All posts tagged organization

our home: bathroom style on the cheap

by Megan on May 16, 2013 in our home, style a room with No comments

On our latest apartment adventure, we set out to add some color and style to our bland, boring master bathroom. Every apartment we’ve lived in has had the basic bathroom features that are just bland enough to please everyone. Beige counters, basic cabinets and hardware, nothing fancy. But a room you spend your early mornings and late nights in should be at least a little pretty, right? Why can’t I brush my teeth and look at something colorful and happy? Of course, we don’t have the freedom (or resources) to go with a bathroom remodel, so I wanted to add just a few apartment friendly touches to spruce things up a bit.

The easiest thing you can do? Add art. On the two walls that were big enough for frames, we added some color with free art! I cut an old floral print down to size for the frame by the vanity and, adjacent to the shower, I added some super easy paint chip art. We bought the two white frames from IKEA for $5.00 each. The great thing about them is that they are pretty thin, so they don’t stick out from the wall very much, and they are also plastic. Perfect to protect our DIY art from humidity, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the frames somehow got damaged.

One of the most exciting upgrades was buying new towels! We replaced all of our bath and hand towels with these fluffy ones in sky blue, navy, and white. They are also from IKEA and the quality is actually pretty amazing. Plus the colors lend to a more spa like feel and don’t clash with the cabinetry and wall color that we can’t change.

We also upped our bathroom organization! We bought these awesome corner shower shelves from Target that just suction cup right to the wall. We’re over a month in and they haven’t budged. Plus, the people that make them are smart enough to have slits in the bottoms, so they stay pretty clean as well! No fuss, no muss! (By the way, what it muss??)

And on the counter, I put my extensive collection of glass vessels by turning a square vase and glass votive into storage for cotton balls and q-tips. Totally free and it is worlds better than having packages of bath supplies cluttering up the vanity.

No, it’s not the fanciest makeover. Nor the most impressive. But, hey! We’re not trying to win a beauty contest here! The goal right now is cheap and making, what will hopefully be, our last apartment stylish without spending a ton of dough. (But when we get a house, oh man, y’all better be prepared for the paint and projects to be flying!)

What are some other inexpensive ways to freshen up a bathroom? Share ideas for storage and style below!!

have a home philosophy

by Megan on April 16, 2013 in our home with No comments

The past few weeks have been full of a lot of thinking. You know, like grown up thinking. Such as “where do we want to live?”, “what’s going to be the best for our little family?”, “how can we scrape up enough money over the next year to buy our first house?”. I don’t know how it was when you tackled these questions (if you already have), but they. are. tough!! I feel like that’s part of the reason I’ve been so absent from the blog lately. I’m just feeling so overwhelmed with all these decisions! So, I figure it might be best to start small and create a philosophy for our home.

To me, a home philosophy is important for two reasons.

do what you can print – red autumn

Number one, it’s an easy way to focus your decorating intentions. By living under the manta of “doing more where you are with what you have”, I might find myself buying less random trinkets (because they were on sale) and raiding my crowded craft closet for materials to make some original art myself! If you’re like me and pine over all the pretty things you can buy online (thanks a lot, Pinterest!), a home philosophy like this would definitely come in handy.

black and white wall art – Making it Lovely

But the second reason is the most important. A home philosophy gives you a chance to state clearly how you want to live; what daily life is like in your home. The large, simple, black and white print above from Making it Lovely is a perfect example. Because even though all that pretty stuff is great, it’s not what makes your home “you”. (Feel free to stop me if I get too cheesy!)

hand lettered wisdom – Lisa Congdon

As for me and my home philosophy? I’d have to go with the one right above. “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. That just sings to my quasi-minimalist heart. Because even though I like ‘stuff’, I hate clutter and I don’t what our home to be defined by non-special junk littering every surface. I want it to be clean, calm, and for everything to serve a purpose. Whether it’s the cute yellow vacuum that’s purpose is to clean carpets or the first real piece of art Josh and I bought together as broke college students that just makes me smile with the memory, I want it all to be beautiful or useful.

get organized: shower solutions

by Megan on March 13, 2013 in organization, our home with 1 Comment

Last week, we shared the before pictures of our master bathroom before starting to make it over. One of our big issues was shower storage. Up until now we’ve just been keeping all of our bottles around the sides of the tub, and it was not working out. Gunk would build up super quick and it got to be pretty gross. So, I sought out some alternatives.

