life is always about the journey...

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Welcome!!

WELCOME EVERYONE!! 


To my new blog, my new venture, my new bitz of everything...
a written version of My Life In Progress pretty much!  

So whatever I'm in the mood to share on this blog will pretty much have it...so it could be a post about decorating, organizing, cooking/recipes, books I'm reading, makeup I'm loving, etc. It could be a funny story...I have LOTS of those trust me.  I live in a house with 2 teens, a husband and 8 animals (6 cats and 2 dogs) so there is always a STORY!

Also I will be sharing my journey of getting fit again...getting my muscles back to where they need to be and just to be as healthy as I can be (within reason of course...I mean I'm NOT giving up my Cherry Coke..no way...that is wayyy too much to ask right).

I have always considered myself an on-going self-improvement project.  I'm always trying new things and trying to improve areas of my life and home.  I am not necessarily changing who I am...I'm still ME but I like to try new things that help me be better.  A better friend, better wife and mom, a better cook and so on.  So this blog is all about me trying to do that with my life and doing things that I love to help me on the journey.

If along the way I make you laugh, smile or inspire you to do or try something new...then what more can I ask for!  This is a happy fun place ONLY!

So I hope you'll come along with me on this new journey...we'll have lots of fun I promise!  I'll be doing lots of work and projects so you can sit back, relax, laugh and perhaps say "better her than me"!!!

And a BIG THANK YOU to my friend Veronica of VK Design Co. for my blog design and accessories!!  She always is a delight to work with and I know I probably drive her nuts with my indecision and changes sometimes.  But in the end she always creates my VISION and I just love her for that.  Hope you like it too!!

**BLOG STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION**
I'm working on adding things, links, pictures and such to this blog. So every time you visit there will be new things on the different pages and such.

And yes my crafty blog ScrapBitz will still be up & running as usual so you can always find my crafty projects over there!!  No worries as that's a big part of my life too! 


***********************************************


This will be something I feature regularly on my blog.  I love to organize, LOVE IT...when I have the time and motivation of course.  So I have been rampaging through my house going through closets, hutches and every other nook & cranny purging and coming up with plans on how to improve them.  For 3 years I have been a traveling and working fiend and just haven't had the time to keep up with a lot of things.  BUT GUESS WHAT!!? I'm a girl on a MISSION and this house will be ship shape in no time!!  

So every now and again I will share projects that I'm either currently tackling or have finished up.  Maybe it will inspire you...maybe it won't...its all good :)

Now forgive me please because I was trying to finish taking pics yesterday and it was dark and grey raining outside so the lighting was a bit off.  If the sun is back today I will try to re-take a few of these pics for you.


Linen Closet

This is scary to show you...its the BEFORE picture of my linen closet..YIKES...shhhhh don't tell.  My linen closet is upstairs and sits between the four bedrooms.  It stores the things it should and the size is ok, I have no issue with those two things.  But I have two teens and a husband that like to shove things in there and take things out and leave messes behind.  And then you have "ME" who gets frustrated and closes the door because I don't have time to deal with it.  Until I had time...dum dum dum dummmmmm...and I tackled it all.
 Time spent total: 1 hour  Cost: $20

What Wasn't Working for Me:

-Too many old sheets and beach towels that I needed to part with
(we are talking toddler sheets and toddler beach towels...ummm I have 2 teens now)
-Cleaning Supplies Scattered around
-Everything was shoved in because there wasn't enough room
-Hated looking through piles for certain sheets and pillowcases
-Toiletries and Cosmetics falling on shelves
-not really utilizing the space at the top

AFTER:

Now I don't profess to be Martha Stewart...nor do I want to be...cuz HEY I don't have a staff or that kind of time.  I am a staff of one most days and that's ok, I just break things down into doable chunks.  And as much as I love to look at those magazines and see the pretty shelves and such...I know that those pics were styled and perfected before anyone used them right?  I live in the REAL WORLD people...I don't believe in living perfect, I just want to live the best I can.  But I'm a realist and I know what I like and what I can do and MOST IMPORTANTLY what can be maintained by the "folks" in my household..you know what I'm talkin' about yes?

