Christmas in July!

Well, July is almost over for 2012 and so is the first half of the year.  How many Christmas presents have you purchased yet? If I am asking the question, I feel it is only right that I too answer -  a whopping 3!  Yikes, I better get busy!!  So, my wheels started spinning and I decided to pull out my birthday list for the rest of the year. I decided that anyone I'm planning to give a Christmas gift to, I will purchase their gift in their birthday month.   And, I can't not buy for those who had birthdays in the first half of this year, so I will have to double up for the rest of the year.  Hopefully, I will still be spreading it out enough that it won't be so much at one time. 

I was at Hobby Lobby last week and they already have there Fall and Christmas decorations out (maybe that's what triggered my mind about the lack of purchases I've made).  I love all of the different Christmas ribbons and plan to buy white paper only and pretty my packages up with different ribbons and bows.  Some meat markets and delis will even give you plain white paper!  Never hurts to ask!  I might even wrap the presents as I purchase them.  Of course, a Christmas Gift Log will need to be done so I don't forget what I've purchased and find myself unwrapping those beautifully decorated gifts.

Thank you for stopping by my blog and please share your Christmas gift purchasing system!

Happy Holidays/Organizing!

Stella & Dot Party - Close Call

Oh my gosh!  What a fun evening we had Friday night!  I wasn't sure if it was going to get started on time or not, but I was sure there was going to be a party!   My niece, Allison drove in from Houston and what should have been a 4 1/2 hour drive turned into a 7 hour drive.  We are still not sure what caused the backup other than a bad thunderstorm, but she didn't let that get in her way.  She came in and transformed my dining room into a beautiful jewelry store.  My guests arrived shortly thereafter and enjoyed yummy hord'erves and beverages.  Then, there was shopping (lots of shopping) to do!

If you haven't had the pleasure of going to a Stella & Dot Trunk Show , you should make a point to.  You might even consider hosting one yourself.  The jewelry is absolutely beautiful and you can earn points towards lots of free jewelry.  Besides, what girl wouldn't want to spend an evening with girlfriends doing some retail therapy!!

Here's a link to my niece's page: http://www.stelladot.com/sites/allisoncarl

Napkin Ring Storage

I recently purchased this beautiful pewter towel rack from a home interior store in my area and couldn't wait to get home and display some of my hand towels.  Unfortunately, the bars on the rack are too low and the towels don't hang right but instead kind of lay on the countertop.  I love the piece and didn't want to return it but couldn't find a way to make it work for my towels.  So, I decided to think outside the box and come up with something else it could be used for.

Besides being addicted to organizing, I have to confess I have an obsession to table scapes.  I love decorating my table for each holiday, but you can ask any one of my kids and they will tell you that just about any day of the year you can find my dining and kitchen tables decorated in some type of theme.   All that being said, I've accumulated quite a few napkin rings.  Some time back I decided to use some of my ribbons to keep them together in sets and now I have a fun way to store them in my closet.

                                                 

What do you think?  I loved using my ribbon before but I love the idea even more now because I can see them so much better and know exactly what I have to choose from for my next themed table scape.

Gotta go get busy for my Stella & Dot Trunk Show tonight!

Make it a great day and do some small act of kindness for someone.

Happy Organizing!

Where does the time go?

Wow! I can't believe it's already Wednesday! Where have the days gone since the last blog?

Well let's see - since I was here last, I started over on my nightstand, which I am still working on trying to find the RIGHT type of polyurethane. Any suggestions?

I spent Saturday with my husband and nephew moving everything out of our storage unit and into our garage (new project coming soon)!

Sunday was spent with my sweet little mother-in-law who taught me and the hubby how to make fresh bread and delicious cream cheese filled cinnamon rolls from scratch.  She is an amazing lady and absolutely loves to cook.  I've decided to start a routine of spending time each week learning a traditional recipe (or two) and listening to her share stories about her past.  I think cooking has a magical  way of reminding us of special times in our lives.  Here are some pics from our "cooking class":

I spent Monday and Tuesday planning my Stella & Dot party that I'm hosting in my home this Friday.  Tune in Monday to hear about all the fun!  Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I made several container purchases for my client that I will be working with tomorrow and can't wait to see them all being put to good use.

