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!!!

Marble Blondies... Yum!

It is baking time again. Back at the troops with a little bit of chocolate and sugar to sweeten their February. In order to send them, it is best to bake in 8x8 containers. Then, wrap them in foil (after they have cooled). Next, wrap in saran wrap. Finally, place the pan in a gallon size ziplock. Which also allows you to label it. You can usually fit two of these pans in a medium flat rate box.

So, how did I make these blondies? Well, like most things I found a recipe and made it work for me. It called for milk chocolate chips, which I did not have. But I had a few left over Hershey bars. Make it work!

Marbled Blondies:

Ingredients:

-1 1/8 C of all purpose flour

-1/2tsp of baking soda and salt (each)

-1/2 C of sugar

-1/2 C of brown sugar

-1/2 C of butter (softened)

- 1 tsp of Vanilla

-1 egg

-2 Hershey bars broken into little bits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Cream butter, sugars and vanilla.

2. Add egg and mix.

3. Add salt and baking soda to flour.

4. Sift flour mixture into sugar mixture.

5. Pour batter into 8 x8 pan. Drop chocolate bits on top.

6. Put pan in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Take out and swirl chocolate into batter with knife, making it marbled.

8. Put pan back in and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cannot get enough of San Francisco

I am almost done playing with my San Francisco pages. It was such fun, that I think I am trying to hold onto as much of the vacation as I can. One more page with lots of pics and then one last page with lots of journaling. And then... maybe I will be done.

This page could not be completed without the inspiration of Apron Strings blog and their sketch ideas. Thankfully, they have seen me through my San Francisco scrapping.

Most of you know that I am a paper lover! When new paper lines come out, I race to the store to see them. I try to check out as many sneak peeks as possible. Paper is one of the many things that I heart. HOWEVER, I am a hoarder. I cannot bear to let some paper go. As in, "it is too pretty to use." "I cannot find the right picture, occasion, stamp, etc. to go with it." "I can't just cut it up and use it on any old thing."

So, on these pages, I finally broke down and used my last sheet of Basic Grey Nook & Pantry and my only sheet of Lullaby Lane's Puppydogs and Pigtails. The flip sides of both are fabulous too, which led to a lot of dilemmas. And I am glad that I had paper worthy of such a wonderful city.

Now, if I can just find the perfect project to use up the leftover scraps. It may be another few years for that! Here is hoping.

Another page down...

Working through my San Francisco pictures and getting them scrapped. Thanks again to Apron Strings for the beautiful Cosmo Cricket Togetherness paper. Also, another good way to demonstrate multiple uses for Christmas paper. I used a strip of Bella Road's Everybody Loves Christmas line. The Target dollar spot provided lovely flowers and Chinatown provided the pictures. Could not get enough of little flowers and birds. Yeah!

It feels unfinished, but I think I just need to leave it alone. Lot's of times when I want to add, I usually ruin. Sometimes, you just have to walk away!!

One page down...

Sketchy Thursdays does it again. Thanks to their inspiration, I am able to complete another page. This one highlights the relationship between my grandmother and my niece. Gillian holds Nana in the palm of her hand. Of course, Nana has Gillian's number too. I cannot get over how much fun it is to see Gilly with her great-grandmother.

Of course, this layout would not be complete with the help of my January Smaller than a Breadbox Apron Strings kit. Love Apron Strings! This kit was about Crate Paper's Snow Day collection. Thank goodness for double-sided paper! Makes the crafting a whole lot easier.

Another good day at the crafting table!

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!