From Clutter2Clarity: August 2009

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Swimming In Material Stress

I have been away from my blogging because I am facing my own clutter problems and feel a little overwhelmed right now. Generally, I am able to tackle tasks one at a time and then move onto the next one. What is different this time? Well I am trying to generate business for Clarity, freelancing as a graphics producer and trying to prepare my weekend house as a 12 month rental in order to generate additional income. This last point is the one that is stressing me the most.

When I bought my little bungalow eight years ago, I really had no housewares to speak of, so packing the place up after the summer for a rental was easy – everything fit in my garage. Fast forward to 2009, after using the house full-time for five years, well let’s say I am equipped +.

My first task is to go through the garage. I’ve seen a lot of garages and mine is not in bad shape but I have been storing items for friends and family that now need to find a new home. To keep myself from hyperventilating, I am scrutinizing everything I have and deciding if I really want to pack it and store it indefinitely. So far, I’ve given a friend a set of acrylic tumblers and re-usable plastic flatware in anticipation of her beach house purchase. I know I’m not making a dent of any kind, but I’m really taking baby steps on this one. While I consider myself not even close to a hoarder, I was fascinated by an episode of A&E’s Obsessed which focused on a this disorder. It was very sad to see a grown man be afraid of tossing junk mail addressed to his dead mom because it would diminish his connection to her. The entire ranch house was COVERED with belongings, garbage and who knows what else. Thank God Smellovision never caught on because I can only imagine the stench.

Hoarding is a very serious problem, so much so that now A&E is devoting an entire series to the topic on Monday nights at 10pm beginning August 17. Some of my clients have this problem; they think by letting go of something that they are somehow dishonoring themselves or the person/event associated with it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a practice that helps hoarders deal with their quality of life issues. I am not a therapist but this is my understanding of this therapy – basically clients are asked, “what is the worst that can happen if you throw this away?” Some respond well to that question, others just shut down – it’s a complicated behavior. Well I am pushing forward on my garage and so far managed to get rid of some bottles of bubbles, hedge trimmers and a hanging basket just by putting them to the curb. I also took my own advice and went to Best Buy to recycle an old television. It was so easy. I happily paid the $10 recycling charge in exchange for a $10 BB gift card which I used immediately to buy new camera batteries. I told the salesperson that BB should really publicize this service since it’s so simple and worthwhile. The bag for the thrift shop is growing and I am feeling lighter already!

2009 Rosemary Flannery All Rights Reserved

Giving Back

Clarity believes in helping out in the community and has donated de-cluttering time as part of fundraising efforts for the following groups:

Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn, NY
Barrow Street Nursery School, NY, NY
Borough of Highlands Library Fund, Highlands, NJ
Clean Ocean Action, Highlands, NJ
Coney Island USA, Brooklyn, NY

Eagle Island, Inc.
Empire Cares Cystic Fibrosis Gala 2014

Henry Hudson PTO, Highlands, NJ
Literacy Volunteers of Union County
PS 107 Brooklyn, NY
Red Bank Public Library

On Earth Day 2009, Clarity partnered with Transcendence Spa to dispense free de-cluttering consultations and recycling tips.

What Are Clients Saying About Clarity

Client feedback is an important part of Clarity's service. Here's what clients are saying about their experiences:

I have been working with Rosemary at least annually for over 10 years: we organized my NYC triplex, my house in VT and my barn! I have a lot of space and closets and tackling them was easier and more fun with Rosemary at my side. In addition to decluttering, she also helped me move into two NYC apartments and my Vermont farmhouse after a total renovation had necessitated moving out. She is a tremendously hard worker and is great at keeping me on task and on schedule.

What I really love about working with Rosemary is that she always makes sure there is time at the end of the project, whether we are spending a couple of hours, a day or a week together, to make sure that everything we are getting rid of actually leaves my space. It is invaluable. So many times before working with her, I would clean out a closet and bags and boxes of stuff I wanted to get rid of would just sit there and sometimes wind up back in the same closet from which I purged them! We take wire hangers to the dry cleaner, donate eyeglasses, take countless things to the various thrift shops on 23rd St. and then come back to a space that is clear and organized. Yea!

In Vermont, she helped me wade through the moldy contents of many boxes after Irene flooded my basement and then we got huge tupperware bins and shelving, so it wouldn’t happen again!

She has so many creative solutions and useful ideas. I have realized that decluttering is a continuing process: which is why I usually do a project with her every year, that way the things I keep thinking I should get around to clearing out, actually do get cleared out!

Dianne Barclay

NY, NY & VT

We hired Rosemary to help us with a seemingly insurmountable task, that being tackling our 850 square foot basement space. Over a decade-plus it became a dumping ground of sorts for every piece of furniture, memorabilia, sports equipment and related items during our distracted years raising 3 young kids. Every time we went down to retrieve something, inevitably we'd emerge with bruised limbs and worse from tripping over and usually toppling boxes, bikes and other items not being used. From back to front, floor to ceiling, the space was literally just covered with stuff, junk, construction materials and things left over from prior renovations, mixed in with personal items to be kept and those long since not needed- which prevented the space from being used and from being able to access any things that we actually wanted to get to!

