THE ART OF AUTUMN...Usually it's a rainy fall, filled with visual wonder. This year is different, very dry & lacking in the colorful display that inspires me. I have seen it, but only in a few spots...a glimpse here & a peek there, then it's gone. Brown & dead leaves; one by one dropped to the ground like a hot potata! Naked little stems sticking out against the skyline like a sore thumb. That feeling brings me back inside to art around or to organize an area of the house we recently moved into & haven't quite gotten around to unpacking yet! DECORATING FOR FALL...I've focused so much on the outside of the house lately, so I want to move it back inside for a while. Natural or found objects are great resources just waiting for you to pick up & give them a new life! ORGANIZING IN AUTUMN...I have lived in several different homes in my life & I can tell you that not all kitchens are created equally! Some kitchens had few drawers & some had little counter space, but all were small. Small size comes with it's own challenges. Now, I have an average size kitchen with lots of storage (2 pantries worth)! 1 pantry we use for food & extra food related items, & the other we use as the utility/pet closet. The challenge I face now is the combining of households. It feels like there are 10 of everything between me, my mom, & my grandma! The overwhelming feeling tends to be an issue that many people struggle through when deciding on what to keep or give away. We started by grouping all like items together: crock-pots galore (I've never seen so many varities! But hey, it's the south), cooking utensils, baking dishes, you name it & we had many. Once the boxes were emptied & sorted, we looked through each group of items to inspect the condition of each item. Next, we all decided to either keep it, yard sale/donate it, or just trash it. These are some of the guidelines we used to keep an item: *If there are multiple, ask which do I like the best or will I need 2? More than that is usually not necessary. *How often do I use the item/items? *Where am I going to store the item/items so that it makes sense in the space & is handy when needed? *Is it an heirloom? Where does it get stored/displayed? Once all the items were sorted & decided upon, we asked a couple more questions: *What items do I use most often & where do I use them (Stove, Oven, Counter)? *What limitations, if any, do I have? (Drawer/Shelf/Counter Top Space) *Are there special needs to consider when deciding on where to put items? (Heavy Lifting/Reaching above the Head/Bending Over/Wheelchair Accessible/Little Kids/Older Adults) After discussing the needs, wants, & goals, we developed the best organizational/space plan for all of our family members. Finally we started the process of getting the stuff on the shelves & in the drawers! Now we have a place for everything! AUTUMN CRAVIN'S...Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
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Author Jenn Honeycutt Archives
December 2021
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