New Age Hippie — sometimes, always, never

I’ve been meaning to blog about this for weeks, but it just kept falling off my radar. Last week, though, when I got a Real Simple email about closet organization tips, not once, but twice (thanks to Allie for forwarding!), I decided it was time to get posting. The market need was evident.

When I moved to Atlanta, things got a little tight. Things, meaning my budget. However, I had gotten so addicted to yoga that I couldn’t quite deal with the thought of quitting. And, let’s be honest, yoga through a video doesn’t even begin to compare to a class. I pushed through for a few months, but this spring I realized the money I was spending on yoga was pretty much equivalent to a me pretending to be a king.

Faced with the decision of giving up eating or giving up yoga, I was slightly disheartened. I thought about giving up food for like, two seconds, until I realized food includes ice cream, and decided it was time to take a yoga break.

When I told my instructor, though, she wouldn’t accept my sabbatical.

Do you have any skills? She asked me.

Well I’m really organized… I faltered (Clearly not showcasing my interview skills)

Great. You can organize my house for classes.

And that was how I became a modern day hippie.

I had organized for money in college, but I’d never thought to barter.

But, after spending a few hours buried in her house, and walking away with a pass full of classes, I can now say I’m hooked on it. Sure, it takes a little more time than buying a class, but for me, organizing is soothing, and it felt so wonderful to see how excited she was when the project was complete. And now, after months of greatly benefitting from her skills as an instructor, she can benefit from my organizational skills.

Check out a few of my before and afters of the desk area below. I also did a hall closet and the entryway sports area, but this one was my favorite...

Before: