Organizing the Garage

Folks, I'm pretty excited.  Not because our garage and shed are main spaces for beauty and design, but because an organized home is a happy home.  My husband is very handy but he is also a daddy with very few free hours in a day.  Because of this our garage is pretty messy and disorganized.  For the past weeks he has been hard at work insulating and dry walling our garage (it was just studs before) and re building shelves and work benches and painting.  We have gone through everything in storage and purged.  I can't tell you how good this all feels!  It is starting to actually look nice; which for a garage is saying a lot.  He are a few design inspirations we have had for the space.

homeandgarden.nl

countryliving.com

countryliving.com

dukesandduchesses.com

homedit.com

diyncrafts.com

I can't wait to show you the finished product and I hope this has encouraged you to take the plunge and organize your own garage this fall.

What I'm Not

So I went to the store yesterday with my Mom.  One of those big warehouse stores where people with big families shop so they can buy in bulk and save some cash.  I do not have a big family, and in my house it is a miracle if a 1/2 gallon of milk gets used before it expires.  But I went with my Mom anyway, because she asked me to and sometimes I like to do things to keep up the pretense that I am a good daughter.  One of the things I will buy at these warehouse stores, besides larger than normal bottles of alcohol, are magazines.  They are discounted, you see, so I can buy two or three or seven and not feel too bad about it.  Unfortunately, I already had a lot of the magazines that they were selling, but I had to buy something, and that's when I saw this.

BHG

This kind of magazine speaks to me, because it is what I want to be.  I want to tackle clutter in every room!  I want to shop smarter and stop paper pileups today!  In other words, I really, really, really want to be organized.  I want a place for everything and everything in its place.  And I try.  I really do.  Last week (and thankfully this week too) we are on spring break.  Slowly but surely I have been cleaning my house.  And by cleaning I mean making piles of junk that are now residing in my hallway.
Anyway, I wish I could be more organized, and have neat little gadgets and things for all of our stuff.  I can't see that actually happening any time in the near future, but one should always have a goal, right?  In the meantime, I will content myself to look at other people's beautifully organized spaces.  Here are some of my favorites.

image via How to Decorate

image via pinterest

image via Organized Living

image via Houzz

image via Decorology

I love that last picture.  Is it weird to say I even love that toilet?  As far as toilets go, it's pretty, don't you think?
Well, we are off to Disneyland today.  Hopefully.  I could really use a dole whip!  You know, to celebrate all this spring cleaning that I've been doing.

One Thing I Will Never Be

Happy Tuesday!  We're off to my last doctor's appointment for my lasik surgery.  It has been smooth sailing, I've got to say, and that surgery was seriously one of the best decisions I have made.
I thought I'd share a beautifully organized pantry- something I could never achieve!

image via My Little Dream Home

Why can't I achieve this?  Number one- I do not have a pantry like this, so that would be a pretty hard thing to accomplish.  Number two- I am not nearly organized enough and I simply can't stop myself from cluttering things up.  Plus, I think that wine would be gone really quickly if it were in my house.

The apples would rot before we could eat all of them, and what is in the other basket?  Onions?  What the hell are these people making with that many apples and onions?  That would be one weird dinner party.  But I guess if you ply your guests with the wine first, maybe they won't notice you are feeding them  salt, onion and apple pasta.

Hope your Tuesday is fantastic so far!

Organization is Key

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of clothes.  A lot.  I have a hard time getting rid of things.  It seems that almost every time I do, not too soon after, I need at least one of the things I threw out (or gave away, which is what I usually do with my stuff).  Oh, don't get me wrong; I still go through my things periodically and purge.  I am constantly running to the Salvation Army to drop off various donations.  But some stuff I don't want to let go, usually because I still like it, or I think it may come back in style.
I have always regretted that my Mom got rid of all her clothes from when she was younger; looking back at pictures of her, she had some pretty stylish clothes, many of which I would love to wear now.  I know it sounds silly, but I don't want my daughter regretting the same thing when she is older.  There are certain outfits that I may not wear anymore (some of them I have to admit defeat and realize that I am getting too old for them!), but I want the Cat to have a chance at them later.  In order to keep a bunch of stuff for later and not take up space in my closet, organization is key.
I, however, am not very organized.  I wish that wasn't the case, but what are you going to do?!
Target, duh.

