Make an Entrance

via the lettered cottage

We need something in our front entryway.  It is a very small space right inside the front door, but it needs something.  A bench for sure.  And a coat rack of some sort.  Right now all we have is a pile of shoes against the wall, and coats often end up on the dining room chairs.  (Rapidly climbing my list of all-time biggest pet peeves.) 

Here are a few pictures I've pinned recently.  I'm becoming inspired and more and more motivated to find something to complete this space.  Anybody know where I can get a cool bench like the one above? 

designed by Miles Redd via Two Ellie

via the paper dialogues



A Clean Start

 via better homes and gardens

I do not love a lot about January.  That post-holiday letdown can be hard, especially when you live in a dark and cold place like Boston.  One thing I do enjoy about January, though, is that it brings extra motivation to clean and organize.

I've mentioned before that I detest clutter, but this is a constant battle.  I currently have quite a few drawers whose contents are entirely unrecognizable upon opening.  I try to keep up with things throughout the year, but I always feel the urge to tackle these organizing projects in January, and this year is no different.  For the past week, I've been in the process of putting things back where they were before our holiday entertaining.  I'm also collecting yet another load of items to donate - a necessary task, given the amount of stuff that my son's birthday and Christmas shopping brought to the household. 

I spent a good portion of the weekend tackling my recipe binder.  This involved going through all my magazines, clipping the recipes I want to save, and recycling the rest of the magazine.  (I do not like having stacks of magazines around.)  Then I had to review all the recipes in my binder to remove the ones I either haven't tried or didn't like.  I also updated my recipe box for non-magazine recipes - the ones I had printed out from a blog or written down from a friend that were folded up and jammed inside.  (Thanks Mom for the new recipe cards - they've been put to good use!)  This project isn't quite complete, but I'm well on my way and should get back into maintenance mode soon. Whew! 

Here are some of the other organizing tasks I plan to address in these winter months.  Sometimes just the act of writing them down helps motivate me to get them done.
- clean out/organize my kitchen junk drawer
- clean out the car (swap out toys/books for the boys)
- organize bathroom drawers
- go through the boys' clothes (put current size in the drawers, too small in storage/donations bag, too big in closet)
- continue to go through my husband's work papers he's been storing at the house
- freecycle, give to friends or donate any unused baby items still hanging around (I've been pretty good about keeping up with this, and I actually got rid of a couple things this weekend, but it seems like there's always something, and I can think of a few other things we no longer need.)
- continue to play with my blog design.  Feel free to voice your opinion along the way, as I tinker and play and experiment with it. 

Do you feel a similar urge to clean and organize in January?

via mary ruffle

Organizing Projects

Okay, it's time again for another list of organizing things to do.  I've gotten better about keeping up with some things, but I've found that making these kinds of lists helps keep me honest in other areas.  It always feels that much better when you can mark something off a list, don't you think?

I'm not giving myself a time limit.  I'll just do the best I can to tackle the items one at a time until they're done.  Having a list hanging over my head will help.  So here goes...

1.  Clean out the car.  It's not too bad, and I've gotten better about taking something with me every time I get out, but it still needs a little clean-up.  And I have to switch out my CD selection.

2.  Update the pictures in my hallway collage.  The little boy isn't even included!

3.  Speaking of pictures, send school pictures to family.  Not an organizing project I realize, but it's been on my to-do list a while.  Maybe if they know I have them, they'll remind me to send them.

4.  Frame a couple new pictures for the mantle.

5.  Clean out the kitchen cabinet with all my baking supplies.  For some reason, it is the first one to get messy, and it now stresses me out to open it.

6.  Refresh recipe binder.  I have a few Cooking Lights and Everyday Food magazines kicking around.  I need to clip the recipes I want to keep and put them in my binder.  Remove recipes I have had for over a year and haven't made yet.  It means I probably never will.

7.  Go through the house with a trash bag and collect any unused items to add to our donations bag.  I do this every couple months, but it's another good one to add to the list.  This includes unused toys, which are starting to get out of control.  I'm thinning it out gradually, and so far the big boy hasn't noticed.

8.  Organize the side of our fridge.  It's a mess of magnets and pictures and kid art.  All good stuff - should take me 10 minutes to replace a couple pictures, straighten out the art, throw away any broken magnets...

