It’s been a fairly quiet cue-the-crickets kind of month around here. When I say here, I mean this space on the world wide interwebs as I’ve heard it referred to. In the real-life moments of the day, it’s been anything but quiet. More like a raucous kids-all-jacked-up-on-summertime-and-sugar celebration, complete with enough coffee and Aleve for all the grown-up types. And yesterday held a few quiet moments locked in a bathroom hiding from the breadth and width of all these changes sipping a blood orange spritzer in the cutest little local eatery as yet another one of our birds prepares to fly across the great pond for a summer study abroad program. It’s been a virtual fruit basket of emotions that there isn’t time or space to delve into.
Kentucky Native Cafe – Lexington
Real-life Moments
And this week I’m preparing for my most colossal Read More
When it comes to vacation season, the destination is usually the stuff of dreams, but the actual packing can feel more akin to a nightmare. But not this year! Because today I have a special treat for you from my sweet friend Sarah over at She Holds Dearly. Many of you will remember meeting Sarah a few months ago when I shared some of my favorite e-courses and we talked about this little concept of knowing and keeping our essentials. Last fall she created a course with all the ins and outs of finding time to hold dearly those things that matter most to each of us, and it was a game-changer for me. I met Sarah last fall at the Haven Haven conference and I can not even begin to tell you what a sweet encouragement her friendship has meant to me both in this blogging adventure and in this journey of life. I’ve been so excited for her to guest post here and share her wisdom and tips to make vacation packing a breeze just in time for the summer holidays!
So, with no further ado, please welcome Sarah here to So Much Moore …
The month of May tends to be a transition month in most peoples’ minds. Spring has officially arrived and the promise of summer is on the horizon. We start blocking off our vacation time and thinking about all the fun that is coming.
May is actually the perfect month to start prepping for those upcoming vacations. They may seem far off, but I want to share with you a few Read More
Many of you followed along and participated last fall in the Mission Organization | Closet Rescue Project with Amanda from Life on the Bay Bush and Tori from Mess to Blessed. It was a month that started with more than it’s fair share of chaos and wrapped up all neat and tidy with more curated wardrobes and closets. And since the weather finally seems to be warming up for good, it seems a good day to share the spring wardrobe switch and closet makeover update with y’all.
The spring wardrobe switch and closet makeover update
I decided a few days ago that it really was time Read More
Thanks for all the love on the Chalkboard Wall project we completed this week. It’s always fun to watch something come together the way you had imagined. It’s even better when you get to do any project with your favorite people. And as far as were concerned, the challenge of thinking outside the box and using what you have requires ingenuity and leaves behind a strong sense of fulfillment. So just for fun, here’s a little run-down of what really went down in our kitchen the other day in the making of a bargain chalkboard wall.
The making of a bargain chalkboard wall
The making of a bargain chalkboard wall | assets and liabilities
It’s always a good place to start, this listing of assets and liabilities. It helps to establish parameters and to have a starting point to launch creativity.
How is my kitchen organizing compliments of Gilmore Girls anyway?
Several weeks ago I joined Sarah at She Holds Dearly and a group of almost 100 others in a Home Decluttering Challenge based on the best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Last week we purged our kitchens and then restocked cabinets and pantries with only those items we truly use. The extra space on each shelf if such a visual treat for those of us with an aversion to chaos. The purging part is great to get rid of the excess, but I’ve always loved the organizing part and today I bring you a little Kitchen Organizing compliments of Gilmore Girls.
Happy Sunday! I hope y’all are enjoying a day of rest and at least a touch of fall, even if it’s a pumpkin-flavored treat on a 90 degree day!
I’ve added two things this weekend – velvet hangers and a small lamp for softer light.
