My Thoughts, My Blog

   Since being in the organizing business, I have discovered a few things while working one on one with clients in their homes. I feel the one thing I can say for sure is that the “decision process” for one’s own space is a challenging obstacle for most people. If you can imagine your space as a blank board, and the lifelong collections of items one accumulates are the puzzle pieces then you can start to see the process in which I work with clients. Helping them determine what is most important to keep in their space vs storage or even donating to a charitable center. Just like putting a puzzle together there is thought, contemplation and testing. I like to first start in a room by removing everything I can in order to see the blank space. Then I can strategically start to put things back, it's at that point we find the puzzle pieces that work and your story starts to emerge. A person’s space should reflect their personality because that's when you feel most at home. Puzzles take time and patience, and with the right person helping you find your “decision process” anyone can have an organized creative space.

A couple of years back, I was introduced to the idea of "A Clothing Swap." This is a great way to get new style pieces and add to your existing wardrobe. From current labels to vintage style these swaps can truly revamp your own unique flair with out costing anything.  Here's the concept, the person sponsoring the event will host and take all remaining items to the charity of their choice. If you have extra hangers or rolling racks that is helpful in setting up your swap. Everyone invited will bring a snack and a beverage along with their swapped items including dresses, tops, skirts, jeans, shoes, bags, jewelry and etc... Don't worry about sizing believe it or not because you will be surprise at how many things will fit. It's a good idea to have 8 to 15 people and girls only. This allows trying on clothes to be private with no boys allowed! What is so fun about "A Clothing Swap" is that you can enjoy the company of so many new and old faces, shop, eat a bit, relax and just have fun. You can try and do three times a year to keep your closet moving and purging. So all you ladies out their get a group of your friends together and start swapping. You will have so much fun and the best part is that you are organizing your closets without much effort.  

      I spent several hours this week going through my summer clothes trying them on and making decisions to try a drop a few pounds or donate. There is no easy answer here, but I did make a choice to walk three times a week just to feel more agile. This process is very hard especially for women. As I moved through jeans and shorts, I soon felt completely discouraged and wanted to stop but I pushed though this painful process. While I did get a small donation pile, I also was able to see some items that I had forgotten about since last year. So by storing clothes away for seasons, it allows you to kinda shop like new again or at least refresh an outfit or two. I keep covered fabric boxes on a shelf in my closet where I store clothes that I wont need for several months. This allow me to bring seasonal clothing to the forefront of my daily wears. Under the bed storage is good as well and allows to keep your space from getting too cluttered.  Another trick is if you don't have much space, you can store some items in a suitcase. If you really need to maximize your storage then vacuum seal bags will get you a bit more storage. So revamp your closet just by seasonal clothing shuffling, and you will have a more spacious an organized closet all year round.

This just might be my favorite thing when I organize someone space, found objects! I love finding an object that has a story from a person past and highlight it in their space. And everyone has an unique story to tell and this is where I come in...

     I had a client that I help organize, stage, sell her home and even move to a new location. While working with her I found that her grandmother and mother had a love of cooking. I found things from the 30's like small printed cookbooks, measuring cups/spoons and even handwritten recipes. My client had her mother cremated and she was placed in a urn that resemble a bowl (fitting since she loved to be in the kitchen). Now to most people this looks just like a bowl, but to my client its more than a bowl. I decided to place a bookshelf in the dining room to showcase her family history of cooking, and help inspire the home owners love and joy cooking. That's something fantastic in a kitchen/dinning room combo.  I think this collection of found objects did just that for her and her space. Your past is a part of you, and having things to remind you of a different time or memory is  very special and priceless. Found objects are a great way to spark a conversation when you have guests over or just family reminiscing during a visit. Everyone loves a good story and sometimes a well designed and organized room can do that for any space.

I want to chat about vintage pieces and why it's old but new. I think just like art, furniture has a story to tell whether it's found or passed down. It's an opportunity to pass on something that has graced different eras of time. 

I love finding vintage photos, furniture or etc... that just needs to be cared for and showcased in a space. That's where you will find the romance of a room which makes it feel like you are surrounded by the past, present and future. As a creative organizer, I love to repurpose pieces that have been around for years or may have seen better days. Creative organizing is design in a sense but allowing a room to feel like a story or place is my most favorite thing to do for clients. It is worth spending money on revamping vintage pieces? I think yes if has a story or tells a story based on when it was designed. Not all furniture is going with stand the test of time, but certainly has more substance than our current trend in buying furniture. Not that Ikea is convenient and certainly the staple for off the self design. It just doesn't have that history that is needed to surround yourself in the romance of a room.

So things I do to keep myself and family happy and healthy is make sure I throw away expired foods. Here's a some bullet points to get you started:

• On groceries shopping days when you go to put your new items away, check for spoiled leftovers, fruits and veggies for disposal. I will also do a quick wipe down of the shelves and drawers too.

• Your freezer is just as important so check items every other month.

• At least three times a year, you should check your fridge for expired jars and condiments.

• Your cabinets shouldn't be neglected either, so check those canned goods, nuts, snack bars, and pastas at least two or three times a year.

• Spices should be done once a year.

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