Weekend Warriors (and Warriorettes)

We had some much appreciated help a few weekends ago. Some very good friends of our from church made the three hour trek down for a long weekend to contribute their know-how, muscles, and tools to a few of our bigger projects. It was just the kick start we needed, and what a fun time!

We got the bedroom wood ceiling scraped of wallpaper and heavy liner (a job I had been dreading, let me tell you!) and the guys got the closet subfloor down and the new attic knee wall/built-in shelving supports up. We shared stories, meals, DIY tips, and a lot of love in those few days. Maybe we'll have a chance to return the favor soon!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I am in the (admittedly privileged) position of having a few too many clothes! We have some incredible thrift stores and consignment shops in this area so I rarely pay more than a couple dollars for name brand outfits. With cost not a factor and storage not a constraint (we have three large walk-in clothes closets in the house, plus many more miscellaneous ones), what is to keep me from becoming the Imelda Marcos of the apparel world?

I'm not anywhere close to that level yet, but I want to take preventative measures. Several people at church have commented that they rarely (if ever) see me in the same outfit twice! In my defense, I do wear some core pieces many times but always try to pair or layer or accessorize differently. And I am not a shoe person (I would go barefoot if I could), so the floor of my closets are tidy and bare.

On a regular basis, I strive to pass on or consign clothes that I don't wear. But now I've come up with a new strategy. For each new item I bring into the house, I have to get rid of two. So, that means that the new article must not only replace something I already own, it must be so worth keeping that I'm willing to part with an additional item.

It's already helping my closets look a bit slimmer, just in time for spring and realtor showings!

Literature Layout

Today was my day to tackle the mounting pile of magazines. I try not to let it get excessively out of hand, or the task of sorting and storing individually by title and date appears too time consuming and thus doesn’t happen.

My system for magazines is storing two each back to back in clear plastic sleeve protectors bound into 3 ring binders. It works well for me, but it can be a bit of work. It all started because I bought a big box of 10 or 12 3” binders at a little junk shop for just a few bucks, so it was cheaper than buying the standard magazine holders. During our first (and only, so far) visit to IKEA, I found a flat pack of sturdy cardboard magazine holders for less than $1 a piece. They’re great for lighter weight items like newspapers, but I think a year’s worth of magazines would be too top heavy.

I built a (yet unpainted) shelf across the closet in Jeff's office, so the binders and magazine holders go up on the shelf and books go on the bookcase. Letters, articles, pamphlets, and other small items go in labeled manila folders in the desk file drawer. Sometimes I think there has to be a better way! I would love to hear how some of you organize and/or store your newspapers, magazines, booklets, etc.