The Great August Challenge of 2017

(Originally posted July 30, 2017 on donnaschaos.com)


(Grab a cuppa, have a seat, this is a long one...with pictures!!!)

For quite a while now I have been hanging out with a bunch of awesome folks over at How to GYST .  It stands for "How to Get Your Shit Together" and was started by Laura Hutchinson, formerly in Ireland and now in the process of moving to Ohio. Her videos and blog posts are informative, inspiring and all around just plain good for you if getting your shit together is what you want or need to do. She also has an e-course called the "Productivity Power Up" which is awesome. If you end up taking the course and there is a place for comments please add that you found her through Donna B @ donnaschaos.com. I won't get anything out of it but brownie points. 😛 The group is awesome and very supportive in everyone's endeavors to get organized and improve their lives. Go ahead and check them out, you won't be disappointed. The Irish accent is a bonus. Laura has a YouTube channel, Facebook group etc, etc... All info on the website.

Ok, on with the show.

Every August, Laura gives herself a big challenge. Consequently, she invites anyone in the group to join in the fun. The basic premise is to pick something off your to-do list that you just haven't been able to get done, something you've been putting off, or something you really need/want to try/do. Then you concentrate on just that "project" for the entire month of August. Laura's challenge this year is to discover her new home/area in Ohio.  You can find a link to it on her website.

When it came to picking out my challenge, it really was a no brainer. I am going to FINALLY get the spare room in order and set up my sewing/crafting area. I have had issues with a massive creativity block since my Mom passed away in 2012 and I am feeling it begin to drop away, so time to get moving. Time to honor her memory, my family genes and quite honestly my peace of mind/sanity and get my ass making stuff. I have so many ideas rolling around in my brain and two sewing machines that have been ignored for far too long.

Plus it would be really nice if Honey could get to his hobby corner and guests could actually sleep in a non-cluttered room and have somewhere to put their stuff.

Also, I have a special project going for Honey that he has been waiting on for about three years. He's been very patiently waiting...

Oooh, dinner is ready. Lordy it smells so good...

Ok, I've just had a wonderful dinner and a full glass of wine with it so let's just dive into the before pictures shall we? I'm still getting used to drinking wine with dinner so I'm relaxed and content and just a bit sassy. This could get interesting. Or not.

First off, the room is 10 ft x 10 ft, one wall is all closet (albeit a really really awful one), and there is one window on another wall. At some point I will do a floor plan so stay tuned...ummm probably shouldn't hold your breath.

View of THE room

Ok, I'm standing in the hall looking in...what a freakin' disaster right? Now you know WHY this project was such a no-brainer choice. Full wall #1 to the left, full wall #2 across the back, wall with window (not seen from this angle), and final fourth wall that consists of super sucky-pants closet. I really don't like that closet, can you tell?

Somewhere in there is a table.

Wall #1 in all its glory. Very cute pencil drawing of my son from way back when, some wall shelves with the beginning of my organizing efforts and a whole pile of god only knows what on top and in front of an Ikea gateleg table. Between the shelves and the table are bars with baskets hanging from them. Yet another Ikea item from the kitchen department I think. When this was my son's room, they held his art and school supplies above his drafting table. The table is now in a different area being used as Honey's desk.

Somewhere under all this is a carpeted floor-you can just see the lovely brown 70's lushness there in the front.

There's that poor gateleg table peeking out of a pile crap. Can't you just hear a tiny voice calling " help me...help me". Not much floor space available. Sigh.

 How does one get back there? Good question.

Here is the corner formed by two full walls - aka the beginnings of Wall #2. That's an Ikea Billy shelf unit with doors. In it are two sewing machines that have not seen the light of day for over two years. Only positive about that is they shouldn't be covered in dust an inch thick. Honey uses the very top of that unit and the wall shelves above it for his RC helicopters. Not very easy to get to them. At all. I usually hear some swearing when he goes in there. Sorry Honey. That is about to change.

Isn't that a lovely painting? I know the artist.

Wall #2 meets window wall. Really the only place to put the double size bed. That painting on the wall was done by my son when he was ten and at summer art camp. I got it professionally framed last fall and I will have it hanging on a wall no matter where I live. By the way, he just turned 23 years old, so yeah, it took me long enough. Only warm body sleeping on this bed is the cat. She's just a little thing and found a few comfy spots.

Miss Kiko... She's a talkative little Diva.

CAT PICTURE BREAK!!!!! Everyone, this is Kiko our two year old cat. She came to see what Mummy was doing. She has one eye and a whole lotta attitude. She's spoiled rotten. She'd make a perfect pirate but has issues with wearing the costume - yes, I bought my cat one of those pirate costumes...whuh...

Dun dun dunnnnn...who knows what lurks under there?

Yes folks, I put my bed up on stilts so I could shove more crap under it. Here we have a fully loaded under-bed-world of boxes full of who knows what. I think Kiko might have a stash of toys under there. I'm sure she was in there making sure I don't disturb it. We'll find out by the end of August, won't we...

Wall #3 meets the worst. closet. ever. Ever I tell you!

Say Hi to Sarah Jane folks. She's my never-been-used-yet dress form. She still needs to be padded out to mimic me and I haven't had the heart to do that to her yet. Her figure is perfect and well, mine isn't. Nothing wrong with that, but she's such a work of art and let's be truthful, I've been putting it off (aka too damn lazy to do it - aka I don't know where the padding kit is...). Anyways, shitty closet behind her and window on adjacent wall. Pile of boxes and crap and a cart full of sheets and towels that need washing.

DISCLAIMER: the closet from hell is not included in the challenge.  It really needs its own. If I have some August left after getting this room together, I will get going on the closet. To be fair to the damn closet, it's not what is in it, it is the shape/structure of the darn thing. Really not conducive to anything.

Pretty much the easiest place to get to in this room.

A view behind the door. Not a very well utilized space, but I have plans for this that involve Honey and some power tools.

And... there you have it. Now you know why I don't have a sewing spot and why I picked this room for my August Challenge Project. It has always been quite daunting to do anything in there but shift things off the bed or into our room when we have sleepover company. I've never really thought a weekend was enough and there have also been some emo issues connected to that room and the stuff in it that I may or may not cover as I post updates. The only thing I have done is add to the crap as I go through stuff in other rooms and find things that need to live in there. I will touch on that process as well. A lot has been happening in the Chaos since I last posted, so there is a lot to catch up on.

I have promised myself to do a minimum of 30 minutes in there every weekday night. I do plan to take a break on the weekends to work on my list of various other organizing or creative projects. This room is going to be tough to get through and I don't want to hate it by the time I'm all done.