... I'm stepping over piles of stuff again.
... I'm shimmying in between thigh high piles of stuff and furniture
... I can't scoot my chair all the way back or near my Expedit shelf or my closet behind me
... I can't find my QK banner die
... I can't find my SU scripty small sentiments that would have been amazing on a few past cards
... My flowers are in disarray and now other embellishments are slowly creeping into one of my main flower baskets.
... I'm lacking table space again. Why am I scrapping on just a teeny tiny corner of the table?
... I can't move when I'm sitting without knocking something over
Yeah, I'm a slob and its totally affecting my energy, my mojo, and my ability to function. Its time to get organized!
I just found one of the most amazing organizational challenges over at 2peas hosted by Wookiemouse. Check out her organizational challenge blog and I think you'll agree with me, that this chick has got it together. Wookiemouse, are you a professional organizer? You make alot of sense, and I'm on board!
So, first up, is to do a Space Audit.
Here's what works for me:
* Everything is generally well organized, meaning ALL like things are together in one container or general area. But it hasn't been maintained well due to lack of "housekeeping" in putting things back when I've used them.
Here are examples of what works well for me. Here are my journalling spots all filed neatly by Mfg, type and then by color in one of those half baskets from Ikea. Two of these half baskets fit perfectly into one of the cubes of my expedit.
Here's what it normally looks like with the bigger sheets of journalling spots that don't fit standing on its side in the basket, just laying on top, so they don't get crushed when the baskets are stacked on top of each other.
Here are all my bling, filed in the same manner that my journalling spots are stored. All flat packaging are filed by mfg, then by design type, then by color. Anything in larger containers that cannot be stored flat are on the side or on top. (lol, this is what prevents me from buying even more bling. I think I have enough to keep me going for a few lifetimes. This baby is packed pretty tight!)
And when these two half baskets are stacked on top of each other in one of the Expedit cubes spaces, this is what it looks like. I have it at arms reach to the right of me when I'm sitting down at my card table. Thankfully, these two baskets are always neat and organized. I love that its really easy to take with me to crops too. The contents are so tightly packed that nothing rarely ever falls out when in transit.
I've resigned to accepting these baskets as my FINAL storage solutions for my bling and journalling spots. That way, I don't buy anymore. I don't want to constantly be moving "up."
Other items that I like and work well for me: (as I spent hours in the past couple of years getting it like this.) I can post pictures of these items in a future posting.
* My stamps and inks are stored well in one place. Mounted are in Sterelite drawers or in Target document like boxes. Unmounted are all in CD cases in revolving CD tower or in Target document like boxes. Everything is labeled.
* My punches are all stored by type in Sterelite plastic drawers in the closet behind me.
* My chipboard alphas and shapes are all organized and stored in Ikea Fira drawers and in Ikea baskets in my Expedit.
* My alpha stickers are all stored in CH Sticker holders by Mfg (like all my Thickers are together), and some by theme (i.e. Romance), and some by type (all my glitter stickers regardless of mfg are together).
* All my dies are stored together. All Sizzix dies are in Target cubes (the 4 drawer unit), all my smaller dies are in utensil plastic holders inside the 3 drawer Sterelite units. My Revolution, Cookie Cutters and Spellbinders are all in QK Books and QK Magnetic Holders. I still have yet to label the latter.
* All my tools are stored in sterelite 3 drawer units and labeled. My oft used tools are sitting on my desk in my AMM tool tote on a plastic lazy susan. Both are portable when I want to attend a crop.
* All my embellishments (i.e. brads/eyelets, ribbons, glitter/stickles) are all in their respective Artbin type containers.
* All my flowers are sorted by color in embroidery floss containers, and the bigger blossoms are stored in a large glass cookie jar and/or cloth basket that fits into one of the Expedit cube spaces.
* All my rubons are also in either small containers or CH Sticker Holders by mfg type.
* All my cardstock is sorted by color and stored in CH Vertical Paper Holders
* All my patterned papers are sorted by mfg, then by line, in CH Vertical Paper Holders (the smaller thinner ones).
* All my unused class kits and monthly club kits are stored together, and in a large box. I keep all kits intact so that I can use them more efficiently. I reach here first before going into my general stash.
Here's what DOESN'T work for me:
* I scrap in my bedroom, so I only have half the space of the room. Therefore, I really need to make use of all the vertical wall space for organization, and thus have resorted to the 25 cubed Expedit shelf. I have alot stored in this unit.
From what I can see, I only regularly access the contents of 7 of the 25 cubes. Thankfully, those 7 cubes that I do access are all located within reach when I'm seated. So I really need to move the contents of the remaining 18 cubes into the closet or some place else, and move other items in that I've got in other rooms of the house.
* Table space is limited to a card table. I use this instead of a full 6 foot Ikea desk I got so that I have the option of putting it away when I'm not scrapping so that I'm not always living around my desk in my bedroom.
Due to the lack of table and night stand space, I sure can clutter up the surfaces really quickly so that I'm always scrapping around moisturizers, mail, etc. I don't have space for Ott light, my cricut machine (so it rarely gets used), my portable printer, my Big Shot machine. These are my most often used large items that I don't have a permanent space for, which is problematic.
* Dies and Cuttlebug embossing folders are clear across the room in the opposite end. I have to climb over furniture, etc to get to it, so I often do not use them. However, being on DT's and having assignments to complete, I then have all these drawers full of my die tools out of the drawers and sitting on my limited table space and or on the floor around me. That's what contributes to the table and floor clutter.
* I haven't been good with housekeeping of returning items back to their designated storage place once I'm done using them. Further contribution to the overall clutter.
Ok, this is embarrassing, but I'm going to post pictures of both my desk and my Expedit shelf with all the table and floor clutter.
So there you have it. My space needs assessment. I think I have some thinking to do obviously after I tidy up. Looking forward to the next weekly challenge assignment over on the Organizational Challenge Blog.
NOTE: Follow along my organization journey here on my Scrap Room Organization Page on my blog.
