Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Organizing The Whole House, One Cabinet At A Time

You Down With O-R-G? Yeah You Know Me.

Yes, that’s a Naughty By Nature reference. But why O-R-G? That’s $herdog’s abbreviation for organizing. I’ve gotta be honest. Our house hasn’t been this trashed/chaotic/messy since we moved in 16 months ago. Seriously, I’m not talking about a little dist around the baseboards or some streaks on the windows, I’m talking about serious stuff like not being able to locate anything in our completely ridiculous sink drawer:

Drawer1

So although we have two entire sections of our Projects page dedicated to cleaning and organizing posts of yore, there hasn’t been much of that going on lately. At all. It all started to fall apart back in Jan/Feb during three weeks of book shoots in our house (with a crew of people, and a ton of moving/painting/general insanity) that left our house looking like this…

Ram Bed In Corner

Why would other things like our sink drawer go downhill too? The only way I can explain it is that it’s a slippery slope. When you’re juggling secret book projects, regular blog projects/posts, and baby care while a bunch of folks are in your house shooting over 150 different book photos that you’re DIYing and styling yourself, you just don’t have a minute to breathe during the day. And once the baby goes to sleep and the crew leaves, you think you’ll tackle stuff at night, but since they’re all coming back in the morning (and you have 20 more projects to finish, style, and walls to paint before they arrive in the am) it feels like you’re working two shifts and you don’t even remember what day it is let alone where the deodorant should go.

And between writing posts, doing projects, raising a toddler, and birthing this book baby of ours (we’re still proofing 200 page stacks of layouts, completing the resources section, and finalizing the cover) it feels like we’ll never have time to put our house back together. Unless we officially declare whipping our insanely unorganized casa back into shape as Project Numero Uno in a week-long bootcamp of sorts. So we’re doing it!!! Hang on to your hats. It’s gonna get messy. And then hopefully clean (with a giant yard sale pile at the end of the rainbow). And we’d love for you guys to hop on the spring cleaning train with us! Speaking of which, we got a head-start this weekend (forgive us) since we needed a Monday post to kick things off. First, I decided to make the cabinets under our dining room built-ins say my name. That’s right, I literally whispered “Say my name” to my cabinets. Winner.

Books Storage Before

Then I took everything out. Well, I took about three things out and was already over it, so I padded over to the computer and put on some tunes (Nicki Minaj then Eminem then a little vintage Britney). And I did some mild to moderate head bopping (but zero freestyle rapping) as I removed every last book, magazine, and other random object that found its way in there (many books and mags are stored in there since the built-ins aren’t deep enough for them).

I made piles. Piles of each magazine (Domino, Cottage Living, House Beautiful, Blueprint, and BHG & other Meredith mags like DIY). I also tried to stack my books by subject (pregnancy/health/green, chick lit, decor/design, and teen fiction like Hunger Games & Twilight – haha). I’ll say it again. Winner.

Books On Floor

Oh and see those white things on the bottom of the pic above? They’re actually old shelves from the built-ins that we removed since it was way too crowded up there (more on that here), so we shoved them into the cabinet in case we changed our mind and wanted to crowd the cabinets with too many shelves again (why????). It was a bad call. Over a year later they’ve just collected dust and wasted space, so off to John’s scrap wood pile in the basement they went.

Then I wiped down the shelves (they were grosser than I’d like to admit) with good ol’ white vinegar. It cleans things and kills odors at the same time (they sort of smelled like an old storage room). Wiping the entire cabinet only took about half of Hit Me Baby One More Time. So worth it.

Vinegar For Cleaning

Then I slowly put things back in, grouping stuff that made the most sense, and stacking them in a way that I thought would be easiest to maintain while allowing me to store everything and see almost all of it. Instead of standing everything up (knowing I’d pull something out and everything would topple) I made small stacks of things that I can see beyond and can easily remove each stack to reach something in the back row.

