HOME March 2022

MARCH 2022

THE

Spring Cleaning ISSUE

A SUPPLEMENT OF

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MARCH 2022 GENERAL MANAGER Norman Baggs PUBLISHER Stephanie Woody ADVERTISING SALES Trent Mitchell Megan Lewis CREATIVE SERVICES Chelsea Sunshine, Graphic Design

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Claudette Keeley, Ad Design April Seymour, Pre-press/Ad Design HOME MAGAZINE, A DIVISION OF The Times Gainesville, GA A Metro Market Media Inc. property

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TACKLE SPRING CLEANING WITH A PLAN ‘IT’S ABOUT THE MUSIC:’ LOCAL MAN PASSES ON PASSION FOR MUSIC WITH HIS HANDMADE INSTRUMENT INSPIRED BY 1800s APPALACHIA

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SPRING CLEANING

TACKLE

Spring Cleaning WITH A PLAN

Make the task have lasting impact with a plan to organize and declutter every area.

By M. Gillan Ritchie, photos by Kayla Madonna, courtesy of Marie Mandeville. pring is around the corner and for many homeowners, that means they’ll be reaching for cleaning supplies to help make their space sparkle. For some, the annual event goes beyond the simple acts of opening windows for fresh air, power washing, and cleaning the floorboards. It’s about decluttering their life—literally and metaphorically.

Marie Kondo, born Kondo Mariko in Japan, became a cultural phenomenon in 2011 when her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” was published in Japan. The book was published in the U.S. in 2014 and has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Since the launch of her book, Kondo has landed two Netflix series, “Tidying Up” and “Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo,” and published a follow up book titled, “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.” But what makes Kondo stand out from other professional organizers?

Her approach to decluttering and reorganizing space is almost spiritual. She tells individuals and families that they should focus on items in the home that “spark joy” and eliminate the rest. Greeting the space, recognizing sentimental items, and thanking unwanted objects are all part of her philosophy to a more organized life and home.

“My mission is to spark joy in the world through tidying,” she says in the Netflix introduction for “Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo.” “[Marie Kondo] is known for basically giving clients the confidence to organize their own spaces,” says Marie Mandeville, owner of Atlanta-based TailorMySpace.

“Bottom line [is] if the item doesn’t bring joy, get rid of it.”

Like Kondo, Mandeville’s love for decluttering and organizing started at a young age. Growing up in the military, Mandeville’s father taught her that everything has a home and her mother taught her how to clean.

“My mom says it started at 4 years old when I would clean my brother’s room so he wouldn’t get in trouble,” she says.

As a young adult, Mandeville worked at Express as a visual merchandiser by creating appealing visual displays to enhance the customer’s in-store experience. She loved fashion but she knew that she didn’t want to be a fashion designer. As a visual merchandiser, she was able to define, design, and implement a visual merchandise BEFORE strategy—all through the correct placement of items in the store.

“I quickly found joy in making the store look perfect,” she says.

Mandeville realized that working as a part-time visual merchandiser was only going to get her so far in her career, so she became a bank teller. After starting at the bank, her manager knew Mandeville would be a great fit for sales because of her personality. As a personal banker, she helped business owners every day. While working with clients, Mandeville became less shy and identified her passion.

“I made a post on [Facebook] asking if anyone wanted a space organized and that I would do it for $50,” she says. “Well that closet took 19 hours and the rest is history!”

In October 2021, Mandeville resigned from corporate America and started running TailorMySpace full time. Taking her passion full time has allowed Mandeville to deliver exceptional service to her clients --her motto is “changing lives one organized space at BEFORE a time.”

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BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

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Kayla Madonna, a client of TailorMySpace, started following Mandeville on social media after they had met at a previous job. Madonna watched as Mandeville transformed other clients’ homes and spaces, and Madonna knew she needed help.

“I realized that it was time to get organized when I could no longer function in my house,” Madonna says. “Nothing had a home so everything was everywhere and it was giving me anxiety.”

Madonna hired Mandeville for a move and Mandeville worked for hours unattended. When Madonna returned home, almost everything was packed and ready for the move.

Throughout the whole process, decluttering was overwhelming for Madonna but Mandeville made it seamless and enjoyable. Madonna recalls how Mandeville would break the space into sections with a goal in mind to make it easier. As the process went on, Madonna became more comfortable with organizing.

