A Simple Plan
File this one under lessons learned. After two years, almost all of my clothes seem to have a DIY-related hole, stain or smudge of paint on them. (We'll ignore the cat hair for the purpose of this discussion.)
My way of handling this? Continue on my merry way and just get frustrated each time it happens. I continue to absent-mindedly wear these clothes to work, which you can only explain away for a while ("You see, we bought this really old house full of stuff...")
Jeannie, being much smarter of course, finally sits me down and makes me do two simple things...
First, all work clothes go in a separate drawer.
Second, any hanging clothes remaining in the closet that are for house work only get a big fat 'X'.
That way even someone like me can figure out what I should/shouldn't be wearing when I get up in the morning.
She's brilliant, I say...
(13)
Looking for More?
| Search for more on 'Lessons Learned' on this site. |
| Search for 'Lessons Learned' on on other houseblogs like this one. |
| Search for 'Lessons Learned' on Google. |
| Search for 'Lessons Learned' on Amazon.com. |
Cabinet Refacing:
Face Your Kitchen | Your Guide to Kitchen Cabinet Refacing |
Comments
Good morning! Loved this post! A long time ago I had to create a separate box with my husband's "side-job clothing" in it. It seemed to grow more rapidly than his good clothes! It was just a case of "get dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and start working", not paying too much attention to what might be a better choice of work clothes. I like your wife's idea a lot! I'm just not sure my husband would remember to look! :)
Joy!
Maria
Posted by: Serendipity House | May 13, 2005 9:35 AM
Genius! Pure genius!
Our work clothes pile gets bigger all the time, mine especially because I'm a very careless painter.
Posted by: Kristin | May 13, 2005 9:54 AM
Sounds like a nearly universal experience. I have one pair of cut off cammies, one pair of threadbare old EB khakis and several polo shirts that are my housework/yardwork cloths. If I'm working around the place and I don't have those cloths on, I get a feeling of unease I wasn't even fully aware of until now.
Posted by: Scott | May 13, 2005 10:36 AM
Haha - yes, every time I come home from work to see Teague standing there in a once-wearable pair of khakis covered in cement, we have the "play clothes" discussion, and I hear my mother's voice coming out of my mouth. We've had this conversation less and less as time goes on, though, because just about everything we own has become play clothes.
Posted by: mindy | May 13, 2005 11:03 AM
Hilarious. Soon I'm sure I'll have to do the same thing!
Posted by: jason | May 13, 2005 11:56 AM
This Christmas, Ryan got new sneakers, since his old "new" sneakers now belonged to The House. Last night, as we were regrading our backyard (or playing in the dirt, depending on how you look at it), I realized he was wearing his new Christmas sneakers, and they were brown as could be. When I asked him why he didn't wear his old sneakers, he calmly replied that he liked these better and it's just dirt - it will come off. I don't think X's or separate drawers would make a difference when the defiance is on purpose...
Meanwhile, I have one pair of jeans left I can wear in public. At least if there were ever a HouseBloggers party, we could all wear our dirty, paint-splattered, ripped clothes and be happy as clams ;)
Posted by: Leah | May 13, 2005 12:15 PM
I actually bought some work pants, since I ended up ripping a couple pairs building the retaining wall. They're a lot stronger than normal clothes, and not that expensive. I bought some work shoes with steel toes too. I have a lot of old t-shirts though, no need to buy any of those.
Posted by: Derek | May 13, 2005 2:01 PM
sounds like Jeannie is a keeper- but we already knew that!
Posted by: Jocelyn | May 13, 2005 8:58 PM
You know you're a real lady renovator when you have "maternity" work clothes in your collection. Bet you don't have any of those Aaron :p
Posted by: chrisc | May 14, 2005 2:18 AM
We had 'em! :)
Posted by: SD | May 14, 2005 11:06 AM
Lance got so tired of everything in my closet become "project clothes" he bought me coveralls for mother's day. I'll be asking for more for my birthday and Christmas because they fit over whatever I already have on!
Posted by: Heather | May 14, 2005 1:53 PM
When you mention project clothes I think of FUBU and nike clothing.
Posted by: Rashime | May 14, 2005 10:06 PM
Hmmmmm. That gives me an idea for a t-shirt.
"House renovators have stained pants..."
Or even better "I renovated my entire house and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!"
Posted by: Gary | May 15, 2005 12:10 AM