9.  Empty out the orange storage bin that's been sitting in the hall at the top of the stairs for almost a year.  Not sure what's in it.  Mostly CDs I think.  So I'll buy another CD case, get rid of all the plastic cases, and put it in the storage closet where it belongs.

10.  Apply for the little boy's passport.  Not really an organizing task, but if it's all about putting things in order, then it fits.  We don't have an international trip planned, but discussions are underway for next year.  Better to be prepared now.

Organizing Tip: Freezing Stock

*Image from Martha Stewart

Another Martha tip worth sharing...

How many times do you make a recipe calling for stock and then you have half a can left afterwards? I used to put it in the fridge and try to make something else with it before it went bad, but I've started getting better about freezing it. I prefer using ice cube trays instead of muffin tins, but either will work. Just pour it into a tray, freeze it, and then store the frozen portions in a tupperware or resealable plastic bag. It'll keep for a couple months this way, and you'll always have just the right amount! If you keep the supplies handy (extra trays, sharpie, masking tape...), it's pretty easy to do.

Closet Update

Okay, the deadline is almost here. For what? My organizing goals of course! I've done a pretty good job. I even got those wood hangers in my closet (see above). Such a little thing, but it makes such a nice difference. As I told K, it makes me feel like a grown-up. The only things I haven't done yet are to organize those bookshelves (still painting, if you can believe it) and to get rid of that old grill. Nobody on freecycle wanted it, but I figure I'll try again when grill season rolls back around.

Of course, the thing about organizing projects is that there's always a list of them to be done. And even when you check some off, they reappear only a short time later. For example, I desperately need to clean out the car again and replenish my driving music, especially as I restart my work commute. So for now, I'll pat myself on the back for accomplishing these goals. Next week, I'll put together my next list!

Organizing Update

Remember this post? I had come up with a list of projects I want to have completed by 10/31. It's time for a check-in to see how I'm doing. Less than two months left!


1. Clean out sock drawers. Match up or throw away singles. Get rid of holies.
2. Break down and get wood hangers for our closet. (No, but I did just get another Bed Bath & Beyond coupon, so perhaps that's my sign to go ahead and do this.)
3. Clean out/organize medicine cabinets. Throw away everything that's expired. (Except a few of K's personal items, because he gets pissed at me when I do that.)
4. Spend a couple weeks organizing meals around pantry items that have been there a while and need to be used up. Donate any other old and unused items. (This is an ongoing item, though. Right now I'm still working my way through a whole row of half-used pasta boxes.)
5. Rotate winter/summer clothes. Donate any unwanteds.
6. Rotate summer/winter clothes. Donated any unwanteds.
7. Donate all my maternity clothes. (Done today! And WOOHOO for getting into my own jeans again!)
8. Organize bathroom drawers.
9. Clean out kitchen junk drawer. (Worse than ever, I'm afraid.)
10. Get rid of excess/old tupperware/containers. Return a few to Mom-in-law. (Partially done. Going to in-laws this weekend, so this is a good reminder to bring a few along.)
11. Clean out recipe binder - eliminate recipes I haven't tried yet or didn't like.
12. Donate my wedding dress. (Okay, latest update on this is that my sister wants to give it a try, so this is on hold for now.)
13. Organize all our books on bookshelves. Prioritize and donate anything that doesn't fit on a shelf. (Office is almost done. Really.)
14. Clean out the car. Load a CD case with driving music. (I need some different tunes now, though.)
15. Organize kitchen cabinet containing all my baking supplies.
16. Freecycle our old grill. (I don't know why this isn't done, but I think it's too late now. It might have to sit in our shed until next summer.

Hmmmm. I still have a ways to go. I better get going! I'm off to organize those bathroom drawers right now!

Six Things To Do Every Day

Martha sent me a message about six things that are good to do every day. I thought they were good reminders, so I thought I'd share...

1. Make the Bed
Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you'll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it. (*I never understood this when I was growing up, but I totally get it now. It's the first thing I do in the morning.)

2. Manage Clutter
Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same. (*Now if only I could somehow get K to do this!)

3. Sort the Mail
Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing. (*We sort of do this, but with our office currently a work in progress, our in-boxes are all over the place.)

4. Clean as You Cook
Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal.

5. Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh
Whether it's tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.

