Some Much-Needed Organization

Hey everyone!  During breaks when I was editing and posting our European trip, I was doing some re-organizing around our home.  One place that really needed my attention, is my decor cabinet.  Fortunately I did this before our temps soared into the 110+ range.  And just an FYI, when we AZ desert dwellers say, "It's a dry heat," it is true....two days ago our relative humidity was 3%!  Yes, you read that right!  Okay, back on track.  I am so pleased with how my storage turned out, and I just have to share.

First you have to see some befores!

             

                 

Believe me, I am so grateful that we have all of this storage in our garage, but.......

it's not the best for storing my chotskies.  That being said, it's what I've got, and I am making 

the best of it.

ONE HOT MESS!

Anytime I wanted something from the top shelf, I had to get the ladder or risk knocking something else off the shelf & having it crash to the floor......1st hand knowledge!  The shelves are 23" deep, which is great, but also awkward.

Things were just getting shoved into whatever space was available.

Hmmm.....those shelf labels don't seem to be working.

SUPER HOT MESS!

Well, as with any project I have, I need to start with a plan or a sketch, so that's what I did for this cabinet.  I cleaned and purged everything & emptied the cabinet.  Then I measured the space, and I measured all of the available storage containers that I had.  I recycle storage bins & boxes all the time and never throw them away.  For this project, I really did not want to buy anything.

Ready for the after?

I love this!  I didn't want to close it up and put the car back in the garage!

I did have to buy one dishpan at the Dollar Store....already had the others.  

I had to get very creative in how & where everything would fit.  Oops, I see a label fell off!

The "OCD-Me" really wanted all of these plastic shoe boxes to be the same, but I tamed that beast and used what I already had!

Some of these things had been residing in my craft room, but I did a re-organization of that space, too, and decided to send them to the decor cabinet.

I'm okay with some boxes not being closed.

I know this isn't the ideal way to store some of these items.  Would I love it if I had a bunch of shallow shelves for my decorative pieces?  Oh, absolutely!  

But this is working well for the space I do have.

The white bins are drawers from a storage stack that fell apart, but the drawers were still good.

I labeled everything so the labels make sense to me.

For some bulkier or less often accessed pieces, I used the space behind the other 

storage containers.  I also added labels on the doors identifying what items were in 

the far back.

I had several of these IKEA storage boxes which were perfect for some of the bigger or

more awkward items.

These are some of my larger apothecary jars and hurricanes in a box on the bottom shelf.  This box is heavy, so I don't have to move it very much to get to these things.  The glass vases and candle holders that I use quite frequently, are stored in the laundry room.  That sounds like another post!

The extra space on each shelf was perfect for some vertical storage. 

This is the top shelf, & I used one of those large magazine files to hold some decorative plates so 

they wouldn't fall over.

I used an old tie rack to hold some floral stems.....this may or may not remain here.

On the other door is where I placed labels pertaining to items located behind 

other storage.

Just so you know, I did not do all of this re-organization by myself.  Abby was right there offering assistance where ever she was needed.  You just never know when these plastic bins might just float away, so she's holding them down for me.  She takes her duties very seriously!

Not bad for about four hours of labor and total expenditure of $1!

Wow, it was really fun to do an organization post, it's been awhile.  I may just have a few more to share in the not too distant future.  Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

I often party with these lovely bloggers:

Sunday
Dee at Meatloaf and Melodrama for Snickerdoodle Sunday

Monday

Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday
Karen at Karen's Up on the Hill for Something to Talk About

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Mondays

Tuesday

Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Inspire Me Tuesday

Leslie at House on the Way for Twirl & Take a Bow

Mary Beth at Cupcakes and Crinoline for Project Inspired

Wednesday

Suzy at Worthing Court for The Scoop

Karin at The Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday

Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Thursday

Kelly at Live Laugh Rowe for Live Laugh Linky Party

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday

Friday

Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Anything Blue Friday

Jody & Stan at Rooted in Thyme for Simple and Sweet Fridays