Getting Organized

A couple of weeks ago, I launched Declutter and Reorganize 2012. I got the idea from a friend who suggested this as a project for Lent: Make a list of 40 areas of your home and each day during Lent, concentrate on cleaning out and organizing that area. The idea was to think about all the 'stuff' we accumulate and figure out what we really need - and hopefully donate some of the items we don't keep. (The original idea came from August Fields.)

I love cleaning and organizing and I love structure so this seemed like the perfect project for me! So I made my list of 40 areas - some small like cleaning out a nightstand and others pretty big like tackling my pantry. I've been really good about keeping up with it every day and I am amazed by a) how much stuff I have that I don't need/use and b) how organized I am getting! I am pretty organized by nature so I wasn't sure how this project would really go for me. Would I really have enough stuff to get rid of? Would I have anything worth donating?

The answer to both questions? A resounding YES! I'm about halfway through the project now and I have a bag of clothes and a (growing) pile of household itens that I'll give to Purple Heart (a great charity if you're looking to donate - and they pick up right from your house). I donated a large bag of towels and sheets to the SPCA yesterday, and I've Freecycled a few things that I just wanted gone. I've also tossed two large garbage bags of, well, garbage.

The project has also inspired me to look for other ways to organize my home (in cute ways, of course). One of those areas that needed help was my entryway. I don't really have an entry hall - it's just a tiny area where I had a small rack for keys, the dog's collar and leash, and a few other things. The rack was pulling away from the wall, and the whole thing just never looked neat to me. So two weekends ago I decided to come up with a different solution. I definitely needed hooks of some sort to hang everything near the door, but I wanted something a little more stylish and more substantial.

I saw this easy, fun project over on CraftGawker where someone had taken a picture frame and screwed cup hooks into it and - voila - created a stylish key rack! (Here's the original project.)  I had two 16x20 frames left over from my bathroom renovation (more on that project to come) and decided I would repurpose one of those. I decided to attach the hooks to the bottom of the frame but needed something in the center (where the picture used to be).  I went to Home Depot and bought Rustoleum chalkboard paint and painted the backing of the frame. I also sanded and painted the frame, turning it from a light wood stain into an antiqued/rustic red.  (I painted the frame red, put on a darker red wash and then lightly sanded it to give it a weathered feel.)

Once the chalkboard was dry, I put the frame together and it was cute...but missing something. I had had a Welcome sign hanging above the old rack and still wanted to use it somehow since it was stitched by a close friend. Then I got the idea to attach the Welcome sign to the top of the frame and it was just what it needed! I'm so pleased with the results and think it's super functional (even more than before) and much neater.  Behold the before and after pics!



Before...

...and After!

 Much improved, no?