New Year...new attitude

Let me start out by saying 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!' and here's to wishing all of you the best in your upcoming endeavors whatever they may be.

We've all heard it asked many times 'what are your resolutions for the New Year?'..I know I've been asked tons of times!
For many many years I refused to make 'resolutions'..and opted for affirmations instead, to me it was a better choice. I always made affirmations at the beginning of each year as to what I already knew and what I wanted to change...but 'resolutions'?? ...eh..sounds so permanent ((shudder the thought!))
I like change sometimes. Change is good..when it's needed.

So again, this year, I affirmed a few things. Here is what I already KNEW:
I knew:
I was squished and confused in my own home. WHY?  Things in my home did not have the potential they could  have. Made me feel like I didn't have that potential either.
(stick with me, it'll all be clear in a minute)
With a new job at hand, and my house seemingly at odds, I knew my year might not hold as much potential as it COULD.
I asked myself why? And I kept telling myself ..'my house just wasn't big enough, it didn't have proper storage..things were in chaos". Now, mind you, I don't mean dirty, but out of sorts, misplaced, homeless for some things.
Finally, when the New Year was upon me, I had to take a hard hard look and realized the REASON for the 'squished', lack of potential feeling was NOT due to lack of space or the need for a bigger house, it was because of two things and two things alone:

1. I had too much stuff (mind you, not tons, but too much for the current storage potential)
and
2. The space in which I lived was not living up to it's potential.

It wasn't a matter of needing more space, it was a matter of doing more within the space I had.

LIGHT BULB!

So I sat myself down a week or two before the new year and started making lists. Tons of lists. (lists help me think!)
Then I got up, took my lists and walked around my house. Adding to my list, subtracting from my lists and making doodles of possibilities on my list.
Always keeping in mind, 'doing more with the space you have'.
And with the lists in hand, ideas in my head I made this solemn vow.

2013 would be the year of doing more within the space I had.

I sat aside one month for each major project, goal or 'revamp' if you will. The first on my list??

The master bedroom area, closet first.
I'm not sure who designed it, but it sucked.
I'm not sure who put it together, but it sucked.
It was my turn at bat. This Mighty Casey would not strike out.

SO here we are..before and after. I'm doing more with the space I have:




Is this a hot mess or what??




This is mostly floor space..sad huh?

 The closet was designed with one rod, at eye level with floor space to fill with 'junk' or at least fill with things that didnt' have a proper place. Wanna see more??



The shelf above was pure chaos..who designed this mess?




and as you can see, the clothes were cramped in....no room to move!

 First things first..empty it. Then..clean it. This closet is not easy to photgraph, but at least you'll see, it's empty and clean. Needless to say it's not a very big closet, but sufficient with the right 'additions'.



Empty....this is one side..trust me, it looks the same on the other.

Now..for the additions:
First, this had to be done as cost affective as possible..so I had to use what I already had on hand. I just so happened to have ..two white closet maid type dressers..

One for each side of the closet..there is a mirror image on the other side, exactly opposite.

I purchased the 6 cube cubicals on top of the dresser. Stacked they went.
Now to get rid of that 'single' hanging rack idea..how ridiculous. There was a lot of real estate above and below the original hanging rack. I took advantage of it.




New rod....center of the closet. 38'' above the floor, and 36'' below the upper shelf/hanging rod

 And I know you can't see the shelving above, but I moved it up so that it is 14'' below the ceiling.  (instead of the near 30'' THEY had it!)

Once the shelf was moved, the new rod put in, the dressers and cubicals on both sides..we began filling it back up.




Hubs side (he's more of the clothes horse than I'll EVER be!) Either way, he has more room!



My side..Ohhhhh the glory of it all!

 
 

The cubical on my side..nicely appropiated...oh yes!

 Is it finished? Yeah, pretty much. There are a few more things that will go in there, but now at least, they have a home..a space in which they will fit nicely. The entire upper shelf above the hanging rods is empty, the floor is empty...I have space, can see it all, and still have room.

One goal down!

See you next time...down on the farm!