After Books

Ahhh, order. How I love thee. Let me count the ways Domino magazines.

After Books Straight

Of course about 10% of the books and mags that came out ended up in a yard sale pile I’ve started in the guest room closet. It’s nice to admit that I’m not going to read something again and give someone else a chance.

After Books Detail

Oh and you might be wondering where all my hard cover decorating books are (other than stacked in plain sight on the console, on the built-in shelves, and on the top of our office file cabinet). Well, the two ottomans in the hallway under the console (you know, that sits in our hallway o’ frames) are filled with them. But they don’t runneth over so I don’t think I have a decorating book problem. Yet.

Books Storage

At this point my brain hurt from thinking too hard about what to group with what, what to put in the yard sale pile, etc. But I still had a bunch of random decor related items sitting around looking for a home (remember in the before pic there were faux gourds, vases, and candlesticks shoved in there too?). So it was time to deal with the cabinet under the built-ins on the other side, which is where I keep all of my candlesticks, vases, and various decor-related-items. That side had gone to h-e-double-hockey-sticks too.

Decor Store Before

It was so bad that I started stashing overflow items in the book/magazine cabinet on the other side. Not good. Time to pare things down, group them so they make sense again, add stuff to the yard sale pile, and generally get my stuff together under there. But wait, there’s more…

Serving Cab Before

Yup, I also overflowed stuff into the new corner cabinet in our kitchen. But about half of the things in there actually belonged there since they were kitchen/food/serving related (like a cake stand or a salad bowl). So I decided to turn the corner cabinet in the kitchen into only serving/food related storage and pare down my decor stuff so it would hopefully all fit in the single cabinet under the built-ins in the dining room.

Once again, the first step was taking everything out. This time I listened to various Glee versions of songs, more Nicki Minaj, and old school Snoop & Dre. Picture me singing “Ain’t nothing but a clean thing bay-bay. I got so many candles it’s cray-zay.”

Decor On Floor

I also emptied the corner cabinet in the kitchen. For reference that peninsula counter is five feet long by three feet wide. Blort.

Serving Cab On Counter

Then I pulled out every last item I didn’t use/need/want for my growing yard sale pile and grouped everything else by item (ex: all vases in one spot, all candlesticks in one spot). Then back in it went after a quick vinegar wipe-down.

Decor Store After

It juuuuuuust fit. A loose description of what’s going on in here now is that the top right quadrant has candle holding devices, the bottom right quadrant has vases and planters, the bottom left quadrant has various vase filler and a few other random decorative items, and the top left quadrant has all of my tabletop decor that gets rotated in and out pretty much all the time.

Decor Store Detail After

But where did all those crazy candles go? Well, many of them used to live in our first house’s living room fireplace (on a big silver platter) but since we now have a toddler who gets into everything, I just saved a few of the better looking ones and put them in a candle drawer of their own. How novel! This small cabinet in the dining room was empty (it’s actually a night table, but we thought it worked nicely in here), so I commandeered one drawer for candle storage. And the rest of my too-large candle collection went into the yard sale pile. Update: I’ve added two plastic place mats to the bottom of the drawer to protect it from any potential waxiness.

Candle Drawer

Huzzah! Now the corner cabinet in the kitchen only has kitchen-related items, like serving dishes, bowls, plates, trays, a cake stand, etc.

Serving Cab After

And there’s room to spare in there. Lookout John. Momma feels a shopping spree coming on. Just kidding, I’m way too tired. But I better buck up, because there’s still lots to do this week. And we’d love for you guys to join our bootcamp and clean/organize/pare down along with us! Here’s our schedule:

  • Monday: Since we shared how we organized a few cabinets, feel free to tackle one or two of your own (you could also just dive into books and decorative accessories, wherever you keep them)
  • Tuesday: Taming kid clutter is on our agenda (if you don’t have kiddos, any clutter-wrangling works)
  • Wednesday: We’ll cover how we pare down our grooming & cleaning products (feel free to tackle yours and share your tips too)
  • Thursday: Let’s get on some paper/tech org (we’re aiming for some blog streamlining, but you can take on anything from digital photos or cleaning up your desktop to filing paperwork or receipts)
  • Friday: Ahhh, we miiiight let you see our basement. Gotta work up the courage. So maybe plan a little basement or garage cleanup on your end?
  • Bonus: We also hope to tackle clothes (make sense of our dresser and maybe do some slight closet shifting) and our clutter-fied night tables at some point – here’s hoping!

