Spicing Things Up

Today's project was painless. I enjoyed a big glass of wine while I organized my spice drawer and it was done in less than 15 minutes. I'm a bit of a spice addict: I also have a spice cabinet....but we will get to that another time. Anyway, without much fanfare, here is my newly organized spice drawer (sorry, no before photo):

They are in alphabetical order (we'll see how long that lasts) and in one of my new beloved Williams-Sonoma semi-annual clearance sale drawer organizers.

There is something so satisfying about having things in order. I have found that in being more organized makes my life feels less chaotic. Still, soooo much to do!

Back From Outer Space...and Cleaning Drawers!

Kate, you inspired me! So....I'm back!

I have still been doing small projects here and there, but haven't documented anything and didn't think it would be too exciting for you to read about organizing my expense reports, product information, and promotional materials in my new file cabinet. I've also had a slew of guests (the blessing and curse of a beach house!), my husband has been away quite often, and I just threw a mega 4th of July party. But hey, that's life! And it gets in the way sometimes!

I also have another inspiration: My new kitchen drawer organizers!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/mahogany-expandable-drawer-tray/?pkey=cdeckitdrw

I'm a sucker for the semi-annual sale at Williams Sonoma and snagged these last week at 50% off. I LOVE them!

Here they are in practical use:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

AFTER (I forgot to take a before):

BEFORE:


AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Nothing too exciting, but I get a sense of satisfaction every time I open one of these drawers!

potholders drawer

My grams had given me new potholders that she made me and I couldn't jam them into the potholders drawer. So I took that as a sign to clean it out. I was pretty amazed with the amount of TRASH in this drawer. WHY was I holding on to trash in there?! Ugh.

I'm glad Bridget nudged us on the board today. Maybe we'll get back at it. I know I need to. It's been a long time and I am desperate to have a yard sale. So I as I purge the house for the sale, I'll be thinking about my ten things again now!

before, had to shove the drawer in.

the amount that came out of the drawer
(two of the power cords are for items we don't have anymore)

after!

Slacker

I've been a major 10 things slacker lately. There are so many projects looming over my head too that I want to tackle so I need to get my butt in gear. Today I cleaned one of my kitchen drawers. This one holds measuring cups, oven mitts, pot holders and cutting boards. I needed to go through my cutting boards because I have some wood ones in there I never use because wood cutting boards skeeve me out. I got another plastic one this weekend to urge me to start this drawer. It was a quick and easy project. Before: everything shoved in there (are you surprised, this is me?!! I am shover!!!) I desperately need new oven mitts. I have non matching old ugly stained ones.
and the after. I can open and close it easily and don't have to push stuff down to close the drawer.

Stuff I threw away

1-2. Two wooden cutting boards

3. Louisiana pot holder I had forever

4. random mini spoon

5. clips for who knows what?? It's amazing I never stabbed myself with these!

6. random tupperware top

7. tiny measuring spoon I never use

8-11. LOL seriously. This wasn't in this drawer but I found these in a random drawer in my bathroom and they needed to go. It's tubes of vaseline from when my son was circumsized....um yeah he's FIVE. WHY are they in there still? WHY WHY WHY??

So in order to not be a slacker anymore this is my next goal-my bedroom dresser. AH. It gives me heebie jeebies thinking about it. It has 6 drawers, 5 of them need major work. Guess what??? All my clothes are shoved in all the drawers. God I thought I was semi neat before this blog! So my goal is one drawer a day for the next 5 days. I can and will do this. I want to get some of this stuff up on e-bay too or donate it. So now that I told you, hold me to it. I will start with drawer one tonight.

I am also listing 3 pairs of shoes on e-bay that I got rid of when I cleaned my closet a few weeks back. I gave them to my sister thinking they'd fit her and they don't. I can't wear them and the sandals are basically brand new so I will sell them. I'll be happy w/ the extra change in my pocket and to not have to look at them anymore.

3 kitchen spots

I did nothing yesterday, but this in total took less than twenty minutes this morning.

The first was a cabinet, I was trying to fit "one more thing" into.
I decided mid way to stop, take a picture and purge, instead of stuff.
Before:
After:

The second was a drawer that was bugging me for a while.
It's the "I don't know what to do with that, so throw it in there" drawer.
Before:

Here's what I threw out: a list of doctors from the ins company, 6 old manuals, a box of last year's tithe envelopes (We're so bad, we never use the envelopes),
Here's the after drawer:

The third was a cabinet, same story as the first one.
I was trying to put something away, but I'd have to just toss it in and hope the door shut,
so I sat down and emptied the whole thing out. Ew. Ew. Ew.Mark was helping...

I threw out two old nasty gross falling apart shelf protector stuff. Again I say, nasty! Also trashed: a metal bread pan that I hate and have three other bread pans, so why hang on to it? Also a rusted cheese grater that we don't ever use. Also a glass cutting board that makes me nervous. And two hospital water mugs we never use.

And the after: TA DA!


So, way more than ten things today, but really it barely took me 15-20 minutes I'd guess between all three. And now I have three new happy places in the kitchen instead of stuff stuffed everywhere. Yippie!

the knife drawer

Hello. Probably a funny place to start, but I did my husband's closet yesterday only there were no pictures... So I my first posting on here is the knife drawer. Which as you can see holds more than just knifes. It amazed me when I emptied this out onto the counter, just how much other junk was in there. I wish we had one of those handy blocks of wood you stick your knifes in, but since we don't, we keep them in a drawer... dangerous huh?

Here's the before.


And the junk that came out of it.

Anyone notice the flower seeds packet? Hmmm... The five packs of gum I think are from Christmas '08, be/c we didn't get any gum this Christmas from J's parents and since we don't buy it ourselves... I thought I was out of twix-it clips. Or yah, they were hiding out in there. There was 10 Pampered Chef scraper things ... who needs ten of those? I didn't even know I had that many cookie cutters...



TA DA!!! Here's the after:

Yah, random still in the package set of steak knifes to apparently be sold, since um we've never needed them.

Ten things from the drawer: (all but number 10 went in the trash!)
1. Twist ties (I donno like 5 of them)
2. 5 packs of nasty old gum
3. some plastic wrap from I don't know what
4. FOUR cup lids to cups I don't think we have anymore
5. Two unidentifiable tools.
6. Mints and candy from I don't know when.
7. a broken measuring cup
8. about 6 really old never used knifes (wrapped tightly in an old towel and about 4 bags)
9. extra strings for a cheese grater we no longer have
10. pack of nice unopened knifes to sell.