Organization is the key

I am back to cleaning and organizing. It felt like I was sick, then I was busy and my weekly projects began piling up on me. This past week, I was able to work on my list of 52 and get a few done.

Organizing Junkie, has a plan for 52 weeks to a clutter-free, organized home. She encourages folks to break down their organizing projects into 52 weekly mini-projects. My first round was the bedroom closet. Then I worked on the hall closet and now we can close it completely.

This week I have a space of containerized (real word I promise) dog stuff. Also, a series of bookshelves that are finally weeded out and tidy grace my bookcase. And finally, the bottom shelf in the pantry which has been my dishtowel nemesis, has been conquered. I went to Target to buy suitable containers for the supplies and I purged a great deal. I am finally accepting that in my life I need things that are functional as well as beautiful. I am also accepting that I cannot keep every gift I have ever been given... that requires a larger home and more containers. :)

Here are some after pictures of my organizing successes. You may be asking where are the before pictures. Are you crazy? Do you think I am honestly going to show off what a slob I am?! No way! But I will show off my new happy little corners of clean.

Clutter Free closet

The shoes have been organized and purged. Now I have only the shoes that I use and I know what I need. After my de-cluttering, I am more aware of how difficult it is to keep shoes organized in a small space. Thus, I am on the look out for an organizer/ container for shoes. Keeping the eyes opened!

Thanks to all that work, I am able to now bask in an organized closet, with zero clutter. Now comes the hard work, keeping it that way.

Luckily, the shoes were a lot easier than I thought. So, I had time to work on the linen closet. I cleaned out several large bulky towels that we do not use. We store extra sheets in two flat, roller tubs under the bed. I now have it down to one tub and a tidy closet. Ah, there is nothing like clean space and lovely order to bring a thrill to my heart.

Next stop, orderly dresser!!!

Clearing out the Shoes

This is the week that the closet enters its final stages of organization. I am tackling the shoes! If they do not fit, hurt my feet or I have not worn them in a year, they are going to a better home. This will help me as I attempt to build a shoe wardrobe. And it will help me as I attempt to live within the space I have.

Once again another thank you to the Organizing Junkie for getting me started!

Over half way there...

Well, the closet in now 2/3 finished. Last week, the sweaters, hats and bins on the shelf. This week, the rack and next week is shoes! I took everything out of my closet and asked the Clutter Rehab questions:

1. Do I love it?

2. Do I use it?

3. How long ago did I last use it? ( More than a year, gets tossed.)

4. Do I have room to store it without it affecting my efficiency and stress levels? (This one seemed to be the most key for me.)

5. Am I willing to give up something else in order to make room for it?

6. Can I imagine myself or anyone else in my family ever loving it or using it in the foreseeable future?

In conjunction with the closet clean out, I am also trying to organize/build a complete wardrobe. As stated before, I am tired of looking at a closet of clothes and thinking I have nothing to wear. So, there are a few standard pieces that everyone, from Tim Gunn to my grandmother, insist that I own. The basics are those that fill well and coordinate together.

The top 10 list of Tim Gunn is:

1. Little Black Dress

2. Trench coat

3. Dress pants

4. Classic Shirt

5. Jeans

6. Any occasion top or cardigan

7. Skirt

8. Day dress

9. Blazer/ Jacket

10. Casual outfit (think alternative to sweatsuit)

My grandmother would add a fun top with lots of color and at least two good t-shirts.

So, after having a clear out as they say in Europe, I am down to items that fit and am a little shy of the list. Time to watch sales and check out the consignment stores. Well, off to do laundry!

Next on the agenda, the closet rack

This week's organizing project, the closet rack. This will take some time. It will be like a good novel, I'll laugh, I'll cry, I'll scream! Time to purge for real!! So many times, I have turned to this closet and said, " I have nothing to wear." I am hoping to eliminate this phrase from my language. Instead, I hope to clean out what I will not, cannot and do not want to wear. From there I will be able to add a few key pieces that work well together. I hope to eventually have a closet I can look at and say, "oh, I can wear that. Or maybe, I can wear this."

Baby steps on the road to a clean, organized closet!

Taming the beginnings of the closet

Thanks to Organizing Junkie, I developed a plan and stuck to it. This week, I needed to take back the closet shelf and organize my bulky items. So, I took everything out. Dusted the shelf and purged. Went through the steps: Do I love it? Do I need it? Do I wear it? After I cleaned out some older items and let go of a few things, I was set. Everything neatly folded and put away. Now I just have to keep it that way.