28-Day Organizing Challenge Final Wrap-Up--It's Finished!!!

Wow, I cannot believe what a month I've had! I have finally made it to the end of the 28-Day Organizing Challenge hosted by Organizing Junkie, and I am so happy with my results. Actually, I feel more inspired than anything else....I'm ready to do the rest of my house now! :o)

I want to say thanks to all of my friends out there who have encouraged me along the way....I love you guys!!! Y'all just cheered me on the whole time, even when I felt so very, very embarrassed that my craft room was probably the junkiest room in the whole world. So, from the bottom of my heart....thank y'all so much!

I'm gonna share some before and after pics with you as well as some Q & A about the challenge to let you see and read my progress over the past month. The pictures start from the viewpoint from the hallway looking in, then once you step into the room, moving clockwise.

(You can click on the picture itself to enlarge it.)

View from Door Before:

View from Door After:

My jewelry desk, chest of drawers, and the floor Before:

My jewelry desk, chest of drawers, and the floor After:

View of My Sewing Desk and Computer Desk Before:

View of My Sewing Desk and Computer Desk After:

View of the Bookcases Before:

View of the Bookcases After:

View of the Closet Before:

View of the Closet After:

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

The hardest part for me, I think, was finding a place to start the work. I literally had zero floor space when the month began, and I just had to find a way to get in there to get started. Once I got the floor taken care of, then it was easy to tackle the individual parts of the room that needed work.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

I have already set a number of goals for myself now that this room is organized. The first one is that I won't start a number of different projects in there, but rather, try to do each one from start to finish. With my jewelry making, this won't be difficult at all because those projects are the quickest. The hard part will come with the sewing and cross-stitching (I have a very great tendency to start projects there without finishing them.....i.e. the quilt top that finally got finished this month, which was another one of my goals for the room).

The next goal (which will be even harder) is not to acquire so many books. I have got to do better about reading more than what I get....which is really gonna take some strong willpower on my part!!! I also plan to gradually dwindle down the excess books that I have available to post on the swap sites that I'm on (PBS, BookMooch, and Swaptree). So far, that is working really well for me because I've gotten rid of LOTS of books in the past couple of weeks by donating the ones that I've had for months either to the hospital, my church library, or to Goodwill. Eventually, I want to wean myself down to using just one swapping website so that I'm having more going out than coming in. And besides that, to save some money on postage...it racks up after awhile.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

Wow, there was a LOT of stuff that was tossed out of my room. Let's see....6 overflowing bags of garbage, 18 boxes that were emptied and sorted through appropriately, a huge pile of stuff that went to Goodwill (should've taken a pic of that before all of it left), and a grand total of 107 books and 12 CDs that either were swapped, or donated to the hospital, my church library, or Goodwill. A lot of the stuff that was in my closet had been tossed in there right after we moved into this house almost 2 years ago. I had just been putting off the unpacking for months and months and months. Now that it's all unpacked and either tossed out or kept, I feel so much better knowing that when we move next time around, I'll have less stuff to take with me! :o)

4. What creative storage solutions were you able to introduce in order to create additional space as well as establish some limits and boundaries?

I don't know if you'd call any of the storage solutions I used "creative," but they certainly are functional. I had probably 6-8 empty Rubbermaid totes that were just begging to be used for this challenge. Thankfully, I didn't have to sort through those before using them!! :o) 5 of them were all the same size, and each one now has a purpose and a maximum amount of stuff it can hold. I'm determined to not let them overflow so that I need to buy anymore! I did have to buy one extra container for the challenge because I was looking for one that needed to fit a certain amount of space as well as have the storage space that I needed....that one only set me back about $7.

The only other thing that I had to purchase were some magazine files for my craft bookshelf. I was able to go through the craft magazines and booklets that I have, and sort them into the files by craft (cross-stitch, jewelry, sewing, etc.). Those were available at Office Depot in a package of 6 for $12.99.

All in all....I'm out $20 bucks, but my peace of mind is a bit more intact knowing that my whole space is much more organized and functional!

5. Why do you think you should win this challenge?

Honestly, I wasn't even trying to win the challenge when I signed up for it. I knew that I had a serious problem in my craft room, and my goal was to simply get it under control. Now that I've accomplished that, I feel like a clean room is the biggest prize of all. I can walk in there freely now without have to step over or on top of things. I have a space that I can work in and let my creative juices flow....I am so excited to get in there and make something now! :o)

28-Day Organizing Challenge Week 3 Update

Well, I don't have a lot to report on an update for the past week, and unfortunately, no pics either. I have gotten a little bit more work done, mostly getting rid of more books (I've actually lost count by now, which is a good thing because I seem to be passing them on to other people left and right!). I've managed to empty and sort out 2 more boxes as well as gather up another bag of trash!!! Yay!! I feel like a drill sargeant now in regards to all this mess--"Head 'em up, and move 'em out!"

