Bedroom Closet

The dreaded...

I was most nervous about this area because of several reasons, all of which were the things I wrote down on the 'Do Not Like' list.

-Jewelry a tangled pile
-Dresses bulky and jostled
-Shoes and boots getting flattened by each other
-Existing storage inaccessible

So many of my things were clumped together that I ended up wearing the same outfits week after week. I didn't even get to see my choices!

Step One

I hauled it all out into the bathroom. Next I tackled the clothes. It's still very warm and so many of my winter clothes were taking up space on the hangers, so I packed away the long-sleeved shirts in the big green bins. The green bins had been full of old single-size sheets. We don't own a single bed, so out they go. (Amazing the things you'll find!)

The dresses were driving me crazy! I had two dresses on each hanger and they hung floppy and wrinkled. They got caught on everything, looked awful, and the hanging put much un-needed stress on their delicate fabric. After clearing out my large white bin of winter gloves/scarves, I folded and stacked my dresses. I have one drawer for casual/summer dresses and one for formal wear. Skirts are on top and there's even one drawer still empty.  I know my dresses well, so I'm not worried about being able to see them all. Isn't it beautiful!

Jewelry 

This pile of metal frustrated me to no end. While I like the softness of the fur I had under my jewelry hanger, earrings got lost very very easily inside of it. Instead I got some drawer liner which is a bit cushy to keep anything from getting chipped. I then laid out bracelets, necklaces, and began hanging my earrings. Before I had the hanger so low that I never saw it and never used it. Now I don't have to stoop over to find what I am looking for. And I own about 6 watches (not all pictured) because I could never find one in the pile *tsk tsk*

Drum Role

And finally, the moment you've been waiting for... Well, at least I have! 

I can finally display my favorite heels, and now the others are easy to get to. I moved all the shoes I wear alot into the mud room and am using the old shoe hanger for the pile of sheets.

I have even found a place for my hats which used to be huddled in a corner far out of sight.

Tips

-Keep a couple of baskets or boxes handy so you don't have to go far from where you are working. Have one for garbage, donate, and a few for items that belong in other sections of the house. 

-Play music! This is a brain, physical, and sometimes emotional workout. Music can give you a boost

-I kept a cool glass of iced tea nearby, it's been very hot! The caffeine will help

Next! 

Well that's another space finished and I am feeling great! My husband is less skeptical to my claims of being able to get my messy life in order. I am totally inspired to do the bathroom now.

How are you doing?

Meanwhile In My Closet...

The Fun Part

I wanted to share some encouraging photos with you. Here (was) my studio closet so full I couldn't close or completely open the door. I even found some things I'd forgotten I had under piles and piles of stuff.

I began by taking everything out and spreading it through my studio. This is the moment when you must remember not to panic! Think about what you want, and do it.

Here is the room in all it's glory. Bit by bit I started putting things back until:

I have labeled the shelves and will be labeling the green boxes soon. At the moment, all the storage containers are empty which delights me. They were full of things I did not want and am either donating or selling. I'm glad they didn't take another second cluttering up my closet!

The paper stuck to the back wall is my rough-sketch of the peg board I am going to install. My studio will end up being a bit of a home-improvement project so I am saving those in-depth projects for later. I plan on laying all my papers horizontally on the pegs to keep them up high and accessible. (I have copious amounts of large paper sheets!)

Evolve 

In my previous post I expressed that I did not want anything non-art related in this closet. Well I've changed my mind! I was surprised to see how much space I actually had. Up above, as you can see in the messy pictures, there is a shelf large enough for the big green containers to store. Since it is out of my sight I won't mind stashing my winter clothes or what-have-you up there. 

Remember, if you have an idea or change your mind don't let it stop your momentum. Write it down, set it aside, and finish what is in front of you. 

Onwards!

This closet took much longer than expected and I'm about half way finished. I have made a list of extra storage bits and bobbles I will need to buy, but I am happy with my progress. I'm very excited how it's coming together and am already dreaming about what my new house is going to look like. I'm amazed at how much of a stress reliever a tidy house is :)

How is your first project coming?

Getting overwhelmed?

