Did anyone see the Get Smart movie this summer?  If not, think back to the old TV show, and you'll remember that the "bad guys" were part of an organization called KAOS.  The name was chosen by the writers because "chaos" is the opposite of "Control", which was the name of the organization that Maxwell Smart worked for.  Why are we walking down memory lane you are most certainly asking yourself?  Well "darlin's" it's because of an article I read recently......... 

After a hectic weekend, I felt that I owed it to myself to "set a spell" and catch up on my scrapbook mags.  One particular article on how to "set up your craft area" caught my eye.  The author introduces the article by explaining that she is a North Carolina girl, who will be writing in the same Southern manner that she speaks, wherupon she immediately begins droppin' her ending consonents (g's in particular) from her words,  and starts to call her readers such endearments as darlins' and Sugarplums.  Now as a Southern (by the Grace of God) Woman and a native North Carolina girl myself, I must tell "y'all" that I have never called (and aspire never to call) anyone a "Sugarplum", not even my daughters!  I enjoy reading in the Southern vernacular, but in this particular instance I was concerned that someone may have, shall we say, over-indulged a tad bit?    

I've digressed as usual, let's get back to the story.  The article includes pictures of what the author refers to as "The Most Supreme Multipurpose Room", along with "tips" for the reader on how you too can have a room organized just like hers.  (It's important to note here that she did not include a tip on how to secure such a massive area in the first place without making any promises of favors to your husband....) The "multi-purpose" room is designed to be utilized for "scrappin', ironin', washin', and paintin'".  The photos depict a room that looks very much like a kitchen,  (In fact, I thought for a minute that I'd picked up my copy of Better Homes and Gardens by mistake!) complete with a stainless steel countertop (which "you should cover with a felt table pad similar to one used on a dining table"), tons of cabinets (more than my kitchen has), and something called "roll outs" which are among the "must have" when designing this dream room.  The article is a page turner, filled with pictures of the in-depth organization that surely must have taken years to develop.    

My initial reaction to this article was one of admiration (my "Type A" tendancies love her organizational skills).  I preach (and live by) the "organize by theme" methodology.  A place for everything, and everything in it's place is supremely calming.  But as I pushed aside the debris and tools left out from a previous day's scrappin' session, so that I could have room to spread the magazine out on my table, it occured to me that it sure does take a lot of time and effort to maintain that degree of organization!  The mess left behind in a scrapbooking session does have to be tended, and the more organized you are, the longer it will take to put it all away, right?  Doesn't Newton's Law apply for the process of scrapbooking...something like "The effort involved to organize and create a layout is equal and proportionate to the time spent in the clean-up phase".  I mean, who among us ever actually uses up all of the stuff we've pulled out when in the midst of creative processes??  

So here's where my story will come full circle.  I think of my scrapbooking area as organized chaos, and have decided to name it KAOSS, which stands for "Kim's Almost Organized Scrap Space".  As you'll see from my enclosed pictures, the space is cluttered and not very neat....but there is a place for everthing and I know where that place is, which in the grand scheme of things is all that matters!  If you scrap in my space, you'll probably have to ask me where something is....which means I'm in control of my stuff.....and isn't that really a good thing? 

So here it is, in all it's glory, my scrap space.  If nothing else, it's functional.  And keep in mind that I share this space with my kids for homeschooling, their crafts, their playroom, and my store inventory!



This is my "1/3" of the room, the desks are for homeschooling and our crafts.  Everything beyond the desks is storage for my stuff!



I created an "L" shaped desk by pushing two folding tables together.  This organizer sits on the "return" and tends to be a catch all of things I like to keep close.

 


I have two sets of the Store In Style products.  The set pictured here is for my personal scrapbook stuff.  The file drawers contain my goodies, stored by theme, which you'll see an example of below.



  Here we have a mix of good and evil!  The Ribbon Bag is GOOD, the colorful stacking tray cart is EVIL!!  Note the way the drawers will NOT stay in their designated space, which I believe is because the thing is truely possesed! 

So my space looks nothing like a designer kitchen, it still is functional which is all that really matters.  I think the key here "darlins" is to make the best of your space by considering just what space you have, and just what your supplies are.  The products available to help with your organization just keep getting better and better!  I personally have my eye on the "Lisa & Becky Rail System".  I've just put some goodies in the Secret Shop for you to check out.  Many of the products are favorites of the Divas, and some are great looking new arrivals.  Click here to see what I've got in store for you!