6. Sweep the Kitchen Floor
Every evening once you've finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker. (*I know I should do this, but I don't. I sweep a couple times a week. I'll try to do it more, though.)

This Week's Organizing - Dresser Drawers

*Image from Apartment Therapy - my sock drawer is in decent shape now, but I will never fold socks!

Organizing, like cleaning, is just one of those activities that is never "done". But I don't spend enough time doing it. I go through moods and phases of organizing, but I'd like to make it more of a habit. I know people who designate time every week to organize some part of their house and others who partner up with friends to tackle projects on a regular basis. Well, I do the best I can, but I haven't been able to make it a regular activity.

I wrote this list of organizing projects that I would like to tackle in the next several months in an effort to motivate me. So far, it has worked. I've already done several. Actually, the day after I wrote that post, I decided that there really should be nothing stopping me from going through my sock/underwear drawers. So I did. I emptied everything out; matched up singles; got rid of all "holies", singles, and unwanteds; and put everything back in its place. It took about 20 minutes, and my drawers are so much cleaner and more accessible now!

The other key to maintaining an organized dresser - in my opinion anyway - is doing the seasonal clothes switch. I also did this recently - packed away all my sweaters and wool pants and brought out all the shorts and tees. I not only achieved a cleaner closet and dresser, but I also filled two bags to donate!

Apartment Therapy has a good post about organizing your dresser if you're interested in tackling this one yourself.

This Year's Organizing Projects - due 10/31

I'm not sure if it's a nesting instinct or just a general urge to do spring cleaning, but I have such a strong desire to spend time cleaning and organizing the house. Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now to focus on this, and due to our latest round of home renovations, our house is particularly messy. I'm sure that's contributing to my frustration.

So I thought I'd channel that frustration in a more productive manner by making a list of the organizing projects I want to tackle. It will make it easier for me to work through the list and feel good about getting things done. I will also be easier for me to do some of these things after the house work is complete, and who knows when that will be. I hope I'll be able to do some of this when I have time off of work and while my new little babe is sleeping, but perhaps I'm not keeping the exhaustion of the early days in proper perspective. We'll see. I'm still giving myself a Halloween deadline, because I absolutely know I need to be as organized as possible when I return to work. Some of these things have to be done earlier due to other factors, as noted below. I'm also not including the biggies such as setting up A's new bedroom or cleaning the nursery in preparation for the new baby.

Here's what I have so far:

1. Clean out sock drawers. Match up or throw away singles. Get rid of holies.

2. Break down and get wood hangers for our closet.

3. Clean out/organize medicine cabinets. Throw away everything that's expired.

4. Spend a couple weeks organizing meals around pantry items that have been there a while and need to be used up. Donate any other old and unused items.

5. Rotate winter/summer clothes. Donate any unwanteds. (Okay, this one obviously has an earlier deadline.)

6. Rotate summer/winter clothes. Donated any unwanteds.

7. Donate all my maternity clothes. (This one can't be done until my regular jeans fit me, so fingers crossed that I can make October.)

8. Organize bathroom drawers.

9. Clean out kitchen junk drawer.

10. Get rid of excess/old tupperware/containers. Return a few to Mom-in-law.

11. Clean out recipe binder - eliminate recipes I haven't tried yet or didn't like.

12. Donate my wedding dress. (Seriously, family - if someone wants this, speak now or forever hold your peace. It's a beautiful dress, but I really don't want to see the huge box any more.)

13. Organize all our books on bookshelves. Prioritize and donate anything that doesn't fit on a shelf. (This can't be done until bookshelves are in and painted.)

14. Clean out the car. Load a CD case with driving music. (The cleaning-out part has to be done before we install car seat #2.)

15. Organize kitchen cabinet containing all my baking supplies.

16. Freecycle our old grill.

34 Things To Do Before Turning 35

*Some goals are easier to achieve than others. Getting to Barcelona to visit my sister and meet her new little man was an easy one.

I turn 35 on March 26th. As you may recall, I created a list of 34 things I wanted to accomplish before this date. I achieved some, and didn't achieve others. I may be able to get a couple more checked off before the date, and some will remain undone, but overall, I think I did pretty well. It was fun to create the list, and it was fun to check them off.