Of course that’s tentative since we’re blogging in real time, but we can’t wait to report back and hear how you guys are doing. Have you already been doing some spring cleaning/organizing or any general house streamlining? Are you down to do it with us? What music keeps you from going out of your mind while cleaning and organizing? Or do you favor an audio book/TV/NPR? That sounds like a good time too.

Comments

  2. Lori says

    Can I just say that I use a software commonly called OPP (Open Plan Professional). I also work in aerospace/defense industry and nothing makes me giggle like a 12 year old girl like when a 60 year old PhD engineer starts saying OPP.

    Reply

  3. Laura says

    This may be my favorite YHL week yet! I love organizing…. it’s a sickness. And I’m always looking for ways to pair down. I’m really excited to hear your tips for reducing the # of cleaning products you use. I always go for the eco-friendly (I’m a big Method fan), but still, must I have a product for each surface in my house? I suppose I’ll have to wait until Wednesday to find out!

    Reply

    • Elisa says

      Laura, I’m the same way! I’ve been trying to pair down cleaning products too.. we use Mrs Meyers Clean Day, which I’ve embraced using on almost everything!

    • Lisa says

      Laura – check out Norwex. I just started using it (so I am not super familiar with it, plus I’m not a clean freak, haha!), but you don’t have to use many (if any) actual cleaning products. For instance, to clean my mirrors/windows, I just use two cloths. Even to clean bathrooms, you supposedly don’t have to use any cleaning products…and I don’t. I like the simplicity of fewer cleaning solutions. Plus the cloths aren’t toxic. Anyone else using it/heard of it?

    • SarahE says

      Vinegar and baking soda work for just about everything. There are plenty of sites online (plus John and Sherry did a post about homemade cleaners) that list only a handful of ingredients at most to make your own. They’re cheaper, plus you cut down on how much packaging you need to purchase every time.

    • Cosmos says

      I love Norwex! I finally have streak free mirrors without any chemicals. For the first time in my life I enjoy dusting, I just use a damp Norwex. I also have a small one I use on my eye glasses.

      I have some mirofiber clothes very similar to Norwex that I purchased at Ikea, I haven’t used them yet as the Norwex show no wear after over two years of constant use.

      Now I just need to get on that organizing!

  4. Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

    Ahh every single one of those is on my baby bucket list (the list of things I wanted to do before my baby is due um, next week). My kitchen junk drawer looks like yours, I have a candle and vase cabinet under my entertainment center, my closet is spewing a mix of maternity and non-maternity clothes and I’ve been trying to finish up a blog makeover and my house tour. Want to come clean up my life instead? :)

    Reply

  7. stef says

    This really couldn’t have come at a better time. We just (like, mere weeks ago) decided to quit our jobs, rent out our house, and move West to own a small business so our lives are in CHAOS right now. We need to tackle some serious organizing, sorting, and packing and be ready to load a truck to move in ~1 week.

    Nice work already, guys!

    Reply

  8. Vidya @Whats Ur Home Story says

    That’s some spring cleaning! Waiting for the basement coverage. :) We have yet to tackle that one, haven’t touched it since we moved 2yrs ago! Love those red, green, and blue vases with that awesome pattern on them. Can you tell where you got them from? I know I’ve seen it somewhere but can’t place a name on the store. Didn’t see them go back in. So I’m hoping we can get to see them around the house? Over the weekend I finally got around to doing a project that I’ve put off for so long, giving a new life to a broken ceramic planter.
    http://whatsurhomestory.com/the-tea-cup-heartbreak/

    Reply

  9. smith207 says

    Spring cleaning is on our list this week! We have our neighborhood clean up day on May 5 where everyone has garage sales and the city allows extra trash/recycle pick up.

