Becolorful

Bling Bling Bling Jewelry Organization

It's my motto and it hangs front and center in my closet.

:D

I have told you sweet readers repeatedly that as I am designing a room or painting a piece of furniture that I am drawn to things a bit unexpected. This goes for fashion as well.

The other thing you may not have known about be is my obsession with things that sparkle.

( dream ring)

Bling Bling Bling you make my heart sing.

:D

Most of my bling, though, is the costume kind.

Speaking of bling, this is my latest sparkling love.

 iPhone case via Etsy  - An evening "outfit" for my phone.

 

 

Actually my taste in fashion leans toward the tailored  but I do like to mix in something unpredictable like an unusual color combination or a dramatic accessory and if it sparkles, well so much the better. You've seen the look, a sparkling, chunky, or colorful necklace with a tank top and jeans then paired with a tall red  platformed heel.

It just works for me.

Well my obsessive love for bling and accessories has led to a bit of a jewelry organization conundrum. 

Where to put it all?

Earlier this year I did a post on closet organization. I discovered a lot of ideas while perusing the internet that I would like to incorporate here but I still haven't gotten around to most of them yet except for this one.

I started out thinking I was going to pull together this grouping of silverware trays for longer necklaces

but then I decided my bigger problem was what to do with all of my chunky bangle bracelets. My solution? I painted a board with a graphic black and white design that fit the feel of my closet, added some cup hooks and voila,

A Bracelet Bar!

 

Now I am thinking that my jewelry infatuation may be a bit out of control because these are just my most frequent "go to" bracelets. There are more where these came from but at least this corrals some of my faves and keeps them within easy reach.

For all of you out there that are dreading the day your kiddos move out I should let you know it isn't all bad. There is an upside and that upside is that you find yourself with more closet and storage space.

True, I miss my babies but all this extra space IS wonderful.

:D

I confiscated this triple dresser from our daughter's room after she moved out and brought it into my closet.

 

When she comes to reclaim it for her own home I will have to come up with something else but until then I have tucked in some of those great drawer dividers that they always seem to have in stock at TJ Maxx. They work great for jewelry organization.

More bracelets,

chunky necklaces (notice I even have a few spots for expansion now),

and pearls. 

Lordy do I love pearls. Creamy white, grey or colored. I love them all. By themselves. layered together or mixed with gold chains. 

In fact, these are two of my favorite pearl quotes from two of my favorite fashion icons.

Pearls are always appropriate 

- Jackie Kennedy

 

and

A women needs ropes and ropes of pearls. 

- Coco Chanel

 

True That.

 

If I don't have the right combination of these versatile wonders I know I can go "shop" the holy grail of pearls that is my mom's closet.

Now SHE has an amazing collection.

What doesn't fit in the dresser I store in a drawer of this oh-so-essential jewelry armoire.

 

A jewelry armoire is one of the best organizers a hoarder like me can invest in.

 

 

The doors can handle the longer hanging pieces so they don't get tangled

and the multiple drawers allow for organizing by metals, sets or colors.

 

If you are in the market for one of these standing jewelry armoires I would suggest not getting one with the spring loaded side doors like I have here. The springs eventually wear out and it is a bit of a struggle to get them open. Plus, you can't put your armoire in a corner because even if you have the side far enough from the wall to get the door open it is still hard to easily see what is inside. I wish I had gone with a style that has doors opening from the front and drawers are behind the doors like this.

 

I would also want one that goes all the way to the floor. Those carved or modern legs may be pretty but they cut down on the available jewelry space and the whole idea here is to maximize every inch for storage.

The longer necklaces that don't fit into my jewelry armoire or dresser end up here adorning

 Ms. Anne Boleyn.

I even added more cup hooks to her skirt so she could hang on to a few

more trinkets for me.

 

Shorter necklaces can be hung inside this wall hanging jewelry cabinet. I covered  the front of this piece with cork-board wrapped in fabric so I can even pin lighter weight necklaces to the outside of the cabinet too.

 

Favorite earrings hang from a fabulous marabou edged frame with notched acrylic earring strips.  My mom bought this for me several years ago and I'm really glad that she did.

Thanks Mom. I so love this touch of glam in my closet.

The rest of my earrings have found a happy home in this easy-to-view hanging jewelry organizer also from TJ Maxx.

This little lovely is two sided so this side holds a lot of my brooches  and larger earrings while the other side is home to my colored sparkles.

 

Okay, so it probably looks like I have a jewelry fetish and maybe I do. Maybe next year I will give up jewelry purchases for Lent. :D In my defense though, it always fits and if it goes out of style it always seems to come back around again.

