I want to thank you: for your love, for your sweetness, for your fondness. For your trust and for your cheerfulness. For your advice on my last post. Gosh, I wish you were here spending evenings with me watching the raindrops appear on the windowpane, so I could hug and offer you some small gifts – elegant, sophisticated, delicate. Like cups of vanilla tea or a bunch of narcissus that started blooming in my mom’s orangery.
Well, maybe someday.
Today chaos is on my mind. This I’m not very proud of, so I “gift” you with an imperfect me!
I’m a very neat person. I’m a very well-organized person. I like structure, I like tidiness, I like order.
However there are two areas in my life overtaken by the chaos: my office and my bag.
Sneak peak at my work place:
And even more chaotic bag!! Which, by the way, weights 6 kilos(at this moment)!!
The usual conversation:
My boyfriend while picking up my bag at the cafe: – What do you have here? Do you need everything in here?
Me: – Yes.
Him: – Are you sure? It weighs a ton!
Me: – Yes, I’m sure. It is not so heavy.
Does this sound familiar?! I know I’m having my daily arm workout while carrying it too!
This is how my bag looked when I emptied it last night.
Man, I forgot my phone and my scarf in the car!!
Don’t tell me you are not carrying your LIFE in your bag?! And you do need everything whats in it. However, if I could pick just tree things as a must – those would be the lip balm, compact powder and the phone.
So I’m very curious are you a neat person? Any places a little chaos is allowed? And what’s in your bag? I know you have no idea, but at least three things you are dependent on?
Have a wonderful February Monday, cupcakes!
Love, Greta
Coffee Addict 
I probably carry more than I need to in my purse, but I tell myself that I need all of it in there. I, too, am a neat person, but the one place where I lack neatness are my desk drawers. I’ve never been able to keep neat desk drawers. And I don’t know why that is.
Oh, sweetie, I guess we all need places like that. Just for the sake of difference to everything else. Enjoy your drawers, I bet there are lots of treasures in it! 😉
Oh, a very familiar conversation. And then it continues, him:’can I give you my phone, sunglasses, and wallet to put in your bag?’ Awwyeah. I am both. My purse is in order. I definitely carry stuff around I hardly ever use, but my motto is:’you never no – always be prepared’. I got several mini bags in my bag so nothing is flying around. BUT. My wardrobe. Since my Mom is having silkpaper in between every single shirt so they stay sleek and everything perfectly organized, I may have a trauma. I rebel in my wardrobe. Kitchen: when I cook, it looks like after a war. But when I clean up, it’s perfectly clean. I have messy drawers. They are messy, always been and always will be. Perfectly fine with me, if i can’t stand the mess, I just close it….:-)
Hihihi – the boyfriend talk! I know! He gives me his sunglasses, his phones (all three of them) and I’m jealous of the order in your bag – because, you can imagine what happens if one of them starts ringing – missed call. Definitely! 😀
And your mom sounds a lot like my mom! And I’m glad she’s not visiting me at work! 😀 😀 😀
Closing drawers is the best thing – I do it with my bag. I mean I don’t like the way it is, but I just let it be!
Um I want to work at your workplace! Clothes and accessories galore? Sign me up! I always carry way too much stuff with me too. You never know what you might need!!
My work… hmm, it’s fun, but kind of stressful as I have to put all of these together… I’m like throwing stuff around literally. And after doing it the whole day I have no power to clean that up – so there we have it – chaos! 😀
I’m neat in some places and not in others. But I much prefer orderliness and no clutter. I used to like to ‘weed’ my belongings once a year or so and get rid of stuff so that i had only what I loved and needed. I move frequently all through my life so that was always a good time to ‘weed’ and lighten my load. Then in the new place I’d enjoy arranging the space and make things orderly to suit my tastes. I still do that to a degree. But being married to someone who likes to keep stuff and doesn’t like the same level of order as me means there is more stuff and less neatness. My negotiation is for certain areas to stay neat. And some areas that are mostly my domain, I keep neat. However. I also have closets and drawers of chaos. The door can be closed.
My purse is small. there are compartments for things. At the check out lines at stores, I have found that the people behind you don’t like to wait for you to find the card or money. So it’s nice to have the compartments with everything in it’s place. It’s faster.
3 things in the purse: $, notepad and pen, lip balm…..
The door can be closed!!! Yes, Gel! I do it when I leave my office, cause after a long day – I have no power and will to put everything in order (I tried. Many times.) Cause the next day I’ll create that chaos again.
And I had no idea you were a purse lady. I’ve always imagined you carrying a big bag with some seeds for your garden in it 😀
Also you are so considerate about others, and I’m ashamed that I’m the one who always hold up lines 😀
I do also have a basket that I use for when I have too much for the small purse. I have tons of baskets of various sizes that I use in the garden and to carry tools and to carry eggs and to carry seeds and to carry lunch and to carry library books….it all depends on the day, the stuff and the destination. The purse is small so it can do everywhere.
Oh, yeah! The baskets! So You!
