No words are necessary--except to say that it takes a very secure person to share the inside of her pantry.

Thanks to my friend, Jill, and to my own nosy self, I found a partial solution. One day, I had been invited to lunch at Jill’s house, and she got up to find some cracker or something. When she opened her pantry doors (she has two), it was as if a light from heaven were shining, lighting a solution to my own messy pantry: shelves added to the inside of the doors!

She pointed out to me that there is a good 12-14 inches between a closed pantry door and the shelves–at least, that is true of my pantry. So, in problem-solving mode, she went looking for the shelves that would fit and take advantage of that space. Brilliant!

Luckily, there are brilliant people already working to bring us products just like we need. Thank you, ClosetMaid.

This was my mini-project for the day. It took under 45 minutes. And I am S-L-O-W. The hardest part was finding the right anchors for the door. (Remember: If you screw into a hollow door, the screw will work its way out, sometimes gradually, sometimes not, making your door a mess and your shelves useless. So, use anchors.) Did you know they actually make 6-panel-door anchors? More brilliance!

The steps were on the package for the shelving unit that came from Home Depot. I also needed a pencil, level, power drill/driver, and anchors.

First, I clipped the shelf holders to the shelf unit. Then, I positioned the shelf, checked the level, and marked the holes with a pencil. Next, I drilled holes big enough to allow the anchors to rest snugly inside and inserted the anchors. (I used a hammer for a bit of gentle persuasion. If you use aggressive persuasion, you’ll either bend the anchor, ruin your door, or scare your children. Be nice.)

Once the anchors are in, you are practically home free.

Now, hold up the shelf and screw the screws through the clippy holders and into the anchors. (This is one of those times when it would be oh-so-wonderful to have an assistant. Or just another hand.) Tighten. I had to follow my own instincts about where to position the screws due to the size of my door. Just try to get the most solid, even fit possible. That is, avoid the recesses and the panels.

That is one of two teenagers (above, right) that live in my house. They used to be small and cute. Now, they are big, but I still like ‘em!

Ta-Dah! Ready for loading.

Who knew I had 3 boxes of lemon-poppy seed muffin mix?

Did you hear that? I think it was my pantry breathing…Creepy, but you understand. Don’t you? And yes, I know what you are thinking. The shelves really don’t hold a ton of stuff. It’s true. But it really did help!

The mess on the floor is a mini-project for another day. First, I need to go steal another idea. Anything you’d like to share?

Have a great weekend!

I’m linking this post to:

and also hoping to reconnect with some Company Girls over coffee!

Happy Groundhog Day!

photo by Digging For Fire

10. Keep a written plan. Maybe a few years ago, I could actually remember something. Not today. So, even if I change my mind (and you can bet that will happen), at least I will know what I thought would look good—back when I wrote down my plan.

9. Sew. Sew. Sew. Pretty self-explanatory.

365 Project | www.thePHOTOblog.ca, Jeff Moss

8. Start with a clean slate room. It is so much more fun to decorate, even a small change, if the room is half-way presentable. If I hang a nice collection of photos in my hallway, but the carpet is still littered with fake pine needles from the Christmas garland that has been put away for weeks, run the vacuum cleaner! Dust the banister! Get the piles of laundry into the laundry room.

7. Sort through the mega-files of photos on my computer and actually print some favorites to go into frames (which still have the fake family picture that came in the frame when I bought it.)

6. Sew. Sew. Sew. (See #9.)

5. Buy and use a Magic 8-Ball. Should I have the cabinets painted rather than replace with new? Are the cabinets nice enough to invest the money in a professional paint job or will that paint job cost half of what new cabinets would cost? Are they worth it? Yeah. Tough ones. I’m beginning to think the Magic 8-Ball would have the answers. It is doubtful.

photo by somegeekintn

4. Sew. Sew. Sew. Sound familiar?

3. Ask friends if I can look inside their kitchen pantries. Photograph good ideas for organization. Steal Implement those ideas in my own kitchen pantry.

2. Paint some furniture. That old oak desk comes to mind. Yeah, it’s oak, but I can’t stand it, so maybe some Painter’s Touch would help it!

1. Actually complete some projects. Break big projects into manageable pieces so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. It will feel nice to check off some items from my written plan of 2010. And 2009.

But I think you will understand–and even jump on my green bandwagon–when you see the unbelievable craft room at Under the Table and Dreaming by Stephanie Lynn. I do believe she can make anything in there. And she already has the supplies!

Unbelievable Craft Room by Stephanie Lynn

I’ve been working on my Laundry/Craft room and have “borrowed” many ideas from folks like Stephanie Lynn. I’ll give you a couple of peeks, but until I turn a little less green, I’m not ready to share the whole thing.

