I'm working my way through the apartment, according to what's done and what's not. I really love my home, in spite of the mess it's in right now. I would not sell my home for anything in the world. *lol*

I think there are several things you need to think about before you go and buy yourself a new home. The first one is your overall impression. Do you really like the house/apartment? How do you feel when you think about it? Happy, stressful, sad, something in between? How do you feel about the neighborhood? I think you should buy a home not just with your head but also with your heart. After all, you're going to live there, hopefully for many, many happy years so you need to be satisfied with your new home.

We bought our apartment unseen and let me tell you, that is not a good way to buy real estate! We were lucky because we immediately fell in love with the place. But it could also have been the biggest disappointment in our lives. Please don't do what we did. Anyway, in the end everything turned out for the best and now I'm totally crazy about my home. *lol*

You too can be lucky and find the home of your dreams (unless you've found it already), maybe in Boulder Colorado. Who knows?

Planning my entrance

I still haven't done anything about my entrance. I wrote about it in a previous post where I asked for some advice, and since then I have been too busy to be able to do anything about it.

These past days I've been thinking a lot about the entrance. I really want to do something about it, because a nice looking entrance will make you smile when you get home, a mess will get you into a bad mood.

I've been thinking about this bench/shoe closet. I think it will look nice in the entrance and since it's a bench it will come in handy when the boys tie their shoe laces. I just wonder what that space on top is, a drawer maybe? I hope so, that would be a nice detail. We're going back to Kitea tomorrow to have a look at this.

I'm still thinking about making a back pack station in the entrance, so the boys backpacks would get out of the way. But maybe it would be better to make them their own in their rooms, because otherwise I would probably be lifting them up and down all evening from the hooks. I really would want to buy them the desks tomorrow but since my closet broke down and I'm still waiting for the %&)#¤ carpenter to show up and fix it, my clothes and other stuff are all over B:s room. I wouldn't want the delivery men to see that mess. :-( So I guess the desks will have to wait another week. But they are priority #3, after my closet and the entrance.

Looking at Furniture from home

I don't really like Moroccan furniture because either it's "European style", and of very bad quality and in strange colors, or it's "Lebanese style" and then it's too decorated for my taste. I like simple things, like "country style" and furniture that is made to be used. My home is small, so I don't want pieces of furniture that would look their best in a palace. I just want plain and simple. Things for everyday use that will last for a long time. Things that look handmade even though they aren't. I'm not really that picky, I just want furniture that works in my home.

I'm looking for chairs for my kitchen. They have to have backs or my kids will fall off, and they need to be high. Bar stools is probably what I'm looking for, because they are high enough. And I've found some really nice ones too.

I enjoy going to big entertainment centers with furniture stores. Furniture From Home make furniture for families that won't go out of fashion in many years. I wish I had one of those stores close to where I live because then I would consider getting my furniture there. Browsing through the homepage I've found so many things I'd like to buy. Why can't I be rich? Then I would have it shipped here. *lol*

For my bedroom I would pick a storage bed, with lots of storage space under the bed. I like the idea of sleeping in a high place, I think it would make me feel like a queen in my very modest home. I've wanted a bed like this for years. It reminds me of the Quaker style, I think they used beds like this, didn't they?

Dining room furniture is the easiest to pick I think. I want a huge table so many people can sit down at the same time to enjoy a meal or a cup of coffee.

Oh well, right now I'd be happy if I found desks for the kids and the chairs for the kitchen.

Looking for a desk

Both my boys have tiny tables in their rooms but they have outgrown them a long time ago. They can't do their homework there anymore because there isn't enough space for their books. So now I'm looking for desks. So far I've been to two stores and in both it's actually cheaper to get the whole lot - bed, nightstand, closet, chest of drawers,desk... Well, actually getting just the desk is cheaper but in a few years time we will have to buy them new beds anyway and then the new beds might not color coordinate with the desk so maybe I'll get them the lot, once and for all. *lol*

Furniture is very expensive here in Morocco. Either you get a carpenter to make you the furniture or you buy it in a store. There are three main stores here in Tetuán: Golden Kit, Kitea and Mobilia. The store bought furniture is usually of really low quality and very expensive. The hand made furniture can be cheaper or more expensive, depending on what kind of furniture you're making. The most negative point about hand made furniture is that it can take years before you get your furniture delivered...

B:s room is blue so when I saw this bedroom I fell in love with it. It would look so cute in his room. But I will probably have to look for something a bit less expensive or our economy will be crying for a long time head.

