enjoy your feast

Enjoy relaxing & eating to your hearts content.

I love a good deal

I came across this instagram/website about 6 + months ago.
It's a great place to find cute ideas, gifts, and supplies.
Christmas is right around the corner and this is such a cute site.

I can't help but love when they have stationary and anything to do with organizing!

http://brickyardbuffalo.com/

Hat Storage

housedressingstyle.com

I love this organization for hats. My husband has way too many and this is perfect!

Table Lamps

I've been on the hunt for the perfect bedside table lamps for about a month now.
Here are some that I'm debating between. I haven't fallen in love with any of them
-- any other suggestions on where to find some?

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/glass+cylinder+table+lamp+base.do?&from=Search

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/martina-aged-mirror-table-lamp-base.do?&from=Search

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/moroccan+lattice+mirror+table+lamp+base.do?&from=Search

family pictures

This post is fairly similar to the family files post. 

Since this client is on square one when it comes to scrapbooks, picture books, or getting her pictures in an order we can to the conclusion that we just needed to get everything separated. 

We had pictures from all over the house and cleared out frames as well. We got a Tupperware for each child and separated photos into them. The photos that had more than 3 kids we put in the family Tupperware. 

Now when school projects or Dvd's need to be made they will know where to go.

front entry

Your front entry can say a lot about you and set the tone and flow for the rest of your house.
With my client we wanted to make it welcoming, warm, and spiritual.

A mirror is seen right when you walk in, along with light and a statue of Christ.
She has a pretty piece of furniture that flows with her other pieces throughout the house.
We also added some color with flowers to brighten up the space along with a family picture that has a lot of meaning.
The structured lamp added some height and then the warm detailed chair was the last touch to make you feel welcome and also have that functional touch that was needed.

What do you have in your entry?

family files

This may look messy to some.
This right here is a handful of tests, grades, artwork, letters, song books, and more.
This client had stacks and piles and shelves of loose things for each of her children.

I decided right away that each kid needed a large Tupperware container
(because of the different sizes of things) and it wouldn't hurt to have some extra space for the years to come.
Once I had the containers I split everything up and labeled with tape for time time being.
While splitting into different containers I came across many things that could be tossed without question.

I didn't throw anything out before letting my client know but that was another way to make sure the sifting process also was productive.

Now when each kid moves away or gets married they can take their keepsake Tupperware with their special belongings.

throw pillows

When redoing a room whether you are cleaning out, revamping, rearranging, or just need an easy face lift -

A great throw pillow can do the trick. 

Usually when I'm cleaning and organizing - redecorating and arranging happens as well.

I think a little trick in keeping things clean and organized is to make sure you love your space. 

Once you've done your de-junk go treat yourself to a great throw pillow or 2, or 3 to spice up your room.

Here are some store links to some really cute options:

Target

Pier 1

Society 6

World Market

family room

A family room is something that needs function as well as design.

When working with a family room I like to ask clients what they want to keep within the room or semi close.

In this case books were number 1.

This bookcase pictured is a set. The other is on the opposite side of the couch. W filled the shelves with books and the cupboards below with board games. 

Besides that she wanted it open and clean.

The before of this room the couch and shelves were moved closer to the television so there was walking space behind them all. It was not working and making the room look 10x smaller than the actual size. 

living room

This living room was definitely simplified. I don't have the before pictures but we removed pieces of furniture, rearranged, and styled the bookcase a bit.

As you can see the fireplace in this room we decided to keep bare. It's taller and also a mirror is a good way to open up the room and not draw too much attention.

I removed a lot from the top of the bookcase/hutch. We decided to keep it more simple so your eyes were drawn so high right away.

The table behind the sofa that isn't against the windows- we decided to do something that would most likely look good from both angles. My client loves plants and so this was what she really wanted and they did look the same from all angles.

We cleaned off the coffee table and also stacked the books in the shelves more formal and eye appealing.

I think it turned out nicely.

fireplace

When it comes to decorating/styling/organizing, one of the best things in my opinion is to simplify.
Sometimes you make more of a statement when you have less.

A fireplace is typically a focal point if it's in a living or family room. This fireplace use to have a couple more frames and greenery on it. With the client that I had these pictures were very important to her and so we limited to 1 frame per child and tried to get rid of the extra fluff.

This could be one option.
Another way that this would work would be to remove all of the frames and just have the plants.
It would still look great if the entire shelf was cleared off and the focal point was just the painting.

Hopefully you can brain storm and see those options.
Which design would be your favorite for the fireplace?

my mom is the best.

When my husband and I were dating I definitely showed my love towards him by doing "service."

I would surprise him by cleaning his apartment, doing his laundry, and even organized his closet. 

He told me he loved it but at the same time he probably thought I was a little crazy.

One thing I discovered while doing his laundry is the fact that his shirts ALL have to hang dry.

I hate high maintenance laundry but I've become use to it. 

My mom bought him this drying rack pictured below from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. It is our saving grace from preventing our house from becoming covered in clothes. It expands and also has multiple levels and we've loved it. We use it probably at least twice a week. I highly suggest it. When you aren't using it you just fold it up and put it in a closet. Poof!

my favorite type of organizing.