Sewing Center in Craft Room

Why do projects take so much longer than I think they will? (This is a question my husband just smiles about…After almost 22 years, he knows that when I say, “It will only take us a couple of hours,” he is in for a two-day adventure that involves at least four trips to Lowe’s or Home Depot.)

I used pegboard in my room, and I love how versatile it is! Functional, yes, but you can also use it for artful display. (Artful display is where you hang up something you like and think is pretty to look at.:))

I’ve been working on other fun stuff in my Craft/Laundry Room, too. Check out my retro telephone project for something a little quirky. Hopefully, there will be more to come. With a final look–when I figure it all out.

Here are some other envy-inspiring rooms. It isn’t easy being green!

Making This Home

Stamping for Sanity

Lucky Lola’s sewing room

House on Hill Road sewing room

My Seewing Room–The big windows with the view are inspiring!

Hope your weekend is full of creativity!

Here’s the inspiration from Pottery Barn:

from Pottery Barn Teen

Oh…I had forgotten how cool it was!

Here is our version–now much-used (and it looks like it needs a clean-up, sweet daughter!):

PBT--Reinvented...Don't ask me why there is a wire coat hanger or old candy canes on here. She marches to her own drummer, and I love that about her!

First, we built a structure to mount the individual squares onto. We built it out of 1 x 2s that were left over from something. (1 x 2s are cheap, even if you do have to buy them.)  Nothing fancy (It doesn’t show.) Simply a square with three verticals.

Detailed blueprint for memo board skeleton

View from the side of the framework

The vertical boards are 12 inches apart.

Next, my sweet husband (OK. He might have sighed at this request, but he did it anyway, thereby making him sweet.) cut pegboard into 12 inch squares. We used the pegboard as a base for the cork tiles–even the ones with fabric on top. The pegboard was what I had on hand, but I have to tell you that it made the piece quite heavy. Heavy enough that it is hung on studs. If I were doing this again, I might use foam core as the base for the fabric and cork squares.

My daughter picked fabrics and decided the layout of the 3 x 3 grid, though because we used Velcro (keep reading), they layout can be changed. She opted to leave two squares as pegboard, which we spray painted silver. The rest we hot glued cork on top of and wrapped five of those with the various fabrics. She wanted a white board but I couldn’t find the materials. Also, a piece of metal would have been great (for magnets), but none was readily available that didn’t have to be cut. Did I mention that I am deathly (I tend to exaggerate) afraid of cut metal? I hear it hurts.

You could even paint a square of plywood or luan with chalkboard paint. The point is that the possibilities are endless!

To adhere the squares to the framing, we stapled strips of velcro onto the verticals and the edges of the squares. Believe it or not, placing the squares on the velcro perfectly is harder than it looks! In fact, we decided not to worry about perfection. It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Not perfect, but good enough!

Slight improvement though still not perfect!

We prepared it for hanging with eye screws and wire. Wire seems to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to leveling. Just watch out for the cut ends. Lethal! (Again, exaggeration. But cut wire really can cut you.)

Other views:

Looking at these pictures makes me want to go back and make a frame to finish it off. (I think it could use one.) But for now, my daughter loves how it all came together! It was a good project for us to do together. And just think, if she didn’t have a place for all of these treasures, they would be in a stack or box somewhere. Oh, who am I kidding? They’d be on the floor.

Organization is good. Making it happen with your teen aged daughter is even better.

Need a weekend, finish-in-an-hour project? One that will help with organization? Try this pretty, but functional, bulletin board…

Fabric-covered bulletin board made with stuff I already had (except the frame!)

Supplies:

• cork (either a roll or tiles)
• frame (Please do not buy at full price! Hobby Lobby sells nice ones at 50% off every other week. Or hit a garage sale and ditch the “art”. Or don’t bother with the frame! You can finish the edges with trim.)
• backer board cut to fit inside frame (Use what you have on hand. I had some left-over pegboard. Thin plywood or luan would work fine.)
• pretty fabric that fits your room and is about 2 inches wider and longer than your frame
• hot glue gun
• staple gun or duct tape

Steps:

1. Hot glue cork or cork tiles onto backer board. You don’t need to overdo this–perimeter and a cross or X will hold it snugly.
2. Place the cork side on top of the pretty fabric (back side of fabric.)
3. Staple fabric edges to the backer board. Put one staple in the middle of the top, first. Then, pull fabric at the bottom, gently but firmly. Staple middle of the bottom. Do the same on the sides. Then, staple freely around the rest of the perimeter. The staples are on the back side of the bulletin board and should not show. Fabric should be smooth.
4. Place frame face down on flat surface.
5. Place bulletin board face down into frame. If your board was cut to fit, the bulletin board should fit fairly snuggly into the frame.
   

