My Closet

Like the husband's closet, the bottom half of mine was already cleaned and organized so we'll deal with the upper half.

BEFORE...

THE TOOL

THE PROCEDURE
(Again, see Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's post)


I looked all over for these last Christmas...

I didn't think to look in my closet.

This is my prized collection of seasons 1, 2, and 3 of ALIAS...I need to get 4 and 5. It was one of my favorite shows of all time! Once I finish this year of projects I've given myself permission to waste an entire week watching the whole series again!

AFTER...

I've been wanting to share with you a great story D tells about Jenny. It's pretty long so stay with me!

One day I happened to be in Jenny's home on an errand. As we were visiting she asked me to look in one of her closets. Well, I hesitated because I don't make a point of looking in anyone's closets. But she insisted, and so I did. Well, I could hardly believe my eyes...everything stashed and stuffed and falling out with each opening of the door. About all I could do is laugh and say to Jenny: "No wonder you're unhappy. It would drive me crazy to live like this."

Then Jenny said, "I know. It's really getting me down. I can't find anything. (BEEN THERE)We're too crowded. All I do is fight clutter. I can't go on like this any longer. And this is the day for me to change. It's my birthday. I'm thirty years old now. (BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE) I figure there should be many productive years ahead of me, so I want to do some things differently from now on. Every closet in my house looks just like this. I know it's terrible but I don't know what to do about it. I just don't know where to start. (BEEN HERE TOO) I want you to help me."

Well, I could understand her predicament...Jenny didn't have the know-how for organizing the space in her home. Now to those of you who do, the matter seems so simple you feel it's hardly worth discussing. But to the many other homemakers who don't have the knack for organizing the space in their home, they need some practical help.

In Jenny's utility closet, for instance, she was constantly irritated by the brooms and mops which fell out each time she opened the door. She had never even thought of hanging them on hooks so they'd stay in place...And on the floor of her closet paper bags were running loose. Think how much better it would be if all those loose bags were kept together in one large bag or container.

Jenny's utility closet was over-crowded too. She hadn't stopped to realize that much of what was in there actually belonged in the storage area.

Well, Jenny and I worked out a plan for putting her closets and cupboards in order. First, it was pointed out that sometimes in life it's necessary to take one step backward in order to go two steps forward (REMEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A FEW WEEKS AGO)...Then she secured three large boxes. One for things to throw away, another for things to give away, and another one for things to later arrange in her storage area. Then she went to work on one closet at a time.

Well, a few days later she called me to see her first closet. I was thrilled with the results. I told her that her only mistake was that she hadn't taken a picture of the "before" and the "after". (I'VE NEVER MADE THAT MISTAKE) Such a photo would certainly win a prize somewhere! But you know, the thing which impressed me most was not the change in the closet, but rather the change in Jenny. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was excited and interested in her home for the first time. And as Jenny made the rounds of every closet and cupboard in her home, she became a new person. She was no longer a drudge who hated housework. She was becoming a professional homemaker who was falling in love with her work.

Jenny's example was a profound one. There are some real reasons why it's important to keep neat closets and drawers.

What a great way to start the weekend...with all my closets cleaned and organized!

Next week we'll be filling that shelf I promised, digging moldy grout out of a shower (I'm going to have to think of an amazing incentive to get that one done) and spending 3 days in the husband's man cave.