keeping the fire alive, an ode to my lover.

that would be vertical space...not jesse. you will never, even if i should live 1000 years, hear me refer to jesse by that mind-violating word.

you know i love maximizing vertical space. in a small house, you have got to do this if you want to make life work and not accidentally go on a stress rage rampage/fast food comedown binge every 31 days because your period is due and WHY ARE THERE PILES OF STUFF ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND COUNTER!?!?!

our previous greatest accomplishment in this milieu was literally conjuring up a pantry where before there was none. i love this project hard and it was worth it about 50 times over. 

since that upgrade, the reigning holder of the esteemed title "biggest perpetual assache in the house" has for the past year belonged to the office closet. part craft closet, part guest closet, part room of requirement gone wrong = so much of yuck.

 ugh. this is my secret monica closet that i never wanted anyone to see.

that stupid stand-alone shelf was something we already had and i was determined to make work by just shoving it in the closet and going, "here, little fella! be a closet!". it did NOT work.it was just a spindly little doo-dad that might be sufficient for holding pensieves, but not much else. it wasnt ready for the big leagues and so it earned my wrath. 

 additionally, it created these infinitely exasperating side margins of wasted space. THE HORROR.

thats a great place to store important things that you need to get to frequently...and the perfect size to get my head stuck EVERY TIME.

so last week i decided it was time to pantry-fy this bad boy. my etsy shop is going bananas lately and i need a way more organized system to support it without taking over then entire floor and tabletop space of the office. the closet would have to step up. what's hebrew for a closet boy becoming a closet man? it's certainly some kind of mitzvah. 

v

vomiting it out to make it all better. i see you there, creepy frog sleeping bag eyes.

not a hellpit; not yet a haven. 

with embarrassingly little effort (considering how horrible we let this ge for so long), installation took about an hour total we had our problem solved+. i say solved plus because in these situations not only is all the stuff that was previously in the shame-closet WAY more organized and better laid out, but there is all of a sudden TONS of extra space for new stuff that was lurking in other stupid places around the house secretly stealing my neurons.

almost there and layla approved.

added some cutesy labels and put all the little stuff in mason jars in the door shelf (SUCH a clutch piece)

 the stuff that i want to be kid-accessible i stored in jars with no lids and on low shelves so they can get them in and out 100% by themselves. everything is washable and cheap so i'm not sweating losing tops or coloring carpets.

things that i would prefer them not to spill everywhere (like 2000 count beads) are up high and have tops on them.

with more treasures loaded in

and then small, topped, labelled bins to maintain sanity.

this closet is now a safe space for a rational mind and not a lunatic's horde cubby. the kids feel empowered by being able to start art projects on their own and love knowing where everything goes. they also are far more likely to come in and create with me while i sew now that their stuff is in their reach and visible rather than scattered and buried. 

storage in all 3 dimensions RULES!