I have been working on the last few things that needed to be addressed that I mentioned in last week's update, and the big thing there has been the bookcases. I have reorganized my "book" bookshelf which has been the "in-and-out" station. The books that were there that needed to be filed into my collection alphabetically have been taken care of, and I am sticking to my guns about not getting loads and loads more of books for my own pleasure. :o)

I have also reorganized my craft bookshelf, and cleaned it up considerably. I've gotten some magazine files to sort some of the craft magazines and loose-leaf things that were in no sort of order. Now, everything has a place, and I know where to go to find it. Woohoo!!

I've also cleaned off the top of both bookcases and it's no longer just a gathering place for extras. I've neatly placed some of my larger jewelry display pieces up there out of the way, but easy to get to when I need to take them to a show.

I'm very pleased that I haven't needed to get a lot of extras to help me organize my room this month because I had a pretty good stash of storage bins in the attic that used to hold other things and were empty. So far, the only containers I've had to buy are the magazine files (a package of 6 for $12.99 at Office Depot....thought that was pretty good) and one 30qt storage tote. Hey, I'm loving the cost savings!

So, for the rest of this week, I need to focus on the little things--continuing to sort and toss stuff I don't need anymore. There are two more large boxes that I have in my closet that I have put off to the last minute that I'll need to tackle this week....not looking forward to that. I also need to get the curtain hung for the window.

Wish me luck as I only have 6 days left to complete this challenge! :o)

28-Day Organizing Challenge Week 2 Update

Wow, I cannot believe that I am 2 weeks into this challenge already, and there are just not enough words to describe how great I feel about all the change that's come about in my craft room!!! If you go and look at my first post, you can see that this room was a train wreck....seriously. Now, 2 weeks later, there's been such significant progress that I just can't wait any longer to share it with you! I've managed to throw out at least 3 full and heavy bags of garbage as well as empty and sort out 15 boxes worth of stuff!!!

This is the view now from the hallway. Notice that you can actually see the floor!!! :o) There's just a small pile of stuff that still needs to be sorted through right there in front, but that's it. I still have plans to hang a curtain for the window...just haven't gotten it done yet.

This is my jewelry desk that looked like a tornado had touched down on it 2 weeks ago. Now, I've gotten everything back in order, put loose beads where they belong, and actually have room on the table to start my next project. There is a box over to the side of the table that I still need to decide what to do with, but other than that, I'm very pleased. :o)



Continuing to move clockwise, we're now at my sewing desk. Remember the quilt that I told you I've been working on since hubby and I got married almost 8 years ago? Well, the top is completely finished, and now I have to work on piecing it together with the other necessary layers. I cannot even begin to say how thrilled I am that I have finally made it to this part in putting it together, and I can't wait until it's finished so I can put it on the bed!!


I've also gotten everything rearranged over in this corner. Remember all the books that were stacked closer to the corner and out in the floor that are part of my book-swapping addiction? Well, so far, I've managed to get rid of around 50 books that were donated to Goodwill, and I've gotten rid of another 15 or so through swaps. Yay!! Also, in this corner, I moved that drawer organizer from the opposite wall so that all of my cross-stitch stuff can be together. It's a little crowded, but I can easily open all the drawers from that organizer as well as that other small chest that's in the corner.



Yep, this is where the majority of the work still lies. The left bookshelf is just one of the three bookshelves that I have, and I use this one mostly for stuff that's rotating in and out. My goal for this next week is to pull out the books from the second and third shelves and fit them in with the other books that I have in alphebetical order by the author's last name (yes, that's probably the biggest OCD thing I have about my books). As for the other bookshelf, there's not a whole lot I can do with it because it's mostly filled with craft booklets, instruction guides, etc. for all the hobbies that I have....um, there are several. :o) Oh, and I need to clean the tops of the bookshelves, too...it's become a dumping ground for anything and everything. :o(

And finally, there's the closet. Big difference there, too. The three cardboard boxes on the left on the floor are where the PBS and BookMooch swapping books will be kept from now on, and so help me, I will not accumulate that many books for swapping ever again! I don't care how much my aunt begs me to take them from her!!! :o) Seriously, my goal for the future is to keep them to a very bare minimum, and keep better track of how long I've had them. If I haven't swapped several books after a certain period of time, they will be leaving my house in some other form or fashion!

I also now have space to hang some clothes in here....hooray!! I've always wanted to use this closet to rotate my summer and winter clothes, and now I can! I've also got more space to store the jewelry that I've made for shows and such....it's not going to be scattered throughout my room any more!

