So… I’ve got some good news, and some bad news.
First, the bad news… I mean other than I still have wire hangers in my closet. Hey… I’ve been busy! 🙂
The bad news WAS, this was the condition of my junk storage space for my staging stuff.
Blame it on the new project. With some areas getting a little cleaner lately, I was inspired to work on the fall cabin fireplace project. So I came downstairs to this mess, then totally dismayed with what I had to wade through, I decided, NO WAY.
My new tolerance level for mess is at a fierce pitch. The more chaos I have to sift through, the more chaos I feel inside. I’ve now had a taste of the good life, and by golly, I wanna be back in Hollywood! 🙂
This junk area was just out of hand again. And the thing that finally tips things over to chaos level is when I have to sift through all the layers.
Too many layers.
Especially when you have layers ON layers.
Have you ever reached up to a top closet shelf for something, only to be met with a tumbling avalanche of head bonking mayhem? Where’s the bike helmut when you REALLY need it?
Blame it on the layers.
Do you know what I mean by layers? If you have to move stuff to find stuff, those are layers. And those layers are the very things that have us running to the store to stock up on the same thing we already have at home that we can’t find.
So I committed a day I didn’t really have, to gutting those shelves, and placing back just the stuff I wanted to keep.
With no layers in sight.
Bye bye layers! You always were better on a chocolate cake!
This was a very big job. I filled up 4-6 (I lost count) large plastic garbage bags and some boxes for good measure and only 1-2 for the garbage. It was just a surplus of stuff I was tired of working with.
And I was soooooo tempted to remove the shelving and paint the wall. But I talked myself out of it…
“This is a cleaning mission, not a decorating mission!”
I love my brighter, cleaner blog office, and I’m still glad I painted it, but it really slowed progress down. So bear with me, because the pretty will have a chance to fully surface once the surplus is out of the way.
Before.
And oh my goodness. I must have walked down there 20 x that day just to LOOK and appreciate!
So after I cleaned this up, I started creating my project. And it was such a pleasure to peek among the things lined up on the shelves, and just pull out what was desired, without the big dog digging in the garden thing.
And please know, it’s still hard for me to post these pictures, because they aren’t ‘magazine beautiful.’
But I know it’s the right thing to do. Because it’s working. What you see here is a very small part of what’s going on behind the scenes in the Crap to Clean Private Facebook Group.
Guys, we have created one of the most loveliest, inspiring group of friends, all sharing their own quest to just. clean. up!
So I think next week I’ll ask to feature a few if they’re ok with it. You need to see what they’ve done!
Or, just join us HERE if you also wish for some encouragement! We’d LOVE to have you!
As for the good news?
Did you know you can find more junk with less junk?
Profound, isn’t it?
See you next week with another cleaning revamp!
Visit all the Crap to Clean instalments HERE.
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So, let’s chat!
Are layers an issue with you too? Do you think you could commit to removing all layers in a given area so you’re left with things easily reached? I guarantee you, you’ll find things you forgot you had GIFTS! 🙂
Proud of you – this is an amazing transformation. I’ve been cleaning out for a good five years getting ready for an empty nest move. Parting with things I never thought I could say goodbye to and it feels so great. Feeling like a bit of a minimalist; the more stuff I say goodbye to the clearer my thinking has become.
Painting does slow down the process, I was tempted but had to be realistic and for the first time I discovered washing walls is an okay option. Thanks for the inspiration because it allowed me to do that final purge. Everything else that I have to get rid of is simply furniture pieces and that can wait till after we list and sell the house in the spring.
Good job! I was thinking I needed to de-layer myself. As I emptied the house for a new paint job I ditched 1/2 of it… shutters over shutters…. one went. Things on top of things… one went. I feel lighter now and so does my house!
I love these posts. My husband and I have joined in the de-cluttering revolution. He is tackling the garage and I’m taking care of the office and studio. We are both collectors and have recently started selling our re-purposed furniture and garden decor. We are trying to organize the junk and make our space more work friendly. I keep reminding myself….sometimes it looks worse before it looks better. I repeat this every time I walk outside to the garage and see everything on the floor in “sort of” organized piles. (Joe is building shelves). Some days the “after vision” is the only thing that keeps me going. Thanks for the posts! I love all your ideas!