I love to organize and I have found that there are different types.

I’ve come to the conclusion that my favorite is, MULTI-USE organizing.

If you are a fan of Real Simple magazine you know they have a section in the back with multi-function items. This is and was my favorite section when I discovered it way back in Junior High. It seems like every time I look at that section I’m amazed, and also think to myself - I could have thought of that. 

I love coming across materials with a double use or even triple. 

Here are a few of my recent favorites.

food storage - the real kind.

Eric & I finally bought our food storage.

I am someone that likes to be prepared and have things semi-planned out. Getting our food storage has always been something almost dreaded. We didn't know how much, where to put it, and which brand to get. We've been doing a lot of research for probably the last year and took the plunge last week.

This post isn't sponsored but we bought our supply from daily bread. We liked their food, we came across a great deal, and made the decision. It felt so nice to have it delivered and have that big "step" behind us.

Be prepared -- get your food storage!

winter clothing storage

Fall and Winter will be here before we know it. My current living situation doesn't allow us to have a great front room closet for our gloves, scarfs, hats, and coats. So, when I found this idea I couldn't help but get excited. Even though this is in a front closet, the idea can be taken to anywhere (tasteful) in your home. Adding an extra rod or two to your closet is something so simple and makes things a lot easier with getting ready in the morning on a cold day.

making the best use of media.

VHS, DVD, Blu-ray.

Cassette Tape, CD, Ipod.

I can't keep up these days and so the amount of DVD's that are purchased by myself and husband are zero. 

This will probably change once kids come along but it's an ever changing process.

One thing that I just finished was converting a cassette tape to a CD. 

My husband surprised me with a trip to New York City where he proposed. Since it was a complete surprise he thought it would be fun to catch everything on the way to the airport on tape. I decided to convert that cassette to a CD for one of his birthday presents. Neither of us had listened to it since and it was so fun to remember how it all happened. 

I suggest getting all of your old junker stuff converted to the latest for posterity sake and also so it won't pile up. I found a local place that does it in sugar house but you can also head to Costco for the same media updates.

hair organization

One thing that is a constant change up when it comes to organizing for me is, hair supplies.

My hair routine changes and sometimes I find myself running out of bobby pins and elastics faster than I can run to the store. 

The latest pictures below were found on Pinterest and I love them all.

bed sheets.

This tip will save your linen closet.

1. Separate each set of bed sheets with the proper pillow cases.
2. Fold the bottom and top sheet and 1 pillow case to about the size of a piece of standard paper.
3. Put the sheets and pillow case inside the remaining pillow case.

This way you have the full set on hand and it isn't mixed up. This is also a huge space saver and awesome when guests come into town!

cleaning supply bucket

At one of my showers before I got married one of my sweet neighbors gave me a cleaning bucket. 

She was so embarrassed but promised me I would love it. 

I quickly told her how much I LOVED the gift and it was probably one of my favorites.

----

Anyway I have 1 large bucket for deep cleaning. I'm talking putting on gloves, getting a sponge and going on all fours. 

Then I have a bucket with a divider and that is what holds the supplies. 

I posted some pictures to let you know what to buy. You can find both of these at Target.

 

wrapping materials.

After my wedding I had so much ribbon, bags, and tissue paper I swear it could last me a couple years.

That has proven to be true. 

I am still working on using all of it up before I go and buy my own.

For my organizing tip for storing and being able to access what you need quickly I've found a few pictures and ideas that may help.

I have:

1. stored my bags in the largest gift bag I have

2. stored the tissue paper in a medium sized bag

3. stored all the ribbon in one small sized bag

I haven't had the issue with wrapping paper storage just yet but I like the ideas below.

wires. cords. charges. blah.

My husband let's me organize just about anything....besides his drawer full of electronic's.

I hate opening the drawer and finally I convinced him to let me organize just a little bit.

A very simple and easy trick,

I bought a bag of rubber bands. Make sure there are different sizes and widths.

I took the clump of wires and one by one I did the crazy 8 fold and then secured them with a rubber band.

It was so simple and ended up saving so much more space in the drawer. 

Now when we need one it won't be a disaster to find it in the pile. 

The clutter trap.

I don't have my own garage just yet...but I get garage envy when I see pictures like this one.

When moving in to a new place there is always the one room (garage) that gets the unwanted junk.

I'm sure you've all noticed neighbors that have so much stuff in their garage they couldn't park inside.

I cringe and want to help them all at the same time.

---

Once you dejunk the clutter trap make sure to group items together.

Put them in logical places on the wall or ceiling.

label

Toss out the unwanted and do a garage sale to make some money!

Medicine cabinent

I don't take a lot of medicine and that is how I was raised.

I don't know right away what certain medicine helps with....so

I found this idea on Pinterest. 

I did my own take on it but this is the picture I went off of.

I found my container at Wal-Mart. 

Labeled each drawer (depending on what you use)

Then put it in our Kitchen for easy access.

