Summer whims and whimsies

The best part of summer is the light.

It's nearly 9 pm and I can still see the houses on our street clearly through the sheer lace curtains.

The bitter cold of winter - when it gets dark by 5 pm - seems so far away.

Once in a while, though, we get a reminder that Nature does not abide by human decisions about when the seasons change. Today was one of those days. As we huddled around waiting to pick up the kids, one of the moms said, "Feels like winter!"

When you think about it, we get just 3 months of sunny weather (in Melbourne anyway). The other 9 months of the year, we need an array of scarves and woolies to survive outdoors.

This is the time of year when stores flog outdoor furniture (7-piece timber/aluminium settings, anyone?), outdoor kitchens and fancy BBQs, and creative ways to "bring the outdoors indoors".

Hot days are sometimes the stimulus I need to get started on decluttering the house.

Last week was particularly noteworthy.

I sorted out all the winter coats for cleaning and packing away, so the wardrobe now feels more spacious.

I also (finally) unpacked a carton's worth of CA's clothes from when we moved house, so he'll stop complaining that he doesn't have clothes to wear.

All the walk-in robe needs now is a lick of paint.

And maybe some nice storage boxes.

I found a really good alternative to Howard's Storage World at the Plaza yesterday and am planning to acquire a couple of storage solutions that are affordable yet aesthetically pleasing.

I love how even one new acquisition can pump me up and inspire me to continue with the neverending task of organizing my home.