Gotta Start Somewhere....

Forgive the simplicity of my introduction.  I am new to this.  I grew up writing journals for my eyes only, so this blogging is a bit daunting to me.  I am here because I'm looking for an outlet to share my interests in a variety of things.  

I have not developed a pleasing layout for my blog yet, but am looking to find a design that represents all things "me".  It may take some time, so bear with me.

Some of my interests include, of late, life and culture in Paris, nostalgia and the way of life for those in times gone by, and fashion and homemaking of the 1920s - 1950s.   I love strolling through antique stores and I love discovering original pieces long forgotten.  I'm a huge fan of www.etsy.com and could spend days perusing it's incredible treasures.  

Lately, alot of my time has been spent planning my wedding.  My fiance, Jason, and I will be marrying in November in Paris, France.  We're planning a very simple wedding, with just 12  guests or so, and will host a wedding feast at a restaurant following the ceremony.  Nevertheless, I really enjoy discovering new ways to make our union and our special day...well, special and unique.  I love the artistic side of planning a wedding.  I will likely share some of my finds here as well as those things that simply catch my eye in my journey.

I've come to realize lately that there's something about women in the 40s and 50s that inspires me to be a better wife.  I've always been a career woman, working anywhere from 50 - 60 hours per week.  I have been an executive assistant in private equity firm for the past 10 years.  My domestic responsibilities consisted of hiring a housekeeper and a landscaper to insure my home was well maintained.   (However, I do tend to my own rose garden...for that I take full responsibility!)  I spend alot of time roaming around the house, which is surprisingly untidy despite the fact that only 2 humans live in it (plus 3 dogs and 2 cats).  I still can't figure out how I can be up at 5:30AM, out of the house at 7AM, home after an hour commute at 7PM, napping until 8PM and up until 2AM (yes, that's right...and up again at 5:30AM) and manage to keep a house clean.  I can't.  That's the problem.  So my current mission is to put more effort into making the most of my time  so I can get to bed at a reasonable time (reasonable = 10PM).  This requires better use of my time, less roaming, less watching TV, less napping, less computer time (I know, I know, what am I doing on the computer!).

So my initial mission is to thoroughly clean this house so that I can more easily maintain it on a scheduled basis.   I started on Sunday and was surprised to find that in one day, I managed to clean the master bathroom, clean out the refrigerator (reflection clean), implement an effective recycling system (this includes being sure to rinse every jar and package put in the recycle bin to prevent odors), wash, dry and put away all the dishes (2 loads), reorganize the pantry, do 2 loads of wash, AND groom Johnny Cash (my yorkie).  Okay, so I still got to bed at 1AM, but once all the nitty gritty cleaning is done, all cabinets organized, all unwanted/unused/unnecessary items are discarded, I imagine I will see an earlier sleep time.

As inspiration, I have been reading "how to" books and woman's magazines from the 40s.  How those women managed to maintain spic-n-span homes while LOOKING so well maintained is beyond me.  I am reminded of my grandmother, Nana, who got on her hands and knees with a bucket and a sponge/washrag twice a week.  Twice a week she scrubbed and waxed the wood floor of their Brooklyn home - from one end to the other.  Twice a week!  I can barely mop mine once a month!  Nana loved to clean though.  When she came over, she was sure to organize something in your home, whether you liked it or not.  (I like to think her spirit is possessing me right now and that's why I'm experiencing this change of life.  I miss her terribly.  And it would be just like her to possess me if only so she could wash the dust off the top of my refrigerator!)  

I found this terrific magazine at a vintage shop, Rust and Roses, today in downtown Phoenix.  It's dated August 1944 and is called "On Guard....The American Home".  It's so fun to read how life was back then.  It has some interesting recipes and articles on keeping a home.  I'll be sure to transcribe some of them for you here. Okay, if I want to get the rest of the laundry done, I will have to close today's entry.

In closing, thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope it improves over time and I hope that, in my quest of discovery and improvement, I manage to offer you something you can use in your life as well.