Upcycle: Shoebox Storage

It's Sunday, freezing cold outside, and the stores are super busy, so I got out and back home early. Being held up inside is a challenge as I can't sit still long enough to fully relax.

Most of my shoe purchases are from TJ Maxx and so they seldom come with a box, but yesterday I got a box with the boots I bought at TJ's. Given my constant need to be doing something, I saw the box laying there on the floor and remembered I had some houndstooth wrapping paper from my closet project.

shoe box + wrapping paper = cute, quick, easy and cheap storage


Like the answer to the formula says, this project was really easy and didn't take a long time at all. There were only 4 things needed for this: a shoe box, wrapping paper, scissors and tape. 


I pretend to be a perfectionist in many aspects of my life, but this project was not one of them. I really had no idea what I was doing with those corners. The angles I cut were all jagged and incorrect, but we got there.


I eyeballed everything. There were no precise measurements. It is Sunday after all, and I was a bit distracted watching In the Kitchen with David.


Oh, if I had to say how long this took, I would say a full feature of the Ninja slowcooker and something from Temp-tations. That long.


Yes, the upcycled box is inside a new kitchen cabinet! I haven't had a functional kitchen in 8+ weeks. 98.4% of the cabinets are up, so I am trying to get everything organized. The spices will be the death of me.


For someone who is obsessed with baskets and organization, I would definitely recommend this project to anyone who needs some cute storage for very little money. You don't even need to be super crafty to do it.


There are so many cute wrapping paper patterns at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods these days, so I'm slightly disappointed I don't have more shoeboxes around....

-Kristin

Plans for the Kitchen

Greetings and happy Friday. Big things are on the horizon here after a quiet summer thus far (I refuse to believe it's coming to close in a few weeks). The next largest expense next to buying my condo is the kitchen renovation, and let me tell you, this thing is officially ON!

I purchased all of my cabinets, the countertops and the sink during the tax free holiday earlier this month. It's been fun planning and re-planning over the past few months. There are so many things to think about and way too many options.

The kitchen won't be in for several weeks and there is a lot of demo (sans sledgehammers--I would like to either sell or donate my current cabinets) and DIY projects in the very near distance. I thought now was a good time to share what I've got planned for my 10' x 12' kitchen. Ready?


1. Possible fabric for the valance on kitchen window
2. Penny tile in Milk for the backsplash
3. Omega Dynasty shaker style (Manor) full-overlay cabinets in Pearl
4. Caesarstone countertops in London Grey
5. Ceiling light (left) and light over sink (right)
6. Oil rubbed bronze cup pulls
7. Glass and oil rubbed bronze knobs (likely something else less expense but similar look)
8. Delta Leland pull-down faucet possibly in Arctic Stainless
9. Red oak hardwood flooring
10. D-shaped stainless sink with grid

I'm a bit conflicted on the faucet color. I really like the classic look of chrome even more than the look of brushed nickel. Chrome is said to be timeless and that is appealing to me, but it can also come across as cold and really modern/industrial which is not my thing. I also like the look of oil rubbed bronze but that, as far as faucets go, was said to be a trend.

What are your thoughts on trends like these? Do you like polished chrome or brushed nickel? Keep all the metal fixtures the same or mix 'em up?

-Kristin

Bathroom Reveal

Well, my friends, it's about time I finally show you how the full bathroom is looking these days. So much better than when I bought it, that's for sure!

Let's start with a quick walk down memory lane. This is how the party got started:


The bathroom floor had little 2x2 blah tiles, a vanity that was about 3 feet high (it hit me mid-thigh), a toilet that guzzled up, roughly, 3 gallons of water per flush and many other cosmetic issues. No bueno! This bathroom, as purchased, did not feel clean even though they had repainted it the standard builder-white color and scrubbed it clean. Everything was that awful off-white color that begged to be brightened.

I shared a mood board on how I envisioned this bathroom coming together.

And here she is in all her glory today! The paint color is Gray Lake by Benjamin Moore. It's such a beautiful, light, airy and refreshing color.


My dad put in all new trim around the doors and the window and also installed this beautiful ledge for the window. It's definitely a major step up from the drywall that was there before.

