It all started with...(Part II)

Alright, I assume if you've made it to Part II, you suffered your way through Part I. I salute you. Its no easy task spending a day in my head. Let alone 30 years! One friend said she had vertigo after reading my last post. Come now, is it really that bad? OK, I realize I am a bit neurotic, I don't deny that, but at least I'm neurotic in my decently organized home. One of my most favoritest things in the world is finding a functional home for something. Almost better than Chocolate Chip Mint ice cream...almost.

So if you will remember, we left off with the IKEA GORM shelving unit. These are great (and cheap), but they are only useful for big oversized items. Hm, what excess of big, oversized items do we have in our basement? Tools of course! My husband has a spectacular assortment of tools. I know, I know, he's a carpenter, but seriously, it boggles the mind how one could need so many different tools. That said, those tools have finished my basement, built closet organizers, swapped the tires on our vehciles, etc, etc. So I try not to complain about the tools (too much), but I also need them to be stored in an orderly manner.

(E). So with this newly emptied GORM unit I was able to get all of his tools off of the floor. This is exciting news. While I was away on the Island, he sold his big red tool box and replaced it with a Fat Max rolling tool box (easier to take to jobs) and two Rubbermaids. I actually think they are perfect tool-room storage. But there was still the issue of wasted space (height-wise). So with some ingenious swapping, moving and plenty of grunting (on my part, those suckers are heavy), I got everything in its place and it looks much better. 

 

If you'll notice that storage unit to the left, it is vintage IKEA. My cousin gave it to us probably about a year ago now. She said she bought it 20 years ago. First of all, I love that in big cities like Edmotnon, IKEA even existed 20 years ago (I probably only heard of it in the last decade), that it is an still incredibly well-built piece that is functional and intuitive, AND that she's kept it in such good condition! Oh...and that she gave it to me. I say who needs friends with benefits when you've got family with storage units. OK, so I don't really say that, but anything storage related makes me pretty happy. 

 

So this beloved cousin of mine is moving out West in a few months and needed to do more purging and in the process gifted me with 3 more IKEA storage units! And yes, she's at the top of the favorite cousin list right now.

(F). So these new-to-me IKEA storage units meant that my side of the craft room could finally get some organizational love. And yes, the room is most definitely divided into his and hers. We're cool like that. No blurring the gender lines around here. 

 

I recognize its not the prettiest craft room with its concrete walls and plastic insulated walls. Martha Stewart won't be popping by anytime soon. BUT, it is organized, and that makes me happy enough for now. Although "finish the craft/tool" room is on the to-do list. My to-do list anyway. 

So I look the three cabinets and stacked them on top of each other. This makes the best use of the height and our msucles (that sucker is HEAVY!). The white cabinet was part of the bedroom set that I bought for Abbi a few years ago (a whopping $20 for a MALM bed,two dressers and this cabinet). Also old IKEA. Also in fantastic condition. Score.

- White cabinet. Now holds all of my fabric. Meaning I have an empty Rubbermaid bin, and I can now actually see all of my pretty fabric in one glance. Fabric love. 

- Our painting supples were previously stored like this. Ugly x10.

 

- Bottom Cabinet. Now holds pretty much all of our painting supplies. One might say I have A LOT of paint (eg. my husband), but I like to say that I have a lot of options. The middle cabinet holds any extra painting supplies and I think we will move the husband's drywalling tools into the empty side. You just never know when you might need to patch a hole, move a painting, or a curtain rod. Life is just too uncertain to not have drywall tools easily accessible.

Next we move to the large storage unit. This isn't as pretty as I would like, but it is currently housing A LOT of stuff. 

- Because I was able to move all of the paint into the cabinet, the paint bin was now empty so I decided to use it for some of my kijiji items. You should know, I sell A LOT of stuff on kijiji. Like I probably have, on average, 20 items for sale at any given time. Its a little crazy, I know, but its such an easy way to make a little extra cash. So the bottom two shelves are devoted to kijiji items. This gives them a place to go and ensures that my sewing table doesn't have to look like this anymore...

Now I have my happy little kijiji shelves. 

 

 - I love that this shelving unit has two drawers. Genius. This meant that my 4 junk drawers in my overflowing rolling storage unit could now be condensed. And did I mention that I love having all my lightbulbs in a drawer? I know, I am a bit neurotic, but did you know that all of the CFL bulbs have a warranty and if they burn out before that time, you just mail in a copy of your receipt and the UPC and they send you a new bulb? Its genuis. Since our initial lightbulb purchase back in 2008, I haven't had to buy a single light bulb. But I digress...