    Reply

  11. Stephanie says

    I need to do major closet cleaning. Actually, since I’ll be moving in a couple weeks, I need to do major everything cleaning.

    Reply

  12. Hilary @ My So-Called Home says

    I couldn’t help but notice your copy of The Girl Who Played With Fire- who’s the Stieg Larsson fan and did you see the movie? Huge Rooney Mara fan over here! And great job with the organization too, I know how good it feels to get things sorted out.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We saw The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo! It was great. That scene with the guy in his room was so hard to watch though. We read on IMDB that it disturbed him so much he locked himself in his room and cried all day.

      xo,
      s

  13. Mel says

    Looks so good! I love an organized drawer or cabinet.

    As for the candles–I had candles in a drawer once, and they sort of melted *just enough* to leave residue on the wood that I couldn’t get out. It’s not like they were in the sun…so I’m not sure how they did that, but that may be a concern for you. If you haven’t had that problem, that’s cool–but I put my candles in a box (but lining the drawer with something non permeable might work well too!)

    I need to organize my two (yes, only 2) kitchen drawers. They’re awkward and I need to either find some that fit, or make some to keep that chaos organized!

    Reply

  15. Courtney says

    Wow, did you read my mind?!? I am taking this week off from work to spend some quality time with my unorganized house. My list includes catching up on laundry, finishing DIY projects, tearing up carpet, and CLEANING! At least now I have a virtual partner!

    Reply

    • Carol N. says

      Courtney, I thought I was the only organization geek who would take a week off to clean the house! I love having a clean house and have been known to take a few days off when the chaos is overwhelming. Good luck!

    • Adrienne says

      Seriously! Great timing, YHL! Also, I love reading the comments section on posts like this and seeing how many other DIY/organizing dorks there are out there :):):)

  16. CJ says

    “too-large candle collection”?? Sherry, you liar! There’s no such thing as a TOO-large candle collection!! :)

    Reply

  17. Allyn says

    I’ve moved every year for the past 8 years or so, and clean everything out each time. It’s nice, but also depressing that in just a year I can collect so much crap. Sigh.
    Now that we’re planning on staying in this house for a few years, I’m a little scared about what cleaning it out one day will be like. But worth is to NOT MOVE. Sheesh. The smell of carboard boxes stresses me out now.

    Reply

  18. Crystal says

    Any chance of you letting us know when your yard sale is? I can only imagine the amazing things that you’ll have there!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We don’t have any plans for a date yet (maybe sometime this summer?) but we’ll try to keep you guys posted. It’s a delicate balance between maintaining privacy/sharing our address with the internet at large, so if we can find a third party place to have it instead of at our house we can publicize it!

      xo
      s

    • stacie says

      If you need a third party place for your yardsale, I’d suggest asking around at local churches. I live in midlothian and a lot of the churches around us organize huge yardsales and rent out spots, so you don’t have to attend the church to participate.

    • heather says

      Blort is one of the best. It turns out Liz Lemon and I also have the same favorite drink (which I may have been drinking when I saw the episode and it almost came out of my nose) wine, ice and sprite (though I was using lemon-lime seltzer at the time).

      My favorite quote of all time:

      “Hey, nerds! Who’s got two thumbs, speaks limited French, and hasn’t cried once today? [pointing both thumbs at herself] This moi.”

  20. Amiz says

    Ahh the joys of spring cleaning.. I’ll be doing that this week along with packing up our whole house in the next 5 days. A daunting task.But my schedule is kind of like yours haha. I will be tackling the dreaded kitchen and bathroom cabinets today and getting onto my little one’s bedroom tomorrow. Wish me luck!

