In Transition

Since Thanksgiving I have been working on my scrap room, rearranging and purging like crazy. Sometime this Fall I had the realization that I have too much stuff and part of that is because I have too much storage. No matter how much I purge or try not to overshop, every few months I am cleaning and reorganizing everything because the shelves and drawers are just too full. 


I have filled two teachers' cars to the roof with supplies for their classes and my room is still too full.


This weekend, I sold my Cube system to one lucky lady who is actually going to be able to use it, so that is awesome.


Last week I sold a bunch of extra stock, a huge box of paper, and kits to one of my friends who took me up on an offer to come by my house and shop.


I donated a BUNCH of samples to charity.


I am giving away a ton of kits (today is the last day to enter the giveaway here).


Yesterday I went through my paper, which was once a staggering 100+ inches worth, and got it down to 36″ of paper and cardstock. The last time I had that amount of paper was 2002. 2002!!! I now have an over 36″ stack of paper I am sorting into themed boxes to sell on etsy.

It is still a work in progress at this point, as you can see from the piles and the overflow into my front room, but this is what it looks like this AM, sitting behind me as I type from the new office I have set up in my front room. 


Yes, I removed the crop room, moving those sturdy maple tables into my scrap room and removing the Ikea tables from my scrap room. I will still have crops but on a smaller scale and less frequently. I needed to reformat for my life and health. My desk/office was literally next to my bed and I never felt relaxed. Also, the lights from the computer and components kept me awake at night which is really unhealthy. And the working late at night, typing, kept Xaver awake. Also, I felt like I was just creating a huge mess in that space all the time and was embarrassed to have company over. Besides my desk, I have a couch and coffee table and after CHA, I plan to get a couple of comfy chairs too. This will be a nice meeting spot for when I have business visitors and will make my house not look like a warehouse when friends and family come over. I am working to really separate my “work” from my life and still work at home. So, to that end, I now have an office in my “formal” living room, my dining room is a dining room again, and I am moving out of my class supply closet. 


Xaver set up a bank of cabinets along one wall in our garage for me to use for my bulk supplies, etsy product, and overflow. I am moving out of my class supply closet so he can create a mini-man cave in there. It is quite a ridiculously large “closet” – who puts a walk-in closet in the hallway? Well, apparently this builder did! LOL In addition to having his garage mostly back from me (I have stuff everywhere and now I am confined to certain areas in there) he also gets his own space to store his stuff. He is already trying to figure out how to get some outlets in there for all his electronics and toys.


I am gearing up for my online organizing class starting early next month, The Organized Crafter. I will be adding a module about my new space and how it differs from my old one. One of the key components to my philosophy is to rethink the way you buy, what you store, and how you use your stuff. I actually do what I say in the class. Just this year, I am doing it in a more intense way than ever! 


My one little word for 2012 is “less”. So far this year “less” is meaning more work, more achy backs, and more purging than ever but I can really see the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel much less of an emotional attachment to my “stuff” and I feel so much better for it. I don't feel so overwhelmed. I feel guilty for spending so much money (I figured the paper I purged yesterday was worth over $3000 retail) and I think this is a good exercise in helping me stay controlled at CHA. I have yet to purchase any craft supplies this year, save items I actually used to make a project immediately, like adhesive. And that feels really good. That is how it is supposed to be.


-Jennifer

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.