Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Shhh….This is Where I Keep It

where

The Tablescaper has asked us to bare it all….she wants us to show where we keep it all! Do I even know where I keep it all? :) Well, maybe...sometimes…if it’s where it’s supposed to be…and the stars are aligned right…and I’m having a good day.

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The everyday cabinet in the kitchen….straight from the cabinet to the table to the dishwasher and back again. Note-We do not have more than two mugs that match. Beloved is very particular about the size and shape of his mug, so we have an odd conglomeration.

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Another kitchen cabinet (I am blessed with good cabinets) holds the set I almost sent to Goodwill. I have a service for 24 of this. My roommate in college also chose it. Her first marriage lasted about two years and she gave hers to me. Thank you to her and the cheating dog her first husband! Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie has this too! Now, let’s get serious.

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This is what I assume is supposed to be a coat closet in my dining room. We added shelves…who hangs coats in the dining room? It holds the good china, both mine and my grandmother’s Haviland. Crystal, silver, and odd and ends that I use on a fairly regular basis call this home. You can’t see the bottom (on purpose :).

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Now showing you this is truly against my better judgement. This is the deep dark closet under my stairway….good shelves, but no light. And no, I did not clean it up for you as you can tell. I hang tablecloths on hangers in this closet also.

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And since I took you to the place of darkness, I’ll show you mirrors and light. I don’t love this spot in my home, but it is a good place to display pretty barware. I also have a small collection of crystal angels here---the children call them my “bar angels” :). Doesn’t everyone have those?

I told The Tablescaper I couldn’t do this….but there, I’ve done it and I feel better. I’ve shown you my untidy secrets. I ‘ve seen the Tablscaper’s collection. Now she has a collection and it is well-organized. Join the party here. Thanks for dropping by---leave me a note!

38 comments:

  1. We also drink our coffee and tea out of mugs ... I didn't show those. Nothing matches and most are gifts and souvenirs. A closet in the dining room ... you are blessed with storage!

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  2. Thanks for "baring it all"! I enjoyed your post and seeing all your storage. How lucky to have a closet in your dining room!

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  3. Yeah but... it's such cool stuff. I get it. What a collection. I'd love to browse it. You're true to your passions my friend.

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  4. Susan, I really considered joining this party, but my better judgement prevailed! LOL Yours all looks so neat and tidy. Under the stairs is a very good idea- hmmmm....
    xoxo Pattie

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  5. Wow! Mine looks like yours! Not all neat and tidy and organized. I like that you are putting that unused space under the stairs to work!

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  6. Sue, never fear, yours looks waaay better than what is here!
    We also have a million mugs & seem to reach for the same ones all the time. I really should weed some out.

    Great idea to convert that dining room closet. I bet it was supposed to be for shelves all along.

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  7. It is all neat and organized. Mugs are preferred here also. I went on a binge a while back and cleaned a lot of them out. I like the idea of putting the shelves in the coat closet. My coat closet only has room for a very few coats, as there is to much other "stuff" in there. Thanks for sharing your storage secrets. :D

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  8. You need more stuff! Send me your addy, LOL! Way too neat..we have to do something about that!
    My gson pulled a box from under the couch in the den. He thought it was a game. He was very disappointed it was a glass bowl for flowers!

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  9. That is an interesting collection. tableware are my weakness. But so is space in this house so I dont have as much as I imagined all my life I wld have. but I still collect secretly and I really dont know where I put them...here n there and everywhere I can find a hole I guess...LOL

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  10. Doesn't it feel great to bare all, come clean or shouldn't we say, "Show Our Stuff"! Loved your post and the humour in it! Very pretty "bar angels"...got to get me some of those!

    DD

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  11. Wow, baring it all, what a wonderful thing! Oh my, much neater than mine! You are so organized, that is so awesome! Bar angels, too cute!

    Nancy

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  12. Very creative and organized, Susan! It's all so beautiful, it's a shame to put it away! ;-D

    xoxo
    Janie

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  13. ... & I thought I had 'stuff'. Oy! Chuckle!

    Have a great week.
    TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

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  14. Very organized, I am feeling more unorganized with each post I see. Stop by I am having a giveaway, you might like it!!! Thanks for sharing.
    Sandy

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  15. I think your dishes and things look very organized. I only showed parts of things also...for a reason!! I'm awed by the Tablescaper!!

