Horse Chestnut Series - March

"Spring time allows the buds for our pleasure

To push out their bright green burgeoning treasure

They stretch and darken and point up so highly

Their flower spikes ready to show all their glory"

It's almost the end of March and the lovely horse chestnut tree is laden with buds adorning it's once bare branches.

The shiny brown buds which have been subtly swelling as each day passed are fat now almost ready to burst with new growth. The covering of each bud is tough and sticky with sap to protect the treasure inside. 

As we 'sprang forward' this weekend and in spite of all the rain we have had, we saw the first bud burst.
Each bud contains leaves, stems and flowers, albeit in their embryonic form. In fact, it contains the whole year's growth.
I can hardly wait so see those new bright green leaves unfurl.

Clean House Crusade!

So a couple of weeks ago I took a notion to clean up our act here at the Auburns.

I mean, clean up the act in a big way! We're not living in squalor or anything before you all panic but I was craving tidiness, organisation, efficiency, order... maybe it's a Spring thing!?

 

 So first things first, head up to Ikea and buy some organisational stuff to help sort the existing stuff, right? Well kind of right; I bought some shelves, some baskets, some shelf tidy thingies which I'm sure will all help when I get around to putting them to good use! But also kind of wrong because I bought more stuff of course! Apart from stuff to sort the stuff, I bought MORE STUFF to... STUFF our little house!!

 

 The Sunday before last Mr.Auburn and I took a fit and simultaneously decluttered a cupboard in the office which we both use for clothes. In a matter of minutes we had filled three refuse bags. It's kind of addictive once you start, the decluttering spilled into other areas too! That night we were both talking about how good it felt. Mr.Auburn thought I was being more than a little dramatic when I said I felt like we were claiming the house back but really I did! I do! There is a certain amount of guilt that almost 6 years ago we bought this EMPTY house and quickly filled everywhere with crap! Crap that gives me anxiety! Okay, it's not all crap, it's useful stuff, pretty things I had to have, it's bargains, it's future projects, it's crafty stuff, it's things that might come in useful someday...

it's home-thieving space-filling emotional baggage is what it is!!

 

 So co-incidentally one evening this week I came across a post over on Domestic Imperfection (Ashley is like a crafting DIY genius btw - AMAZING projects!); 40 bags in 40 days!
Basically for the period of Lent you decrapify one area of your home per day and fill one bag for charity/sale/bin. End result, tidy house less 40 bags of crap!! So obviously I'm in! Albeit a few days late although I had sort of started unbeknownst to myself! Ann Marie, an expert in the 40B40D challenge has all sorts of cool printable resources and all the ideas & support you need over at her blog White House Black Shutters! She will even send you a weekly newsletter with tips and tricks.

 

So here goes nothing. I mean here goes 40 bags, I hope!!!