I can't blame just Hubby for the clutter. I've got lots of extraneous stuff too and boxes I haven't opened in decades.

A mildly distressing thing about Hubby's stuff is that some of it actually is the key to his memory. He has had minor strokes, and the drugs he's been on have played with this brain. I'll find something and ask if we can get rid of it, he'll look at it and remember something that happened 40 years ago that had slipped away till then.

We have some stored stuff in the garage, like boxes of notes on plays from when the DH worked at the Public Theater. I keep every program from every play I've ever seen. But we made sure when we moved here that we made a real choice to know what was in every single box.

Living in a studio apartment for so long in NYC made me feel that space was often more valuable than things, so I don't tend to keep things around unless I use them or I love them. "Going to maybe use them sometime if I think of how" doesn't count as a reason to keep things. I do believe in keeping things attached to memories, but each memory has only one thing. I don't have every coaster from every restaurant I went to in France when I was 13. I picked one I like and kept that one. I remember the whole trip when I look at that one, and I got rid of a box of useless paper I looked at maybe once a decade.

I remember the whole trip when I look at that one.

This has been key for me.

I have a card someone gave me at a housewarming that has the William Morris quote: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.

I have kept it because I consider to be both useful and beautiful. And, occasionally, a damn good reminder to cull. But also to keep things that I love or use.

I've always loved that sentiment, too, Cass.

I have a memory box with cards and letters and souvenirs. Occasionally as it fills up I go through it and get rid of things that no longer mean anything (why do I have this postcard? Is this card just signed or is there a note in it?). Might be harder if so much weren't electronic these days...my personal email inbox is a swamp (work I'm better with)

There was a thing on a blog lately about someone wanting a girl to get rid of old love letters from an ex-fiancé. And I was like really?? Unless you're reading them everyday...bit they're a part of your past! I wouldn't delete old pictures either (but not displaying them bedside either)

See, what I want is a book on household/clutter organization (or instructive human) that will simply TELL ME WHERE TO PUT THINGS. Not a single one I've ever seen has done that. They'll tell me how to plan a party or how to let go of clutter or how to understand where my need to collect/keep things comes from, but they don't tell me what to DO with the stuff I am not getting rid of. I'm serious. Thz srs prblm.

Oh my, back when I did clutter clearing professionally I would have given ANYthing for a client like you.

I've got systems! Really cool, inexpensive ways to keep stuff in order! Just try it, it'll be great, trust me!!

Yeah. It didn't happen that way much.

This reminds me of the time a friend helped me to unpack my kitchen stuff into this house. I had a plan that made sense to me, but she just rolled her eyes. I believe she said something like "Way to make it hard on yourself." She then moved all my dishes directly over the dishwasher. (What was I thinking about otherwise?)

12 years later, I thank her for that every time I do the dishes!

Erin, I went to bed early (and am up in the middle of the night, bah!) and am sorry I missed the header conversation.

I like the way it looks right now, it's very clean and crisp. I like the header font and colors a lot. (The typewriter thingie was cool, but difficult to read through.)

I'm going to have to agree about the testimonial widget being not quite right, though.

I have trouble reading stuff on the web anyway, and I can guarantee that I would not spend time trying to read that small print as it flips by...regardless of speed.

I would second smonster's recommendation of having a couple of catchy pull-quotes with a link to "What clients are saying."

I have a testimonial page with the expectation that people who want that info will read it if it is easy to find.

You could also use well-formatted testimonial quotes on the portfolio page. I have some designer friends that include 'the story' of the project with testimonial language.

I LOVE that sort of thing, and I lose myself in the stories, even if I'm not shopping for their services!

One other thing that I've thought about several times is a tagline that I really like, but think could be tweaked.

"I'm a wordslinger. But I want to be your wordslinger--your verbal hired gun."

For some reason, that 'But' really jars me. I could go into why, but instead, here is a suggestion.

"I'm a wordslinger...a verbal hired gun...and I want get your words in line!"

At the very least, I would change the but to an and.

"It's horizontal; I can put something there!"

I live with this. I've learned (slow learner) that putting things on the stairs isn't a sign that they should be taken up with the next person that goes. It's a sign that there are more storage options available.

Yesterday was a blur because we had the plumbers back (yes, the guys who were taking photos of the last job they did), but I should be around today. Especially while sitting at the DMV waiting for my license renewal. What I want to do is talk to Someone there about why they've put the requirement that people bring a SSN card on page 2, in tinyfont, with the center listings, and not in the bulleted, boxed list with all the other things to bring.

Erin - haven't looked at the site yet - will try to today after the DMV. Can this count as my onerous task for the next few rounds? DO NOT WANT TO GO. Someone make me go.

tea: sarameg, is your bday Saturday or Sunday?

So, I am up early because I have people working on my balcony. Phone rings at 10 after. I would normally have ignored it, as I don't know the number and it would have been all the way in the living room. But, I was sitting next to it and didn't know if it was the supervisor, so I answered it.

Turns out it was my doctor, of the medical/medication fuckups. Oh, he was sorry he called. I. Went. Off.

He ended up giving me his cell phone number.