Letting It All Hang Out

dear trusted friends, 


i don't know what happened to me.  something about reading that article about being an innie or outie just RELEASED me. i've been on this cleaning and organizing rampage since yesterday morning.


**deep breath** so this post is going to start my series on "letting it all hang out".  i'm going to show you some horrifying before pictures and the (hopefully beautified) after pictures. honestly sometimes i'm so embarrassed as i blurf (blog surf) and i see photos of everyone's beautiful, put together homes. they do serve as inspiration to me, but sometimes when i see the images,  i then look around at my rubble and say to myself, "i'll never be able to achieve that".  it's a problem i've had my whole life.  i'll get overwhelmed and give up before even trying. 


this time... i'm doing it. yes, i'm boldly stating that and i've actually started the process. 


i started in my entryway. i always dreamed of coming home, being welcomed by beautiful fragrances, and having a place to put my keys.  i know, i know... LOL "dreamed of"??? hee hee i'm really a simple girl.  i just want simple basic things. 


so here's my first "letting it all hang out" before and after photo:

so let me just break it down. that's a camp stove on the bottom, my christmas tree (yes, a christmas tree and it's 1 day away from march), and boxes waiting to be filled with my stuff.  the photo is missing one thing... all the dust and cobwebs that had gathered around this pile.  the funny thing is, i have this other problem.  when i've decided to start something, i'll plow ahead and forget to take pictures. i had cleaned and set everything up, remembered that i forgot to take the pic, put everything back, took the pic, then set everything up AGAIN.  i laughed at myself the whole time. :o)


now i have a place to put my keys!

i picked up this large cylinder glass thing yesterday at the local thrift store for $2.50.  i couldn't be more thrilled!! i filled it with fruits i already had on hand. on the right is my diffuser i had upstairs.  the smell was great once i got upstairs, but it just wasn't permeating downstairs.  now i'm greeted with a wonderful scent!

the furniture piece was upstairs in my office holding my printer and paper supplies.  the iron decorative hanging pieces were sitting in the garage.  so the cost of this whole makeover was $2.50! 


for all of my makeovers, i'm going to use what i have on hand to do most of my transformations.  (WARNING **my first transformation and the mess is NOTHING compared to what's ahead**)  there are two pieces of furniture that i want, but i'm probably going to make them on my own using these plans from Knock Off Wood (the best site EVER!). i want to keep the costs down, and somehow by doing this, i feel even better about the transformations.


so... do you have any "problem area" transformations you want to let hang out? i have to admit, i felt really apprehensive and nervous at first, but now that it's out there... i feel surprisingly good.


this is my first time hosting a McLinky party, and you know how it goes... it's a little nerve wrecking hosting a party... you're never sure if anyone will show up.  but here it goes.  


if you want to "let it all hang out" and show us your problem area transformation, it's really simple:

1. link to your post (not your home page address)
2. link back to this post

if you don't have a blog, but would like to join the party, email my your before and after pics and i will do a separate post with all of your transformations. :o)  

here's to letting it all hang out!! 

blessings, 
nori