YEP! I carry the entire world around in my bag it feels like!! wallet FULL of change, a book (or two), knitting, snacks, notebooks, pens, ipod, cell phone, measuring tape (yep) etc! haha. When I carry my purse AND my lunchbag with glass containers…man oh man.
And I love your bag! Seems like you are always ready to participate in Survivor! Awesome! 😀
oh my gosh, that is exactly what i was thinking as i was writing that! HA! mind reader!!
Yeah, like you could pull this off if you need it:
HAHAHA! omg thanks for the giggle.
i am such a neat person, like neat freak to the max but chaos happens in weird spurts in my apartment, like there is one shelf that is a mess and will probably always be that way
Hihihi! “Neat freak!” That is what my bf used to call me until he stopped by my office! 😀 😀 😀
I guess we all need a little imperfectness somewhere. 😉
I am definitely a neat freak, but become this person who does not want to care about a damn thing in this world and not take care of myself or my surroundings when I have a relapse 😦
And girl, talk to me about carrying my life in my bag!!! I literally used to carry EVERYTHING in my bags (one purse simply did not suffice to contain all of my books, stationery, laptop and adaptors, cosmetics, food, water bottle, etc. etc. etc.) to uni, and having to hike through those hilly roads to uni back in Sydney, my shoulders killed me! I need to learn how to compromise and start carrying less stuff…but hey, a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do, and we all just need to pack every shade of lipgloss (in matte, shimmery and sheer, of course) with ourselves everywhere, don’t we 😛
I can’t simply imagine that much stuff on your petite shoulders, Asuma!! Wow, you are a warrior!
And if I go back to my binging years being a neat freak did not help much too. I was like cleaning everything up in the morning and then creating the chaos in the afternoon. The cycle hardly ended.
Um first of all how fabulous does your job look?! Looks straight out of a magazine! I bet it’s super fun whatever you do 🙂 I see that carmex in your bag too, I love carmex 🙂 Addicted. You should see my car, I seriously live out of it – my gym bag with my spin cycle shoes and all of my cds stay in the car since I use them so much. I call it happy chaos. Chaos has character!
Chaos has character! Love love love it!
I’m sorry, but I’m stealing that phrase, Chelsea!
Also I can’t imagine you being the natty girl! You are too lively for that! And I love it!
I’m neat and organized at work because I have to be. That pretty much lets chaos reign at home, as all my organizing effort is used up by the time I get home.
I don’t have a bag, though. I have a smallish purse. In it is my cards, ID, checkbook, pen, pencil, lip balm, a mini note book, some loose change, stamps, 3 USB drives, a travel needlebook, some metal washers, various scribbled notes, and lots and lots of receipts I stuck in there after paying and never bothered to take out and throw away. I keep my phone in my jacket.
I’m a little jealous that you can “fit” your world into a smallish purse. I’ve always envied how neat one looks while caring some smallish elegant handbag and not dragging the sack. Love it! You are such a lady 😉
Oh I love everything what`s in your bag, so feminine :-). My bag is soooo boring, probably im more a mum person than a sexy chic hehehe …My bag is always messy…always…if i tidy it up it lasts only one day and the next one it`s messy again …What`s in my handbag? Mmmm nappies…a purse…keys…tissues…no make up…just baby stuff….But i always try to keep wardrobe tidy. My clothes are in color order…white tops..green tops…blue tops..jeans and so on.
Gosh i was laughing aloud once i read swissfitchik saying “I have messy drawers. They are messy, always been and always will be. Perfectly fine with me, if i can’t stand the mess, I just close it….:-)” 😀 cool love it
Gosh, Jurgita, having two small angels means carrying not only yours, but their world into your handbag too!! However, I can still see you do it with grace. You are too elegant and fashionable to be just a mom.
And I also vote for closing the messy drawers! Out of sight, out of mind!
I have some distinct ADHD tendencies, so structure is something I really lack in my daily life. I get so easily distracted and am so forgettable about things that I have a hard time managing my basic survival. My thinking is complex, which is great for intellectual things but impairs my regular so much that I’m often frustrated and despaired. I can’t even drive a car because I’m do easily distracted that there is *always* something (or somebody) I don’t see. I’m completely lost without lists and my calendar (I use my iPhone for both because otherwise I’d never have them with me). Without them, I forget all my appointments or make several appointments for the same time slot of the same day, or I go shopping and come back with things I don’t need but almost nothing of the things I wanted to buy originally. Or I didn’t get to do what I actually wanted to do because along the way I see something else and do that and then something else again, and suddenly it’s evening and all my plans for the day have failed. This sounds exaggerated but tagically it’s not. Peter has noticed how bad it actually is because he has gotten to know me how I really am (in my private life), but I’ve hid all of this from other people somewhat successfully, and most people can’t imagine because I was such a good and apparently well-organized student.
I can keep order if I don’t have too many things, and this is why I’m so radical with sorting things out at the moment. I have to keep my stuff down to the essential level because I don’t want to waste hours anymore not being able to decide what clothes to put on, for example, because there are too many options in my wardrobe. I’m also working on day structure which currrently doesn’t exist.
