Party in the Laundry Room
We had a party this weekend and the laundry room took a hit. Before any party, all odds and ends lying on the counter, like coupons to Bed, Bath & Beyond and a stack of pictures from last winter’s vacation, are swept into the laundry room. My bulging calendar, dirty towels from the powder room, and a pan I need to return to my neighbor, joined the heap. I wouldn’t want my guests to think I keep scattered junk around my house. Not me.
The party was a tailgate before the high school football game, which also happened to be my husband’s 25th High School Reunion. Talk about a place and time when you don’t want a bunch of people knowing you’re flawed.
Hiding my imperfections is ingrained because I was raised with Martha Stewart as my coach. I used to think that a perfect house was crucial and yearned to be Martha-like. About ten years ago, before her stay in the pokie with ladies named Bonnie and Big Jen, Martha gave a tour on televsion of one of her bazillion houses and then said, “Now behind this door is a room I never show. But today I’ll let you in on my secret.” It was a total junk room, stacked floor to ceiling with fabric swatches, dried lavender branches, dog bowls, magazines, books, vintage muffin tins. My love for Martha grew. From that day forward I always defended her because of that moment of humility.
Letting other’s see our flaws is hard. Do I really want my friends to know that a colony of fruit flies has taken up residence in my laundry room sink? It smells like the moldy bathrooms at Camp Deer Run where I went in sixth grade. Ridding my sink of smells and insects has been low on my list for a couple weeks. But I guess now, 24 years out of high school for me, I’ve learned that people do respect humility and messes don’t matter. So like Martha…here is my secret room…just for messes…but hey, doesn’t it look like it was a rocking good party?
9 Responses to “Party in the Laundry Room”
October 7th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
That exact same thing happens to our laundry room before a party.
October 7th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
Hi Kathy,
I just found you tonight by clicking on another site and another click, well, you know what I mean. I love your site and have started from the beginning. A comment you had left regarding Merritt caught my heart and I had to come over and visit. Your ebay auction cracked me up! I collect Coca Cola (old and vintage) and since I got turned onto ebay, well, the house is a museum now. I knew I’d like you when I saw your feedback was 100%, that says alot about a person:) Sorry this is long, but I will be back in the morning and continue archiving you so I can be up-to-date.
I have to get off now or my husband will really feel abandoned. I’ll be back with my coffee at 5:00 am tomorrow as soon as I say goodbye and kiss him and watch his headlights go around the corner. He doesn’t know about my blog addiction, just my ebay one.
Blessings to you, Laurie in Ca.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:14 am
My laundry room is a nook so for years my bedroom was the room that got junked. This year I put my foot down and said NO MORE…well, at least not in my room. Just don’t open the room to the guest room!
October 8th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Just found you over at the Dabbling Mum and followed the link here but I will be back often!
Laundry room, mud room, my closet…I’ve got a couple of places I stash my real life when people stop by!
October 8th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Our guest bedroom usually serves as our “accumulation station.” Since we had an artist friend stay here over the weekend everything got dumped into our laundry closet. And don’t get me started on our flaws. Long list. Longer than all the laundry needing attention in our home.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
At my house we call it the “bodega” (storeroom). It has washer and dryer, shelves with a myriad of “stuff” from my furniture refinishing supplies to the kids outside toys, to paper supplies and always whatever we need to “stash” (Translate: hide) usually sitting in the middle of the floor.
Such a necessary room!! A larger version of the kitchen “junk drawer.”
PJ
October 8th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Yes!! It’s so nice to know that I am not the only one who stashes stuff in my laundry room. One time I almost washed several important papers that fell into the washer after I stashed stuff there when we had company. Well now I don’t feel so bad about my secret stash.
And BTW, I am heading to my 25th HS reunion this Sat.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I think we all have those rooms that need to come open so we can be humble in our lives. Thanks for reminding us of that today.
And yes, it does look like one great party!
October 9th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
LOVE this post! LOVE your “flaws!”
And I have my own laundry room flaws to deal with this coming Friday. And I’m not happy about it…
You see, my husband and I live in a house that was built in 1780. This means that every inch of space must be used in this modern day. So my “laundry room” is merely a large closet with a too-expensive, rather new stacking washer and dryer… and the washing machine’s digital system is beeping and clicking. Everything but working.
So when the guy from Sears comes on Friday, he will have to take the 1780 door off its hinges. He won’t be happy. He will have to drag out the washer and dryer. He will be less happy.
But first I must remove my little tiny bins, my soap and dryer sheets, AND all my “flaws” that I keep in this closet as well. Like shoes that haven’t made it to the real closet. Towels that are not folded. Sheets that I don’t know what to do with. Baby toys for Audrey’s kids. Doggie towels for Jane’s, well… doggies. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Then the Sears guy will moan that he has to order new parts (I did purchase the service contract), and then come back to not only fix the washer, but put it all back in the “closet.”
Whew… !
Love those flaws!
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