DEBORAH CROMBIE: We've lived in this old house thirty years as of last August, and while our butler's pantry is a lovely vintage feature, the bottom half of it has always been a storage nightmare. There are two big deep cabinets with no shelves, and while we considered putting in a shelf either side, that wouldn't have solved the problem of not being able to see, much less get to, the things in the back. Added to that, when we remodeled our kitchen (I can't believe that's been more than fifteen years ago!) we tore out our original walk-in pantry and, while the kitchen is now much more functional as far as cooking, there was really no way to replace that lost storage. (Too many windows and doors...)
Fast forward to April last year, when I ordered (after measuring really, really carefully) these very cool, stainless units with pull-out shelves. Then my back went out, and the project got put on the back burner, with the shelving boxes sitting in our dining room, until we tackled it last weekend.
I should have taken a before picture! Although I really don't think we'd have wanted that photo popping up first on blog previews--just believe me, it was a horrible mess.
After clearing all the junk out, Rick installed the shelves and we organized what was left. This is the result.
Rick even installed a motion sensitve light in the center! I have to keep opening the doors to admire the fabulousness!! I can pull out my Instant Pot without breaking my back! I can find things! Things don't fall out on my feet!
I don't know about everyone else, but there are three things that need constant replacement in our kitchen: stock, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces, and canned beans.
Since the majority of our storage had been in this incredibly inconvenient cabinent by the fridge--
I could never see what I had and was always buying more of things that were buried in the back. This is what we ended up with:
Have you ever seen so many cans of beans??? We are ready for the apocalypse!
Now those cans of beans and the tomatoes are labeled so it's easy to keep track, and without all of the stuff that is now in the new shelving, the kitchen pantry might be a little more manageable.
There was a nervous moment (much too late to return the shelving if it didn't fit) when we put in the first unit, but after a little manhandling, the doors did close. I wasn't kidding about measuring carefully--there was zero extra space. Whew.
Now, of course, the top half of the pantry needs to be cleaned out and organized--but not for a week or two!
So, dear Reds and readers, do you have a #1 spring project on your list?
P.S. The only downside is that there now nowhere to put my paper sacks!
Wow . . . your new storage space is pretty spectacular . . . .
ReplyDeleteDo I have a spring project on my to-do list? Not at the moment, but I am certain something will come along . . . .
There is always something, Joan!
DeleteYes, ours is storage, too. We replaced our stacked washer/dryer with a combo unit. So now we have all of this lovely open space above it to fill with shelves. That will allow us to move the detergent and other items out of the cheap particle board armoire next to the closet. Hmm, maybe we’ll replace that with a bookcase?
ReplyDeleteWe always need more room for books!
DeleteDebs, that is beautiful storage! I would be opening the doors to gaze in delight also. How satisfying!
ReplyDeleteI have a huge list for spring (it's snowing now and 12° so spring will be a while). Generally my lists are single-spaced, double columns, and run 2-3 pages. I never get everything done so things are carried over from year to year. This year I've barely made a dent in the Winter 2025 list. This is a good reminder to stop obsessing over the news and get to work. (Selden)
Your lists sound daunting Selden!
DeleteRoberta, there are so many big things for the house (left unfinished by the builder 7 years ago) and farm (constantly aging). I need to plumb a farm sink in the mudroom and build a cabinet for it. I will need to use a jack just to lift the sink as it is cast iron and about 300 lbs. I need to build the 6x10' screens for the house's wrap-around porch. I need to build stairs for said porch. I need to pressure wash the barn and restain it. I need to use lolly posts to support the cabin porch roof, rip off the rotted deck, and build a new deck. The cabin needs restaining also... and on and on and on. Gardens, mowing, sheep. I can never get it all done. I just chip away. (Selden)
DeleteChop wood, carry water, Selden! But my hat goes off to you. You are so capable!!
DeleteSelden, I'm hoping to get our (not wraparound) porch screened this year, too, to keep the blasted mosquitoes away. But someone else will be building them, not me! You are amazing.
DeleteWe call those inserts the Cadillac of shelving units! I love that you marked the tops of the cans - so smart. I also love the old cabinetry - so much character.
ReplyDeleteWith our new kitchen in this house, finished about eleven years ago, we have two big pantry cabinets, and they are mostly functional. The middle shelf on one does pull out, but I never use that feature, and it's the most disorganized - lentils, unopened baking supplies, dry milk, seltzer, yikes! If I ever get my taxes and my first draft done, that'll be first on the to-do list.
