31 Days Day 3 A Lot Squouzzin' Into A Little Bitty Garage October 3, 2014

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I knew my DH was something special when I married him.

 He's a born engineer, they are born, not made, you know and inventor, but it comes with a price. EV..ER..Y SINGLE thing must be measured and plotted out on GRAPH paper before being attempted along with ALL the pros and cons of each possible way it could be done and what laws of the universe it violates. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating...a little, but not much. You out there married to an engineer know what I'm talking about right?
So when we got married and lived in my apartment at first he had an idea that confirmed my belief in him forever and when he starts the required formula for anything I sit up and listen cuz who knows what wonderful gold mine he'll tap into next.
He had been watching me struggle to find more space to put away groceries by moving small appliances out of the way and shuffling my little cubbies (little small cupboards in apartments) all around. Then he disappeared into the garage for a while with a tape measure. When he came back he had a plan. If I wanted he could make me a pantry out in the garage with wire shelves in a u shape that would hold a lot of stuff. REALLY!? WHERE? I was breathless... no really.. when a man starts talking to me about a pantry and storage and stuff like that I get giddy.
So he showed me and I'm going to show you what he did AND improved on when we moved back here...Tomorrow, really, come back, there will be pictures, the internet will be hooked up they promised. 

31 days day 2 Moving Back To The Future October 2, 2014

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A while ago I lived at some lovely quiet apartment complex. It is a little like living in a condo without owning one. I pay monthly and they take care of everything. It was great. Then I got remarried and we moved out to some property my husband owned.
We lived there for a couple of years and decided it was time to sell all the things we didn't want or need and simplify and decide if we wanted to build a small place so guess what. We moved back to the same complex I lived in before and we got another apartment exactly like the one I had before so I knew all the flaws and limitations of this apartment already.
Loaded with information from memory and measurements from the past I started a binder and started laying out what I had and where I wanted it to go. And very quickly was reminded that 5 lbs of butter will not fit into a 2 lb tub no matter how you finagle.
So I started looking for storage ideas at

Ikea, Pottery Barn, Home Depot and Goodwill (what?) yes I said GOODWILL!  and I am not kidding when I tell you I found a lot of wire drawer rollers, plate racks and even some plastic bins for under the sink!
I started planning where I would put things in the kitchen before I ever went into the apartment. So I knew some of the things that would help.
But you can do it even if you haven't lived someplace. Take pictures, lots of pictures of closets, cupboards, how the doors open, any cubbyholes (trust me, they are some of the best places to find storage or design spots), ceilings and walls (try to include something to reference these picture to once you get home cause you'll be lost if you don't) and take them up high and down low so you know where that shelf or mirror will fit. If you have time measure...the closet, cupboards, bathrooms etc. Then go home and make a rough sketch of it right away before your memory fades.
When you lay everything out decide where things will go in general then when you're packing it will be easy to label the box to the room.
Tomorrow I'll show you how I got 2 Pantrys count 'em 2 PANTRYs into an apartment that doesn't have any.
 Due to the fact that we are waiting for internet hook-up I don't have my pictures yet, but bear with me they are coming. Lots of them.