Hi everyone & welcome to A Place For Everything!

I know what you're thinking: "Great, exactly what we need. Another blog about organizing." And then you roll your eyes.

Believe me, I know there are (and have read) SOOO many bloggers who are contributing to the world of organization & home decor. And while I love to read their posts and gain new insight, I know that my perspective is a bit different from those I've read. I'm all about purging, sorting, and organizing on a budget-either using a bare bones structure or the most extravagant pieces I can find. One thing is for certain though, I live by the rule that there should be "a place for everything"-if not, it shouldn't be in your space!

Have you ever felt like every closet you open looks like this?

Here in my corner of blogland I hope to share my tips, tricks, before & afters, processes, and more while creating a safe place for others to come ask questions, get help or share organizing successes. Through developing simple, efficient systems for organization, I believe everyone can carve out their own way of having things in place so there is more time to spend doing things they love. I look forward to sharing with you as we work together to find A Place For Everything!

Thanks for stopping by & please come again!

My Journey - Part 1

When I first started writing this, I had no idea that it would be such a long post. So to save you from having to read a novel in 1 day, I've broken my journey into 2 posts: pre-wedding & post-wedding. Check out Part 1 of my story here & be sure to come back tomorrow for the dramatic conclusion.
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My journey really began when I entered middle school & was noticeably larger than my classmates. Though I was sure to be tall, my weight was destined to be a 'thorn in my (extra-large) flesh' for most of my life. 

So I saw in a magazine how to make a skirt out of men's neckties. I conned my Grandmother into helping me make it & then I wore that thing like it was Versace. Now I look back on it and think: "Wow."














High school wasn't any kinder to me-rather, I wasn't any kinder to myself. I mean, really? Name one overweight female celebrity who looks better with boy-short hair. C'mon....still thinking??? Yeah, me too.

This is the token memento I have to remember some of the most awkward years of my life.







College years were just an excuse to keep packin' on the pounds. So I did. Late night meals, very few fruits & veggies, and the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet I started in high school meant that I turned to the world's most beloved side dish to fill that empty entree void: potatoes. Any way you could cook them, I would eat them-and lots of them. Of course now I know they just turned from starch to sugar & went straight to my growing belly but at the time, they filled me up since I was never consistently eating enough protein.

Ah, the college life. 5 years, 5 majors & 5 different schools. Indecisive much?

Liivng on my own after college gave me a great feeling of success but it was not so successful for my weight loss. Sure, there were plenty of Sundays when I would tell myself that I had to start my diet-of-the-week on Monday but there were just as many Tuesdays that followed when I would just as quickly fall off the bandwagon due to lack of preparation.

In 2007 I moved to Texas to help friends at a church they were pastoring although my mother claims I was "chasing a pair of pants"-which may be partially true. I had lost some weight at that time and though I gained some upon moving, after the breakup with said "pair of pants" I was able to lose that much and more thanks to the city's greenway walking trail. I walked that trail often & by the time I met my now husband "Z" in July of 2008, I was at my lowest adult weight.

One weekend shortly after we began dating.












Looking back, I realize I started to gain weight not long after we met. It wasn't a lot but it was enough to notice. I also have to thank birth control for some weight gain which turned me into a total whack job (apparently my body + hormones = a super bad combination). Of course, since I had never been on it before (yes, I was one of 'those' girls who waited for the ring before giving up the bing) I got to experience the crazy mood swings & puff up like the Michelin Man just in time for my wedding.







Ok, that's not me but that's what I felt like.

On our wedding day 08.15.2009

To be continued...

Well, I'm back at it. I've decided to hop back in the blogging game & hopefully keep up. Only time will tell I suppose but I'm excited to get back to writing. I'll not spend hours writing a post catching you up on what's been happening in my life but I will say that I am looking forward to the future.

It may be a bit gloomy but I want to take this moment to pause and thank God for a lady who went to heaven to be with Him 2 years ago today-my dear Grandmother.

I remember it vividly as it was a Monday morning and I was so exhausted and not looking forward to going to work that day. I was awoken from sleep around 4am by a phone call from my mother who was staying in the rehab hospital with her that night. Frantic, all she could manage to say was, "They think she's gone."

I remember my adrenaline kicking into high gear as Z & I rushed around and hopped in the car making our way to the hospital. As we pulled in I could see through the back glass of an ambulance with responders performing CPR on a body I would later find out was her. I found my mother with a hospital staff person who was trying to put her shoes on her as she was crying. We rushed out and both climbed into the back seat and Z drove, following the ambulance to the main hospital less than 3 miles away.

I remember pacing in the ER waiting room and knowing what the doctor was going to say before he said a word. Mom broke down momentarily & then tried to compose herself. We made our way into the room where she was waiting, pale and lifeless. I held her hand one last time. I stroked her face one last time. I kissed her cheek one last time.

And in those moments, I understood the meaning of legacy. I understood the sting of death. But I also understood the victory of death. She was with our Lord & Savior-just waiting for Him to fill up her coffee cup and sit down to chat awhile. She couldn't have been happier....

So today, I honor her by working to complete her one request of me-to lose weight. I started in March and have since lost 52 lbs. I have 103 more to go but I am more motivated than ever to meet the goal and make her proud. I will remember the things she taught me & the generosity she shared with me. Not only will her genes live on with me, so will her faithfulness to the Lord-and her love of sweets!

Tomorrow will be a new day with a new post. I promise they won't all be so sentimental (or somewhat morbid) but I wanted to take the chance to memorialize one of the most influential women in my life-this day only comes once a year and it is befitting for me to do so.

Looking forward to walking the journey together! Thanks for reading!

Blessings,

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