Mine are mostly small things -- like using a glass compote to hold cotton balls in the bathroom -- or a cut glass tumbler to hold q-tips. A hinged CD holder (similar to the tissue box above but a double version) used as a spot to store extra TP. I have a dresser that is a TV stand for our exercise room and the drawers have my gift wrap rolls and ribbons. A home office armoire that was going to be my craft and gift wrap station became a china cabinet when my dad moved and I suddenly acquired another set of china and crystal and I wasn't ready to make decisions on getting rid of anything. I have an old radio cabinet that I cleaned up and planned to put a new shelf and door in the top, but the stained glass panel hasn't been made. I'm thinking about painting it and redirecting it's new life for another room now. Another one I haven't done buy we've talked about a couple of times is to put a pull out bed in a window seat to add a guest bed in our gameroom. I think the inflating mattresses are going to keep that one from happening -- take less room and are probably cheaper and more comfortable now that we no longer have a sofa with the pullout mechanism to repurpose. If a new thread is started, we should try to link this one at the top so these ideas and photos aren't lost -- st least as long as we can.

Maybe your suitcase could be used for storage. Possibly for sweaters or seasonal items, like scarves and gloves. Or it could contain smaller travel totes, neck pillow, extra toiletries as sort of a Travel Accessory HQ. Basically, you've got an extra storage box that can lie flat or stand on one end. The sky's the limit!

The thing that struck me about your post is that you have what "seems like" 2 dozen duffel bags. How many duffel bags do you actually have? I'm a very literal person, so I'm visualizing 24 duffels in 1 house. That's a lot of bags, whether they are floating around/distributed throughout the house, or all stacked and stored neatly in a well thought-out location. You say they are floating around the house. To me, that means they don't have designated homes. I do understand from your post you are trying to get ideas to make an organized home for things. I would do an actual count of bags so I knew exactly the status and project I'm dealing with. The way my brain works, I don't classify the duffels as the problem (other than the fact that 24 duffels are too many)...it sounds to me like you don't have homes for the contents of the duffels...and you are using all these bags as a means of storage for other things...and you don't have storage places for the things inside. My point, in trying to get to the core of your question, I'm trying to determine if you want to: 1. store the empty duffels when not in-use? 2. organize/store the contents of the duffels? 3. want to store the full duffels and contents in a sense that you would use duffel bags as the storage containers instead of traditional boxes, rubbermaids, or whatever. Different solution ideas for what you intend to do. Could you clarify? I really want to help...I'm either not getting your question, or wondering if you are so focused on the duffels themselves, that you're not thinking about the contents, and the other options you have. As for the suitcases...I have a musty basement too. You could get a large airtight bag (large garbage bag or 2), twist & secure the opening, and store it in your basement. As long as the contents of the bag are kept airtight, you shouldn't have a problem. You stated you do use the suitcases for business travel...so it's not like the suitcases will be shoved in some musty corner and never touched for years on end left to degrade and deteriorate. I'd love to further discuss the duffels. Could you provide more info or thoughts? Gayle

Hubby is feeling better this morning he says. Thinking maybe pancreatitis attack. It happens with the surgery he had. And yes I do keep a running journal of issues between visits. Not as detailed as it used to be but I guess I am going to have to do more of that. It is very helpful. I was given up for adoption as a baby so was not raised by my birth family. I found my Mom when I was 32 and father shortly after but he denied me for 14 years. Finally he agreed to the DNA test and he was 99.42% positive to be my father. But he was not a very nice person and his sister and her kids were not willing to be friendly so I let it go. Funny I salvaged photos and school yearbooks and hauled them home on a plane for them to send to them. I thought I was doing a nice thing. I called to let them know and left message on answering machine and next thing I am getting a letter from an attorney demanding all I had of THEIRS in my possession. Well Screw that. I sent the year books and a few photos and called it good. I do not think I really wanted to try harder to be friendly with a family so angry and mean. Not sure my red hair had anything to do with it.I was well into grey by the time my father accepted me as his daughter. He dies a couple of years ago but I had not spoken to him in a few years before that. It was never a close relationship. My Mom and I have a good relationship. Our 34th anniversary of my finding her was Feb 12th. We had a nice phone visit.