So the answer is NOOOOOO I do not iron my sheets because I hate to iron (my mom is frowning) and NOOOOO I don't fold my fitted sheets like Martha does...that's just how it is in the Dean household.  But I like things neat, I like things that are easy to find and most of all it is easy to maintain.  I also have a large stack of Master Bedroom pillowcases (this pic shows only half of mine) as I put a clean pillow case on our pillows every night.  I have 8 animals (2 dogs & 6 cats)...the dogs sleep in bed with us and sometimes on our heads...yes it is true...skeered yet??  And during the night we could have a cat or two wander up on the bed too.  Funny thing is...I'm allergic to cats...yup I truly am.  But I'm fine as long as their hair is not near my face...hence the clean pillowcases every night.  Plus I am a NUTTER about skin care (more on that in another post) and I cannot fathom sleeping on my oils and yuk from the night before...I mean I could drool LOL!  Sounds like a terrible chore but its really not...I have extras and I usually do a load of wash most days so I just toss them in and they are easy to fold and put away.

 Extra Medicines along with dental supplies & lip balms
(we go thru lip balm like mad folk in our house)
(I have teens but if you have little ones make sure this in a high place in your closets)

The top shelf holds extra toiletries like toilet paper, soap, tissue and feminine products.

Things I Did:

-Went through all the sheets and towels and donated all the toddler towels to our Animal Rescue
(Animal Rescues love donations of these items)
-refolded everything to the best of my ability ;)
-created space for each family member's sheets
-Master Bedroom Sheets are in Baskets because they are King Sized and are bulkier, our pillowcases are stacked in between our two white bins
-corralled all the cleaning supplies into one bin (the blue one that has a handle)
-Put all the extra medicines/lip balm/dental supplies in one bin
-Used the top shelf for all extra toiletries we use like toilet paper, soap, tissue & feminine products.
-On the bottom shelf I folded beach towels that we use the most along with tableware like tablecloths and napkins...these things we don't use often so they can go on bottom.
-The closet goes deep on either side, on the sides I have put extra cosmetics in bins(some we receive in monthly shipments), heating pads and table pads that aren't used much.
-On the bottom are extra beach towels, our extra bathroom cleaning supplies, our humidifier and our fire extinguisher (insert: we are safety minded homeowners)
-created fun tags for everything and bought white & clear bins at Target

 Master Bedroom Baskets & Pillowcases


I found some cute labels that are free Printables online HERE that I used for my labels.  (I do believe if you take the time to Google you will find some great freebies out there to use for many things) And I'm a papercrafter so one thing I don't lack in is crafty supplies and ideas.  So I printed them out, cut them out with my Spellbinders dies and Cuttlebug...I also created a frilly mat with black cardstock and another die.  Glued 12 of them together and added labels in "my own handwriting"...shocker..yes but I didn't need to create them on my computer although you could.  I just wrote what I needed with a black Sharpie and that was that...cuz HEY no one but my family accesses this closet so I want it neat and pretty but I wasn't willing to spend the extra time on the labels period...ha!  I had a spool of gingham ribbon and tied each tag to the appropriate shelf and bin.  Easy Peasy!


Perfect?  No but it makes me happy and its neat and organized...that's what matters to me!!  I may get another white bin for my cleaning supplies who knows but other than that I won't be changing anything!

  Have an awesome day!