Plus it is almost always less money than a new outfit.

xoxo,

p

January Organization - The Laundry Room

A little over two years ago I gave my own laundry room a face lift. You can read about it here.  A number of things in this room didn't work out as well as planned.  My  number two son left muddy boots on this rug and I was never able to get the stain out so color the rug gone.  The washer and dryer, that were fairly new when this picture was taken have also hit the road. That washing machine was a huge disappointment and Lowe's apparently agreed because they were more than fair in working with us to replace it. I went back to a top loader washer and I am so much happier than I was with this one. The vinyl Ikea poppies are starting to peel up a bit too. I'm thinking I need to add this room to my ever growing list of projects. Nothing major here, just a few tweaks.

As I was looking around the internet I found a few good laundry room ideas for function and storage.

If your laundry room is small and you don't have room to leave an ironing board up and you don't have one of those built in cabinets for your ironing board you might want to consider this pretty option.

A very simple painted and decorated plaque with a couple of hooks to hang your ironing board from. This plaque  has a fun quote that could be created with vinyl words or by painting it on. You could decorate your wall hanger in any style to coordinate with the rest of the room. It helps too that this ironing board has such a pretty cover.

 

A retractable valet bar is perfect in a small space and can be pushed out of the way when you aren't using it.

A hanger caddy is another nice feature to have close by. This one would keep those hangers within easy reach but they would look neatly corralled until you actually needed them.

 

Whether your space is an actual laundry room or just a washer and dryer tucked in a closet  it is important to make this area look as inviting as possible. Let's face it, nobody really loves to do laundry. Do they? So while we are facing this chore let's make the space look at pleasant and clutter free as possible. 

When it comes to laundry soap, stain treatments and fabric softeners you have two options. They can either sit out on a shelf or be tucked away out of sight.

I like an uncluttered look so I usually try and opt for out of sight. 

In a cupboard is the easiest "hidden" option and I like to incorporate turntables inside the cupboard to fascilitate  finding things easily. 

If your space doesn't offer any cupboard space then consider a shelf with baskets or bins to contain and organize some of your laundry products.

I also thought this idea of transferring laundry soaps into clear containers and leaving them in clear sight was a good idea. If things are left out to be seen then make them pretty.

Those huge bottles from Costco or Sam's Club can be hard to handle so transferring the soaps in smaller more manageable and attractive bottles makes a lot of sense.

 

A set of storage drawers such as these would be a wonderful organizational aid either between the washer and dryer as shown here or off to the side if your units are stacked.

If your machines are stacked one on top of the other then a pull out shelf between the two is rather genius don't you think?

Albert Lee

 Doing laundry isn't rocket science but streamlining the process in an attractive environment can cut down on time and make it seem like less of a drudgery.

The first step in this routine is collecting the clothes.

We live in an older home that has four floors. Fortunately we also have a laundry chute which is a Godsend.

 

I do laundry almost every day and I hang dry a lot of our clothes. So we enclosed the area where the chute drops out into a closet space with a louvered door for ventilation. This works well because the clothes have good air circulation for drying but are out of sight.

Inside the closet I have an old Rubbermaid tub to catch the laundry. The problem is that there is about a three foot drop from the bottom of the chute to the tub. As a result I am always standing on my head and reaching into dark corners to retrieve a wayward sock or pair of underwear.

While looking around the internet for laundry ideas I landed on this commercial style laundry cart on wheels. Put that baby on my list. I can wheel it out from under the chute and start separating.

 

If you are using a hamper instead then you might want to consider this stylish option for presorting your clothes. These fun laundry bags are actually pretty enough to set out. 

 

When we bought our home the laundry was an open corner of the basement. It consisted of limestone walls and a concrete floor. We were fortunate though that this corner had big windows allowing a lot of light and a doorway to the outside and one to the garage.

Our home is old so a walk out like this is rare. We never even considered moving the laundry upstairs. There were too many other expensive projects on our list at the time and really it has worked out just fine where it is.  We did add insulation, drywall, a tile floor and some storage cupboards.

One of my favorite additions that we did was this pantry cabinet with roll out shelves. My only regret is that we didn't buy a better quality unit. I guess I didn't realize how much use and abuse this room would take. Now, fourteen years later, the roll outs are beginning to sag a bit and are in need of some adjusting and reinforcement. 

The concept here is that there is a basket on the left to separate the dirty laundry. On the right there is a basket for each person in the family. The idea was that the kids could take their baskets of clean clothes up to their rooms, put their clothes away, and return the basket. Wow, looking back on it now I realize I was asking way too much. That  was an idea that only worked in my head. Elizabeth would take her laundry up but it would be days before her basket returned. The boys never even made that much of an effort. They would end up just get dressed in the laundry!

Anyway, if you want to give this method a try at your house but don't want to invest in a big pantry cabinet then maybe a shelving unit with baskets could work for you.

 

If space allows an island with cubbies for baskets underneath would be another good way to go. What I like about this is all that room for folding.

It doesn't matter if your washer and dryer are tucked away in a closet,  sharing multi-purpose space in a kitchen or garage, or  if you have a cavernous laundry room dedicated strictly to doing laundry. An idea that works wonderfully in any of these settings that you may want to consider is a laundry station. These well contained work areas  help keep everything neat and organized.