So, I'm literally bouncing off the walls!! Even though there's still work to be done, I am so happy that I've already made lots of progress. :o) Also, just knowing what goals I have for the future makes me feel so good, too. Here's a few:

1. Keep the swapping books to a maximum of 75. After I've had a book for 3 months, I will donate it.
2. Read more books than what I acquire. This one is really gonna be difficult since I participate in several blog tours, and it's difficult to read the other books on my shelves.....but I have faith that I can do it!
3. When I start a craft project, see it through to the end. This one won't be too bad to accomplish with jewelry since most of those projects are quick, but the sewing and cross-stitch hobbies will be a little more difficult.
4. My room will not become a dumping ground for anything and everything in my house! If I bring something in this room from now on, it will have a specific place and it will go there immediately. If it doesn't have a place to go, then it's leaving my house!

Be watching next week to see what else I've managed to accomplish in here! :o)

28-Day Orgainizing Challenge Week 1 Update

No pics to post this week, but I have made HUGE progress on organizing my craft room!! I'm slowly getting rid of some of the huge stacks of books that are in my room that were sent to me by my aunt. What she doesn't know is that I'm about to pawn off a large stack of things on her! HA! Hey, turn about is fair play. :o)

I'm also slowly emptying out some of the boxes that were in my closet, and a few that were in the room itself. A lot of them were filled with things that hadn't been unpacked since we moved into the house. So far, I've unpacked 10 total boxes, and I can now see the floor at the bottom of my closet! Woohoo!!!

One of my other goals this month was to actually move closer to finishing a quilt that I've been working on since hubby and I got married almost 8 years ago. I'm happy to report that I've almost finished the top itself, and will soon need to get the other stuff from the fabric store to finish it off. Hopefully, I can remember how to finish a quilt....I haven't made one since I was in high school, and that was over 10 years ago!

So, I'm gonna keep chugging away at everything. I'm so happy at the progress that I've already made. Since I don't have pics this week, it's hard for you to "see" what I mean, but trust me...it's looking good in that room! The bad news is that I haven't had much time for reading, much less for writing reviews in the past week, but that's not permanent, I assure you. :o) It's just that this room is my first priority this month, and I am so anxious to have it clean!

28-Day Organizing Challenge

Well, the time has come. I've been putting this task off until February so I could join in the Organizing Junkie's 28 Day Organizing Challenge, and it will be no easy task. When you see the pictures below, you'll probably be so happy that this mess is at my house and not yours. I had the choice of a small space or a whole room, and I need to go for the whole room. I've chosen my craft room. My usual mantra is that my craft room is the dumping ground for everything at times, but this mess is of my making alone. Yep, those are hard words to swallow.

So, here comes the walk of shame, but hopefully, by the end of the month, I'll be doing the happy dance!


Okay, this is the view as I walk into my room. As you can see, there are SEVERAL stacks of books on the floor. Most of these are recent acquisitions from my aunt as she was doing some housecleaning recently, too. The good news is that I'm a big-time user of Paperbackswap.com and bookmooch.com, and that's how I get rid of them so I can get other books that I want to read. One of my goals for the window wall is to actually put up a curtain rod and hang some curtains so I don't always have to look at those dull mini-blinds. I'd also like to hang some sort of push-pin board to pin up different ideas for craft things that I come across.


Moving clockwise, you can really see where the mess is. There's the tablecloth that I used for Thanksgiving dinner, a coat hanging on the back of a chair that I need to get a new heavy duty hanger for, another stack of books, some clothes, some jewelry that I've made that I sell on the side, and some of the quilting stuff that I've been working on lately. Obviously, this is where I need the most help. My big goals are to get the books swapped, the jewelry stored better, and the quilt on it's way to being finished. Oh, and one other thing...that tv at the top of the picture would love to have cable hooked up to it so I can actually watch something besides dvd's. Hubby's been telling me for awhile now that he'll do it...I just need to get that area more accessible.


This is not quite as bad as the rest of the room in this corner, but there's still some work to be done. Most of the stuff at my sewing desk is already pretty well organized, but the big work over here is the computer desk. Even though it doesn't show in this picture, I need to get it cleaned out and organize everything just a little better.


And now we're at the other part of the room that really needs some work. Most of this is just stuff to go through, decide if I need it or not, and put it where it belongs.


And the last space...the closet. A lot of what's in here is just stuff that I never really unpacked when we moved into the house. I have two big goals concerning the closet. First, there's a whole box of photos that I want to get into photo albums that I bought months ago. Second, I want to clear it out enough to actually hang up some clothes in here (i.e. hang my spring clothes in there in the winter, and the winter clothes in there in the spring). That tall black thing is my canopy that I use for fairs and festivals to sell my jewelry that I'd like to relocate somewhere.

So, as you can see, I have my work cut out for me, and I'm going to be very busy. I plan to post weekly updates to track my progress, and hold myself accountable to get it done. I've already made a little bit of progress sorting through the books, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Wish me luck! :o)