Favorite Pin Friday

Happy Friday!

Traci over at Beneath My Heart has started a new Friday linky party...Favorite "Pin" Friday and since I have been eating, sleeping & breathing Pinterest lately I figured I would join in this week. 

As you may (or may not) know I have slowly (very slowly) been transforming my home.  I finally found my style after years of just throwing stuff together and hating it.  I have a very good friend (whose home I covet) who took me under her wing and pointed me in the right direction.  I have a plan in place and have decided to just do it (after I have a marathon cleaning session this weekend...good thing it calls for rain).

So...my "pin" I actually found today, while browsing another pin when I was supposed to be doing something else...

{source}

The source will bring you directly to Amy's website.  She has some beautiful decor ideas.  I apologize but I couldn't find the actual post that this picture links up to as I was getting an error going from pinterest.

Why is this my favorite "pin" today?  Well, I have been searching for something for the one large wall in my downstairs bath, thinking I wanted open frames and this just screamed at me today when I happened upon it.  I think it will be a trip to Goodwill this weekend for me searching for some frames I can spray paint and hang.

Have a great weekend!

Tracy

52 Weeks of Organizing Week #3: Snack Attack

I am an organizing fool!  I am having so much fun (really, I am) organizing different areas of my home.  I am getting rid of clutter little by little, streamlining process, making things work for me and enjoying the baby steps I have taken.  I have many more projects ahead of me but doing them week by week instead of all at once is really working!

This week I attacked the snack cabinet.  In the process I actually attacked 3 cabinets in my kitchen re-organizing the stuff I took out of the snack cabinet, but I will just tell you about those quickly.

We don't have a pantry (yet...it is on the project list) so everything I have needs to be stored in the kitchen cabinets.  This leads to jam packed cabinets most of the time and lack of space for some items, but it is working for the moment.  I have one cabinet dedicated to snack type items.  Bulk type items were semi-organized on the bottom shelf in some great containers I got from having a Tupperware party a few years back.  The problem was the middle shelf mostly.  It was always a mess and very hard to find anything.  This led to stale snacks and buying duplicate items because Ididn't see it in the cabinet.

Before:

I had been using a clear plastic shoe box in my refrigerator for a few months now to house refrigerated lunch snacks that I make up ahead of time for the week.  I loved this idea because I am prepping everything once and can just grab the bin out of the fridge and fill lunch bags from it.  In it I keep individual baggies of baby carrots, cheese and celery with peanut butter.  I also fill the small round glad containers with ranch dressing (for the carrots), grapes, apple sauce, orange slices, etc.  I throw in yogurts and anything else the kids can take in their lunches that needs to be refrigerated.  I only keep snack items in here.  I can't take credit for the the idea though because I found it in this post by Michelle at Make 5 Dinners in 1 Hour. She makes sandwiches ahead of time too...which would be great, but I prefer to make them that day.

Fridge Snack Bin:

I decided to incorporate the bin idea in the snack cabinet too.  I purchased 2 more plastic bins for $1.50 each at the grocery store.  I decided to fill one with individually bagged crunchy snacks (Smartfood, pretzels, rice cakes, trail mix, etc.) and the other with dessert items (puddings, cookies, granola bars, brownie bites, etc.).  I can fit a lot in those containers, usually enough to only have to fill bags every 2 weeks or so.  The kids love it and it has helped in the morning too.  I pull out all 3 bins and they pick one item out of each to add to their bag while I am making sandwiches.  They know that these bins are only for lunch items.  I still have room for after school snacks on the shelves and the bins below.

