Background info and why I need to get organized!

Hi folks,

First off, I’m posting this during my lunch time, so relax.

Background: I just moved from a 740 square foot apartment where I lived for almost exactly 6 years into a 1107 square foot, brand-spankin’ new condo that I bought. It’s still in my neighborhood, in fact, it’s about a block away from my old place, which is awesome. My place is super cool and I'm excited to finally have enough space to have people over for parties and just to hang out, but I have a problem.

I always knew I had a lot of stuff, that’s not news. What is news, however, is how good I was at hiding things in small spaces and packing things away. I had one closet in my old apartment. It was big, and I used every single corner of it.

I am also a crafter, which might be my biggest problem. If you craft (or actually, if you have any kind of creative hobby at all) you know that with craft comes STUFF….tools, materials, packaging. Along with the stuff comes furniture and plastic boxes to house the stuff. This is where it gets tricky. How do you keep your hobbies and not have a million plastic boxes in your living room?

Now, I am not a hoarder. I do not have collections of erasers, candles, stuffed bears, decorative mugs, shoes or anything like that. My home is always clean, there’s no food rotting anywhere, no dead animal carcasses, no garbage sitting for weeks waiting to be taken out. I have never had bugs in my home. I know when magazines need to be thrown out (recycled) and I generally know when to get rid of other items. In short, don’t call A&E’s “Hoarders” on me. Large, walkable areas of my floor are clearly visible, outlets are not blocked, windows are not sealed shut. No, I prefer organized piles of possibly useful things.

I’d like to use this blog to track my progress and to help keep me honest! Suggestions are welcome, references to hoarding are not. My goal for my new home is to get (and stay) organized. I am known for creating systems that others like to follow, but then I do not follow my own systems. Right now I’m starting with a blank slate in terms of organization. I’m going to slowly replace the Ikea furniture I’ve had for years, furniture that has been taken apart and put back together several times (it’s not really supposed to.)

I'm not interested in purchasing some crazy system...I need to find something that works for me in my place, is easy to follow/maintain and also looks nice.

Every week I’ll post once or twice with my progress and some photos. I will also post links and information to organizations that accept donations, or other suggestions about how to dispose of usable items in good condition.

:-)
Emily