Here's how I did:

1. Take more bubble baths (this one will continue to be a goal)
2. Go apple picking
3. Create photo book in time to give it to my husband for Christmas
4. Visit Barcelona to meet my new nephew (So much fun!)
5. Write letters to 3 friends (Christmas cards don't count!)
6. Sign up for a yoga class (probably won't happen, especially now that I'm fully round and pregnant, but I'm focusing on getting exercise at home)
7. Take a picture of all 3 of us for our holiday cards
8. Organize our office desk at home (Okay, it didn't happen, but we're getting rid of our desk as a part of the next phase of house renovations, so this will resolve itself soon.)
9. Get dressed up and go to the Holiday Pops with K (Had tickets and babysitter all lined up - Darn snowstorm prevented us from going. Booooooo.)
10. Get rid of my wedding dress (if no takers on Craig's List, then donate) (Update: Okay, now my sister and SIL insist that I give it to someone in the family instead. So family - any takers?)
11. Take the little boy to the library (This has become a favorite Saturday morning activity.)
12. Bake a yummy gift for the neighbors for the holidays
13. Make time to see old friends while home for Thanksgiving (Marking it off because the holiday is over, not because I actually followed through. I tried, though - really I did!)
14. Spiffy up my desk at the office - new family photos, new calendar, clean out files, etc.
15. Watch Fantasia again (I only have a VHS, which just doesn't do it justice. My new goal is to get the DVD.)
16. Learn how to play a few new songs on the guitar (It's time to learn a couple more, though!)
17. Do some lessons in my Spanish instruction book - work towards doing one per week (Sigh....isn't going to happen.)
18. See a movie in the theater, complete with popcorn and raisinets
19. Use my still-unused spa gift card and get a pedicure (I just finished up this wonderful card and got a fabulous facial this weekend! Awesome!)
20. Host a brunch for some friends and little ones (This continues to be postponed due to our next phase of house renovations. I will do it eventually, I swear.)
21. Eat dinner at Blue Ginger, or maybe No. 9 Park if I'm really good (We had a wonderful dinner at Blue Ginger the night we found out it was a boy!)
22. Go sledding with my boys (Isn't going to happen this year.)
23. Bake a pie from scratch
24. Surprise my husband with homemade chocolate pudding (Maybe this weekend?)
25. Organize my CDs (Next phase of house renovations will force this one as well - it won't happen by 3/26, but it will happen.)
26. Get my hair colored at the salon
27. Organize drawers in the little boy's room (I did one - well, I basically just emptied it out, but still...that counts, right?)
28. Tickle the boy and giggle every day*
29. Organize my recipe binder
30. Pick out window treatments for our new downstairs windows (New windows coming soon!)
31. Clean out nightstand drawers
32. Go to a museum
33. Do some sit-ups and push-ups and stretching while watching TV
34. Carve a jack-o-lantern out of one of our home-grown pumpkins - let the little boy make a huge mess with the insides

Another Drawer

Okay, it's been a while since I tackled an organizing project. In the Summer, I just wanted to play outside. Now that it's getting colder, I'm spending more time indoors, and my messy drawers are getting on my nerves again. So it's time to do another drawer. I cleaned out the drawers in our nightstands this weekend, which felt great, and now I'm motivated again to do more.

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." — Hans Hofmann

My little boy got a fever recently, and when I tried to find his thermometer, I unsuccessfully rummaged through his drawers and the medicine cabinet in his bathroom. This is how I identified my next organizing project. I use his dresser as a changing table as well, and a couple of the top drawers contain diapers and wipes. Unfortunately, the wipes drawer now also contains everything from tylenol to lotion to his toothbrush. Something must be done.

Do you have a drawer that needs organizing?

*No wonder I can't find anything! This drawer is next on the list to organize.

The Seasonal Clothes Switch

What a pain! But unless you have a gigantic walk-in closet that can hold all of your clothes (lucky you), then you're like the rest of us that need to switch things out twice a year. I just completed my Fall rotation, so my sweaters and wool pants are neatly in the closet, and my shorts and tank tops are in a storage bin in an extra closet. Have you done yours yet?

