I've learned the key to overcoming this challenge is to take the problem areas and break them into bite-sized chunks. It can't all get done at one time. One of the most important and easiest tasks is to set the goals for an area.
Ask yourself,
1. What is the space supposed to do?
2. What items NEED to be in the space?
3. What can you get rid of?
4. What are the steps to accomplish your desired end state?
One of my top goals for each space (whether I choose to admit it or not) is to make things prettier. I want to clean things up, put things away, find a place for things AND THEN make it pretty.
Honestly, I think I get it from my mama.
She has a knack for fixing things and making them prettier in the process... Case and point? The church vestibule.
During her first week as the volunteer church administrator, my mom (and her partner in crime, Janice) updated the church entryway for less than $200! I arrived for choir rehearsal and this pretty face stopped me and said, "wait. WELCOME TO REAL LIFE."
How cute is that face? Love me some Janice. Anyhoo, I turned the corner and saw this:
Wait, can you see that face? Let me zoom and crop so you have a better view:
THAT is the face of hey-girl-we're-awesome! I have to admit, Islanders, they are pretty awesome.
That buffet is amazing, right? Those claw feet? That curved woodwork? FABULOUS, right? Mom picked it up for $155 from the thrift store. Yes, that price is high for the thrift store but it's a quality piece and it is really awesome.
The top drawers hold business cards, tithe envelopes, pens and more.
Those drawers look as if they were MADE for the contents.
Mom picked up the cross drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby for a 50% discount ($4/each). On the buffet's surface, they placed acrylic organizers for weekly bulletins, flyers and other tracks for reference.
Those finials holding our church membership books were only $1.99/each from Goodwill. The chrome lamps came from Mom's decor storage in the basement. I love how the lamps warm the entry and how the light bouncing off the red wall also sends the warmth through the windows for all to see. It is all very nice but my favorite organization piece? This mail organizer Mom picked up from Goodwill for $4.99:
Isn't it pretty? I love it! This simple display serves as seasonal decor AND (wait for it):
... THE PINE CONES ARE SCENTED!!!
Let me give you an idea of the before. We had a rectangular folding table with a seasonal plastic tablecloth. On it, we had all of the paperwork piled up. It was a hodge-podge of papers, notes and flyers. No one noticed the mess... until it was improved.
People approached Mom asking if she painted the wall - nope. They asked if she bought new artwork - nope. They didn't believe all she did was buy the buffet, add lamps and organize the paperwork.
Form and functionality meets pretty organization! The perfect example of INTENTIONAL ORGANIZATION!
How does this relate to our series? Sometimes, during the process of organizing, I didn't realize how jacked-up some things were until I fixed them... It's a thankless job for me because the kid and man didn't notice how they stopped piling shoes in the laundry room when I solved the problem with a shoe rack...
Or how they put snacks where they belong because I've designated areas. They don't REALIZE I'm training them and improving our home lives in the process... they don't celebrate my solutions or even acknowledge they occur.
I appreciate what I've done because I know organization makes my life easier in the long run.
This concludes our series and I hope you're inspired to START organizing something to make your place better!
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