I know that feeling Edith about finishing--then cleaning anything will feel like a reward!
DeleteWe are debating whether the pull out shelve would work in that cabinet next to our fridge. We would lose a lot of space, but on the other we could get to the things stored in there!
DeleteMy dining room is still full of my brother's papers and photos and the dining table is strewn with mail that I must go through. It needs to get emptied in order to be a dining room again. That is my biggest job this spring.
ReplyDeleteI store countertop appliances in the basement. There is very little storage space and no pantry in this 1955 split level.
Oh, Judy, you've had such a job with all your brother's things. Big hugs.
DeleteGreat reorganization, Debs. How satisfying! My spring hope is to bring some decluttering and organizing energy to the basement...
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a basement, but I imagine they are the clutter "black holes." Ours is our attic, and Rick did a huge clean out and organizing project last winter but there are still things that need doing and must be done before it gets hot.
DeleteAh the advantages of living in a newly built home! We are so glad we chose the model with a walk in pantry and his and hers walk in closets for the master bedroom. Also we paid for the “gourmet kitchen” upgrade. Coupled with all the stuff we got rid of when we moved we have ample space.
ReplyDeleteMy Spring projects are to add a cabinet next to the sink in the laundry room, figure out how to best install my framed stained glass in the bedroom window, and plant some annuals outside.
Such fun projects, Brenda! You've done all the hard work when you moved!
DeleteI'm so jealous of that beautiful vintage pantry! My tiny kitchen lacks workspace AND storage, so I've long dreamed of a complete remodel, but it's not in my budget, nor am I prepared for the long-term mess of major construction. BUT those shelves look perfect! I need details. Where did you get them???
ReplyDeleteI LOVE those pullout storage units you've got, Debs--they're so practical. Right now, my only spring project is my usual one---to change all the winter plants on my balcony to spring and summer plants. Still, I have a project that I keep in the back of my mind and will accomplish someday, which is changing the WHITE tiled kitchen floors to gray. What kind of an idiot would put snow white tiles on a kitchen floor? (A non-cook, obviously---they were already in when we moved into the apartment.) If I swept and mopped my kitchen floor every time it needed it, I'd be doing it four or five times a day!
ReplyDeleteYikes, Kim! And tile floors are so hard, for standing on, not just breaking things. Is that your only option? Do you get Ruggable rugs there? They are great for kitchens and they are washable.
DeleteBut, Kim, the non-white floors would be just as much in need of mopping and sweeping after each use. The dirt would just be less visible. That’s why after years of darkish floors I switched to white tile…now my floors are always clean, instead of sorta clean, but sticky! I am also an awful housekeeper. If the dirt doesn’t show, why bother cleaning. Elisabeth
DeleteYour shelves are great! It's not when you do the project, it's the fact that it's complete and a success. Yesterday I spent an hour searching for Tiffany Yates Martin's editing book, which I found under a stack of "mail to keep but not yet filed" on a bar stool in the kitchen. I need to get organized.
ReplyDeleteOne thing always leads to another, though Margaret! Now there are places I need to reorganize in the kitchen because we moved things into the butler's pantry.
DeleteGorgeous shelves Debs! My ongoing project is getting rid of stuff. The KW Woman's Club had a huge tag sale last week and we took over a whole carload. We'll try to do the same in CT:)
ReplyDeleteAlways, always. How does this stuff acumulate? And books! The trunk of my car has been stuffed with books for months, and that's only the tip of iceberg for the books that need to go...I've really been trying to cut back on buying hardcover books.
DeleteDeborah, as a former CT person, that heavy trunk was important for snow traction..so the books just stayed there. Hey it might snow in August. Wink, wink. Elisabeth
DeleteAbsolutely fabulous, Debs! Ya done good, as my brother and I used to say to each other.
ReplyDeleteIn a room upstairs, one that I call my attic, although it is really an unfinished bedroom, I have metal wire storage racks where I put anything I don't have room for in the kitchen. So I can take advantage of sales and stock up on items I'll be using sooner or later. Everything is easy to see and because the room is unheated it stays cool.
That's a great solution, Judi!
DeleteWhat a great project to have completed! And how wonderful to have that pantry! My spring project this year is to get everything in the guest room out where it belongs (such as Christmas boxes back into the attic) and make the guest bedroom really a guest bedroom.
