Needed a Project

Since we are post-Christmas, I have found myself out of projects. I've painted almost every room in the house, no babies to prepare for, no pictures to edit - I've decided that it's time to clean out/organize. Remember that Friends episode where Monica has a hidden closet that she lets no one see? That's all my closets. I'd be embarrassed to let anyone go through any of them. So I decided no more cardboard boxes, only clear plastic boxes, & everything gets a label. I think the perfectionist in me finds it hard to label things because it makes it so final when in reality, it's just a label - I can take it off. I've also found it hard to justify spending money on organizing, but I've decided it's worth it.

This is where I started. This is our linen/gift bags/fabric/decorations-I'm-not-currently-using closet.

the before - Lovely, isn't it?

It's actually very deep and if everything doesn't fit exactly in there, the doors won't close. This is in the hall by the boys' bathroom. It's one of the 2 rooms that I have not painted. I know when I do, I'll have to strip the paint on the cabinet doors, so I've been avoiding it. I took that picture after I straightened all the linens/blankets, but they were in a mess before, too.

This is sad, but I had to google ideas on how to organize gift bags. I knew how I wanted to separate the bags, but then what? I saw this idea and used it - putting rubber bands around each catergory of gift bags. I did extra small, small, medium, baby - separating the Christmas ones all on their own.

I then put them in tubs and LABELED them. I read on my new favorite blog that when things are pretty, you'll keep it organized better (oohh, a new post I need to read). So I made my labels pretty. Nothing TOO exciting, but a little scrapbooking paper will help just about anything.

I put my bows and tissue paper in plastic bags and put them on top. Not a tub, but better than a walmart bag. Another tub wouldn't fit.

the After

I got all my fabric out of the big floppy cardboard box and put it into a plastic clear box. I had some extra sewing stuff that I put in a smaller plastic tub on top. Ok, you caught me. I didn't label it, but I thought it being a clear tub, it was obvious what was in there. Maybe I should label it anyway - just to make it pretty. 

The bottom cabinet is where all my decorating stuff is and scrapbooks. I haven't gone through it yet. I'm hoping to do a closet or two a month and this time next year, I'll have it all organized. Maybe I'll paint the hall then.

Next project: My front door. I really HATE the color of our brick. I'm hoping that if I paint the trim, shutters, and front door, I won't hate it as much. But for the life of me, I can NOT figure out what color to paint the front door!! Any suggestions? I do hope that one day, we'll paint the brick, but Chris has way too long of a to-do list to even think about that right now.