It is time that I admit something to you...I am a NEAT FREAK!

I have always been obsessed with keeping things neat and organized and clutter free!  Most of you bloggers out there probably read that and thought...well that is not such a bad thing...but depending on who you ask it may be just that! :)  I take it to an extreme, I must admit.  Even as a child I would be obsessed with keeping my room clean and having things put in their exact place.  For example, I could walk into my room and tell if someone moved a picture frame an inch out of place...literally...I am not exaggerating, you are free to ask anyone that knows me well enough.  I am still this way today.  My family loves to joke with me about what we refer to as my "OCD."  Once when I was still living at home and my sister and her family were visiting, I came home from work to find that literally everything in my room was turned backwards and all of my clothing drawers and shoes were mixed all around.  My brother and brother-in-law did this as a joke.  They told me if I could keep it that way for the remainder of the night they would pay me $50...needless to say my room was straightened within the hour!  I know that is pathetic!

I joke with my husband that if anyone ever breaks into our house, no matter how good a job they do of trying to put things back in place, I will know it!  Well anyways, I literally am not able to rest if something is out of place or dirty.  I will sit on my couch and think about it until I have to get up and clean/straighten it up.  I also obsess with having things look clutter free and covering unnecessary things up in pretty ways if possible.  My loving husband has been so patient with me since we have gotten married and are living together for the first time.  I really thought this would be a more difficult hurdle in our adjusting to living with one another but he has really shown me love by allowing me to continue my obsession with keeping things tidy!  I must tell you that he is very opposite from me in this area, but they say opposites attract! :) 

Ok, well there is a point in me telling you all this.  In our living room my husband has made a home for his lovely ginormous television.  Now I must tell you that I love having a large television but I do not love that it leaves no room for storage to hide things like DVD players, surround sound speakers, and Direct TV boxes, etc...  Here is where my "OCD" comes in.  Since we moved in 6 months ago it has been driving me crazy that I have no cabinet to hide these not so pretty things away in!  I just do not want them to be seen!  Well I finally convinced my wonderful hubby to build me something to house these things in!  I am SO excited!  It is a simple fix that makes a big difference...at least my "OCD" self thinks so! 

All he needed was some wood, nails, black spray paint, and black material!

Gotta love that expression!

Here is the before:

Yuck!  Clutter!

And Ta Da!

I know in the picture you can see through the material a little but I promise it looks better in person!  He made this for me a few days before Thanksgiving so my Fall decor is still up in this picture but pictures of my Christmas decor are coming soon! 

Oh, and I almost forgot...a few months ago I talked him into covering the two black boxes on either side of the TV...those are DVD stands that were open so that you could see every DVD we owned!  Uck! 

Here is a picture before he covered those!

Well I am smiling because it looks SO much better to me!  Oh and I call the new cabinet my "mantle" since we have no fire place, I am going to use that as our mantle!

I don't know if you are obsessed with things being clutter free too, but I promise you that small changes make a big impact.  Look around your home and see what small changes you can make!