ReplyDeleteWe have that issue, too, Suzette. Some of those cans of things came from milk crates in the guestroom--holdovers from 2020 and Rick wanting me stock up on all sorts of things. I want my guest room back!
DeleteDEBS: Well done! Organized shelving makes a big impact.
ReplyDeleteAs a lifelong renter, I don't do renos.
You do lots of shelving, though, Grace! You are probably our Queen of Shelving!
DeleteDeb, love the new storage space. The only thing I'm doing is getting rid of stuff I no longer use or didn't know I had.
ReplyDeleteThat is a job in itself, Dru! And happy belated birthday!
Deletethank you for the birthday wishes
DeleteIt looks spectacular Debs! I have to wait til the cast comes off to think about projects. Hopefully next week!
ReplyDeleteBe careful tackling too much, Gillian. It's always so tempting when you've been unable to do things to go overboard.
DeleteAren't pullout shelves the best invention ever? What a great idea, to retrofit (is it still Retro Month?) your antique cabinets with them! I put those pullout wire shelves in the lower, extra deep cabinets in our living room bookcase wall. They really hold a lot, and were surprisingly easy to install.
ReplyDeleteSO many spring projects, some recycled from last year's lists. I made a start at organizing our basement storage, which started out six years ago as a desperation measure and never got fully managed. Steve has 60-75 year old transparencies and glass plates of photos his dad took, on shelves that got left randomly in the space. Moving it all to a position that makes more sense (like against a wall instead of the middle of the room) means a LOT of elbow grease, probably mostly mine. I'd really prefer to have them out of the house altogether, but he keeps holding out hope that some organization or another will want to archive them.
And I am still trying to figure out what to do with books that got boxed up SEVEN years ago. Whimper.
If you don't want to keep the books, libraries often have a fundraising arm that resells donated books. And some libraries may give a tax receipt.
DeleteKaren, when there were floods in Vermont a couple of summers ago, some of their libraries flooded. There was a group asking for book donations. Many communities that have disasters, floods, tornadoes, fires, like the ones in Vermont, will be looking for donations of books. I haven't looked for websites specific to those, but I am sure that lots of books will be very difficult to replace. I am sure you would want to go through those boxes, but it might be a solution.
DeleteWhat a great idea, Judy!!
DeleteI do know of places to donate them. However, it's more a matter of just getting to the project, and decided what to let go of. I want to keep some of these books, it's why I boxed them up in the first place. Many of them were my daughters' books, too, and I'm reluctant to get rid of them, even though it doesn't look as if either will need them for their own children. You can see why I might have emotional attachment, and a reluctance to give up on seeing my own grandchildren reading any of these beloved books. My three little great nieces are not the big readers their dad was when he was a kid, or they would be my first choice. Sigh.
DeleteReally hard to decide which books to let go of because some books go out of print. When we moved to a smaller place, I struggled with my decision of which books to let go of. I am very happy to say that the books I donated to the New library, which was built the year before, Still are there! And the good news is that I kept cherished books, including books that are NOW out of print!
DeleteKaren, even without grands to read, double check with your daughters before giving their books away… my mother without even asking, threw my paper dolls away! One of those family things…that we joked about when stuff went missing…when it was Mother’s, I said “revenge for the paper dolls!” If it was mine, she’d say, “must have joined the paper dolls.” This went on for about 40 years. Elisabeth
DeleteYou're so right, Elisabeth! My mother did the same, but without any fanfare.
DeleteOne daughter won't care. She already has her Harry Potters and her Eoin Coifers, and that was all she wanted. The other one, though... hooboy. She's the sentimental one, and I'm still holding onto some of her middle school notebooks, for heaven's sake. I'm about to dump them, though, if she doesn't get with it. There is an entire closet of nothing but her memorabilia.
Oh, my, Karen! Your “other one” was me. My mother thought I was so sentimental because I was an only child. Elisabeth
DeleteDebs, I have those shelves! They are wonderful. A couple of my kitchen cabinets are also deep and these are much better than having to get on my poor knees on the floor to see what's in the back of the cabinet.
ReplyDeleteOur #1 spring project is putting a dry stacked-stone facade over the cinderblock base of the house. We think (hope) it will look much more attractive, especially once the morning glories and green cover come back from winter hibernation. But we are not doing that one ourselves.
We're also dreaming of a full bathroom remodel, but that is very cost-dependent.
Liz, I watch the remodel shows on HGTV and the costs as they announce them is around $13-15K. However, the reality (maybe it's because we live in southern Calif) is double that.