I woke up excited: It's the weekend and I have plenty of free time to devote to cleaning and organizing. I even have some extra cash to buy things I can put to good use- a small filing system and a couple organizing bins/containers.

But where do I start?

Before I let myself become too overwhelmed I went back to my game plan, all the lists I had laid out for each room. I asked myself which room would be the least stressful to me. While I had originally wanted to tackle my room, closet, and bathroom, I quickly realized that was not the way to go. I need something I can start on and if need be leave for a couple days before I can finish it. I've decided on my studio since I can shut the door and take a break if I need to. My goal is to get this done, not take on too much and give up. Slow and steady!

Studio Closet

I began by writing out all the things I do not like about this closet. Here are a few from my list:

- Can't find anything
-Not good use of space
-Full of things I don't need access to

Next, write out your vision for this space, maybe on the back of the same paper. Mine went something like this:

"An easy-access storage space for bigger volume items like canvass, paper, or the drawing books I don't use that much."

This closet is in my art studio, a place I want to go to be free and creative. Instead, I had filled this storage space with things I never need to access- my sister's wedding dress, old computer parts, a broken bookshelf and packing paper. While these things did need a place to stay I started to wonder why they were there in the first place.

Why do I have a broken bookshelf in my closet?

I started to laugh. This is where the important choices happen. Some things have to go! Now certain items like this broken shelf are easy to shed, but some are not so easy to let go of. This is why you must know why you are doing this. If you don't want to live like you have been, something must change. Otherwise you will simply be re-arranging your cluttered house over and over again.

I do like to keep some things for future projects, and there are a couple items I plan on selling (like that old computer). But they aren't doing me any good in the closet are they? Here's where another list comes out. I've had these 'things I'm going to sell' more than a year now. For today they're going in a pile, but later I will pick a date to sell them by or they get donated. But I'm not focusing on that now, so I write that idea down and set it aside.

After I have gone through everything I own I will start dealing with the piles.

First Step

Get everything out! This is extremely important. If you're working with a large space, just focus on one section at a time so you don't have your entire shoe museum spread across the living room. Since my closet is small I have the space to take everything out. This lets me do two things:

1. See the space I have to work with
2. Make sure I don't miss anything that doesn't belong

I constantly return to my vision to keep me on track. Although it's tempting to stash some stray boxes in the corner I have to recognize that something has to change if I want to get my closet the way I want. What I have been doing has not been working! My sister's wedding dress can find another spot. Even if I do have room for those extra things, they do not belong in my studio closet.

Your Homework

Pick an easy area to start with, something you can spend time on without getting frustrated or giving up. Once you get in the groove you'll be better equipped and confident enough to tackle those hurricane areas.

Write out what you don't like about the space, and then what you want the space to be. If you get mugged down just look back at your vision, and think about how great it will be.

You have a game plan, you have a plan for your plan, a clear vision, and determination. You can do this!

A Plan For Your Plan

Party: Started

Once I am on a roll I can get a lot done, but only if I prevent myself from being distracted! The key here is being honest with yourself. I have to make a plan for my plan, and in order to do that I must create a productive environment for myself.

Organize those thoughts! 

The first step for me is putting on some music. Nothing distracts me faster than silence! Next, I leave my computer completely alone. I close all pages and tabs besides the music-related one. If I hear a facebook notification sound, it's all over.

I am extremely visual, so I cleared a space to lay out all my incoming ideas. Once I get going many thoughts crowd my mind at once, making it impossible to focus on and remember all (if any) of them. I decided to break down the house into main sections, much like my folders. I assigned a place for each section. If I get an idea I write it down, put it in the right section, then return to what I was doing. This keeps me on track but also saves those great ideas for later when you reach that section.

Pick something that works for you

I love lists. I get them for birthdays and Christmas and they work really well for me. Some people use sticky notes, others an ipad. Just choose something you like! Here was my desk after about 10 minutes of brain-storming 

Keep the momentum

Making a game plan for your game plan will help you from getting too overwhelmed. Once you have a map, you can zero in on one bit at a time and track your progress as you go. I love to document everything. It allows me to see progress as well as keep ahold of memories. Sometimes it's hard to see changes happening if they are a little at a time. Taking photos and keeping them in a 'Progress' folder can be exciting to look back on during those tougher days. And don't forget the fun of before-and-after pictures!

