Chaos Theory

Let me start off by saying that I love my Mom, but she is without a doubt one of the worst housekeepers on the planet. There were periods of my childhood when we had not one but two people coming in each week to clean the house, do laundry, etc. No we weren't wealthy or special in any other way, she just hated doing housework. So I was raised with very little training in picking up after myself or any other organization skills. Since I lived by myself for most of my adult life, until getting married 4 years ago, my cleaning disfunction was no one's concern but my own. My husband is by no means a neat freak but he is used to a more organized approach to life than myself so cleaning and clutter are our hottest topics.

I know many people can not concentrate if things are not in their place but in all honesty I feel uncomfortable in a perfectly organized environment. I like clutter. I like chaos. I actually feel less in control when things are organized around me.

Enter my friend Tiffany who is dating my husband's good friend and bandmate. Tif is not only a very charming and fun person, but she is also a professional organizer who runs www.yourlifeorganizedstl.com/ I must also say that she is one of the least judgemental people I've ever met so I have no problem with her dropping by my house or seeing some of my shameful clutter. She thrives on everything "having a home" and a place where it belongs. I really try but somehow it just never works out. This spring she helped me convert my spare bedroom/disaster area into a functional and cute craft room shown above. There was yarn storage in my closet utilizing hanging shoe racks and several dressers around the room kept everything in it's place. It was perfect for the first 3 months. I put my yarn away when I was done with it, my shipping supplies were always right were they needed to be when I had an order, my computer desk was clear with folders for receipts and other business items.

Let's just say that I've backslided. My once creative sanctuary is now full of more clutter than even I can stand and it has slid right out into my couch in the living room were I do most of my knitting. My "work space" is full of yarn, boxes of beads and buttons, and my knitting references. I was talking with Tif this weekend about how I use my space. She came up with a brilliant idea that I can't wait to implement. I'm going to convert the wall shelving in my living room that is now full of decorative knick knacks and what nots into a work space. I will fill the shelves with baskets that I will use to organize the yarn I plan on using in the immediate future. I will keep the craft room for additional storage but since I do most of my knitting and work in the living room it makes sense to have my work space there also. I will have a shelf for my reference books I use all the time and a spot to keep my buttons/beads/lace/etc. that I use all the time.

My husband doesn't care what I do and would be thrilled if I was able to somehow keep the yarn contained. I will probably wait to make the transition until after Strange Folk since I have a lot of details to still work out for the show. But here's to hoping that I can regain some order in my life and keep some peace in the house.