No safety kits

Not a single blogger took my safety challenge. :-( Today is the last day and since I haven't seen much interest I've decided to skip all challenges for the time being. Instead I'll concentrate on the writing part and leave the contests to others.

My safety kit isn't finished, it still needs a few details. But I'm working on it. I'll show you my kit as soon as I finish.

Now I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll get the bedroom closet fixed tomorrow, because it totally gave up the other day. The carpenter promised he'll come tomorrow morning so I've taken everything out and my home is an even bigger mess right now. But hopefully I'll be able to put things back tomorrow evening and this time I'll do it right. I'm participating in the 30 Day Organization Challenge with both my closet and my living room. Unfortunately I haven't done much about it so far but as soon as I get my closet back I definitely will.

This is the state of my living room on November 1st:


And this is the original post with a picture of my living room a few days before the challenge.

30 Day Organizational Challenge

Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie is hosting a challenge this fall. It has two categories, a small space AND a whole room. I don't know the rules just yet so I don't know if we get to pick the room ourselves but I think we do. In that case I'll pick my living room as a whole room and the bedroom closet as a small space. My closet is totally falling apart, due to too much stuff spending too much time in there so I had to take most of my clothes out. I'll begin next week to fix everything that's not ok about my closet, like the back side falling out and such. I'll post some photos so you can see the Before and After. And what can I say about our living room? It's still crowded with stuff from the rest of the house, due to the make over and my lack of time to put everything back in place. Just have a look at this photo and you'll see what I mean. *lol*

Under my kitchen sink

I've had several questions about my kitchen, and especially about the cabinets under the sink. My kitchen is not a typical Moroccan kitchen because I'm not Moroccan and I wanted a kitchen that would suit ME and my life. But it is still more Moroccan than anything else.

Moroccan kitchens are usually very small and dark, because they are only used for preparing food. Not at all like the kitchens in Europe where you eat most of your meals and even attend your guests. You seldom see anyone eat in a kitchen in Morocco, because people usually eat in the living room. Very few people have dining rooms, because there's no need to. The living room table is usually low and round and the whole family gather around the table to eat from the same big plate. I like that and really enjoy eating this way (yes, I have learned to eat with my right hand, the Moroccan way) but in my home I want my kids to learn how to eat European style as well. So we eat our meals in the dining room although I plan to let them have their breakfast and snack in the kitchen when it's done.

The kitchen is ALMOST done! Just a few finishing touches and the furniture. The carpenter promised me I would get it before Eid and Eid starts this weekend so he'd better hurry up. If he hasn't been here by Wednesday I'll have to pay a visit to his shop and ask him what he's doing. He has been working on a 4 cabinets and a few doors for almost 6 weeks now. Shouldn't that be enough?... Anyway, I hope I can enjoy my finished kitchen next weekend.




This is what it looks like under my kitchen sink. It's not finished yet, the tiles are still missing. You might wonder why I want tiles in my cabinet. *lol* It's because it's so much easier to keep things clean when there are tiles and not just concrete walls. Cabinets here are usually made of brick and concrete and not wood like in Europe and America. Due to humidity and the risk of mould and bugs I prefer to have my cabinets with white tiles.

The blue room

Finally some photos from B:s room. As you can see I still haven't got the furniture back in yet, it is all over the house. I prefer to take it slow and declutter at the same time, so I won't get things so messy in the future.

I'm going to buy some sort of containers/boxes to keep B:s tiny things and stone collection in there. He has LOADS of tiny things which end up being everywhere... I want to do things the organized way this time.




home+improvement organized+home organization decorating+your+home

My laundry room

Hallelujah! After 2 weeks without being able to upload photos to Blogger due to my lousy internet I'm finally able to share some photos with you again.

This is my new room, the laundry room. It's not finished yet. So far I've thought about having the dirty laundry in 2 plastic baskets, one on each shelf, and our shoes neatly organized on the lower shelves. What do you think? The only problem is that we pass by this "room" on our way to the kitchen so I don't want to have smelly shoes there. I'll have to look for boxes. I think it's better to store the shoes in boxes. And it sure will be more pretty.

Tech Tags: home+improvement organized+home organization decorating+your+home laundry+room

More on storage

Woohooo! Look what I've found - storage bins. Not the ordinary tiny dust bins. These are like cabinets or shelves with lots and lots of storage space. They are HUGE in space but not in size.

I think a cabinet like this would be just perfect in a scrap room, because you can actually store things on both the doors and the shelves. This could also be a good place for toys, collections and other small items. They are actually made for storage in a garage but I think they would work just as well inside the house. I definitely could use one of those!