*The only downside of this, is the throat spray doesn't fit in a drawer. If you have a lot of bulkier things I suggest getting a larger container.

batteries

Simple tip.

Batteries can be bulky and annoying. One tip that I have found to be very easy and still hold strong is getting Zip-locks for each size. Place your AA, AAA, etc in sandwich size bags and put them with your office or tool supplies.
It works like a charm.

food storage.

Food Storage can be a pain...but if you have a lot of kids or a lot of food the chances of knowing where everything is could be next to impossible. 

Here is a pantry that I did. I separated into canned foods, diet foods, condiments, and boxed meals. 

Some places didn't really have a spot and so I had to find one for them. 

------

When it comes to food storage my tip is to make sure you know what you have so you can replenish 

(before labels go bad) 

Also don't buy things for your food storage you don't already eat. 

cleaning up dvd's

I'm not a consumer of DVD's or CD's but the compiling that I do have has been organized.
I also did this for one of my clients.
If you keep allllll of your disc's in their original case, you know that it will take up A LOT of room. It's hard to find the one you want unless they are in alphabetical order. Then besides that if the kids take them out they never put them away in the right case.
There are a lot of cracks in this scenario.

I decided to buy the some CD cases for my collection because of my low number.
I labeled them; DVD, CD, Family Memories.
For my client we got her the large binder that holds 4 per page. I alphabetized them and then also categorized them into, action/comedy/childrens/church/holiday/etc
During this process she eliminated quite a bit. We also did this for her CD's and her DVD's it gave her a lot of space in her entertainment center and made it possible for her to have a design element instead of plastic cases.

I highly recommend doing this if you have a small or large collection. You'll know where they go and also it's a lot easier if you're in the process of trying to decide what movie to watch!

college student = open bedroom

I recently had a client that decided to clear out her daughters room that is attending college. 

I loved every minute.

She has been in college for 3 years so there were a lot of treasures that had been forgotten about as well as junk. I rearranged the entire room, filled the hall with loads to take to the thrift store, and about 2 dumpsters worth of garbage. 

jewelry organization

It took me awhile to decide what was the best system for all of my jewelry.
I wanted to share with you some of the tricks I've learned.

EARRINGS
---I have a love for earrings even though I'm to the point where I switch between about 2 different pairs.
I still want to keep them organized and open so if I decide to jazz up an outfit I have that option.

I found my earring organizer at Urban Outfitters. (click link below for options)

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/category.jsp?id=A_DEC_JEWELRYBOX

It's has the perfect amount of openings, holds studs and dangling, and it also rotates so I can see all of my earrings. My particular one is the, spinning bird jewelry stand.

NECKLACES
---I gravitate towards necklaces when I'm in a store. I have too many and I rarely even wear one. Just like my earrings I still want them to be available though.

I discovered that the best organization for this would be a diy project. I went to the local thrift store, got an old frame that had a thick painting inside of it, and then covered it with some fabric I had on hand.
Once I had completed that I just got push pins and then hung my necklaces from there.
It was very simple and cheap and it hangs in my closet.
*depending on the amount of necklaces will vary the size of the frame.

RINGS & BRACELETS

---For one of my birthdays years ago my sweet cousin gave me a jewelry box. I still have it and it holds my special jewelry along with a few rings and a few bracelets. Jewelry boxes usually can't hold all of your jewelry so choose a particular item to store and it will be a lot easier that way.

CATCH ALL

---Everyone needs a catch all. I have a small vintage dish that hold my wedding ring at night along with the two pairs of earrings I switch out. It's nice to have a place just for those items so you aren't misplacing those for any reason.

I've attached some links with great organizers and of course you can search pinterest for some fun ideas also.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=3744511

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/3/jewelry-organizers

makeup. makeup. makeup.

How do you store your makeup?

I'm probably not the best person to talk about makeup storage with, only because I have the minimum.
I have loved the makeup bags that I've owned so I wanted to share those with you and some things that I've learned.

bag: 1

My makeup bag was this size until March. I wanted to be able to fit everything in it because of traveling, throwing it in my purse, or the convenience of less options while getting ready.

It served me well and had a side pocket that held tweezers and extra bobby pins. I learned this was a must. My particular one was from TJMAXX but the one pictured is from Target (always have cute makeup bags)

bag: 2

This makeup bag I use for travel (if I'm not flying with just a carry on)

This can hold hairbrushes, curling irons, makeup, and dental hygiene products.

I love the two sided compartments that zip so you can also throw in a couple items in the middle if you need to. This bag is also from Target.

bag: 3

This bag is my current makeup bag. I graduated to a larger one finally but this one holds shape which is a must if you have a larger bag. It also can fit my hairbrush and other random items to throw in if I'm in a hurry. My makeup definitely doesn't fill it up but it's nice because I can actually see what I'm trying to get.

This bag is Kate Spade.

*TIP

When buying a makeup bag make sure the inside is washable. If it's lined with fabric, chances are it's going to be looking pretty gross really fast. Also make sure to clean it out about once a month 

(depending on how much you store inside) which means it's always a great time to clean out some lipstick or mascara that you don't use or needs to be replaced!