Back to Basics...

Well, it's official: the kids are back to school as of yesterday, and I need to get my act together and make some sense of the disorder running rapmant in the corners, cupbooards, cabinets, and closets of my home!

I find myself dreading opening my fridge...knowing it has a summers worth of crud waiting for me to attack (along with some outdated food items!). I need to go through the kids' (and our) closets to weed out the really summery clothing that just doesn't look good after Labour Day. My garage is a complete and utter embarassment: how it got that way is beyond me. At this point, I open the door from the mudroom, close my eyes, toss the recycables in the general direction of the bins and say a quick prayer!

 It overwhelms me like you cannot even imagine.

Then I go over here and visit our favourite GIRL. I love this blogger - she makes me laugh out loud at her posts and dry wit; but lately I just feel bad about myself when I visit, and it's entirely my own fault!! Chris is the quintessential "should have been a professional organizer". Instead, she is an ultra organized cute school teacher (same diff!) who leaves me swinging between sheer and utter envy/ admiration and the urge to pinch myself really hard for letting my home fall into such disorder over the summer. Still, because I love her, I choose to be inspired and try to learn from her orderly ways.

She's a teacher after all...!

Check out these examples of what my house should look like, and will, if I have anything to say about it!

I feel some Madonna music coming on and a large pot of coffee!!!

all images, Just a Girl

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Head on over to Julia's Hooked on Party. While I'm hooked on organization this week, she shares a really "sweet passion" herself, along with some other great links from fellow readers!

No, (gulp)...that's not mine.

I love order.

I'm hooked on it, in fact.

I love hitting the aisles at Homesense where they have all of the great storage solutions like beautiful baskets, boxes, hooks and more. I am not a cluttery girl at all. I find it torturous to sit down and have my cup of tea until the kitchen is tidied; and orderly spaces send a feeling of calm through every cell of my body until I am completely relaxed. I clean my "junk drawer" once a week.

So how did this happen to me?

I snapped this photo after Christmas and thought about making it a screen saver to shame myself for letting things get this bad. However, simply taking the photo and admitting my messiness spurred me into action. I plunked myself down on the floor and began the organization process from the bottom up. Out went the toys that had somehow landed in there, the Christmas wrap I didn't even know I had, picture frames that I could put to use, and extra linens, that I finally admitted I didn't need, were packaged up and put in a pile to donate.

Table linens were reorganized into a neat stack, bed linens were folded as best I can (I refuse to try to fold bottom sheets like Martha instructs), pillow cases wrapped around them (which is such a neat trick), and all of my fabric remnants were neatly folded and placed in a zippered plastic case that some new curtains came in. Curtains are also a problem for me: I keep buying them!

So a good hour later, and here is my new and improved linen closet. Not as pretty as some (certainly no cedar lined shelving!), but it gives me that calm feeling every time I reach in to retrieve what I need.

I can't believe I showed you that! Gives new meaning to "cleaning out my closet," doesn't it?

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Head on over to see Julia at Hooked on Houses. She is hosting a round-up of what everyone is hooked on. I can't say I liked showing what I did, but don't worry...everyone else is showing something pretty!!

The Kitchen Pantry...

photo: Country Living

The kitchen pantry has made a huge comeback in today's modern kitchens and has enjoyed a revival for those of us possessing, or pining for, a "kitchen of yesteryear". For some, adding a kitchen pantry stems from sheer necessity: larger and simply more small appliances have invaded our kitchens, and the huge bulk purchases of paper towels and flour that we stock up on take over the recesses of our cabinets like "space invaders" of our own time. Adding a pantry makes perfect sense in our modern world and serves multiple functions for today's busy families.

Of course, aesthetics often factor into the design equation for homeowners wishing to create pretty pantries...pantries that not only serve as a space for our food wares, but also as the perfect spot to showcase our collections of dishware, glasses, and teacups.

photo source: Flikr.com

We have even tossed out the ever-so-sensible Tupperware and plastic storage containers - partly out of fear of leaching chemicals into our foods; and partly because...well... plastic really isn't all that pretty!

Indeed, we are resurrecting the gool ol' Mason jars...giving them orderly tags...even embellishing them with fabric scraps to dignify their metal lids! In fact, it is this need for order in every aspect of our home that has led to the streamlining of our pantries into areas that we now want to show off! We are unveiling our pantries for all to see, using pretty wooden screen or glass doors to enclose their goods.

photo: Country Living

Shelves are often lined with delicate papers in pleasing patterns...perhaps even pom pom fringe or lace trim tacked to their edges! Pantries are no longer the utilitarian closets they once were. Just as we are taught to organize every space in our home, we are also being inspired to do so in an eye-catching way!

photography: Jean Allsopp

For those of us without such grand aspirations, our pantries are left hidden...stuffed full of actual necessities. With today's rising food costs, some are returning to our grandmother's ideals of maintaining a well-stocked pantry "just in case." Pantries like this are oblivious to the need for beauty. It is more about how much is in there rather than how pretty it looks. Either way, I am happy the pantry is experiencing this revival. I have had pantries of both kinds in previous homes, but presently have neither. Which means one of two things: I either finally have ample cabinet space for my food and appliances, or I need to stock up!!

What about you? Tell me about your pantry...

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I love this idea of using a vintage apron to use in your pantry for storage of recipe cards, twine, elastic bands, etc.

photo: Country Home

Pantries are a great spot to store those large bags of pet food. I also love this idea of incorporating a "pet pantry" of sorts into your cabinetry for easy access to your pet's feeding needs.

photography (above and below) Emily Milton Redfield

This is a very common, and more modern, approach to the old-fashioned pantry: organized, and out of sight/out of mind!!

The pantry below was obviously well-planned and incorporated into the design of the kitchen. It is also imminently do-able for anyone with a little extra space at their ready in a pre-existing kitchen.

photographer: John O'Hagan

Aahh...I would love to have a pantry like this! A well-stocked pantry means less last-minute trips to the grocery store!