 

This set up seems to be very popular to lift front loading machines off the floor.

Add your own personal touch for a dash of style and even more function.

 

When it comes to best use of space, though, this might have been the best thing I saw out there. I never would have thought of that but I'm impressed.

 

Laundry areas that are clean, bright and organized make this task feel like less of a chore. Add a TV and you can make it almost enjoyable.

:0

To find sources for these images click here.

I hope you found something that you can use in your laundry space. As for me, well, I was forced to clean out that pantry cupboard today before I took a picture of it. It has apparently been a while since that was done. Adam, I found your high school diploma at the bottom of your basket! When did you graduate? 2009?

:0

xoxo,

P

January Equals Organization - The Bathroom and Cosmetics

January, the month for fresh starts, kind of like another do over.

:0

This is when I redouble my efforts to complete half finished projects, make goals of what I need to accomplish this year and to make a clean sweep through all the rooms, closets and drawers of our home in an effort to purge, donate and get organized for the year ahead.

Yesterday I zeroed in on closet and clothing storage. Today I want to focus on bathroom organization.

One of the primary concerns when it comes to bathroom storage is where to put the towels. Towels, because of their bulkiness, can take up a lot of premium real estate when it comes to bathroom storage space. Many homes today have ample linen closets in the bathroom but if you live in an older home like we do with smaller baths then you are always looking for a way to stretch your bathroom storage. If your storage space is limited but  your towels are in good shape then consider keeping them out in clear sight as decorative items. Fresh rolled towels, I think, give your bathroom a relaxing spa like vibe.

If you have some wall space above the tub then a cubby like this for towel storage could be a pretty alternative.

 

A leaning shelf could also offer up some extra linen storage. I am looking to do this in a guest bath.

This shelf from WalMart is chic looking and sells for $59.00.

Baskets or magazine racks can be used to store towels too.

 Even a wine rack will work.

In our bath we added this ancillary shelf right next to the shower for an additional stack of towels. I think it has a five star hotel kind of feel. Now if there was only maid service too. :0

 

As for those wet towels, I like this idea of multiple towel bars on the back of the door. 

Toilet paper can also be pulled out into the open. Rolls of stacked white toilet paper can look rather pretty on a shelf or in a basket on the floor. I also like this idea of stacking it in a clear vase.

Feminine products, on the other hand really don't look good on the back of the toilet.

The joke (?) would be that we would put these out when we would really just rather not.  After several weeks the guys would finally begin to catch on. :0

If you must keep these items out, at least hide them in a pretty basket or container.

Another option is this wall insert. Now there's an idea I hadn't seen before.

 

Under the sink storage can also be maximized with the use of turntables and or small shelving units.

Most medicines, though, should not be stored in the bathroom. Find another spot in the house away from the higher humidity levels that occur in these spaces.

Perhaps an over- the-door pocket organizer in a hallway closet would be a better alternative.

Keep bathroom drawers orderly by adding drawer inserts or office supply trays.

If you have the room a free standing piece of furniture could offer up some additional storage space for linens and toiletries too.

After finding places for the towels and toilet articles, my biggest dilemmas are how to organize all my hair styling tools and cosmetics.

A little internet surfing and some time on Pinterest and I may have these issues solved.

This styling tool storage piece from Midwest Salon can be set in a drawer or under the cabinet. In a perfect world it would be amazing to have an outlet in that drawer too. Honey?????

These two ideas also caught my eye. The first one is just simple PVC pipe.

This second one could be custom made to fit any drawer with out too much trouble.

With all the styling tools and brushes I use I would probably need two. :0

When it comes to cosmetic storage I have been using a make shift system of drawer inserts and that has worked fairly well for me.

Recently, though, I became aware of The Clear Cube. Have you seen these?

It is an expensive but quality set of acrylic drawers. It comes in a couple different sizes and with optional drawer inserts.

The drawers glide easily and I like the idea of having everything so compactly and conveniently laid out and visible.

Another much less costly option is the Muji storage system.

Very intriguing. Something to think about.

If you don't have room in your vanity maybe you could rethink where you put your make up on. A small vanity table in your bedroom or closet? Set up next to your dresser? I used to put my make up on while sitting on the floor in my closet. You just have to find out what works for you.

Lastly, I thought that this slim line plate rack that was repurposed for perfume storage was uniquely fun.

I don't have any available wall space but if I did this would be a clever addition.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you found an idea or two that you hadn't seen before that might work in your space.

To see the sources for these images click here.

Next week I will be sharing more organizing ideas for the kitchen and laundry rooms.

Have a good one,

xoxo,

P

 

 

January Equals Organization - The Closet

Now that the Christmas decorations are all tucked away for another year I find my thoughts turning to organization. Recently I have been collecting a series of images that highlight some of my favorite storage ideas but for the sake of keeping my posts manageable I decided to divide the topic into segments. Today I will be focusing on clothing storage and our closets.

