April 14, 2020 - 214 - "Spring Cleaning / Covid Captivity House Project #1"

Covid Captivity House Project #1

     Well, as Einstein suggests above, I'm trying to find the opportunity in the middle of difficult times.  In addition to my regularly scheduled ways to make myself nuts, I'm adding  'work on a house project' to my weekly plan.

     There are a bunch of things around here  that need attention, as far as repairs and maintenance.  But the first thing I'm wanting to do is a big room-by-room de-clutter/organizing project!  

    Okay, honestly, I kind of just love doing this.  Nothing makes me more excited, (or Michael more nervous,) than when I get my decluttering sites set on ousting accumulated junk from around the house.  There's less and less stuff to actually discard these days...but plenty to clean out, move, mend, iron, repair, repurpose, and reorganize.  Seems like when I do the Sherman-marching-across-the-south purge-fest, things begin to work again.

    I'm going to start with the thing that most affects my everyday life:  my closet.  Sweaters and coats:  out.  Sleeveless tops and sandals:  in.  

I Always Forget the 'Before' Pictures

     Once again, I got way into a home improvement project, without capturing how things looked before I started.

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     I decided to clear everything out of my closet.  

    My vision was to have only things in there that I was going to wear in the next three months.

    This picture was taken after I had almost everything I didn't want to keep in there out.  Most of the off-season stuff was already on its way to the guest room closet upstairs where I keep off-season stuff






     By the time the picture above was taken I'd already taken out all my uniforms (sniff, sniff),

....and winter shoes (good riddance!...'til next year, then I'll like you again.)... 

and piles of sweaters, cool weather shirts, and even shorts that I won't wear until later.  

     This was how the dining room looked in the middle of the project:

"During" Picture

     It's amazing how gross things that don't get moved very often become.  Even if I had thought of a 'Before' photo for this, I would probably have opted for this 'During' photo.  

    The tops of those baseboards were a whole lot closer to black than white when I got all the stuff out of there.

      I sorted through every piece of clothing and only put back what:  fits, is ready to wear (I even got everything ironed!), works with the weather ahead (I had to keep a couple of cool day shoes and jackets to get through these next couple of weeks), and left in just things that I actually like to wear.

    I've been clearing out regularly already:  seasonally, and some between major clear-outs, as I came across something that I knew I wasn't wearing.  I didn't have a lot of things to toss or donate.  

     So far just purging three pairs of shoes and one sweater.  

After

     Nice huh?  Neat and tidy!  Everything I need...nothing I don't.

    Lots of space to maneuver! 

     I'm especially proud of this area.  (Those shelves in the middle.) It's never looked this neat (or empty) before.  Partly it's because in the winter it's stuffed full of bulky sweaters and scarves.

   ...and partly because I normally have my luggage stuck in that bottom section through the whole year.  Obviously I won't be needing that for a while.

   I optimistically, left my golf gear in the bottom, and in a section of hanging area on the top rod.  Maybe by the end of these next three months I can get back to learning the game?  Maybe a driving range or 9 hole course will be open again?  

    As I type this, I'm thinking that may not happen.  

     I might have to put on a fun golfie-outfit and practice in the back yard with my little faux-turf deal, and some wiffle balls.

    Sigh.

    But, the good news is, I'm starting spring with a clean and organized closet and wardrobe.  This will make getting ready every day so pleasant and simple!  Yay!

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     The bad news is...this is how the bed in the guest room looks now...  

      Now I’m wondering how that alllll that stuff fit downstairs to begin with!?!?  

    So, this will be the Week 2 project, the second half of my Covid Captivity House Project #1:  putting all the stuff I cleared from the downstairs closet, away in the upstairs closet.

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New Improved Organizing System!

    
     But, as promised, here's the Really Big News!  My hair accessory system 'Before':

     The front section of those little white organizer bin things, that I think I repurposed from my office, kept detaching from the back and falling on the floor.   Ditto with the headbands when I'd pull a shirt or jacket out of the closet above them.   Also, I kept knocking over the little plastic Gladware things.  I stuck them inside the organizers to hold small things like clips and bobby pins.  I spent a lot of time gathering the little pieces up and sticking them back in their little bowls.  Not the best system.

And here it is 'After'(!!!!!):

     Yes, this inspires deep and genuine joy in me.  It's the little things in life...like finding just the ponytail holder you're looking for just when you want it!  

    These are a little more substantial than the drawer organizers and Gladware sauce containers I'd been using.  Tougher to knock over.  And they are made out of clear acrylic, just like the earring organizers I already had!!!!  So it looks tidy and uniform, as well as functioning better and being see-through.  Squeeeee!!!!  

     What are you working on this week?  Comment, email, text, or smoke signal me all about it.  (Hope you took 'Before' pics!)

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"Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor-it's anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living."

-Peter Walsh

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"You can't reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday's junk."

-Louise Smith

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