You Want How Much... ?!?

Apologies to my adoring public, I didn't mean to take such a long break last week, but man did I need it. NYC was fabulous. We ate, we slept, we argued with street vendors... and I couldn't get enough. I know it isn't for everyone, but I LOVE to haggle.

We hit up a few flea markets while we were there and I put my skills to good use.  I like to do an initial sweep of the merchandise and then come back in for the kill.  Yes, I can be competitive and yes, I certainly like to win.  My personal favorite was an open air market in a small parking lot.  While I spent my time searching for hidden gems, Hootie spent about 30 minutes searching for bobble heads and a VHS tape of Rad.  (He had zero luck with either.)

Not exactly sure what is being sold here, but I needed a picture regardless.  

We also made our first journey to Brooklyn which I highly recommend.  We visited the Brooklyn Flea which is housed in an old bank and is what you would imagine if Etsy was an actual store.  Awesome!

When all was said and done, I added these little treasures to my collection...

Love that enamel bowl and love my ABC Home vases too!

You might notice I was in the mood for boxes.  I guess I inspired myself during organization week.

I'm not sure why our bathroom feels more sophisticated with a matchbox cover, but I like it.

Using this little number to house a Christmas present of Hootie's.  I guess you could say I bought a present for my present.  Win-win!

I've got a special project in mind for this little guy... if only I can get my act together.  (PS... It actually came with the dried mustard. Gross!)

My pride and joy... I bargained hard and the dealer only gave me the stink eye once, but this beauty came home with me.  Too bad that I bought it first thing in the morning and had to carry it around all day.  

I can honestly say that I didn't think I would be coming home with a matchbox cover and assorted tins, but that's the beauty of the flea market (and tough negotiations).  Happy scouring!

Cheers,

Jessie

Who's Cool? I'm Cool!

Hahaha!  I couldn't resist... I so rarely do cool things these days that I have to gloat when I get to spend a long weekend in NYC with Hootie and NO Monster!  Obviously, I miss my little crazy man, but it is great to not be on a schedule.  Can I get an AMEN?!?  Holla!

Assuming all goes well, I'll have some great info on NYC flea markets later this week!

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Cheers,

Jessie

Work It, Girl (or Guy)!

All right, we have come to our final lesson for organization week.

Rule #4. WORK IT!

I hate to point out the obvious, but all your hard work chunking (sorry!), sorting and organizing will be worth zilch if you don't stay consistent.  We've looked at a lot of beautiful spaces this week (including our garage) so today I'm focusing on how I keep our system at home working for us.

The dreaded back door depot... Not everyone has the space for the beloved mudroom, but by adding a few fun hooks we've been able to corral purses, bags, jackets, etc to the spot where they need to be.

What about all those black tie invites kid party invites, toddler drawings and general junk you gotta hold onto?  Think cork board.  It's a one stop shop.  If you don't have the wall space, think about adding a piece of cork to the inside of your kitchen cabinets.

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I've been asked this question many times, "Where is your junk pile?"  We certainly have one, but it's been relegated to the corner... across from the recycling bin.  See how this is all coming together?!?

But what about all that kid crap stuff?  I recommend allocating one piece of furniture, a giant basket or whatever you have handy and making that toy land.  Plus, the kiddos know that space belongs to them and they know where to put things when cleaning up (assuming you can get them to do that)!

Anybody else have a box of old photos lurking about in the closet?  Are you really going to scrapbook them from 10 years ago?  If not, put them on display.  Our newest fascination is this little box we added that houses all old photos from the last 10+ years.  It's great to see people come over and peek inside. (We're all nosy when we can get away with it.)  But we dig through, laugh at ourselves and enjoy taking a mini-trip down memory lane.

I'll be completely honest.  Our organization definitely wavers from time to time, but as a whole I think keeping an organized home has meant a more organized family and who doesn't need that?

Cheers,
Jessie

Baskets Are A Girl's Best Friend!

I know that is not how the phrase goes, but in this instance it could not be more true... 

Rule #3. BEAUTIFY!

Now that you've chunked (poor phrasing, I know) and sorted, it's time to make a pretty little home for all that stuff.  Let's be honest, does anyone ever really have enough storage space?  And aren't we all jealous of those Pinterest images of built-ins and custom cabinetry... but let's get real.  That's expensive. I know.  I'm dying for built-ins in our bedroom.

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There is no point in hiding kid toys or dog toys or everything in-between.  The key is to find affordable solutions that are both functional and nice to see.  Hence, the baskets!  And at the end of the day, it makes clean up a breeze.  

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What about all those pictures that don't have a home in an album?  Find a cool box or a large bowl and throw them all in there.  Make it an artsy focal point rather than hiding them in a closet where you will never look at them.  

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Have a beautiful serving tray that is taking up too much space in the kitchen?  Than get that bad boy out and hang it on the wall for all to see (and compliment you on your fabulous style).  