1. Threshold Folding Wardrobe 2. IKEA Rattan Basket  3. Room Essentials  4.  CB2 Chalkboard Box

5.  FEED for Target  6.  CB2 Grey Felt Storage Box 7.  IKEA Pallra Box  8.  Rugby Stripe Bins
9.  Smith Hawken Square Basket with chalkboard

Now, not all of those options are from Target, but the one that I got, which is that first one, is. I just got it the other day and set it up in my garage. It was SO easy: you just fold it out, pop in a couple of bars, and then place the covering over it. Easy. I'm pretty happy with it; the only drawback is that it doesn't hold up under a whole lot of weight. That was kind of my own fault, though, as I really tried to load it up. But I still really like it; it is a good size, and I love that it is covered to keep the clothes free from dust. Now I just need to get the rest of my life organized, and I'll be just fine. Thank God for Target, right?

Mary Poppins: Magical and Organized Childrens' Rooms

barnesandnoble

Usually we all find that the book is better than the movie but once in awhile there is the rare exception.  I read the first Mary Poppins book to my son and didn't like it much.  Maybe I should try the other books in the series before I make up my mind, but I'd rather just watch the Disney movie again instead.  

lifespanfaithdevelopement
One of my favorite parts in the movie (especially as a kid) is when Mary Poppins first sees the Children's nursery and it is a disaster, as most childrens' rooms tend to be.  That's when the magic happens: with just a snap of a finger the room tidies itself.  How many times have we wished we could do that?!

threemuttsandababy

Each room of Jane's dollhouse magically "snaps" into place.  It's a reminder that everything should have a place.  Storage in a kid's room is essential to a beautiful and magical childhood bedroom.

cotedetexas

Before we have kids we assume that the above picture is how our child's room will look.  We can picture them in there reading or playing with one toy at a time, everything else is neatly in its place.  I am a mother of two small children and I know it doesn't quite work that way and it isn't easy but it IS possible to have a child's room stay organized (most of the time).  It just requires a bit of problem solving.  

via

First of all, there has got to be a ton of closed and open storage solutions.  Shelves, desks, dressers, side tables, baskets, buckets, bags and all.  Think you have all the storage they will need? Add more!  Also, steer clear of plastic storage bins because there are so many other, far more, attractive options.  

elmueble

What little girl wouldn't love an over-sized dollhouse bookcase.  Add a few boxes and baskets for all the bits and bobs so that it is practical as well as pretty. 

smallfryblog
Kid's have so many little pieces and small items.  I like these jars because they can see where things are.  It can't get much cuter or more practical.

bhg
For very little ones, these baskets are a great way to start them out.  They will love to help put things away in these baskets (and pulling them out again too).  Just make sure they are anchored very well, because most little ones will probably try to climb in.

houzz
I am dying to do this in my kids' closets.  It is perfect for smaller bedrooms where a large dresser may not fit; or in my daughter's case where an extra dresser has become a necessity;)


emilyaclark
Just like in the above room, Lori's daughter uses vintage suitcases for her things.  Such a pretty storage solution.

via
These large fisherman's baskets are perfect for a quick clean-up solution.

There are a ton of attractive storage solutions out there and they make it a "snap" to keep your childrens' rooms a magical sanctuary where they know right where to get their favorite play things and right where to put them back.  You might still have to pester them a bit, but they will learn and enjoy having their spaces tidy after they get into the habit.  My kids do...most of the time.
What do you use for storage in your kids' bedrooms?  We are always looking for new, pretty, options that really work!

Dress Up Box

I found this image on Pinterest and used it as inspiration.

At 3, my daughter is like many little girls: she likes to dress up and pretend to be her favorite characters in movies such as Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, Tinkerbell and Beauty and the Beast.  One exception to the princess generality is that my little girl typically likes to pretend to be the villain or the male lead.  For Christmas this year I wanted my husband to build her this little box/wardrobe to store all of her dress-up things, instead of having them crumpled up in a toy box.  I thought I would snatch up some good deals after Halloween to pre-stock her gift.  I assumed that because she liked princess movies, she would like princess dresses.  Gwenna cleared that up when she asked her Grandma if she could make her a Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty) cape and head-dress.   She also asked Santa to bring her a "cruncher."  I was mystified by her request until I realized that she meant the staff that Maleficent uses.  One of her favorite scenes is when Maleficent electrocutes her little minions.  What can I say?  She is an odd little thing, and I love her.  I kept the princess dresses, though, because who knows...she may go through that phase, even though I don't care if she ever does.  

Here are the end pieces with recesses for the rod to rest, made out of MDF.

Side rails and rod.

We used an all- in- one- primer/paint but still needed two coats on
most of it.

It was a fairly easy, self-explanatory project.  I might like to add some hooks on the end, like the inspiration dress- up box.  It is great because it teaches her to hang up her clothes and keep things tidy.  It also allows her to see all of her things at once.  

I will post some pictures of Gwenna in her Maleficent costume as soon as the head-dress is completed!