Tackle-It Tuesday

This is a feature you might recognize if you read several different blogs. It is my first time actually participating online. Since I always seem to be tackling something, I thought I would join the fun today.

But I have a confession.

I did my tackling on Sunday afternoon and evening. Since I work on Tuesdays, it would be hard for me to participate otherwise.

I have another confession.

I forgot to take "before" pictures. I almost feel like I am cheating. Oh, how I wish I had taken pictures though! You would have been even more proud seeing the difference. Let me see if I can paint it for you.

Before:

Imagine the closet overloaded and disorganized, almost to the point of fearing something would fall on your head if you opened the door too quickly. Imagine the bed unmade from the previous guest (several months ago!) and piled high with junk, things that were purchased and needed a home, items to hide from the kids, and disarray from quickly wrapping gifts prior to a party. Imagine the floor equally thrashed and strewn with the pillows that should have adorned the bed.

It.was.ugly!

It has gotten that way a few times over the last 4 years, especially when I am preparing for the holidays or an event I have to do.

But most of the time, it looks like the presentation below. Let me introduce you to my clean and organized goody closet and what I like to refer to as my own personal bed and breakfast room!


The closet door. Here I usually keep necessary party items, small wrapping materials, a few crafty-type supplies. Let me just go ahead and let you in on my favorite organizational tool. Over-the-door shoe organizers! I literally have them on almost every closet door in my home. In the kids' rooms, they actually do house shoes, but every where else, well, the possibilities are endless! I am still using my original plastic ones, but I would love to start replacing them (when necessary) with the net ones that have double pockets! These things excite me almost as much as containers do The Organizing Junkie!



Full-door and inside right of closet. This side of my closet houses most of my gifts or goodies that I get on sale and then store. This old bookshelf does a great job of hosting all my stuff.

On the top shelf is a container of Valentine's stuff including cards for classmates (seriously, 3 years worth of cards because at 25-50 cents a box, how can you pass it up!), trinkets for classmates, and a few items I use around the house. You also see another container with Halloween/fall candles. All my other Halloween/fall stuff is in an orange box in the garage. I have some miscellaneous candles on top of that box.

The second shelf houses 5 cute photo albums (yet to be filled with pictures!) that I picked up at an outlet store. I also have a box of birthday party favors left over from several parties. I will either add them to my goody box for the kids or use them in birthday presents later on.

The third and fourth shelves house mostly kid gifts (either for mine or for birthdays. I love buying these things on clearance! There are few adult book gifts as well.

The bottom shelf which you can't see houses all my extra frames. You don't want to know! Let's just say I like frames!



Inside left of closet. Hanging on the bar are pieces of fabric, mostly holiday fabric. I love to sew but just don't do it enough lately. I got most of it at a ridiculous savings a few years ago. I have made holiday pillows, a few Christmas dresses for Anysa, and gift bags with them in the past. One year I won "Cutest Container" award by making cookie bags for a cookie exchange.

The tub at the bottom and the open containers used to house lots more extra fabric, but I reorganized. Now the tub houses some keepsake items and batting material. The containers are now home for the prizes the kids can buy with the "money" they earn from doing the chores. Behind the tub (what you can't see) are two larger gifts for the kids for Christmas and some empty bags.


Top of closet. I keep a box of gift bags and tissue paper as well as a big plastic container of wrapping supplies up there. I am also storing all my adult gifts for special occasions.


The prize containers up close. There is a box with lots of small trinkets as well.


Entering the bedroom. I made the valance to match the bedding and pillows. I also used the same fabric for a ceiling to floor shower curtain in the guest bath.


Bed from the entrance view.


Bed from the window side view. Our guest bath and guest bedroom were my first accomplishments in our home. I was only allowed white walls in our first home, so I was so ready to full fill my vision once given the opportunity.

I had purchased the white Matisse blanket and pillow shams ages ago at a clearance sale and found the gorgeous designer fabric at a seconds store for $1 a yard! Did I mention that I bought like 15 yards of that stuff!! I found the accenting rust and stripe later on.

Do you want to guess what is above the bed?

A pot rack! I spray painted it and wrapped it in a LOT of tulle! It took me forever to figure out the right wrapping pattern so it would not look too cheesy.


The rocker belonged to my great-grandmother (and probably belonged to her mother!). Those types of pieces are priceless to me, so I simply polished it and recovered the seat.


This was the first grown-up, pleated bed skirt I ever made!!!

Since I mentioned that I used to house lots of fabric in my goody closet, you are probably wondering where it went!

Well, last year, by simply rearranging the furniture, we turned our formal living/dining space at the front of our house into a casual sitting area/office/workspace. We have a dining room table and buffet that was given to us. The table is my office/sewing/scrapbook space. The buffet and the small shelf hidden beside it house my sewing supplies and fabric. I did some rearranging today and now fit ALL my fabric in those two spaces! I wish I had a cool space for my scrapbook stuff but for now it lives in my closet with all my pictures!


All tucked away.


On left-fabric with print and a paper cutter. On right-idea books.


Top drawer-sewing supplies. Bottom supplies-solid fabric and pillowcases. I love little girls in pillowcase dresses! Anysa received one then I learned how to make them and tea towel dresses! Since then, I have collected wonderful vintage pillowcases at rummage-type sales to make more.


This houses miscellaneous supplies, my patterns, and towels for hooded towels or bath aprons.

It felt sooo good to clean up that room and reorganize the closet and buffet!

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Stacey

p.s. oh, and don't be fooled! there were 3 piles of laundry to tackle right outside the fancy bedroom door! 3 piles i just kept stepping over to accomplish my goal!!