Since it’s Sunday, that makes it the final day for the Closet Makeover Giveaway. Which means, if you haven’t entered, you only have a matter of hours so do so …
A month ago I decided to finish organizing my bedroom closet the way I had planned to when we moved into our house … five years ago. Then I came up with a few ideas to add a bit of decorating and DIYing to the project. And if you’re going to do something like that, you might as well invite a few friends along, right? So I did. Before we knew it, it had become a blogging collaboration between So Much Moore, Tori at Mess to Blessed and Amanda at Life on the Bay Bush. Three weeks ago we challenged y’all to join us for Mission Organization | Closet Rescue. We’ve purged, DIY’d, decorated and organized and now we get to present Mission Organization | Closet Reveal Highlights.
My closet after the purge, and a weekend trip, but before the makeover
Oh. My. Goodness. Y’all! We are having so much fun with this Closet Makeover purging process. I mean look at this …
You just never know what beauties you’ll uncover when you set out to rescue a closet!
We told you this would be more fun with friends, even if they do happen to be states away! As it turns out there’s even more fun to be had if your friends are slightly crazy!
Here’s a recap of Amanda and Tori’s closet purge …
Amanda @ Life on the Bay Bush
Amanda’s closet before the purge – there are treasures hidden in there people!
Here’s a quick recap of Amanda’s purging process in her own words…
Purging is tough y’all. It comes with a lot of guilt. Guilt about getting rid of something you spent $X amount of money on…or about being wasteful…Guilt about not being able to fit into something anymore…It also comes with a lot of fear. Fear that …
I become sentimentally attached to everything! If you remind yourself that it’s just “stuff” and doesn’t change your value/size/memory/self-worth…it’s a lot easier to let go of.
It already looks great and the DIY fun hasn’t even started!
Here are the questions I ask myself when I’m purging…
Has anyone ever asked me if I was pregnant when I was wearing this and the answer was no, followed by the stink eye? Happened more than I would like to admit.
Is it uncomfortable? Looking at you, shoes from Las Vegas.
Does this fit? This was the deal breaker on more items than I’d care to admit …
You can read more wisdom and encouragement from Amanda by clicking here
Tori at Mess to Blessed
And Tori’s before shot of her closet. I wonder if there’s something magical hiding under that crevice?
And a recap of Tori’s closet purge …
When I moved all of my clothes from one closet to another, I STILL MOVED clothes that I hadn’t worn in years… from one place to another, only to take up more space.
One of the questions Tori asked herself in purging is “Does it fit?” you’ll have to read her comical little rant on that! Her next question was, “Is it fit to wear out in public? Now here is the thing and I know you may be thinking, duh! … Okay, I am telling you this in love and all kindness, no one needs to see that. So for the love, trash it.
Don’t worry about what your closet looks like after this, we will organize later. Right now, just get rid of the stress that you don’t need.
Cue the angel chorus … Tori’s post-purge and pre- DIY closet
Tori has also made a purge checklist printable with a few questions to use when culling through your closet. Just a few basics to make wise purging decisions a little more quickly. Trust me, if you don’t have a few basic criteria, you’ll find yourself bogged down in all sorts of emotions and rabbit trails that could turn this into a project of ginormous proportions, and nobody needs that!
You can pick up Tori’s Closet Purging printable and read the rest of her purging questions by clicking here.
A few final thoughts on this purging phase
Focus on the finish line. Bottom line, in a matter of hours you’ll have this stage done. Then in a matter of days you’ll have a fresh new palette and system to organize those things that you really love without the distraction of the mediocre. In a matter of weeks, you’ll be amazed at how much stress you didn’t even know you had about this whole clothing, storage thing. Within a matter of months, you’ll have moved on to other areas of your home and life clearing away the excess and hanging onto to that which you truly love, and the margin you’ll have created will blow you away.
Once we get through this purge process, we get to do the fun organizing, DIY and design aspects of the closet makeover!
A few fun things to consider for the next step, aka. the fun part!
Before you restock your closet, stop. Admire the space. Take a few measurements. Pour a cup of coffee or tea and admire your quiet closet one more time. Now you get to start thinking about this space and its new identity.
Here are a few questions to ponder in the next few days before we get to our DIY projects and storage ideas next Monday.
