Call off the search crew! I have emerged from the closet unscathed!!!

"There is a name I love to hear.
I love to sing its worth.
It sounds like music in my ear.
The sweetest name on earth.

Oh, how I love Target.
Oh, how I love Target.
Oh, how I love Target.
Because it first loved me!"

I am an organized person. However, when I was pregnant with Isaac, my desire and ability to maintain my past level of organization in my home and personal life declined significantly. With a husband, house, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 children and a third child on the way, I simply lacked the motivation to keep it all up. Go figure!

After Isaac was born and got a little older and more independent, I vowed that 2008 was going to be the year I reclaimed an organized home and life. And then 2008 came and went.

So, I vowed that 2009 was going to be the year I reclaimed an organized home and life. But January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August all came and went, and 2009 wasn't looking too good either. That is, UNTIL last week.

I LOVE the dollar bins at Target! Why do I love them so much??? You've obviously never been to the dollar bins at Target if you have to ask. No, I love them because the dollar bins at Target have helped me finally reclaim a certain level of organization in my closet that I can be proud of. Yes folks, I have finally organized my closet (trumpets are blasting in my head)!!!

I found shoe racks for $2.50 each. And I found bags that are supposed to go underneath the bed, but I'm using them in the top of my closet, also for $2.50 each. And they're cute! :-) That's what I'm talking about here!

My closet... It's in the shape of an "L." Now, I truly do not mean to offend anyone here. But you know a man designed this closet, because no woman in her right mind would ever do such a thing. Shortly after we bought this house, my closet became a thorn in my side. I hated my closet. And so I did what any woman in the same position would do... I started avoiding it. But last week I finally felt strong enough to confront the closet with the help of my dear friend, Target. I decided that my closet was not going to have power over me anymore. Okay, so perhaps words alone are simply not enough to help you truly understand why I am so excited about this. So, I very reluctantly show you this "Before" picture. And let me just say, I am not showing you the back of the closet, intentionally. Sorry folks... I will share some things, but that was just too bad. I can not display here the horror that was the back of my closet. So, I will show you this "Before" picture of the front of my closet, because I feel that showing it to you all will somehow allow me to let go of this tremendous burden I've been carrying around for oh, 4 years now, give or take a few months, here and there...

Before...
Processing... Processing... Processing...

And After...

Shoes are actually in shoe racks...

Wrapping paper, gift bags and tissue paper are actually organized, in cute "under-bed" bags on the closet shelves...

Books are actually on the book shelf...
Purses are actually off the floor, hanging on this cute mirror with hooks that I got at a Mommy Swap...
Accessories are actually "accessorized" in this cute organizer... Yeah, it was $2.50 at Target!

Incidentally, the back of my closet IS actually good for something else, other than a place to throw things that have nowhere else to go in my home. It makes for a great place to hide when you're playing Hide-n-Seek with Mommy.

Now, go get organized! I'm outta here!!! :-)