    Reply

  21. Sarah in Indiana says

    My hectic schedule over the last few months has just calmed down, and I have a ton of organizing and decluttering projects to do. This should be just the thing to get me kickstarted! Thanks!

    Reply

  22. val says

    Totally confused by the title at first.
    I literally thought “Oil Rubbed Gold???, What is Sherry thinking!”
    I should have realized you would never cheat on ORB. :)

    Reply

  23. heather says

    Nicely done. I have a giant pile of items to bring to Goodwill in our common room and a desk on craigslist I’m selling. Once a year I purge like crazy (and the mini ones through the year) and don’t often replace many of the items. With the house renovations underway (decking went down this weekend! No post yet though) it’s essential to get everything out we really don’t want/need for the “new” house. So much stuff gone. It’s wonderful! Plus, I also enjoy having a friend who is mini and I can give all of my “give-it-up-they-won’t-ever-fit-again” nice clothing too haha.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hahahaha, I finally let mine go too. I consigned it, which was pretty fun and I got some loot back! Haha. I highly recommend it if the mini friend doesn’t want something!

      xo,
      s

  24. Julie B. says

    “Ain’t nothin’ but a G thang bay-bay; I got so many candles it’s cra-zy!”

    That was phat, Sherry! PHAT.
    ;)

    Reply

  25. ashley b says

    haha-on saturday i had my pandora going with a little nicki minaj and drake and other guilty pleasures of mine. anything catchy to keep me moving while organizing/cleaning. i’m going to a huge community wide yard sale this weekend (and we’re moving) so it was great progress over here.

    Reply

  26. Jen says

    I have a few cupboards that could use some organizing, too, but I started with our messy bedroom this weekend — step one in our “remove the dead Victorian bride wallpaper and paint the bedroom” project.

    On top of being ugly, the room had gotten entirely out of hand, with several months’ worth of receipts and stuff fallen behind the dresser and into the corner, and a brand-new toilet in its box sitting right in the middle of the room. How womantic. I took a “before” picture, but I’m too embarrassed ever to show it to anyone!

    Reply

  27. Katie says

    What perfect timing for this post and your week of organization! I finish law school this week (yay! fingers cross I don’t fail any exams) and have 3 years worth of books/outlines/papers/general random stuff to go through and organize/trash/sell/donate before bar exam studying begins. Thank you for the motivation!

    Reply

  28. Lauren@FilingJointly says

    We’re moving this coming weekend and were out of town this last weekend so I have like one kabillion things to do this week. But we’re sort of doing the organizing/spring cleaning thing too. Just instead of paring down while organizing cabinets we’re doing it as we pack.

    My husband has three huge garbage bags to donate just from his closet alone. Because he is a clothes hoarder. At one point I was like “Is this the suit you wore to homecoming your Freshman year of high school?” He claimed it was not. But then I found tickets to the dance in the coat pocket.

    Reply

  29. Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says

    I love this “challenge”. I have so much stuff in my house it’s ridiculous. My husband and are both collectors of things, and lately I have been feeling like it’s a bit out of control. Maybe this will help me get more organized. My problem is that I also get attached to my belongings. Ugh. Hopeless. This is coming at a good time.

    Reply

  30. Kim says

    Although I’m an infrequent commenter, I just have to share my excitement with you because oh.mah.gawd. I’ve done it. I’VE DONE IT! I have officially read through every single one of your blog entries and have fiiiiinally caught up to real life. I came across your blog a year ago when I was Googling eco- and health-friendly pots and pans and was unbelievably inspired and entertained by everything you guys posted about. I decided to start from the beginning and ever since then I’ve been reading a handful of posts here and there whenever I had time. This might sound kind of strange but up until now you guys have sort of seemed like characters in a book or movie, but now that I’ve caught up to today, it’s just sort of dawning on me that you’re real people doing this in real time!

