Hello Collectors! You have reached the organizing blog for Collector Care Professional Organizers. On our informational blog, we offer tips on keeping your home and office clear of clutter, interviews with amazing organizers, inspirational messages, and stories about hoarding and clutter.
Thank you for being Collectors. Everyday my life is brightened because of you.
I wanted to write a poem about being thankful to my Clients so here goes. Feel free to chime in and add your own poem of thankfulness in our comments section!
Thank you for allowing us into your houses, Thank you for buying multiple blouses, Almost the same but each slightly different, Why buy one when you can have fifty? Still in the bag, with tags not removed, At the back of your closet under new shoes.
Expiration dates are merely a suggestion, Unless it's exploded it's fine for ingestion. Paperwork scattered on top of all surfaces, One simple twist tie with so many purposes. Thank you for always making me smile, Never forget you ARE worth the while.
Rachel Seavey, Professional Organizer & Extreme Cleaner
www.collectorcare.com
+collectorcare
#collectorCareCares
Hello Collectors! While writing my blog last month on Diogenes Syndrome I came across the story of the Grey Gardens featuring "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Beale. It's a true story about high-society castaways keeping house in a dilapidated East Hampton mansion.
Of course, I could not wait to learn more about them! Why am I interested personally? I clean up homes like this for a living!
I began "trolling" the internet. I read all sorts of blogs, I ordered the
documentary about the Beale's "Grey Gardens" and watched it, ordered the
HBO movie "Grey Gardens", and watched it as well. I also have some video posts below of the musical. Like you Collectors, I like to do my
research.
I am now a fan of all things Grey Garden. It's a fascinating story about two women who lived together at Grey Gardens for decades with limited funds in increasing squalor and isolation. If you want to learn more about Grey Gardens read below.
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (1895–1977), known as "Big Edie", and her daughter Edith Bouvier
Do you expect Jackie to come? “I told her not to come here. I thought she’d upset my act.” - Little Eddie
Beale (1917–2002), known as "Little Edie", were the aunt and the first cousin, respectively, of former U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The house was designed in 1897 by Joseph Greenleaf Thorpe and purchased in 1923 by "Big Edie" and her husband Phelan Beale.
After Phelan left his wife, "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" lived there
for more than 50 years.
The house was called Grey Gardens because of the
color of the dunes, the cement garden walls, and the sea mist. Throughout the fall of 1971 and into 1972, their house was infested by fleas, inhabited by numerous cats
and raccoons, deprived of running water, and filled with garbage and
decay. The Beale's were exposed as the result of an article in the National Enquirer and a cover story in New York Magazine after a series of inspections (which the Beales called "raids") by the Suffolk County
Health Department. With the Beale women facing eviction and the razing
of their house, in the summer of 1972 Jacqueline Onassis and her sister Lee Radziwill provided the necessary funds to stabilize and repair the dilapidated house so that it would meet village codes.
“In all my life, including years reporting about slums from Washington
to Casablanca, I have never seen a house in such dreadful condition:
attics full of raccoons and their droppings, toilets stopped up, a
kitchen stove that had fallen into the cellar, a living room with
literally only half a floor, grounds so matted with devil’s walking
sticks and other thorns they were impenetrable, a large walled garden
which was so overgrown it could not even be seen. Over everything hung
the knee-buckling smell of cats and cat excrement. Whole rooms had been
abandoned when they filled-up with garbage, as the Beales moved to the
next room…’Big Edie’ had passed away, and ‘Little Edie’ was forced to
sell, but willing to sell to someone who would not tear the eyesore
down.” – Ben Bradlee
Grey Gardens, The Documentary
Albert and David Maysles became interested in their story and
received permission to film a documentary about the women, which was
released in 1976 to wide critical acclaim. Their direct cinema technique left the women to tell their own stories. (Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Gardens)
Entertainment Weekly magazine ranks Grey Gardens as the #33 top cult film of all time.
