Bravo

bra·vo

exclamation

1. used to express approval when a performer or other person has done something well.

   "people kept on clapping and shouting “bravo!”"
2. 
   
3. noun

1. 
   

   a code word representing the letter B, used in radio communication.
2. "Cancel matrix twelve, and change to bravo seven."
3. 
   

The first two doors are designated Alpha, but today was all about Bravo, on the right. 

I got my dog settled in on her garage bed, hit play on my audio book, and opened the doors of Bravo.

 And then the fun began.

Bravo is the name of one of my garage storage cupboards. When I installed them five years ago and began the day-in and day-out task of communicating to my family where exactly they might find the recently relocated item they were looking for, it occurred to me that my cupboards were really going to need names. In a flash, I landed on the perfect ones.

Alpha

Bravo

Charlie

Delta

and later came along little Echo. 

Now I can not only drop a pin in anyone's search request with a single word, but I also fantasize that I'm a beret-wearing member of the French Resistance during World War II, sending intercepted information by coded radio transmissions to my cohorts who are about to blow up a Nazi ammunitions depot.

Historically, my daydream is wildly inaccurate but such is the power of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

Bravo is the place where I keep my back stock of housewares, as well as some Christmas decor. The basic organizational structure has been in place for quite a few years now, but as we all know, our possessions have a mysterious way of shuffling themselves about in the middle of the night, and before you know it, a crisply delineated system has devolved into a squalid mess. 

Which is where I found myself today. 

So, with vinegar water and fiber cloth in hand, I tackled the lovely task of clearing off the shelves, wiping them all clean, and then, after a light edit, replacing each item onto its proper shelf. 

Here, I'll show you.

^ Bravo in all her reorganized "after" glory. Sadly, I did not get a "before." 

Just imagine this with 20% more things crammed on the shelves, many of them turned on their sides and heaped on top of the neatly organized ones. 

^ 

Top shelf: Animals

I went through a phase of collecting hand carved farm animals, and wooden Noah's Ark sets. Along with my midcentury brass quail, a few vintage Japanese Kokeshi dolls, and a Beanie Baby giraffe wearing a miniature sombrero, they all live happily together on the top shelf. 

^

Second shelf: Planters

If I ever had exactly the same number of plants as I do planters, the sun would implode and all life on our planet would wither and die. So I keep some extra pots, as well as a shocking number of terrariums, on hand.

^

Third shelf: Bowls/Trays

To be clear, these are not food-related bowls and trays - food safe items live in Delta. These bowls and trays are more likely the styling accessories you might find on a bookshelf holding - if you're in my house - a collection of rocks. 

^ My vase collection used to include a huge number of empty glass spice jars, which were the perfect receptacle for little toddler bouquets.

^

Fourth shelf: Vases (with a few overflow Candles)

This shelf is a sanctuary for little vases of which I have plenty. Back in the day, my little daughters used to love heading out into the garden with a pair of scissors to pick me beautiful bouquets and then choosing the perfect tiny glass vases for their arrangements. And for that reason alone, I will never part with a single one. 

^ Once upon a time, I bought myself one of these classic pewter candlesticks, and my mom purchased its twin. Like many of our matching housewares, they are now reunited in Bravo.

^

Fifth shelf: Candles

I own a ridiculous number of candle holders. But each one has a story and a history; many were gifts, and quite a few came to me from my mother and mother-in-law. I am emotionally bonded to one and all, and some day, on a dare, I may put them all on the dining table at once and light up a blaze. 

^ Whenever I open Bravo's doors, I'm greeted by this cheery band of St. Nicks, and I must say they always make me smile.  

^ Jingle bells that have hung for many Christmases from my pantry door knob, and a hand carved wooden ornament whittled by my nephew as a gift for my mother-in-law. 

^

Sixth and seventh shelves: Christmas

Of course this is not my entire Christmas decor collection. What kind of American would I be if I didn't have a handful of oversize plastic storage bins up in my attic, bursting with garlands baubles and tangled strings of lights? No, no, this is just a curated selection of my most beloved favorites featuring lots and lots of mini trees, my mother-in-law's ceramic light-up house, a set of simple white Scandi style houses, a whimsical assortment of deer, several handmade quilted and cross-stitch pieces made by my mom, and a whole lotta Santas.

Yes, on the bottom right, that is a ceramic vase shaped like a deer head. And she is cuddling her fawn. It's a piece that lives right on the borderline between awful and amazing. I'm still trying to decide. 

^

Bottom shelf: Oversize parking

Oh. it seemed like a great idea at the time. As I was building the cabinets, I figured I'd leave a big space at the bottom for those bulky or tall items that would not fit on the relatively tight upper shelves. But that kind of wide ranging space, my friends, is an invitation for Trouble. Extra big spaces are absolutely ideal dumping grounds - you know, the kind where you lay something down on top of the neatly arranged bits and tell yourself, "I'll come back and put that away properly later on." And of course, YOU NEVER DO. Or at least, I never do. But today, I did.

And I know this probably sounds rather clunky and lacking in finesse, but the answer to my problems was a cardboard box. 

By sliding all the truly oversize pieces to the left, and then tucking the box into the space on the right, I was able to create two tiers of medium sized space, and land a handful of super Santas, medium large vases, and more candle holders into perfectly crafted homes. 

Cardboard boxes are never elegant, but dang, sometimes they just get the job done. 

* * * * *

Thus my session with Bravo ended on a delightfully high note, and I am energized to continue my organizing extravaganza across the alphabet. 

Next stop: Alpha!

^

Next stop: Alpha. Roger that.