Cozy House Chronicles (Part I): How to DIY a Pantry...

Well, it's Wednesday again and I for one am looking forward to the weekend!  Mostly because then it'll be closer to next weekend when I go on my scrapbooking retreat!!!  I'm so excited; I haven't been to a scrapbooking retreat since March 2013 when I went to Atlanta. So I am really looking forward to going and reconnecting with some of my online crafting friends.  

I'm also looking forward to the weekend because I have re-instituted the "Family Fall Outing." That's right.  For many years, mostly when the kids were younger, we did a lot of family outings:  pumpkin patch or apple picking in the fall, zoo lights and Santa visits in the winter, museums in the spring and a whole myriad of things over the summer.  But, then the kids start growing up ant they're busy and not so much interested in those types of activities anymore.  So I started drafting my other babies to go with and that worked until they moved across the country last year.  So no outings last year.  That didn't make me a happy camper, so I've decided we're going to the apple orchard this Sunday after church.  And so what if the kids think they are too big for it?  Anyone familiar with the movie "Georgia Rule?" Yep - Mommy Rule.  Translation:  Ya gotta go (and pose for pictures with the least amount of snarkiness and sarcasm your tween and teen selves can muster). Stay tuned...

So onto Part I of the Cozy House Chronicles.  So as I've said before, with this move, our family downsized to a house about a third of the size of our last one, and less than half of the one before that.  So it's a serious downsize!  But you know what?  I don't miss it, well, most of it anyway.  I do miss my bathroom, my craft room/office, my closet, and my pantry. The pantry is the subject of today's post - because this house didn't have one and with a smaller kitchen, I was really stumped on what to do with the dry goods (all of which, along with canned goods, extra spices as well as rarely used small appliances, were stored in the pantry at the old house).  So ta-da:  my new pantry! 

My new pantry!  Still needs painting and labels,
but I love it!

While the cozy house didn't have a pantry, it did have two hall closets, one of which is just across from the kitchen.  It was this closet that was designated for reincarnation as a DIY pantry.  Here is a photo of the plain, boring closet before (just a regular closet, with a single rod and a shelf), nothing exciting:

Regular ole closet, nothing to see here!

I used this opportunity to "cute up" the pantry; time to put some of those Pins I love on Pinterest to work!  I told you a few weeks ago that I went to Dollar Tree and purchased an assortment of baskets and other containers in fall/harvest red- those containers were used to organize/categorize food in the soon to be pantry as well as within some of the kitchen cabinets. Here's a breakdown of how I used the various sized baskets and bins to store and organize dry goods.  *Note, it was trial and error; I wasn't sure what was going to fit where, so a lot of back and forth to the various Dollar Tree stores in the area made it happen. There are a lot of pictures, as you will see.  

So first, the various containers and what they house:

Salad Dressings and condiments

Herbal tea collection

Jello, pudding and nutri-grain bars

Cracker containers (these came from Dollar General)

Extra snacks (pudding, fruit cups, applesauce, trail mix)

Crackers:  graham, ritz, club, snack 

Baking mixes (we usually don't have this many, but the extra was
purchased for a RMH project that we didn't make it to...)

Oatmeal

Pancake mix, syrup and grits

Noodles!

Side Dishes (pastas & potatoes)

Dry beans

Powdered drink mix, freeze pops

Soup mixes

Foil, storage bags, etc.

Rice Sides

Canned Chicken and Salmon

Sugar

More tea!

Light bulbs

Whew!  That's a lot of containers, I know (and I think I missed a few).  But, it will all make sense in a minute.  I borrowed a practice that I use in my craft room storage - whenever possible, I got rid of the boxes that the came in because they tend to be bulky and take up too much space.  

