when preparing for two near-total-strangers to stay in my apartment, i thought about organizing my pantry. i’m notoriously unorganized about things. i just throw it all in there. no alphabetizing of spices or anything… just pile it all up.
in thinking that they’d get full access to me as a wife/homemaker, i thought about straightening up more than usual. then, decided against organizing the pantry. or the spices. or the piles of tupperware containers in my cabinet. at one point, Alece was hopelessly rummaging through my tupperware mumbling “i don’t know… mandy, does this even have a lid?” and we laughed about it.
i consciously chose authenticity. even authenticity about things that i could have easily covered and concealed. see, they were coming for the real me and there was no way that i could maintain anything other than “me” throughout the weekend.
they saw the forgetful mandy. the stressed mandy. the cooking mandy. the worship leader mandy. the wife mandy. the friend mandy. the quiet mandy. the sad mandy. the tired mandy. the asleep mandy. the giggly mandy. they saw so many parts of my life and personality, and i’m glad that they even saw the messy mandy.
because that’s all a part of who i am.
“when preparing for two near-total-strangers to stay in my apartment, i thought about organizing my pantry.”
You have a pantry? Wow! I just let stuff pile up on my counter tops.
“i consciously chose authenticity. even authenticity about things that i could have easily covered and concealed.”
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE explain this to my wife so we never have to clean this house top to bottom the next time people come over. I am begging you.
So, when guests come to my house, I always hope to remember to wipe around the boys toilet and throw their bathroom rugs in the wash, so it doesn’t totally gross out my guests with the smell of pee.
The pantry? I have two and they will forever be hopelessly disorganized. I think I’ve found five half jars of peanut butter at the same time in there…
I’ve got you beat true. I have an odd compulsion when it comes to buying tuna. As of today I have over 70 cans of tuna in my pantry. My wife finds this seriously disturbing. I don’t know why, but when we shop I always feel like we need to buy more. I think Big Tuna must have done some brainwashing in my case.
we have special company coming labor day – (Overcomer – Darla & family)! We have never met – hadn’t thought abut the pantry! Bettere get busy!! So much work to do – yeah, right!
i’m so glad you didn’t organize your pantry. thanks for letting me see all of you, even the parts you’re sometimes inclined to hide.
AND… just so you know, that square tupperware does NOT have a lid. you should just pitch it. ha!
there were about 4 containers in there that didn’t have lids. bless ‘em…. LOL!!!!
Total: don’t get me wrong, drew and i did some serious cleaning!
but we like clean anyway
Hey Mandy… I have that lid here in San Diego.. Come and get it!!
Heidi I owuld love to go meet Mandy. Maybe I can grab that lid and take it to her. LOL
Although I am sure that she would rather you bring it then me.
I wonder if Cindy Beall is cleaning her pantry.
I am SO glad you did this. I know it takes courage (being a very disorganized person myself), and I’m glad you made the choice for authenticity. I love it.
good to know that when you come to visit me in california, i won’t have to clean out my pantries or my closets either! =)
Theresa: i’m sure cindy’s pantry is already spotless. =)
Sarah: and the kids’ room better be a MESS!
Theresa/Heidi: i’m thinking we ALL need to have some sort of blogger-women retreat or something…. hmmmm……. one of those off-season, cheap destination flights where we can all meet up randomly and have a slumber party together!
A slumber party…
yes…..
I don’t have any matching tupperware either!!
Sarah–Oh I bet more then Cindy’s Pantry is organized and spotless. I’ll take pictures. LOL
I think a blogger conference would be great!!! Can you imagine all of use together in the same hotel. I bet God would laugh so hard at us all. His precious daughters joined together for an earthly reunion. Sounds like great fun. I bet my ABs (if I had any) would hurt from all the laughing!!
Theresa: we laughed and laughed and LAUGHED. i’ve got a video posting @ 2:00 today that STILL cracks me up every time i watch it. and you’ll get to see how beautiful cathi’s eyes are. it’s a memory!
Truly authentic.
I don’t know if I can be THAT real.
I admire you.
Michelle: i DID have the presence of mind to clean out the inside of my microwave before they arrived!!
authentic. i finally had a chance for my real life and blog life to meet, and i HAD to be real. i had to be authentic. as much as i talk about being real around here, how crazy would it have been for me to NOT be real when i finally had the chance to meet some of you? i LOVED the chance to connect my two worlds. it was beautiful.
Mandy I just get goose bumps thinking about it. I can’t wait for the video!! Can’t wait to see Cathi’s Eyes and hear more of Alece talk. Love her voice.
I hope that my meetings of the two worlds is just as awesome. I am crawling out of my skin I want to leave and go so bad. 1 week and 2 days.
Well, that gives me hope. I think I’m authentic, until someone asks for a video conference…EEK!
Hooray for Authenticity!
You are so my friend…right at the moment, I have the dishes to get done. I am laying down on the pull out bed. I have laundry to do…and I don’t wanna do any of it!
Theresa: i’ve got a bit of a grocery store trip to share… i was thinking about cutting it because it’s not super funny. but it will give you a picture of us just being us. and more of alece’s voice!
nope. ive decided to pout again.
i love the you i see
it spells authenticity
I like to rhyme you know
because it keeps me orange
[???]
unicorn
theresa likes my voice?!?! i hate hate hate hearing it on tape. (shudder…)
At least you kept your GA voice Manders…Me, I am all like Valley girl sounding somehow…
a mix of FL/NJ…go fig.
and I sent you an email…read it from the bottom up.
lece, i told you that you had a sexy voice! It’s a total money maker voice!!!
Yep Alece I like your voice…It has character and warmth and knowledge!! Smile and take a compliment. Oh and by the way I like the rest of you too. I really like the way you lift people up, like my girl Heidi. You are an awesome motivator and encourager. What are you spiritual gifts??
{smiling} thanks, theresa…
Mandy,
That is so cool. I think this is one of my top 10 favorite posts in blogging history. How inspiring and brave…to not hide even the things we could so easily. To allow authenticity. I’ll be thinking about this one.
(Alece, is pretty fantastic, isn’t she?)
And that is why they were there. To see the Mandy we already know we love.
Danielle: amazingly fantastic. really…..
Funny you should mention not wanting to hide the parts of you ‘cos when i first read this post i thought the title was – i didn’t organise my PANTY….
Hey – i’m a guy… it’s how we all think!
What?
<B
WHA????????????????
awwwwwwwwwwww….
Love’s just droppin the goodness everywhere he goes, isnt he???
psh!
pH!!!!!!!!!!