Whistle While You Work!

It has been a busy week around here.  I have spent loads (Ha! Get it?) of time in my laundry room.  I love to do laundry!  Well, let me rephrase that, I love to wash and dry, but putting the clothes away is not my favorite chore.  I think that having an inviting laundry room helps. Here are a few tips that will make your laundry room a special place in your home.

Welcome to my laundry room!  I love picking up laundry related signs.  The Prairie Daze Laundry Service sign on my grandmother's "clothes press" is a Pigeon Forge find.

Tip #1:  Fill whatever space you have with things you love.  I think this is important throughout your house, but especially in areas you may dread to enter. I love vintage magazine ads and they can be an inexpensive way to jazz up any area of your home.  These are vintage ads for Felso, Lux, and "Wrinkl-Shed".  Add an inexpensive frame from Michael's Craft Store and presto, you have instant nostalgia!

My window ledge is an ever changing group of items.  Today you will find a cute laundry sign, as well as a terrific Ball canning jar I picked up in Amish country last year.  It has a slit in the lid, perfect for all that change I find in pants pockets.  The small bottle of Mrs. Stewart's bluing is from my paternal great-grandmother.  Next to it is a small, family picture taken not far from where my great-grandmother would have used her bluing.  The bottle still has it's cork and a small amount of liquid in it.  In the daytime, I can look out this window to the woods beyond our front porch.

My friend, Diane, gave me this washboard as a housewarming gift.  I think of her every time I look at it.  Can you imagine doing laundry on one of these?

Tip #2:  Place lamps around the room.  I do have two ceiling fixtures, but I just love the look of lamps.  Instead of turning on the overhead lights, I often work by the warm, glow of two smaller lamps placed around the room.  Notice the Zote soap?  I make my own laundry detergent (will post my recipe later) and couldn't find Zote anywhere, so ordered it from Amazon.  It is a beautiful pink color.  I love it!

Tip #3:  Decorate with a plant or artificial greenery in a favorite container.  Here I have artificial greenery in a milk glass pedestal compote.  Sorry, but try as I might, I can never keep an indoor plant alive for long.  It is a curse!  Above the paper towel is a cross stitch I did years ago..."What we are is God's gift to us, What we become is our gift to God".  I also change out the artwork here every now and then.  I am looking for pictures of my grandmothers and great-grandmothers doing laundry.  My goal is to frame their pictures and place a grouping here.  Don't you think that would just be grand?

Speaking of grandparents...I grouped a few of the items which are usually dispersed throughout the room so you could get a closer look.  These were all from my grandmothers and great-grandmothers.  They have meaning to me and I love to see them each day.

Tip#4:  Keep laundry supplies in attractive containers and decorate with your favorite fabrics.  I have chosen classic toile, perky red gingham, and a Waverly print in colors of rustic red for my laundry room.  A simple ribbon tied around a large jar makes a happy home for my homemade laundry detergent.  A flameless candle also adds a nice glow.

This red enamel pot used to hold store bought laundry soap, but it now stores other necessities.

Tip #5:  Keep everything neat and tidy.  Wipe down the washer and dryer surfaces each time you use them.  I know it is a challenge, but well worth it.  My grandmother's clothes press serves as storage for wrapping paper and my vacuum cleaner.  My mother said she has always remembered this rustic piece in her childhood home and Mom just turned 74.  Our 70+ year old clothes press is a treasure and helps to keep the room tidy.  I love the original color and the glass knobs.  It is topped with an embroidery piece from grandma and a few more of my favorite things!

You can't see it in this picture, but on the ceiling (above and to the side of the clothes press) is a laundry shoot.  We put it in so my guys would have easy access to the laundry room and have no excuse for hoarding piles of dirty clothes in their rooms.  My youngest loved waiting until I was directly under it before he dropped a boat load of wet towels on my head!  Watch out below!!

Tip #6:  Find delight in everything you do, even laundry! Psalm 118:24 tells us, "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Tackling chores with a positive spirit will make time pass quickly and before you know it, your chores will be done.  Think of how you will feel when those loads of laundry are neatly folded and put away.  Make sure you take time afterwords to sit down and enjoy a cold glass of sweet tea with a wedge of lemon on the side!

Hope I have provided you with a little laundry room fun.  If you are a "wash day Monday" type of gal or guy, then spend some time this weekend adding a happy touch to your own laundry room.  Remember, no matter what size laundry room you have, always find room for a touch of nostalgia and a little whimsey.  It is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Thanks to Brenda from a Cozy Little House for giving this first time blogger a few ideas.  Hope you enjoy the larger pictures.  Please feel free to leave a comment and to be a friend of Still Woods!

Happy washing and don't forget to Whistle While You Work!