In the past, we’ve had one of those hanging shelves that goes over the shower head, but we wanted something a little different. However, I also did not want to get one of those corner units on a pole. After a while, I’ve seen those get pretty gross. But luckily, I found these suction cup corner storage shelves at Target for $7.99 each.

They are perfect!! We’ve had them up for a couple of weeks now and the suction cups haven’t budged! They’ve even got a little area for razors and a hook for loofahs!

Plus, even loaded up with our shower stuff, they look pretty nice!

Now, we’re moving on to art and other fun stuff (like new towelssss!!!)

our home: bland, boring bathroom

by Megan on March 5, 2013 in our home with No comments

Well, we’re on track to get our apartment put together before the summer and the next space on the list is our master bathroom. It is bah-land. I mean really lame. No decor, really no color at all. master-bathroom-makeover-before-3 As you can see, it’s your standard builder-basic apartment bathroom. Pretty much no personality. Plus we’ve got a major mis-match going on with the shower curtain and our towels so the whole room is just not working out.And ever since we’ve moved in, we have just been putting our shampoo and body wash bottles around the sides of the tub, so we definitely need a solution for that. master-bathroom-makeover-before-4

Here’s the plan:

Add some fun, colorful art
Update the shower curtain (or get another one)
Buy new towels (plushhh ones)
Get some sort of shower organization system
Possibly find some temporary method for framing the mirror?

We’ll be having family over in April, so we better get moving!! Stay tuned for updates!

Are you an apartment dweller? What have you done to spruce up your bathroom to make it a little less blegh?? Tips and suggestions are much appreciated!!

that’s a wrap: office reveal

by Megan on January 28, 2013 in on a budget, our home with 5 Comments

So, the office is done. Well, mostly done. There are still a few finishing touches I have planned, but for the most part this room is finished. You might remember what it looked like just a few weeks ago but now, it’s clean, it’s organized, you can actually walk through it without fearing for your life. Overall all, I’d call that a success.

Now, let’s take the tour!

The most obvious change is the fact that you can actually see the floors! (Carpet! Who knew?)

I finally hung up all of the art and frames that we own. There’s still quick a bit of empty space (and yes, that one frame still has the advertisement photo in it), so we’ve got room to grow, but stuff is on the walls which is the main focus! When Josh and I graduated from college, his dad got us a double frame which now houses both of our diplomas which is pretty cool.

By the window is Josh’s workspace. Being a first year teacher, he is in here a lot, so it doesn’t stay neat for long, but he did put in some creative storage solutions like the hanging file folders and wire shelving next to his desk.

Here, you can see the curtains I designed with bleach pens and also one of the Christmas presents I got for Josh, a signed Source Fed poster (which is a news program we watch on YouTube that is hilarious, but still super informative!!)

On the opposite wall is our family calendar (which we snagged on etsy) and more art.

This small bookcase serves as storage for binders and all office supplies.And, in the last turn, we’ve got the door and Josh’s keyboard. You can also see that we hung the curtains super high which makes the ceilings look taller and also takes up that empty visual space about the window and doors.I do want to add something in that space around the rest of the room, but I’m just not sure what yet. Maybe giant confetti shapes or something fun like that!

And that’s our office! Finally functional and a little bit stylish. Like I mentioned, there is room to improve and add over the duration of our time in 816, but just the progress we’ve made is so worth sharing!