Grey Gardens the Musical Grey Gardens is a musical with book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie, based on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale ("Big Edie") and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale ("Little Edie") by Albert and David Maysles.
Set at Grey Gardens, the Bouviers' mansion in East Hampton,
New York, the musical tracks the progression of the two women's lives
from their original status as rich and socially polished aristocrats to
their eventual largely isolated existence in a home overrun by cats and
cited for repeated health code violations. However, its more central
purpose is to untangle the complicated dynamics of their dysfunctional
mother/daughter relationship. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Gardens_%28musical%29)
Grey Gardens, The Movie (2009) It's hard to imagine a feature film that could improve upon the classic 1975 Hamptons-gothic documentary Grey Gardens, co-directed by Albert and David Maysles. Yet this Grey Gardens, directed by Michael Sucsy for HBO Films, captures not only the pathos and peculiarity of Edith Beale, mère et fille--aristocrats
who were aunt and cousin to former first lady Jacqueline Bouvier
Kennedy--but it provides something deeper and richer: the background
story of the glamorous Beale
ladies, and a glimpse at how they slid from
gay 1930s high society to sharing rotting living quarters with litters
of cats and raccoons.
Photo Courtesy of HBO
Drew Barrymore, the Grey Gardens
standout, rises to the particular challenge of playing "Little Edie"
Beale, whose accent, carriage, and mannerisms have developed their own
camp following over the years. Barrymore's performance is a revelation:
she captures the weirdness of Edie, but she knows what the documentary
fans know--the reality of what Edie once had been, and what she was
becoming. Barrymore's performance is delicate and strong, with a hint of
sadness underneath the fading ingénue's brave face. www.amazon.com)
Jessica Lange plays
"Big Edie," the mother who made more concrete choices to wall herself
off from the outside world. Lange is excellent, though Big Edie is a
less nuanced character than her daughter, and she seems more content
with her lot, perched in her teeming twin bed surrounded by mounds of
cats and trash. (courtesy of Amazon.com)
This documentary/movie/musical is great for Collectors and non-collectors to watch. It might make you feel like you are not the only one. It might motivate you. It might make you more understanding if you are a non-collector.
Before I go, I will leave you with some fun quotes from the Beale's...
“One is a lone woman who hasn’t got much money and she’s fighting to get
the same thing she always wanted – recognition as a dancer, singer, and
entertaining artist. Here, I’m mother’s little helper, cleaning up
after the cats.” – Little Edie
"I love the smell [of Grey Gardens]. I thrive on it. It makes me feel good.” – Big Edie
“Oh, Mother thinks its artistic this way, like a Frank Lloyd Wright
house. Don’t you love the overgrown Louisiana Bayou look.” – Little Edie
“Two women can’t live together for twenty years without some jealousy.
Not that my voice is better than Mother’s, but she can’t dance.” - Little Edie
"But you see in dealing with me, the relatives didn't know that they were
dealing with a staunch character and I tell you if there's anything
worse than dealing with a staunch woman... S-T-A-U-N-C-H. There's
nothing worse, I'm telling you. They don't weaken, no matter what." - Little Edie
I could not have made this all possible without the amazing information I found on Grey Gardens Online! This good looking couple dedicates an entire site to the Beale's! Check them out to find out what ever happened to the home, and who is living there now.
Also, a special thank you to the KOMMA HEM website for such incredible photos and all the great research you have online about the Beale's.
Rachel Seavey Professional Organizer & Extreme Cleaner
Rachel Seavey, Blogger
Owner of Collector Care Organizers
925-548-7750 rachel@collectorcare.com
www.collectorcare.com +Collector Care
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Hello Collectors! I have been speaking for some time now on behalf of the Better Breathers Club of California, sponsored by the American Lung Association. I talk about clutter and dust and the complications it can cause with breathing and safety. I combine my knowledge on Chronic Disorganization and Hoarding in a presentation that engages and informs.