Share:

46 comments

  1. I am soooooo proud of you! Congrats on this super beautiful new blog! I already see you have been doing amazing things!! Wow! Million hugs and kisses bff..
    anaRy

    ReplyDelete
  2. GREAT job!! Now where do I get that energy to proceed at MY house? LOL *HUGS* Congrats on a fabulous new YOU!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on your new blog! You have a great ability to write, makes me want to keep reading!
    I don't know how you squeeze so much into one day, I want whatever you have for breakfast lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love your new blog and look forward to seeing more things from you here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome girlfriend. You continue to amaze me everyday. I wish i had one fifth of your energy. You closet looks amazing and i can't wait to see what you are tackling next. Love your new blog. Congratulations on a new well done venture. See you next week for fun in the sun time together. <3

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations on your new blog Suzanne!!!!!! You certainly have the "gift of gab" and you put your pen to paper very well. Bravo to you!!! I enjoy reading your posts now, so of course I will follow you here too!!! Hugz!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats on the new blog! I wish I had a linen closet to organize LOL! Looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for your new space on the net!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your new blog is awesome! Love the organization of your closet. I'm scared it might shame me into organizing mine, lol, the whole chore is a scary thought. Thanks for the inspiration, can't wait to see what's next!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations on the new blog and getting better! I've always thought about putting something like this together just for myself and I'm so glad you're doing it for you. I just love hearing what you have to say, doesn't matter if it's about your family, kids, crafts, Luke, music, just any of it and I'm so anxious to see how you get everything done in a day that you do! You really inspire me every day, even though I don't always tell you, and can't wait to see how this part of your life evolves! Good luck, my friend, and I'm hear forever!

    Hugs,

    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOVE, LOVE the new blog.... Can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve... I just adore your stories etc. Great job on the closet... Super inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats on another success!! What I want to know is WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR ENERGY? Look forward to future posts. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love it! we are currently in the process of 'decluttering' each room in our house and the linen closet needs work!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm looking forward to seeing more here, as I find it so interesting! I love the trendy look & colors of this blog too! Keep up the great work :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow...wow...wow...and WOW..Love your new adventure! The color scheme is perfect! Can't wait to read it daily (or when you post)! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us. I love that I learn more about myself thru your journey! I hope that makes sense but it is true!
    Patricia
    the PaperTemptress

    ReplyDelete
  15. Love your new blog... the closet is so neat and organized!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love the new blog. I hope your hard work inpires me to organize my home. Trust me it needs it. Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  17. I just love having things organized. I recently did my downstairs coat closet. It was jam-packed with gift bags, tissue paper, gift boxes and old coats. The upper shelf is now completely empty, and the gift bags are all folded neatly into one large bag and the tissue paper is sorted and folded by color, and put in another large gift bag. Now it is SO easy to maintain. I just need to donate the old coats now. I also did my walk-in kitchen pantry and am SO much happier. Each group has its own basket..i.e, baking goods, canned good, condiments, etc. It makes life SO much easier...now to tackle my craft room...I'll probably wait until every other room in the house is done before I tackle that huge project! lol. I have SO much to sell/donate/give away...it's rather pathetic, really.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I can tell already that this is going to be SO MUCH FUN and VERY inspiring!
    Roberta

    ReplyDelete
  19. Congratulations, Suzanne!!! Well done and I can't wait to see what's next in your busy life!!! Great job on the linen closet, very do-able for all of us!! Next on your agenda should be advise on all your energy!!!!
    Hugs,
    Teri

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Suzanne
    Well!! Im a follower on this blog too :)
    Im sure i will gain more inspiration from you.Thank you
    I would also like to know. Where do you get your energy from???
    Right time for bed for me here in the UK

    Nighty night
    Wendy x

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a fun new blog! Looking forward to all the ideas you will share. Always love "organization" tips. Great job on your "before" and "after". I have lots of those "projects" on my to-do list.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congrats on your new blog. Look forward to your "daily inspiration"

    Nancy C

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on your new blog!! The colors are beautiful, so soft. I don't know how you do it but I agree with another follower... we need tips on getting your energy (minus the cherry coke for me, I'm not a soda drinker:0) Best of luck in your additional venture:)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Super new blog!! Love your ideas, and great style of writing!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congrats on your new blog! I love your writing style, so I am looking forward to more to read!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Omg! Another blog! How on earth do you get all these things done? I can't wait to read more organizing ideas! How about more on your ghost too? You haven't written anything on that in a long while.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Awesome organization, Suzanne. Very stylish and fashionable even for a closet. Love the bins and your tags. It's so easy to fit a little bit of our crafty expertise in areas such as these.
    Can't wait to read your next post.
    Hugz,
    Cath