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Think outside the box.  You love your stuff for a reason so think of a cool way to show it off!

Cheers,

Jessie

You Gotta Sort It Out!

Now to the actual task of organizing... once you rid yourself of everything that you don't need, what do you do with the stuff you do need?  SORT!  (Surely, you guessed that correctly.)

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As previously stated, your system need only work for you, but there should be some order to the process.  You can group things by function, size, color, genre... whatever floats your (organized) boat.

For instance in closets, I like to group things by length... sleeveless, short sleeve, long sleeve, jackets, etc.  This gives me a specific sections to zone in on and PRESTO!  I'm dressed in a flash.  (Okay, not really, but at least I can yell at all my long sleeve shirts together.)

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Obviously, organization by color is a big trend right now with clothes, books, you name it.  While it is a great look, I'm not sure how practical it is... I doubt many of us know what color book we are looking for. But like I promised above, it's your system so you deal with it.

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Honestly, sorting is the easiest part.  All you really need to do is assign it a home.  Next, comes finding it a (good lookin') home - the pretties!

Cheers,
Jessie

Chunk IT!

Yesterday, you learned the rules. Today, you gotta use them!

RULE #1.  Chunk it!

It sounds harsh and I realize that, but there is really no other way.  Now, there are a few different options available for this rule.  You can simply toss and/ or recycle.  You could donate and you can always have a garage sale.  Personally, I like to do a little combo action.

Back in October, we went with the garage sale option and I've never been so happy to purge in all my life.  Way too much stuff!  Check out our garage mini-shop for proof positive!

 
Now, the key to a garage sale is no item available for purchase can make its way back into the house once the sale is over.  Deal?  Deal!  Saying all that, the garage sale helped us free up space in the garage (duh!) to free up space inside the house.  Win win!

Our garage did come with one built in cabinet, but needless to say it doesn't hold much.  We've been able to arrange the hardly used paint cans on top.  (Each labeled with the corresponding room that they go to - details, people!)  Everything else is broken down into categories... the bins are used for gardening, everyday tools (hammers, screwdrivers, etc) and power tool parts.  It's really not rocket science.  

Since the lone shelf was not enough for our storage needs, we decided to invest in a larger shelving unit. This bad boy can house anything from board games to golf balls to Monster's outdoor toys.  Love it and highly recommend!  (PS - Do you spy Little Door Blue in the background?  We'll get to that another day.)

Over the break, I'm happy to report that we've taken it up a notch and installed an organization system on both sides of the garage.  Closest to the house is all of the items we need more frequently.

On the other wall is where we house all of Hootie's boy toys.  You have no idea of my excitement that everything is not shoved in that small alcove anymore!  

Now, I am certainly aware that this is not what many people would call beautiful, but it has created extra space inside our home which IS beautiful.  However, don't worry we will get to the pretties inside a little later.  In the meantime, get back to work.  We haven't even gotten to rule #2 yet.  

Cheers,

Jessie

Miss Me?

Well, hello and welcome to 2013!  I realize that I am a little behind in wishing everyone a Happy New Year, but I don't regret my week of leisure at all.  In full disclosure, my little family's hygiene habits have suffered over the extended break from reality, but that's par for the course, right?!?

Anywho, we are back at it and ready to tackle the new year!  Our first item of business to discuss... organization!  (I can see my sister's eyes rolling right now.)  It's been suggested before that I enjoy orderliness.  To be fair, my mind really cannot function with clutter.  This week, I have some great projects to share with you, but today's post is all about the ground rules.

#1. Chunk it!  I'm serious... if you haven't seen it in months or you just realized you still had it than why are you still holding on to it?  Get rid of it.  Organization is as much about de-clutter as it is about sorting everything into an appropriate spot.

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I've never gone as far as setting up a sorting station (mainly b/c I purge on a weekly basis), but I think it could work wonders for a lot of people.

#2. Sort!  Your system doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, but you.  However, there should be a system.  Maybe your junk drawer needs to be revamped.  Add a couple of small containers for pens & scissors.  Or create a little folder for gift cards and coupons.  The point is give everything you need a home.

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#3. Beautify! Being organized doesn't mean storage totes & label makers OR that nothing is ever allowed to move.  Find a cute basket for those magazines or kid toys.  Or put all those saved ticket stubs into a clear vase.  Everyone has stuff.  It is just a matter of displaying it nicely.

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#4.  Work it!  I'm not gonna lie.  It takes a little bit of work to be organized, but not nearly as much work as a massive overhaul once or twice a year.  I recommend once a day (or if you really can't fathom it try once a week) to make a sweep of the house and put things back in their home.  You will quickly find that it's not that big of a time commitment and the rewards are well worth it.

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All right, so those are my rules... so get crackin'!

Cheers,
Jessie