I’ve been in a slower, hibernation-esque personal season this summer. While my inner-environment has been ever-changing and ungrounded, I found myself getting into many outer-environment projects these past three months: order/calm I can see and touch.

Looking back, this fits right in with how I began the year—watching Netflix’s “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” and “Home Made Simple” during January and February.

—-

My first projects were in my mom’s second grade classroom, as she cleaned up at the end of the school year.

Paper Closet

 

Arts & Crafts Closet

Then I took the organizing home, beginning with a hall closet.

Hall Linen Closet

One day in July my sister, mom, and I tackled the laundry room in the basement. Then a week ago I finished and painted one wall (the one with the quilt in the “after”), which had previously been unfinished drywall.

Laundry Room

 

Not pictured: The huge carload of stuff we took to St. Vincent’s.

Finally, the longest ongoing project has been rebuilding our deck.

Deck

We still have to put spindles on the staircase, but the deck is close to being done.

Wooden Crate

I found this crate in a trash pile at an elementary school two days ago, and eagerly grabbed it up. I sanded off a bit of the pink first, which is why the before looks so scratched up.

 

I’m still applying coats of paint today—it’s outside drying as I type. I’ll do some touchups and paint the top rim teal to finish. I’m hoping to use this crate for storage in the Honda Element I just purchased over the weekend!

That will be my new project for the next three weeks: converting the SUV to have a small bed (and storage space for my belongings), plus to feel homey. So this post is serving as some closure to the projects I did this summer in my parents’ home, such that I can pour my focus into the Element (name coming) now.