DeleteWe had no choice when we found out we had water and black mold behind a shower wall. We basically had to demo the entire bathroom and redo everything. The cost was $30,000. Yikes. But the room is somewhat larger than an average bathroom.
We did bathroom remodels after the kitchen remodel, but what I'd like to do now is replace the roll-top tub in the master bath with a walk-in shower. We have three roll-top tubs in this house and now shower! But $$ ouch!
DeleteI meant NO shower!
DeleteAnonymous, from what I know of black mold removal, it was that cost that doubled the price of your bathroom. Not that the TV shows were underpricing. Depending on how bad the mold is all insulation, all wall board, and often many studs and supports have to be removed and replaced. Those are the big buck items. So sorry you had to experience them to get your new bathroom. Elisabeth
DeleteAnonymous, black mold is the worst. Fortunately, we don't have that. The walls are all tiled - but the previous owner didn't do a very good job. The floor is at least three-quarters of an inch above the hallway floor, the grouting isn't finished, some baseboards are missing, and the radiator cover is missing. And the walls are cracked. The fallback is for The Hubby to do what he can to clean it up.
DeleteDebs, right now we have a claw-foot tub with a freestanding shower. We lust after a walk-in shower. Unfortunately, the grout job, while fine for decorative purposes, would not hold up to the constant water of a walk-in.
I'm guessing the job will come in between $10k and $15k. Hopefully closer to ten because the room is not large. We shall see.
I never would have thought of having slide out drawers that you would look down on - but it is so much easier to see what you have. That cabinet is so beautiful too. I love the lights!
ReplyDeleteI noticed immediately the BUSH baked beans - we only buy that brand too.
I finally found a great handyman who is tackling some long overdue projects. I find that if I do projects, clean out cabinets, organize on a small scale often that things are manageable. But then there are always those boxes in the small attic and our grown kids' bedrooms....
Yes, Bush are by far our favorite beans. I wonder why they are so much better? Rick is always reminding me how lucky I an to be married to a handyman, lol. So true!
DeleteI love the pull-out shelves and the lighting is such a bonus! Very wise to label the top of the cans. I had to chuckle at the number of cans of beans. In the past, I have done that very same thing. Can't wait to see what you do to the top units. The cabinetry is beautiful and I'm glad you kept it instead of gutting it for something "new." As for my spring project, silly as it sounds, I think I need to go through the car trunk and see just what is in there besides books and clothes. Since I haven't gone diving in there for anything other than that this past year, methinks I can get rid of some of those things and shift stuff from the back seat to the trunk. Amazing what you actually do not need to survive. -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteI remember my brother visiting when we were planning the remodel and he was very insistent that we needed to tear out the butler's pantry and extend the kitchen into that space. We didn't agree, obviously, partly because we love the vintage cabinets, and partly because the kitchen needed more storage, not more space.
DeleteThe whole darn house is a "Spring Project" I am taking pictures of the rooms each week in hopes of actually seeing some progress. Spring is a time of hope, right? anyone? I proudly share I vacuumed, and kinda liked it. Now I will see if dusting is worth while. Thanks everyone for inspiring me. ::mussing might need a cleaning apron:: where did I read about this?
ReplyDeleteIt is so satifying, Coralee, and so calming to see the results. Besides, projects are a good way to avoid doomscrolling. We highly encourage you, and keep us posted!
DeleteCoralee, love your sense of humor! My sister and brother-in-law are in town so I have to vacuum and try to rein in the dog hair. Good luck to both of us! — Pat S
DeleteOh, Deb, a great big yes! I get you- it's SO satisfying. Our house has a linen closet like that, with huge space and dark, unreachable corners. We've been stashing stuff (everything) for many years. No idea what was there. I finally got fed up with the mess and went to work. Just last week. It took a few days but the dark corners are now occupied by seldom used items (logical, right?) and we can immediately see if we need toothpaste or it's time to fill scrips. Joy.
ReplyDeleteDebs, your new storage space looks wonderful! Every time I plan on a grocery shop run, I always look through the refrigerator and the pantry to see which things expired (now less and less since I check more frequently) and see which things we really need right now.
ReplyDeleteMy Big Spring Project has been ongoing for several years. DECLUTTER is the project for the spring and hope to finish by the summer. I already started organizing books to donate to LA Relief and I am thinking of donating some books to Malice Domestic. Yes, I am following this decluttering organizing person on social media and she has great ideas. My problem is actually doing these steps! I think I may have ADHD. I discovered Trashie, where I can send old clothes to be recycled so they do not go into the landfill.