Snack bins already for packing lunches - need to do some baking for the dessert bin though:

Snack cabinet after (purged and organized):

I had to move some stuff to other cabinets to make room for the bins, but I am loving it.  I swapped the location of the microwave and coffee maker which opened up oodles of space next to the fridge and eliminated a hot spot for clutter on an underused counter (the microwave now sits where the clutter used to pile).  I can now pour drinks next to the fridge (the glasses are in the cabinet right above the counter) without having to carry them clear across the kitchen for counter space.  Above the coffee pot I cleaned out all the sippy cups (except for 2 for visiting little ones) and extra coffee cups and dedicated it to coffee items only.  The first shelf houses the kid's travel mugs, the coffee grinder and filters.  The second shelf houses coffee cups and the third all of our cappucino/latte items.  This has made the kitchen function so much better.  I got the tip awhile back from Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie and don't know why I didn't do it sooner.  It is amazing how moving just a few things can make things so much easier.

The snack cabinet housed hot cocoa making stuff (like chocolate syrup, cocoa packets, etc.) but the marshmallows were in a different cabinet becasue they never fit.  I consolidated everything into a new cabinet along with a bin that houses dried fruits, raisings and nuts to add to oatmeal.


I have a long way to go to make my kitchen function efficiently but I have a great start already!


Next week I plan on starting to tackle the office/craft room...scary!  Stay tuned.


I am linking up with:

52 Weeks of Organizing week #2: Taming Towels & Toiletries

I am following along with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie and attempting to control the chaos in my house week by week.  I am on week 2 and making progress! 

I shared how I organized my DVD storage area underneath the entertainment center here.  That was week 1 (although I am just now getting to posting it). 

Week 2 I organized the linen closet.  I didn't take before pictures but I can tell you that it was a mess.  I was shoving towels in there, sheets never fit and kept falling off the half of shelf I had to store tham on and extra bottles of shampoo and soap would attack me everytime I opened the door. 

I bribed the hubby to install 2 more shelves (the bottom was just an empty area where I piled blankets and sleeping bags which equaled a big old mess) and I bought some clear containers at Walmart to organize toiletries.  After seeing the final product though...I didn't have to follow through on the bribe...the final result was reward enough.  It is amazing how much extra space I have and my only cost was $12 for the containers because we had the ply wood on hand.

Unforuneatly because of where the closet is positioned in the hallway I cannot get a full length shot without rotating the camera and for some reason blogger keeps flipping the photo on me.  The other shelves are folded towels and sheets.  If I can tweak a new pic, I will post to give you the full view.

The plastic containers hold:
1) extra deodorants and bar soap.
2) toothpaste and tooth brushes. 
3) first aid kit, band aides, etc.
4) summer stuff (sunscreen, aloe, foot powder)


I plan on labeling them at some point, but since they are clear and you can see what is in them easily they are working for now.


On the top shelf are 2 baskets I had in there before that were overflowing with everything I ended up putting in 4 plastic containers.  One holds feminine products and the other holds all of my nail polish, emery boards, etc.  The blue plastic basket holds my iron and accessories (water fill cup, starch, a lint brush and static guard.  My laundry room (or washer and dryer becuase I don't really have a room) is in the basement so I prefer to do the ironing in my bedroom.


Things don't fall on me anymore and I the door actually closes without having to shove things in.  Plus I can see what I have and need.

Oh and please ignore the splash of white on the trim...let's just call it a sneak peak of what is to come!


Next week we are on to the snack cabinet...stay tuned.


I am linking up to:

52 Weeks of Organizing Week #1 : Taming the DVD mess

Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie has issued a year long organizing challenge.  Instead of focusing on getting organized in a one month challenge she has challenged her readers to make small changes weekly to put you on the path to organization and hopefully keep it that way!

Since becoming clutter free and better organized is on my list of priorities this year, I decided to take her challenge and have been slowly tackling my out of control areas.  I love doing it week by week.  I feel I have more time to get things done. Some weeks I might be able to tackle 3 or 4 areas, and other weeks I might be able to just focus on one (although the office might take me a whole month!).  There is no rush, and I am creating good habits by finishing what I started and keeping it organized.

So what have I been up to?

