Oh, why is organizing so hard?

A few weeks ago I mentioned getting my room in better order and cleaning out. This past week I spent a few hours two different days trying to make a mark in there. I've still got a long way to go, but I feel better about the task at hand. The bad news is we may have company next weekend so I can't procrastinate too long - they'll need somewhere to sleep. The good news is I've found lots of things that I really like but haven't used simply because I've forgotten about them!

I have antique furniture in my guest room, which includes a cedar chest, a chest of drawers and a vanity. Right now, every square inch of those three pieces is covered in stuff. I started in the chest of drawers and started throwing things away that I didn't need, or adding them to a box for my sister-in-law to go through. I began sorting within the drawers a bit, but it's hard to sort through a mess. I'm the type of cleaner that needs a clean space to start with - you know, empty drawers or containers or something along those lines. That's how I like to organize. It's rarely how I attempt to organize though!! This time I did clean off the guest bed and start stacking things there. I quickly went through all five drawers on the first day and tossed things that I didn't need (packaging and such) and pulled out things for my sister-in-law and moved things around that I wanted to keep.

The second day I tackled the closet. This is really the worst place. I have a very bad habit of not unpacking bags of stuff. When I go somewhere to scrapbook, I pack up what I want to take and go. Then when I return home, I stick the bag in the closet and forget about it!! Not a good idea. I have several Michaels bags stuck in there as well - things I'd been thinking about looking for but just didn't care enough to look right away.

Now the closet is cleaned out mostly but the bed is covered!! Can you see how I struggle to finish this task? :D

I moved my paper rack into my closet since I don't necessarily need it out in the open. My closet has a light, so I can see inside it very well. I pulled a rack the spins and put it in place of the paper rack. I'm hoping that I can use this to actually display things so I don't forget I have them. I ended up with two empty Cropper Hopper 12x12 paper holders - so I need to find a good and practical use for them.

I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one that struggles in this area. I'd love to hear your favorite storage idea. How about sharing something you use that isn't typically used for scrapbook storage? Those are the things I really like. I have a hard time spending money on storage items (unless it's a fabulous deal) because that's money I could spend on tools or paper!!! So, I tend to look for things that I can repurpose.

Okay - that's enough chatting. I need to get back to cleaning/purging/organizing!!

lisa