The hallway closet.... bellissimo!!

These are the "befores". I know... It's terrible. Well it was anyway.

One of the biggest problems I had was using it for too many things. I was trying to fit laundry, sewing, memory book stuff, home office supplies, mags and more in this one space. It is just not big enough to do all of that, so I decided to do some sorting first. 
I had to remove all unnecessary or unused items first and either relegate them to storage or the trash. Next I cleaned and painted. And finally, the reload. 
I cannot believe I am finished! In only three days, including rounding up supplies, I have put order where there was once chaos! I love it, love it, love it!! The color is just what I wanted. I feel like I could tackle any project now. Just not today. :) Take a look.

This is in active mode. I  can pull out the file cabinet when I am at the desk. The chair folds up and stores off to the side when not in use.
To close the doors, the cabinet rolls right under the desk. 

I bought lighting from IKEA and did the simple install myself as well as the shelving.

With everything in the roll-out, the desktop is clear for sewing and anything else I might want to do. Plus the drawers are pretty deep, so extra supplies can be stored close at hand.

So if you've ever organized with me, you know I can be pretty ruthless. However, I didn't throw everything out.  :) I kept things that mean a lot to me and/or help to define me and displayed them in one area.

Funny thing about organizing projects... it never ends up being just the one space you intended. During this project I organized two other spaces in my house to make this one come together. The domino or ripple effect, take your pick, is one of the reasons I like organizing so much. Even though it sometimes gets bigger and sometimes more overwhelming than you anticipate, it nearly always produces a greater finished product than you planned. 

No sense of direction and missing my mountains

I have so sense of direction. Without the GPS on my phone, I would be lost - quite literally! That is one aspect of my marriage that is in perfect balance and always has been. Jon has a compass in his nose. No matter where we are, it takes Jon about 10 minutes to figure out the city we are in and how to get from point A to point anywhere.  Eterick has inherited that trait. Already, he is better at navigation than I am. Not sure why I am posting this except that I drove all over Baltimore today and only knew for certainty where I was maybe 50% of the time. In fact, without the GPS, I might still be driving around the 'burbs trying to find my way home.

For those of you living in Utah, count your lucky stars for those beautiful mountains. There is nothing here from which to get your bearings except the sun and when there are clouds, well... Just be glad you have them. I miss them everyday. 

Anyway, we made it home and I am so grateful for the GPS capabilities on my cell. Couldn't manage without it.

The hallway closet.... AAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

As I prepare to attack the hallway closet, I have the sound from JAWS in the back of my mind... Da-dat...  da-dat..   da-dat, da-dat, da-dat. My heart starts to race a little. I get goosebumps. The adrenaline pumps through my body. I throw open the doors.  AAAGGGHHHHHH!!

The hallway closet is mine. It is pretty large, maybe 6'+ wide and 2 1/2 deep. My original plan was to use it for a sewing area, but once there was  a flat surface set up(in the form of a desk) it became a catch-all. There is no electricity in the closet, so sewing never really materialized. No power source also meant no lights, so instead of using the space as an actual workstation it was relegated to storage. 

Let me say - this ends now. I am filled with the sewing bug, not to mention the fact that I shudder everytime I open the doors. As a woman who prides herself on her organizing prowess, I have to admit I am ashamed. :(

Earlier this week I made a trip to IKEA and HDepot for supplies and now I feel armed and ready to take it on. By Fridays' post, I hope to be able to show you before and afters. And if everything comes together like I imagine it, you will be dazzled. Okay, so dazzled is way too exciting a word, but you might at least be inspired to tackle your own "hallway" closet (whatever thing you have been putting off) with gusto.

Better get to painting. Wish me luck!

Music to My Ears

Today I have been considering the sounds around me.  

Everyday here the church bells down the street ring out with the most beautiful music. At noon, it can last for fifteen minutes or more. Even as I write this at 3:30, they are ringing. 

We hear a lot of sirens living downtown. I noticed it a lot more when we first moved here, but not so much anymore. The bus goes by at certain times each day, but I have never taken the time to note when exactly. The furnace, still kicking on(much to my chagrin) and the dryer with its rhythmic turns are merely background instruments in the symphony of my life. Awhile ago, I don't even remember when, I started carrying my cell in my back pocket with music playing aloud. What it plays is mainly determined by my mood, or maybe I should say my mood is determined by it and for sometime I have thought of that as my own personal soundtrack.

However, the thing that turned my mind to this topic is the voice of my sweet Esther. She wanders around the apartment everyday singing to herself. With the addition of Claudio the cat, I find her searching the apartment multiple times each day to chat with him. Her little sing-song voice is music to my ears. The duet played by my children's voices is a perfect harmony when they are playing together or reading together instead of fighting together. 

Pause for a moment today to recognize the melody around you. Think of what instruments make up your orchestra/band in life and revel in the knowledge that you are the conductor of that blessed group... or at least you are fortunate enough to be a guest conductor sitting in for the maestro.

Panini Heaven

Basically I just have to say that I may have found the best panini idea ever! So easy! 5 minutes start to finish. Here's what you need:

4 slices white bread

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

Do I have to tell you what to do from here? 

I don't even know what to categorize this under. I am tempted to call it dinner.

Seinfeld

So tonight we watched disc 2 from Seinfeld Season 5, the one with the masseuse, the cigar-store Indian, where Jerry gets a haircut...  Jon and I were LOL when you see Jerry's hair and again when he takes his hat off to show Elaine. I love belly-laughing like that. So many great one-liners on that disc! Kramer: "I'm as loose as cream corn" (after the massage); In the barber shop when Enzo says to Jerry, "You tella the joke, I cutta the hair"; Or where Jerry is talking to Wynnona (native American) and he has to stop himself from saying 'reservation', 'scalper' and 'Indian-giver'; Or when George's dad grounds him for breaking the rules while they were away on vacation. Too good.