Underneath the entertainment center has always been a huge mess.  This is where I keep all the DVDs and the CDs (those that we still have...we have converted to digital for most of our music).  We have a corner entertainment center so the storage underneath is a very large cabinet but a funny shaped.  I have tried alphabetizing and stacking the DVDs but I had to create several rows to make them all fit.  Not only did this method make things hard to find, but inevitably the kiddos would go looking for something and I would end up with a huge mess each and every time.

Here is the before:

Several months ago I found and fell in love with this baby:

Unfortuneatly after receiving 4 damaged cabinets the company decided that they were just going to reimburse me and not attempt to send me another cabinet.  I was heartbroken because it is exactly what I was looking for, it was gorgeous and looked perfect where I wanted to put it.  I also had my hopes up that the disaster under the entertainment center would soon be solved and I was now back to square one.  They did give me the option of keeping the damaged cabinet and taking a credit.  However, they were only offering me a $40 credit on a $279 piece of furniture and it the top was cracked and the trim all broken.  I could have fixed it but it would have been more than $40 and I really felt the piece was overpriced to begin with.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I picked up some photo/DVD storage boxes at Michael's.  I think they were on sale 3 for $5 and I had a 40% off coupon...score!  I originally intended to organize my photos with them (because I thought I would have the library cabinet), but soon realized they had a greater purpose in life. 

Here is the after:

The boxes house all of our regulary viewed DVDs.  The kid's movies are housed in boxes labeled by letter.  I have my own labeled box (Vampires, Wizards and Pirates) and another houses the movies my hubby and I like to watch.   On the side I still have room to stack our remaining CDs and in back I have a few extra boxes that hold VHS tapes and home videos.  This is so much better and we have managed to stay alphabetized and in order for over 2 weeks now.

Linking up to:

Halloween 2010

I realize it is November 2nd.  I have never been very timely, so 2 days after the fact is really quite an accomplishment for me.

Here is a recap of Halloween 2010:

the pumpkins. 

JT has had his face painted differently everyday this week.

the food. 

each year I attempt to make a ghoulish dinner.  this year...sloppy joe goblins and wormy fries.

love how the jack-o-lanterns look all lit up.  The white pumpkins are my attempt at getting all Martha Stewart, although for some reason the hubby volunteered to drill the holes...I don't think he wanted me touching his power tools.  Doesn't matter....I think they look fabulous!

The kids. 

I claim the hippie and the pumpkin lord.  The hippe costume looked better without the sweatshirt, but it was so dang cold.  The pumpkin lord...well, who knows where that came from.  It has a very elaborate back story...just ask JT.  This was not his original costume, we started the season as Mutt from Indiana Jones, evolved into Stripe the evil gremlin and ended on Halloween as the pumpkin lord...go figure.

 the graveyard. 

Hubby puts it up, I for some reason get stuck taking it down : ( ...ps...it is still up.

the entryway decor

my little hutch in the mudroom.  love the white plate.  hunted everywhere  for the perfect one and found this one at Goodwill for $1.50...the vinyl is from Shelley at Wonderfully Wordy.  The hutch is in need of a makeover (ie., paint job) it is on the long, long list.

one of my favorite displays every year...added the skulls in the vase idea this year.  The idea is all over blog land.  everyone "stole" it from pottery barn.  and...like everyone else, I didn't pay $16 for 6 skulls (or whatever ridiculously crazy amount PB wanted).  I paid $1 for a bag of skulls at Dollar Tree, brushed them with some brown acrylic paint I had on hand, added them to vase I had collecting dust stored in the basement and added some $1 floral moss from Dollar Tree.  The skull came with the husband when I married him.  Or should I say, was part of his Halloween decor...and I love it.  The books, well, I think Harry Potter is so Halloween!

This little piece is new this year too.  I love it.  The vinyl is from Shelley at Wonderfully Wordy.  I picked up a black frame at Walmart for $5 and wah-la...instant trendiness...oh, how I will miss this.  Maybe she will come up with a Christmas/Winter one...hint.  hint.