Is it bad that I was shopping your layers!? Oh my goodness… I think I fell for that little tin, Lemon Puffs biscuits, or that’s what I think it says. My layers are so bad… they are no longer layers they are packed in boxes in the corner of the basement. I have to get on this, soon! thanks for the inspiration! xo
Good idea. I can’t wait to do mine next Spring!!!!!!!
Wonderful job and a great look! I did notice that you have a lot of dead head space on the shelves. That happens to be a thing with me. My pantry shelves, dedicated to specific things, I might add, have very little head space. My husband put in a ton of additional shelves so I didn’t waste an inch of space. I leave a couple of shelves to accommodate tall stuff. Just a thought. I look forward to your blog and love your stuff.
Oh big time, Eileen, so agree with you! And it took every ounce of will power to NOT grab the wood and tools to revamp it. I would have had I had more shelves in stock but I was out.
Just cleaning for now… but you can bet that shelving unit is within attack range… haha
I have to declutter at least every 10 days . . . I just cannot concentrate and get anything productive done when I have to wade through the clutter just to work on things. . . sigh
Oh my word, yes! I have layers happening in the art studio…pieces of projects here and there…haven’t hit the “I can’t stand it” stage yet but it’s close. Then I’ll get it cleaned up. It needs a good going through! Thanks for sharing! It really is inspiring. Your space looks very organized (and peaceful!).
Now that’s a great transformation! The workspace is so very important to keep clean, and speaking of which, that’s the next thing I’m going to tackle. Maybe today! Now that my bedroom is so lovely and tidy, I want the rest of the house to follow. You know, I still remember when I moved into this house 5 yrs ago. I had weeks to move and so took my time, and, when the bulk of my furniture came in the moving van and I moved it into place, I remember thinking “that’s good, I don’t want the rest of the stuff to be moved in here anymore.” But it was, plus I bought more, and now it all needs to go. 😀
What a wonderful room of treasures!
The “after” pic is so cool as you can really see what you have there, and in itself it makes pretty awesome decoration.
Layers are only good for decorating and for cold weather dressing. What a difference a little (or a lot) or purging can do. I rearranged a pile in my garage a couple of weeks ago and it sure feels good to see things without having to move all the layers. I was able to let go of a huge and heavy broken metal shelf I had moved more times than used. I dropped the darn thing on my foot in the process (lovely shades of purple and green now), but it was worth it. Great job, Donna. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love the after look…so much progress. You have courage!
I need some right now to tackle my basement shelves..problem is my husband shares these shelves and we need to get in the same spirit of cleaning and purging to make it happen…maybe one of these days will be the one! I keep thinking it will be winter project; the fall colors and beauty are calling us in Michigan right now. Still too nice to be inside! That is my excuse and I will stick with it for now! HA!
That is my studio at home. I started on one of those massive giveaway sorts and then found that one of my best recipients (a charity that sells artsy/crafty supplies to teachers -cheap) was not collecting a few of my categories temporarily. aargh. The process stalled so I let the process go and went on a planned vacation.
Like your idea of also painting the staging area, I realized that I was attempting too much at once. Baby steps ahead and I did find another place where I can take a couple of boxes of my stuff – and it’s closer. Thank you for that reminder!
I Love this post I honestly thought I was either the only, or one of a very few people,that go running to the store when I can’t find something that I know right well I have in the house.Maybe two or three!
I cannot go to Facebook, so the more you share the more I might get inspired?
I was just moving into my Condo about 2 years ago,when my sweet daughter suddenly passed away.Everything stopped there.I still have Lots of boxes and plenty of junk to get rid of.
I’m starting to feel like I really want the mess to go away, so you can see how important this is to me. Thank You for this project. I always enjoy your blog. -Judy A-
Donna
You deserve some sort of “Amazing “Woman” award for this miracle. If you could sell ‘it’ I would definitely be a buyer!
<3
Pia
I love your remark about the chaos – that’s how I feel too. I’ve been weeding out for about 3 years and have pretty well gotten organized except for a closet or two. But my studio needs a redo so that is next on my list – after I make a headboard for my bedroom that is. LOL