So onto the closet transformation.  First, the rod was removed, and three shelves were added.  The shelves were cut from particle board from Home Depot, which is relatively inexpensive and perfect for this project.  Shelf supports were cut from wood, also from Home Depot.  Now for the (un)finished product... I say unfinished because I haven't made it "cute" yet - painted the shelving or labeled the containers yet (still unpacking my craft supplies, so it will be totally done soon).  So I put everything where it was going to go to a) make sure that it all fit and b) to get those containers of food off of the kitchen floor!  So without further ado, here's the new DIY pantry (overlook the ugly, unpainted particle board - that's just a temporary situation...):

Top shelf is the original shelf that was already in the closet;
shelf below it was added

Lower two shelves (also added my airtight canisters)

Pantry floor

  I was even able to hang my aprons on the inside of the bi-fold door:

And there you have it - a DIY Pantry!!!  Once I get the shelves painted and the containers labeled, it will look as if it was always that way.  I was very pleased that everything fit; I didn't do any pre-measuring to make sure the containers would fit and all of that - I just bought them, made sure the food fit and crossed my fingers that they would fit on the shelves once completed.  All in alll, I think it turned out to be a successful DIY home improvement project in that it created storage.  Gotta love inspiration from Pinterest! 

Now of course I did no woodworking, so shout out to Urban Dude for assuming the role of Handy Andy in this here little project (managed by yours truly, of course!).  I have a few other similar projects for inside the house (converting the other teeny, tiny hall closet into my shoe closet, as well as adding some shelving to the craft room closet).  In the name of organization/decor/storage, I will be sharing other stories/projects in the Cozy House Chronicles as I work to turn it into our cozy little home!!!    So stay tuned!

So how about you - any other DIYers brave the challenge of creating more storage space/becoming more organized in your own homes?  If so, care to share?  You know the drill - Holla @ Darvi!  Be Blessed!

Wait, not saying goodbye just yet.  It doesn't feel right to end this post without some word of encouragement, so here you go:

"God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, 

and coal into diamonds using Time and Pressure.  

He's working on YOU too!"  - Rick Warren 

Hope that brightens someone's day!  I'm signing off for real this time, but Holla @ Darvi with your favorite DIY home projects.  We are getting to the holidays and I will be sharing crafts and holiday decor soon - it's my second favorite time of the year!  What's the first?  Why, my birthday, of course!  Be Blessed, everyone!!!

Randomness...

Happy Monday!  I hope that everyone is well.  Things are topsy-turvy in my corner of the world. 

Packing is in full swing; the first wave of moving begins tomorrow.  There was a major, major setback last week, but hopefully it's been handled (not resolved, just handled) for the time being.  The kids are handling it like troopers, even though their little worlds are about to be turned upside down, and yet I know we'll manage in the end.  I think I'm going to do a room-by-room organization post for the new place; I've been researching some new storage and organization stuff because some methods I currently use won't work (did I mention that EVERY room is smaller and I'll have three less spaces in the new place?), so it has been a bit challenging to figure out - had to research room sizes and all that good stuff- stay tuned.
I am looking forward to being creative in that area; it is one of my favorite things to do.

The weekend was mellow (it was so cold here!); ran errands Saturday morning in the 50 degree freezing rain; including making my first drop at Goodwill.  That felt great, donating things that I know others can use.  Did some packing when I returned, then attended a charity event at Balmoral Park (south suburbs horse racetrack); it was fun as always.  Sunday morning I went to church and I was unaware that it was a special membership Sunday for all "new" members; we took a group photo and got an "answered prayer" rock.  It was awesome!  Breakfast after with Urban Dude and Pam (who I hope won't be relocating after all...) and then a bit more packing.  Dug out my one Bears t-shirt and made my way to one of my high school friend's house for an opening day gathering (Bears lost...).  It was good to spend some downtime during this crazy time, ya know?

And so now it's today - been up since 6:45 doing what?  You guessed it; packing.  I am further behind than I planned to be, but it's ok I suppose.  We will get it done.  I'm getting to the point that I'm getting antsy and just want it all to be finished.  So I am hoping to be able to work late into the night (have two meetings at church though, so there will be a break). 