What do I want this space to feel like? What sort of feeling do I want to have when I open the doors? Do you want quiet and calm or do you prefer a fun pick-me-up vibe?
What is my biggest storage need in my closet? Hanging space? Dresser? Shoe storage? User-friendly boxes and bins?
What will motivate me to keep my closet tidy and functional for the long haul? A little art? Simplicity? A curtain with tie backs instead of doors?
What can I repurpose to achieve some of these goals? How can I think outside the box for creative solutions? When’s the last time I shopped my house?
How can I involve my spouse, or those I may share the closet with, in this project? Could they help me create an element to add to the closet?
A sneak peek at a few of the elements I’ll be using in the DIY and design phase next week.
Congratulations! You’ve completed the toughest part and it’s all fun and games from here. Or something like that. The reality is that now you get to move forward very intentionally. You get to choose to add only those things that you really love. To free up space, time and energy to enjoy what really matters. To say no to the stress of the urgent so you can say yes to the best.
Sabbath. It has been my word for the year. I wait for one every year, a word that is. And it’s always an interesting mix of scary and exciting when I find I’ve settled on the one. It typically stems from something God has been growing in me, but that is far from done. The funny thing is how my understanding of my year’s word blossoms and grows into something that I would never have guessed mid-January.
This year, just like the last four has been no exception. This learning of Sabbath is slowly shaping me to rest in Christ, to be, to breathe deeply in a way that is very unnatural for me. And along with the rest has come the concept of quieting life around me, from schedules to spaces to time spent just enjoying the company of others. Though it may seem unrelated, clearing away the excesses in my home has been an outgrowth of this that has reduced stress in ways I never could have imagined. So today, I’m asking you to join myself and others in Mission Organization | The Great Closet Purge.
It’s purge week
Mission Organization | The Great Closet Purge
As I mentioned last week, I read about the KonMari method in Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying this past winter and found myself ready to approach this whole tidying concept in an entirely different way.
A few disclaimers here –
** This post contains an affiliate link. Basically, that means if you click on the links I’ve provided and decide to make a purchase, then I’ll make a little commission. It does not cost you anything extra, it just makes it easier for you to find products. THANK YOU for following along on this closet makeover with SoMuchMoore**
While I do not embrace the worldview of Ms. Kondo, she has presented some helpful principles in approaching this whole tidying thing in a way that is understandable and fairly easy to apply.
Purging Basics
Our view a few months after the purge and a weekend away, but before the decorating
This isn’t about organizing, it’s about purging. Don’t even sidetrack yourself with the organizing right now.
As much as possible, purge at one designated time. Purging your closet in one evening or weekend will leave you with a strong sense of accomplishment. It creates momentum to complete the task and it keeps your goal front and center instead of sidetracked with the bit-by-bit-when-I-have-time approach.
Before you purge, gather ALL of your clothing together at one time, in one place. If you have any clothes that are out of season or not quite the right size yet, grab those too.
The stacks of clothing categories on my bed during our closet purge.
Divide the closet contents into categories and tackle them one at a time. My categories included sweaters, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, jackets, shoes, undergarments, accessories. I gathered all of my short-sleeved shirts into a pile and purged that stack, then I moved on to the long-sleeved shirts and on and on. The Kon Mari method advises piling your items on the floor, I actually used my bed because my back can’t handle sitting on the floor and sorting for very long.
Kondo’s criteria for keeping an item is to hold it in your hand and ask if it sparks joy. My approach was to lay out each item and think through whether or not I really loved it. Was it the one piece I tended to choose or it was just a “that’ll do” item? If I hadn’t worn it much during it’s last season that served as a great indicator that I didn’t really love it, and it was time to bless someone else with the item.
And our view to the left, you just have to love the motor oil boxes, right?
