Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Holiday Ready

It's fun to step into the holiday hosting mode with your spaces organized and ready to go.  Granted, I don't imagine Darla will be using her linen closet too much in her hostessing duties...but hey, still nice to have it tidy.


Here's how it started out.

Before

Step One:  Sort

Beach towels

Everyday towels

Blankets

Bedding


Step Two:  Purge

Darla and I went through every item and got rid of things that were not being used...two garbage bags full to donate!



Step Three:  Organize

I folded up the remaining items and organized them into the closet.

Since beach towels are not in use as often, I put them on the top shelf, along with the extra duvet for the master bedroom.  Everyday towels are at eye level as well as extra bedding.



Containers hold various items that are stored here...batteries and flashlights, extension cords, haircutting kit, etc..  Toilet paper is low for easy access to the entire family.



On the floor, blankets...easy to grab when kids are building forts.



On the door I stored light bulbs and the hot water bottle.



Tips:

Take toilet paper and kleenex out of its wrapping for easy access.

Store face clothes in their own bin to keep them  tidy.

Throw blankets in a box or bin and don't worry about folding. 

Time elapsed:  one hour
























I also did a quick organize of the tea towel bin.

Before

You guessed it.  Sort.  Purge.  Organize.



Hostess ready.



Merry Christmas Everyone!







Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you God!

I feel God needs a public shout out for an amazing miracle he performed in our family.  My 78 year old Dad went through the ice on his quad on Friday and was in the water for 30 minutes before he was able to claw his way out with a screw driver in his jacket pocket.  He made it to shore and is doing fine.  When I think of what our Christmas could have looked like I am overwhelmed with thankfulness to God for saving our sweet Papa.  
Thank-you Jesus.


Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Gift of Me

It occurred to me recently that those of you out there still working on that Christmas list may like to know that I do gift certificates.  If you have a friend or family member who might enjoy their space rearranged or reorganized and prettied up, I am available for $30/hour.  I consult via email free of charge before tackling a project.  That crazy and exciting New Year, when suddenly everyone feels the overwhelming urge to purge and organize is fast approaching!!

Okay.  Now, suggesting myself as a gift feels a bit scary to me. You know...it just feels weird to put yourself out there like that.  So, I decided that we should talk about RISK as a closer to this advertisement.

There are not many things you can tackle in the decorating and organizing realm that cannot be undone.  So many people are afraid to even move their living room around.  Paint can be covered over guys!  If you don't want holes in your walls, tape up paper before you hang.  Measure everything.  But there comes a time when you just gotta DO IT.

My friend Kristin and I recently decided that her living room would feel so much more spacious if we moved her huge leather chair to her bedroom...upstairs.  Now normally we'd call on a handy hubby but there were none available so, we risked it.  

And yes...there is the chair.  Stuck.  Midway up we had to stop and remove the legs.



But after a lot of pushing and shoving and laughing, ta-da!  It made it to the destination and looks lovely.



And if it hadn't fit up the stairs or looked good, well, we would have moved it back!  Yes...it would have taken time but so what?  At least we would have known and could then move on to a different plan.

So what have you been thinking of doing that you just keep putting off cause it feels a little risky?  My risk today was to advertise myself.  
What's YOURS?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Merry Christmas

I had the very lovely privilege of decorating Darla's house for Christmas again this year.  
Have a look...

Keeping items up high gives big impact but keeps decor out of the way.





Switching Christmas items for your regular decor helps avoid clutter during the busy holiday season.









In the kitchen it was easy to keep the white platters as a backdrop and just switch out the extras to seasonal items.








Have fun with your decorating...here Darla popped in a little Jet's fever.



Holiday guests are sure to visit your powder room, so don't forget to add some holiday towels and soap.


Sunday, November 20, 2011

Playdate

While the little girls played, 



the big girls did some P~O.  You know...pretty organizing?!?  What else can you do on your first trip to see your friend's new house???

Erin has a great new home out in the country.  She wanted her record player to have a different spot, so, we moved it and hung some great art by her sister.



We worked on the mantel...more great art by Jenny.  But then we were stumped.  We tried to balance it with vases, bowls but nothing worked.  So we headed outside in the first snow and cut some branches.  Never overlook sweet nature as a place to find (free) decor.



The book shelf got sorted and arranged.  We took some items out that could find new homes and kept things looking clean and pretty.



Then I had my fun with the National Geographics.  HOW many people have such a fab collection of these I ask you?  Well, Erin's husband does and they are amazing and very handy and totally hip.  So this is how I left them.  


Erin ended up having to move them out of her daughter's reach, but that is the fun of decorating...nothing is permanent!  You can move and rearrange and see how you like things and move 'em back if you don't.  

So, take a little risk this week.  Move or arrange something you've been thinking about but have not been brave enough to try.  Change the furniture, hang that picture you've been contemplating...the other day my friend and I removed her kitchen cupboard doors...the sky's the limit.
And you can always put it back!








































Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Back!

It's been awhile. 
 All I can say is...reno life is busy.  We'll talk about that another day though.  Today let's look at Colleen's laundry room.


My friend Colleen has a HUGE room for laundry and storage and even extra space to set up a craft/sewing table.  I went over the other day to help her purge, sort and get things placed efficiently.


Before


Huge right?
Our first task was to create a space for Colleen's scrap booking supplies, gift wrap and sewing items.  Before I arrived, Colleen's swell hubby put up peg board.  We put a table against it and gave her a chair for the craft end and another chair for the sewing end.  We moved a shelf from across the room to the end of the table for additional storage.  Everything got it's own little spot.

Before

After


Let's have a closer look at the peg board.  What a fun invention!  You can buy a wide variety of hooks to hang just about anything.  You could paint it.  You could outline your items on there for a fun look.  Another friend has it on her basement ceiling instead of dropped panels.  Love it!



Next, the storage area.  We went through every cupboard and organized them by category...bedding in one, seasonal decor in another...you get the idea.  

Before


The pink basket holds ironing.
After


The laundry area.
Before


We put all the cleaning supplies in the red box and the green bin is for lone socks.
After


The back corner by the door got tidied as well.
Before


We put the filing cabinet and shredder in the corner as they are not used often, and stacked extra laundry baskets on top.
After


So, let's review.
Before


After

Ahhh...that peaceful feeling that comes when your stuff has it's own spot and you know exactly where it is...priceless.