    It’s kind of bittersweet. I’m so excited to FINALLY participate in your giveaways (you have no idea how often I came across a giveaway and got so excited only to realize it expired a year and a half ago)… but on the other hand, I’ll certainly miss being able to read 20 entries at once! Seriously though, I want to thank you guys for taking us on this journey with you. Thanks for all the helpful tips and tricks, your humor, honesty, and most of all, for keeping it real. I’m 25 and am living in my first apartment but I can’t WAIT to find my first little house and show it some TLC. You guys have truly inspired me to take on DIY projects (I repainted a room in my mom’s house, constructed my own headboard from a garage sale bamboo curtain, and even made a fake capiz chandelier!) which is certainly saying something because a year ago I didn’t know how to hold a paintbrush. I was always terrified to do anything because I figured I wasn’t qualified if I wasn’t a “trained expert,” but the biggest thing you guys have taught me is that it’s okay to learn as you go and make mistakes.

    So again, thanks for everything, and I look forward to experiencing the next year (or two, or five) with you guys… even if I have to take it day by day :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw Kim, you’re so sweet! Thanks so much for reading all our posts. Wow- I think you need an “I survived four and a half years of YHL posts” t-shirt or bumper sticker! Good luck with everything!

      xo,
      s

    • Gaidig says

      You can do things to make an apartment more your own! Be sure to check out Apartment Therapy and Manhattan Nest. They’ll give you some inspiration for things you can do in a place that’s not your own.

    • Brenda says

      I did the same thing when I found this site! I was sad to start having to wait real-time for renovations and reveals, because I’d gotten spoiled by reading through all the old posts. Glad to know I’m not the only one who goes back to the beginning for new blog finds! :)

    • Stephanie says

      I did the same thing when I first found this blog. It was like 2 months of reading 441 pages of YHL whenever I could.

      I finished and was like “…. what do I do now?”

    • Katy says

      Haha. I can’t believe so many other people did the same thing I did when finding this blog. It too took me almost a year and when I finished I was like, “well what do I read now?” It’s definitely fun to be a real-time follower now and I love being able to enter giveaways (or at least the ones available in Canada) :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      You guys are so sweet. I seriously wish we could send out prizes for folks who read all the way back. That’s amazing! It’s over 2,000 posts and nearly five years of writing!

      xo,
      s

    • Cassie Helwig says

      I did too! I was planning an outdoor and DIY wedding when a friend who had just done it sent me the link to YHL… and there it went!

  32. Emily says

    I LOVE this post so much! I started using nap time last week to organize our house and now my need to clean is even greater! And I totally bust a move to Glee songs while I’m cleaning.

    Reply

  33. Lindsay says

    Its funny that y’all are tackling this project, too–I just started Operation De-Clutter at my house yesterday and just finished the guest room. Nothing feels quite as fabulous as when you’re done and you’re looking at a fantastic, organize closet/drawer/master bedroom!

    My big organizing secret is to use those under-the-bed shoe organizers for all those little things that normally end up in a junk drawer. Of course, they might be perfect for Clara-sized stuff, too!

    Reply

  34. Lilia says

    Wow, you sure got me inspired to tackle the shelves in my office. I’ll have to nag the hubs for some assistance, given that most of the stuff on them is his = )

    May I ask, what is the book with the pinkish cover in one of the ottomans?

    ~ L.

    Reply

  35. Lindsay says

    We’re preparing our house to sell so this weekend was cleaning weekend! I told the hubs to not make plans so we could scrub out every room. We don’t even have kids yet and it’s amazing what we have collected. But feels good to finally get things organized – and tossed.

    Reply

  36. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    I LOVE cleaning and organizing! I’ll put it off forever, but once I get started I really enjoy it! Since we just moved a few months ago, our house is still pretty organized and empty haha. However, the garage is a mess! Maybe we’ll join you on Friday for organizing that space!