   Back side of bulletin board. If you are paying attention, you will see that I apparently wrapped the fabric around the cork before applying it to the backer board. This is not a good idea, and I'm not sure why I did it. Do as I say; don't do as I did.

6. Secure the board to the frame. I used the staple gun, but duct tape will also work…Just use it freely around all edges.
7. Attach hanging hardware. I used eye screws and wire since I already had those, but the jagged edge hangers will work, too.
8. You could be finished here. Or you can use some sort of tassel fringe, gimp, rope, or ribbon to go around the front of the bulletin board, just inside the frame. I was feeling sassy this day, so I used some extra tassel fringe that I had leftover from a sewing project.
9. Hang in just the perfect spot, and use to display important stuff.


The Perfect Spot for Me

***I used a looser weave fabric so pushpin holes would not show. Most cottons should work well but test it out before you go crazy with your staple gun.

***They also make pretty pushpins now, if you want a more decorated look. For my mudroom, the old-fashioned kind works just fine.

***Periodically, clean up your bulletin board. I found coupons from 2008 on mine!

The linen closet is on its way–though not complete. I have not had time to shop for bins, and I need them. (I know this from personal experience. ) Here are some accountability pictures–you know, to keep me honest!

Linen Closet--Starting from Scratch

All the Sorted (also, Sordid) Goods

I vow that these items will not be returned to the shelves until they are properly placed in labeled bins.

[sigh] EVERY project ends up taking a wee bit more time than I expected. This is a running joke with my husband. I tend to say to him, on his vacation days, of course, “This will only take us a couple of hours.” Now, after 21 years, he just sort of looks at me and smiles a sideways smile…Nothing has ever taken only a couple of hours.

p.s. No visitors until my mission is accomplished. Just kidding. There is always a couch or two available!

What is your current project, and what is the status?

Linen Closet Mayhem

See what I mean?

Trying to find a spot in there can take a LONG time and can cause my version of a temper tantrum:  Searching, pushing, shoving, scowling, eventual cursing because I have scraped my knuckles on the lovely wire shelves, smashing, and dashing in a huff. (In case you don’t do sarcasm, I am not a fan of the wire shelf!)

Today, I found these motivational photos. I might not end up with a replica, but whatever I end up with has to be better than what I started with! Scroll down for my suggestions on organizing a linen closet.

Notice the neat bins with labels--photo by Mo' Belle

Love the solid shelving--photo by orgjunkie

Neat as a pin--photo by Spice_Diva

Notice the efficient use of the door--photo by happylittlehouse

Completely functional--photo by Dazed81

Motivated? I thought so…

Steps to organizing a linen closet:

1. Clear the guest bed (or any large, flat surface. You can use the floor if you vacuum first!)
2. Get a pad of paper, pen, and tape measure.
3. Begin clearing out the closet. Completely. But sort as you go. For example, group full sized linens together, twin, king, whatever.
4. If you keep medicines or first aid supplies in your linen closet, check expiration dates and pitch as indicated. Note items that need replacement on the pad of paper.
5. If something got shoved in that does not belong, put it in a separate pile to be correctly distributed later.
6. Include a Donation pile, but check first with charities to see if they accept used bedding. As always, if something is in bad shape, use it for a dropcloth or rag. Do not donate trash.
7. Inventory what you have, and decide on a location in the closet. Keep frequently used items where they are handiest.
8. If you have a little extra cash, you might consider buying some canvas (or plastic) bins to keep items neat. Be sure to measure shelf dimensions first–width, depth, and distance between. Note this on your pad and take with you to shop. Try a Big Lots, Old Time Pottery, or other discount stores for bins. You might be pleasantly surprised at the deal you find!
9. Be sure to label locations or bins. It is not easy to tell by looking which are twin and which are full sheets. Labels do not have to be cute (although that would be fun), just functional. Do not skip this step!
10. Make a vow to yourself to use your linen closet to its fullest potential–not as a messy catch-all–and encourage insist other family members do the same!

One last note, check out Carmen Coker’s blog here. She offers many ideas and tips for organizing, as well as some free printable labels! Take some time to look around. You will be glad you did!

photo by Ralph Hockens

Good morning, Coffee Ladies!

I hate to air my dirty laundry in public, but I have a problem.

And it really is dirty laundry!

