Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Just a Decluttering, Cleaning, Whirling Dervish Around Here


School doesn't resume for me until next Monday, so I've been using all of my "free" time to reorganize the stuff that multiplied exponentially while I was focused on my studies. I've tossed games with missing pieces, relabeled all of the toys in the toy closet, restocked and restacked all of the dishes, reorganized all of the DVDs (mostly with Lily's help--thanks, Lil!), eliminated two totes full of holiday decor, thrown away three black bags full of junk, and taken two trips to Deseret Industries (donation center).

I've moved furniture in the family room, in the hobby room, in the library, and have my sights set on the master bedroom next (watch out, Brad). I feel like there's a deadline for my productiveness, and I don't want to leave a single drawer, shelf, closet, or cushion unturned.

In the past, I've always kept this thought in the back of my mind: "I need to do something with this space that will be photo worthy--something that will look good on the blog, something that will inspire someone else." This time has been very different. Instead of organizing with a beautiful product in mind, utility has been uppermost in my thoughts. Will moving this dresser make the space function better? If I throw this game out, who will really care? I know we never finished the Christmas puzzle (sorry, Karli--I really tried, but I had no one to help me after you left for Provo), but it needs to be put away. I don't mind as much as I thought I would that it's not Pinterest perfect. In fact, picking form over function has been quite liberating. The furniture in the hobby room seems unbalanced? Doesn't matter, because there's more floor space to . . . oh yeah . . . work on hobbies. The containers in the toy closet don't all have lids and color coordinate? Doesn't matter, because the kids break them faster than I can replace them. I have empty shelves and empty drawers and overflowing garbage cans. It feels fantastic.

The lack of clutter in my home is freeing my mind as well. I'm more relaxed, and I'm hoping that since I only have two classes left until I finish my master's degree, this basic level of organization can be maintained on some level until May 5th--liberation day.

There's only one problem.

I don't have any desire to go back to school. Four straight semesters have left me drained and weary. I'm hoping I can catch that first whiff of new textbook and my motivation returns.

Maybe after I refile all of my piano music and go through my master closet . . .

I know. I'm weird.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Books Are Not "BAD" Around Here

When I bought my piano in 1995, the salesman asked me if I was buying a "PAF" or a working piano. I had no idea what a PAF was, and when I asked him, he laughed and defined it as "piano as furniture." You know the kind--pianos in the corners of photo shoots that are placed there just because they fill up a lot of room and they look spectacular with the lid open. My piano is definitely not a PAF.

We've all seen the beautifully accessorized bookshelves on Pinterest and in every design magazine, and I had visions of these images flit across my mind way back in 2007. The problem? "BAD" is not the way my family lives.

What is "BAD"? Books As Decor, of course.

When we built this house seven years ago, I knew that instead of a dining room, I wanted a big library--a room dedicated to studying and reading and housing all of the books that our family devours. It has dozens of cupboards and drawers and window seats for games and art supplies--and row upon row filled with the most delicious books available. Board books and picture books and chapter books. Art history books and law books and a few newly acquired educational psychology books (whose are those?). Percy Jackson, Anne Frank, Runaway Ralph, and don't forget Harry Potter--all living together in perfect harmony. Well, not really.

Despite my most attentive efforts, our library usually looks like this:
 You can see where a few vestiges of my organizing efforts are holding on . . .
 . . . but I'm fighting daunting foes. Add in Ben. At any given time, you will find at least fifteen books in Ben's room, all of which he's read before and he has just skimmed the shelves for an old favorite to entertain him for the day.
I had some time on my hands last weekend, so I attacked the library with a frenzy. I removed all of the tchotchkes and detritus and hidden crusty sandwiches from the shelves. I sorted the books and gave away over a hundred to a charity garage sale. I tenderly replaced a few volumes that have belonged to me since I was young--classics like Nancy Drew, Charlotte's Web, and Danny the Champion of the World--and I noticed that a few still have the pretend Dewey decimal tags I had stapled in their covers when my brother and I played library decades ago.
 I then spent two days reorganizing and rearranging and reaccessorizing all of the shelves. There's a whole section for classics and another for history. There's a shelf for parenting and a section for religion. The majority of the room is dominated by all of the children's/young adult books we've acquired trying to keep our kids reading:
Lemony Snicket, Leven Thumps, Ender, Artemis Fowl, Anne of Green Gables, Fablehaven. Tolkein, Dahl, Cleary, Blume, Seuss. And a special shelf reserved for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the gang.

