Organization Week Three--and a bit of Hope.

Another unorganized spot in my home conquered! (At least for a few days.) A few weeks ago I hooked up with Melinda over at Coming Clean and decided to participate in her Organizational Challenge. At least with a few small projects around the house (the kind I've been meaning to get to, but that always fall off the end of the list). The first week I tackled my paper baskets and this past week it was the junk drawer. Here is my before picture:

Oh. my. word. I know it's called the junk drawer, but it seems like it has become more of a trash drawer! I was able to throw so much away...either cause we had too many (look at this pile of pens that were in every part of this drawer),

or because it literally was trash! Really--garbage in there!

I also found lots of things that needed to be housed elsewhere--cause, you know, directions to "Pass the Pigs" don't need to be at your fingertips at all times. Anyway, here is the finished product. I stuck with stuff we use regularly.

I am still thinking about labeling the spots...cause I love my label maker...and I'm hoping it might help the rest of the fam? I don't know, though...I finished the task a few days ago and went to take the picture this morning and there were already a few things just tossed in there...guess that's us.

For week three I am hoping to tackle my jewelry. I used to wear the same things everyday, so I didn't have much, but lately have become more into changing it up a bit. (does that constitute a mid life crisis? hmmm.) So, now I have lots of jewelry and no good ways to store it. It has taken over the top of my dresser, and I clean around it. I'm not moving it all to dust under it...that's crazy-talk! And, I make it messier every time I look for something. Here is my embarrassing before picture:

I know what you are thinking...it's seriously an act of God that I get out the door looking somewhat together. You should notice a few things in the pic:

1) The wooden jewelry box to the right. My hubby gave me that years ago and I think it is so pretty. However, it does not hold half of the stuff. In fact I just took a tangled mess of costume jewelry out of the bottom of that thing to try and unknot.

2) The blue car. No, it's not some repurposed broach. I'm not cool enough to pull that off. It is one of Bubba's cars. Cause naturally, that is where it goes. Actually, it illustrates a concept I have learned--clutter besets clutter. And if I let one area go--my family is happy to add to it. You'll notice some loose change there too...I have no idea where that came from, but I'm sure it's enough to buy me some diet coke. :)

3) My fav--the tiny little rock with the word hope. See it?

It's in the middle of the mess. I usually keep that rock on my dresser as a reminder...but wow, what a picture to find it in the middle of the mess! That is honestly where I am most thankful for the Hope I have in Christ. In the midst of my messes. Not just these kind of messes...but the ones I make of my life, or the ones life hands me. In fact, I call last summer "The Big Mess". Cause, I can't even tell you what a mess it was. I can tell you it was the dark kind...the kind I wasn't sure we were going to dig through. And yet, in the midst, there was Hope. It was as real as that rock. Honestly, there were times the mess seemed much bigger than the Hope. But it wasn't. God is faithful. It all became part of the Good.

So, as tempted as I am to leave the jewelry mess with the hope rock there as a spiritual reminder for the dark days...I think I'm going to clean it up. and untangle. and save myself some serious amounts of minutes when I get ready in the morning...

If you want to join the challenge, it's not too late! Click here and go for it! And remember there is Hope in the midst of your mess!