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  16. Hi Susan! Oh, I loved seeing your pretty dishes and how you've stored them! I wanted to play too, but my stashes are way too messy!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  17. Ok can I chuckle about your bar angels!!
    You have some great spaces for your stuff. We really could use a bar in our house but we were raised Baptist and still don't totally believe we drink as much as we do :0)

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  18. This isn't untidy...I think you have things very organized. This is the third one of these I've read and I've decided we all get along so well because we all have too much stuff!

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  19. Thank you Susan for coming to the party and bare-ing all! Now, that wasn't so bad, was it? And the really fun part is that we get to see where everyone else keeps it all!

    And by the way, that bar area has lots of room for growth! LOL!

    Thanks againg for joining in the fun.

    - The Tablescaper

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  20. You are extremely organized compared to mine!! Some vert beautiful pieces - I would think everyone should have "bar angels" LOL

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  21. Everything is so neat and pretty, Susan. A set of 24 place settings is nice to have especially for a party....Christine

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  22. I think you're very organized! We are the same way with our mugs. Each of us has a special one to use, and only ONE of us bothered to choose it from a set. I "get" that whole like the way it feels in the hand thing of your husband.

    I love the way you made use of the area under the stairs!

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  23. Great organization for lots of very pretty things. I used to have under the stairs storage and it was wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

    Carol

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  24. Your cupboards are so neat and organized, Susan. No matter how hard I try I end up with precarious stacks of everything. I don't have a free inch of cupboard space in my house. But that's OK.

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  25. Oh, so neat and here I am...the messy one of the bunch! Thanks for sharing your lovely dishes.

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  26. what a collection and all so need! love your stemware.. just beautiful! thanks for sharing..

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  27. Hello there,

    I am having such fun that I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the fun of getting to peek into other people's delightfully organized and abundant caches of dishes and such!.., Thanks for sharing!..,You have an abundance of wonderful delights to share.., Wow!

    Please do also pop by and see my little corner of the, 'Where do you keep it all?' blog party!

    ..,You will see that my two day weekly tea party is well underway, yet our dear mutual friend, the delightful; 'The Tablescaper' lady;she so warmly invited me to partake, so here I am!~(I have amended my blog post, whereas my 'Wednesday Tea For Me And Thee' also cooincides somewhat,yet it works wonderfully with the theme, I must say)!..,

    Come also enjoy some afternoon tea respite my dear, amidst visiting our other illustrious fellow blog party friends!..,Enjoy!

    Cheers and hugs from Wanda Lee @ The Plumed Pen

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  28. Susan, what a great use of that closet in the d.r. OOOO, I love the tureen in "our" china pattern. I thought you DID straighten all of this before taking photos. It all looks so neat and organized. I DIDN'T straighten mine, and I didn't even apologize for keeping it real on my blog post. laurie

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  29. Hi Susan,
    Thanks for letting me peek and dream. You have a good plan for keeping your beautiful china in organized places.

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  30. Oh, thanks, I've had so much fun snooping around today.

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  31. Wow, you have a lot of dishes! That would be great to have 24 of something - lucky you! Looks like you have lots of great storage, too. Linda

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  32. Everything looks so pretty and well organized. Love that closet under the stairs. A great space for dishes! thank you for "baring it all" to us. This was harder to do than I thought. LOL

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  33. Awesome dishes!! wow, I wish I had as many and room for them.....thanks for sharing!

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  34. Hi Susan,

    I enjoyed seeing your storage for all your wonderful china, crystal and glassware.
    Thanks for showing us and have a great rest of the week.

    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  35. You have lots of great stuff, Susan! You were lucky to score your friends dishes too!

    I must go and look at the area under my stairs after seeing this-I really am not using that space very well. Thanks for the great ideas!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

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  36. Hi there, Susan!

    I'm starting to feel guilty for not joining The Tablescaper's party ... but not TOO guilty! I don't even aspire to be as organized as some of the participants. Yours strikes me as a happy medium -- neat and organized, but not overly so. ;)

    My favorite part is your bar area. Love all the glass and silver. You're brave to keep it on display. How often do you have to polish it to keep it "showroom" shiny???

    Bye for now,
    Bill

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  37. I am a tablescaping newbie, and my eyes popped open when I saw all your stuff. I haven't really started, but I sure am inspired!! You organize well, as far as I can see. No way am I taking pics of my cupboards and posting them on my blog.

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