I know it won't stay like this for long, but all of my kids have expressed appreciation for the new arrangement. It's almost as if I bought a ton of new books, because now they can find something new, or return quickly to the world of an old friend.
Evie found the section of beginning reader books (which I just lowered so that she can reach them) and spent much of one afternoon sounding out words and laughing at pictures.
I guess I just wanted photographic evidence that it was organized like this . . . once upon a time.

As much as I love the digital world, nothing will ever replace the feel of the pages of an old friend in my hands. I love the smell and the ability to turn to just the right page where my favorite part is. I think my kids feel very much the same way.

What are your kids' favorites? Share. Maybe there are a few friends I need to introduce into the collection.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

And So It Begins Again . . .


This has been the laziest and least busy break of our lives, I think.  My family was that turtle on the rock, just bathing in the AZ sun and watching the days go by.  No real bedtimes, messy house, few structured meals, lots (and LOTS) of Super Mario Brawl on the Wii.
 Tonight . . . I paid the price for my lack of structure these last two weeks.  Little kids were adamant that it wasn't bedtime, even if the clock did say 8:00.  Since when is 8 bedtime?  Always. (Except for the last two weeks)
I know that 6:20 am is going to be unfamiliar and dark tomorrow.  For some reason, going back to school after Christmas Break doesn't carry the same excitement as starting a new grade after summer vacation.
Most of me jumps for joy at the return of schedule and structure, but there is this small part of me that has loved staying up really late and sleeping in every morning, throwing demand to the wind and flying wherever we're blown.

Nah.  I'm still happy to get back to normal.  Wish me luck with all the complaining I'm sure to hear in the morning.  Maybe muffins will help make the morning go a little smoother . . .

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Patio Facelift

I'm linking up with Jen at I HEART Organizing today.  She issued a challenge for the month of June to organize and update an outdoor space. Follow the link to see lots of fun outdoor updates.

We have lived in our house for seven summers now, and my patio was looking a little tired.

I divided the patio into a sitting area and an eating area, with a path between to the pool gate (between the brick columns on the right), and that traffic pattern has worked perfectly, so I knew I wasn't changing the layout.

Summers in AZ are harsh, and the crushing temperatures are brutal on outdoor furnishings. A few things are wearing out, like the area rugs, bamboo blinds and mesh curtains. Some things are fading or splitting, like the seat cushions. And other things--well, let's be honest, I'm ready to change just because that's who I am and nothing is permanent around here.

This wasn't the summer to go all-out and replace expensive items, but I knew that a quick facelift would be just what this space needed for the abuse it takes all summer long.

A few things in this space I love, like this little cupboard.
I found it on Craigslist six years ago (when it and its sister were transformed--read about the transformation here), and it was the perfect size for the cove between the back door and the window. It holds the towels, goggles, sunscreen, bug spray, and more towels. It's not very cute inside, but it takes a lot of abuse from kids impatient to swim.
Since it is in a protected corner of the patio, it has weathered well, and I knew it was staying put. Why mess with organizational perfection?

I also love the big clock on the wall and this little area to hang towels.
I found the zinc letters on clearance at Anthropologie at least five years ago, and they still look brand new.

So--layout was the same, furniture the same.  What did I do?

First, I scrubbed the whole area with a hose, dusted off the cobwebs, and washed the rugs. Then I made a quick run to HomeGoods, and for less than $100, I had updated the entire area.
Isn't Hyrum cute?  He said he was helping me by sitting in the picture and showing people how we use the patio.  Cute kid who has been raised with a blogger for a mom. 