To begin, don't think that all clothing storage needs to be confined to the four walls of your closet. Do you have space near the back door for gloves and purses? Get those things out of your closet to make room for something else.

A storage piece of furniture or a collection of shelves in the bedroom can also be an extension of your closet.

This Ikea Expedit shelving unit with a few baskets could handle some of the over flow and because it goes up instead of out  it doesn't take up so much of that coveted floor space.

No room for furniture? Consider this. I have one of those ubiquitous over- the- door shoe holders with the canvas pockets that I hang right on a wall on the way out to garage.  This holds my collections of gloves and sunglasses ( hey, everybody has a few weaknesses). :0

Having them by the back door not only frees up some space in my closet for other things but it is also handy for the quick grab on the way out and it makes for easy put away when I come back home.

I have a walk in style closet but I decided to make use of the hallway right outside my closet door- expanding beyond the closet again. This spot is a good place for a dress form that I use to drape some of my favorite go to scarves and chunkier necklaces on.

I liked this look. It kind of felt like she was greeting me each morning as I went to get dressed. She, of course, had to have a name and I thought Anne Boleyn was appropriate.  As I look at this picture though I realize that there is a lot of wasted space going on here. What if I screwed some hooks into the base of her bodice and used them for hanging some more of my scarves? It would look like her skirt! Um mm Hmmmm, I am liking that idea.

Put that on the to do list too.

In a perfect world I would pull everything out of my closet and start over with one of the great closet systems like they display at Ikea. I dream of something like this in white.... someday.

I would have a stack of at least three of these retractable shoe organizers.

For Rosie's closet, I would be sure he had a couple of these pull out pant hangers.

As I look around my own closet, though, I realize I am fortunate to already have quite a bit of hanging and shelf space. I use totes on the shelves to contain a lot of the items where wrinkling isn't a concern like leggings, socks, and panties. I thought this  Rugby Stripe Tote from The Container Store had a lot of style going on and would be a fresh looking update. Put that on the wish list.

I did noticed while I was taking stock of the overall look in my closet that maybe I should invest in a few of these.

I fold my jeans and sweaters and then stack them on shelves. These dividers would help keep those stacks looking a bit neater and I like that they are clear and unobtrusive.

To organize some of the other smaller items that I like to have near by like receipts for things I may be returning, scissors to remove tags, and belts that don't hang well I use a canvas Ikea hanging shelf with drawers. The unit and the drawers are sold separately and they are available in black or white. I like to mix it up a bit so I combined the two for a bit more pizazz in the closet.

I attached tags to each drawer to help me remember what is inside.

Like I said, I really have enough, if there can ever really be ENOUGH, hanging and shelf space. My concerns lean more toward jewelry, shoe and purse organization.

I  keep my purses in a small closet by the back door. It works great for most of my purses but there are a few that are too wide to fit in nicely so I am looking at a few over flow options.

If my shelves were deeper this would be great. It doesn't work for me but maybe for you?

 

An Ikea expedit would make for great purse storage.

I like this Ikea Billy unit a bit better though because the glass doors would keep the dust at bay.

I saw this great shelf unit during my last visit there. I thought the red was totally hot.

Can't you see it for purse storage? It would make a collection of handbags look like works of art.

It could also look great hung horizontally on the wall with the shelves pointing up. I'm just sayin'. Think beyond the expected.

I have always thought that pieces of furniture used in unexpected ways was an excellent way to bring a sense of style and humor into a room. If they are vintage, well that's even better.

To dial up the fun a bit more...

turn those shoes sideways.

As for the jewelry, I currently have a jewelry chest that is similar to this.

 

It works wonderfully but sadly I have already outgrown it. I know, really? but I collect the costume stuff like it is my job. I have a couple drawers dedicated to jewelry in my dresser, a two sided hanging jewelry deal-e-o with little clear pockets that works nicely for earrings and a shallow cabinet that hangs on the wall that is also full of jewelry. It's a sickness, but there are very few pieces that I would want to eliminate. So I am looking for some ways to expand. I don't care for the look of lots of things sitting out on my dresser so that eliminated a lot of smaller table top options.

I thought this style was interesting. A full length mirror with jewelry storage inside.

 

Nice.

A much less expensive option I am looking at would be these drawer inserts from WalMart. They would be great for some of the longer necklaces that tend to get tangled. I like how she hung several of them together. I don't have any wall space left but this could also be installed on the end of a shelving unit so I may just have the perfect place for this.

If you share your closet with a boy then this is an interesting twist on tie storage. Rosie and I have invested in several methods for his ties and none of them were good but we agreed that eventually this might be the solution.

These are simply wooden slats that are stair stepped from the floor to the ceiling and angled just a bit to allow the ties to drape freely.

I am hoping to incorporate a few of these ideas into my clothing organization and perhaps you found a few that will work for you too. Check back tomorrow as I showcase my finds for bathroom and cosmetic storage.

