Well, it’s pretty much a miracle, but I managed to finish cleaning everything in time for the dinner party with my family. There were a few tasks here and there I wish I’d gotten to, but that’s standard, right? And I was happy that I managed to forget them and enjoy the time with everybody instead of dwelling on the fact that really – I should have found a better place for the vacuum instead of stashing it in the corner by my bed.

This little dinner gathering was so important… I really felt like I needed to have everyone here at least once before we ended up being split up by so much distance. My place is never the cleanest or the roomiest or the most convenient… and I will admit to being hesitant to invite people over because I’m horribly sensitive to any criticism. (And what is it with people who come over and ask you questions like “so when are you going to put up drapes, anyway?” I don’t even remember who said that, but I hear it in my head anytime I think about inviting someone to stop by…)

So anyway, my parents, boyfriend, sister, and baby nephew all gathered around the table and no one said a word about the drapes. It was lovely.

My souvenir from the dinner is a (mostly) clean workspace.

I absolutely adore this desk. It is really just a couple of bookshelves (painted white) and a dresser with some melamine boards stacked on top. One side is propped up by old text books. The desk is quite massive – 6 feet long on the right-hand side. I have a very hard time not covering it up completely in projects, so this is my desk in it’s mostly cleaned up state. And in honor of company coming over, Mr. Bunny Slippers installed that lovely wire/clip thingy for displaying photos and cards above the desk. Love it.