    Reply

  37. Joy says

    Love the organizing week idea. I don’t know if I’ll last all week, but I’m sure going to try. Last week I did an outside cleanup following your lead from cleaning up your planting beds, etc.

    Also, that candle drawer looks like it might be in a book project… so excited about that!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That cabinet definitely makes it into some book shots, but we just haven’t blogged about it yet! Haha. It’s a night stand that we thought might work better in our dining room (it’s between the doorway to the kitchen and the hallway). Will have to hang art over it and blog about it soon!

      xo,
      s

    • Joy says

      Sounds good! I love how hanging art over a table really makes it feel like it’s meant to be there. Plus I’d love to see you increase your art collection. I love the swimming “lady” that you bought for the kitchen, it’s lovely.

  38. Brandy says

    So glad I’m not the only magazine hoarder! My living room looks similiar to your 2nd pic right now (minus the bed) due to one large furniture project and several smaller projects all happening right now. I’m happy you’re doing an org week…you guys are very inspiring to get things done.

    Also, quick question, do you use a gloss white spray paint for pic frames or satin white spray paint?

    Reply

    • Heather W says

      Sherry just a random question. I found my own “Jarvis” this weekend at TJ Maxx. I loved when you spray painted yours a purplish pink color. However, I decided to use the same brand spray paint but in a hot pink gloss. Because who doesn’t need a big hot pink rooster in their kitchen right??? I know you understand even though my Mom clearly did not. Ok the question is the I did just as you said then even coats kept the hand swaying ect. There were no drips or spots etc. After about 4-5 coats looked fully covered etc except the spray paint in some areas does have a gloss shine to it but in others it looks and feels sort of flat or satin looking? I ran out of the color and thought maybe I should buy more to go over it again and maybe it would shine up but I am not sure. I know you used satin on your rooster but it seemed to shine pretty good or was it just the light hitting it etc. So much for the quick question. Thx.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, that’s funny. I don’t have that issue with mine, but I wonder if it’s the type of spray paint (brand or color might have different results?). If you think you still need some more color since you ran out I’d definitely keep spraying it a bit to see if it corrects itself. If it doesn’t I’d just call it charm- it’s kind of cool if parts of it are extra glossy and catch the light like highlights! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Heather W says

      I used the same Rustoleum 2x but in the berry pink gloss finish. So, I don’t know. I have used that brand before without any problems. Did you use a whole can on your Jarvis? Just curious since you are the spray paint queen!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think I used maybe half of a can? I had it leftover from something else I think, so I’m not sure how much was in there. It could just be because Jarvis is sort of rustic and weathered in some spaces that the paint grabs that differently and shows more in your color?

      xo,
      s

    • Heather W says

      Thanks! We’ll see how he looks in a couple of days. When is Jarvis going to make an appearance back in your kitchen? I love seeing my bright pink rooster first thing in the morning!

    • Joy says

      Heather W – it could be that you didn’t shake the can enough to mix the paint really well. I know on mine it says to shake the can for 2-3 mins before using and shake it periodically during use.

    • Karen F says

      I felt the same way about the new Domino! I flipped through it at the store and decided not to buy it (I was so disappointed!) Glad I flipped through it first, though! I’ve seen it at Barnes and Noble and I also believe I saw it at Home Depot last week as well. I got rid of most of my old Dominos (what was I thinking?) but at least I have the book to look at!

  39. Elizabeth P says

    Perfect timing! My husband and I have been having the “it’s time to purge” conversation over the past few weeks and just settled on a yard sale date for the end of the month. This schedule will be good motivation for actually getting stuff done while the babe sleeps.

    Reply

  42. Kristen says

    I saved my old Domino magazines too! I just got the new Domino magazine special spring/summer edition. I can’t wait until the next one comes out in September!

