Organized Pantry

So I'm a few days behind on the organizing challenge.  I actually organized my pantry yesterday and was ready to post my results last night but had some issues with blogger?  It was really weird.  So here I am and I still have to organize my linen closet and underneath my kitchen sink (that's gonna be a nightmare).  My brother has been home this week to visit before he begins his 2nd deployment to Iraq.  So, I have to say my excuse is a pretty good one.  I probably won't get caught up until Saturday, just a warning!  I WILL stick to this challenge though.

Ok, onto my pantry!  I don't have a tupperware cabinet so I chose my pantry since it does store some tupperware as well as other dishes.

BEFORE!

There's no structure at all here.  There's an empty canister that used to hold dog food, and a laundry basket with a few boxes of junk in it, and my dishes are scattered all over the place.  What a MESS!

I have to say I'm very happy with the transformation though.  I have a place for everything and ended up finding new homes for other things that I felt belonged in the kitchen cabinets.

My tupperware is organized in the white baskets.  Bowls on one side and lids on the other.  My food processor which doesn't get used very often is on the top shelf along with a basket to store disposable dishes.

I removed the canister and clothes basket and place the trash can in there.  I had an extra hanging shelf once I cleared everything out and didn't know what to put in it.  Then I had the genius idea of putting the trash bags there.  Everything in one spot.

Closer view of the bottom half.

Closer view of the top half.

I have got to figure out how to take better pictures with my camera.  These photos are TERR-I-BLE!

Organized Desktop

My desktop is my craft desk.  It still needs a good bit of improvement.  But it's better now than it was.

BEFORE

As you can see there is also a good bit of clutter around the desk as well.

AFTER!

I was very excited to see the after results.  I stopped at the dollar store and picked up the small 3 drawer organizer and those slender baskets.  I think I'll be going back to get more of those drawers.  I don't like the cups that hold the pencils, pens, markers, and cutting tools.  I'd really like to have more drawers and a categorized item in each drawer.  

CLOSE UP OF SHELF AREA

From the VERY top down and from left to right.

White Basket = scrap cardstock

Red tray = stamps & punches 

under red tray is some loose patterned paper

Papers and reference material

Black basket = gift card holders ready to sale

Large white basket = completed greeting cards ready to sale

Silver containers = diecuts that I use most often

Black take out container = embroidery thread

Slender white basket #1= glues

Slender white basket #2 = paint brushes of all sizes

Slender white basket #3 = Glitter Glue

Large white basket = ribbon

On the desktop under the shelves is my Silhouette SD and a box of cardstock

Main shelf area

bottom drawer holds embellishments

middle drawer holds water colors

top drawer holds the blade caps for silhouette and a few other small items that I tend to lose easily

On top of the drawers are my premixed water colors in spray bottles, puffy paint, glitter and a pretty little paper rose I made (my 1st one!)

To the left of the drawers are those pesky cups that hold all of the markers, pens, pencils, color pencils and cutting tools.  As well as some crayons, tacky glue and a stapler.  I also have some buttons in those ziplock containers.

Organized Junk Drawer

I'm honestly a little embarrassed to show the before shot.  So much so that I almost forgot to even take it before clearing out some of the junk.  This drawer was packed full of empty baby food containers that I decided to hoard and after I filled it up we had a mouse that decided to take up home in the drawer and I've spent the last month trying to catch him and his little friends.  This morning I caught 2.  Anyway, we all know what mice leave behind and it's DISGUSTING so hoarding all those food containers was worthless because I had no plan in washing all of those tiny containers again.

So I pulled on my rubber gloves and threw EVERYTHING from this drawer in the trash.  I figured if I didn't touch it for 6+ months I would need it anyway.  But seriously, 90% of what was in this drawer was those baby food containers.  The other 10% is pictured.

YAY!  All clean!  I disinfected this drawer EXTREMELY well.

And found this VERY pretty liner at Fred's the other day.  I just love it!

Now, since the drawer really only served the purpose of holding useless junk I had to find USEFULL junk to keep in the top drawer and get off of my counter tops and out of other places that will be used for something much more fitting.  So I pulled my wash clothes and light bulbs out of the cabinet and placed them inside the drawer and also put my scissors that have never had a HOME anywhere along with some other odds & ends that are useful in the kitchen.

VOILA!  I'm so proud of this drawer!  There are 2 more below this one that are going to need some work also but they are also going to need some repair work do so that they open and close correctly.  Right now they are basically empty since they can't be used for much.

UPDATE!
So, this morning I opened my freshly organized drawer to find there are more mice.  There was a couple of pieces of dog food (this seems to be where they hoard the dog food) and of course the YUCKY stuff that mice leave behind.  So, I set another trap and am hoping this will be the last of the mice.  If not, my hunt will continue.  Oh, the joys of living in the WOODS!