My first and foremost plan of action for this bathroom was fulfilling my dream of installing marble floors. You can see how I got that all figured out here. And this is a close up of the floors:


Funny story. As my dad and I were installing the floors we failed to look at the product were using when it was time to grout. We waited around a few minutes only to see that the grout wasn't drying like it should. Turns out we were using the product for actually laying and installing the tile, not grout, and so we scraped it all out and headed for Home Depot (and naturally upon returning home I realized I already had the grout). Fortunately we both found it humorous and did not have any hissy fits.

The toilet was replaced and now this guy only uses up 1.28 gpf and is a mighty flusher.

We installed the towel bar onto the vanity as I didn't want it to take up any wall space. We also changed out the outlets and covers! As small as they are, the white really makes a huge difference in comparison to the previously existing almondy-beige colored ones (which remain throughout the rest of my house).

To keep the space from getting too sterile, I decided on a dark colored vanity that is raised off the floor and exposes the marble beneath which helps it feel lighter visually. 


These hand towels are simple and yet beautiful. They add a nice softness to the space.


I installed this tile inlay in the shower before the full bathroom renovation. Once the bathroom had been renovated those white tiles started to look pretty bad and sad. Maybe someday I'll rip them out and put in more marble. 


This shower curtain is actually two curtain panels, as you can see in the image above. 


And here is the linen closet that I recently got into top-notch organizational shape using baskets and an over-the-door shoe organizer turned extra toiletry organizer.



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I really love how it all came together though there is still some work to do. The walls are bare, so I am on the lookout for art to complete the space. I may also add built-in shelving to the right of the window.

Before we wrap up the reveal, here's a couple side-by-side views.



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Anyone else struggling to cope with bathroom vanities that are easier to use kneeling on the floor? Got builder grade fixtures cramping your style? Recently renovate your bathroom?

- Looking for more paint colors in this family? Check out this and this. -
-Here's some information on choosing a paint color.-

-Kristin

5 Steps to an Organized Linen Closet

Greetings fellow organizers and those who aspire to be!

How do you like the looks of this closet? Yet another pride and joy (seems that I take great pride in all of my closets; see my walk-in here). This is the linen closet in my bathroom.


Below are 5 simple steps that I follow to enjoy the bliss and beauty that is an organized linen closet.

1. Baskets
Baskets are an excellent option and starting point for all organizational needs and spaces because they come in so many shapes, sizes, and colors. The price doesn't necessarily need to be excessive either if you purchase them from places like HomeGoods or Christmas Tree Shops.

2. Store Like Items with Like Items
Top Shelf: extra toilet paper
Second shelf: the lidded basket contains first aid supplies, band-aids, Q tips, and toothpaste; those plastic drawers are empty though it used to house my makeup.
Third shelf: washcloths are to the left in the small, floral box, towels are folded and centered, and my hair towels (yes, I have smaller towels for my hair) are rolled up and stored in a larger version of the floral box.
Bottom Shelf: the lidded basket on the left contains my flat iron and hairdryer and the lidded basket on the right contains all of my travel size toiletries and cosmetic bags.
Floor: empty

3. Remove items from packaging
The packing that a lot of items come in takes up a lot of unnecessary space such as toothpaste boxes. Where possible, remove items from their original packaging to save space. As an additional example, I keep my toothbrushes in their original packing, but I remove my floss from their cardboard packing.

4. It's all in the fold
Truth: like my dad, I like things to be perfectly straight and in alignment. I was the wild child organizing the paper towels and tissue boxes at the grocery store when I went food shopping with my mom (you're welcome, Shaws Supermarket). So, obviously my towels are uniformly folded which conveniently enough happens to allow for more stacking. If your shelving is deep enough you could fold them smaller and get two rows in there.

5. Utilize the back of a door
The back of a door is a great place to store smaller items, especially when space is limited inside of the closet. I had this over-the-door shoe organizer hanging around, so I put it to use in this closet. This closet door is much smaller than your typical door, so I folded the shoe organizer in half. Now it holds extra lotion, body wash, shampoo, razors, and makeup with room to spare that would otherwise be stored under the sink or in a basket on a shelf in this closet.


There's a lot going on in this closet, but it's hard to tell when the baskets coordinate well together. Everything has its own home which makes finding things a breeze.

And, if you notice on the other door, I installed two simple hooks (one shown) to hang my wet towels. They were under $4 each from Home Depot and super easy to install with my power drill.

What other tricks do you have for organizing your linen closet? Does anyone else like to find other creative uses for things in which they weren't originally intended?

