a few years ago, with no warning, i was whipped into a D.I.Y. whirlwind that just about killed me. i am only alive today because the steel wool i pitched into the laundry room trash can started a small fire and i decided that i was too tired to get up and put it out. i eventually did but decided it might be time to stop the D.I.Y. for a bit.
had i only known there would be a pandemic about to plow through the planet's population i would have postponed a few projects for the protracted period at home. putting a bit of space between each would have been less painful.
thankfully, those born with masses of D.I.Y. in their D.N.A. bounce back from a multitude of manic makeovers and can always find at least one a more thing that can be made marvelous. shortly after seeing the words 'shelter at home' on the television screen i began searching for 'that thing'. it didn't take long to find it: my studio storage system…aka craft closet full of plastic bins.
while i am most thankful for rubbermaid, closetmaid, sterilite and all other clear plastic bin makers assisting me with my horde over the years, it was time for something that would actually work for me rather than against me.
keeping my creative chamber under control has always been a challenge. i like spending every minute creating and not one single second putting things back where they belong. to make this dilemma more dire, i can't begin creating unless everything is perfectly in place. it makes for quite the quandary. (i wrote about this - here - in 2005 when you could read everything that may interest you on the worldwideweb in an hour or less).
back then my studio storage needs could be filled with a few shelves lined with mason jars and cute little suitcases...
but as i added new creative endeavors to designing digital doo dads for delivery via download, i discovered a demand for depositories with lager dimensions. having detected a plethora of plastic bins in the basement, i decided they would do until i figured out somethin' else.
this was a monstrous mistake. in my desperation for depots for all my doohickeys i had disregarded the diagnosis for my daily dissent into disorder: i will not under any circumstance stop to remove a lid off a container to replace anything. and not putting things back where they belong made my workroom unworkable.
i searched for something more sensible to supplant my supply system and realized the simplest solution was a series of drawers. lots of drawers. yes - lots and lots of drawers would allow me to easily perform the acts of removing and replacing.
i googled drawers and gazed at a gaggle to choose from. but my choice was impaired by pandemic wave one. it was not the best time to hire even a handsome handyman to come into my home much less a crew of custom carpenters, any who may carry a case o’ covid.
after much scrolling it was settled - ikea would be the solution. it would be much less expensive than i had expected and if a better solution was found at a later date, i could donate the drawers to my daughter.
once i counted my plentitude of plastic containers, i visited ikea online, placed my order, stocked up on strength giving snacks and anxiously waited for my drawer delivery.
when the day finally dawned i had hoped to have a good humored husband or darling daughter assist in this daunting drawer deed but raging pandemic be damned they both disappeared at the same time the masked delivery man did. it would just be me and three darling dogs.
it's surprising how many cardboard containers it takes to deliver lots and lots of drawers. after fighting the first armor-like box open, i discovered that it also takes lots and lots of pieces to make just one drawer.
i put the first few together, made every mistake possible, ate two rolls of neccos for my nerves and then read the instructions.
i don't know exactly how long it took me to complete this challenging chore. it was a lot of work but worth every minute and each minor injury. how i managed for so long with stacks o' plastic bins rather than dozens of drawers is a mystery to me. it's been like magic - though i still have to make myself put everything back where it belongs each night before i turn off the lights.
but now i just pitch everything in a laundry cart on wheels (i make sure the little dogs are removed first), roll it into the closet and dump things into the right drawer. i open the door each day to the doo dad den delighted to discover everything is deposited where designated.
be sure to stop by again soon as i'm hoping to blog a bit about the enormous D.I.Y. project that i should have never even considered i could do myself.
xoxoxoxoxmo
