Friday Check-In, plus a winner!

It’s the last Friday of our Spring Clean Sweep series.  I, for one, am exhausted.  I was aiming for participation, not perfection– perfection is so overrated– and yet I worked a little too hard at it!  Lesson learned.

Villa Pedestal and Dome from Willow House; more ideas coming soon!

This week was all about freshening up.  By now you’ve seen a few of the projects I’ve done to spruce this place up a little; but that was just the tip of the iceberg.  Along with the freshness of a few projects I’ll share in the next few weeks, I’m staring at the sectional that Macy’s literally just delivered a few minutes ago.  Talk about sprucing up.  It’s replacing the couch I bought with my first bonus check {from teaching, so the bonus was at best described as tiny} 13 years ago.  Ironically that was the same year I got my cat, who has, in turn, destroyed that couch.  As to what I’ll do differently this time I’m not sure, so give me your best anti-cat-scratching ideas!  {aside from the obvious scratching post and/or declawing.  The post doesn’t work and she’s too old to declaw… not that I haven’t thought about it…}

Hoping to throw the windows wide open today, I tried it for about 30 seconds before realizing the temperature was hovering around freezing.  So much for fresh.  At least I’ve had fun moving that bucket of daffodils around the house, brightening up just about every corner.  Even the bathroom.

Next week I’ll file my official “Spring Clean Sweep” report and show the “befores and afters” that I didn’t have time to post yet.  Until then, let’s hear about your progress– whether it was one thing or an entire room, tell me about your cleaning/organizing/freshening efforts!  I could use a breath of fresh air.  The one here is too chilly.  😉

OH!  I almost forgot!  The winner of the $50 to Clean Mama’s Shop is SouthernGirlSecrets (Natasha).  Email me {makinglemonadeblog at gmail dot com} and I’ll hook you up with your swag!

P.S.- C’mon, I know you want some chalkboard labels from Bradens Grace.  Enter the current giveaway to win the Fun Pack– there are so many uses for these darling labels!