I had the straw trays laying around my entry way for months, looking for a home.  Now they're hanging on the wall, and they're home, and they're happy.
What really made the difference are the pops of orange--the tray on the table, the patterned pillow in the seating area, the orange vase. I found all of them at HomeGoods.
 Even my baby cactus is orange.  I love succulents, but they are hard to keep alive out there.  Every year I end up replacing about half of this pot.
Do you ever do things just because you know that it will look good for a photo?  I hope I'm not alone in that. I bought these flowers for the primary reason that they matched my planned photo shoot.  And aren't they cute?  Let it be said that flowers cannot live outside in AZ for more than five minutes in the summer, and these were quickly whisked away into cooler climes. (Recognize them, E and A?)

I have gone through phases in my decorating where I will buy things just to fill up a space RIGHT NOW.  I'm slowly outgrowing it, and I'm beginning to see how much joy I feel when I'm surrounded only by things I love.  This statue, for some reason, really spoke to me--something about her I just love.

Not a huge organization project.  Not any big purchases.  Not much different from before, but it feels so much happier, cozier, and better. I never thought it would only take a shot of orange to perk me right up.

Thanks for the challenge, Jen.  My patio and I needed it!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Update on . . .

And now for a brief interruption of my Spring Break recap.  Here's a little bit about what's going on with . . . me.
Yup, that's my foot in those Chuck Taylors. 
Jacks
I found a classic set of jacks at the store a few weeks ago and Hyrum was fascinated by them--how do you play? how do I scoop up only one at a time? how high do I throw the ball?  Fortunately for him, I am a certified jacks pro, and I took a Sunday afternoon to teach my boys the ancient dying art of jacks.  It kept them occupied and interested much longer than I thought.  An oldie but a goodie--can't play that on the Wii.

Hallucinations
I have always remembered my dreams.

When I was a young girl--between the ages of 9 and 12, I had a recurring dream that Pancho Villa would hold me at gunpoint against our neighbor's barn, place a cigarette between his lips, and ask me what my last wish was before he killed me.  Every time, I would wish to pinch myself so that I would wake up.  Weird how even in my sleep I knew it wasn't real.

Fast forward to the last few weeks.

I have been suffering from such vivid dreams lately that I have a hard time distinguishing between dream and reality.  I dream a discussion with Brad's sister about my mother-in-law's new house, and when I wake up in the morning I don't know if it really happened or not.  I dream that I've been asleep but now am awake and Brad has gotten everyone ready for school in my absence, but Micah and Hyrum can't leave until the dishes are done and they are both bawling at the kitchen sink.  I dream that James's family comes to visit from New Zealand and we are all squished into my Grandma Tucker's tiny kitchen trying to make food for dozens of people. Upon waking (and even hours later), I struggle to distinguish between fiction and reality.  It's been really weird.

These dreams are so vivid that each detail lingers with me long after I'm up and moving through my day. They exhaust me and leave me feeling less rested than the night before. Yesterday morning was so bad that I couldn't get out of bed at all, my body so engaged in a fight with my subconscious to break free from my imagination that I faded in and out of consciousness for over an hour. 

Brad's sister asked me if I was pregnant.  Brad asked me if I was pregnant.  No.

I tried to analyze what was different in my life the last month, and the only straw I found to grasp was allergy season and taking Claritin.  I did a quick google search, and what do you know?  One of the side effects of Claritin can be vivid dreams. I took my fate into my own hands, and risking the possibility of sneezing and itching and watering and snotting everywhere, I didn't take my Claritin pill yesterday.  I felt a little itchy and sneezy, but my sleep last night was much better.  I only dreamed that we had to fight the Terminator with our neighbors, but I was able to wrestle consciousness away from Schwarzeneggar and function as Mom this morning.  That to me says victory.

Death of Google Reader
Until yesterday, I was unaware that Google Reader will be completely phased out by July. Where have I been?  I don't know how to approach this news and I know even less about viable alternatives.  Any opinions out there?

Hair Cut
This may sound foreign to most of you women, but I have not had my hair cut since March of 2012.  There is a power struggle between me and my hair, and I never win.  It's thin (and getting thinner), fine, brown, brittle and lifeless, and rarely can I get it to do anything that will last for long.  Two of the best things about my hair?  It grows extremely fast, and even though I'm almost 44, I still only have four or five grey hairs (thanks for that gene, Dad).  I've never shied away from cutting it (because it does grow so fast), but nothing has motivated me to change it.