So onto the "inspiring" part of today's post:  yesterday's sermon was about grace.  God's grace, to be more exact.  The part that resonated with me though was the reinforcement of the messages I received last week, which is trusting and depending on Him.  Specifically, Pastor Singleton noted 2nd Corinthians 1:8-9 that Paul spoke to the ability of the vessel to withstand great pressure so that we learn not to depend on self.  Additionally, in 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9, it says:

8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed;

we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

All of which at the end of the day means that we are stepped on but not crushed by the devil and his trials and tribulations.  I don't know about you, but for me and where I am today, that's good news, because I sometimes feel as if I'm at the breaking point.  Yet, I continue to press through to another day.  When I look back on where I've come from in the past 2 years or so, I can truly and honestly tell you I didn't think I was going to make it on many days.  There but for the grace of God go I...

Hopefully that snippet from yesterday's sermon will inspire someone who might also be going through some tough times. 

As always, thank you for reading my random musings!  Something you wanna share?  You know the drill - Holla @ Darvi!  Be Blessed and see ya Wednesday!!!

Clutter Busting, One Space at a Time - First up, my closet!

What day is it???? HUMP DAY!  Happy Wednesday, good people!  I hope everyone is having a good week.  Mine is hectic, I have some life changes going on that are sucking up all of my time...  

I'm surprised no one asked about my class (remember, I posted about the class I was taking at church?  you can read that post here).  Anyway, I am more than halfway through and the class has been a great refresher for me and I've really been enjoying it and meeting the people in our small group.  We have 4 classes left and then I believe we get a certificate of completion.  Yay!

So anyway, today we're going to talk about clutter busting... I am generally an organized person and I love thinking of new ways to be organized.  However, I am prone to clutter and there are spots of clutter all over the house (I was much more type A before kids though).  I can't stand it!  But, the reality is that when you actually live life, you don't always have a pristine house.  Now note, there is a difference between cluttered and nasty (I don't do nasty - ok????).  But clutter, yeah!

So in the midst of trying to calm my environment these days (trying to keep the stress down, stay off blood pressure meds and all of that stuff) I am trying to bust the clutter around here. First up, my closet.  

My closet and I have a love-hate relationship.  It's the smallest closet space I've had in a while and it's been challenging to maintain order.  Today I'll share the products I use to organize and where to purchase them and just general tips that have worked.  

So we'll start with the ugly - the before pictures:

This is the basic view from the doorway, just a box...

This is what happens when I don't rehang my clothes...

This is my shoe solution, but some are missing...

And here is where the missing shoes were!

This was just more general disarray...

More clutter and disorganization...

Some purses and the side of a jewelry holder...

This was what was hanging on the outside of the closet door!

And the corresponding clutter beneath said closet door...

As you can see, my closet had grown quite out of control!  It was getting to the point that I couldn't find anything so I took some time (a couple of days) and really set it right (including some purging).  

When we moved to this house 3+ years ago, I took the opportunity to color code my closet and that has been great!  I am all about space-saving solutions so I've researched and through trial and error found some products that work great for tight spaces.  Ready to dig in?  Let's go.

My closet is a square box.  Several rails were added to accomplish the system I had in mind.  There are two rails on the left (upper and lower), one full rail across the back of the closet and one rail on the right.  Shoes are at the top of each shelf (except the lower left one).  Purses are behind the door on an organizer, on the wall on hooks and inside of a chest.  Some of my costume jewelry is in a hanging organizer in the closet.

The upper rail on the left houses skirts and pants.  Skirts are organized by season and color, when possible, and hung on multi-hangers to save space (the official name is the chrome four-tier skirt hanger).  Those things are wonderful!!!   They each hold four skirts, but only take up the space of one hanger!  Here is what they look like:

They are great!  I have a total of 13 of those, and I could really stand to get about 2 more because I have some skirts that are not on them.  I purchased them from Bed Bath & Beyond, see them here.  

Pants are next to the skirts, and they are also organized by season and color.  I use a similar multi-tier hanger for them, each holding 5 pairs of pants.  The official name is the chrome swing-arm slack hanger.  

