Summer STYLE-ing

 I look forward to summer for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to (literally) get my house in order. It's not that it has fallen to pieces but, by the end of a busy semester, it's easy to see where my style-based solutions have conquered clutter and where clutter has won the war. Coupling the not-so-subtle visual hints with the list of organizing projects I've been meaning to get to leads to a to-do list that ensures that I'll restore order in time for fall.

Theoretically.

So far, I've tackled my sock drawers (yes, plural), along with an area of our basement. I know the sock drawers were a weird place to start, but they've been bugging me for months, and it makes me smile every time I open them and see how nice they look (and how easy it is to find what I'm looking for). The basement is another (long) story. There's no way it'll be whipped into shape this summer, but I'll take whatever progress I can make.

When I start a big project (or a list of projects), I often consider the STYLE acronym.

But, since regular readers already know the drill, so to speak, I thought I'd create a summer STYLE list that's a little more directive as we attempt to dig into our organizing lists without making summer all work and no play.

S: Avoid the urge to stash stuff. You know you want to just put it somewhere, anywhere so you don't have to look at it any longer (just me?). But, we also know that creates a whole new set of problems, from not being able to find what we need when we need it to creating another space that will need to be sorted and organized. If the situation calls for a stashing of the stuff (a last resort), try containing (all of) it (as is) instead. Only you will know that that pretty basket or tote is concealing the pile that was on the dining room table and, if you keep everything together, it'll be easier to retrieve what you need.

Take other users into account. Everyone's home - yeah! Everyone's dropping stuff and running - meh! As you organize the cluttered spaces, remember that, unless you want to be permanently responsible for keeping them tidy, it might be a good idea to consider other users' styles when you choose your tools. 

You know what works. The foundation of Organizing by STYLE is trusting your default styles, so, when shiny objects appear promising magical organizing solutions, run them through your styles filter. Stick to the tools that are a fit for the way you think and organize and be very wary of anything pretty that promises a quick fix. Lasting is better than fast.

Leave it alone. It's summer! Warm weather and long days beckon. Resist the urge to create a perfect house and focus your energy on what needs to be done (or what you're most motivated to do). If a space is tidy enough, walk away. 

Enjoy it all -- the clear spaces and the spots that harbor clutter dropped by the people we're blessed to spend summer with. Organized is nice, but it isn't everything.

Happy organizing -- whether you're starting with what's visible, or that thing that's been on your list for months!