Spice, Spice, Baby

I am not a crafty person, I merely like things to be efficient and functional. When we put the kitchen together, I designated one very large pull-out shelf for spices. It had to be next to the stove so that my "tools would be at my fingertips." High and mighty, huh? Well, when you pull out a drawer full of spice jars and look down upon them, it's pretty much a sea of black lids. Shuffling through them all while the garlic is burning is pain in the as...tronaut. So here's what I did to put a stop to it:

FIRST, go to IKEA.

I know that's 120 miles away, but go there anyway—and take me with you, because I love IKEA. OR, order online, these spice jars, 4 for $4.

SECOND: Go to your local hardware store, and pick up some ChalkBoard paint. $12.

Paint, paint your IKEA jars. It takes 3 or 4 coats, but they dry fast, and the paint is water soluble, so it's easy clean-up between coats.

Three days after the last coat is dry, take a chalk pencil and skritch in the title of whatever it is you're going to pour into that jar.

Alphabetize.

Cook.

Now, it sounds like this was just a weekend project for me, but you have to know: I rarely have entire weekends for projects. It took me well over 6 months to finish this out. It was a few hours and a few jars there, some transferring around, and washing used jars to paint the next. Another trip to IKEA when I liked the idea, and mostly just tending to them when I had the time. I've painted larger jars also, that hold various pastas and grains, and popcorn. I love them.

I manage to keep busy—some might say too busy. That in mind, I feel a certain smugness that, embedded in my crazy life as a hare, I still have an inner turtle that crosses the line with an accomplishment or two.