Don’t put stuff back into your closet until you’ve finished purging everything. Think of it like writing a paper. Your first draft is writing down everything you want to communicate on your chosen subject, then you go back and start editing. If you edit while you write, you’ll lose your train of thought and your paper will feel disjointed. Same concept here. Just purge away. If you have to stop for dinner, leave your freshly purged pile on the floor and come back afterward to forge on with the thinning of your closet.
As much as you can, use your bedroom closet for clothing and perhaps bedding and linens for your master bedroom and bath. It’s not the place to store extra jackets, cleaning items, books, Christmas gifts … you get the idea.
What to do with all this stuff
GET RID OF IT! You can make a few piles – a keep pile, a blessing a friend or organization pile, and a trash bag. That’s it.
We all have those items that are harder to part with than the rest, and there are several options here…
If it’s still not the item you choose to wear or really love, then go ahead and think of someone special to pass it on to, as opposed to the local thrift store. If you have a box of outfits your kids wore, take a few pictures of them to include in a digital or hard copy scrapbook and then find another family to bless,
An envelope pillow tutorial for that sweater you neve wear by can’t seem to part with.
Repurpose them into something else. I made these pillows out of a sweater that was my Mama’s that I knew I would never wear, but didn’t want to just give away. But here’s a word of caution – only allow yourself a few of these items, and go ahead and cut them up or start the process of crafting so you’re not tempted to snatch if out of the pile and add it right back to your closet.
There will always be a few items that you simply can’t part with and that’s okay, just in case you’re the type that needs permission consider it granted. You’re welcome! I have some heirloom baby gowns that have been in our family since the 1800s and you can guarantee those will be passed on to our children and grandchildren.
There will be a moment or two of panic. It could be the idea of parting with a particular item. Maybe it’s guilt when you look at the pile and wonder if you meet the criteria for a hoarder. Or it’s the size of the pile you’ve accumulated and the fact that now you have to actually do something with it or you’ll never be able to walk through your room or sleep in your bed again!
This is it! The Mission Organization | Closet Rescue Challenge. Join 3 bloggers as we makeover our closets and let’s all head into fall with less chaos and more order in our lives.
So last week around here a challenge was issued for a closet makeover. When two fellow bloggers responded, we decided it would be a fun collaborative project. It quickly turned into “Mission Organization | Closet Rescue”! Which means you’ll have three others walking this harrowing journey with you – 3 times the ideas, 3 times the perspectives, 3 times the prizes. Yay prizes!
** This post contains an affiliate link. Basically, that means if you click on the links I’ve provided and decide to make a purchase, then I’ll make a little commission. It does not cost you anything extra, it just makes it easier for you to find products. THANK YOU for following along on this closet makeover with SoMuchMoore**
With what you have … a few things to overcome?
See that last line up there? “With what you have.” Let’s talk about that for just a minute.
Now, I don’t know about you, but most of us have these little running conversations in our heads. They’re all different but they often contain what counselor-types call “negative self-talk”. Whether it’s about not making our bed, or exfoliating, or eating enough veggies, or using our kind patient words with our children … you get the idea, right?! And somehow in the midst of these mini-rants we give much more weight to our liabilities than our assets.
Because of this sad little bent that we all seem to have, those words, “With what you have” can come across as a bit heavy, judgemental and even exclusive if you will. We all come to these conversations with our own hidden list of inadequacies. Like …
… a teeny tiny space to work with
… a firm belief that we do not possess even one creative bone in our body
… too many family and job responsibilities to even think about pinning a few DIY projects much less the time to complete them.
… a lack of energy for a myriad of reasons that make taking the first step nigh impossible
Whew, too many inadequacies here, my friend!
With what you have … How about a few assets!
The beautiful thing is that we also have certain assets at any given time. Like …
… a creative ability to make something magical with a bit of patience and some modge podge
… access to loads of scrap wood and an expert carpenter
… financial resources that allow for the purchasing of organizational tools that are so cool there’s no need for even the slightest of personal touches
… a desire to make a change and just enough courage to go for it
Good news! These assets and liabilities may come and go through various seasons of our lives. That’s where the beauty of “With what you have” comes in.
