Pantry Organization

I'm not the tidiest person out there. Really, I'm truly a slob at heart. My husband keeps me from being TOO messy, but if I'm home alone all day, the clutter just manages to accumulate. My house isn't dirty, it just has a ton of clutter. It's strange that I do feel OCD about some things, but others I could care less. FOR EXAMPLE...my radio volume HAS to be set on an even number or I just can't stand it. Empty bottle of 7UP on my coffee table for a week? Whatevs. I'm cool with it.

But! I have found that if I get excited about a fun or inventive way of organizing or cleaning up, I'm a bit more into it and I'm more likely to stick with it. I found this idea on Pinterest and decided that I had to try it. I have a huge pantry in my kitchen with three very large levels. The three cabinets are so tall that there is a bunch of wasted space. I would like to install shelves but my budget can't really handle it and I don't think the cabinet wall could sustain the weight.

This is the top cabinet, before. Very messy, and a bunch of wasted space above. It became a dumping ground for everything. All these photos were taken with my iPhone, so they aren't the prettiest.

So, this is the empty cabinet in all it's glory! I did a quick wipe down with some spray cleaner.

I put everything on my island and I decided to take a picture of everything I pulled out of it.

Here are the contents! Massive container of oats, 3 Christmas tupperwares, 2 Christmas tins, tart pan, syrup, olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rum, tequila, whiskey, Goldschlager, two soups, random massive container of fiber therapy (seriously, how did that get in my kitchen, it's not even opened), salt, kosher salt, lunch bag, large beverage dispenser, snowman platter, tea kettle, cake container, 2 tissue boxes, plain napkins, parrot napkins, cherry napkins, red plates, parrot plates, oldest bag of popcorn on earth, oldest ready made scone mixes on earth, fruity cups and geez a few other things! Ha! Just a little ridiculous.

A few weeks ago my awesome mom bought me six of the cheapest curtain rods money can buy, which was exactly what I wanted. Due to traveling and company I wasn't able to use them until now. So I took my tension rods and did this.....

Interested yet? I placed three in a nice straight row and then three more a few inches to the right and this was the result!

What???? How awesome is this! I've taken my muffin tins, baking sheets, and large platters out from the drawer under the stove and stuck them between my new favorite items, tension rods. I feel this is better because I would rather reach up than down to get something, this uses my space more efficiently, and they won't collect gunk and crumbs like they do in the oven drawer! I then added back in the items I decided to keep there and this is the finished cabinet.

I'm really pleased with the results and I'm glad there is enough space to add in a third row of curtain rods which I plan to do very soon. So that's my Tuesday project! Very simple, but it made me happy! What are some quick, easy, and fun organizing tips that you have? I'd love to hear ideas!

The Little Thistle

So I think this is the second, third, or maybe even the fourth blog that I have attempted to start. Hopefully this one will stick! I have lots I want to write about and it would sure be groovy if someone out there thought what I have to say sounds interesting. I kept trying to write a blog around a specific area of my life and I think that was where I messed up. I change too often to be specific for any significant amount of time. I titled my blog The Little Thistle because that is the name of my business and Etsy shop (which is lamely closed at the moment). Thistles are significant to me for many reasons, and these reasons are in no particular order:

A. They are pretty.

B. They are something I like that is purple, which is rare.

C. My husband is from Scotland, and the thistle is a very dear national emblem.

D. Thus, I walked down the aisle to "Flower of Scotland" on our wedding day.

E. My bouquet had lovely purple thistles interspersed with my favorite flower, red roses.

F. I love Jamie and Claire Fraser and her wedding ring is made of thistles.

G. The exist naturally in Scotland, my husband's birthplace, and they exist naturally in Texas, my birthplace. Cheesy and awesome connection.

So yeah, I like thistles. Do you have a flower that is special to you for a specific reason? Other than "I just like it"?

Here are some lovely ladies I photographed while in Texas a few weeks ago.