This Is For My Sister

I'm going to do something spontaneous. And just so you know, I am never spontaneous. Ever. The last time I was, it was a planned spontaneity. It was so hard for me, I had to give myself a 24 hour lead time to get ready. To be spontaneous.

So, today is rather monumental. I'm covered in a light sweat as we speak. Because I just had an idea and I'm going with it. Just like that. No over thinking. No wondering. No calculating through things in my head. I may hyperventilate.

I've decided to show you the real me this week. Ta Da!

In this space I usually just spout about my kids and our crazy. Every now and then I feel the need to offer my inside view of the world as well. But that's about it. This week, every day, I'm giving you "stuff" that makes me who I am. I'm pretty sure you really don't care all that much. But I'm doing it anyway. I'm not an 'open-book' kind of person. So this feel like a challenge I'm forcing myself to do.

I'm going to start by doing something for my sister. I'm going to show you a teensy, tiny bit of the way I decorate. My sister has been begging me to do this forever. In all her sisterly wisdom, she has declared that I need a "Mantel Monday" post every week.

Normally, I never listen to my sister. Because, that would just be ridiculous. I've had to explain to her before that when we were in heaven, and family birth order was being assigned, I was the smartest (and bossiest). That's why I was sent first. End of discussion.

She likes to give me lots of opinions. And I like to give her kids candy bars for dinner when she isn't looking. We're the perfect yin and yang.

But today, I'm giving in.

This is the current state of my mantel. It's nothing extraordinary. At least, I don't think it is. But here is what makes me weird...It will only stay like this for 2 weeks. Maybe 3. I redecorate all the time. And that means everything. I move pictures on the walls, move wreaths, and every decorative object on any surface gets moved to a new location.

Decorating and arranging is just like breathing to me. It's what I do. I go to other people's houses and I mentally note all the ways they should move furniture and group different things to make their house look better. I can't help it. My sister has begged me to find a way to turn this obsession of mine into a career. So I just christened her My Manager and told her to figure it out. Sneaky of me, right?

If you can't already tell, I'm obsessed with the letter F. I'm planning on doing something like this soon. Chalkboards and the #5 also call to me. I heart them. Like, lots. Oh, and I also collect quotes.

I'll see you tomorrow.
Where I'll be spontaneous.
Again.