Be afraid... be very, very afraid...

Happy New Year!

With the New Year comes New Year's resolutions and while I am so not a fan of making New Year's resolutions (yes... because I break them, lol), this year, I have made one for my own (and hubby's) well-being.

Organize and purge. Yup. I need to. For my own sake. I am trapped in a messy state of my own making. I am a crafter. I know the collecting and hoarding of stuff is part of our make-up, that our "stuff" encroaches on other spaces in the home and our lives in general. So many of us have shared this on online lists and we've triumphed that we're not alone [grin]. However, not only is this dampening my creativity, it is throwing me back into a depressive state that I need to (mentally and physically) climb out of. Many of us, when we hit that "wall" of realization, grab a partner, like in some of the t.v. shows or the businesses created to help re-organize homes and rooms, but I am finding I work much better on my own. When someone is there, even with good intentions, I feel judged and guilty and suspicious of their thoughts. I don't want someone else to label me as disorganized, a clutterer (which I own that I am) and wondering why in the world I would let my stuff come to this or why the need to have ALL that... lol. I beat myself up enough.

So... I have started with my craft area and vow to get it under control. Manageable chaos, lol. There are two small cupboards in the basement. One I had already laid claim to and the other that had old childrens' toys and games. Both have now been emptied. New shelving units have been installed and now begins the process of weeding out before some gets put back. Particularly the painting books, magazines and surfaces. I'd really like to purge some of these but realize it may be an ongoing project later as not only will it require time to go thru each piece, but also to spend computer time deleting entries in a database that holds all the information on those books and magazines. Baby steps. But need the boxes accessible and neat. So those I will put back in the far cupboard as I don't use them regularly.

The more accessible cupboard will get some of my scrapbooking stash. The "inventory" so-to-speak. The extra pads of paper and cardstock etc. so that the wall units installed by hubby a couple of years ago can be cleaned up and re-purposed for more go-to stuff.


Lofty plans, but I have begun to chip away. Slow and steady. Lots of breaks. It didn't happen overnight so I cannot expect to clean it up overnight. This is not a 1/2 hour t.v. show, lol.

Then maybe I can start tackling the other corners of my house and life. Those cupboards and drawers... hey, I know I'm not the only one who puts stuff outta sight, outta mind, lol.

Here are some "before" pictures. Wish me luck and hopefully I will soon post "after" pictures.

~Shelley