Ikea Archives - Scrapbook OBSESSION Blog.com

I organized my bedroom clothes closet recently. Well, one of my clothes closets. I have part of another closet where I keep my hanging stuff, luggage, and some storage. This closet is more like a walk-in dresser, LOL. Hey, I work from home. My everyday wardrobe mainly consists of tees, jeans, and sweats.

It’s a miracle that deserves an annually-observed holiday, because it was sooooooo long overdue. You couldn’t pay me enough to show you the Before* … WAY too embarrassing … but here is the After.

* Then again, maybe you could.

This picture is also embarrassing to show, because I realize that I have a Normal, Boring, Person with No Money Closet … as opposed to a Martha Stewart Closet or an HGTV Perfect Closet or even a Decorator Blog or Becky Higgins Closet. So I’m sorry if it’s underwhelming, LOL.

But I’m for real. I can’t afford fancy bins and baskets from POTTERY BARN nor awesome customized closet systems by ELFA or IKEA. I have cheap wire cubes from TARGET and older hanging shoe and sweater organizers made of cheap plastic which have sagged over time.

And I’ll replace those when they physically fall apart, LOL. Srsly. I’m the only one who goes into this cave and I couldn’t care less if it looks pretty, as long as I can find stuff. In the morning. In my half-lidded stupor. Before coffee.

Here is a closer view. Shoes in their place. I can see the floor again. “Ohhhhh …. so THAT’S what the floor looks like!?!?”

So I was proud of myself nonetheless. It took ALL DAY on a Saturday. I guess it looks like I still have too much, and maybe I do, but I filled 8 trash bags and 10 donate bags. I let go of a lot and yes, it did feel good! It had probably been 5 years since I’d done a thorough clean-out of my closet, so older clothes and things I no longer wore were just stacked and stacked and stacked. It was entirely ridonculous.

Like HOARDERS ridonculous.

Then it got to the point where it was so intimidating and daunting to confront, that I just … didn’t. I lived with it. I made sure to keep my closet door shut so I didn’t have to “see” it, except for the few minutes a day it took me to choose and put away clothes.

Anyway, saying that I’m glad it’s done is a huge understatement. I just hope I can stay on top of things better from now on. I know the tees in ROYGBIV color order won’t last long but that’s okay. As long as I can keep long sleeve tees together, my shoes in their holders, etc., I’ll be quite happy.

Is there a big job in your life you’ve tackled lately? Any organizing photos or stories you’d like to share? I’d love to see some blog links showing me what you’ve done, or your favorite organizational sites. Whatever you wanna’ talk about or comment on or share :)

Just don’t tell me I have too many shoes :) I mean, DUH.

I’m the first to admit my scrapping area is a full-on disaster. I’ve never had enough storage so, even when the rare mood strikes when I want to organize it all, there is just nowhere to put all my crap…er, um, scrap stash. My main pieces are: a large L-shaped office desk with minimal drawers (I even hide some things underneath, using those wire cubes from Target/Walmart)…

…2 of the 5 bookshelves that line the main wall of the room I share with my kids’ TV/play room…kinda like these….

and some Store in Style cubes like these…

I have 7.5 all together ~ 5 open cubes, 1 file drawer cube, 1 cube w/a door, and a 1-drawer cube (which is 1/2 the height of a regular SIS cube). I used to buy these one at a time when Michaels sold them…with a 50% coupon, of course…but they don’t sell this brand anymore. They totally harshed my mellow, man…

I won’t go into detail about all my various storage systems but I largely make use of the Vertical Paper Holders by Crop in Style….

Please, don’t make me tell you how many I have. It would embarrass both you and me….well, okay, mostly me, but you would be embarrassed FOR me and I wouldn’t want to put you through that. So don’t go there…

I will tell you that I have more than this…

But less than this…

I also have a ScrapRack….

NOTE: THIS IS NOT MY PERSONAL SCRAPRACK. I GOT THIS PICTURE FROM THE SCRAPRACK WEBSITE. MATTERUHFACK, NONE OF THESE PHOTOS ARE FROM MY OWN SPACE…YEP, ALL FROM OTHER WEBSITES. THANK YOU.

….which takes up most of one of my desk extensions, and I adore that contraption more than any other piece I have. But it is full. Organized and lovely, but full.

The end of the room I’m in has 2 large windows, which makes it impossible to add a desk hutch or more tall shelves or even the much-dreamed-about Expedit shelf from Ikea…

I actually want to buy 10 of these in various colors and put one in every room in the house. I know, I know, not everyone’s taste, I’m sure. But I never told you I was freakin’ normal, did I???

So I’ve come to the decision that I will buy a bunch more Store In Style cubes. I’m going to take the ones I already have, add some more, get some doors and drawers, and make a ton of new storage on one of the window-walls. I love their versatility, in that you can stack them 1, 2, 3 or even 4 high to fit your particular space. Looking ahead, this will be a helpful thing if we ever move to another home, or I have to move my scrap area within this house (which could happen someday if any of the kids decide they want their own room….then again, we could always just put Greg in the attic or in Mike’s den…*).

*Did you catch the Brady Bunch reference?? Good girl…

Now that The Decision has been made, I’ll be shopping for a great deal on some cubes. Maybe I can find some on Craigslist or I’ve heard of some good online sources. Here’s to hoping the shipping charges don’t kill me. Even so, a bunch of cubes will still be cheaper than the other things I was considering, like the Expedit, or the Mini Scrap Box…

If I ever get them ordered, put together, and get my scrap area reorganized, I’ll be sure to post photos so you can praise me…

Ikea

NSBR: Closet Organization

Shopping for Some Scrapbook Storage