That is it...off to tackle my huge to do list, so I can start on some fabulous projects I have up my sleeve. 

makeover monday - "the list"

ok, I know it is Tuesday but I can explain the tardiness very easily...my kids are still home for the summer.  If you are a mom with school age children you know what that means...routines don't exist (not for lack of trying) and no matter how great your plan is to accomplish things...they usually don't get done on time (or at all).

Don't get me wrong, I love my kiddos and I love having them home for the summer, but I also love my routine and some structure. Come the end of June to the end of August that structure is thrown out the window and I have come to accept that my routines and to do lists get put on hold. 

As summer is winding down I am trying to cram in every last second of fun with the kids but am also looking forward to getting to work on this house.  So I came up with a plan of action on how I am going to finally make this home something that I am proud of.  A place we can all enjoy as a family.  A place we can call home.

Enter "the list".  I sat down the other day during a brief break in the action and brainstormed everything that I needed to accomplish.  I went room by room and focused on the things that I could do myself, or at least learn to do myself.  I also made a short list of things that I would need to hire a handyman or professional (plumber, electrician) for.  My list filled both sides of a sheet of lined legal size paper...yikes! 

Now I am not talking major overhauls here.  No gutting of kitchens/baths/basements.  This is all cosmetic details (painting, decorating, etc) and minor changes (like replacing the bathroom countertop/sink).  While I would love a brand spanking new kitchen, second floor bathroom, finished basement, siding on the house, front porch, etc.  I realize that those items are beyond my scope right now.  Although I will add that all of those things are on the list for the future wish list and will be done we get ourselves out of debt and can pay cash for a professional to do those jobs for us.  Right now, I am focusing on working with what we have or what is realitively inexpensive that I can learn to do.

After making the list (and taking several deep breaths as I realized how much work I really do have ahead of me), I tried to figure out what I needed to do to start putting my plan into action.  Once the kids go back to school I will have most of my day on Mondays free to work on projects and some time during the rest of the week.  I decided to take the next few weeks to catch up on laundry, putting things away, filing, etc.  Generally taking care of the little things that will eat away at me and distract me from doing what I really want to do. 

I have been stalking checking out a lot of blogs and adding great idea to my inspiraton folder.  I am pretty excited to get started.  I will use Mondays (and sporatic postings throughout the week) starting on August 30th to update you all on what I am working on and what I have accomplished.  I can give you a few things to watch for though that made the list:  refinish/paint staircase, redo master bedroom, spruce up interior doors, paint kitchen and more.

Stay tuned -

Tracy

one of "those" rooms {makeover monday}

do you have one of "those" rooms? 

a room that could be beautiful? should be beautiful? could serve a purpose? you once loved?

a room that has become an unorganized monstrosity? a free for all? a gathering place for all misplaced or homeless items?  a room that you run to shut the door of real quick when the doorbell rings?

I do, I do!  and I am not ashamed (ok, well, I am, maybe just a little, ok...alot)

In fact most of the rooms in my house are disorganized and cluttered (to me) or just plain not finished (ie., needs some serious cosmetic updates or decorating mojo), but this room...this room is the grandaddy of them all.  It has accumulated everything and anything from what belongs in here to things I have no place for or don't have a home for yet.  It is a transitional room and it drives me nuts.  Fortunately it has a door that I can shut...unfortunately the Air Conditioner for the 1st floor is currently in there so I can't shut the door and...it is my office/craft room so I am in it often (although at the moment I couldn't even find a space to create on).

It used to be beautiful.  I used to be functional.  I used to love this room.  Then life happened.  Paper piled up, school projects came home, other home improvement projects ate up my time, supplies for a quick card or my last blog hop never got put away, the kids needed something...etc., etc. and now this room is a mess!

So...this is what I give you for my first Makeover Monday (technically I already made it over with paint and window treatments but now it needs a good organizational makeover so it works):

Ok, so that gives you a view from the door, looking in.  The desk is just as bad piled with things to file and purge.  And lurking near the closet is even more wayward items.  I showed you the pile of stamps because I have plans for these...oh yes I do!