So glad you stopped by.

xoxo,

P

 Sources here.

Boot Storage

Welcome to my closet. This space originally was a bedroom, a very very small bedroom. We didn't need that many bedrooms when we moved in so I converted this otherwise wasted space into my closet.

During the chaos last month of preparing for The Traveling Door sale, I took a mental and painting/creating break and reorganized my closet. The changing of the seasons means a closet overhaul for me. There isn't enough room for winter and summer here so I start sometime in late September by hauling an arm load of spring and summer things upstairs to the cedar closet and bringing an arm load of fall and winter items down to this space. Repeat this a dozen or so times over the course of a week or two and I have my closet turned around for the season. 

I love walking in and having everything in its place. This time I was so proud of my efforts that I decided to take a few pics.

 

 Ikea canvas boxes separate tank tops, camies and leggings.

 Labeled Ikea hanging drawers hold scarves, vintage belts, and floral pins

I sure wish I didn't have to work around that radiator but on the other hand I do like heat.

Every square inch of this room is utilized in some way.

This is my inspiration board when I don't know what to wear. The cabinet below opens up to hold hanging necklaces.

Actually, jewelry storage needs to be another entire post.

I do love my pink moire vanity chair and this recently purchased dress form via TJ Maxx.

(not sure why that extension cord is like that???)

Shoes take up a lot of real estate in this room.

Flats are in the shoe cubby,

 heels behind the door,

and all the rest are on the shelves.

 

 I now have a rule. One new pair of shoes in, one pair out. It is the only way to keep it manageable.

My other issue has been boot storage.

I like to keep the boxes for off season storage and I used to have them piled up on the floor beneath these hanging pieces. The problem was that inevitably the pair I wanted to wear would be in the bottom box. No matter how carefully I tried to finesse them out the other boxes would, of course, topple. So I googled boot storage and came up with the idea to hang them. 

I ordered the spring loaded hangers from The Container Store. They were roughly $9.00 a piece.

The problem was I didn't have any more rod space.

I used to hang belts on this other door in my closet that leads to the back stairs.

I edited five or six out, left a few choice belts out in full view and the rest I rolled up and placed in divided organizers in a drawer.

That left this door open for boot storage.

As you can see, this hanging device that I bought at Target a couple of years ago has two sets of hook. It was fine as it was for the belts but to spread the area out between the boots I needed to drop the lower row of hooks.

True confession, when I did this I drilled what I thought would be an undetectable hole in the door. The problem was that even though these are 100 year old solid wood doors, they have panels that are thinner. This is where I was drilling and I went right through the door. So on the other side there was a pin hole of light. Not a good look. I wanted to fix that before I had to take any ribbing from the big guy. To go through the thicker part of the door I had to hang the lower row of hooks off center. I filled the pin hole with the tiniest bit of TP. Unless you read my story here you would never know. :0

So this was the final result.

 

 

I love having them in full site and not falling over one another or awkwardly accessible in boxes on the floor.

 

I have room for one, possibly two more pairs of boots. After that the shoe rule of a new pair in an old pair out will have to apply here too.

: (

I love them all. It would be a tough call.

:0

Thanks for stopping by.

xoxo,

P

Meet Anne - Or My Latest Solution to Necklace Organization

Meet Anne, as in Anne Boleyn.

:)

I have a penchant for naming things.

Remember Oliver?

Interesting that they are both missing body parts.

:)

 

Anyway, I think Anne and her clones filled every TJ Maxx across the country but

when I saw her at our local store I knew she needed to come home with me.

She stands at the entrance to my closet holding onto my favorite "go to" summer necklaces for me.

 
 
Behind her?

Oh, that is my inspiration board.

I guess Oprah did one.

So did one of my Traveling Door cohorts.

The idea is that you put things on there that represent personal goals and that in five years you will be amazed at how many have become a reality.

One of these days I really do need to get it framed.

It was a bit disconcerting  when I finished assembling mine that I noticed I had a lot of material goals on there.

So bad,

but hey, keepin' it real.

:)

 

 

I guess I am a material girl.

 

xoxo,

P

Sharing Anne B here:

 

PurseN Love

 

Do you have one yet?

You're definitely going to want one.

I bought mine last week.

What am I talking about?

A PurseN !

I know, right?

How can I be so stoked about a purse organizer?

Yet, I seriously am.

I used to have one of these.

This was my Pouchee.

Well actually mine was black.

This is a picture lifted off of the Pouchee site.

Initially I was excited about it but I quickly found out it wasn't really all that.

It is probably perfect if you carry a smaller bag.

For me, though, I seem to be drawn to the large totes.

So the problem with the Pouchee was it was too small.

I would throw my purse into the back seat or onto the counter and the Pouchee would tip over inside my purse dumping everything into the bottom of my handbag.

Why bother?

It does have little magnets to hold it together at the top but you have to line them up just right.

I never did.

