Welcome to Show & Tell Monday! This week I actually hit a few different areas in my house, but I really wanted to show you this one. This bookshelf is HUGE, and when we moved in 5 years ago we put it here, loaded it up with books & frames … then didn’t touch it again (unless we were cramming on more books & frames!!). Where I sit in the loungeroom … I can see this … all the time. Recently it had been irking me that it was so untidy. SO … I grabbed a roll of paper towel, some cleaning spray and the laundry basket and set about cleaning it.
WOW … the dust! Those frames had a thick coat, and there was dust on almost every single book. I worked shelf by shelf, removing everything, cleaning the shelf and dusting off the books. I only put back the frames & books I really wanted to keep. If a book hadn’t been re-read since we moved here, it went. I tweaked the shelves as I went, adjusting the heights, and putting books by the same author, or on the same topic together. I am delighted there is one empty shelf because I have more family photo albums that I want to put there where we can look through them more often :D. All up this took about hours.
What I was left with, after being particularly ruthless, was this huge pile of books (which was well more than the poor laundry basket could contain!). At this point I was tired and aching, so I took a break. Later in the day I started to sort the books into different stacks (that really tall one is Agatha Christie novels), so I could decide where they should go. Now there is a bag of books going to the school for their second hand book stall, some sold instantly, and there’s a box going to the local Guides for a book stall on election day. The rest will go in my garage sale, and any that are left will be donated to the Salvos or anyone else who wants them.
Now when I sit on the lounge I feel a buzz of excitement because it is all organised and dust free. I feel the urge to turn off the television and read a book *gasp*. I know that I will not miss the books that leave the house, but I also know that in 6 months time I may be able to part with a few more. I challenge you to look at your bookshelf and see if there are any books you can part with. Would they create room for the latest release from your favourite author? Would it be in less danger of falling when the kids thunder past or the cat becomes athletic? Could you do without the dust as we head toward spring? I would love to see your before & after photos over on the Cake & Enemy Facebook page, or comment below and tell me the strangest thing you find on your bookshelf.
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