Sometimes, a small project can have a big impact. So it is with my spur of the moment jewelry organization, which I undertook after salvaging a few clear plastic egg cartons from the recycling bin. Those egg crates - like these:

are just brimming with usefulness. I had a couple stockpiled away for art projects for Lou (a good place to mix paint and the like) but when I was looking at one unfolded it seemed like a perfect solution to my jewelry problems. These problems:

I should acknowledge here that I have a bit of a jewelry problem. I like big earrings, and I cannot lie - and I hold onto 'em, much like clothes and cardboard. Even when their $5 patina has long since worn off. And, while nearly none of my jewelry is at all valuable, a lot of it is sentimental. So I did do a little purging here, but only a little. It wouldn't be a problem if I could just snap my fingers and let go of it all.

Anyway, the chief problem in this drawer was a lack of specific places for things, which made for a mess of course. That, and the fact that I had stacked some boxes (you can kind of see the bottom boxes peeking out, above) which meant I couldn't see the stuff in those lower levels. And outta sight, outta mind - I never, ever, wore that stuff.

So this time, I resolved to keep everything at one level, and as visible as possible. I have too many earrings to have placed one pair per egg slot, but where I had to, I grouped them in ways that made sense to me (by metal, fanciness, etc.), and the whole thing fit neatly into my top dresser drawer.

I am preeetttty happy with this 25 minute, free reorganization. I already wore a pair of earrings I haven't thought about in months, because now I could see them. So that's for the win. Just goes to show that it doesn't take a lot to make this lady happy. Et tu?

Talk soon!