What is it about this time of year that makes us all want to organize and declutter? This goes for our material things as well as our lives...the urge to purge is even stronger in 2021 as most of us yearn for stability and clarity amongst the chaos of this past year. For me, creating a peaceful and organized home is a form of mental therapy; I feel a sense of relief when I get rid of things that no longer serve me and my space (and my mind!) becomes less cluttered.

If you're anything like me, you go through periods where life takes over and so does the mess. Often in a rush, I find myself throwing things into cabinets or drawers, stuffing them full. Marie Kondo I am not. However there comes a point when, surrounded by disorder, my anxiety builds and the need to organize is a physical experience. This typically happens in January, right after the holidays and at the beginning of a new year - a great time to start fresh and look ahead to cleaner living.

This Christmas, I was lucky enough to get a gorgeous new piece from MAS Designs - my fav, the Hidden Lights Necklace with a 24 inch chain and beautiful gemstones in hues of blue. When I went to store it however, I noticed that my system lacked organization worthy of this new addition. For the most part, I put all of my smaller, less frequently worn jewelry in a hanging, double sided storage "bag" with pockets of varying shapes and sizes. Over time I've acquired 2 of these (but much prefer the one with lighter fabric which displays each piece so clearly). I don't like to put delicate chains in those pockets because they often tangle, so what's a girl to do?

Improvise.

Check out the lamp on my dresser - AKA "The Holder for Long/Delicate Necklaces". Admittedly, my collection of MAS pieces has grown since I've started working with Maxine, so both of my lamps are now covered. Hmmm... I suddenly noticed that this isn't entirely attractive, so I've started exploring my options. I think I've come up with the perfect solution to this mess but let's see if I can nail it.

Our house was built in 1929 and while I love it's character, I don't love the limited closet space. NYC apartment living taught me to get creative with storage so I've almost maxed out my master closet - the only space left is one interior panel of the narrow double doors. I've decided to purchase a Pegboard system from The Container Store which I will install and use to hang my necklaces, restoring my lamps to their original purpose. This new system will allow me to hide my jewelry out of site while customizing according to necklace length and other features. Sounds great right?!

Check back soon to see how this DYI project turned out. I'll also consult with organization expert Jane Abrahams of @janesaddictionorganization to get the best tips to storing jewelry. In the meantime, cheers to a peaceful year ahead!

❣  Christine  ❣