Even if I had taken the time to do that 

I usually had too much stuff in it for it to close snugly.

So I'd been looking for something better for a while now.

I'd seen those little numbers that look like a line up of pockets that you coil around the bottom of your purse but somehow that just didn't spin my wheels.

Then one day last week there it was in all of it's glory.

Tada! My dream organizer insert.

I chose the black one with the animal print lining.

 

Are you swooning over all of those pockets?

I did.

Being a bit cynical though I had to try it out.

Much to the sales associate's horror, 

I emptied the entire contents of my purse on the counter.

Thank Heavens nothing really embarrassing rolled out.

I had to see if everything would fit!

It did and I didn't even bother emptying it out again.

I just put it in my purse right then and there and

I handed her my Pouchee to bag up.

Some petite little thing will love it.

As for me,

I never know what I might need so I bring it all.

Seriously, all of this stuff fits into this little lovely.

I can't tell you how happy this makes the order loving side of me.

A place for everything and everything in it's place.

Lord, am I anal or what? 

See that empty pocket space over there on the left?

Now that's for my camera.

I am so good to go now.

I talked mine up so much my mom had to get one too.

They come in all sorts of fun colors and patterns.

There really are great even if you don't change purses that often. 

Just having a pocket for everything is fabulous.

You can FIND things.

Now there's a concept.

To everyone's surprise I now answer my phone.

Before, my calls would usually go into voice mail before I could find it.

One of my favorite things about this organizer is that it has a zipper on the inside for things that absolutely can not get lost and need to be a bit more secure.

Plus there is also another zipper that can reduce or expand the middle section  so you can make the PurseN a bit larger or smaller to fit well into the purse you are carrying that day.

Yes, I'm feeling some serious love here.

PurseN Love.

I bought mine at a local department store but click here for more info.

On another note to all my blogger friends -

There is a new linky party on the block.

This one is at Madigan Made and it all about quotes and words.

Could life get any better?

My purse is organized and there is a quote party coming on.

It's this weekend.

Check her out here.

XOXO,

P

The Holy Grail of Shoe Organization

HGTV.com

Please. A moment of silence. This chick has some serious self control issues but you have to give it up for her organizational skills. I'm not worthy.

 

Jewelry Cabinet Minus the Before

I really wish I had remembered to take a before picture of this little jewelry cabinet. I found it at a salvage store. It was made of an ugly brown nameless wood and the mirror that was supposed to be on the front of the door was missing. 

Along with my surplus of belts I also have a copious amount of jewelry. My jewelry armoire was overflowing and I knew when I saw this pathetic orphan piece that it would be a perfect addition to my closet. So I painted it black, added some foam board and fabric ( actually a napkin from Pier 1), and I ordered some great push pins. Voila now the front of the cabinet has a new life. I can use it pin up inspirational photos or even more jewelry.

But seriously, isn't this great? I think you could modify any old medicine cabinet with hooks and pockets and have something very close to this. It doesn't take up much space but is another element to help keep a girl organized.

My Love Affair With Belts { and subsequent storage issues}

Very simply, I have a love affair with belts. Actually I have a love affair with a lot of things; sunglasses, shoes, jewelry, pink lipstick, gift wrap and anything black and white. My latest quandary though is what to do about my belt passion. Let me be honest here. I am not looking for a cure. All I really need is a better way to store them. I keep reading that I should edit my closet and if I haven't worn it for a year I should get rid of it. Really? I have tried this with varying levels of success. Some things, though, either have a way of multiplying or I just can't break up with them and move on. Belts are one of those things that I hold on to for years. They have a rather short life cycle. Waist accentuating or hip slung, skinny or wide,western or urban,understated, or all out glitz - it doesn't really matter. Each of them have a way of reappearing on the fashion front every few years. A belt is never really totally out of fashion and  doesn't seem to take up much space. As a result it is easy to justify holding on to it. Now occasionally I will find something I like waaaaaay more than what I already have. This I call my replacement purchase :) and I can let go of my previous friend rather easily. More often than not, though, my new love becomes another addition to my collection. 

This is the result of too little editing and too much belt love -

I have belts hanging here

 

and here. But that's not all.

 

 I live in a  rambling old house with teeny tiny closets so when we moved in eleven years ago I converted the smallest bedroom - and it is almost too small to even call it a bedroom into my walk in dressing room. Because the house is old I don't have all of the cool built ins of a newer home. I would love big pull out drawers with dividers for all of my belts and jewelry like I saw on The Rachel Zoe project or at Ikea in their big closet models. I would also love a huge wall with hooks so I could see everything at a glance.  Alas, wall space is  at a premium in my vintage space although I do have about three feet floor to ceiling that I could work with. 

These current belt hook bars really aren't cutting it for me. They look a bit messy, they hang one on top of another and the whole thing lacks that inspired touch. I am thinking of maybe putting up a painted peg board. Any suggestions are welcome. I am kind of hitting a creative wall with this. 

