organize | BulgingButtons

So yesterday I started a new quilt project, which felt awesome. Until I looked around.

Every flat surface in my house has stuff on it. Every. Single. One. And I’m not just talking about the normal stuff, either. Oh sure, the kitchen table has place-mats and salt and pepper shakers, but it also has magazines and pencils.

Mine isn’t quite this bad.

The dining room table has gifts from students, the coffee table has magazines, notebooks, pencils, and gift cards. The bathroom counter has movie ticket stubs and receipts. And my desk-slash-sewing table? I don’t even want to talk about it. Frankly, it’s just TOO MUCH.

So today I’ve started cleaning up, in earnest. I decided that I would tackle one surface at a time, starting with the kitchen counters. So far, so good.

Last year when my former house was on the market, it was immaculate. There was not one thing out of place, ever. I loved it. Truthfully it wasn’t even all that difficult to maintain, but getting it that way wasn’t easy.

We’ve been in this house since the end of last summer. By the end of this summer I want it to be immaculate too. That means finding permanent homes for things that have been just sort of hanging around, or letting them go. It also means a serious closet clean-out, since I have piles of clothes that I don’t wear and probably never will again. Sigh.

Still, I’m making progress. It feels good to fill up the recycle bin with junk mail and magazines, and seeing the shiny granite that was hiding under all the clutter makes me smile. I feel calmer, happier, and more creative when I’m not surrounded by too much stuff. Next mission: the coffee table. Wish me luck.

In all fairness, I have to say that organization is not exactly one of my strong points. I understand it and crave it, but don’t always achieve it. I think it’s because I have a few little packrat tendencies. NOT hoarding, mind you, just sometimes I find it hard to part with things that are useful even if they don’t get used all the time. That being said, I do like to be organized. It makes life easier and more pleasant, but it just looks better, don’t you think? That’s why decluttering is one of the items on my 47 for 47 Challenge list.

As Marla Cilley, the Flylady says, “you can’t organize clutter.” She also talks about “CHAOS- Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome.” It’s good stuff if you’re looking to clean up and organize. A few days ago I decided that I needed a spot to keep track of my progress on the 47 for 47, so I geeked out a little and developed this Excel spreadsheet. Of course it doesn’t have 47 items on it, but it does give me a place to track the items that I’m trying to incorporated into my life more regularly, and a place to add additional information, so at the end of the year I can look back over it and remember where I’ve come from and how much progress I’ve made. So far, I like it. So far, I have a serious lack of fruits and veggies. Hmmmm.

In additional geeky news, I purchased a thread rack the other day and organized my spools. Yes, I know this is seriously nerdy, but I love it. I love seeing all the beautiful colors arranged in front of me, beckoning me to sew. It’s the little things that make this girl happy, and this colorful, organized thread rack does just that.