Pantry Love.

It's been on my To Do list for quite some time to re-do my pantry labels. Last spring, in what seemed like a fool-proof plan, I spray painted contact paper with chalkboard paint. Unfortunately, the labels didn't hold up very well and as a double whammy they weren't actually erasable. On top of all that, when I tried to remove them, they left gunk on my pretty OXO containers.

I was feeling a little bummed and discouraged and overwhelmed, so I've been living with unattractive labels ever since (strangely, no one else in the family seems to mind). I thought about trying chalkboard labels from Etsy but that seemed complicated because I have to be able to cover the goo from the old labels and since I made them myself, they're all custom sizes. 

I decided to give the Silhouette chalkboard vinyl a try on a whim. I don't own a Silhouette but figured I could cut them with my paper cutter like I did the contact paper ones. And so I ordered a roll months ago, and then it sat and sat and sat. While I sometimes get a reputation for being industrious, I'm actually a tad bit lazy and very afraid of failure.

Until the day my Pick Your Plum impulse buy Washi tape arrived in the mail. Suddenly a plan was coming together. (And really, where has Washi tape been my whole life?! It has no practical purpose other than to be pretty and make one's heart sing. I'm completely smitten.)

This week, in a fit of Gotcha Day Eve nervous energy, I emptied out my pantry and got to work. This vinyl was super easy to work with and so far it's easy to erase and re-position. I can imagine if you owned a Silhouette you could really go to town. The little strip of Washi tape across the top of each label exists purely to make me smile each and every time I open the pantry door.

So that's it. Just a long-winded post to tell you I successfully solved my pantry label problem. And it was easier than expected. And it didn't take long at all. And the results make me really, really happy. Perhaps you have a little project of your own that's been weighing you down too?!?

And while we're on the subject of pantries, I always feel amazing after a good pantry cleaning. It allows me to quickly take inventory of what's already in the house which makes meal planning and grocery shopping easier. It prevents me from having a mini-panic attack each time I open the door to an overwhelming, cluttered space. And it makes me smile to see all those canned goods and baking supplies -- with cute labels -- smiling back at me. (They are smiling, right? Tell me you see it too.)

An ode to my pantry. The end.