 I like to keep my favorite belts out where they are easily viewable. I know it looks like quite a few faves but these really are my chosen go- to belts and they work well with everyday looks. I have others that either don't hang well, are seasonal or total glam for parties and holidays. These I have organized into a great set of Ikea shoe organizers called skubbs. 

 

with the drawer inserts  You can't beat these prices and they are so easy to use. Plus they come in black, white or orange. I, of course, had to go with the black and white but I like them mixed together. Then I labeled each drawer accordingly. 

I am one of those out of sight out of mind kind of people so the tag reminders are a necessity for me. They also keep me organized and nudge me to put things away where they belong. Everyone thinks I'm neat and tidy and orderly. I am so not. That's why I do this.

 

So now this has become my overflow storage of the things I can't part with but still love. I had one drawer left at the bottom that I tagged for receipts. I'm thinking of adding another set or two of these skubbs. I could use them for costume jewelry or tights and leggings. I could also see them used in a craft room. You just need a bar to hang them from.

As for the tags. I printed them on my computer and then used my Making Memories tag maker and rims to complete the look. The tag maker took a little practice and I learned that I need to use card stock not just scrapbook paper but now that I have it mastered this little beauty has almost replaced my label maker.

A Creative Mind is Seldom Tidy

Yes, this is my studio that I proudly put together in thirty days this past summer and bragged about how organized it is. Actually, the studio IS organized it's just that I am not. I've known for five months that I would be putting on a sale with The Traveling Door in October, so it isn't like I didn't have enough lead time. After every sale I say I am going to be more organized for the next one. I am saying that again because this is the result of my latest round of last minute cramming. 

My excuse this time was that I needed to wait until we got Adam moved on to college so I could claim this space for myself. Then it took me the thirty days to pull it together into what I call my studio space. Shortly after that we had a a personal family set back that definitely needed to take priority over painting. Throw in a trip to the east coast and another one to Lake of the Ozarks and before I knew it I had three weeks to prepare.

Initially, I tried to keep finished projects together and lined up, but before I knew it I was working on five things at once. While waiting for the paint to dry on one thing I would start another. It snowballed and was soon out of control.

I had more projects in various degrees of completion going on out in the painting garage. I'd have so many projects going on and so many paint colors that I'd set my brush down, move on to something else and not come back to it until the brush was rock hard and worthless. New brushes will definitely be in order.

The good news, though, it that despite this horrendous colossal mess, it returned to "normal" with relative ease. The beauty of having an organized space is there really is a place for everything and it really does make clean up so much easier. It only took me about an hour to put everything away and wipe down the counters. I still haven't vacuumed. Even though I fight it, I do have that lazy side to me and I hate to vacuum. I also learned what worked well and what maybe needs to be tweaked but that will be another post. For now I am just enjoying my calm reorganized and clean blue heaven.

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

A Sneak Peek at the "Girl Retreat" and a Bit of a Rant

 

I set a goal for myself at the beginning of this month to have my studio completed by the end of July. I actually just might do it and on time. Yes, there will always be little projects and tweaks - decorating is a fluid thing but I am happy with my color choices that I grounded with my love for black and white.  In my frenzied attempt to get this all done in thirty days it seems like I have spent a lot of time in the basement ... so much time that my hubby is calling it my "girl cave" He jokes that i have been spending all of my time here. He may be right but I think my focus will return to normal after tomorrow. What began as a diversion for me while becoming an empty nester has become a labor of love. This project had all the elements that jazz me - decorating, color, organization, and creativity. The problem is that every time I go into this room I think of another thing that would make it uniquely fun or functional. Maybe that is a good thing. I'm thinking this is most definitely going to be an inspiring place for me to get into my creative zone. 

This project has also challenged me. I pushed myself to do things on my own instead of relying on the help of others aka Mike or Adam. I put all of the furniture together by myself... even the easel that Liz and Page gave me for Christmas a year and a half ago. It was a great gift. They felt sorry for me knowing that I didn't have one and so I would have to lay my canvas out on the kitchen floor. That can be hard on the old bum and back after a while. To the amazement of my family I  put together the Expedit  wall unit and Alex map chest from Ikea all by myself. Last year I put together my desk from Pier One but it was what appeared to be a simple task, the easel, that really strained my brain. The instructions  were the worst. Pardon me now while I throw my therapeutic rant about bad directions because really? Who writes this crap? Actually there weren't any words, just pictures, which usually works for me. But how about a picture where you can see detail? I grabbed my readers. It didn't matter. I could have used the hubble telescope and not have been able to see anything. There just wasn't enough detail. Or here's an idea - label the pieces. Such a simple solution but one that the manufacturer  apparently didn't think necessary. Sorry, I'm over it and now I feel much better. I think my self imposed deadline must be getting the best of me. It's just that I have always heard that "When all else fails, read the directions" In this case the best thing to do was to throw the damn things out and wing it. The end result was it looks great and I can't wait to use it. I do have a couple of extra screws left though. Hope they weren't all that important. :)

It really is going to be great and I have such a sense of accomplishment every time I look at it.