Tori is a lifestyle blogger who lives in an old farmhouse with her husband, their four kids and a variety of animals. She’s addicted to flavored coffee and I know you’ll enjoy her blog and it’s range of topics from faith and family to DIY, organization and her regular Friday Funny feature. Tori claims her biggest liability for this project to be a teeny tiny closet with a slanted ceiling, along with the time constraints of a Mama involved in her church and kids school life too.
You can pause right now and follow her on instagram @messtoblessed, on pinterest @ Mess to Blessed and on facebook @ Mess to Blessed – click on each of the underlined links to go straight to her pages.
Amanda is also a lifestyle blogger who lives on a farm with her hubby and three girls. Her loves include – family, DIY projects, Coke zero, Disney and her church family. With all daughters, you may find a little more pink on her blog in the midst of her passion for repurposing old things into something new and beautiful. Won’t it be fun to follow along on her adventures! Amanda would say that though she is blessed with a walk-in closet, it has quickly become a storage area for her girl’s treasures waiting to be passed on to others.
A few friends and a desire to make chores fun? That’s exactly how this collaborative series started. We are each in different seasons and bring different assets and liabilities to the table. So in the coming weeks, you’ll find three different approaches to tackling the chaos that is our closets. One of us may choose to use more ready-made organizational systems while another opts for old diaper boxes. Another may craft everything from a tree they felled with an old hand saw, just kidding that’ll never happen.
Bottom line – each makeover will be different because we all bring different things to the table and have our own unique goals for our space. There is no right or wrong here … can I get an amen!
The one thing we have in common? Wanting a more organized and quieted closet and the understanding that everything is more fun when done with friends!
Here’s what you can look forward to …
For the next few weeks, we’ll be tackling one step in this process each week. The first week we’ll be purging and thinking through closet goals, yes #closetgoals is a hashtag. Then you’ll need a weekend break before we get to week two – DIY projects and ideas to spur your own creativity, and yes, believe it or not, you do have some of that! And we’ll wrap it all up on week 3 with some final closet reveals, just in time to restock those cozy sweaters and fun boots for fall!
Granted this is not my bedroom closet, but trust me, chaotic closets are not unique to any of us at some point!Taming this basement closet over the summer is incentive enough to tackle the bedroom closet!
How do you fit in here?
Well, I’m so glad you asked! We would love for y’all to grab a friend or two or 12 and join us. We would even recommend a purging party, it’s so much more fun with a buddy … and chocolate, obviously! In that process you can knock around some goals and start dreaming of what you want for your space. We won’t judge one bit if that requires a little coffee get together too.
Share your own pics of your process via e-mail to blog@somuchmoore.net, either the final week or after each relevant post. We would LOVE to see things like your before pic or maybe a giveaway pile if you deem your before picture too revealing – though we don’t believe they could be much worse than that one above! Share some of your ideas, successes, and even fails, We’ll be sharing ours and it’s so much easier to learn from someone else’s “save” than to have to go through the oops! ourselves.
You’ll have the better part of the final week, towards the middle to end of September to send us pics of your final reveal. AND then the really fun part …
Each of us bloggers are creating a little closet happiness project that we’ll be working on for our own closets and we’ll be making extra for a lucky reader to be chosen at random.
The catch? Just that we want you in the trenches with us! How does that happen?
1 – follow al three of us on social media
2 – send us pics of your oown closet makeover and we’ll consider them proo of your trench time.
No, this is not for the faint of heart. But we know y’all enough to know that we know that we know that Y’ALL ARE BRAVE!
Up next
Be looking for our next post on Monday about the purging process. If you want to do a little research in the meantime, I used quite of the few concepts found in Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up“. I’ve also included a few ideas that you might find helpful on my pinterest board “A place for everything”
We’re looking forward to taming our space with you and please feel free to contact me at blog@somuchmoore.net if you have any other questions that I can answer. See y’all Monday morning to tackle this beast!
