Talk about kicking off summer with a bang! It has certainly been interesting, exciting, exhausting and one to learn/grow from. Summers are generally a time in my business when the client load slows since children are home. No one’s interested in organizing with kids in the house. It’s like that adage about eating oreos while brushing your teeth = not a situation that leads to success. I’ve always known summer is generally the season of moves. What I wasn’t expecting is that clients would find the confidence in me to handle their pre-move tasks, unpacking or help with design / renovation ideas. That’s basically what I’ve been doing this summer, with minimal days off. It’s officially move season!

Additionally, I’ve been able to provide a solid shoulder for those buckling under the pressure of a move or home renovations with children under foot. I’m more than happy to be there for these desperate, exhausted moms. Moving in and of itself is SO stressful!

…let alone with children to entertain. It’s one of the most stressful life changes you’ll face. Having someone like a professional organizer to help you and act as a foreman / set the game plan is a luxury, for sure. But I’ve done my best this summer to make it as affordable as possible by hiring interns to help move the process along quickly. I’ve learned a lot during these projects and it’s been a fun challenge. Sorta goes without saying, but will say it anyway…unpacking success is achievable when purging occurs on the front end. Clients that are faced with a closet full of decisions yet to be made AFTER they’ve moved are pushed to the brink. I’ve had table upon table of items sprawled out in a new home, when many decisions could have been made prior to packing. Purging before a move means you have less to unpack and the majority of your items you unpack are just those you love.

I’m sharing some before and after images, but hold tight – I have plans to share each specific space / story in their own blog post. For now, I thought it would be fun to share a general “what I’ve been up to”!

To be totally honest, what surprised me is how much I’ve enjoyed unpacking. I’ve loved seeing my clients light up at the reveal too, but that’s a no-brainer…who doesn’t love to make people happy? When you move, one of the first spaces you want unpacked is the kitchen. I’ve had so much joy helping families settle into their new kitchens. And I’ve done it a lot this summer! Even if every other area of your house is full of cardboard boxes, clutter and decisions, there’s nothing better than waking up to an organized kitchen. Especially one with a freshly brewed pot of coffee. Or you can find that bottle of wine at the end of the day. #real

Before…

After…

Not only is the kitchen totally unpacked – it’s organized and set up for efficiency from day one. And you can find the coffee!! In the kitchen above I was able to use a cabinet to organize mugs with makings for coffee / tea. In this kitchen we set up a drawer…

I’ve unpacked several closets including this new stunner…

Before this sweet family moved into their new house, this was an empty space. Again, I’ll share more details in another post…but she contracted with me and my favorite closet company to design the space before their move. The closet was installed just in time and I went back to organize the space last weekend. So so fun and she’s one of my favorite people!

Speaking of closets, a couple weeks ago I had the pleasure and excitement of organizing my first “celeb” closet / bathroom in LA…

The Founder of Dry Bar, Alli Webb, recently moved into the most stunning home (seriously magazine worthy!) and she hired me to help organize / unpack her master closet and bathroom. Serious. Heaven. Can’t wait to share the details. She is such a sweetheart! She was also kind enough to share some of my organizing tips on the Dry Bar blog here. Needless to say, I had way too much fun organizing her spaces and will be heading back soon to wrap up some loose ends.

Aside from unpacking after a move, I’ve also been unpacking spaces after a renovation. Many families in this area have been renovating while still living in their homes. This garage was a project from a storybook – you guys know I love working in garages. This adorable family has moved many times so a lot of these boxes hadn’t been unpacked in years. It was my pleasure to unpack, sort, organize and put it all away in this newly outfitted garage!

Before…

After…

The cabinets are dreamy – deep and wide and gorgeous! Can’t wait to share more of this space because garages really impact a home. A lot of inspiration here!

I also helped put away a kitchen full of Pampered Chef tools and gadgets. This sweet mom is a PC consultant and has countless fun pieces to cook / play with. It was a total challenge for me because I’m not used to organizing this volume of gadgets…but thankfully she designed her new kitchen with tons of drawer space to accommodate her love of these little gems…

I’ve also been helping families that are renovating a new home while living in a rental home. Nothing beats the challenge of organizing a space that is temporary. Just yesterday I helped this absolutely precious mom organize her rental home closet…

Her husband found the shoe organizer at Ace Hardware – love it!

Through completing these recent projects and even more, I’ve learned a ton. And I’ve loved the variety of work in a variety of spaces. These projects also solidified my love of unpacking. It’s exhausting and one that should be paced appropriately, but have to admit – it’s fulfilling. It’s also been a reminder that no matter what you read about “the best way to organize your xyz”…there’s only one right way = the way you want it set up. Keep in mind you can organize in a way that works for you. Don’t fall prey to Pinterest and what they say you “should” be doing. Do it your way – you know your habits and that is when the successful upkeep happens!

Hope you’ve been having a relaxing summer! Look forward to sharing more soon!