It's a start

Yet more proof that a good friend can be the most important tool on any project... Jenna was over last week and we embarked together on her binder project. I feel some sense of ownership on the project, since I helped in her first reorg a million years ago, so I want to see her succeed in this new revamp. And, although I don't have her knack for the organizing, I do know my way around a computer, so I like to offer that help when I can.

So we started first in the Images tab of Google. It's funny, my vision of seasons images were very stereotypical, trees as they turned for fall, or a field of sunflowers for summer. But Jenna knows what she's doing and she asked for beauty shots of specific vegetables she associates with each season. We found the artichokes first and they set the tone for the rest of the pictures. We found awesome stuff, then sized them correctly and added text. Next we'll need to get them printed for the binders, and perhaps add a table of contents or something. But that will have to wait until we know what goes in which binders, which means Jenna has to get into those beasts and start culling and piling and recycling... which may take a little time. Here's hoping these images continue to inspire her...

Hi there, let's make up

Kate here, also known as Webmaster General. You can just call me Kate. I've been consulting with Jenna behind the scenes here, serving as a sounding board for the blog setup and for general ideas. Although I am no professional, I am something of a student of the organizing. Jenna has been the Yoda to my Luke, as I sit at her right hand and try to learn from the master. I was just a newbie when I first saw her recipe books in 2001, when she goaded me and another friend into helping her with her first re-organization. I think there were only 4 binders or so then, easy enough to do in a weekend with a couple bottles of wine. I was inspired then to start my own recipe binder, which I recently updated and split into two -- one for cooking and one for crafts/shopping/household, etc.

With that update out of the way, I turn my attention to other places I can streamline and improve. The latest issue of Real Simple had two articles that turned a lightbulb on over my head. One article was about general bathroom organization, the other was a make-up review by some green woman (environmental architect? something). Combining the two, I've decided I need to re-org the make-up. I have been sort of organized—clear vinyl bags hold different types of makeup: nail polishes, lips, eyes and the rest—but I realized that there are items in there that are not just past their prime, but should have been thrown out like 7 years ago.

So I'm going to purge all but the newest and start over. Honestly, I'm a little dim when it comes to make-up, I wear only tinted lip balm daily, and even getting gussied up only includes mascara and eye shadow. I know nothing of skin make-up, and as much as I love what mascara does for my face, I have yet to figure out how to wear it without smearing it everywhere after an hour. To start, I'm using the Real Simple green woman's list of her favorite, natural cosmetics. I may go back through old articles I've clipped over the years and see if anything I pulled applies

I have a confession.

Even as a professional organizer and someone who enjoys organizing, I have a project that stops me in my tracks. I have about 10 binders that hold years of recipes, crafts ideas, menu plans, decorating and gardening tips. I used to keep every Martha Stewart, Cooking Light, Real Simple and Bon Appetit magazines I ever purchased but one day decided that was ridiculous (I was moving across the country at the time) and went through about a 100-plus magazines and ripped out the articles/recipes and tips I liked, organized them and put them in binders. The books are sorted by general topic headings: meal type (brunch, dessert), major food group (meat, fish, etc), or by sections of interest (crafts, gardening, decorating etc.). It was a project I was very proud of once upon a time.

I find that I haven't been using them but I do manage to add to the stack of new inserts that I need to file so I asked myself why this is happening. I think it is because I have a great number of topics/recipes that are out of date or that I have never used, and the binders need to be purged before I can add any new topics/recipes. So, I have started the process and to make sure I keep going I am coming clean publicly that this is a challenging and tedious project for me. I encourage all of you to think about a project that you have been putting off for months and revisiting it. If it would help you push yourself forward send it to me and I will post it on the site and we can work on it together!

I am going to treat myself just as I would a client: I will create a timeline for completion, a summary of action, a skeleton of what it will look like and a maintenance plan. Once I have completed this overview for myself I might start with a portion of the project that will inspire me the most—the look of the new binders. I think I want to organize everything by season rather than how I have them now. I live my life by season so why not categorize my information that way? Originally I wanted to buy these super fancy binders from Paolo Cardelli that are so amazing but very pricey but then I came back to reality and decided that I need to use what I already have, warts and all. To dress up the old binders a little, I want to take some photos of items that remind me of each season and then blow them up for the cover and spines of the binders. If you have a link to some perfect autumnal feast image, feel free to post it here to share. Stay tuned to see what I get done next and how quickly or slowly they move along!

A few of my favorite things

There are a few websites that I really love. I love to window shop, purchase things and get ideas from them. I hope you too will find that special little secret for yourself in them.

