Holiday Ready

It's fun to step into the holiday hosting mode with your spaces organized and ready to go.  Granted, I don't imagine Darla will be using her linen closet too much in her hostessing duties...but hey, still nice to have it tidy.

Here's how it started out.

Before

Step One:  Sort

Beach towels

Everyday towels

Blankets

Bedding

Step Two:  Purge

Darla and I went through every item and got rid of things that were not being used...two garbage bags full to donate!

Step Three:  Organize

I folded up the remaining items and organized them into the closet.

Since beach towels are not in use as often, I put them on the top shelf, along with the extra duvet for the master bedroom.  Everyday towels are at eye level as well as extra bedding.

Containers hold various items that are stored here...batteries and flashlights, extension cords, haircutting kit, etc..  Toilet paper is low for easy access to the entire family.

On the floor, blankets...easy to grab when kids are building forts.

On the door I stored light bulbs and the hot water bottle.

Tips:

Take toilet paper and kleenex out of its wrapping for easy access.

Store face clothes in their own bin to keep them  tidy.

Throw blankets in a box or bin and don't worry about folding. 

Time elapsed:  one hour

I also did a quick organize of the tea towel bin.

Before

You guessed it.  Sort.  Purge.  Organize.

Hostess ready.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you God!

I feel God needs a public shout out for an amazing miracle he performed in our family.  My 78 year old Dad went through the ice on his quad on Friday and was in the water for 30 minutes before he was able to claw his way out with a screw driver in his jacket pocket.  He made it to shore and is doing fine.  When I think of what our Christmas could have looked like I am overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for saving our sweet Papa.  

Thank-you Jesus.

The Gift of Me

It occurred to me recently that those of you out there still working on that Christmas list may like to know that I do gift certificates.  If you have a friend or family member who might enjoy their space rearranged or reorganized and prettied up, I am available for $30/hour.  I consult via email free of charge before tackling a project.  That crazy and exciting New Year, when suddenly everyone feels the overwhelming urge to purge and organize is fast approaching!!

Okay.  Now, suggesting myself as a gift feels a bit scary to me. You know...it just feels weird to put yourself out there like that.  So, I decided that we should talk about RISK as a closer to this advertisement.

There are not many things you can tackle in the decorating and organizing realm that cannot be undone.  So many people are afraid to even move their living room around.  Paint can be covered over guys!  If you don't want holes in your walls, tape up paper before you hang.  Measure everything.  But there comes a time when you just gotta DO IT.

My friend Kristin and I recently decided that her living room would feel so much more spacious if we moved her huge leather chair to her bedroom...upstairs.  Now normally we'd call on a handy hubby but there were none available so, we risked it.  

And yes...there is the chair.  Stuck.  Midway up we had to stop and remove the legs.

But after a lot of pushing and shoving and laughing, ta-da!  It made it to the destination and looks lovely.

And if it hadn't fit up the stairs or looked good, well, we would have moved it back!  Yes...it would have taken time but so what?  At least we would have known and could then move on to a different plan.

So what have you been thinking of doing that you just keep putting off cause it feels a little risky?  My risk today was to advertise myself.  

What's YOURS?

Merry Christmas

I had the very lovely privilege of decorating Darla's house for Christmas again this year.  

Have a look...

Keeping items up high gives big impact but keeps decor out of the way.

Switching Christmas items for your regular decor helps avoid clutter during the busy holiday season.

In the kitchen it was easy to keep the white platters as a backdrop and just switch out the extras to seasonal items.

Have fun with your decorating...here Darla popped in a little Jet's fever.

Holiday guests are sure to visit your powder room, so don't forget to add some holiday towels and soap.