SPRING CLEANING WITH FLAIR!

SPRING!  I truly LOVE home organization and, although, at times, I find myself overwhelmed with cleaning out drawers, clothing and cabinets....for some reason, the start of SPRING inspires me to organize and clean out, more than any other time of the year!  YOU CAN DO IT!  No matter what state your home is in, you CAN get on top of it and ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE!   Are you already organized?  Look around your house for even MORE ways to clean out and donate to a great charity.  Are you feeling like your house is in complete disarray?  NO PROBLEM!  You can start one room at a time and, friend, I ASSURE you, you WILL GET THERE!!

We are truly living in a "STUFF" society!  Any time I go to the grocery there is a great sale!  There are good deals ALL AROUND!  From TJ MAXX to Internet specials, our tendency to accumulate MORE and MORE items is tempting.

TAKE TIME TO CLEAR OUT before you buy another thing!! Currently, I LOVE to donate to GOODWILL.  There are several convenient drop off locations near our house and, I can easily clean out one of the children's closets, pack the items in a sack and, drop it off--all within a 1 1/2 hour block of time.  TRULY FEELS GREAT!

Currently, I know of several families who are trying to raise money for overseas  adoptions.  One method by which they are raising money to fund the adoption is by asking people to donate items for a big garage sale/fund raiser. *A great cause to clean out your closets and drawers!  Your unused items could help expand a family!  

FLAIR ORGANIZATION TIPS:

• Take one room at a time.  Depending on how determined you are: start with one room per week or, one room per day.
• Do NOT get overwhelmed! Do not think in terms of what ALL needs to be organized.  'Tackle' your house or apartment in baby steps!  Dedicate one hour a day to work on organizing.  *You can even watch a favorite television program while you clean out a drawer or a cabinet.
• ASK FOR HELP!  There are many GIFTED home organizers out there!  Ask for help!  Hire a professional to help you ( normally, they charge between $60-$70/hour) and, you will not regret it!  I currently have several friends who specialize in home organization.  Several months ago, my friend Brooke Green came over and organized our pantry.  WOW!  The pantry "MAKEOVER" really made a difference in our daily life!  
• Closets and Clothing- The children grow out of their clothing QUICKLY!  What about your own closet?  Go ahead and implement my 'hard and fast' 6 -MONTH RULE.  Every 6 months, go through your closet and drawers AND your accessories (earrings, bracelets, purses, etc.) --- ANY item that you have not donned in the past 6 months (NO EXCEPTIONS!) is donated to charity.  NO MATTER WHAT!  * Even if the item was expensive or is sentimental ---- CLEAN IT OUT AND DONATE IT!!   I adopted this method 8 years ago when we were living in a house with VERY limited storage and, I have never been the same since!!  CLEAN IT OUT and, CUT DOWN CLUTTER!
• I am a HUGE believer that order in the home cultivates a peaceful environment.  Try it out and, SEE for yourself!  *For example, a cleared off table with a candle burning in the center or an arrangement of fresh flowers is a very peaceful place to serve dinner vs. a table cluttered with mail. 

  From THE COMPANY STORE .  These stack able bins would look CUTE in a child's closet or, in a pantry.  You could also use them in a laundry room. Stack up three or five of them.

AWESOME basket from Crate & Barrel!  This would look GREAT with blankets
stacked in it or, as toy storage. 

AWESOME toy storage!  My daughter has these bins in her room and,  they help cut out clutter.  From LAND OF NOD .  The Storagepalooza is a MUST!  

LAND OF NOD again!  Isn't this CUTE?  Books in a child's room can get cluttered FAST!  Use this wonderful book organizer in order to get a handle on it! 

From TARGET, the SEVILLE CLASSICS CHROME shelf is a neat item for organizing!   This would look GREAT as storage for dishes or cookbooks out in the open, in your kitchen.  A very clean and modern look.  I currently have one in a closet full of items for a party.  I call it "The PARTY closet".  The shelf holds glass plates, a large coffee maker and, LOTS of other great items to throw an event!  LOVE!!! 

MAGAZINES!   I currently subscribe to seven magazines per month.   One of my most FAVORITE resources for all things HOME!   What to do with issues that can easily pile up?  These magazine
holders are ideal.  SHOP GET ORGANIZED and you can get your magazines in tip top shape! 

CONTAINER STORE ,  These storage bins are stack able and really great for your pantry.  Do not forget to add a label to the basket, in order to make locating items even easier!

 I WISH EACH OF YOU A VISION FOR SPRING CLEANING,
 WITH FLAIR!   ~ BETH 

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

SPRING!  I ADORE this season!  The trees are beginning to bloom in Memphis, Tennessee. Stay tuned, I will post some GLORIOUS pictures of the dogwoods and azaleas once they peak.  This southern city is alive with SPRING and, I am inspired!


Go ahead and "dress" your home for this wonderful season!  You can get MUCH done in only one hour.  Here are some touches I recently added to my home. 

Nothing says "WELCOME" like a front door that has been adorned with decorations of the season.    The wreaths were purchased at ANTIQUES WITHIN and the 3-inch wide green satin ribbon is from MICHAEL'S.  A SIMPLE project!  Measure two pieces of ribbon the same length and, tie in a flat knot.  Done!  This is a very clean and crisp look.  

Vintage milk glass.  These pieces belonged to my husband's grandmother.  You can locate milk glass  on eBAY  or  enjoy a trip to an antique store and, explore away! 

An egg topiary!  This was ready made and, the colors are fantastic!
 Purchased at HOBBY LOBBY .

I LOVE this wire mesh Easter basket!   You can find GREAT accents at MANY places!   The basket was purchased at TJ MAXX  and the WONDERFUL pastel eggs were purchased at KROGER!  You can find awesome items ANY where---as long as you LOOK and DREAM!  

Bunny wreath purchased at MICHAEL'S.  Two-inch-wide pink ribbon purchased at the same location. You could purchase two of these and, hang them on double front doors.  This single one is hanging on my back door.  A happy "face" greets us each time we come home. 

A festive door mat at my back door.  Purchased at MARSHALL'S.

"HE" sits beside my back door.  I change his bow, according to the season.  He truly is a wonderful 'friend' and, he was purchased in Memphis, TN at one of my MOST favorite floral shops: RACHEL'S FLORIST.  Cement figurines are great to look at and, add charm to your patio.

By now, you might be able to detect that I LOVE bunnies! This sugared look on figurines is one of my favorite details. This sweet bunny is displayed in my powder bathroom.  I enjoy pulling 'her' out each spring....puts a smile on my face!  From my collection, so sorry, cannot remember where I purchased this! 

GORGEOUS RIBBON!!!!  A favorite 'staple' for the season!  I purchased this wonderful 3-inch ribbon at MICHAEL'S .  This is the ribbon I used to hang the wreaths on my front door (above).  We attended a lovely dinner party two weeks ago and, I used a piece of this to wrap around a chocolate layer cake that I was taking.  You will find MANY reasons to use this ribbon- a wonderful purchase!   FLAIR TIP:  Tie a piece of this wide ribbon around a special birthday gift.  You can wrap the gift with brown paper and, use this ribbon as the finishing touch~ WONDERFUL!!!