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Wednesday 05.16.12

Throwback Thursday :: Ashley RIEGEL Murphy

For those of you who stalk Ashley on a regular basis, it just so happens to be your lucky week! We here at NEAT are sharing two blog posts about this bodacious babe in one week!

With Ash back in touch with her Midwestern roots, what better way to help her settle in to Chicago than by having THROWBACK Thursday?! 

Just to give you a little glimpse into circa late 1980s/early 1990s :: Riegel Beagle LOVED Matt Damon, New Kids on the Block, Umbros, Pink and Purple Hypercolor T-shirts, throwing a football like a boy,  snacking on BBQ Baked Lays, and her Teddy Bear Curly (who she STILL sleeps with).

Who is her first kiss you ask? Mr. Brian Murphy. Not to be confused with her husband, Mike Murphy. And no, they are in no way related.

We know you are all DYING to know how Ashley rocked the 80’s and early 90’s – and let’s just say, these pictures are worth way more than a thousand words!

 

  

  

  

    

WHAT did we learn by taking a glimpse into her precious past? 

Ash was ADORABLE, clearly loved costumes, knew how to pose for glamour shots (ie hands in jean skirt pockets), but more than anything... HATED ballet.

AND to be honest, not a whole lot has changed!

xx

Molly & Heather

Tuesday 05.15.12

Sweet Home Chicago

I'm officially a Chicago resident again and am finally starting to feel a little more settled! It's amazing how long it takes for an organizer to become organized! Ahhhh....

Since some of you have been asking, I wanted to share some of my new home's favorite ORGANIZED spaces::

1. Now that I have more space, my mom brought my silver that was a gift from our wedding. Ummmm...that was 4 years ago! I just LOVE it and am so excited to use it! Looks like Thanksgiving 2012 is at the Murphy's!

2. I thought my everyday silverware turned out pretty NEAT as well! Simple is always a good thing. 

3. Awwww....my shoes! As many of our clients know we are obsessed with these clear shoe boxes. They are great because you can see all of your shoes (facing the same direction of course)! Makes me excited to add to my collection!

4. Here's my cute little makeup drawer. I'm not a huge makeup person, so this small amount of space works just fine for me. I used these drawer organizers from the Container Store!

5. I just had to share my new favorite room! It's a little breakfast nook. So cute, right? Still need to get a couple of chairs, but can't wait to have my morning coffee out here!

6. And last...my new favorite purchase! Thanks to The Painted Lady! I'm obsessed with my new table. Again, having a chair dilema though. Any ideas??

Hope you enjoyed my tour! Please tell all your friends that NEAT is in Chicago full time now and we are ready to get the whole city organized!

xx,

Ashley

Thursday 04.26.12

2 Blondes + 1 Brunette = ...

Wow! What a crazy month NEAT has had. As you know, Ashley has entered the Windy City and taking it on full speed, therefore we neglected to properly introduce you to NEAT's newest addition... HEATHER!! NEAT has begun to expand and with that expansion comes new fabulous people on the team. This week, we took a break from getting Heather acclimated to "The NEAT Life" and asked her some questions so you can get to know her on a more personal level. So... without further adieu...enjoy getting to know Miss Heather.  

NM :: You are a girl after our own heart since you did move from Chicago, but what got you to San Francisco?

Heather :: A diamond ring. No...this boy by the name of Max. He moved here for a job and realized he needed my constant entertainment, so he asked me to marry him! I said yes, and here I am!

NM :: Where are you the most organized?

Heather :: My personal calendar and scheduling. I love making it as colorful as possible. Hence, the reason I always carry around 16 different bold color marker pens.

NM :: Where are you least organized?

Heather :: Max would say my clothes... partly because I have a tendency to be lazy sometimes, but more because when I moved here I took over the entire closet and still don't have enough room. San Francisco is really lacking in the grand closet and storage department. However, I must admit, since working at NEAT - I am much more organized!

NM :: What are your favorite sites to follow?

Heather :: Brunch at Saks is pretty fabulous and of course because I am a blushing bride, Style Me Pretty is a site I frequently visit. Currently, the cooking website I am loving is How Sweet It Is!  Overall, I love to check out Things that Sparkle - such an adorable blog!