Have you overhauled any rooms lately? Discovered any floors you didn’t know existed?

get organized: craft storage solutions!!

by Megan on January 23, 2013 in organization with 2 Comments

I think craft organization is tricky for a lot of people. If you take your crafting seriously, chances are you have a lot of supplies with lots of little pieces and it can be hard to keep it all together and neat. Plus, I don’t know about you, but after I painstakingly finish a project, I hardly feel like cleaning up at all, let alone mess with some intense organizing system. I just want it to be easy and accessible.

And because part of getting the office cleaned up and into shape was getting my crafting accoutrements under control, I thought it’d be fun to share my organizing systems for the products that I have. I spent zero money doing it this past weekend and I feel like I know where everything is and it’s in system that makes sense but isn’t uber demanding. Win win!

Paper: When I buy colored/patterned paper, I usually go for the 12×12 sheets. It makes big cuts easier, but I often end up with scraps that are not small enough to just trash but not big enough to store with my full sheets. So, I cut off all the straggling pieces and put them together in a magazine filer to store. We bought these bright green ones from a Crate & Barrel outlet a while back and it works perfectly. I also use this filer to store any 8.5×11 sheets of paper. My big 12×12 sheets are kept in a large folder to keep them nice and flat.

Fabric: Fabric is another tricky one. Most times I end up with big cuts (1 yard+) and smaller scraps that I want to keep. I used to keep them all in a tote bag together, but it was bulky and impossible to see what all I had. So, I decided to separate them by size and use two different storing methods.

For larger cuts of fabric, I fold it nicely and use pants hangers to store them in the closet. You end up with less wrinkles and it’s much easier just to flip through and see what you’ve got.

For smaller pieces, I found this awesome cassette tape holder from Goodwill for just 99 cents! I just fold up the fabric scraps, put them in the slots, and I can easily see every piece! Almost every time I go to Goodwill I find a cassette holder similar to this so it’s definitely a viable option for anyone interested! This could easily be hung to the wall, which I might do down the road, but for now, just the having the organized storage is enough.

Ribbon: It’s kind of in the same vein as fabric. I store my rolls of ribbon in these boxes from Hobby Lobby. They’ve got a removable dowel inside to hang your rolls on and a window with a slit so you can just pull and cut. I bought them about a year ago, purchasing them one at a time with a 40% coupon on each one to bring the price down from $7.99 to less than $5.00.

For scraps of ribbon, I use a glass jar for storage. It’s pretty easy to see what’s in there, and even though it’s not perfectly stored, I’ve never really had a problem getting anything out.Paint: I love me some craft paint! These little tubes of color get me every time I’m at the craft store! To make it easy, I just stored them in a plastic shoebox bin. They fit perfectly and it’s easy to grab the whole box and go.

I keep my paint brushed in an old coffee can that I covered with some bright orange paper. They’re always in the same spot and it’s easy to grab whatever brush I need. (Another totally free project!)Random crafting: I also used the plastic shoebox method to store some miscellaneous craft supplies such as stamps and ink pads, crayons, map pencils, and glitter. They are things that I use but don’t have a lot of so storing them together makes the most sense.

Stationary: Some people might not consider stationary to be a craft but I’m a big proponent of hand-written letters and a funny card on your birthday so I thought I’d throw it in as well. I used these labeled cardboard boxes that I got from Wal-Mart over four years ago! They’re still in great shape and are perfect for storing cards and envelopes.I also keep any user manuals or product information for things we buy a third labeled box. I always know exactly where it is which makes finding information quickly a lot easier. And that wraps it up. Craft organization doesn’t have to be super rigid and extensive (unless that how you roll!). I find that easy groupings and using what you’ve got is more than enough to keep your crafting heart happy!

How do you store you hobby supplies?

apartment progress

by Megan on January 18, 2013 in our home with 2 Comments

An alternative title for this post would be “Unedited photos of our apartment that will make the finished product look even more awesome.”

I thought it would be fun to start off 2013 with a quick snap-fest of our not-so-new-anymore apartment, 816. They are unedited and mostly a representation of how our apartment looks on a daily basis. Except for the few junk piles that I photographed around, but who hasn’t done that, right? Right?!

