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February 21, 2011

Next Decluttering / Organizing Project: Hubby's Home Office!

I'm gearing up to dive into Hubby's home office this week. It's next on my list for decluttering and organizing. Of course, he's going to be required to help. :)

I'm taking "before" pictures today. Will post the results when we are done.

February 9, 2011

"Final" Before and After Pictures of My Basement Decluttering Project

I had posted earlier this week about my progress on my basement. Now my basement certainly was not nearly horrendous. I've seen way worse basements and I've seen better. It was (in my opinion) just a pretty standard overcrowded, things got dumped here/there/willy nilly kind of basement. However, this organizing project has been hanging over my head since we moved in 10 ish years ago and I was in the mood to GET 'ER DONE!!! So I set February 2011 as the month it would happen and it DID!!!

Here are final pictures showing a complete walkaround of the basement. I still need to do some more work on my craft shelves, but that will be minor. My basement is basically ushaped - with the stairs dumping you off facing west and you walk around in a half circle with the hot water heater / furnace in the middle of the room beneath the stairs.

As you come down the stairs and take a sharp 90 degree turn for the last three steps, this was the view straight ahead.


Now, it looks like this. :)



If you turn towards the right about 90 degrees, here's what it used to look like:


Here's what it looks like now...


One more 90 degree turn to the right and this is what it looked like:


The after is SOOO much better, isn't it?


Here's the facing view of those shelves on the left before:

And, finally, turn around to see the back corner before (which was pretty open to start with).


And the after, with storage shelves added in.


Next up: I will be doing some super frugal decorating just to try to make the place look a little more homey (heavily inspired by thriftydecorchick's basement redo), including a big exercise mat and an area rug under my craft area. I'll take more pictures when I make some significant progress on the decorating side, but that may be a while, as I have other items on the 2011 Get 'er Done! List that I am working on.

Hubby wants to set up a table and chairs to play Dungeons & Dragons (why, yes, yes, I am married to a geek, how did you know?) with his buddies downstairs.

Eventually we want to finish our basement, but for now, I'm just thrilled to make it more usable.

I posted this on the Elements Interiors: Link Party!

February 7, 2011

Hurray! Before and After Pictures of My Decluttered Basement

I'm not 100% done down there, but I've made so much progress, I thought I would share the pictures. :)

My basement wasn't absolutely horrendous... I've seen worse basements. But it was definitely the typical "way too cluttered, dump anything that doesn't have an obvious home into the basement" kind of basement. I set myself a goal for February to declutter and organize it better and eventually (when we get money) go back down there and take some steps to improve the way it looks. Eventually we want to finish it, but for now, it's still all concrete and bare walls.

Here's the east half of the basement. Lots of boxes that had nowhere to go. I picked up a few extra storage shelves (plus scored some freebies from a neighbor who was throwing them out) and got everything all neatly organized and labeled. I love my labeler! :)



This is the east half when I turn around 180 degrees from the picture above. That back corner was really pretty empty to start with. I added some shelving units and organized stuff along that back wall. The east half is looking FABULOUS!!!




The west half of the basement isn't quite done yet, but here's before and after pictures of my progress anyway. Once I get more done down there, I'll come back and put up a few more pictures, especially once I start doing a little decorating to make it look a little more homey.


So, still more to go, but I'm just so happy to have gotten as far as I have, that I thought I would share. :)

February 4, 2011

More Progress on My Basement

I've been spending about an hour a day in my basement for the last week or two, trying to get it all decluttered and organized. I've picked up some new shelving units as well as totes and organizers (heck it seems like EVERYTHING related to organizing is on sale these days).

I had previously blogged about organizing my canning supplies down there as well as going through my Christmas stuff.

These last few days I have gotten my containers/gift baskets/etc organized and put away as well as our emergency kit supplies, seed starting supplies and bulk goods (extra toilet paper and whatnot).

All I have left to do is household tools/paints, exercise equipment and my craft area and I am DONE! WOW!!! I am so excited and I'm proud of myself for getting this project done. It's the nicest the basement has looked in the 11 years we have lived here.

My plan is to finish up this weekend and get the before and after pics posted before the end of the weekend. Keep your fingers crossed that I plow through everything by then and keep your eyes peeled for the pics!!! :)

February 2, 2011

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday there was no white stuff on the ground...

Yesterday my car was black...

Today it seems to be white...



Yesterday my side yard didn't have any snow in it...

Today...

Well today it's a yard of a different color...