where did i put...

so i've come to the conclusion that though i LOVE the idea of organization and "everything has a place"... i'm just not good at it. i have all these great tear-outs from magazines with nifty ideas on how to get yourself "put together" but know where those are? they're in a plastic tub waiting to be put in clear sleeves and into the 4 3-ring binders i bought just for those tear-outs... know how long they've been there? 3 years at least. ugh. i must say, however, that i am very proud to announce that i received 3 magazines on the same day (saturday i believe) and i have read all three magazines, torn out the keepsakes (but sadly just put the tear-outs in the bin), and then promptly recycled the magazines that were then hauled off this morning by mr. recycle guy. i do believe that is a record for me.

i think part of my problem with organizing is that all the magazines and tv shows, etc etc want you to run out and buy all these pretty boxes and crates and holders and blah blah blah. i love me a pretty box any day of the week, but where is the $10 for each pretty box supposed to come from? especially since i would literally have to buy 12-20 of them? i'm sorry, but i'd rather spend that money on pretty shoes more than i would pretty boxes. so this puts us right back into the circle of "where did i put..." ugly vicious cycle.

another part of my problem is i like my stuff. and i like my stuff to be with me... at all times. i like to see my treasures and i like others to see my treasures. however- i have done a FANTASTIC job (if i do say so myself) in the past month of ridding myself of stuff. i have donated box upon box to goodwill (can you say lovely tax deduction?) and simply filled garbage/recycle bag upon garbage/recycle bag with stuff. in my defense, a lot of it was stuff that was given to me (or the hubz) that we weren't sure we were "allowed" to get rid of... you know what i mean? that stuff that someone gave you or you've had forever because someone said you should keep it, so you just do. yeah- all of that was gone in the first haul.

so now that leaves me only with lovely ideas of one day everything having its place- and it will... just maybe not in this house.