So, I guess time does fly when you are having fun!  Thanks for stopping by my blog! Would love to hear from you.

Happy Organizing!

Under the Bathroom Sink!

My Dad was kind of a "jack of all trades," but his favorite hobby was woodwork.  I have so many memories of him in his workshop doing what he loved and being in such awe of his passion for it. (I can still smell the fresh cut wood.)  One of the pieces of furniture in my guest room that I am doing a makeover on is a wooden nightstand/end table that he made.  I knew I wasn't going to get rid of it, but the natural wood finish does not go with my "makeover".  So,  I decided to paint it and can't wait to see it back in it's place.

After I sanded it

Not quite the finished product...but getting there!

Of course while waiting for the paint to dry, I thought it would be a great time to clean up my bathroom drawer and under my sink cabinet.  I already had the containers for my drawer, which I purchased at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, so that drawer was pretty organized already.  It just needed it's "monthly" sprucing up.  The containers under my sink also came from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I put items in sections by "mani/pedi", contacts, soaps and lotions, and hair products & accessories.  I used a "Command" hook to hang my hair dryer on on the inside door, which works out perfectly.

Under my Bathroom Sink (BEFORE)

Under my Bathroom Sink (AFTER)

And here's a look inside the container drawers:

Hair Products

Mani/Pedi Products

My Dad  would often tell me "if you do what you love, it really isn't work".  He couldn't have been more right.

Would love to hear what some of you do that you are passionate about!  Post your comments here:

Weekend Paint Project

This past weekend my husband and I decided (well I decided and he willingly helped) to paint one of our guest rooms.  Why is it that painting a room always sounds like a lot less work than it really is?  After making way too many trips to the paint store and the local Home Depot, I decided that a paint project checklist was in need. 

I found these two and thought I would share with you.  Of course, you can personalize them to your liking!

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/home-improvement/painting/painting-supplies-checklist-00000000000209/index.html

http://www.homedepot.com/hdus/en_US/DTCCOM/HomePage/Commerce/Building_Supplies/Paint_Sealers_Supplies/Docs/0905_Paint_Proj_Checklist.pdf

Oh, the room isn't finished so stay tuned and I'll reveal the makeover soon!

Happy Organizing!

Scrapbook Organization

It was soooo hot Wednesday that I decided to spend my "4th" inside.  A couple of years ago, I purchased three storage units from the Container Store to keep all of my scrapbooking items organized.  Over time, the containers managed to get a bit untidy.  So, I decided Wednesday was the day to get them back in order.  It was a lot of fun going through them and revisiting some of my purchases that I completely forgot I had.  It rejuvenated me to work on some of my projects. 

I would love to hear how you spent your 4th!! 

You can see a picture of my entire office closet by clicking here and looking under "offices".

Here's a link to The Container Store's scrapbook containers on wheels: http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10012555&N=&Nao=100&Ntt=wheels

4th of July

Some of you may know that I lost my Mom this past April. I miss her dearly and think of her often. She loved decorating for holidays, but particularly loved the Fourth of July! I was on the fence about decorating my table this year, but knew that if she was here she would have wanted me to. So, here's to you, Mom!

I hope everyone enjoys their 4th and makes a point to think of those who have sacrificed so much for us.

Arts & Crafts Closet

Last Friday I spent a few hours transforming a closet that my client stated was "a hopeless cause" into her Arts & Crafts closet. She was so excited when the project was complete that she couldn't stop talking about it! Her granddaughter is coming to spend the week with her and now she will be able to have lots of time doing arts and crafts with everything organized and at her fingertips! This is why I do what I do! 

Be sure to check out some of my other before and after pics by clicking here.