Restoring my Soul: the Organizing Way
Before I get started, I want to apologize for the lack of posts recently. I shoot for two a week, but I've been so scattered lately, I can't seem to get my thoughts together into a finished post. I say finished because I have about five started. Maybe this detour will get me back in the zone. Fingers crossed...
I may be a freak, but there's something that helps me when I'm down. Not down, like depressed...that's a whole different thing, but down like, so many people - so little energy! Like my little introverted soul has been squeezed and squeezed until there's not a drop of anything left for anyone, anywhere.
That's when I figuratively curl in and lose myself in a corner of my life that's riddled by chaos. Once there, I putter and rethink, all quietly and with no one asking questions (if at all possible). I watch it get better through organization, and in more recent years, minimalism. I've been saying our space is more than we need, but we were still spread out all over it. Even in the worst parts of it. A.k.a. the bowels of our house. A.k.a. the unfinished portion of the basement. Where things go to get a layer of dust and cobwebs lurk. Why would anyone, voluntarily store things in such a place? This is what I asked myself and since there was no one but me to answer, I said, "Pshh! No one! Obviously." And we got to work. As in me, my happy self, and I.
Here's the area I'm speaking of, now that it's half cleared out. The other side has these retro TV cabinets I want to make into puppet theaters. I want to give one a try and if it doesn't raise much money for a school I love, I will let all the others go. I have yet to make the theater happen, which feels like a minimalist break-down, but it's something I'm serious about doing. Just trying to wait until the time is right instead of killing myself to fit it in. Anyway...just wanted to give you an honest glimpse into my minimalist process. Speaking of honest...say hello to the bowels.
I think this qualifies as not beautiful enough to enter the blogging world, but then I don't want to be a fantasy, I want to help. And dishonesty never helps. Do I have pretty ideas for this space? Sure. Will they happen soon? I have no idea. So I just go here and do my laundry and think, "That'll be a fun project someday."
This particular corner housed tools, but we have a semi-finished room that holds my storage totes, remember? You know what feels like a minimalist WIN? I told you back a ways my goal was to get my storage stuff down to these totes and no more. Well, guess what?! This little guy is empty!!
Eeee!!! So exciting. But I digress...again. We're going to push through this people, and maybe focused posts will follow. Maybe.
Here's what the rest of the semi-finished room looked like when I brought the tools in. This place gets all the items I minimize on a regular basis, but plan to sell rather than donate. Also stuff I may donate but need a little time to think over. I like getting clothes I'm not using much out of my closet right away, to see if I miss them. Hence the mess.
Yeah...this room's benefits are its ceiling that keeps it from being so dusty and the carpet. I found the paint we used for our accent wall in the stairwell and repainted the peg board. Then I saw how thin the paint was on the built-in's doors (part of one looked like it'd only been primed) and decided to paint them too. I picked this color because it went best with the curtain I have down there. It's the colors of a past laundry room and matches my ironing board cover, which I wanted to store in here. I still like the colors and didn't want to spend money on paint.
Now if we pan back from that window, you'll see the newly painted and organized room...with the lovely table we kicked out of our kitchen. Then I'll take you around the room, counter-clockwise.
And back to the storage totes wall...with the empty tote!
If you're wondering what all that ugliness was under the tool desk, I'll show you.
All very ugly, but oh, so handy. Here's the other thing I love about using this room. I can put all my paints in the second cupboard, which used to be half empty. So now you know where I pull all my "oh I just had this spray paint sitting around" from. It's here.
The other thing I love about my new set up is that my caulking gun is ready to roll at a moment's notice. Caulking is something I still see needed around our house - a spot we missed here and there when we renovated. Also, to the left of it, is my laminated apron from Pottery Barn that I bought years ago. So many years in fact, that I didn't know how little I liked cooking and imagined I'd use it in the kitchen! Oh, no, young Kendra. It will live by the tools and save your clothes from more dangerous things like spray paint.
And lastly, I love that we eliminated enough to let this organizer go.