Key tips for making the switch:
1. Fold, don't hang, your clothes. If you do hang them, don't use wire hangers, because they will stretch out or warp your clothes.
2. Store in a cool, dry place. Not the attic or basement. The guest room closet or under the bed are good places.
3. Empty pockets and clean the clothes. I've lost sunglasses and quite a bit of money by neglecting to do this. (Of course, it can be fun to find them again the following summer, but not if you find them after you've already bought another pair of sunglasses!)
4. Remove dry-cleaning bags. You may think that storing the clothes in the bags somehow protects your clothes, but it's actually bad for them. The fabric can't breathe, and you could end up with moldy clothes. I've gotten into the habit of taking clothes out of the bags as soon as we bring them home.

There are some other good tips for performing the seasonal clothes rotation at Real Simple.

*If you have a closet like this, then....well first of all, lucky you, and second of all, you may not need to do the seasonal switch. Image from Closet Tailors.

34 Things To Do Before Turning 35

I read this post on Simple Lovely and Doobleh-vay and thought it was a fun idea. Essentially, the goal is to come up with a list of things to do before your next birthday. Not huge life-changing events - just small things to make life fun and happy. That's certainly in the spirit of this blog.

I will be turning 35 in March, so I will have less than half a year to accomplish mine. Of course some of these are things that I already planned on doing (I already have my ticket to Spain!), but putting all the items in a list may help motivate me to do some of the others (my gray really is out of control). And besides that, it's fun!

*Does this count as exercise?

1. Take more bubble baths**
2. Go apple picking
3. Create photo book in time to give it to my husband for Christmas
4. Visit Barcelona to meet my new nephew
5. Write letters to 3 friends (Christmas cards don't count!)
6. Sign up for a yoga class
7. Take a picture of all 3 of us for our holiday cards
8. Organize our office desk at home
9. Get dressed up and go to the Holiday Pops with K
10. Get rid of my wedding dress (if no takers on Craig's List, then donate)
11. Take the little boy to the library
12. Bake a yummy gift for the neighbors for the holidays
13. Make time to see old friends while home for Thanksgiving
14. Spiffy up my desk at the office - new family photos, new calendar, clean out files, etc.
15. Watch Fantasia again
16. Learn how to play a few new songs on the guitar
17. Do some lessons in my Spanish instruction book - work towards doing one per week
18. See a movie in the theater, complete with popcorn and raisinets
19. Use my still-unused spa gift card and get a pedicure
20. Host a brunch for some friends and little ones
21. Eat dinner at Blue Ginger, or maybe No. 9 Park if I'm really good
22. Go sledding with my boys
23. Bake a pie from scratch
24. Surprise my husband with homemade chocolate pudding
25. Organize my CDs
26. Get my hair colored at the salon
27. Organize drawers in the little boy's room
28. Tickle the boy and giggle every day*
29. Organize my recipe binder
30. Pick out window treatments for our new downstairs windows
31. Clean out nightstand drawers
32. Go to a museum
33. Do some sit-ups and push-ups and stretching while watching TV
34. Carve a jack-o-lantern out of one of our home-grown pumpkins - let the little boy make a huge mess with the insides

**I should seriously spend more time here!

Apartment Therapy is now in Boston!

*Image from Apartment Therapy Boston

Apartment Therapy is now in Boston! It is a good site for design ideas, but also for organizing, simplifying, recycling, and other inspiration. I like checking it out every now and then, and I particularly like their sister sites - the kitchn (what you'd expect...food inspiration), ohdeedoh (kid/nursery stuff), and re-nest (all about living green).

Organizing Project: Photo Albums

My latest organizing project: old photo albums. I have a shelf of relatively recent ones, which are okay, but I also have a large box full of old photo albums and a couple boxes of loose pictures. Pictures are much easier to tame now in the age of digital photography, but these boxes contain pictures from before the dawn of this latest technology. Some of the old albums are even the kind with the adhesive pages. Ick. They are old and unorganized and not at all attractive, but I don't want to get rid of the pictures. One day I may want to have proof that I was a cheerleader (a fact that is somewhat surprising to most people who know me), reflect on the cool parties I had in high school, remember my 4th grade Halloween costume (Banarama), or show someone why I really shouldn't grow my bangs out.

So I got some photo storage boxes. I at least managed to get all the loose pictures into these storage containers - one for my husband, one for me. I haven't yet organized them by topic - or at least by era - pre-high school, high school, college, and post-college. That will be a future project. But I did get rid of a lot of duplicates and bad shots, so it's a step in the right direction. These boxes are much more attractive and much more organized. I won't feel bad about having them on a closet shelf.


