One downside - now that the filth is semi-conquered, the clutter is more obvious and dismal. How does that even work?

I do not know, but you have just described our house.

t edit I mean, remember my carefully annotated photo of the crap on the dining room table? [link] It's not like the table is the sole repository of clutter. HELLS no. Anything with a vaguely horizontal surface gets shit stacked on it. It's like there's no point to clearing anything off, because as soon as we do, NEW shit gets stacked there.

We usually hover around the border between "Pigsty" and "There's a floor in here somewhere". Today, I'm working to get it to "Wow, you have a lot of books."

The skirt color is gorgeous, ita. And you can throw whatever ratty things you want on top of it and the total effect will still be stunning, because that's the inevitable sum of gorgeous skirt + ita.

The fridge is conquered. Now the kitchen floor looks dirtier than ever. One more sweep, vacuum the hallway, blot up the remaining glaring food spills in the living room, scrub down the shower curtain and tub after my shower, swab the kitchen floor, and off to Papou's for a refreshing afternoon of laundry (fortunately, punctuated with mac'n'cheese, gardening, and checking his orange tree for anything ready to harvest).

eta: I mock your tabletop, Tep. There are actual visible expanses of tabletop around the corners of the stacks. The kitchen table cleanup I bragged about before? Our "after" looks exactly like your "before."

The only reason there is open tabletop in that picture is so the fat cat can perch/loaf. She kept knocking stuff off, so we learned to leave her a small open space.

Less than two hours to go, then I can go home and get my nap.

And, random Matilda-ism, because there haven't been any for awhile (I didn't actually hear this, Hec did, but since he hasn't yet reported it I will:

Matilda talks in her sleep rather a lot; it's usually unintelligible, but sometimes something slips through loud and clear. Three or four nights ago her mumbling woke Hec up. "Are you awake, honey? Do you need anything?" he asked.

Matilda sighed, in the most sweetly wistful voice imaginable, "Good-bye, little girl." And then, reproachfully, " Bad bunny."

I love that skirt ita. I wish that style worked on me, but it just emphasizes the shortness and the squatness.

If you wanted to partake of the colourblocking tend, that skirt woudl look great with a simple T in royal blue or bright pink. I don't know if that would be too much colour for you.

I am, theoretically, in love with this dress. [link] Practically, it would make me and the baby Jesus cry.

Some of those might appeal to bob bob, ita.

He is welcome to enable me.

I found a white linen cap sleeve blouse and went with that, and the cowboy boots. More laundry is in the machine, and some is off using up a groupon. If I can get one more load in, I've made a not insignificant dent into this crap.

serial:

I don't know if that would be too much colour for you.

Mos def. I think I can go with muted blues...I have some steel blues I'm thinking of...at this time, and that's about it.

And, lo, this white linen top gives me a chance to try out the new nude bra which is doing it's job of pretending to be invisible. We'll just act like we can't see it, eh?

Matilda sighed, in the most sweetly wistful voice imaginable, "Good-bye, little girl." And then, reproachfully, " Bad bunny."

Dreaming about Clovis, I see.