I love this Club! It offers all sorts of resources and information for Collectors and Non-Collectors. I wanted to give it a shout out, props, what have you and get the info out there to the public. If you are interested in learning more about your breathing problems and have meet others out there like you, then please think about joining.
More about BBC:
Better Breathers Clubs (BBC) are a core program and resource of the
American Lung Association in California. The purpose of the club is to
offer patient-centered and community-based educational opportunities and
support to persons with chronic lung disease (especially COPD, but also
asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [IPF], lung cancer, and other
chronic lung diseases). These support groups meet regularly to give
participants tips and techniques to help manage their disease.
For more information and to read the latest Better Breathers Club newsletter, click here.
To find a Better Breathers Club in your area, click on the locations below:
SACRAMENTO
What's up Collectors?! It's no secret I LOVE working with Hoarders. Last night at my chapter meeting \I was asked by peers, and it's a question I get asked a lot quite frankly.... Why do I LOVE working with folks who hoard?
The work conditions are dangerous, and sometimes hazardous. I work with people that are depressed, overwhelmed, and I work with a lot of people who have suffered trauma.
There is a bright side! Even the most extreme cases bring us stories of joy. There is a fighter within all of our Clients. A fire inside that needs to burn. When we help someone save their home, or repair a strain on a marriage or relationship due to clutter we help fuel that flame. We help remind them of a time when they were happy, and we help them get their lives back on track. I am honored to be invited in to share such a sacred time in their lives.
Here are 3 more reasons why I love working with Hoarding Disorder Clients:
They see a use for everything. A broken piece of ceramic on the floor to become a mosaic, saved hair from the bath drain for compost, that milk carton doubles as a flower pot and so on. Dear Collectors, Thank you for debating, arguing and literally showing me your points. I literally never would have known the many ways to use a bread twist tie. Your creativity is boundless. Thank you for being so resourceful.
They make it work. Whether they are teetering across five feet of garbage, or stacking hat boxes in a corner with magazines and important mail mixed in my Clients know how to make it work. Like skilled survivalists climbing over and under to get a drink of water. Sleeping on their beds with everything but the kitchen sink. Remarkable. The adaptability factor is intriguing.
They make me laugh. And laughing is good for the mind, body and soul. Even in the most severe cases, we are able to find humor in something. Even when there is pressure of eviction, divorce and family members launching attacks, we find ourselves laughing throughout the day. After going through the 50th large home depot box of mystery items, and the 3,000 garments in their closets you really get to know someone well. You tend to joke around by that time. We are all exhausted, emotions have run high, and it's always good to get a good laugh in. I love how the majority of my Clients see humor in their collections and situations.
As a side note Collectors, I LOVE going through your mystery boxes. Thank you for your time capsules, and random acts of organizing.
Until the next blog Collectors, thank you for stopping by.
Dust. Almost every home I go into has a lot of it. I have seen dust caked on every surface imaginable. We have been known to vacuum about 10 lbs of dust out of one home. A lot of Collectors that I personally work with have some sort of breathing problem and have to use some sort of breathing machine. I feel like a lot of it has to do with the dust in the home.
A window I recently opened - after over 10 years.
Clutter attracts dust. POOF like a bag of flour exploding, our dust rag hits the banister. Without a mask I feel it seep into my mouth, tongue, teeth and yes lungs. It's "chalk" like.
It is very important to open up windows before we dust, and we encourage everyone on the team to wear a N95 dust mask or a respirator. That includes our Client who is always on the team.
Below are three facts about dust that you might not know:
Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil, dust lifted by weather (an aeolian process), volcanic eruptions, and pollution. Dust in homes, offices, and other human environments contains small amounts of plant pollen, human and animal hairs, textile fibers, paper fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, human skin cells, burnt meteorite particles, and many other materials which may be found in the local environment.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust)
Collector Care Crew w/ Masks
Dust pneumonia is a medical condition that develops due to the excessive
exposure to dust. This form of respiratory disorder affected a great
number of people during 1930s in the US when the Dust bowl took place.