First up, the living room. The view hasn’t changed too much. We’ve still got our awesome Ikea bookcase and the bold striped curtains I whipped up out of bed sheets. The biggest change is the addition of my hot pink desk and the gorgeous computer that now sits on top of it. This area doubles as my blogging headquarters and our Netflix theatre!

The dining room looks a little less put together now that our Christmas cards and the hanging leaves have been taken down. But we’re still loving the big, bright canvas art that I made last year. This area is also getting a little makeover, so have no fear! It will be returned to its former glory.

There is definitely nothing super exciting going on in the kitchen. In fact it looks pretty lame. The only difference between this current photo and the one on our (largely outdated) home tour page is that it has all of our kitchen supplies in it (and a pineapple!)

I’m hoping to add some style to this space this year with art and some creative customizing solution0s for apartment dwellers like us.

Still empty hallway. Super boring. Soon to be fixed.

After the living room, the bedroom has made the most progress. We hung our graphic IKEA curtains and tackled a DIY upholstered headboard. I also added a pop of purple to our white lamps with ribbon borders on the tops and bottoms. The best part? It’s 100% removable. I just hot glued the ribbon to itself so nothing is actually attached to the lamps. It makes a nice difference but can be altered down the road.

We really want to spice up this room with some big colorful art. We’ve got a lot of neutrals in the room and it’s just begging for color!

And, lastly, we arrive in the office. I shared these photos earlier this month to explain exactly what we’re working with. This room has been getting the majority of our attention for the past two weeks and we’re hoping to finish it up soon. Details and photos are on the way!

And that’s how our apartment looked on the first day of 2013. We’ve made progress but there’s a long way to go and with any luck, that will be wrapped up nicely before the summer! (Well, that’s the goal anyway.)

Do you kick off the year with a photo home tour to see how far you’ve come? What are you home goals for 2013? We’re still in January so it’s not too late to make them!!

take cover! we’re tackling the office!

by Megan on January 7, 2013 in organization, our home with 6 Comments

It’s the same no matter what apartment we’ve lived in. The office area is always a disaster and it’s never felt done. My biggest home related goal is to get our apartment, 816, whipped into shape and 100% complete before the summer. That way we have at least one solid year of living in a finished space before we have to pack up and move again. But before we start diving into the depths of paper stacks and craft supplies that currently fill our office, we should really reveal the damage… whatever. The worse the before pictures the better the after ones will look, right? Right?!

The primary function of this room is to store all of my craft supplies and holiday decorations and it serves as the primary workspace for Josh. All those papers on the random table in the middle of the room? Yup, that’s his students’ work, so you can imagine that we have a lot of papers going in and out of this space.

Also, you’ll notice there is basically no design to this room. It is a beige box with no art, color, or even curtains. (Don’t worry, though. All of those are on the list!)

If you can remember our “keeping it real post” from last summer, you’d know that the box in the corner below hasn’t moved an inch! It’s full of the art and frames that I wanted to fill the walls with.

On the bright side, we did get our family calendar up, and a new addition is our House Savings Goal tracker! That’s right! We’re saving up to buy a house in a couple of years and this is just a fun way to keep us motivated to save! I also couldn’t resist snatching up that adorable Lego Darth Vadar print from iHEARTbricks on Etsy. It’s titled “Everyone’s a lover sometime” and it’s Vadar on a bicycle with some flowers! We’re Star Wars nerds in this house, so I just had to have it!

So, as you can very plainly see, we’ve got our work cut out for us. And it is my goal to get this room done before February! There, I said it. It’s out there. Now, I’ve got to make it happen!

Here’s our Office To-Do List!

Go through and organize all of my craft supplies in a logical/sane order.
Whip up some DIY curtains for the lone window
Literally fill the walls with all of our fun art/posters/nerdiness
Sort through and determine the necessity of everything in this room!
Implement some systems to make Josh’s work easier in this room
Add a fun and bright backing to the little book case

Just six “simple” tasks standing in the way of an awesome office. Here we go!

