Space Camp

I really am happy with how much space we have in our house. I suppose, if I wasn't so militant about getting rid of things that are not useful, beautiful or necessary, then maybe I wouldn't feel like we had so much space. But really, we've got a lot.
There's some good above-head garage storage where we keep all kinds of things, and even our Christmas decorations are up there now. Our kitchen isn't huge, but never feels small to me. The cupboards are deep and there's enough of them, and the kitchen is designed in an efficient square, so I can work smoothly and get what I need easily.
My basement storeroom is great, as long as I don't let it get too owly. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it got owly.
See, there was the crystal I needed to get out, and the silver, and the decorations and... And everything just stayed pulled out of it's box because I knew I'd use it several times over those 6 weeks or so. And I did. And it was all fun. And when Christmas was over I was beyond motivated to whip it all back into shape.

I didn't even take a before picture, but trust me, it was bad. I remembered that I wanted to take one, and I'm the queen of befores-and-afters, but I was SO excited to get started and FINISH THE THING, I didn't even bother taking one.

But now, it's all done, and I finally have the system set up that I'd always planned on. Now, I have decorating totes designated by season (Christmas excluded, that's all in the garage- except one tote that stays down here, with all the things that might melt/freeze etc outside all year). Changing things in and out is a lot easier now.All my unused photo mats and pictures are where I can find them, and my unused frames are neatly boxed and ready to open when I need one.
After nearly a year of living here, I know the things I regularly need to dig out of my basement storage, and the things that I never, ever need, but need to keep because someday...I might need them.
The pile of boxes filled with those types of things went from filling a spare bedroom, to being sorted through and then all piled up in the store room, to now just two large boxes, stored underneath the stairs.
Our kids' clothes totes (we've got about 10 big ones) are now under the stairs too- out of the way, but now easy to get to, not behind lots of boxes!
My china and silver is boxed up neatly, but is accessible at the drop of a hat, meaning I may just break it out even more often.And OH, how it's nice to have all these sorted and ready to inspire me. I've done it for three seasons now- fall, Christmas, and now the new year, and it's REALLY been fun to get fresh inspiration from "old" magazines.Here's the other side of the room, if you care. I know, this is such a lovely space, isn't it?So like I said, all those boxes are narrowed down to two. I had a bit of a mountain of cardboard left behind.

Jim made the leftover boxes into a play house for the kids. (That side is popped out inexplicably in this picture...I'm not sure why...but it's back together again now...) It's actually incredibly sturdy.Held together with lots and lots of packaging tape... and stylishly decorated inside and out by the girls.