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Spring Cleaning!

Okay, so I've been a little antsy lately. Who isn't? It's the end of April, school is winding down and the weather is heating up.

For some reason, this kind of weather makes me want to clean. Maybe it's not the weather, perhaps it's the large amount of final projects that are due soon, and how my house always seems to magically become before I begin a project. Another procrastination device I use is StumbleUpon... and one of my 'favorites' on stumble is organization. So lots of the websites that pop up have to do with cleaning, and inspire me to procrastinate even longer... here are a few of my favorite organizational discoveries!

Here are a few things I have been implementing in my apartment-

1. CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING
I have cats, and they tend to lick everything, so chemical free cleaning products are important to me. A few months ago I learned that white vinegar and water work just as well as any product on the market. I have been spraying it on everything, guess what.. it works! More chemical free recipes here.

2. ORGANIZE IN SECTIONS
Start small. Don't look at the entire house and think, "I'm going to clean the house today!" Instead, think "I'm going to organize the spice cabinet!" Take your organizing by sections, and organize the sections into organized spaces. Instead of looking at the entire house and getting overwhelmed... just think about a certain kitchen cupboard. Yesterday I turned up the volume on the TV and turned my organization rage on the kitchen. This started after I couldn't find the hot sauce in the spice cupboard... I pulled out all the spices, coated the space with vinegar, organized the spices into a nice little brownie tin and organized all my tea bags in a box. By eliminating the tea boxes, I saved half the space, and had more room for other things. The brownie tin was a good idea because now if I'm looking for a spice I no longer have to climb up on the cupboard and dig around. Instead, I can just pull out the tin and find the spice much easier! After the spice cupboard was finished... I turned my rage on the pots and pans, the bowl and mug shelf and the utensils. While I was doing this, I threw things we never use onto the kitchen table and after I was done, boxed the unused things and stuffed them in a closet. The kitchen is much more usable now! Check out GetRidofThings.com for more information!


3. HALF EVERYTHING, THEN HALF IT AGAIN
It's AMAZING how much crap we have cluttering our lives! Sometimes walking into my closet terrifies me. It's impossible to put together an outfit when you're overwhelmed.

Less is more. Really, it is. Go through your closet and half your clothes. Then wait a few days, and half it again. If you have clothes that are too small for you, box them up or give them to goodwill. You may be a dreamer, but it's doubtful you'll fit back into those clothes while they are still in style. Just give them up. (Don't give the diet up, just give up the clothes! Sometimes getting rid of the clothes can be a motivator... when you reach the goal, replace the clothes you gave away with some new cute tops!) I finally gave up my size 4 pants... they have been hanging for a year now, and haven't moved.



After you get done with your first purge, drop the clothes off at the Goodwill or sell them to Plato's Closet, and do it again! You'll get cash in your pocket, and space in your closet. Another tip I read about for getting rid of old clothes is to turn the hanger backwards every time you wear an article of clothing, after a certain amount of time you'll know what clothes you don't wear by which hangers are still facing the right direction!

4. Location, Location, Location!
Do you have problems finding your bills or your mail? Or your keys when you're running out the door? Give them their own spot! Keep things were they make sense. Keep keys on a peg by the door, paper by the phone and CD's by your computer. Things will become so much more simple and your productivity will go up once you stop searching for those everyday things!

5. Find a Drop Zone!
Do you have piles of things you use daily piling up all around your house? Designate a cute basket or box to drop those little things in everyday. Take time every week to empty the basket out and organize the loose change you didn't know you had!

6. Eliminate Homelessness
Everything in your house should have a home. No boxes filled with a random assortment of hardware and paperwork, no catch-all consisting of menus, mismatched socks and old rubber bands. Invest in some boxes or plastic totes, put like things together and then clearly label them. Knowing where to find things is a big step toward keeping your life organized.

7. Eliminate nasty from your fridge!
One of the most important parts of your house to keep clean is your fridge. For some reason, it's often forgotten during cleaning sprees. Do you really want to eat food out of a bacteria infested fridge? Really? Yuck... Go shelf by shelf and organize your fridge by levels. Spray a vinegar mix and clean as you go. You'll be surprised how many old meals and expired food you have forgotten about! While going through your fruits and veggies, keep an eye on spoiled produce! (A great resource I recently discovered is a seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar... check it out.) Also, ditch the vegetable drawer and move them up to the top of your fridge and into a bowl. If you keep them out at eye level, you'll be more likely to grab for veggies when you're hungry.

work work work...

today- finishing up a new revised portfolio and attempting to start my German essay
watching- The Tudors and Project Runway (gotta love on demand!)
eating- breakfast for dinner. (Onion, gouda, and dill eggs with a banana, strawberry, almond butter, maple yogurt smoothie and nutella bread... num!)
petting- Presley. He's being cuddlier than Zeppy today. Wait.. here comes Zeppy. This petting situation may change soon.

9 people visited my website yesterday. Stats up 100%. Great success. (Many from Australia... I think this is a good sign!)