The Dust bowl refers to a period of dust storms that affected American
and Canadian prairies during a severe drought in1930s. The Dust Bowl
caused ecological damage, agricultural depression and consequently
economic and social disaster. Enormous amount of dust in the air caused
dust pneumonia in large portion of the population and many died.(http://m.steadyhealth.com)
Dust mites grow best at 75-80% relative humidity, and they cannot survive when the humidity is below 50%.
Dust mite populations peak during the hot, humid months of July and August. Depending on its age, your mattress may house between one million and ten million dust mites. Dust mites flourish in warm, humid environments.
Now that you know a little bit more about dust, I invite you to purchase some masks. Not in bulk my wonderful Hoarding Disorder Clients. Go online (we know you hate going out) and order yourself a few to have around when you are cleaning or sorting and kicking up dust. Make sure it has a particulate filter. Below are two examples of ones we like:
Rachel Seavey speaks regularly about dust and clutter during her presentations for the Better Breathers Club Ca. American Lung Association. She prides herself on providing full service organizing needs to her clients including dusting and detailed vacuuming using a HEPA filter high grade vacuum.
You have had a bad week, month, year, decade. We get it. We have been there. I won't go there on this blog, but let me tell you Collectors that most of our team members have been depressed at one point in their lives. It's easy to help when you can empathize.
Times stops, and all along you are acquiring and burying yourselves mentally and physically into the trenches. You have now emerged and have no idea where to begin. You are overwhelmed, embarrassed, shameful, resentful, angry, sad, and fearful. Just know that you are not alone.
"Even Helen Keller knows life stinks." - Marshall Mathers
Many of our Clients feel like you. Depression is absolutely a huge clutter factor. I can go into my office and pull all the statistics from the many books I collect on the subject. I can explain away until I am blue in the face. You will either get it or you wont. Instead of telling you all of the facts, I would like to provide you with some tips to help you on your journey with tackling clutter. I am not a doctor, I am not qualified to diagnose, or prescribe drugs (thank goodness!) Please seek professional help for your depression. These tips do not replace therapy, CBT, SSRI's etc. They are specifically geared to help you clear clutter while you are in a funk.
Open up your windows and doors and get some sunlight in. I know you are embarrassed, what will THOSE neighbors think? Who cares. Do it bright and early with sunrise if you are hesitant. I can't tell you how many times I walk into your homes and it's like a dark cave. You have towers of clutter, multiple methods of covering your windows and your doors might barely open. Just let a crack of sunshine in. Soak up that vitamin D. Like a cat, relish in it. It's really good for you and your home to have fresh air and sunlight. (Google Seasonal Affective Disorder.) UV rays kill germs (Google Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation).
Affirm. It's hard to be good to yourself at this moment. Look at yourself in one of your multiple dusty, cobweb encrusted mirrors and tell yourself you deserve a good life. Look yourself in the eye. Look into your own soul and say out loud "I deserve a great life". Every time you take out the trash, shred a letter, or clean the cat box - pat yourself on the back. Celebrate and affirm every step you take to creating that great life you deserve.
Ask for help. This is not easy. If you don't have supportive family or friends, I would suggest hiring a Professional Organizer. More specifically, hire an ICD trained Professional Organizer by going to the Institute for Challenging Disorganization website. You want someone who is insured, and specializes in Chronic Disorganization and/or Hoarding Disorder. Call and ask a lot of questions and take your time finding the right fit.
Know in your heart that you can make it. You are a survivor, and you can do it. You will come out of this heart wrenching state and you will come out strong.
The next time you feel like acquiring something to make yourself feel better, try doing the steps above instead. I know they are all hard to do, but they are manageable. Start with step one. It might take you a while to get to step two. Step three is the hardest, but once you meet that special helper, you will regret you had not reached out before.
