I'm a stacker.

Yup, I like to pile things.  It seems like a good solution to me when I am quickly tidying.  Stack it all up into a pile and it instantly looks neat (to me at least!).

Want to see?

My bed side table.  A quick stack of all my various bedtime reading materials (and other weird kid debris) and it seems organized to me.

All my class materials and samples.  One stack and they are all together (and I know where to find them).

Umm, maybe this one doesn't look neat but here is it - stacked felt.  (I am serious when I tell you I stack!)

Magazines I am reading.  Stacked nicely beside my work area.

OK, now before you start imagining me as some crazy lady with stacks everywhere in my house I don't stack everything.  :) Nor do I compulsively stack, lol. 

I have been struggling with neatness for my whole life (I did mention my mother saying a mess follows me everywhere I go, right?) and I am trying to improve. BUT after spending forever trying to be neat like others I realized that it wasn't working for me.  So I started to look for things I that I did naturally without a lot of struggle.

I stack.  After the kids go through the DVDs to find a movie (how is possible that they need to take out EVERY movie to decide??) I stack.  So quick and painless.

So I started to apply that idea to my scrap stuff.  As most of you know scrapping can get messy - fast!  And it gets hard to create when there is too much mess.  BUT I don't want to feel like I am spending forever cleaning up.  I need it to be quick and painless.  I certainly don't want to waste valuable scrappy time, lol.

So I started to stack my supplies.  But of course it doesn't work for everything so I adapted.  Remember of the simple storage solution last week?  Think of those as stacks on their sides. 

One thing I do truely stack is my paper.

Above is my cardstock and below is my patterned paper.

WHAT?

I know what kind of solution is that? But you know what it works for me.  I add the paper to one cubby of my Ikea shelves and it stays contained.  No need for something fancy - I told you it wasn't going to be magazine solution pretty.  I am quite happy to have all my paper jumbled up together.  Can I find things?? Well, of course I can!  I just grab a stack and flip through it.  Do I have to worry if I pull out five options and then only use one?  NO.  I just quickly add them back to the top of the stack.  Five second clean up suits me!

I find this especially helpful with cardstock.  I love happy color accidents.  You never know when two unusual colors are going to end up together and make a happy color accident.  That cetainly is not going to happen if I have all the reds together and separate from all the greens and purples!  I cannot tell how liberated I felt when I realized that I didn't have to do it the way I was "supposed" to do it.  

Now I am not saying this is going to work for everyone.  I know having papers all stacked up and jumbled up together is going to drive a few of you over the edge.  But you know what?  That is ok too!  What I guess I am trying to say is you need to look at you and find out what works for you.  Stop comparing yourself to picture perfect scrap spaces and figure out what works for you and your space. I can bet you will be happier with your space if you do!

I didn't stop there though. I found another paper solution that works with my stacking love.

Paper racks that fit right into my shelves (I can't find these any more so no links - sorry).  I used these to keep a few things separate from my "main" stacks.  Projects I am working on, specialty papers or even just some new supplies that I want to play with.  No real rules to it.  Just what I feel I want to have separate - and it changes all the time.

So side by side this is what my paper looks like right now.

Seems organized enough to me.  And I am definitely happy with it.

And because organization is never done...

I have been toying with the idea of adding these to my paper solution.

I am not sure if vertical will work for me but I was thinking of breaking up my patterned paper a bit.  The pile is getting big (got to stop shopping!) so I thought it might help but I am thinking I will probably go with these. (but I do want to give vertical a chance - you never know!)

My system is definitely not finished and I am always working to make it better.  I don't want elaborate solutions because I know I will not maintain it.  I know myself well enough to realize that storage and organization needs to be as easy as possible.

Ok so now I feel just a bit naked in front of you all!  Please advert your eyes....;)

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More crazy Crystal storage solutions tomorrow.  Bet you'll be back just to read how strange I really am!

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Hope everyone in the US is having a great Memorial Day today:)