It’s not actually washing, drying, folding, and putting it all away that seems to give me fits (although that sometimes is a problem, it is usually temporary). My problem is long-term, and I need help. It’s the clothes hamper–the what and the where. What vessel to use to hold it, and more importantly, where to store it (the vessel, that is).

Right now, my children have hampers in their closets. That works fine, when they actually hit the hamper. The problem is my and my husband’s laundry. We currently have a metal rack that holds a 3-compartment cloth bin. Picture the kind on wheels from the laundromat (or wash-a-teria, as my mother says). I envisioned this as the perfect recepticle:  Pre-sorted laundry, ready for the washer whenever I have a few minutes. The problem is that the laundry just sits mostly on top (not really falling into the compartment)–and that it sits in full view in our master bathroom–which is in dire need of a re-do, but that’s a different matter.

I hate seeing this dirty reminder of what I have not completed, but I don’t know where to put it or what the best it is. In other people’s homes, I don’t see the ugly storage issue, so I’m thinking they have a plan that works. I need suggestions. Baskets in closets? Bins under sinks? Pretty wicker hamper in the bedroom?

What do you store your dirty laundry in? And where do you keep it?

Ideas and tips would be greatly appreciated!

Sometimes you just have to say, I’m going to give this a shot!

Several months ago, I was surfing, looking for At-Home business ideas that might involve writing. I stumbled across an article on businessknowhow.com about writing letters from Santa to children as a small, home-based business. Santa needs ghost writers…Who knew? I thought this sounded like a fun idea, so I started doing some research.

After several months,  St. Nick’s Secretary has been launched. (I have to give my husband credit for the name!) It gives me a chance to do a little writing, have a little fun, and perhaps to make a little money. (fingers crossed) So, it is official–and open for business. Click on the button to the right if you want to take a look. If it makes some children smile, I will be really happy.

Letter writing. With paper and pen.

It seems to be an art that is slowly dying, and I don’t want to see it go! I have to blame technology, to a degree, and our fast-paced, instantly-gratified way of living. But that doesn’t mean that letter writing has to disappear! Even taking five minutes to dash off a quick notecard to let someone know you were thinking about them or to thank someone for a favor is taking a stand against the death of the letter.

Here are some tips to make it easier:

• Gather a letter writing kit in a decorated shoebox or cute basket.
• Include:  Address book, stamps, return address labels or stamp, box(es) of note cards, pens, a few envelopes, and a pad of stationery (or plain paper–or lined paper, if you are worried about neatness)
• Keep an ongoing list in the basket of people you would like to write or send a card to. Update the list often!
• Set a time–once a week or two, maybe on payday or the day you put Frontline on your dog. If you schedule the time, you might actually do it!
• Be realistic. Write only one or two letters or cards at a time.
• Get totally over being a perfectionist. Nobody cares if your handwriting is printed. It just needs to be legible. And nobody cares if the lines are a little wavy.
• Do not get up from the table or desk until the envelope is addressed and stamped. Otherwise, if you are like me, you will find it three weeks later, tucked into your calendar. You will think it too out-dated to send. And you probably will not do a re-write. I speak from experience. Sad, but true.
• Walk it to the mailbox. And here’s the crucial last step:  Put it in the box and raise the flag. If you put it in your purse to take to work or wherever, you might remember it, but maybe not.

Your note might just be the pick-me-up that someone else needed! You do have time. If something is important, we make time for it. This is a way to reach out and touch someone–and you do not need a modem. Please join me when I say:

Save the letter!

(shameless plug)

Grey cabinet BEFORE the facelift

And here is the AFTER:

Finished project--cabinet painted Heirloom White

The only “antique” parts of this cabinet are the hardware (which I didn’t touch) and the doors (which the cabinet builder had already painted, thus relieving me of any guilt I might feel about painting old paint). My daughter wisely picked Rustoleum’s Heirloom White paint. It is beautiful and oh-so-smooth to the touch (quite unlike the flat grey housepaint which had been on the cabinet.)

Antique spring latch

Antique hinge

One if-I-had-to-do-it-again: I should have primed the cabinet. It took three coats of a good quality paint to cover the dark gray and a lot of time. (I slacked on the inside. Only one coat to make the shelves smooth and a little brighter.) I think a good primer would have made a third coat unnecessary. Also, there are a lot of nooks and crannies and hard-to-reach spots in this type of furniture. It is NOT a quick job. But well worth the time, I think!

ALL of her clothes fit–even the hooded sweatshirts! How many almost-15-year-old girls can actually put away all of their laundry?

The best part? She loves it!

Cabinet--Loaded

The girl LOVES her socks!