Moving things around… Re-organizing my stuff!

So, you know, last week I was cleaning out the drawers next to my desk, right? And I realized, after the fact, that I had only cleaned out the drawer and put most of the same stuff back into it, rather than use the drawer for my “most-used” items and tools, as I had initially planned… Well, this week, I actually got around to rearranging a few things and better utilizing and organizing those drawers! Here’s where I started, and , where I ended up…

After my initial clean-up, but before the re-claiming:

This had been home to my embossing and pigment powders, glitter, and business cards. I moved these things elsewhere, because I simply had no need to have them "right at hand".

After I re-claimed the drawer:

This drawer now holds all my various types of chain, and loads of extra coils of wire in plastic zip bags. (It still needs a "going-through" to get rid of some things and be better organized!

Doesn’t look too bad, though, huh? Well, like I said… it’s a start!

I also started working on organizing my beads better so that I can find what I want, when I want it. Tall order for me, to say the least! I have, quite literally, *thousands* of beads. So, organizing them is definitely a priority… I pulled a giant, antique printer’s drawer I bought years ago, out from under my bed (where the dust bunnies had made quite a nest!) and started cleaning it out and going through the beads I had accumulated from several years past. I even found a couple of strands of expensive beads that I had completely forgotten about buying! (As I’ve cleaned, I’ve also been planning about 6 projects in my head out of those fabulous re-found beads!!)

I’m not going to post a before picture of the printer’s drawer, just out of sheer embarrassment of the dust that had collected there! But here is what it looks like now, and I plan to add a lot more beads to it over the next week or so as I re-organize my collection… Now, I just gotta figure out where to store this monster that *isn’t* under the bed!! 🙂

I found this antique printer's drawer at a flea market several years ago. It has been under my bed for ages, and is now going to be home to a multitude of various beads! Minus the dust, of course!

And another, closer, shot:

It still needs some more organizing before I'm finished with it, but it's a good start!

Okay, time to go at it again… ‘Til next time!

Toodles…

~Lisa~

2012… My year of living dangerously… organized!

I am (almost) completely new to the blogosphere… but, I decided that one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2012 was to get uber-organized, de-clutter and purge old stuff that I no longer need from my life, and to write about my journey along the way.

I am, by nature, a procrastinator; and by birth, a packrat and clutterbug (though I claim no fault for the genes I’ve been given!)…  I am also an artist and jewelry designer, specializing in one-of-a-kind and unique jewelry, as well as handmade jewelry findings that I make and sell to other jewelry artists around the world.

My goal this year, is to finally get organized to the degree that I can live with myself (and my stuff!) and not be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things I’ve managed to collect in my 45 years on the planet.  I have a mere dump truck-load of beads and beading supplies, which tend to get lost in all the chaos that I call my office and workspace.  I am also a shoe and purse diva, sporting a huge collection of barely used goods that tend to get more dust than use. (I know… sad, isn’t it? But hey, if you’re looking for a great deal on some really cute purses and shoes, please give me a holler! I’ll let ’em go cheap, since after all the plan is to organize, de-clutter and purge…) And then, on top of all that? I also love to papercraft and scrapbook, rubber stamp, paint, do needlework, photography, drawing, etc.  If it’s crafty or even remotely creative, I’m ALLLLL over it! I think it’s safe to say that I’ve never met a craft I  haven’t liked… yet, anyway! You get the idea, don’t you??? All of this *stuff*, has taken over my sanity, and I’m trying to gather up the courage (and the willpower!) to do something about it.

I hope you’ll enjoy taking this year-long journey with me, and maybe I can inspire you to get rid of a few clutter-y things too! First order of business: a challenge to get rid of at least 5 things a day that I no longer use, or need, for that matter.  I’ll be posting before and after photos too, so you can see my progress. Oh, and any ideas you might have to share about how YOU stay organized, are *always* welcome. I can definitely use all the inspiration I can get!

You can send any ideas, questions, comments, or e-mails to dangerouslyorganized@yahoo.com, and if you feel like checking out my handmade jewelry creations and findings, you can visit my website at Fresh String Beads on Artfire.

Thanks for visiting, I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Lisa