S.P.A.C.E.

Organizing for Stressful Times

By Hazel Thornton | October 21, 2019 |

These are stressful times. And I think we’re all feeling it one way or another. (I originally wrote this post during a specific national crisis, but really, every day is stressful for someone, isn’t it?) Are you remembering to take care of yourself? I forget sometimes, so I’m writing this for myself as much as…

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Organizing to De-Stress a Major or Chronic Illness

By Hazel Thornton | July 19, 2019 |

Illness is stressful. The less you have to worry about, the more you can focus your energy on getting well. And getting organized will help you worry less. This concept applies to any prolonged medical condition that results in decreased energy and mobility. Here are some examples: recovery from a planned surgery an unplanned medical…

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Is your kitchen counter messier than mine?

By Hazel Thornton | April 16, 2018 |

← This is my kitchen counter. If you think it looks like THAT at all times — not a bit of clutter; complete with fresh fruit and flowers — you will either be disappointed, or relieved, to learn that it also looks like THIS on a regular basis →              …

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Organizing a Creative Mess

By Hazel Thornton | April 23, 2016 |

Do you have a creative mess? Do you feel inspired by it…or overwhelmed? I have helped clients organize their quilting and sewing rooms; scrapbooking, jewelry making, painting, and glass art studios; and elementary school art classrooms. Their respective supplies and equipment all had different storage requirements, but the clients all had these things in common:

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Busting the Top 10 Organizing Myths

By Hazel Thornton | October 10, 2015 |

As part of my 10-year celebration of being in the organizing business, I thought I’d revisit this old blog post and see if I still agreed with myself. I do. Don’t believe everything you think!  Here are the top 10 organizing myths, along with the truth and some helpful links to related blog posts and …

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3 Steps to Falling in Love with Your Home Office

By Hazel Thornton | February 16, 2013 |

How does your home office make you feel? If you have the sort of business where you have clients in, are you embarrassed to let them see it? One of my organizing and redesign clients said, about her cluttered, drab room, “I feel like I’m going to prison every morning.” Oh no, that’s terrible! Depending…

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How to Live and Work by Design, not by Default

By Hazel Thornton | January 14, 2013 |

Living and working BY DEFAULT means choosing the easiest path, either by unconsciously resorting to bad habits, or by maintaining the status quo. Sometimes we seek to avoid the conflict that can come with making a change. Sometimes we feel we have no choice in the matter. But I’m with Henry Ford, who said, “Whether you think…

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This Photo Trick Cures Clutter Amnesia!

By Hazel Thornton | July 29, 2012 |

My friend Jane (well, one of them…I have more friends named Jane than anybody I know…) is de-cluttering this weekend and texting me periodically with her progress. She writes: “So glad you taught me the photo trick. If not, I would be crying with frustration rather than feeling pleased with my progress!” The “trick” she…

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How to Create Your Own Simple Filing System

By Hazel Thornton | October 18, 2011 |

No two people are alike, and no two filing systems need to be either.  Create your own unique filing system using the S.P.A.C.E.* method:

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How to Create More S.P.A.C.E. in Your Life

By Hazel Thornton | October 13, 2011 |

S.P.A.C.E. is the system I use to organize anything and everything — a room, a closet, a junk drawer, a calendar — you name it! This acronym was coined by Julie Morgenstern, whose book Organizing From The Inside Out is such an industry classic that I often find copies of it in my clients’ homes!…

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