And now for a few teaser peeks at my girl cave:

I hope you will check back tomorrow for the big reveal of month long creation.

I Need A Gift Wrap Intervention

 

Along with pulling together my new studio space comes the inevitable purging and cleaning. It's true that this part of the house was primarily used by the boys in the family and their friends but the closets were mine. There are two in this room. I use one for purses, which will be the next one I clean out, and this one. This is the gift wrap closet. The problem with this closet was that it was flanked by my boy's computer desks and it was an obstacle course just to get to it. So I would forget what was in there, fall in love with some new ribbon or wrap, or find a bargain I just couldn't pass up and pile them on what was already in there. I realize I am really putting myself out there and opening myself up to ridicule with this post but for those creative souls out there that like a pretty gift and can appreciate all the wonderful opportunities that a little paper, ribbon and embellishment can provide, I put myself at your mercy. 

 

It took me all day to clear out this closet. Well I did go to the store for a few organizational elements, but for the most part this is all I can claim as an accomplishment today. I threw away, gave away, and stockpiled for next month's garage sale. What I couldn't part with, and yes, there is a lot left, I organized. I actually have so much left that I could go into the gift wrapping business and probably not have to buy anything new for a month. I could wrap a gift for everyone I know and I never ever ever need to buy another gift tag. So here it is - my freshly organized gift wrap.

The closet -

 

 

Embellishments -

 

 

The essentials -

 

Christmas gift tags -

 

 

Gift bags -

 

 

Rolls of wrap ( Christmas) -

 

 

Now I know that looks like a reasonable amount but I must admit there's more...

 

These are the "everything else" wraps.

So if you see me in the gift wrap aisles at Target, Hobby Lobby, or Barnes and Noble please stop me. I am in desperate need of an intervention. But hey, doesn't it look all nice and organized?

No Accordion Files. Finally, a Great Way to Organize Alphabet Stickers

I am a pushover for words and quotes and a font can make or break the look of a project. As a result these little babies are a weakness when I am at a craft or scrapbooking store. I use them in everything from altered art to cards and scrapbooking. Plus, is it just me or are they getting way cooler? It seems like every time I go there are more distinctive font styles, colors and sizes. I used to store them in an accordion file and then two accordion files. The problem was that they were hard to see and they would get bent or some of the letters would become damaged.

 

Last year may daughter suggested I buy the book The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker. Now that little $20.00 book ended up costing me about $500.00 and counting in organizational elements, but I am loving every new tweak to my system. One of the things I learned from this book was that for me organizing by color works best. So I revamped everything including my sticker letters. I decided to put them in a color coded binder. Now I am up to maybe five binders but it is a system that really works for me.

 

Each notebook is tagged with a letter signifying its color family and holds folders that correspond with the fonts they contain. It really makes things easy to find. I have a lot of black fonts so I subdivided that book into block, cursive, and funky fonts.

I know, I'm a geek, but I think maybe I organize the little things in my life because I can't do much about the big picture. Oh well. Small things make me happy. That should be a good thing. Now if I can just refrain a bit in the stores this system should hold me for awhile, but the great thing is it can easily be expanded. All I need is a few more black and white notebooks and some more colored folders!

Getting Organized: One Project At A Time

January, diets, and organizing just go together. The diet thing isn't going so well for me lately, but I have made a few strides forward in the organization department. Our laundry room and the mudroom/coatroom are right off the garage. I like to keep those last minute things like keys, phone, gloves right there so I can grab them as I'm running out the door. There is a closet right as you come in the door where I keep my purses. This is handy for making that quick purse change out. A friend of mine, Eva, opened me up to the world of  Pouchee. These great little purse organizers that make it so easy to switch bags.

The closet, though, isn't  large enough to hold my collection of sunglasses ( another weakness of mine) or gloves in a way that they are easily visible and accessible. So to remedy this. I bought a shoe caddy and hung it in the coatroom and filled it with winter gloves and sunglasses. I can easily see what I am looking for without digging through a basket.

 

Simplifying my life. I'm lovin' it.

Ahhhh... All Tucked Away For Another Year

I love seeing my house all decorated for the holidays but I hate taking it down and putting it away again. Not only does the house look bare and dismal but it takes me a good two days and a lot of effort (thus the water bottle). I used to take everything down right after Christmas. I guess because my mom did. In fact, sometimes I felt like it was a competition to see who could get everything put back first. I stopped doing that about five years ago. I decided the season was just too short and I enjoyed having my things out until at least New Years. This year we went up to Galena on January 1st so I didn't get started on this job until this week. I was anxious not only to have the work behind me but I feel like I have so many things... more interesting and fun things to get to.  I didn't want to dig into any new projects, though, until this one was put to bed, or in this case, back on the shelf.