Last Thursday, I decided I would once again try to fight my hair's natural tendencies toward boring and get it cut.  My long-time stylist left the valley six months ago and I had been reluctant to try anyone new, but you know how you get when you decide your hair needs to be cut--it has to be cut RIGHT THEN!  I walked into a strip mall salon and had the stylist cut it.  Jury is still out, but I think it's okay.  If not, it will grow back.  It's just hair.

Flaw Discovered
If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I love to organize. Really love it.

One thing I realized about myself this last week is that I love the challenge of organizing, but I have no instinct to straighten up small messes as they occur.  I tend to wait until the kids get home and then I require them to pick up their own messes.  While there is merit to personal responsibility, I have found that if I straighten just one or two things every time I enter a room, then I'm happier. 

Where has this little nugget of joy been all my life?  I'm slow.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie . . . 
Contrary to my natural tendencies, I have had little to no interest in revamping my house this spring.  Normally I'm fussing and changing and moving and redoing little things as the seasons begin to change from warm to blistering hot, but this year that desire has been strangely dormant until last week when I discovered a fun little gem at the auction (shocked, aren't you?). 

One thing has led to another, and I will be spending much of my afternoon today turning these gorgeous fabrics above into a few little treasures to spice things up around here.  Stay tuned next week for the full reveal.

Enough about me.  Tomorrow it's back to the kids.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

A Pantry Makeover

Two new link-ups for me this week:

First, I(heart)organizing.  I found this blog through BH&G and the beautiful feature of Jen's home. Her blog is what motivated me to tackle the project I did. Thanks, Jen, for the kick in the pants I needed.

The second link needs a little back story. I majored in art history and studied many different eras and artists, some instantly becoming favorites.  William Morris is one of those favorites.  A member of the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood--a group of artists united in their desire to return art to its pre-Raphael roots--Morris was an excellent painter whose skills fathered the Arts and Crafts movement.  I love his art, his papers, his furniture, and especially is philosophy of living a beautiful life. 

I've been reading Jules's blog, Pancakes and French Fries, for months now, and I love her writing, her humor, her honesty, and her love of William Morris and his intentionally beautiful, simple living. I've never left a comment, all stalker-like, but I knew I wanted to link up this week and come out of hiding.  Here is my project for the week:

Once I fixed my curtains, I caught the project bug in a big way.

I put on a hazmat suit, plugged my nose, and ventured into my pantry.  Sadly, there is no before picture, but the lack of a before picture does preserve a little bit of my pride. I will disclose that it was a disaster area--stacks of empty Costco-size boxes, two hidden sandwiches still in their lunch bags (I can't explain that one), many miscellaneous wrappers and papers, and most importantly a fully sprouted bag of potatoes (ah, that was the smell).

For some reason, Hyrum and Evie were all about filling baskets and tubs with the pantry's contents and dumping them into a precarious grand pyramid in the hallway. And I must say they really were helpful--saved me lots of trips walking back and forth.
This project took more than a week to complete, and it was a bit difficult to plan dinner around which ingredients were accessible from this pile. (The rolled-up rug?  Stay tuned for a post on that one.)

When the pantry was empty, this is what I saw:
Five years of abuse.

Five years of exploded spaghetti sauce and dripping syrup and neglected upended molasses had left their marks on the shelves.  I decided a fresh coat of paint was the first step, and I wanted to make sure the paint cured before we replaced the contents, so after I painted two coats of paint, I just let it sit for three days.  Nothing more excruciating than waiting for paint to dry when your family's food supply is on the line.  The pile in the hallway morphed from a great Egyptian pyramid to the Tower of Pisa over the course of those few days as my kids' needs for granola bars became more urgent to them than the possibility of being maimed in a food avalanche.

