Making Room

I'm making room for Hank! My goal is to make him a shelf or drawer in every room! Generous of me, right? First I had to clippie rage to replenish my clippie board. Then I started a garage sale pile. I keep sweeping through my house and adding to the pile. I think of myself as someone who is clutter free but I have SO MUCH STUFF! I guess I am really good and hiding it. I went through my craft shelves and thinned some stuff out. I moved my table so Hank can have a desk and a few shelves. I even cleaned out the closet! The guest room is about half full with stuff for the sale. I'll probably have to relocate it to the garage because I can't stand the mess in there, and I don't even really use that room. How often do you purge? It's amazing the difference a couple years makes. Stuff you swore you'd use just gathers dust.

Purge

The changing of the seasons brings on a need to purge, to clean, to sort out, and rearrange.  William Morris said, “Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful.”

My mom sent this quote out last week. I am really good at purging, de-cluttering, and donating stuff I don't ever use. I opened my make up drawer the other day to find all of these! I don't even wear lip gloss! I stick with my peppermint Burt's Bees lip balm, and only use it after I brush my teeth! How did I even get all of these? It's time to either use these up, or throw them in the trash I guess. I wonder what else I can throw away?

spring switch out!

My favorite time of spring is when I get my two giant plastic bins out of my garage and rediscover all of my spring and summer clothes. I take all of my winter stuff out of my closets and drawers and switch it out for spring and summer. My scarf drawer becomes my bathing suit drawer. My wire basket of tights and leggings will hold my shorts. I take all my summer dresses and put them out in place of my wool shifts. My boots get stuffed with tights and put away. I lay out all my sandals and flops. I do keep some transitional stuff out year round: cardigans for my freezing classroom, my new clog/mules that work all year, and light weight scarves. It's amazing how you can forget about a stack of cute tanks and shorts when you don't look at them every day. Or when you go to DSW to look at sandals and realize that you already have all the cute styles just waiting for you at home! Anything I didn't wear this fall/winter season goes to my sister in law. What she doesn't want goes to charity. For the most part, I never regret getting rid of clothes. Though I have had to re-buy some basics after a clean out. Like a black pencil skirt, white button ups, etc. I never wear that type of clothing, but it's great to have just in case. Like if you find yourself at a job interview. I have accumulated lots of jewelry in the past few years. I am thinking of taking it through a similar process. I am sentimental about some of it, but the rest...see you later chunky bead necklace from Forever 21! 


So here's to March...and spring break next week! I'll be in Austin for seven days. Hopefully in shorts and sandals. They do have the good weather down there!

Restoring Order

Yesterday was the sad end of my winter break. Hank made me breakfast while I took down my Christmas decorations. After he left I cranked up the Taylor Swift and reorganized my kitchen cabinets. I didn't have the good sense to take before pictures. I took all of the spices and random crap out of my cabinet over my stove and made it the baking cabinet. Baking spices, flour, sugar, brown sugar, mixes, confections, recipes, and cook books. 


I took my non baking spices and gave them a new home on the bottom shelf of my cupboard. I ended up throwing out half of my spices (and half of the food in my cupboard). I put my other cooking oils and vinegars, coffee, and regularly used items on the bottom shelf. Next shelf is canned goods, rice, etc. The top shelf is for snacks and tea making materials. 


My kitchen cart transformed into a crap holder over time, so I moved all of my "cute" dishes (like my new Rachael Ray casseroles) and my adorable non functional ceramic muffin tin. I upgraded my kitchen towel basket to the top, and moved my fruit and veggie bowl to the top of the microwave, clearing valuable counter space. I hung my vintage aprons on the hook by the cart. I sure loved throwing away old food. It gave me more space and I got the thrill of trashing it!

Finally

I finally organized my sewing box, with the help of my new purchase. Pin cushions are so cute now! I couldn't help color coding the pins.