Tip Tuesday: Storing Your Glassware!

I know I have a lot of glassware. I guess when I got married, I, in my dreamy state of mind, I was excited about all those parties I was going to have and the glasses I would need for my guests. Well five years and one kid later, I still have the glasses but have not hosted as many parties I was hoping....holiday parties, professional parties, campaign gatherings.

Thankfully, my cupboards in my small town home allow lots of storage space. The cupboards themselves actually reach up to the ceiling making great storage but difficult access for a short person. I have my stool though as well as a tall husband to reach those items stored at the top that I do not need or use as often.

I do put the everyday dishes right above the dishwasher...plates, mismatched glasses and mugs, and bowls. So when special company comes or I have absolutely no other clean glasses, we dig out the special stemware from the storage cupboard (by storage cupboard I mean harder to access).

One of these days, Sarah came over and reaching for a glass, she opened this cupboard to exclaim, "Holy Tip Tuesday, Batman." Thus came time to share my insane and compulsive excitement for storage solutions.

While I do not like to use these glasses everyday, I vowed that they would be accessible enough to have when needed. I did not want to take glasses (or other dishes for that matter) out of boxes, digging around the back of the shelf for the one item needed, and then repacking the boxes back into the cupoard. Can you imagine me kneeling on the counter, trying to reach out some item way up on the top shelf?

Instead, I bought some stemware racks to hang my glasses upside down. This allows more storage in my cupboard (and little kitchen) and keeps the glasses dust free at the same time. I can add more glasses upright on the open shelf space. I also have my beverage napkins, pitchers, and ice bucket stored inside as well.

So when I do have a party (even if it is not as fancy as I had originally dreamed), my glasses are ready and waiting! You need to just come over sometime and I will gladly open the cupboard. The proud part of my ego wishes that the cupboard doors were glass themselves to show off my idea.

Now my next move is to put some hooks under the cupboards to hang some of my decorative mugs for company. This will make some much needed room for all those toddler cups.