Going forward, I plan to create photo books once a year, containing highlights from the year's activities. I may also do separate photo books for any big trips or events. Having them all on the computer is great, but sometimes it's nice to be able to pull out a book and sit down next to someone to look at pictures and tell stories. Besides that, it makes me nervous to have everything on the computer. I'm a fan of Shutterfly, but there are other options. Here's a Real Simple post that compares the alternatives.

Space-Saving Tip: Ever-Open Laundry Bag

I get organizing tips from Martha Stewart, and most of the time, I know I won't ever do it or it just doesn't apply to me or our house. But this is a good one. I probably won't do this one either, but it made me think of my sister, who is trying to save as much space as possible as she prepares for her first baby. If you live in an apartment or have a small nursery, this could be a good hamper solution for you. Seems very easy to do, too!

I'm Still Working on the Fridge

Here's where it stood a month ago. I'm getting closer. I finished cleaning the entire refrigerator, and now only the freezer remains. There must be an easier way to clean out the freezer, aside from taking everything out, turning off the power to let everything melt out, scrubbing it, and then putting all your mushy formerly-frozen items back in. But I don't know what it is. So to start, I'm just organizing it and trying to peel off the icky stuff that is frozen into the bottom. It's frozen, so it's not like it'll start smelling, right?

It really is nice to have a clean and organized refrigerator, though! It's so much easier to find things, and nothing sticks to the shelves, at least for now. We'll see how long it lasts.

I Tackled the Fridge!

Well, I started it anyway. Cleaning out the refrigerator is actually a huge task, which is why it often gets put off until things start sticking to the shelves. I was never going to find a consolidated block of time to tackle the whole thing, so I broke it down. We were low on groceries, which is the best time to do this of course, so I took out each shelf and gave it a thorough scrubbing before putting it back in and arranging the items. Next up is the drawers, which I'll do the next time we're low on groceries. I figure I'll need four steps to complete the entire activity:

1. Refrigerator shelves

2. Refrigerator drawers

3. Refrigerator doors

4. Freezer (Ugh! The dreaded freezer. Worst of all. But there are weird and interesting things frozen in there that must be removed.)

If there's a cleaning or organizing project that you know you need to do, but you just can't seem to find the time (or you don't want to spend that much time) to do the whole thing at once - break it down into manageable chunks. Just taking that first step will motivate you to finish it. Eventually.

*And because it is always fun to see what's inside someone else's refrigerator, here's a peek in mine. This is mid-cleaning, of course, so look at the shelves, and not the drawers.

What should I do with my wedding dress?

I love my wedding dress. It fit me like a glove, it was really comfortable and easy to dance in, and it accentuated my toned arms. Above all, it made me feel special, as every bride should feel.

Now, however, that beautiful dress is preserved and packed in a rather large box in my house. I don't want to put it in either the attic or the basement for fear of it getting damaged, and every time I see that huge box, I wonder what I should do with it. Should I sell it? But what if I have a daughter who may want to wear it? Or what if I don't have a daughter, or she doesn't want to wear it anyway? Then I've kept it stored in my house for 30 years for what exactly?

I've told K several times that I'd really like to wear it again. I'd like to throw a dinner party and have all the women come wearing their wedding dresses and the guys their tuxes. How fancy! Would you go to a party like that? Of course, then I guess I still have the same problem afterwards, only then my dress would need to be cleaned and preserved all over again. Sigh. What to do, what to do.

Maybe I should sell it. It would probably feel good to know that somebody else got to enjoy wearing it on their special day. I'm going to have to continue to think about this one. What did you do with yours?

This Week's Organizing: A Couple More Drawers

I'll note up front that this isn't a picture of my kitchen. My kitchen is awful, and I refuse to include it in pictures. But I do like looking at kitchen design pictures, because one day, we'll be able to get a new kitchen. In the meantime, I'm focusing on reducing some of the clutter so that it's not too awful to live with my existing one. To that end, I cleaned out one more drawer and one cabinet this weekend. I came away with yet another bag of stuff to be donated, and I am left with a cabinet where I can actually find what I'm looking for.

(Seriously, next week has to be the fridge. Bottles are starting to stick to the shelves. Ew.)