NM :: Where is your favorite place to eat or what is your favorite food?

Heather :: Kilwin's ice cream is my favorite place to eat and my favorite food too!

NM :: What is your favorite TV show?

Heather :: Max would say any show with vampires, but I would say anything on ABC Family and/or the CW. I also really enjoy ABC Family movies.

NM :: Do you have a favorite vacation spot?

Heather :: My favorite vacation spot is absolutely hands down my family's lake house in Northern Michigan. I live for endless summers.

NM :: Are you known for always saying any phrases?

Heather :: Apparently I ALWAYS start a sentence with, "Guess what?!" and then proceed to say something very anti-climatic or un-important. i.e. "Guess what!?...Molly and I...filed teeth today for a client." True story!

NM :: Do you have a favorite nail polish color?

Heather :: Neon Pink. Essie's 'Punchy Pink' perhaps?  

**(Please note the pink fur Heather rocked for a fashion show at a previous job - we swear to never do that to you Heather....er actually, that's hilarious so we swear to make you put that outfit on again!)

NM :: Heather, you are killing this interview, but why are you a ROCKSTAR addition to NEAT?

Heather :: I am a rockstar addition to NEAT because I am personable, creative, have a positive attitude, and am motivated to contribute to NEAT's already well established reputation!

Don't you just adore her!?

xx

NEAT

Thursday 04.19.12

Moving on a Jet Plane

Hello lovely NEATers!!

My name is Heather and I am NEAT Method's newest gal to join the fam! While I may not be blonde like Ashley & Molly, I'm similarly from the midwest and obsessed with an organized life!  
 
As many of you know, Ashley is headed back to her roots to run NEAT in Chicago! San Francisco will miss her, but we are so excited for all the adventures the Windy City will bring!  
 
As Ashley frantically prepares for the move, I was lucky enough to sit in and learn how a truly organized person packs for such a stressful event. Because lets be real, moving is the worst!  But, no boring banter here about common knowledge of "packing fragile items with extra tissue," "marking each box appropriately," or "making sure you change your address"... just useful moving tips every person needs to know, but probably doesn't.  
 
Ashley's words of wisdom:
 
  • When packing jewelry, put the majority in individual ziplock bags to keep from tangling. 
  • Use color coded moving labels, purchased from the Container Store here, to label boxes for specific rooms.   
  • When moving long distance, never pack important documents (including passport, birth certificates, etc.). Carry this paperwork in your carry-on.
  • If your move happens to be job-related, save the receipts from your move. It may be tax deductible! 
  • For those of you who unfortunately have to part with a majority of your belongings for a few weeks, make sure to prioritize what essentials you will need for the time being. In Ashley's case, she recommends making a list of what you plan to wear EACH day for two weeks. Proof of her organizational madness:
  • Ashley's favorite part about moving: Purge and donate things you don't need or will never use. Perfect example - a spatzle ass??

*Also not making it in the Murphy Family moving truck, sadly all of Mike's costumes.

 
  • Once your belongings have arrived to the new home, it is important to first unpack the kitchen and bathroom entirely. The reason being, these are the rooms primarily used most frequently by all family members.  
 
  • Lastly, send moving announcements to your family & friends. Minted and Etsy have super cute and affordable announcements. Plus, who doesn't love getting a pretty card in the mail? If you happen to be overwhelmed from the move in general, PaperlessPost has classy announcements you can email.

Regardless, moving is always stressful whether its down the street or across the country. The more you prepare and organize, the easier the transition will be into your new home! And...if you still find your move is overwhelming and full of clutter, you can always have NEAT come over and give you a hand!

Bon voyage Ashley!  

xx
Heather

 

Tuesday 03.20.12

It's True! You Can Take the Girl Out of the South, but....

You Can't Take the South Out of the Girl!!!

We have returned from our much anticipated trip to the South and we can't express enough how grateful we are for this experience! Savannah, Tennessee...you are officially the nicest town on the planet!

When Manpacks first asked if we wanted to be a part of their Better Man contest, of course we were thrilled, but to end up with the location and the winner that we did, was a true blessing! However, we would be lying if we didn't say we were a little worried for figuring out the logistics of this project. It's not everyday that the NEAT Method girls aren't near a Container Store!

