Remember when I told you about cleaning out my closet and finding my
Africa letters? Since starting my
new job, home organization has been on my mind a lot. I think most people that know me would say I'm incredibly organized. I love planning and organizing every aspect of my life! I need to simmer down actually. So imagine my surprise when I realized that I'd gotten comfortable. I'd moved in to my house, stuck stuff in places, and never addressed it again. I started opening some drawers and getting a little uncomfortable.
These two drawers have no official purpose in my kitchen. One is my coupon drawer. The problem with a drawer is that stuff expires and stays here forever. The other is my coffee filter, lunch bag, plastic silver wear, ant trap drawer. I have no idea how this even came to be. I just know it needs to change!
This is my tool drawer. It also is my "I don't know where this should live" drawer. As a result I have tanning goggles (I haven't gone tanning in like 7 years), air freshener, thread, and pens living in here with my crowbar and hammer.
This is my long silver wear drawer. And my lids for cups. Rolling pin. Chopsticks. Chip clips. Measuring cups. It needs addressed!
This was my shining star of organization (and proof I go through a lot of forks since there aren't any!)
But every time I shut the drawer this happens. Talk about wasted space.
This is my baking and spice drawer. There's always a near collapse of spices whenever I get one out.
This is my baking stuff. Mixing bowls, beaters, etc. And my cooler. Why?! I don't even remember the last time I used a cooler.
This is my breakfast and on the go shelf of my pantry. Also proof that I really like Cheerios, almonds, and oat meal. The whole pile on the back of the shelf is a big mess.
This is my recycling cabinet. I get too lazy to walk it outside and just pile around the can. You can see I've enjoyed some takeout, a new pair of Tom's, and more Cheerios.
I just had to show a "good" cabinet to try and redeem myself a little!
This is my solution in the bathroom to no medicine cabinet. Pretty organized.
But before I get too cocky, this is my "random stuff" bathroom drawer.
I was just sad looking at the mess I had. I needed some storage bins, organizers, etc before this would get better. But, I needed to feel instant gratification. So, I tackled my closet and my guest room closet.
My life has changed a lot in the last year. I had a job that required me to wear all black business suits for 7 years. I had a lot of black suits! Then I went to a job where I had to wear dress clothes for year. So I have lots of different colors of dress pants, sweaters, and dresses. Now I wear jeans and tee shirts to work (so strange and awesome!). My closet full of suits and dresses wasn't working anymore!
This was the left side/the main side I use. It was pretty dark:
This was the right side. This is most of the random or casual stuff I never touch:
This is my guest room closet. The box on the top shelf was where the Africa letters were. I have a bridesmaid dress, some sweaters that I have no idea why I kept (but had the presence of mind to not unpack them into my closet):
I also had a vacuum (this is the only carpeted room in the whole house), a Christmas pillow, the clothes I wore when I painted the room 2 years ago, an emergency bag that goes in my trunk during the winter (with boots, gloves, extra food, etc), a painting I inherited from my great grandma, some shelves, and a painting I bought in Africa. Basically nothing logical.
Oh and a light that had never worked. When the house was shown it was out. I've been that lazy that I've never changed the bulb. I'm so ashamed!
I use the drawers in this room for hats and scarves, bathing suits, and extra sheets.
Somehow extra picture frames, candles, and scrapbook paper found their way into them though? It's like the house is haunted. I started out by moving that all to the proper place. Then the spare sheets in the closet went into the dresser.
Then I went through my clothes. I had done my dresser not too long ago and ended up with this to donate:
After I did the left side of my closet I had this:
And all of the junk on my right side was just that... Junk.
I wasn't ready to part with my black suits yet. I moved them all to my guest room with my very formal dress clothes that I probably wouldn't need more than once a year. Then I used all of my freed up hangers to hang clothes from my dresser that I frequently wear:
The right side of my closet is again my less exciting side. This is where all of my dresses, dress clothes, and very wintery stuff went to live:
Here is the mafia widow closet. All black! The vacuum lives in the basement now and everything else has been given a home:
I forgot all about the painting I'd bought in Africa. The last time it hung was in Springfield. It works really well with the black and whites in the living room, but doesn't have any shadows. It looks great in the hallway:
I was able to pull 2 trash bags of just closet clothes together to donate.
So, I was able to make a dent in my closets! Last month I also did my office and attics. Stay tuned for bathroom and kitchen drawers, another closet, and the pantry!