Ok, embarrasing I know...but I also know I am not alone (I have seen your rooms too...) This is my project for the week.  Purging, filing, organizing, finding homes for items, purging again.  I will share my progress (hopefully completed) next week...then on to the next disaster room.

Tracy

from dark & dreary to bright & cheery

I have been {very} slowly trying to turn my house into a home I can be proud of.  We have been here for 6 years now (has it really been that long???) and my house is still someone elses.  Sure I have my furniture in the rooms, my touches here and there but for the most part, I haven't really made this house a home.

I don't know why...it isn't like we are moving again...at least until the kid's have grown and we retire.   Maybe it is because I am afraid of color, but that can be changed right?  Or afraid of putting something on the wall, table, floor, etc. because I might not like it, never even thought of returning it (until a friend told me that was how she turned her house into one she loves).  Maybe it is because I don't really know what my style is, although I am slowly fiinding it.

Anywhoo...one of my goals for 2010 was to finish the house.  Now to me that means doing what can be done.  I am certainly not talking major overhauls (which really need to be done in the kitchen, basement and upstairs bath) I am talking cosmetic changes that I can do...paint, pictures, accessories and a little bit of crown molding.  Here it is July and I am in no way close to that goal (I think it was that fear...lack of style thing).  I don't know what has come over me lately (could it be all the fabulous home decorating blogs I have discovered???) but I WANT to get a move on.  Summer is so hard for that now because I don't have any me time to scour stores and work on fun projects...but Fall will be here soon enough and I can start shopping and bargain hunting.  Til then, I will be loaded up on ideas.

In the meantime, I wanted to share the first part of my home's transformation (file it in the DIY kitchen makeover category).  Keep in mind that the master plan is to have the kitchen gutted and redone professionally in 5 years (keeping my finger's crossed).  So I am not talking replacing floors, cabinets, countertops.  I am talking working with what I have and sprucing it all up with paint. 

I started with the cabinets and went from this:

(Please note this pic is in progress...notice the removed doors...and please excuse the mess.)

To this:

I painted the cabinets in 2 tone colors and replaced the hardware.  I also painted the trim of the window above the sink.  The result...I am really beginning to love the kitchen.  The colors actually almost make the ugly mustard yellow tile look pretty...not too much hope for that floor, but it is a slight improvement. 

Next step is the trim and walls!  I will post more pics when I get that done...hopefully shortly.

I will be sharing more as I slowly transform my house into a home.

Thanks for stopping by -

Tracy

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down....

Are you singing it yet? "when the walls came tumbling down, when the walls came tumbling...." I have been since about noon today and not because I am a Def Leppard fan or anything...but they really, truly did...or I should clarify that the roof came tumbling down.

Yep, you heard me...the roof.

Today's picture is not what I wanted for the picture of the day...funny thing is, I was outside getting ready to take the intended picture of the day when I got sidetracked by a very loud noise. Thinking that the snow on the roof of the garage had finally melted and fallen off due to the heat wave we have been having, I moved out of the way so that I didn't get caught in the avalanche when it fell off the front. After a few minutes, I realized the snow wasn't moving off that roof and went into the house to see if the snow fell off the back...I didn't get far to realize that the noise was snow falling - but not off the roof...but with the roof - right into my house!

We have a screened in sun porch off the back of the mudroom...my favorite place to read a book in the Spring, Summer and warmer Fall nights - especially in a rain storm - well, that porch does not exist as it did just this morning anymore...so with that I give you 042/365:

and a couple more for a better view:

This one is from my bedroom window. Pretty huh?This is actually from on the porch - a great view of the Hot Tub - now doesn't that look inviting?

We are waiting for the Insurance Adjuster to call...keep your fingers crossed that we can claim this and have it fixed. I am impatient as it is - a need it done now type of girl - and waiting for Spring for this monstrous mess to be cleaned up is going to kill me...I just hope we don't have to foot the whole bill.

Tracy