Ahhhh...Organization!

I'm no domestic maven. I have friends that I really would put in that category due to their ability to (and enjoyment of) clean, organize, sew, decorate, paint, improvise furniture, etc. I go through waves. When I'm feelin' it, I do it. That being said, I have always enjoyed organization. I remember sorting my mom's spices alphabetically when I was a kid, and organizing the medicine cabinet with labels like, "Things to make your head feel better" and "Things for owies".(Note: Sometimes you wouldn't know this to be in my house and look in my cabinets, drawers or closets. Know that I am perfectly aware when something is disorganized. In fact, I've usually got an idea exactly how I would like to organize it. I simply do not rearrange my life, nor do I miss out on any fun or relaxation to organize, clean, etc. Like I said, when I'm feelin' it, I do it!)

Here are some recent small organizational projects that put a smile on my face every time I see them:
This cupboard used to be the bane of my existence, with all of these pans piled up on top of each other. I would end up accidentally pulling out pans I didn't need and then others would come piling out and in frustration, I would jam everything back in and it would get even worse. A $6 rack from Wal-Mart changed that. Note the shelf above that holds a few pans horizontally. Husband cut a niche in it so that the tall pans can easily slide all the way to the back of the cupboard. I actually do not dread opening this door anymore, and I swear, it makes baking more enjoyable!


My mom used to have a shoe organizer hanging from her utility closet door. She kept all of her bills and receipts organized in it. I never thought of using one for cleaning supplies until we visited our friends in Montana and saw that they had done just that. Husband hung a $7 shoe organizer for me, and now every time I have to look for some cleaning supply, it's so much faster than pulling down baskets and looking through them.



This little photo album, purchased 2 years ago to organize my recipes, now holds all of the loose cards and clippings that were in a huge mound on my cookbook shelf. I used to have to sit cross-legged on the kitchen floor and sift through the mound every time I wanted to find a recipe. This only took me 3 hours, yet I put it off for a good couple of years for some really ridiculous reasons (for instance, my label maker is broken - like you absolutely have to have a label maker to do this!). I also threw away recipes that I clipped but have never used. I love to purge!

That's it for now. My next task is to tackle the Dennis the Menace closet in my office, so that it can become the nursery closet. I'm not sure I'll ever be feelin' that one. I may just have to jump in. My Aunt Dot noted that she thinks I'm already in the nesting phase. I think she's right. I may have to clone Husband, because I think that will be the only way we'll get through my list by December!