These were the very first multi-hanger things I purchased, back in like 2005 and I've just added to them over the years.  I have a total of 11 and I could probably stand to get at least one more.  I purchased them from Bed Bath & Beyond also, see them here.  

Here is the newly reorganized upper left rail with everything put away:

Moving on to the lower rail, which houses what I call "specialty" tops, sweaters and jackets by color.  Those are primarily on those slim velvet hangers (I've been in the process of converting my closet to those since about 2010).  So it wasn't too bad to clear up, just needed to put things away.  On the top of that rail is where I stack jeans (I don't own that many and don't wear them often so it was easier to stack them than to waste one of my special hangers).  The majority of those hangers were purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond and are made by Real Simple (although I have mixed brands over the years).  The Real Simple ones are hands down the best... It is absolutely worth the extra to buy the box of 50. Here is what they look like and you can purchase them here. 

  

This photo shows the optional clips you can add to the hangers.

And here is everything put away.  I pulled the jeans out a little so you could see that they are on the shelf below the skirts and pants.

Next is the back rail.  That is where the button down shirts go and the beginning of my suits and dresses, all color coded.  The shirt hangers, which again hold multiples, are from Bed Bed & Beyond, and you can see them here.  Their official name is the venetian collection rubber and black 5-tier blouse tree.  I love these too!!!  I have 10 of them.

Now for the suits and dresses.  Everything is color-coded by main color, separated by patterns and solids (I know, I know, it's very Type-A).  I start with whites and go all the way to navy on that back rail. You can see most of that in this photo.   

And finally, there's the right rail, which continues the suits and dresses, but houses gray and black.  You can see that in this photo.

Now, let's talk about shoes.  I'm a girl, so I have a LOT of shoes.  I found a solution back in 2005 that I continue to use (in conjunction with some other things).  They are clear shoe boxes from the container store.  I absolutely love them!  I also use them in other areas of the house to store things.  They stack great because they have grooves on the lid to keep the boxes from sliding off.  I label mine with clear labels.  You can see them in the photos below and purchase them here.

These are the regular ones; here are the men's.  I use them for oversized, platform shoes.  I am able to get two pairs in sometimes, which is great! You can purchase them here.

I have 92 of the regular shoe boxes and 3 men's shoe boxes in the closet, and another 25 in the office/craft room. Here they are all stacked up nicely before I put them in the closet (had to get the shoes back in the boxes first) and then in the closet:

What to do with flats & flip flops??? It is summer, so I'm wearing those. Flip flops go in a little basket I repurposed from elsewhere in the house and flats go on the floor under the back rail (still working on a permanent solution for those):

So in the move, I also decided to give up my sock drawer.  I don't really wear socks, unless it's to the gym - I mostly wear tights or go bare-legged.  I do wear nylons sometimes.  So I purged my socks and moved what I kept, along with my nylons, to this neat zebra basket that I picked up somewhere:

And then there's that other things that give women the blues - purses.  We all have too many and there's always the question of what to do with them????  I have a variety of tricks I use but still need to work on it some more. 

Behind the door, I have these purse organizer things I saw in a magazine and picked up from Bed Bath & Beyond back in 2009,shop for them here.  They are great for small purses and clutches, but not so great for larger bags.  

More purses are on hooks behind the door:  

And I found this great wicker chest at Home Goods last spring, that I put my less used purses in. See the photos below and a similar one here :

A word about me and purses.  I have quite a few of them.  But I've been buying purses since the mid 1980s when I was in high school (remember Barnett's in Evergreen Plaza where you could put purses in layaway???), and I pretty much have all of them, except those I've already gifted to the Tween.  So that's why I have so many...

So that's the end of my journey through my clutter-busting project in my closet.  I'm sure there will be more in the weeks to come as I continue to purge.  But at least my closet is together!

So what about you, do you have clutter in your home?  How do you get rid of it?  Holla @ Darvi!  Be Blessed!