Spice Rack Makeover

Does anyone else have one of these things?

I bought it when we first got married and you can see how much of these things I have actually used in the last 5 years. 

While I don't know much about cooking or spices I know that chili powder should not look like this:

I also know that color = quality/flavor. The brighter your spices are the better they should be. 

Want to know something sad? I took the first few pictures on a black and white setting and din't even notice because my spices were so dull.

So, I threw it away! 

Well, my garbage can was too full so I set it next to the can. My husband came home, found me mid kitchen purge and says, "You're throwing this away!?" 

You see why I have a hard time getting rid of things? 

But he was right, it was actually a pretty useful, space saving set up. 

Out came the label maker and the scissors! 

I dumped everything in the bottles and soaked them in the sink. 

While I was waiting I gathered all the stuff I had in my cabinet that I actually use. 

I used a magic eraser to rub the lettering off which was surprisingly easy.

Then, I made new labels with my label maker. I had to cut them down a bit to make them the right width but it was worth every second. 

 Now my previously useless spice rack if fully customized with stuff I actually use and know how to use! 

My favorite: Ling Hi Powder

You don't find that on your off-the-shelf spice rack! 

Look at all that color! Now THAT is what your spices are supposed to look like! 

Bonus: Now I have a bunch of space in my spice cabinet from all the other containers I emptied!