Oh, you are a Little Miss Scatterbrain, Kath!
(oops, Mrs!) My brother gave me a mug with the image, because I’m, a little like you – always lost in my mind.
I hope you find your way to incorporate structure into your life; and now that you have Someone to watch you – you’ll be fine!
Hahaha….my bag is like Mary Poppins’ bag – bottomless! The joys of being a girl. We are always prepared for any eventuality. Sending you warmth and kindness today.
Aww, thank you for your warmth and kindness! I needed that.
And I love you calling your bag Mary Poppins’ bag! That’s exactly the name for mine too!
6 Kg? Geeeez you’re strong! Now and then I do carry my girlfriend’s bag which is probably around 4 and it breaks me in half after an hour of shopping. Anyway, from a guy’s point of view the surprising thing is most of you being able to get your hand in and pick what you need in 1 or 2 sweep movements (my mom, sister, gf – all have the same super human ability of doing that). I tried a couple of times to repeat it for them only to become frustrated and handing the bag over…
The lady that surround you are pretty special! I usually get lost in mine. My bf sometimes asks me to carry some of his stuff in like sunglasses or phones. Then lots of missed calls happen 🙂 And I’m that line holder in the store whom everyone hates.
But yeah, I’m the strongy 😀
I am not a very organized person. My house is always in a certain stage of clutter. Too much drives me nuts, but I never get that clean orderly look down. I totally blame the three kids, but in reality it would be the same with just the two adults in the house. But my purse? It is minimal. I carry only what I need. I detest carrying large bags around. Makes me feel bogged down. My wallet, car keys and lip balm is it. Sometimes the cell phone if it isn’t stuck in a pocket or in my hands!
I’m jealous that you are so organized to “put” your world into a smallish bag. You must look very ordered and self-confident (and you are judging from what you have in it) Love it! You are such a lady!
My bag always weighs a ton because I constantly stuff it full of everything and anything I could possible need in any situation. My bags are huge! I’ll never be one of those girls with a clutch or tiny purse. Soon I’ll have a bag with wheels. Oy!
I know, the huge bags! The bigger, the better! The more you can fit in! Such my style! However there are times/events where an adorable clutch is a must. And I don’t know how about you, but I feel naked.
I was a very messy child. I shared a room with my older sister and you could easily tell which “half” was mine 😉 Once I moved into my own place I discovered that I’m actually a tidy person (with the exception of one closet and dresser drawers have always been hard to maintain!). I have a pretty stressful job and I think that what I love about coming home is the “zen”, uncluttered look we have. I have even become a tidy cook, cleaning as I go along (which really helps with entertaining). Before bed and every trip, I make sure the house is tidy so that when I wake or arrive home, it looks good (my husband isn’t quite so careful, so I can still be surprised upon entry!).
My purse – ah that’s a completely different thing! I used to have a very small bag with just the basics: ID, lipstick, money and credit card and when I traveled (which I do quite a bit, mostly for business) I just tucked it into a larger bag. Now however I have a large bag that holds anything I could possibly need while traveling, including a small emergency kit and food. I still have a small bag that travels with me for client visits and outings, but the big one is my day-to-day.
Oh, gosh, I know the feeling of returning to a clean house. Maybe that’s why I don’t care much about the mess at my work – my heart where my home is 😀
And cleaning as I cook is so me too, quite contrary to my boyfriend – he’s the best cook, but we have a half day of cleaning if he does so.
And I’ve tried using smaller bags, but I feel lost if I don’t have that huge sack with me anytime and anywhere.
I’m the sort of person who will open a cupboard, shut my eyes, throw in whatever and slam the door shut, all very quickly so all the crap already in there doesn’t fall out! I’m always trying to reduce what I’m carrying, but so far it’s gotten to the point that if I don’t have a big bag with me, I feel like I’ve lost a limb. It’s as much a ‘protection’ or ‘buffer’ thing as it is a carry bag.
I would love to work in your office with all those clothes and accessories and makeup!
Love and hugs xx
Hihihi: this, is so me too “if I don’t have a big bag with me, I feel like I’ve lost a limb. It’s as much a ‘protection’ or ‘buffer’ thing as it is a carry bag.”
And if you ever visit! Gosh, I hope so – we go “play” there, or maybe you’ll stay and help me out 😉
I am neat with sanctioned areas of chaos that I actually wish were not but I simply cannot seem to control it. LOl.
Maybe it is time for me to just accept..BE A…. chaotic neat person (like your post on Valentine’s day.)
Also? That KEY!
Acceptance is the best policy. In all end every area, I guess. But I’m the first who needs to learn that.
And the KEY is from opening that chaotic place I’ve tried to picture – I needed it special.
I am a very neat : )
The contents of my bag are pretty basic: lip balm, phone, tic-tacs, tissues, bandages…
When out with my kids, there is also a container of nuts/dried fruit, a book and a toy.
Oh! And a bar of dark chocolate. Always.
(And sometimes a flask full of scotch.)
I love you carry chocolate everywhere and the book. These are the most chic things ever! 😀