Something Silly

After sitting at my desk for awhile, I realized I just don't have much to write about this week! [read: tell me what you want to read more about!] I decided that, since it's officially summer, I'd share something just for fun.

You may very well know that I love all things soft and fluffy, specifically dogs. As you could guess, I'm in my car a lot, traveling from client to client. Sometimes...on a good day...the boredom of the commute collides with the wonderful, silly world of dogs.



 Other times, I see things that are less fluffy, but still pretty fun!


                                                            Like the Flinstone's car!
 Or, the Ghostbuster's car!

Even the WeinerMobile!

I Don't Wanna!

I don't want to.

Some things I just don't like doing. For me, it's laundry. And, washing dishes. But, they have to get done. So, I do them. Thankfully, I have a dishwasher that makes dish-washing much easier. And, at least I don't have to wash my clothes by hand. I don't like these tasks. But, I like having clean dishes to eat off and clean clothes to wear everyday. So, I do it.

I'd like to think that those who don't like organizing (gasp!) would still complete their projects because they understand that having an organized space is a necessity. It makes life easier.

Don't get me wrong - I don't expect people's homes to look like museums or magazine photos. I would hope that people would strive to make their homes function best for them. That might mean the mail stays on the dining room table. It might mean that toys stay in the family room at all times. If that's what works best for you, then that's how it should be.

Sometimes I work with someone who has all the skills to create a more organized space. They even have the time to tackle it.....if they wanted to. Therein lies the rub. Want to. We schedule some time together to power through the problem area and make life better. It's okay that they don't want to do these tasks alone. I'm absolutely here to make the process easier and quicker. The fact that they've reached out says that they care enough to get it done, but realize if left to their own devises, it won't happen. They do understand that life is better with a streamlined space. They just don't want to do it alone.

It's like exercising. It's much easier to get it done when someone else is telling me how many lunges to do and encouraging me along the way.

I promise if we work together I won't make you do any lunges.


Baubles, Bangles and Beads

I don't consider myself too much of a girly-girl. But, I do enjoy sparkly things! This week I had a great time organizing a jewelry collection for a client.

She had a somewhat organized jewelry chest already. It was only in minor disarray. But, there was also a box of jewelry that had been stored away that we wanted to include in her collection. This included heirloom items, as well as things her kids had made for her over the years and even some from her own childhood.

First thing's first: We emptied the jewelry chest and box into piles. Rings together, bracelets, necklaces, and so on. As we sorted items into these categories, we started to recognize some items were sets. We separated the sets out of the regular piles.

Beadaholique 3 by 4-Inch 500 Poly Bag Clear Resealable Zipper Shipping BagsTo make storage easiest, the client preferred keeping individual pieces and sets in small, plastic jewelry bags, available at craft stores. These are available on Amazon:

The next part was the most laborious part: we bagged each item of jewelry. Each necklace, ring, pin and set of earrings were sealed into their own plastic bag! It took a while, but boy did it make the next part quick and painless.

In order to compare like-items, we categorized the now-bagged pieces into new piles: Pearls, rhinestones, silver, gold, beaded, etc. I lined up each category on the bed, so she could easily see how much was in each category. After that, she could make decisions as to what she wanted to keep, donate or sell. Whatever was left over, we stored back in her jewelry chest. What made the most sense for her (how she wears her pieces), was to store them in the categories we sorted in to - pearls, gold, silver, etc. Now, she can wear what she loves and pass along the items she won't wear again!


Post-Conference De-Briefing

Last week I attended the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) annual conference. This was the seventh conference I've attended as a member of this association. Each year there is a theme to conference. This year was 'Shine Ever Brighter.'

Although conference is only three days long, it is packed with classes, networking, brainstorming, inspiration and fun. Okay, and lots of dessert...

After I attend conference each year, I take a day or two to go through the notes of not only the classes I attended while there, but all the classes offered. The notes give me a peak into the content and help me decide if I want to borrow the recording from our chapter's library. I also use these notes to help create a list of goals for my coming year. Goals for my business, on topics to explore more in depth, products to try, techniques to implement with clients. I keep it posted next to my desk until all the line items are highlighted as done.

I don't know if I immediately walked out of the conference center shining any brighter than when I walked in. (Definitely a little more sun-kissed, though). I do feel confident however, that I learned enough to help my clients shine brighter in the year to come. I've learned more about their challenges and how to help them break through to achieve their goals. And, in doing so, I will allow myself to 'Shine Ever Brighter' right along side them.


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