- Next is my scrapbooking shelf. I don't really scrapbook. I have scrapbooks. I have paper. I have pictures. But have I ever actually done it? No. I get invites, a lot, to parties, but it has yet to peak my interest. So in the meantime, I have all my supplies on a pretty little shelf. The day will come, I just know it. 

- Next is my sewing/beading shelf. It now houses my sewing machine and all my sewing goodies. Of course some cute baskets were required, so I had to do some rearranging to make this happen. 

- Next shelf, also required cute baskets. I had scored these at Zellers a few years ago now. They housed my tea towels upstairs (which are now in the 9-drawer dresser), so this empty basket came downstairs. The other one is still housing kids bike helmets and skates, although I want some hooks in the recycling closet for these items, as this is where the kids bikes will go for the winter. 

The other basket houses all the gifts I have squirreled away over the course of the year. Some for birthday parties. Some for Christmas. And some just because. When I see a good deal, I generally make a point to stock up, especially for kids birthday parties. If you'll note, this is near the top shelf to keep it away from little Nepper children's eyes. Gabe spotted a Lightning McQueen Christmas ornament (meant for him), and hasn't stopped talking about it for like 2 days. Sigh. 

- The top shelf has a baby bassinet. A kijiji item. Seriously people. These things cost $59 brand new and I am asking $15. No bites. No idea why. Because I am an opportunist, I saw this at a garage sale for $3 (also a shockingly low price), so even if I sell it for $10, I made a fairly rockin' profit. 

On the other side are two bins. One houses all of my gift bags. I have an impressive collection, ranging from baby showers, to weddings, to birthdays, to you forgot this at my house and I want to give it back to you in a pretty bag. You just never know what you might need a bag for.

The other bin houses all of my tissue, gift wrap and bubble wrap. Also on the top shelf as it seems my children are magnetically drawn to bubble wrap. No matter how many times I try to explain that the popping renders it useless, I still catch them pop pop popping it.   

- So I am left with this sad little corner. Two basically empty storage units and my gift wrap container. So I'm not sure how to break it to the husband yet, but I'm thinking the white cabinet will actually go here and we will hang two shelves that he picked up from a worksite a few years ago. They can house ribbons and other sorts of cuteness. I may keep one storage unit, but they honestly don't hold much other than phone books and large mailing envelopes. Oh, plus all those momentos that I plan to scrapbook one day...

(G). So this leads me to my last and final major project. A new couch. This probably has nothing to do with the $5 chair upstairs, but it all just seemed to domino from that point. I have been looking for a hide-a-bed sectional for our basement since we finished it, back in 2010. I wanted seating, but also something that could double as a guest bed. These go on sale for $1099, but I picked this up for $500 off of kijiji. Plus, Rob and his (way-too-kind) friend helped move it in, so delivery was free (minus the nachos and beer I paid them with).

The stars finally aligned and I got my sofabed sectional...

I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

They are in excellent condition. They are brown microseude. And they are most definitely man cave couches. They have two Lazy Boys. Two of the chairs massage you while you watch TV. The armrests lift up to reveal cup holders and TV remote storage. And finally, if that wasn't enough...you can actually connect your phone line to the centre chair's armrest and answer your phone. Um...seriously? The only thing missing is a beer fridge (but don't mention that part to my husband, he doesn't need any more ideas).

- So we had to move our TV, which looks a bit awkward and may mean we eventually have to get a new stand, but it works for now. That wall still needs to be finished, but heck...I have a relatively finsihed basement. Yippee!

- This also meant that the futon can go (still waiting for someone to pick that sucker up off of kijiji) and that our green couch had to be cut in half to get it out. But who really cares? I have a nice sofabed sectional AND...a fairly organized house. 

- I do need to come up with something for the walls for this room, which has remained artless until we had the couch that we were sticking with. You get a bit sensitive about putting holes in walls when it was you who helped put them up and mudded and sanded, and mudded, and sanded. 

- This organization spree has also led to a major reorganization in our bedroom but that one won't be done for awhile yet. Pretty sure that one will have to wait awhile unil the husband recovers.

Rough estimate of the cost of this ridiculously, time-consuming, yet surprisingly satisfying, overhauul of my home...

$593.49

Phew. I'm exhausted. Anyone else?