While waiting for the paint to dry, Brad installed a new light fixture for me, found on Overstock.com for $39. He wasn't too thrilled with the idea since the original fixture was just fine, but that's why it's called home improvement, right? It's hard to tell in this picture, but the light fixture is actually round and it casts the three triangle shadows on the ceiling.  I love it.
 I ordered wall vinyl from Wall Pops in Calypso Blue and Stylin' Green to add a little pizzazz to the walls--pizzazz that wouldn't be permanent.  I don't know how many hours it took me to measure and cut 2" and 1/2" strips from the 6 1/2" strips they sent.  My only complaint about this product is that they should print the reverse side with a grid marked every half inch.  That would save people SO much time. (I am not being paid for my endorsement, FYI.)
Next step was adhering the vinyl to the walls.  
My favorite stage of this project was when I was putting up the stripes and the three youngest kids kept evaluating the progress.  Micah repeatedly told me how AWESOME it looked, even though I was complaining that the lines weren't as straight as I'd hoped they'd be.  He reminded me, "It's going to be filled with food anyway.  Who will even notice that they're a little bit crooked?"  That's my boy.

Finally, on Saturday it was time to restock the pantry, and I took the job seriously.  Brad commented, "Nothing makes you happier than organizing the crap out of something. You've missed your calling in life.  You should have been a domestic organizer."  Ah, flattery my dear.  Pure music to me!
Here it is, all finished.  I'll walk you through a few of my changes. It may sound weird to pick a palette for a pantry, but I used the blue and green with hits of industrial silver wherever I could.
 I wrote on Martha Stewart's office labels in three different sizes instead of cutting vinyl or printing out computer labels because I wanted a handwritten look.
Blue labels for baking ingredients and  . . .
. . . green labels for snacks.  I like how the uniformity of the labels unites my mismatched jars into a cohesive collection.  To the left of the nuts is a stack of small paper trays.  After writing this post about wonderfully handy paper trays, my friend Cindy appeared on my front step with a case of 4000 for me.  They are so nice to use for kid snacks and I love that my measuring cups are no longer being discarded outside once they are empty.

 And yes, we really do eat that many goldfish.
I bought these wire locker baskets at Luckett's over a year ago, and the last two have been waiting to find the perfect home.  Yep.  Perfect.
  Clear tubs and containers for all of Lily's baking beauties . . .

. . . and even a few trays to corral the pantry troublemakers.  Hopefully if the "sticky stuff" stays where it belongs, I will be able to avoid jars stuck to the newly painted shelves.

I have used these large bins for my flour and sugar for years and years and I love them.  They're easy to move around and they hold ten pounds each.
Brad laughed at me as I lined up the labels like it was the grocery store.  I told him it was just until I got pictures of it for my blog, but he still tricked me by turning one can around, pointing it out to me, and when I went into the pantry to straighten it, he locked me in! I guess I was supposed to be alarmed, but I just grabbed a handful of wheat thins and waited approximately 45 seconds until he let me out. (Yes, we have a lock on our pantry.  Why? Because we have kids.  And yes, it does work.)
The floor is now clean, with tubs for water bottles and potatoes (now I should be able to find them before they sprout, right?)
I took advantage of the Tower of Pisa commotion to actually inventory all of our storage and update my list.  Although I haven't fully formatted the list on the computer, I did take the time to make the clipboard cute. That's important too, right?
Here's a better shot of the light fixture.  Cool, right?  My gumball machine broke a few months ago and I've been waiting for my brother-in-law to fix it.  In the meantime, Brad threw away the machine's stand in a purging fit of madness.  That will have to be addressed when the machine works again.

Brad was right. Nothing makes me happier than a newly organized space.  What do you think?  Are you ready to tackle a big project now?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Going, Going, Gone . . .

Still haven't figured out Lightroom--maybe I'll have a little more time tomorrow. I just wish that I could still use Picasa in the meantime. Sigh. So here are more unedited pictures.

I'm sick of clutter. Today I took down most of my tchotchkes . . .

Shelves in kitchen and family room are mostly bare . . .
Funny thing, this emptiness . . .
 . . .side tables disappearing, photos missing . . .
. . .  a few lonely lamps and empty baskets . . .
 . . . notice the vacant mantel and table and ottoman (and Sue's quilt!) . . .

All that emptiness is filling me with joy.  I don't know if all that stuff will ever make it back into the house.


Brad's garage, however, is feeling a little bloated.  Craigslist?  Yard sale?  Or will I be sorry in a few weeks and wish it was all back?  We'll see.

Linking up to Jenny Malock's G for Alphabe-Thursday.
Jenny Matlock
Hope I have a few hours to dig into Lightroom. Kara?  When you free?