Phase 1--Studio Clean Up/Organization

YIKES!!! No, this is not an episode of hoarders! This is my tiny studio/dining room, which hasn't been cleaned in a LONG time, with everything scooted and piled to one side and a few baskets full of stuff in the hall, waiting to be sorted through.

It got so piled up that I couldn't get to what I needed and I had only a tiny space on the desk to work, which made it very frustrating, so I started a couple of weeks ago trying to clean under and behind everything, and washing everything I can, including the back of the counter top and stuff on it.

It's taking so long, because my health is not the best,  my back gives out on me, and I can no longer bend and stoop without having trouble getting back up. I also keep having interruptions, company, appointments, etc. It may take a while, but it'll get there!

These pictures are both from the hall into the studio/dining room.

This picture is from the kitchen into the studio/dining room. To be honest, it looked about as bad before I pushed everything over to one side! 😥 I can't just have one hobby. I have to have several different projects and hobbies going at once, thus all the clutter.

I understand how houses get so bad. When you aren't able to clean for a long time, and you don't have help, it gets to the point that it's so overwhelming that you just give up and feel guilty because you can't do it, and you won't ask for help, and/or can't afford it.

Plus, I'd much rather spend my time creating than cleaning and organizing!

One corner cleaned! Dusted the walls and cleaned what was hanging on them, washed the desk and what was on it all over, cleaned the back part of the ceramic tile counter top and some of the stuff on it, and vacuumed and mopped the floor, after scraping up some paint. The curtains need washing badly, but I'm planning to get new ones, as soon as I find some I like. The wooden drawers (a gift from our niece) and wire baskets are currently empty, and although I cleaned the outside of the plastic rolling drawers under the desk, I still have to sort through them and the fabric basket (also a gift of two from our niece) on the floor, so they won't be empty for long!

 I now have a space cleaned off to work! Yay!

Unfortunately, it didn't stay this way long enough for me to paint. I decided to try the desk turned another way, and as I moved across the next side of the room, I had to move stuff out of the way to clean, so this area is cluttered again, even more so than in this photo, but clean!

The drawers above are past repair, I'm afraid. I put too much in the drawers and on top of them, and the frame warped bad. This is the first time I've been able to force the middle drawer closed in years, and still can't the bottom one. It will have to be replaced or I'll have to find a substitute. Two of the drawers can still be used if I can work them in somewhere. We'll see!

I now have most everything dragged out and cleaned, cleaned under and behind, and moved back, including the windows, and except half a wall next to the hall door. It's piled high with boxes and new containers to organize stuff in, which I plan to use up as I go. Then I can clean behind and under those!

The DR table is still piled high, and I still need to sort through all the drawers and boxes and get stuff together that needs to be together. I can only work short periods of time before I give out, so it's going slow, but it's getting there! 😊

I'm going to try to do a little more today, then I have appointments in and out of town tomorrow, which means I'll have to recuperate Wednesday and rest. Then I have to catch up on basic house chores. Like I said, it's a slow go, but it's getting there!