-Kristin

Home Tour: Before

On January 31, 2013 I closed on and moved into my second condo. This condo was/is the epitome of builder grade construction to its core. You'll see why in just a moment.

For context, this is a split level condo. The main floor has a large living/dining room, kitchen, and a half bath. The lower level has 2 bedrooms, a full bathroom and a laundry/utility room.

And now, let's take a photo tour of my home before I got my hands on it, shall we?

LIVING/DINING ROOM





KITCHEN



HALF BATHROOM




FIRST BEDROOM




SECOND BEDROOM




FULL BATHROOM





LAUNDRY/UTILITY ROOM




LOWER LEVEL HALLWAY



Pretty much a blank canvas! A beautiful sight to see! So many possibilities!

Given that I live in the city, I like to say that I purchased a deeded parking spot with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. Let's be honest, the only thing I cared about was the deeded parking spot. The deck was a complete bonus! As was the kitchen, living room, dining room, the windows, and the doors. I'm only half joking about this.

-Kristin

An Easy Treat: Yogurt Parfaits

My current food obsession is a nice, generously portioned yogurt parfait. The other day I had one for breakfast which I assembled at work with ingredients from home and for lunch I bought one from a cafe at work. My parfait at breakfast was a very simple, 3-ingredient parfait, but the one I had for lunch actually had finely sliced melon and pineapple in the mix. Quite unexpected but actually very refreshing.

The beauty of a yogurt parfait is that is can be made super fast by dumping everything into a bowl and eating on a regular day, or it can become a beautiful addition to a foodscape at a bridal or baby shower by artfully layering the ingredients in a drinking glass (double or highball), glass bowl, or traditional parfait glass.

Here are the yogurt parfaits I made for my sisters bridal shower last summer.




Ready to make your own yogurt parfaits? Just pick up some of your favorite yogurt, granola, and fruit(s). Gather some glasses or bowls and you're off!


My sister got me into the habit of washing my fruit, and if I were a responsible adult, all of my vegetables. Just add a spritz of this wash on the berries in a bowl, let them sit for about 20 seconds and then rinse and dry. Clean and fresh and ready to mingle with the other ingredients.


For the first layer, I added a generous layer of granola (I LOVE this granola--Stop and Shop brand).


The granola layer was followed up with a layer of yogurt and then blueberries (go ahead and mix your berries and/or melon if you're using a variety).


Next up is another layer of yogurt. For the top, I added a thin layer of granola followed by more blueberries.



As you can tell from the image above, the yogurt clearly ran down through the fruit layer, so to avoid this, I would be sure to add more fruit, especially around the perimeter of the glass.

And now for another view of the beautiful final product I made for my sisters bridal shower last year...



If you will be serving this at a party and want to make this super quick and easy treat in advance, I would suggest skipping the bottom layer of granola so it does not get mushy (I followed this rule for my sisters shower). Add the granola topping and berries/melon shortly before the party starts to ensure that the granola is nice and crunchy. Guests will love it.

Should this become part of your morning breakfast routine or an afternoon snack, you can do what I do and throw everything into a bowl, mix it all together and enjoy! No need to be fancy.

What's better? This is very filling!

Enjoy!

-Kristin

Level and Hung Up

In an effort to reduce the number of nail holes that are created during the process of hanging one relatively level picture, I learned of an easier, less destructive way to handle the task. The appropriate number of nail holes and a level picture? Allow me to sign you up!

Let's start with the supply list:

Painters tape (I use 3M blue tape)
Level
Nails
Hammer
Pen or pencil
Picture

First up is to have the back side of the picture facing you so that you can line a piece of tape with/on the picture hook(s). I went the full length of the picture.


I then used a pen to mark an "X" at the top point of the triangle where the nail would ultimately be positioned when the picture was hung. I did this for both hooks.


I then removed the tape from the back of the picture and placed it on the wall where I wanted it to be hung. Then came the level. I positioned the level against the wall perfectly parallel above the tape. Remove and readjust the tape as needed to get the tape level on the wall. This is the beauty of painters tape.


... annnnddddd, after a couple of readjustments, we are finally level.


Once the tape was level I hammered the nails into position just below the "X" marks I made on the tape where they would be positioned once the picture was hung.


Here she is all hung up ever so proudly.



Anyone else try this method? Another method? Or just simply hold out for some good luck with a side of spackle?

-Kristin