A list (updated) & more on M#8

Progress. Somewhat.



-Knock-off Pottery Barn shelves for downstairs (still need brackets)
-Moving the new bed in (and getting rid of the old one)  see why this one is being removed from the list below...
-Finishing the hutch my grandmother gave me  check out the completed project here!
-Repainting wall sconces my dad gave me  now I just have to decide where to hang them...
-Organizing the bookcases
-Repainting my DIY end table (in progress)
-Revamping the dresser in my mom's room (a.k.a. the guest room that she calls hers)
-Taking a crap load of stuff to Goodwill

So, since we announced the impending move later this year, we've been trying make decisions based on three different scenarios: Jason and I both moving out of state, Jason and I both moving locally, Jason moving out of state and me moving locally. The first two are fairly straight forward--everything moves with us. The third option has us (read: the military) moving Jason and then us moving the rest of our stuff in with me or into storage (or both). Since there's a possibility that Jason will need his own bed (since he won't be stationed at a base there's no barracks for him to live in, so he'll be renting a room somewhere) we decided to keep our queen (for me) and he'll take the full bed we have in storage with him.

Yay for being kind of lazy and never getting around to having the old bed hauled away!

I'll be so happy when we're not working off scenarios and can start making some real decisions. 

Spring cleaning

Mouse.



There's the word you never want to hear your husband say (well I'm sure there are worse ones, like divorce or creditcardbill...). But that's exactly what my husband uttered about a week ago, and it's seemed like an eternity since then. The constant cleaning of droppings (gag!), frantically and hysterically calling the housing department when you realize the little effers have chewed through the wall that was just plugged up to keep them out, over worrying about your precious little fur-baby and what she'll do if she sees one (for the love of blog donoteatit!!!).

My husband has the patience of a saint. And there are some days I think he gets a reality check on the prissy little thing he's married to. But he still loves me thank goodness.

The upside to all of this? The de-crapifying mission has been steaming along! Our garage looks fantastic because we've gone through to make sure there are no mice nesting anywhere out there (knock on wood, there's not). The walk-in linen closet, which had become a dumping ground for extra furniture, has been almost entirely gutted (and washed in boiling hot water) because unfortunately, there was at least one mouse in there. Even the kitchen has received a skeptical eye on what stays and what goes. Imagine my chagrin when my mother opened up a drawer and discovered an entire set of Crate & Barrel dishware that I had never used and completely forgot that I even owned.

Yay for silver linings that help with getting the house clean and organized! But boo and hiss that it came on the heels of mice.

Let's talk shoes

Because every woman has some sort of shoe fetish, because no matter how many pairs of black shoes we have we can always have one more, and because they're such pretty works of art they deserve to be displayed, let's talk about shoe storage.



oh carrie bradshaw, thy will be done.
In an attempt to keep my February 1/12 list going, the cleaning out of my closet has been well under way--and I can't believe how much stuff I'm getting rid of! I do a closet purge anywhere from one to four times a year (usually after every season--winter, spring, summer, fall, not fashion seasons) because I always try to give a piece "one more season" to see if I wear it anymore. This purge has been slightly more extreme because of the weight loss. We hang on to things that are too small in the vain hope that we'll fit them again one day, but we definitely don't hang on to our clothes that are three sizes too big (I don't ever want to fit back into those)!

But now that the upper parts of my closet are under control, it's time to get the bottom half in shape. Namely: the shoes. Ms. Bradshaw would be horrified at my current shoe-living situation, as they're all scattered haphazardly with no two pairs being near their partner. It's pretty awful. So I've been trying to come up with ways of rectifying this dismal conundrum. Enter: The Container Store. Considering that I'm not nearly as organized as I want to be, this store always sends a little thrill of excitement through me.

For under $30 I can get a case of 20 of these bad boys.


The basic clear shoe box, easily stackable, easily see through-able, and will keep my babies safe. I may have to buy a few of their heeled shoe boxes for my shoes that tower at 4- and 5-inches tall ($8-$9), and a few of their boot boxes ($9), but I'd only need a couple each.

They also have the hanging systems, like this eco-friendly fabric swiveling shoe tower.


It holds 22 pairs and runs right at $30. I'd have to find an alternative for my boots (maybe a sweater hanging system?) but every size heel could fit into it. Of course, it doesn't leave much room for a growing collection as I'd have to buy another whole shoe bag once I filled up all 22 slots (come to think of it, I don't even know how many pairs I currently have...).

So those are the current options, and in all honesty, I think I like the clear boxes idea best. More so because when it comes time to move (again) they'll be easily transportable and won't wind up tossed into a box by the military movers.

I don't know that we'll make it down there this weekend (I'm hoping to have some exciting news to report after Saturday) but in the next few weeks I plan to get down there and get a system going! And I think I'll definitely have to consider something like this while I'm down there too...


So how about you? Anyone else have a closet in desperate need of organizing? Or anyone have an "after" closet? What kind of organizational system did you go with?