Week 1, Days 3, 4, 5

I didnt do much over the weekend.  It was spent with the babies and daddy, but here is what I have done since my last entry!!

Moved all my appliances off of my shelves (notice the bucket of knives and utensils next to the pitcher?)

There they all, nice and pretty...

Silverware Storage before....

Silverware storage after!  A lot of my misc things were able to be put into the extra part of this!  I love it!! Thank you container store :) 

Utensil storage before...you cant see it but there are chips and cracks in the black paint around the container, as well as its just too small to hold everything comfortably.

Utensil storage after!!  I love this, so much more room in it, and it looks so clean and polished.  Another container store find.

And finally, I dont have a knives before but if you remember the tupperware container full of knives in the picture of the shelves, that is my knife storage before..

Knife storage after!  This was my favorite buy from the container store!! This is the 18 inch one.

I want to finish up tomorrow.  My goal is to complete the white shelves, they have "caught" a lot of junk that is not supposed to be there.  My other goal is to have all my counters completely cleared off.  Then they can stay that way.  I would like to get the fridge done tomorrow, but I expect that will have to wait!

Week 1, Day 2

So, yesterday I stated my goal for today was SHELVES.  I love my shelves, but they are a catch all, and I need to change that.  The first step in changing it you need to clear it off.  So, I will show you how I did.  The next step is figuring out what I want to use them for.

This used to be my pantry .  When we got our pantry cabinets, we put all my appliances up there and then it became a catch all.  Here is my after picture....

Its blurry sorry.  But as you can see its completely cleared except for kitchen things!!  The only thing that isnt a kitchen thing of course is the printer, but I dont have an office yet, so it will stay there until I do have one in a month or so!

Here are more before and after pictures...

This used to be another portion of my pantry.  It is a Wal-Mart bookshelf.  I need to decide what will go here as well!

Again I am sorry its so blurry, these were taken with a cell phone and I couldnt stabilize my hands.  Here is my after picture...

It is being used as food and knife storage.  Also on the top is a coffee pot, so its not on my counters.  

I am very happy with my progress so far.  It doesnt look huge to most people but it is huge to me!  Its amazing to me.  With every step I take, its a step in the right direction.

I want to see if my appliances will fit on the bookshelf above, so they are all in one place.  That will be a plan for tomorrow.  I will also be going to the container store.  I have two things I want to purchase.  The first is...

A magnetic knife storage strip.  I am excited for that, because I need my knives in a much more practical storage solution.

The second thing I want to purchase is...

We keep our silverware on the counter in two cups.  I would love to have a much better and cuter way to store my mundane silverware!

I will be posting a "wish list" in my next entry of things I would like to get to help my kitchen organized.

Week 1

Its been a while since I have posted, but I am starting a new challenge.

Its called the 52 weeks to an organized home challenge.  I am starting from the January challenge and just going through slowly but surely.  First we should discuss our home and how it could use improvement.

My home is so cluttered and unorganized.  I dont know how to be organized.  I was never taught that.  This challenge will help me so much with that.  Nothing has its own place here...my bookshelves are overflowing with paper.  My kitchen counters take a miracle to be cleared off.  I am getting organized slowly on my own, but I love this idea to help me.

First I will show you pictures of my kitchen counters as they are right now.

My counters used to be cluttered with appliances.  We have since purchased pantry cupboards, and we were able to put my appliances on shelves.

I need to decide what I want my kitchen space to be used for....

• Home Base (calendar, home management binder, ect)
• Storing cold/shelf stable food
• Preparing food
• Eating

I need to create a silverware storage area, and a knife storage area, and I need to clear off my shelves tomorrow and start there!  

Not yet a Master

My sewing is really taking off.  I love to lose myself behind the hum of a sewing machine, and come out with an adorable little creation of my own, even if I was just following a tutorial!  I have made a couple more projects, but I am obviously just beginning, they are not perfect.  I need a few more materials for my sewing kit, so I may be better at what I am doing.

Two versions of a similar concept.  I found the tutorial for it at this blog.  Its so cute.  These are just my concepts, I would love to give them to my daughters for Christmas. This will be one of their gifts, however my problem is they are not perfect yet.  I know they wont care that they arent perfect, so I really shouldnt be complaining.

One of my friends has asked me if I would make her an apron, and another on has asked me to make her a tote bag.  Maybe something good (like a little extra money) may come from this!  How exciting would that be.

I am going to make another tote bag, that is next on my project list, and then I will start on another project!  I know one thing I will make is a heating pad, but I am not sure what else, so I need to find more ideas!  Pinterest, here I come!

I am a beginner

Being new is such an uncomfortable feeling!  I am new at both blogging and at sewing and crafting, but hopefully as I craft more, the newness will wear off and I will have a lot of crafting friends/readers, as well as a skill!  How exciting.

I really got into crafting this past week when it was time for Mothers Day and I didnt know what to get my mother in law.  My girls looked through a Disney Princess craft book and we found the instructions for colored bath salts!  How excited we were to play with food coloring and create Grandma a special gift.

This is the gift we were left with (excuse the date I didnt set the camera up before taking the picture)!  How adorable is that?  After we created that gift, I decided to pull out a sewing machine my wonderful husband bought me 2 years ago for Christmas. We have a crib that is an odd size, we havent used it for my son because I cannot find a sheet that fits it....so...

My first project was to create a pillowcase type sheet (since it was such a thin mattress) to fit the crib!  It turned out so great, and it built my confidence a great deal.  I decided to dig through my bin of fabric bought when I first got the machine and create something else.  I googled, and searched pinterest for my next easy peasy project....

This project again was very, very easy.  I made some mistakes on it, but I have figured out how to correct them on my next project similar to this.  I dont expect my sewing to ever be "perfect" but the more I do it, the more confidence I gain.  I have a goal, working on one project every evening, so as to improve my skill! Most of the gifts given this year will be homemade gifts by yours truly!