Robin Flies South...

A blog about decorating and tablescaping with an emphasis on creativity and smart shopping over cash!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

I'm not a Hoarder!

Definition: Pathological or compulsive hoarding is a specific type of behavior characterized by:
  • acquiring and failing to throw out a large number of items that would appear to have little or no value to others (e.g., papers, notes, flyers, newspapers, clothes)
  • severe cluttering of the person's home so that it is no longer able to function as a viable living space
  • significant distress or impairment of work or social life
There it is in black and white.  Maybe I'm in denial but I really don't think I fit this description.  You may not agree with me after this post but I guarantee I will be outdone by plenty of other bloggers.
This week, at the request of The Tablescaper, I am showing you where I keep it all.  Everything I'm showing you is my tablescaping and decorating items that I use throughout the year in my home.  Now if I tried to put it all out on display at once you would probably question my sanity. 

One of the nicest things about buying a new home is that you are bound to find more storage space.  My house has plenty.  When we first moved in I didn't see how I would ever fill it.  Turns out it wasn't a problem at all!  I had planned on straightening up a bit but you know how sometimes life  throws you a curve ball?  Well, I got one nasty breaking pitch yesterday.  To make a long story short it involved my husband, a kidney stone and a day in the Emergency Room.  Everything looks like it will be fine so I decided to take some quick pictures this morning and throw this post together.  I hate to be left out!


We will start in my pantry in the kitchen.  Believe it or not, I do keep some food in here along with paper towels and other necessities.  It's huge and I even hung a big cork board on one of  the walls.


Top shelf, trays, baskets and pedestals



Next shelf, salad and appy plates with some bowls in there too


Cloth napkins with some overflow in a basket and some plastic containers on the floor



Placemats looking pretty sloppy today!  But do you notice I have solid on one side and print on the other?  My napkins started out that way too but now I'm not so sure.


More trays and some other things and if you look closely you may see a glimpse of food.  Sometimes I actually do cook!


My napkin ring holder is divided into fruits and flowers, more formal and coastal.



I store most of my glassware in my kitchen cabinets but I do have my nicer things in my china cabinet in the Dining Room



More cabinets, more glassware


Here is my casual flatware and a set of dishes in one of the lower cabinets




I still have a large drawer for my everyday silverware along with these two.


A lower cabinet with dinner plates, bowls and some other odd pieces


The lower shelves of this cabinet hold my everyday dishes.  I'm pretty tall so I don't mind the 42" cabinets.


Another lower cabinet for pitchers


My chargers which I will confess were recently organized.  I still have plenty of space in my kitchen for everything else.


We are empty nesters in a four bedroom house so I have begun to take over the guest room closets.  This is my "filler" box


Some taller items are kept up on the shelf in the same closet


My table runners and small tablecloths are hung in another guest room closet


The rest of my linens are kept in this dresser in the same room


This is the closet outside of one of the guest baths.  I guess it for towels but I keep mine in the vanity so that they are right in the bathroom.  This closet is mostly candles and vases with two shelves for cleaning products and a few containers of household stuff.


Our home had an option for a bonus room upstairs but if you didn't want it, you got a big closet where the stairs would have been


My vacuum, mops and brooms share this closet with my decorating stuff


I had my husband hang nails on the wall for my wreaths and hanging baskets. Hey, what's that bottle of Miracle Gro doing in here? 


My fake flowers are divided up in a way that only make sense to me!


I was able to hang my bird cage and use a pants hanger for all my garden flags


Smaller items can go in the hanging shoe rack .  The shelves on the left are filled with containers, candlesticks and other odd things


These baskets in my Laundry Room hold more candlesticks and one is filled with shells and beach decor

I have some things in my Dining Room too


Sorry about the flash!


I store another set of silverware and my tealights and votives in this side table.
My holiday things are stored in plastic bins on shelves in the garage.  No basements in Florida!

I tried hard to keep most things visible and at arms length so I can find what I want.  I will admit to forgetting that I had something but maybe that's old age and not a sign of hoarding.  Not much of a choice there, huh?  Old and forgetful or have a serious mental disorder!  I prefer neither, thank you!

Want to see who else in my family IS NOT a hoarder?  Visit my sister at Creating Wonderful Spaces and you can see where she keep it all too!

I will be joining the following parties...
Sunday Blog Love at Cherished Treasures
Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper
Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Spotlight Saturday at Classy Clutter
Show and Tell Saturdays at Be Different and Act Normal
Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming
You're Gonna Love it Tuesday at Kathe with an E
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll thru Life
Show & Share at Southern Lovely
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground








































22 comments:

Christine said...

well, wow! That is a lot of stuff. How do you remember everything you have? I am already having that problem! Or it is so far back in storage that I confess, I will go by something new instead.

eleven-o-one said...

Oh My! You have alot of pretty and well organized stuff! I have alot of "stuff" but I don't use half of mine. No wonder you always have such pretty tables.
When we moved into our 3000 square ft house (plus a basement - yes in Florida!) I thought I would never fill it up. But miraculously...it is stuffed. At least I can blame it on the addition of two little humans I guess.
Have a great Sunday.
Fran

Diane said...