Warm wishes and the best of luck to you Dear Collectors. I know you can do it!
Hey there Collectors! It's been about a month since I wrote my last blog, sorry about that! Even us organizers have to take time for ourselves. This month has been a tough one for my little Collector Care ... we have had 3 cases of hoarding with a thick frosting layer of squalor. Self care has been really important for us all, and sometimes that means not writing for a few weeks. But I am back, and chock full of ideas. Starting with this one, covering Diogenes Syndrome.
If you have a sensitive stomach, go to my previous blog it's all about Fall Fashion! If you are still here, you will learn about Diogenes Syndrome and 5 tips to help your family member who is suffering.
Diogenes syndrome definition: A rare condition where a person (usually an elderly person) fails to look after there personal cleanliness and hygiene. (rightdiagnoses.com)
The Broadway musical "Grey Gardens" -- headed for Tony nominations and a
Hollywood movie -- highlights the fall of socialite Edie Bouvier Beale
and her mother,
Edith, who lived in a squalid 28-room mansion among scores of
flea-infested cats and raccoons, and towers of dirty cans.
The syndrome was named for Diogenes, a Greek philosopher of the fourth
century B.C., who advanced the principles of self-sufficiency and
contentment unrelated to material possessions -- a misnomer -- given the
nature of the disorder, which causes people to hoard animals and
belongings.
Hoarding occurs in about 1 to 2 percent of the population, according to
Randy Frost, a psychology professor at Smith College who wrote "Buried Treasures," a self-help book for hoarders. About 10 percent of hoarders display the rarer Diogenes syndrome.
Those who live with the syndrome manifest personality traits like
reclusiveness, suspiciousness, obstinacy and other isolating tendencies.
There are often precipitating events -- such as physical illness,
deafness, blindness and bereavement -- that make the syndrome worse.
Research shows a relationship between the syndrome and anxiety and
depression, and anecdotal studies suggest the disorder may be triggered
by a significant emotional or relationship loss, said Frost. (Susan Donaldson James, ABC NEWS)
So beyond running from the sight and smell, what can you do to help your family member that is suffering? Here are five super honest tips from professionals who care.
Hire a cleanup company that is licensed to handle biohazards. Have them clean and disinfect the home from top to bottom. From the cobwebs draping the ceilings, to the clumped feces on the floor it - it all has to be eliminated. Have them remove all soiled furniture, bedding, clothing, area rugs, etc. Anything contaminated needs to be bagged and tagged. Cover in plastic and dispose of properly. Start new.
Buy disposable adult undergarments. These can be found at any grocery or pharmacy. Order them online. Wrap in a plastic grocery bag and toss.
Plastic. Buy a plastic mattress cover, and plastic sheets. Toss when soiled. Put plastic tarps down securely under the bed, and sofa. This reduces to damage to the floor and structure, and makes it easier to clean or dispose of. Cut around the the edges of bed and dispose when soiled. Make sure they are secure and covered with another rug so that your loved one does not slip.
Buy a shower chair. Have your loved one sit down while showering if they cannot stand. Your loved one needs to bathe, and sometimes it's too hard physically. Make this as easy as possible.
Put a large garbage can in every room. It's hard for your loved one to dispose of their garbage so make it easy on them. At this point aesthetics are irrelevant.
If you or your loved one can afford medical and psychiatric care, assisted living, or around the clock care, those would be my first suggestions. Above are all self help tips and tips for family members and loved ones for those suffering with Diogenes Syndrome.
Collector Care Professional Organizers are equipped to handle any job, big or small. We put a lot of pride and effort into our work, and most importantly we CARE.
Do you need help cleaning up a squalid situation? Not sure where to go or who to call? Look no further! Collector Care Professional Organizers www.collectorcare.com +Collector Care
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