    Reply

  43. Amy @ this DIY life says

    I was seriously studying the picture of the post-org glassware looking for the green vase. When I didn’t see it I thought “Yard sale! I wonder if they would mail it to me.” Then, there it was in the kitchen cabinet – deflate :( So if, at some point in the next few years, you decide to put it in a yard sale, I call dibs ;) I think it would be perfect in my kitchen/entry room on my grey chevroned dresser turned sideboard (http://thisdiylife.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/a-chev-ron-ron-ron/). Just sayin’ :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, you’re so cute! We’ll have to tell you if we’re ever over that vase. I actually got it from a bouquet sent by a friend for my birthday last year! I couldn’t believe it was a “stock” vase since it was so cute.

      xo,
      s

    • Sayward says

      Amy,
      I had the same vase – it came with a cheap bouquet of grocery store flowers – and it was the love of my life until it tragically broke about a year ago. However, I see orange ones just like it at Goodwill ALL the time, so I figure it’s only a matter of time until a green one comes back into my life.

      Keep your eyes peeled at the grocery store and Goodwill. You never know!

  44. John@ Our Home From Scratch says

    I get the feeling that you like candles. ;)

    Man, your built-ins are clutch. Organizing is the key to de-stressing for me. Lisa is actually posting on organizing our bedroom closets this week. Looking forward to all the organizing posts this week!!

    Reply

  45. Kristen H says

    I’ve been gutting my closets right now. I have a bunch of crap that my mom brought me back when I moved in (in 2009), and it is time for it to go! Also, after losing 40 pounds, it is time to say goodbye to my ‘fat’ clothes! I can’t worry about the impending guilt trip from my Mom. Blankets to the animal rescue, furniture on Craigslist, clothes to Goodwill….

    Reply

  46. Suki says

    I tackled my closet this last weekend! It just needed some refreshing and wasn’t too horrible but I need to finish it… And I bought wood to make shelves for kid book organization! Although I don’t like using the circular saw so that’ll have to wait until my husband can cut them.

    Reply

  47. heather says

    Oh, and as far as yard sales (since I’m pretty sure people here that are near you would want to come, and that’s kind of a privacy issue) google to find out if there are any “ultimate yard sale” type things. Maine hosts one every year and the thing has to be held at a fair ground it got so big after the first year. You sign up for a spot, go, and sell and it’s neutral and brings a ton of people. I wonder if any of the towns near you have something similar in the summer?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’d love to do something like that! Just have to see if we can truck everything over (maybe borrow a bigger car from the inlaws or rent a truck?).

      xo,
      s

    • Amanda says

      Or maybe we could start an ultimate yard sale! It could be the hipster yardsale event of spring in RVA. This isn’t your grandma’s yardsale. This one could feature the old stuff of local bloggers and other cool people. We could have the food trucks come.

      I’m working on my own pile of yardsalables and would love an option like this.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’d love that too! Who’s gonna get it started? Of course we still have to be sure we have a way to cart our stuff out wherever something like that us held!

      xo,
      s

  48. Tanya says

    Not only is the music from OPP still replaying in my head as I type, but I am super excited to see your progress this week! I’m new to YHL and loving it, thank you :)

    Reply

  50. Jessica says

    Thank GOD you guys aren’t perfect. As I climbed over piles of paperwork, toys, tools, and various other completely random things in my large walk-in living room closet this weekend (one that I literally cleaned completely out like 2 months ago), my mind couldn’t help but flash to you guys and your seemingly always pretty clean home. My house looks good until you open a closet, or a drawer, or any concealed space really….lol. But I feel much better now. :) Thank you!

    Oh, and in an actual effort to reclaim some space in our house, the hubby and I started sanding and priming an old antique dresser ($5 at a yard sale last year!) that we’re going to paint lime green and put in our dining room to hold serving dishes, baking supplies, crock pots, and lots of other barely used kitchen-related items that are just hogging up space in our already too-small kitchen cabinets. :) It’s a start!!!

    Reply

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