    BTW, my sister calls me her Marta Stewart Sister. :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congrats Suzanne on your lovely new blog. This is something I have been wanting to do as well, so thanks for the inspiration. I am in the process of having a new home built and what an experience. I love neat cupboards and your look fab! Looking forward to reading some more... Hugs from South Africa, Sharon x

    ReplyDelete
  29. Love the new blog and following your somewhat crazy life, your words not mine...lol. I though I was bad changing pillow cases ever 2-3 days. I do like them ironed though. Basically the only thing I iron except the occasional pashima.
    Our minds must be on the same wave length. Today I organized my dies into special magnetic books from Joy Craft. I thought I was done until I was searching for something else and found another box of Memory Box Dies. Yikes, that's what happens when you own the store.
    Look forward to your chatter.
    hugs, Diana

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh Suzanne, a big Congratulations on the new blog!!! Way to go, girlfriend!!! I love hearing about the crazy things that happen to you, and what a perfect location; although like you said, I hope you don't leave some of those fun tidbits out of your "crafty" blog.

    Beautiful after shots of the linen closet, you did a great job.....now with two teenagers, how long will it last?? hee her

    Wish you much success on this new venture and will look forward to reading this blog as well.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Congrats on the new blog, I really love the look! I will of course be following both your blogs and I look forward to seeing all the sides of you. Thanks for sharing this with all of us and I wish you much success with it.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love the look of this new blog and am looking forward to following you on both of your blogs. It is fun to learn more about you as well as your interests, likes, etc. . . I wish you much success with this new venture!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Love the new blog Suzanne, the design suits you perfectly. I have always enjoyed your scrapbitz blog with all your wonderful projects and real life anecdotes and I will look forward to following you on this great new blogging adventure. Good wishes your way from Western Australia!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow I definitely love this design layout, I think the designer really has done a wonderful job. I love following your crafty adventures on Scrapbitz, with all your super projects and life anecdotes and definitely look forward to more laughter and smiles with this blog as well. Congratulations and Good Luck on this 'other' blogging adventure. Hugs from Western Australia

    ReplyDelete
  35. I like your new Blog and am looking forward to reading about all your cool ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great new place to share the other sides of yourself Suzanne! Love your closet reno!! I totally get the joy that comes form organizing!!

    ReplyDelete
  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hey Suzanne,

    I love your new blog and am so honored I was able to see a peek last weekend :) This is awesome! Our linen closet needs major help right now so you have motivated me to get organized :) Thanks so much!
    Hugs, Christine

    ReplyDelete
  39. PS I am really looking forward to your skin care tips. I have tried everythign under the sun and need help! :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Like what you're up to now Suzanne! Enjoy ;)S

    ReplyDelete
  41. Congratulations on your new blog! It's lovely and has a promising future! Blessings on your life's journey and thank you for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Love the new blog Suzanne! You've inspired me to tackle my linen closet. I decluttered at Christmas, but I need the bins after seeing yours.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I Like the new blog! I am looking forward to reading it. Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  44. Congrats on the new blog. I have already signed up to be a follower as well as receive your updates via email. Do you have any trips to Texas planned? I took your 2 classes about a year ago in Waco and just loved them.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Love your new blog, Suzanne! Great job on the linen closet reorganization!! I don't have a central linen closet. The closest in similarity to yours is a closet in the master en suite bathroom. I organized everything with plastic baskets similar to yours several years ago. It really helps to keep shelves from getting cluttered. Occasionnaly you pull our a basket and clean and declutter it! Love any organization that makes life easier!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for visiting me, I hope I made you smile or inspired you in some way! I appreciate you stopping by!

Blogger Template Created by pipdig