Rosemary went in with eyes wide open and no hesitation to tackle the job with determination and very good humor. She even middled ground between family members which can be a sensitive affair- a bonus of working with her.

In the end, a few short weeks later, her magic touch led to a de-cluttered space which has inspired us to consider using it for something practical and happy for our family. Rosemary came to our rescue, we absolutely couldn't have done it without her!

With fondness,

The Nachsin family, Brooklyn, NY

Rosemary helped me get organized before the arrival of my second child and her efforts were a godsend. She spent multiple hours per day organizing room-by-room with precision focus and creative ideas for saving space. I highly recommend her services - for either urgent needs or ongoing 'maintenance'. After I had my baby, she even came back to help fine tune some of the original spaces we'd worked on and I plan to engage her expert services regularly.

Margaret Hoover, NY, NY

Our magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, had just moved offices. The staff had set up their new workstations, but who had time to deal with some 50 boxes of cookbooks? In steps Rosemary Flannery to save the day! Not only did she organize the books by category, but she created a true "lending" library, complete with computer database, checkout card catalog, and numbering system to allow for expansion. We used to have random books on shelves scattered throughout the office, now we had a true reference library. This wouldn't have been possible without Rosemary, whose cataloging skills, gently guiding take-charge attitude, and perseverance truly led us from clutter to clarity! --Pamela Mitchell, former Executive Food Editor, Every Day with Rachael Ray
NY, NY

Thanks again for all your marvelous help. You are indeed BETTER THAN XANAX! And no side effects!
Terry Corrao, Brooklyn, NY

Ashamed at the growing clutter around our house in London, I called in Rosemary for a morning look around and very quickly we came to an agreement about priorities. With 2 growing children, a dog and cat, there were many priorities in my mind, but Rosemary very gently narrowed them down to some intensive work in the 'playroom' which had become a boy's computer room and had a sad, neglected feel to it. When the day of action arrived (Sort out Saturday) I was up far too early clearing irrelevant lofts, but Rosemary came in like a modern-day Mary Poppins, and with great fun and warmth, turned what could have been a stressful day of forcing me to 'let go' of stuff to a really practical, therapeutic series of constructive questions. Just 3 hours in, the room had been transformed into what she termed a 'man cave' where I now centre my self-employed life. The transformation was amazing, and felt completely natural. There's no way I would have been able to have made these changes on my own, so it really pays to have someone as experienced and professional as Rosemary by your side! We followed up SoS with a few sessions via Skype between NY and London to make sure I was on track with the other aspects of de-cluttering we had discussed. The overall effect is like a waterfall - now my boys have started to tidy-up after themselves, and the house is beginning to look more like the vision I had when Rosemary first came round. I can't recommend her services enough - it's like having a close friend and ally helping you get, literally, your house in order!

Adam Woods, London, England

Cathi Coridan thanks Rosemary for her recommendations for having a great garage sale! I priced things to SELL (even those that used to belong to grandma!) and grouped merchandise by "department" just like in the store! Even with the heat of the day, it was a fun and profitable experience! Thanks Rosemary!!

Cathi Corridan, Springfield, MA

Rosemary has been helping me systematically purge my house. We started with paperwork (which I am overrun with due to my freelance business on top of my regular job).
I was so inspired, I started clearing out one closet at a time on my own, making it though four so far. I have donated clothing, books, etc. She came over recently and we began tackling the garage.
There is nothing like friendly support when you're in the trenches!!! If you need help, contact Rosemary, she's better than psychotherapy and makes a fantastic gift for yourself or someone who has everything literally!
Tracey Seaman, Middletown, NJ

Hiring Rosemary was literally the best thing I’ve done in years! I was so sick of looking at all the clutter in my flat that had been accumulating and expanding for years and years and thought, what is one thing I could do for myself that would have a huge impact on my life, and my solution was, get Rosemary over to London and let her loose on my flat. Then from the moment she arrived her enthusiasm for decluttering and providing the most useful tips on keeping things tidy and in their respective places was just incredible-and contagious and after 2 weeks of Rosemary transforming my flat, drawers and cupboards I have continued to utilise all her useful tips and hints to ensure I didn’t go back to my old ways. In addition to transforming my flat, Rosemary tackled my huge “to do” list of things like, get a repair man in for this and that and I am happy to say that after 11 years in my flat I finally have beautiful gas fireplaces, smoke detectors and an intercom that actually works!

I can’t thank Rosemary enough for all her hard work, enthusiasm, dedication and wonderful guidance in making my living space and life so much less cluttered and relaxing-she’s like a magic wand that EVERYONE who knows her should make use of-she’s just fantastic!!!
Nora McCormick, London, England

what an amazing experience - even tho' 'scratching the surface' of my clutter-itis, Rosemary has given me enough impetus, and friendly advice to continue the fight against it for months to come!
Adam Woods, Teddington, England

"You are an angel dropped at my doorstep."
Jodelle Reed, Summit, NJ

You're my guru.  You're my
inspiration.
TW Barritt, LI, NY

From Clutter2Clarity

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Swimming In Material Stress

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