Robin - that was so much fun! I love seeing all of the places where everyone keeps her items. I hope your husband will be all right. Kidney stones are the worst - my husband has had his share of them.

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

Wow! You do have a lot of stuff for tablescapes. You could say the same about me and my crafts :)

Dee

Elaine said...

I am very envious of your space! A closet for dishes is something I dream about! I think you are very organized, and I keep spotting things we both have! I confess that I have another 30% of stuff that I was not willing to show. Don't feel guilty about getting me into this. It does take up space but it is a relatively cheap hobby (that's what I tell Mike, anyway)!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Can I just say - envy!! :)
Love seeing all of your storage and all your dishes.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Susan Nowell @ My Place to Yours said...

Robin, so sorry to hear about your husband, but glad he's on the mend -- and that you didn't have to miss the party! What is it about all of us empty nesters taking over the guest bedroom? LOL

Good luck to your daughter with her no apartment! Send her my way if she likes pretty dishes and linens. I am in BIG TIME de-clutter and "make a deal" mode -- and I'm a total sucker for young girls starting out on their own (since I'm the mother of two now-grown and on-their-own daughters)! Thanks for stopping by tonight.

Dianne said...

Robin, I have great empathy for the kidney stone episode. I have done that myself with my husband at least 3 times. He has finally learned that the key is drinking tons of fluid. You storage areas are so large! I am envious of all the room you must have in your kitchen and your collection of glassware. I don't know what my insurance agent will think when I present him with my inventory, but I want to make sure the company understands that I have a lot of stuff! Thanks for sharing yours. Dianne

Entertaining Women said...

We've both discovered one of the benefits of an empty nest...all that storage space! The hanging shoe rack is a great idea. I'll have to figure out how and where to co-opt that. Thanks for trusting us to take a peak. Cherry Kay

Pam~ Virginia Retro said...

Wow Robin! You make my stash look sparse, LOL! So, did you move all of that to FL with you? Amazing! Pam

Katherines Corner said...

Wow, you are ready for any types of decorating or tablescape. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop xo

Monica @ Happily Playing with Dishes said...

I wish I had your storage. I know I wouldn't have trouble filling it. LOL. I also noticed that we have some of the same goodies. Have you posted your lemon themed table? I hope your husband gets well quickly.

we three dogs and me said...

wow I am not a hoarder as I can walk through my house but I am not organized. I even use a second fridge for dishes,under my bed. unused closets,anywhere every where.lol I do have a storage room but that is piled high christmas and all the holiday stuff .

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

You have some wonderful storage spaces, and maybe this says something about me, but I think you look very neat and organized! Since you said you had intended to straighten it all up before taking pictures, I guess that tells you I'm not very neat and organized! You've got me thinking I should get rid of the food in my pantry! I do store some trays and other large serving items in there, but the rest of the shelves are filled with food. I know that if I boxed any of mine up, I'd forget about it, so mine is all out where I (and everybody else) can see it! Of course, if I find any more tablescaping items, I'll have to get rid of something I have. Enjoyed seeing all of your wonderful tablescaping treasures and where you keep them. laurie

Karen's Place said...

My first time to your blog and I feel like it's Christmas morning! I love dishes and linens and oh my...I loved seeing every detail of how you organize your decorating and table scape goodies. so glad I stopped by via BNOTP. Karen

Ann said...

We have NO storage at all in our house. We moved here almost 8 years ago from a modern house with cupboards. Many many years ago i used to pass by this house we are in now and my mum would say to me "those houses have no cupboardS". She was right. There is no way i could have all the items you have lol goodness knows where they would go in this house. I love to look at Tablescapes on the blogs, but again where where would i store everythimg needed?

Kathe said...

So fun to see how we all store our items isn't it? You have given me a few good ideas! Fun too to see someone else, thousands of miles away with some of the same things!! We most certainly are NOT hoarders! We are collectors and hobbyists!! LOL! Stop by and share at my party going on now?
http://www.kathewithane.com/2012/06/youre-gonna-love-it-tuesday-week-7.html

Aledia said...

Wow! What a collection and I do agree we are collectors not hoarders! :)

Thanks for sharing your space and have a wonderful night!

Aledia @ Plum Perfect

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

What great storage! I'm afraid that mine looks a little on the hoarder side....I need to do something about that! Thanks for your sweet visit to my last week's table.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Everything is so totally organized. I am so impressed. Mine is all over the place. Love all of your collectons, and yes we all do need all of that. Thanks tons for joining TTT. Hugs, marty

bj said...

HOLY COW, WOMAN..never have seen so much goood stuff in one home. That's a lot.

Miss Kitty said...

Such a fun blog post to see! I, too, am an empty nester and discovered the closets (and under the beds even) of the extra bedrooms for storage of collections. I took an online survey once to determine if I was a "hoarder" like my family calls me but the survey determined that I was only a "harmless packrat". I saw your post over at "Coastal Charm".