The Dirty Dirty - Part Four

I am clearly a person who ignores organization.  Over time a clean and uncluttered room can be completely destroyed by my lack of discipline in simply putting things back where they go.  And also taking the time to find a proper home for incoming traffic.  In the case of The Dirty Dirty - Part Four, the room of great concern is unfortunately at the day care.  It is the smallest room that I call my own.  It is my office slash craft supply room.  A place that has a small gate at the doorway to let everyone know "this is  my space."  Although the more I have used the desk in the center of the room as a landing strip and used the closet and shelves as a disorganized place to store crafts made long ago the more I don't go in there for anything other than to toss new arriving supplies. 

I mentally made the resolution to "put things back" where they go in my life.  If I remove it from a drawer then that's where it goes back when I am finished using it.  This new found form of self control can be a tough one.  Mainly because it involves getting organized in the first place.  So one day during nap time I tore in to this room.  I didn't buy any fancy Martha containers, I simply used what I had.  I threw some things away and have a couple of bags to take to Goodwill.  I also moved my desk out from the center of the room to avoid using it in the wrong way.  The main thing is that it feels better.  When I walk in there I know exactly where the glues are and where all my tissue paper is and fake crafty flowers live.  And I know they are there because the last time I used them I put them back there.  Aha!  There's the key to staying this way.  I have done well in the other rooms involved in this Dirty Dirty adventure.  Unfortunately, the task is not over. 

Before

 oof

And After

Thank you for loving me through my faults of un-organization.

The Dirty Dirty Part 3

Among several spots in our home that need a good cleaning out, this is the third one that I am sharing with you!  Let me tell ya, it's not easy to show the world what a slob I can be.  But I am playing "show and tell" as a sort of incentive for myself to get it done and also for you.  Maybe you have an area that needs straightening, a "catch-all" spot... don't you?

Well, also,  the end of the year is coming and I am particularly funny about taking un-necessary dirt and clutter into the new year.  In fact, I once read in a Feng Shui book that you need to sweep out all the old dirt,  from the previous year, right out the door.  I got what they meant and every year I begin to do weird stuff the last few weeks of the year.

Here is the tacky spot in my home that I tackled today.  The linen closet in my hall.  I have a thing for vintage sheets but I use the softest of soft flannel sheets during the winter and from about October until March that is what we use.  So what's the point of keeping them in this tiny spot when they can be bagged up for a few months?  I wound up keeping two sets down and a spare set for the guest bedroom.  Just in case they aren't fond of the flannel sheets for that room.  Mostly, the towels needed to be sorted, refolded and put in their correct spaces and everything else for that matter.  All in all this re-do took about twelve minutes.  And that is just silly because I have been putting it off for months. 

Before... not terrible but needs help.

 Flat sheets in with the towels??? Have I gone MAD???

 What a lazy slob.  This is how I kick myself when I look at these pictures.

Why is my Fourth of July flag even in there???

 Spread it all out to decide what goes in the attic and what stays.

 Stored extra pillows up top instead of on the floor.

Flannels on the right, looking forward to warmer weather on the left.

Gosh I love that old poppies flat sheet.  I want a dress made out of it.

 Refolded and refluffed.

I use the ones on the right, Shaun likes the ones on the left. 

We are quirky about the wash cloths too.

 I am beginning to be able to breathe again.

The fan stays.  It is still needed in the kitchen at times.

 And as for you vintage pillowcases... this doesn't mean Mommy doesn't love you.

See you in the Spring!

The Dirty Dirty - Part 2

It has literally taken me four weeks to post this.  I have had to come to terms with how awful the before pictures look of this room.  Plus it wasn't completely finished until yesterday when I gave the chair a face lift. 

You are about to see before and after pictures of my "Craft Room".  There is really no excuse for just throwing any and everything into a space  but truthfully I have had a craft room that I treated this way in the last two houses I have lived in.  Which changed their name to "Crap Room".  I honestly had a  mental plan that I would be uprooted from the space one day.   That it would be someone else's room.  Since that isn't going to happen, I decided to give the room meaning.  To sort of embrace the space and call it mine.  Only after three years of treating it like a crap room! 

So here are the before and after pictures of the room. Brace yourself.

A disaster area.  I would make a joke about it when people would come over.  Now I can't believe I showed it to anyone.  The trash bags didn't have actual trash in them.  They were summer sheets and something I drug home. 

I got rid of the wooden file cabinet and the side table housing my old printer.  I threw things away, moved the movie shelf in to the closet and put some things in the attic and other things back where they belong. 

My sister gave me two barn wood shelves (and helped me all day) that her husband made.  I kept the sewing table and chair.  I kept the desk for now although it is empty and ready to go whenever I decide to get a drawing table.  I moved one chair in from the living room.  My sister also helped (a ton) make drapes for the windows.  I plan on finding a rug to go in the middle of the room sometime.

So are you ready to see the result? 

WaaLaa!  I would make a tutorial on the chair redo but I seriously think I broke every upholstery recovering rule that there is.  Then again it would go to show you that everything doesn't have to be perfect when it's yours.  To look at it you would never know.  It can be removed when I am tired of it.  I covered it in a waffle fabric I have had for a long time. 

And there's the Dirty Dirty part two.  I have other areas that are in need of cleaning out.  None that look as bad as this I promise.  I swear I am not a hoarder.  I am busy body with a lazy streak.  That's what we will call it.  I don't put things back where they belong.  So if I can teach myself to do that my life will be a lot simpler!