Good luck on your organizing journey. Don't ever give up! If something isn't working just re-group and try again.

And we're off!

Since I'm on vacation and don't have access to my house, I'm working on timelines for goals as well as starting on my first undertaking- meal plans.

I've looked at my regular week schedule and can see that some nights my husband will be at band practice and won't be home for dinner. These nights I can make simpler, lighter meals (or foods he doesn't like!). I also have a dance class on wednesday, so I won't be eating till quite late (I never eat meals before dance). Taking all your predictable changes into account will help you. I also plan on doing less work on saturday and sunday since we like to have extra fun on those days.

Next, I'm going to start compiling recipes. Surf any of the lovely recipe websites out there and find a weeks worth of doable dishes. While I could eat the same thing for a week straight, my husband likes variety so I will be choosing dishes from several categories. Here is a one-week sample of my meal plan:

Mon- Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Tues- Rosemary Ranch Chicken kabobs
Wed- Asian Lettuce Wraps
Thur- Steak and Potato Wedges
Fri- Chicken Pot Pie
Sat- Pot roast
Sun- Freezer food (pizza, pot pies, left-overs)

While gathering recipes I save them into my 'MealPlan' folder for safe keeping. Then the fun part, making grocery lists! I am creating and saving these in an excel folder so that I can re-print them as needed. Since I do a lot of 'freezer cooking' shopping lists allow me to check off the items I already have. Paperclip these to the start of the week divider in your Meal Plan notebook so you can quickly grab them when you're off to shop.*

Your homework:
Start saving recipes you find interesting and compile weekly meal plans. Do four, and you've got a month!

*Since I'll be changing some recipes to meet my needs I only print one month's worth of grocery lists at a time. Printing these at the beginning of each month goes on my monthly 'To Do' list to prepare me for the next month. You can print up a bunch to have but I find going month to month works better for me and prevents me from getting caught off-guard or wasting paper.

First Steps: Making lists!

I love lists, so this is no chore for me. I've started by blurting out everything I can possibly think of that I would like to get done. From meal plans to my future, it's all spattered across the page. Don't worry about how feasible it is or how long it might take, just write it down. Want to replace your worn out purse? Want to go to Cancun in five years? Want to clean out under your sink? Write it all down.

Now that I have something to work with, I've begun organizing these tasks into folders. First I created a hierarchy of folders to assist me in keeping this all straight. Let large tasks have their own folder, then make sub-folders from that.

One thing I often muse over is clearing out my old computer so I can donate it. All it does is sit and collect dust, but up till now the multiple document copies and years worth of useless file buildup have scared me away. On the list it goes! I would also like to sort all of my photos into virtual albums by year, and also delete all the un-important photos that take up so much space.

I have a folder for both my new and old computer. I even gave 'jewelry' its very own folder because sorting this will be such a daunting task for me. Inside each folder will be photos (I love before and after!) as well as helpful articles that I come across. If I'm working on my computers but I stumble upon a great article for organizing my pantry, I'll stash it away in the pantry folder so I can use it once I'm there. This will help me stay on task! The same goes with great idea/inspiration photos.

So take your first steps to a new you and write down all the things you wish/want done!

Organize Everything!

Have you ever sat down and thought 'There's something I should be doing'? Spare time is so rare that it often makes me suspicious.

I know there is always something I could be doing, but sometimes I just need a break. On my days off I often watch hours of tv just putzing around the house, so it's not like I don't have time to spare. It's just that I haven't channeled it to more useful activities.

Just like money, time is always on the move. And if you don't tell it exactly where to go it will head away from you! My goal is to be a more responsible manager of my time so that I will have more quality time for the things that really matter to me in life.

I don't like looking at the clock, seeing there's only two hours until bed, and deciding I might as well watch tv since there's no time to get anything else done.

I recently read a post on 'modernparentsmessykids.com' about all the organization feats the writer dreamed about accomplishing. Since I don't have kids, I decided I would have the time and means to get my own life in order the way many people just dream about.

I am actually using her list of fantastical scenarios as my guidelines! I have also been rummaging through the interwebs for snazzy organization and decoration ideas.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, so feel free to tag along for the ride!