“I personally like to work with her [Mandeville] as much as I can so I can understand/know the systems that she is putting into place,” says Madonna.

For Madonna, her bedroom was the space that needed the most help. According to Madonna, having everything in her closet and drawers organized has increased the functionality of her space and it has been a game changer.

“How many times have you been late trying to find where you thought a piece of clothing was?” Madonna says. “I can’t count how many times I have done that so having everything labeled and organized has saved me so much time!”

Out of all the rooms in an apartment or home, Mandeville’s favorite space to organize is the pantry. It is an area that the whole family utilizes and it’s satisfying to make the space functional and accessible.

Mandeville sets up a virtual consultation to formally meet with her clients. During the consultation, she discusses the goals that clients want for their spaces. Mandeville aims to be transparent to ensure there is no miscommunication. She uses the consultation to explain the decluttering process, how TailorMySpace operates, determine the window of time needed to complete the project, and understand the client’s budget.

Mandeville says that a common misconception about the process is that her clients feel spaces won’t stay clean after being organized. She disagrees because tidying up a space is an investment for a lot of her clients.

“We tend to care more about the things that we invest our money in,” Mandeville says. “Once your space is picture perfect you would be surprised how easy it is to keep up with!”

Since having Mandeville come in and help organize her home, Madonna has felt more at peace and productive. She is not having to spend a lot of time looking for items that she needs–everything has a home now and it all serves a purpose.

“Like the old saying goes, ‘clutter in your physical surroundings will clutter your mind and spirit,’” Madonna says.

For more information on how to declutter and organize your space or to schedule a consultation, reach out to Marie Mandeville at TailorMySpace. H

EDIT, SORT, AND ORGANIZE Marie’s tips for decluttering and organizing The key to decluttering and organizing your space is to not get overwhelmed. Becoming overwhelmed is the main reason why most people won’t start. The idea of making it look worse before it gets better can be frightening. So I have a simple process and it works for any area of the home: • When dealing with any space, the first step is to edit the section you are working on and remove all trash if there is any; • Next, take out the items that don’t belong in that room and then by category, organize what is staying; • Then decide how you want to access the items and put them away based on that!

This sometimes can require you to measure the space and purchase the appropriate bins or accessories needed.

Start in a small space and follow the steps. It helps build the confidence you need to tidy your space and it won’t take very long. Work your way up from a small medicine cabinet to the garage. You simply attack both spaces the same way.

Remember–edit the area, sort the items, and organize the space.

– Marie Mandeville

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AFTER

March 2022 | HOME | 5

LOCAL FACES

‘ It’s about the music:’ LOCAL MAN PASSES ON PASSION FOR MUSIC WITH HIS HANDMADE INSTRUMENT INSPIRED BY 1800s APPALACHIA

Story By Sabrina Kerns, Photos by Jeremy Coleman

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immy Loudermilk first started playing music when he was only 8 years old, picking up the guitar before moving on to every stringed instrument he could get his hands on.

He loved the way music could bring him and his friends and family together while also giving him a brief escape from his worries as he paid close attention to making his music come to life.

After years of playing music, he saw an etching from the Civil War era of two men sitting at a campsite, one of them holding an instrument made from a cigar box — the likes of which Loudermilk said he had never seen before.

The man in the etching holds the stringed instrument under his chin and plays it with a bow much like a violin.

This inspired Loudermilk to start thinking outside of the box when it came to music, and he eventually found his way to the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee, where he learned about instruments made by everyday people in that area in the 1800s.

“People used to make instruments out of whatever they had at home, and I like that spirit,” Loudermilk said. “They couldn’t afford instruments, so they would make stuff out of what they had.”

This idea eventually inspired the Forsyth County resident to create Coal Mountain Panjo, a travelling business where he sells the instruments he makes out of thrifted or recycled household items.

Loudermilk made his first instrument from a pan, an item found in most everyone’s kitchen, using the circular part of the pan to create the main base of the instrument and the handle to create the neck where he placed each of the three strings.

After he was finished, he aptly named it a panjo, a play on the word banjo also inspired by canjos, instruments made from soda or oil cans.

He said the first few instruments he made didn’t quite sound how he wanted them to, but eventually, he got the hang of crafting 6 | HOME | March 2022

the panjos. Now, he’s been making them for 10 years, and has no plans to stop anytime soon.