Arrow Rock...

You have to visit this town. It's beautiful in a manicured ghost town type of way.

Barn Obsessed...

If you know about some of my hidden hobbies, you know I'm a bit obsessed with barns. If you were unaware of this obsession, you probably are now.

Incase you were wondering, this is a gothic western prairie barn with a new england gambrel roof. The part that caught my eye about this barn was the large design on the front, you don't often see those in the midwest! The design on the front was originally designed to be a hex to keep out bad spirits and witches. Throughout the years the hexes turned into quilt designs. This specific barn was probably meant to be a dairy barn, and has since been used for storage of hay and tractors. The original builders of this barn were more than likely German.

Just a little nugget of information for you.

postcards

I ordered some new postcards! Send me your address if you want me to send you one!

Burmese Babies Eveeeeeerywhere!

Pure Romance (Rated R)

Pure Romance Party (Rated R) from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

spring bench...

I love everything about spring.

spring drive...

John and I went on a wonderful evening drive on the backroads of Missouri. I love this place!

job profile

Pure Romance Party from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

critique please.. this is a rough draft

layers of spring...

exploration...

purple...

green...

something died and got hung on a garage...

what? Back up Jason! We are investigating this...

confusion...

what?!

Can anybody tell me what these are???

light

my favorite things

Moving to Australia is only about 2 months away! I have been starting to mentally pack things for the move in my head, and these are a few things I decided that I cannot live without and will definitely be going in my bag. (I feel like this is a little bit like the sections in SkyMagazine when celebrities say what they can't fly without... except less fashionable.)


1. Etsy.com crystal camera necklace. Etsy is a great resource for locally made products, you can even start your very own store on the site! 2. Yellow Uncalendar planner decorated with old business cards and polaroids. I love decorating with left over photographs! It keeps me on track and sane. 3. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Digital Camera with HD Video. I carry it everywhere, it's great for video, and I love the macro option. 4. Bare Minerals lightweight powder makeup. Seriously the only make up that has ever healed my acne, not caused it. 5. Moo.com half size business cards. Absolutely the most handy, original business cards you can find. (Also available with recycled paper!) 6. "A Summer's Day" by Joel Meyerowitz. Inspirational and beautiful, it makes me think of lazy summer days. I want my summer to feel just like his photographs. 7. iPod Shuffle in Green. I never really liked walking around with ear buds in, but the shuffle is tiny and perfect for walking from one part of town to the other. It's also really amazing for working out because of it's so little. My favorite things to listen to are This American Life or Ingrid Michaelson. 8. Twister, the movie. I honestly watch this movie at least 2 times a week. It's epic. 9. Organic extra virgin olive oil. Perfect for moisturizing ANYWHERE. No, really... lips, elbows, legs, face, hair, anything! 10. Duluth Pack purse, perfect for carrying everything including cameras. 11. Melatonin herbal sleep aid, perfect for jet lag and sleepless nights, won't leave you drowsy in the morning. 12. La mer watches, classic, functional and available in every color imaginable! (Not vegan, but still adorable!)


There, you know a little more about me. What are your favorite things?


My test is still tomorrow... I have successfully procrastinated for another hour.

spring garden

My lovely friend Matthew Huffman invited me to see his garden after our (failed) attempt at finding the Farmer's Market on Monday (It isn't open from 4-6pm on Monday until May, just FYI...) His wonderful garden reminded me about one of the main reasons I love spring, how everything is starting over and new life peeps from the ground so timidly! I love that pale beautiful just grown green color. Sorry, these photos are in black and white, you'll have to imagine that pale green color.






watching- the movie Australia (I'm getting ready for my move!)
feeling- sleepy. I'm crashing after lots of french press coffee!
today- worked in the darkroom from 8 am until 3 pm (used about 50 sheets of paper, yikes) and then went to Tucker Forum and listened to Jay Dickman discuss how to be a freelance photographer. (Left feeling a little panicked and behind the curve on freelancing) For the rest of the evening I will be studying for an Immigration and Migration test tomorrow morning. (or doing everything besides that...)



Please comment on my blog if you get a chance! I love it when you tell me what you think!

moving forward...

listening to- train, hey soul sister
today- looked at my planner and realized graduation is a little more than a month away!
mood- on edge. Graduation? What? I don't believe it's actually going to happen!


yikes

fort worth, texas

boys & guns

We were eating Fuzzy's tacos in Fort Worth and I had to stalk these little boy's game through the fence. I'm not really sure who won...
I never knew sticks could be so deadly!

herb garden

Today I planted something. 6 somethings actually. Sevia, basil, oregano, parsley, dill, spearmint, and cilantro.

Would you like anything with herbs on it?

I had some helping hands and paws too.

i feel light as a feather

listening to- pandora james taylor radio
today- potted plants 6 new herbs, went to class, made a quick stop at the grocery store and bought fruits and veggies, cleaned out the fridge made cabbage soup and sassy water. Farmers market trip at 4 pm!
mood- happy it's spring!