September 9, 2014

So. Much. Better.

We have a closet which hides many faults.
It is one of those additions to our home that I love.
However, it can become a catch-all for those things
that cannot be attended to immediately.

You know how it goes ~ if there's space, it will be filled.

That's how it goes around here.  Maybe it's not like that for you?

This closet is for curriculum storage and keepsakes.
Camp chairs and sleeping bags and backpacks ~ they are there, too.
Archives of this and that, and even the outdoor furniture cushions find 
a home behind its closed doors.  It can quickly get out of hand.

Enter the need for a big clear out once in awhile.

Where does all this stuff come from?



So...clear out I did!  You know how it goes.
You've got to make a mess before order is restored.
See the mess?  Oh!  The Mess!!


But, before long, I had four boxes at the door ready to go to charity.
(And, a young man eager to drive alone who took them all away ~ Yippee!)


Curriculum to sell was stacked on the stairs.


More curriculum was filed into a bin ~ ready for a new home.


Orderliness restored to the closet ~ Woohoo!


Ahhh ~ It feels So. Much. Better.


How about you?  Do you clear out closets in the same way?

Do you make a big mess in the process?  Tell me I'm not the only one.
Or, do you keep everything perfectly maintained all the time?
(If so, please don't tell me about it.  That would just not be kind.  Not at all.)

Happy Fall!  

With Love, Camille

8 comments:

Pam said...

I love re-organize posts (I just did one yesterday). I love to see before and afters. Something about it gives me such a good feeling. Your closet organizing is inspiring. It is beautiful and full of such a great amount of space; I know how space fills up no matter how much of it you have though. Love the stacks of curriculum on the stairs. There is something about curriculum that is attractive to me. Have a wonderful week.
Blessings,
Pam

Melissa said...

I love the size of that closet! I'd love to have one like that. Mine are messy, and need to be tackled ASAP. It's a chore I DREAD!

Sandy said...

Dear Camille,
This is how I get organized too! Yeap, take it all out, sort them through, and there, things are in order again. It does feel good to clean things out, isn't it? I am not looking at my closet just yet...I will, one day, I will. :)
Blessings,
Sandy

Anonymous said...

Love your blog. Today I cleaned my cleaned my desk this day. I am author of Dutch children's books so I gather so much information during the writing process. Now finally taken the time to clean up. Sort, throw old things away. In October I'm going to clean up the wardrobes. Summer clothes in boxes. Winter clothes in the wardrobes of children in their rooms.

Love this blog. Great!

Camille said...

Dear Pam ~ I believe we are *kindred spirits* as Anne of Green Gables would say. Too funny that we did an organizing post on the same day. I like the look of a freshly cleared out closet or drawer...your dishes look so neat and tidy in your cupboard. :)

Dear Melissa ~ We had this closet built to my specs a couple of summers ago...it's amazingly HUGE! But, it was instead of a garage....so, there was a trade-off. Try not to tackle everything all at once...maybe just one drawer or shelf?? I find that is the best way to go about it....it's too overwhelming otherwise. :)

Dear Sandy ~ No pressure from me my friend....no pressure at all! LOL! Hugs to you. :)

Dear Rita ~ Your words are so sweet...thank you for your encouragement. What fun that you write children's books! I imagine things would get cluttered in the process of writing...but, how wonderful the finished product must be! A freshly cleaned space makes my heart happy...it sounds like you feel the same way. :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Katy said...

I must be quite careful not to covet your closet space!!! We have *no* (yes, you read that correctly) closet space!!! The only bedroom that has a small closet (which we wish we would have made larger) is in our bedroom that we added onto our house. The children's rooms don't have closets either! It is quite a conundrum!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Dear Camille,
What a blessing that closet would be. We don't have much for closet space here but I still find spaces to stash stuff away and yes then it is a big clean out. It always feels so good to organize it all. :) Now if I could just find a few minutes...:)Okay a few hrs. :)

Camille said...

Dear Katy ~ Dear me! That is an incredibly challenging situation! I would imagine you are very creative with it, though. And...frugal with your space....and not a hoarder. :) We built this closet in recent years in order to house the things that are in it. It's been a real blessing.

Dear Nikki ~ It sounds like you have a good system of storage in your home. What a blessing to wisely use the space you have. It does feel good to have a big clear-out...I agree. I am thankful that our home is not overly large...it keeps me accountable with how much stuff we store. :)

Hugs to you both!
With Love, Camille