Well my loves, I'm back. This project was cleansing and a good reminder I can make a difference. What helps you right yourself when you're world's crazy? Your therapy of choice?
I may be a freak, but there's something that helps me when I'm down. Not down, like depressed...that's a whole different thing, but down like, so many people - so little energy! Like my little introverted soul has been squeezed and squeezed until there's not a drop of anything left for anyone, anywhere.
That's when I figuratively curl in and lose myself in a corner of my life that's riddled by chaos. Once there, I putter and rethink, all quietly and with no one asking questions (if at all possible). I watch it get better through organization, and in more recent years, minimalism. I've been saying our space is more than we need, but we were still spread out all over it. Even in the worst parts of it. A.k.a. the bowels of our house. A.k.a. the unfinished portion of the basement. Where things go to get a layer of dust and cobwebs lurk. Why would anyone, voluntarily store things in such a place? This is what I asked myself and since there was no one but me to answer, I said, "Pshh! No one! Obviously." And we got to work. As in me, my happy self, and I.
Here's the area I'm speaking of, now that it's half cleared out. The other side has these retro TV cabinets I want to make into puppet theaters. I want to give one a try and if it doesn't raise much money for a school I love, I will let all the others go. I have yet to make the theater happen, which feels like a minimalist break-down, but it's something I'm serious about doing. Just trying to wait until the time is right instead of killing myself to fit it in. Anyway...just wanted to give you an honest glimpse into my minimalist process. Speaking of honest...say hello to the bowels.
I think this qualifies as not beautiful enough to enter the blogging world, but then I don't want to be a fantasy, I want to help. And dishonesty never helps. Do I have pretty ideas for this space? Sure. Will they happen soon? I have no idea. So I just go here and do my laundry and think, "That'll be a fun project someday."
This particular corner housed tools, but we have a semi-finished room that holds my storage totes, remember? You know what feels like a minimalist WIN? I told you back a ways my goal was to get my storage stuff down to these totes and no more. Well, guess what?! This little guy is empty!!
Eeee!!! So exciting. But I digress...again. We're going to push through this people, and maybe focused posts will follow. Maybe.
Here's what the rest of the semi-finished room looked like when I brought the tools in. This place gets all the items I minimize on a regular basis, but plan to sell rather than donate. Also stuff I may donate but need a little time to think over. I like getting clothes I'm not using much out of my closet right away, to see if I miss them. Hence the mess.
Yeah...this room's benefits are its ceiling that keeps it from being so dusty and the carpet. I found the paint we used for our accent wall in the stairwell and repainted the peg board. Then I saw how thin the paint was on the built-in's doors (part of one looked like it'd only been primed) and decided to paint them too. I picked this color because it went best with the curtain I have down there. It's the colors of a past laundry room and matches my ironing board cover, which I wanted to store in here. I still like the colors and didn't want to spend money on paint.
Now if we pan back from that window, you'll see the newly painted and organized room...with the lovely table we kicked out of our kitchen. Then I'll take you around the room, counter-clockwise.
And back to the storage totes wall...with the empty tote!
If you're wondering what all that ugliness was under the tool desk, I'll show you.
All very ugly, but oh, so handy. Here's the other thing I love about using this room. I can put all my paints in the second cupboard, which used to be half empty. So now you know where I pull all my "oh I just had this spray paint sitting around" from. It's here.
The other thing I love about my new set up is that my caulking gun is ready to roll at a moment's notice. Caulking is something I still see needed around our house - a spot we missed here and there when we renovated. Also, to the left of it, is my laminated apron from Pottery Barn that I bought years ago. So many years in fact, that I didn't know how little I liked cooking and imagined I'd use it in the kitchen! Oh, no, young Kendra. It will live by the tools and save your clothes from more dangerous things like spray paint.
And lastly, I love that we eliminated enough to let this organizer go.
Well my loves, I'm back. This project was cleansing and a good reminder I can make a difference. What helps you right yourself when you're world's crazy? Your therapy of choice?
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