Sorting the Mess I've Been Hiding All Year
Unfiltered DIY chaos, under-stairs organisation, and creative real talk.
1. Real Talk: The 28-Degree Under-Stairs Battle
Tell me you're an adult without telling me you're an adult: the three most thrilling items in my entire house right now are my Shark vacuum, the Shark steam mop, and the Shark vac mop. Not sponsored, just completely honest.
At the start of this year, I swore I was going to declutter properly. Did I do it? Not really. Life happened, my brain got full, and every bit of clutter got crammed behind the under-stairs door. This week, in the middle of a 28-degree heatwave, I finally went to my dad's to borrow his drill, screws, and rawlplugs and tackled the TARDIS cupboard head-on.
- The Coat Revelation: I pulled out twelve winter coats. Exactly one belonged to my boyfriend. I am officially the problem. Just moving four of them immediately opened up half the cupboard.
- Gus & The Bing Bong Addiction: The second the storage boxes moved, Gus found his lost "Bing Bong" toy stash. He has at least ten of these floating around the house, but apparently the ones hidden behind the hoover are the only ones that matter.
- The Sticky-Back Velcro Catastrophe: I tried sewing an insect mesh screen for the back doors to keep the flies out without shutting Gus inside. Pro tip: never try machine-stitching sticky-back adhesive Velcro. It glues up the needle, snaps the thread every four seconds, and leaves you raging in the heat. Sew-on Velcro only from now on.
2. The Under-Stairs Overhaul: Planned vs Reality
How the DIY intentions actually held up once the drill came out:
| Task | The Plan | What Actually Happened |
|---|---|---|
| Coat Rail | IKEA KOMPLEMENT Pull-Out | Fitted it upside down, then back-to-front, but got it into the timber beam. Works like a dream. |
| Mop Storage | Wall-Mounted Gripper | Finally got the steam mop and vac mop off the floor tiles. Instant sanity restored. |
| Door Screen | Handmade Mesh Curtain | Snapped three threads on gummy Velcro. Parked for round two. |
| Wall Plates | Pottery + Gus Birthday Dish | Hung up with invisible disc hangers. No nails, no shattered ceramic. |
Sorting Out the Mess I've Been Hiding: Home, Garden & DIY
Watch the full cupboard transformation, the grass seed experiment, and Gus stealing toys from behind the Hoover.
Watch the Vlog on YouTube →Navigating Creative Burnout & Taking Offline Breaks
A totally honest conversation about what happens when your creativity feels completely flat, overcoming algorithm fatigue, and why stepping away for three days does more for your business than forcing uninspired content.
Listen on Acast & Spotify →Content Creator Masterclass & Workflow System
Everything I've learned over 12+ years on YouTube about pitching brand sponsors, shooting high-retention vlogs, streamlining the edit, and building digital income streams that do not depend on brand deals.
3. The Home & Studio Resource List
The exact tools, fixtures, and digital assets mentioned in this week's vlog:
My printable step-by-step vector and repeat pattern guides for designers and iPad illustrators.
The water-activated adhesive discs I used to hang up the Mother's Day pottery dish and Gus's ceramic dish without drilling into the plaster.
Only cost a tenner and slides right out so you're not diving headfirst into the cupboard trying to find your raincoat.
4. The Sunday Catch-up Question
What is the one home organisation or DIY job that has been sitting on your mental to-do list since January that you have completely ignored?
Hit reply to this email and let me know. If you watched right to the very end of the vlog, don't forget to drop a ⭐ in your reply so I know you saw the chaos!
Have a cosy week,
Alice x
Official Store & Portfolio: alicethorpe.co.uk
© 2026 Alice Thorpe • Represented by Sharp Talent Management.
You are receiving this because you signed up via alicethorpe.co.uk. Unsubscribe at any time.