“I’ve made probably thousands of them by now, and when I make it, still, I get that feeling of, ‘Wow,’” Loudermilk said. “It makes me feel like if I was on a deserted island somewhere that somehow, no matter what the circumstance, I could make something to play music.”

Although he began making panjos about 10 years ago, Loudermilk said Coal Mountain Panjo came later. He actually started to make the instrument for students during a vacation Bible school.

He was helping with the class and thought it would be fun for the students to learn an instrument and a song to perform for their parents after class. So he made each student their own panjo to play and take home.

From there, the idea of the panjo started to snowball. Loudermilk said he started getting calls from other churches to help them make their own panjos for students, and the instrument’s popularity continued to grow.

This led Loudermilk to visit music and craft shows in the area where he could sell the instrument and show people how to play.

He fell in love with the experience.

He said he loves seeing kids stop by and pick up a panjo and learn to play music. He said they are always so excited to create a tune and learn something new.

“Especially when I play their first song with them, they’re just hooked,” he said.

He also shows their parents the different panjos he’s made and shows them how to play their own song.

Being a three-string instrument, Loudermilk said anyone can pick up the panjo and play it. For him, it makes it more than just an instrument — it’s an experience to share with family and friends.

“If they were just for looks, I don’t think they would do quite as

well,” Loudermilk said. “But when someone gets one, they’re thinking, ‘I want to play it.’

They’re buying more than a panjo, they’re buying it thinking they’ll be a musician.”

When not making panjos, Loudermilk gives guitar and banjo lessons to students.

He has been teaching music for nearly 30 years, but as Coal Mountain Panjo grows more popular, he has started spending about half of his time at shows and festivals throughout Georgia.

While he loves teaching, he said he has a passion not only for going to the shows, but for creating the panjos.

Most of the panjos he sells are made from pans, license plates and cigar boxes, but in his spare time, he makes the instruments out of all sorts of thrifted and recycled items.

“I like to go into thrift shops and flea markets,” Loudermilk said. “When I turn, I see different things and think ... that seems like something I could make an instrument out of.”

He enjoys pouring his creativity and time into making instruments out of these random items that look beautiful while still being able to create music. This is what he said makes panjos truly special. It’s an art and a pastime.

“Music itself is so powerful,” Loudermilk said. “When I’m playing a song, I’m really not worried about anything else. I’m that song as I play it. That’s what I’m thinking about.

“Music gives you kind of an outlet or escape. If you ever notice a bunch of guys playing music or a band playing, they’re not worried about anything else at that moment.

It’s about the music right then.”

He said it’s even more rewarding to see what people can be inspired to create or play after they buy a panjo. Some go on to create their own instruments or write their own songs to play.

He especially loves seeing kids dedicate themselves to learning more about it and becoming musicians themselves, believing everyone needs some sort of creative outlet.

“It’s amazing what people can do,” Loudermilk said.

To find out more about Coal Mountain Panjo and stay updated on which shows and festivals Loudermilk will be attending, visit the Coal Mountain Panjo Facebook page. See more of his panjos on his website, www.coalmountainpanjo.ecrater.com.

See more of Loudermilk’s panjos on his website, www.coalmountainpanjo. ecrater.com. H

Jimmy Loudermilk tunes one of the panjos, something he does for each customer before they take the instrument home.

Loudermilk sells his panjos at shows and festivals in the area.

On the left are some of Jimmy Loudermilk’s cigar box guitars, on the right are some panjo designs.

March 2022 | HOME | 7

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS…

Words don’t come close to expressing our love and gratitude to all of YOU, and this community. If words could describe what “tears of joy” are, then those would be the words we would use, to thank all of our friends, clients, associates, and even those we don’t know directly.

YOU have made an immeasurable difference in our lives, and the lives of all our family. This is where we call home, and it’s not because of the house we live in, but the people we get to share our lives with.

WE THANK YOU DEARLY FOR YOUR SUPPORT, PRAYERS, AND CHOOSING US TO SERVE YOU WITH YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS. We know there are many wonderful Realtors to choose from, Thank YOU for choosing us! May we all be blessed with peace, safety, health, joy and prosperity in 2022 - this is our prayer.

Pat and Brenda Burke

WELCOME HOME ATLAS!

678-316-6262 Pat’s Cell 678-316-8687 Brenda’s Cell

Pat.Burke85@gmail.com BrendaKayBurke@gmail.com

BurkeRealtyTeam.com