See Jane Work
Jane has everything for your life organization that you need from file folders and binders to Smencils! They have really sophisticated taste so it makes it even more fun to scout out office products.

West Elm
West Elm is the best store for furniture that looks great but is not overpriced. I can always find great furniture solutions for my clients from West Elm. What makes them even better is their customer service - top notch! If you have a passion for decorating it is also a great place to browse for new and creative ideas for your own spaces.

The Container Store
Well I don't think I need to expand on this any more than the name do you???? I think about The Container Store the way some people think about Lays potato chips - "Bet you can't buy (lays says eat) just one!"

Mom Agenda
These ladies have developed the best agenda I have seen for busy moms. I still want to design my own because I have a few additional ideas I think woudl be really useful to have at my fingertips; but until then these are awesome. And you can personalize them! They have just recently created a kids school book which is terrific too.

Levenger
This company has a fabulous very cult-like following for their Circa materials, an incredible line of agenda materials. You can create your own agenda filled with the sections you want. Their leather products are fabulous too. I want one of their bags!

If you go shopping come back and let me know what you found - I love a good "product chat!"

A "Monica Closet" Redo in Minutes

I have a client that needed a little help with a closet in her dining room. We all have this closet, the one that holds a vast array of stuff that you need on a regular basis but can never find. I call it my "Monica Closet" from Friend's Monica Geller fame. On the show Monica was portrayed as completely OCD but Chandler later discovered her closet next to the bathroom was locked and when he pried it open a mountain of stuff came spilling out everywhere. So, I went over to my client's house to help her clean out her Monica Closet. Inside she had paper products, linens, crafting supplies, wine, entertaining supplies and pantry overflow.

I had my client purchase six Sterilite containers from Target measuring 16"D x 12"W x 7"H with locks on either side for $5 each. She already owned a chest in the closet that I planned on using for linens and we added two stackable drawers sets measuring 24"W x 12"D x 15 1/2" H) from Target at $25 each to stack on top.

Prior to my visit her homework was to empty the entire closet and sort everything by category. Then when I arrived we would go through each item and decide what she would keep, donate or toss out. She did an excellent job of everything so once I arrived we were able to organize the remaining items in short order.

I rearranged the positioning in the actual closet for maximum space use by moving the cabinet previously against the left wall to the center of the closet where we could stack the addition drawers on top. On the left we stored tall tubes and large paper products. I moved the shelf above over to make room for the containers and add height space for more items on top.

For the cabinet I folded all her table linens in order of similar colors and matching sets. We organized the stackable drawers with cards and stationary in one, printer paper in another and crafts her daughter can reach and use in another. We left one empty for a use she might need later.

So my plan of action was to categorize all the items by use then label the outside of the containers we would house them in for easy retrieval. Here is a list of my categories:

Party Related Items
Paper plates, plastic utensils, party hats, birthday banner, party favors
Entertaining
Taper candles, candle holders, hurricanes
Crafts
Children's paint, chalk, paintbrushes
Household miscellaneous

Light-bulbs, batteries, packing tape, extension cords, markers

I think this kind of reorganization is the quickest way to feel accomplishment. It doesn't cost a whole lot ($80) in this case for materials and it makes a large impact on the way you feel about your home. Having a previously cluttered space become neat, organized and easily accessible in a few hours can really make a difference FAST!

Make extra money by using this!

I don't know about you but I am selling everything that is not being used right now for extra cash!  I found that I was getting a little overwhelmed tracking all the information associated with selling on Amazon, Ebay, Craig's List etc.  So I created this spreadsheet that will allow you to type in your own information, sort by any column name and total your cash!  I created the original file in iLife '09 Numbers but can't actually post it anywhere to share with you all, but I can email it to anyone who wants it so just ask. I also saved it as an Excel spreadsheet and a PDF.  The PDF is not typeable or sortable but you can print it out and write on it.

Click here to download the PDF, click here for the Excel file. 

Now go, sell, enjoy!

Adding spice

I have always looked for an elegant way to store my spices. I tried the stacking method with stairs, glass jars and the original containers by alphabetical order. None of these looked nice to me nor was it easy to find what I was looking for.

I found a site that had some really inexpensive food containers with clear tops. I purchased three different size containers: 2oz, 4oz and 8oz. The small 2 oz size was perfect for the small spice containers and the 4oz was perfect for the regular containers. I used the 8oz tins for the spices I use the most, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. I took my trusty label maker and made my own labels for each. I sorted the tins by how often I use them, not alpha order (I think that is over-rated anyway) and then by baking or savory.

Purchased items:
www.sksbottle.com
By the case, from $44 - $72