what my organized home REALLY looks like.

years ago-- as a young married, pre-kids lady, i served in a woman's organization with AMAZING WOMEN.
seriously.
Janet Daines (neighbor to Steven Covey whose house is built so that the provo temple is the center of her amazing picture window), and Diane Anderson (AH-MA-ZING mother, decorator, speaker...) and Jane Covey (sister in law to Steven Covey, mother to 10, the woman i patterned much of my life after-- she's wise and kind and smart and classy and involved and REAL- i love her).

anyway-- these ladies had magazine, mansion, amazing homes.
most of them also hired help, like a part-time home organizer and a physical trainer and a gardener...
they had a lot of money and were busily engaged doing much good.

we hosted monthly or weekly events at their homes.
meals that we served to over 100 young married women.
they would eat and then listen as these older mothers taught things they wish they'd known sooner.
God must of known that i needed the training, so he let me (and one other sweet gal) be the token young wives on the committee.
i got to hear what they taught 20 times over.
i still hear their advice echoing through my mind.
BUT,
one of my greatest lessons came behind the scenes.

Jane Covey often taught the importance of ENTERTAINING.
she taught me how to do it.
she said, the focus SHOULD NOT BE ON YOU or YOUR PRETTY HOUSE or YOUR LOVELY FOOD.
those things should be in the background.
from the moment they ring the doorbell- you and your husband LEAVE the kitchen and greet them at the front door.
you welcome them and you make them feel like you are completely interested in THEM.
she even suggested you COOK dinner the day before, or morning before, so all you have to do is pull it out of the oven.
she said you only have to clean your porch, your bathroom, your kitchen and the rooms the guest will be sitting in.
i did not understand this concept.
i asked-- "What if they ask to see the rest of your house?"
she looked at me like i was crazy.
"They won't." she said, "It's rude."
But, Jane wasn't in my stage of life--  in my stage of life that is what we did.
every time we visited with someone we took a HOME TOUR- through every room, every closet, every basement of the house.
we would OOOOOO and AAAAAA over the decoration or furniture or wall art.
it's what we did.
i tease Sister Covey a few times saying, "I still wish i could see the rest of your house."
honestly, her home was probably featured in "House Beautiful" magazine.
that was their favorite decorating magazine.
one night she said with a sigh, "You want to see the rest of my house?  fine!"
and she rushed me up the stairs to her bedrooms...
i don't even remember what they looked like--
because i was embarrassed.
they weren't super clean.
they were just bedrooms-- bedrooms that i shouldn't have been touring because she didn't design her home as a MUSEUM.
(although I'm still certain they were lovely- just not meant to be showcased.)
she designed it as a home.
yes, a home that entertained OFTEN.
a home that housed many dignitaries and that was BEAUTIFUL.
but not for show.
for life.

if you've visited my house i bet you've felt sister covey's influence.
i HATE doing house tours.
i HATE it.
i'm not a big fan of it on my blog either.
usually you can see my house behind my kids...
i do LOVE sharing ideas, or tips, or how i do things-- because we all need ideas.
but, my house is real and functional and not always pretty.
that isn't quite right-- my house is usually pretty to a certain extent.
because i LOVE making things look nice.
it's how i cook, it's how i clean, it's who i am.
BUT- i'm not showy...
i'm embarrassed by compliments and i LIKE people to see my house messy because i want them to feel NORMAL.
honestly, i straighten before company comes, but i do not do a crazy, deep clean.
i don't.
for me-- it's about people, not things.

i just read a blog where the girl (on two separate occasions) taught how she makes her beds so that it properly showcases her cute bed linens.
this is not that blog.
and, i have Jane Covey to thank for that.

come over anytime!
i hope you feel welcome here!
i hope you know that i care more about you than showing you my lovely home.
life is good...
and order makes it better.
NOT so i can have a clean house--
but so i can FORGET about my house and FOCUS on reaching out a little bit more.

the end.

ps.
i read this post yesterday... "How I organized my entire life"
i loved it!

pps.
i really did take pictures inside my closets to post today--
but my husband is itching to leave for IKEA and i don't have time to download them...
someday.
honestly, they're nothing great.
go check out pinterest if you want to see magazine closets.
i can make things pretty-- but this is not the pretty stage.
this is the functioning stage...  we're getting to pretty.
and, the best thing i've done is created EMPTY cabinets where i used to have junk.
for pictures of empty cabinets check out home depot.  :)
but, i do have a ROCKING pencil drawer.
just sayin.