De-clutter....or else!

Ask anyone. At work, I am one of those insanely, super, sickeningly organized people. There is not a stray paperclip, loan document or manilla folder to be found. Everything is labeled, alphabetized and filed neatly away. I take pride in leaving my desk completely spot free at the end of everyday. If I need a paper, I know exactly where to find it at a moment's notice. Clutter sends me into a mini-panic and I quickly find a place for things that are set on my desk. I confess that I am semi-OCD when it comes to my workspace. I was never like this before. In college, I was too busy with extra-curricular activities, a part time job and college in general, that I really didn't care what my room looked like. Knick-knacks, papers, college books and dirty clothes were the story of my life. Now that I feel like an adult instead of a sloppy college student, I have shed my unorganized ways and my office is a true testament to the super organized person I strive to be. A few days ago, I had a customer walk into my office and promptly announce "Now THIS is what I want my office to look like." I beamed with pride. But then it made me think....what if she saw my house?? Would should wish she had the organization that I display in my home, or lack thereof? I spend 8 hours a day being OCD at work that by the time I make it home, I don't have the energy to be super organized there as well. When the customer complimented my uber-organization at work, I realized that I should be this organized at home too. I feel good when I'm at work, knowing that everything has a place. Shouldn't I feel just as good at home? So, I'm embarking on a major organizational overhaul. Focusing on one room at a time, I am going to make my way through my home, figuring out what works, what doesn't and most importantly, THROWING THINGS AWAY. Is it really necessary that I saved birthday cards from my 16th birthday? Or the map from Disney World where Marty and I got engaged? Yes, they're sentimental and I enjoyed looking at them, but in the end all it does is make for extra clutter. And in a fairly small house, clutter is not a good thing. This week begins "Operation Declutter-Organize-and Feel Good about my House." Task number one: attacking our office/my art room. At the risk of having all of you judge me, here are the before pictures, just so we can measure my growth:

As you can see, our office is kind of the catch-all room for everything. I had to move my dresses into the office because
there wasn't enough room in the master bedroom closet. Papers pile up in the desk drawers, books get shoved on the bookshelf, my art supplies sit out haphazardly around the room. In short, this room drives me absolutely insane. It makes the organized, OCD me want to scream. But the tired, worn out, I have 6 loads of laundry to finish me just can't find the energy to even begin. I began sorting through papers, mementos and odds and ends last night. I had no idea I was such a packrat. I took a trip to Target and purchased media boxes, file folders and magazine holders to help me in my quest to de-clutter. I organized my books and clothing and found my Helping Hand/yard sale pile growing larger by the minute. I organized file folders into paid bills, tax information and little newspaper clippings I couldn't bring myself to throw away. I can have mementos, as long as I have them organized. I am going to do this. To help me along, I've found some inspirations, thanks to google. I WILL have my office looking like some of these. If these ladies can be this ridiculously organized in their own homes, why can't I? Enjoy drooling over these pictures like I did:

It amazes me that they can mix organization, function and elegance in an office! I always thought of an office to be a place where your junk piled up and you only visited it to get on the internet. Not anymore! I am going to make my office the portrait of organization and beauty. If you have any organizational secrets, you'd love to share, send them my way. I've got a blank canvas and I can't wait to fill it with ideas :) I'll keep you updated on my journey to perfection (organizational perfection, that is).