Is there a room in your home that always feels undone? Let’s tackle it this year!!

an ornament storybook for your special decorations!

by Megan on December 21, 2012 in celebrate, christmas, make this, organization with 1 Comment

Well, it’s finally the Friday before Christmas and I’m just in time to share the final project on our Christmas To Do list: creating a story book for our special ornaments.

We try to add at least one ornament to our collection every year that has a significant meaning or connection to our little family. Sure, sometimes I buy little random ones like an owl and these cute metal drink glasses from Crate & Barrel to fill out our tree, but my favorites are the ones that have a story behind them.

So, I fired up photoshop and created a template for each page going inside the book. Even though I really loved the idea of having an actual book made for this, I wanted to make sure it could be easily updated with new ornaments, so I chose a red mini binder from staples and also picked up some page protectors to keep my pages looking pristine from year to year.

I chose deep jewel tones for the pages to keep it on the traditional side but still a little unique. I grabbed a cute free font from dafont.com (this one is Learning Curve) and typed up a little explanation of the ornament and the year we got it for each one.

(Yes, I’m an adult and I love Harry Potter. We both do actually! It’s amazing and awesome and I’m not afraid to admit it!)

I still need to create a nice cover page, but I am so in love with how it turned out and I can’t wait to keep adding to it every year. It will be really neat to share with our future kiddos and maybe even pass down.

Do you have a way to remember your special ornaments and decorations? I’d love to hear about them!

get organized for the holidays! {free printables!!}

by Megan on November 13, 2012 in celebrate, do it yourself, freebies, organization with No comments

I don’t know about you guys, but it is a yearly tradition for me to catch the “holiday bug” around the end of August. I just can’t help myself. Fall is my favorite season and I start to crave the warmth and excitement of the later months. And since my husband is faster than me (and also very apt to catching the decorating-crazed look in my eye), I get my holiday high from preparation rather than having to explain why exactly I’m putting up the Christmas tree in September before he has me committed.

My pride and joy as of late has been my Holiday and Party Binder. Its. Got. Everythinggg and it makes my heart happy. Today, I’ll give you a short run down of mine (to help you with yours!) and some free printables so you can get started too! Let’s go!

The first tab is dedicated to “Birthdays!” I’m a big believer in birthdays and try my darndest to make sure all my family gets, at minimum, a nice card. Here, I keep a calendar of all family birthdays and a gift planning worksheet.
Next up is the “Upcoming Holiday” Tab. With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas (which get their own), I lump all holidays into one tab. Here, I keep our “Traditions Checklist” and also any decorating and party planning worksheets. Once the holiday is over, I’ll replace the worksheets with new ones for whatever holiday is next. Pretty Simple.
The next two tabs are “Thanksgiving” and “Christmas”, respectively. They both contain recipes (we have a different menu for each), menu planner, house guest planner, party planner, and a tradition checklist.
“Christmas” also gets a Christmas Card List, a Gift Planner, a General Gift Planner (for hostess/boss/secret santa gifts; we put together a few of one gift to have on hand), and a Gifts Received List (so we can be sure to send out Thank You’s!).
A tab dedicated to “Traveling” helps me keep trip itineraries and packing lists organized.
The last few tabs contain extra blank sheets, sheets from past years, and, at the very back, I keep an “Inspiration” tab. Thanks to Pinterest, this tab is largely unused, but I do have a few magazine pages I save for reference.

Now for the free stuff!

Here are my Gift Planning Worksheet, my General Gift Planner, and my House Guest Planner so you can start your own holiday binder (or add to the one you already have, you savvy thing!). These printables are uncluttered, work for all holidays, and won’t jack up your printer ink bill. I am hoping to get the rest of the planning sheets mentioned available to print, so stay tuned for more.

When it comes to the holidays, do you get an early start or are do you love the later December scramble?

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