Wine and Whisk Chronicles

Wow!  I can’t believe I am doing this.  When I was thinking about tapping into the digital market, I honestly didn’t know where to start.  Everything about the online space is so overwhelming that I sat on my ideas and just let them simmer for a bit.  I got on social media and listened to all the “experts” give advice on how to start an online business, and while they all have different strategies, one universal concept kept smacking me in the face:  find your passion.  So here I sit with a website dedicated to baking, wine and home organization.  A very strange combination, I know, but why not?

During Covid, in early 2021, I saw a Netflix series called “The Home Edit” and I thought Clea and Joanna were speaking directly to me.  I watched and re-watched every episode at least three times and even bought their book.  The images of organized spaces were beautiful to me.  Of course I had to give it a try and “home edit” something.  So….I made it my mission over the course of a few weeks to reorganize my pantry using what I had learned from the show and the book. The pantry itself is an antique cabinet from the early 1900’s, so the dimensions and clearances of the shelves were not standard.  For example, two of the shelves had a clearance of only 5 inches, while all of the standard bin depths are usually 6 inches.  I couldn’t use the bins I really wanted on those shelves, so I made do. Four or five trips to The Container Store and Target and about $800 later, I had a well-organized pantry that I could sustain for the long haul. That was the key.  It had to be maintainable and my whole family had to buy into using the bins and keeping it organized.  I am happy to say that two years later, my pantry is still organized, and my systems are still in use.

Fast forward to Christmas 2022. I did a reorganization of my niece’s pantry as a Christmas present to her and her family.  I traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama with my notebook in hand.  I had her take a picture of her pantry, so I could see all the foods she would need bins for.  I then wrote out my plan in my handy notebook and hopped on a plane.  Once there, I did a few runs to Target, because the closest Container Store was 45 minutes away. Here is the before and after:

I was really proud of that pantry, I must say.  And, the best part is, she and her husband are maintaining it!  That makes me very happy.

So now I have officially caught the organization bug and I will continue to organize other parts of my house, because I like everything in order, you know?  

I can’t wait to share my wine and baking stories and thoughts with you as well.  I just had organization on the brain today, so I had to write about it.  Thank you for reading my ramblings.  Til next week...