About

Hi! Thanks for stopping by! My name is Andrea Brame, and I’m so glad you’re here. Come on in, grab a mug, and enjoy some fresh-brewed coffee or tea (your pick.) The mugs are on the cupboard to the right of the sink, middle shelf, left-hand side. Don’t mind the skull-and-crossbones pirate mug. It’s my husband’s.

What’s that you say? I’m ridiculously organized? Oh, if only you knew.

In fact, this blog is part of my Great Big Self-Discipline Project (TM). I’ve lived in creative chaos in the places I’ve called home over the past thirty (something) years and last year I decided enough was enough. For an artistic type whose idea of great design is organization, calmness, serenity, and breathing room (with a hefty shot of bright color to liven things up), I was scandalously disorganized. Not to mention decidedly UNserene.

I’ve worked at household and lifestyle organization over the years, but nothing stuck permanently, and I think that was because nothing really worked for my style, budget, and situation. Sure, all the professional experts said this, that, or the other thing, but they weren’t me. They didn’t live in my house. They didn’t work at my job. They didn’t have my hobbies, or my paycheck. Only one person did: me. So I finally woke up in December of 2010 and realized, just in time for New Year’s resolutions, that I wanted to change. I wanted to let my inner neat freak out to play. I wanted to thrive in an atmosphere that enabled me to be creative and provided the framework for a healthy and less stressful lifestyle. I wanted to be truly organized.

The irony of the situation is that I actually love organizing. It’s relaxing for me to put order into the unorderly. I like turning messes into beautiful spaces. I like sorting. (No, really! I do!) I like making lists. I even like … washing windows. So why couldn’t I keep it all together once I got it that way?

I wanted to change things and help others in the process. So, I decided to record 365 days of my organizational journey and share the inspiration to live a clutter-free and simplified life with others.

I hope you make yourself at home while you look around this blog, and when you depart after visiting, will leave with a new-found sense of inspiration and empowerment. If I can do it, you absolutely can, too!

Here’s a few places to get started on my site:

Organization Articles & Tips

• 5 Steps to Get Organized in 2012 {and then Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5}
• The Things That Clutter
• The Household Budget
• Pinterest Can Help You Organize!
• Digital Organization: The Inbox
• Digital Organization: Blogs
• How to Sort Your Stuff (A Flowchart!)
• Measure Twice … Buy Once
• The Five Minute Tidy
• Create a Landing Strip for an Entryway
• Vertical Bike Storage
• How Efficiently Running Errands and Doing Chores is Like Making Dinner
• God Bless You, Julie Morgenstern
• Where Are My Keys?!
• Resist the Urge to Buy Kitchen Gadgets You Don’t Need

My Favorite Projects

• Our New Office
• Chalk Board Canister Labels
• Homemade Laundry Detergent and Softener
• The Cheater’s Guide to Hanging a Type Drawer as Decor
• How to Spray Paint Branches
• DIY No-Sew Vintage Sheet Curtain Tutorial
• Dining Room Reveal: Use What You Have Decorating!
• Daniel’s Hearty Vegetarian Chili Recipe
• The Laundry Zone
• The Laundry Zone, Cont.
• Sorting Out Below the Kitchen Cabinet
• Installing a Wi-Fi Digital Thermostat to Save Money

Most Popular Posts

• How to Spray Paint Branches
• Her Bathroom Drawer
• DIY No-Sew Vintage Sheet Curtain Tutorial
• Homemade Laundry Detergent and Softener
• 5 Steps to Get Organized in 2012

Bonus Round: Random Facts About Me

I like dill pickle chips. I hate the sound of styrofoam crunching. You could probably bribe me with a cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream or a Kate Spade purse. Oh, and I’m on the hunt for a small red vintage Pyrex stacking mixing bowl. It’s the only one missing from my collection.

Contact Me

Email: behindcloseddrawers@gmail.com

Twitter: andrea_brame

- Andrea

{ Profile Photo Credit: Joy}