The mail is endless with so many letters from charity groups. I started throwing away catalogs as soon as they arrive in the mail because otherwise they will pile up. Sometimes I get the same catalog twice or three times!
I will look up Trashie, Diana. I donate used clothes to the women's shelter here, but I wonder if it might be better to put really worn out things in our landfill, rather having them shipped off to a landfill in China or somewhere. Because of the "fast fashion" trend--buying cheap clothes then discarding them after a few wears--the disposal of all these garmets is a huge problem.
DeleteI've donated clothing to such places like Goodwill and Salvation Army. Years ago we had a resale chain called Buffalo something that took used clothing. They took in the clothes they wanted for resale and then paid you by the weight.
DeleteDiana, I've been able to cut down on unwanted catalogs dramatically by using Catalog Choice. It's a free service, although I usually donate every couple years. You sign up, then enter the information about the catalog company, including your name, address, and the numbers printed on the catalog. CC then sends each company a request to stop mailings to you. It benefits the companies, too, since printing and mailing costs have gotten so high. It's not just catalogs, either. You can also opt out of other mailings, like bank and credit card company offers.
DeleteI've been using this service for years. I usually save a bunch to do at once. In my next batch of requests I am hoping to get Miami University to finally stop sending my father-in-law their annual magazine. He died in 2006!
catalogchoice.org
DeleteDeborah, a word on landfill. Many municipalities have begun barring fabrics from trash here in the US. Fines for dumping imposed…although I don’t know how one man’s trash can be separated from another’s! Elisabeth
DeletePlease keep in mind that if you are donating used clothes to charity shops, please wash them first. If there are holes, then please mend the holes before donating. When I donated used clothes, I washed them and if there were holes that are easily mended, I mended the clothes.
DeleteKaren in Ohio, thank you for the tip about Catalog Choice. Much appreciated
DeleteDon't even go there! Sheets/towels in a mishmash. And I've always stored the wooden trays on top of the refrigerator. I guess I didn't push them back far enough, because when I opened the fridge's door a few days ago, the pile of trays slid off and landed on my forehead. A very impressive lump! So, now I've got to reorganize... everything. Pull-out shelves are great... and I love how you've written on each can. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteOh, ouch, Victoria! That must have hurt!! Definitely a sign from the universe that some reorganizing is in order! As for the cans, I originally put them in unlabeled, then thought I'm going to be pulling out every single can every time need something. Duh! Now I now which beans are Great Northern, etc.
DeleteDeborah ~ Definitely a good idea that you have about labeling your inventory! My canned goods face forward inside my walk-in pantry's shelves so I know exactly what I have but I'm a stickler about the expiration dates which are usually on the bottom of the cans. So now I use a magic marker and put the expiration date in a circle right on the canned item's label. Raiding the pantry to replenish spices and herbs on the other hand is much harder because those darn expiration dates are so tiny to read so I just generally replace all those items every six months or so.
DeleteCongratulations on your new storage! That was a worthy project. I've been in this house almost three years now and still have four boxes sitting in my office/library/room of my own and a couple in the sun porch portion of my bedroom. I need to get them squared away and then seriously attack the English ivy on three sides of the house. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent and creative solution! Kitchen storage can be such a struggle--annoying on a daily basis! We're about to have our kitchen gutted and I had such fun picking out the cool storage options for the cabinet interiors. I was like a little kid . . . I want that, and that, and that. (Then we got the price - gulp!) I hope it's all worth it in the end. I imagine myself flitting happily from one beautifully organized cupboard to another. ha ha!
ReplyDeleteWhen we remodeled our house, they moved the heater up into the “attic” space so there was room to build a pantry. It’s “walk-in” if that means two steps in, but it’s such an improvement over the tall, deep space that was here originally! I moved all of the small appliances in there (blender, crockpot, etc.) so they are all together but not taking up counter space. I love it! Congratulations, Debs, on your project success. (And we still have plenty to do for Spring projects: art on the wall, all of the books and CDs/DVDs put in their place. Yes, my husband has a large collection of CDs he won’t part with…) — Pat S
ReplyDeletePat ~ I won't part with my CD's either. I have nearly 500 of them. I recently went on Amazon and ordered two storage "books" that will hold all of my CD's in one place. (Each "book" holds 400 CD's that can be placed in sleeves and then the book itself can be zippered all the way around itself. This works only if you are willing to part with the original sleeves that house the CD's. I'm still working on a plan to save those sleeves as well as organize each CD either alphabetically or by subject; i.e., classical, rock, international, etc.
DeleteEvelyn, I don’t object to him keeping the CDs because many are mine! He’s found storage for them, but I wish he’d stop buying new ones… Pat S (P.S. Congratulations, Evelyn, on being creative and coming up with a solution for your small space. And you, too, Debs!)
DeleteIsn't it such a grand sense of relief and pride when a project that involves organizing is finally accomplished?! I can feel the sense of satisfaction and pride in your words, Deborah. I love the final outcome. That's a lovely piece of furniture and the roll-out shelving is the perfect solution that is conveniently hidden behind the cabinet doors. Beautiful! I just recently tackled a long overdue project involving my desk area in the kitchen. It has always frustrated me that in the decade since we moved to our current home I never quite organized this corner of my "world". It's a very small space with a very small desk so organization is key to keeping that area functional. Finally after trying my best to get my hands on files, books and other items I use on a daily basis I could not stand it anymore; that little corner tucked away in the form of my office needed to be redesigned. The answer was not only to purge, purge, purge as well as shred, shred, shred but to research and purchase those space-saving products that would make that tiny area serviceable and uncluttered. The end result was to go up a "floor" :-) by adding two cherry wood cubes in the back of the desk that became a free-standing bookcase for often-used books, miscellaneous notebooks, address books, etc,. The top of the cubes also gave me 2 more feet of storage space for reference files and my desk diary. The wood cubes additionally match my kitchen's wood cabinets and drawers which is a bonus. By also setting aside a small area in my walk-in-pantry across from my desk to house a few metal storage units to hold all my household files I discovered that anything is possible within a 4' x 4' space. Twenty-four hours of intense work and mission was accomplished. Now onto the next project ~ Putting the last bit of holiday decorations (a wreath and matching garland on the fireplace mantel) away, reorganizing storage in the basement and hauling out the Springtime/Easter decor by next week for inside and outside courtyard and porch areas. That's going to take a bit more motivation, effort, time all while in the middle of tax prep season. :-)
ReplyDeleteSWOONING! This is gorgeous! Brilliant! I can absolutely see why you are in love with this! Xxx
ReplyDeleteOh that was me, Hank, swooning above! Xx
ReplyDeleteGreat storage and great DYI by you and Rick. Congratulation! Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteFabulous, Debs! I have two cabinets that I want rollout drawers in. You've inspired me but first I want to paint my house (exterior). It's been 11 years since I did it (yes, just me and a paint sprayer) and the AZ is merciless on the westside of the house so it's ready for a new coat or two.
ReplyDeleteDebs, how smart of you to order those shelves and smart of Rick to put a light in there. You all did a great job of making that an organized, useful space. I hope to get my kitchen remodeled in the next couple of years, but until then I have got to attack my pantry and get rid of outdated and over-bought items. I'm working on books right now, too. I have a big tub already filled, actually overflowing, but I've got lots more to do, and I need to decide what to do with them, too.
ReplyDeleteOh, how marvelous! We have a tiny kitchen with no storage - it was either dinnerware or food - so we turned our basement furnace room into a pantry/furnace room. It's wonderful. As for beans, we go through them quickly as well and we can no longer find no salt added organic in local stores. Two weeks ago I had a brainstorm - Internet! I can order them by the case from Walmart online. Gee, it only took two years to think of that....
ReplyDeleteI love your butler’s pantry. Those cabinets are beautiful. I have been trying to move non food items from one of my two pantries to shelving in the cellar. That gives me more room on the shelves to better organize what I have. I must confess that we have storage shelves in our garage off the laundry room for the cans and glass bottles of stuff. Since we already have our tax returns back, I am going to focus on more shelving in the cellar and the sorting of shoes and boots to go to a clothing drop box at a church near us that actually distributes the items to the needy. Yes! All of the tee shirts have already been sorted, cleaned and dropped off. Alicia Kullas
ReplyDeleteSo much I should do, but I end up reading instead. I have started gleaning a few books from my shelves to give to the library when I go, since my hands and eyes now prefer ebooks. I've also invited niblings to shop at Aunt Mary's Emporium, especially the "Room of Requirement" aka junk room.
ReplyDelete*nibling, offspring of one's sibling -- I want to see this word make it to the dictionary. ;-)
-- Storyteller Mary