You know it's bad when you must take a picture

...to capture the only moment in the last 6 years that your laundry room counter has been cleared and cleaned completely!  Earlier today, the shelves were groaning under the weight of half-made quilts, my iron and several bottles of sizing, a sewing book, my sewing machine, pieces of an unmade quilt, several gallon- and pint-sized paint cans, paint brushes, two brass water hose connectors, a basket filled with drapery sashes for the game room, a pile of poor quality kids' books, an immensely dusty red velvet hat to match a Christmas dress, a two gallon drink dispenser, a lost pair of Vera's glasses from two years ago, and the basket of ironing.  All that now remains is the sewing machine and the ironing basket, although the basket is hidden behind the washer in this picture.  

Alex told me that I should have opened the cabinet doors to show how well I had cleaned those, too.  The interiors, not the doors!  I actually did clean some of the doors that had been caked in sizing because I always iron in the same spot.  

By weight and number the big winner in 'things that were thrown out' was half-used candles.  I don't know what I thought I was going to do with all those candles that I had totally forgotten were there.  

Note to family:  please do not consider this a golden opportunity to buy me more candles.

Note to self:  please do not consider this a golden opportunity to buy more trash to store in those shelves.  

Query for others:  What can I get/do to spruce this place up?  It's booooooooooring and beige.  Luke and Alex suggested I paint the walls bright orange.  

Note to self:  Never let Alex and Luke decorate their own room.  

Note to Nana and Grandpa Al:  Thanks for letting the girls stay with you this weekend so I could accomplish this task, not to mention letting me divest myself of nearly 20 trash bags full of, well, trash that was once a treasure.  Theoretically.