You see, typically we go into a home, organize the space and then take all of the necessary measurements, counts, space planning ideas and then head to a store that has all of the containers/storage solutions that we could possibly need. In this case, we did it all backwards since the nearest Container Store was two hours away. We picked our favorite storage solutions and crossed our fingers. Overall, we think the results were pretty dang good (if we do say so ourselves!)

Blair's wife's closet needed some help, especially in the shoe department.

We stored all of her winter shoes and then added some great racks and baskets for the rest.

This large dresser was a "catch all" for various items.

We decided that it would make the perfect place for accessorites and jeans.

Blair's closet also had a minor shoe problem.

The best solution was an over the door shoe hanger with some great color coordination of the clothes.

This beautiful shelf was used for cookbooks that were in disarray.

Just a little magic touch from NEAT :)

Does this look familiar?

Consider choosing the best set and donating the rest!

These spices were a little out of control.

After discarding expired spices and combining doubles, this spice shelf was ready to go!

Any finally the ever familiar kitchen pantry!

By moving all children's snacks down and dry foods for cooking higher up, this pantry became a true beauty!

 

Still haven't had enough of our trip?  Check out this video interview of our winner, Blair!

NEAT + Manpacks = Better Man in 2012 from NEAT Method on Vimeo.

Tuesday 03.13.12

The Real Housewives of NEAT (Part II)

Last week you were first welcomed into Ashley's home with open arms (since she was the oldest). Now, it is time to meet the younger of the NEAT founders. Molly was certainly a little scared of what Ashley may ask her in the interview but as you will see although a little timid at the beginning of the video, Molly was ready to rock by the end.  

**disclaimer** there is some serious white girl dancing in this video - don't say we didn't warn you! And yes, the Ronald McDonald look alike is Molly Graves.

 

The Real Housewives of NEAT - Meet Molly from NEAT Method on Vimeo.

Saturday 03.10.12

Giddyup! NEAT heads South

This coming Sunday, NEAT will be packing their bags and heading to Savannah, Tennessee! At the beginning of 2012, we shared that we were a prize for one lucky winner and are so excited that we are finally ready to meet him and his family. In the next week, we will be sharing photos and stories on facebook and twitter so be sure to follow us so you can keep up to date on our crazy shenanigans! We promise, your work week will be a little more entertaining as you follow our experience in Savannah!

P.S. We thought this picture was hilarious - what if we really looked like this traveling!?

 

xx

Molly & Ashley

photo found here

Sunday 03.04.12

The Real Housewives of NEAT!

To all of our loyal fans and followers::

Over the last year we’ve tried our best to entertain you with our projects, tips, tricks and various ORGANIZED obsessions, but we realized we haven’t spent much time introducing you to the girls behind NEAT Method!

Therefore, welcome to our series…The Real Housewives of NEAT! We hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into our lives.

When deciding who would go first, we discussed flipping a coin or having some sort of contest (such as; number of pushups, how many pieces of gum one could chew, or who has more shoes), but instead we just went with the good old age game! Of course, you would never know that she’s older (wink! wink!).  Meet Ashley Murphy!

The Real Housewives of NEAT - Meet Ashley from NEAT Method on Vimeo.

Tuesday 01.31.12

NEAT goes Vogue

We just wanted to share our excitement with our loyal followers that Vogue has featured an organizing piece based on NEAT's best tips!!!!  This has certainly been an amazing week for us - check out the entire article here!

Thursday 12.29.11

"Best of 2011" in San Francisco

Ok, ok, we are trying to wipe the smiles off our faces over here at NEAT but it is literally impossible with news like this. There is no better way to wake up than to see that you have been chosen as one of San Francisco's "Best of 2011" by DAILY CANDY!!!!  This year has brought many changes for NEAT - the biggest one being that we expanded our company and went from NEAT San Francisco to NEAT Method.  In January of 2011, we launched in San Francisco hoping for the best and found it to be successful beyond our wildest dreams.  In one year, our dreams have become much bigger and our hard work is paying off.  Daily Candy, we are so honored to have made your list!  NEAT friends, family and fans, we thank you for your support in 2011 and we hope to have an even bigger 2012! 

Happy New Year!

Molly & Ashley

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