Utilizing Wall Space

As I have alluded to in other posts, I really like being organized. :) There is something about seeing a group of items neatly organized that warms my soul. Plus, being organized makes it a lot easier for me to be clean. How is this not a win-win?

Recently I organized some stuff around the house that gave me more space and a cleaner home. I was particularly thrilled that I was able to get these done because I've noticed them for a long time and have been putting them off. They were really easy to do, I just was too busy and full of excuses to get them done.

The first organization project was in my closet. I have accumulated a collection of purses and needed to me able to find a way to more beautifully store them in my closet. What? Women and purses? That's never and issue is it? I hate it when I'm so stereotypical...

Before they were just sort of crammed up in the top of the closet and as I took some out and put them back it just steadily became more and more of a disaster. Britney, my fabulous roomie, had a purse organizer that she was no longer utilizing. I traded some pj's I never wore for her organizer and now my purses hang beautifully in my closet. I'm mostly pleased that this little "nook" in my closet is being better utilized.


Cute little bags, all in a row.

The next little project was one in the garage. Since buying a home I have accumulated some things that all needed a place. The garage already had an organization strip attached to the brick, but I hadn't put all my odds and ends up on it yet. So one day after work, I didn't pull in the garage so that I could have the space to organize it. I was satisfied to get all of my useful tools up where I can easily see them, but to be able to have them out of the way.


My parents stopped by and were jealous of how clean and organized my garage was :)

For the record, I have been making A LOT of progress at the house! This project wasn't really part of the renovation, but I have gotten my butt in gear and completed some projects that I have really needed to get taken care of. So hopefully the posts to follow will be enjoyable as well.

To the peace that a clean house can give a soul,

Boomba

Just a spoon full of sugar...

Sometimes I don't feel like doing things around the house at all. Then a person comes in and asks if I need help and it can make all the difference in the world. Not too long ago Justin was over and saw my curtain rod out, unpacked, but also collecting dust. He asked if I wanted to put it up right now. Right now?! Don't worry, I bought it back in July. Sometimes that is just the push that I need in order to get things done.


We were able to get the curtain rod up that I got at Bed, Bath, & Beyond up with relative ease. I got the curtains at Tuesday Morning for $20, a good deal in my eyes!




After we got the curtains up, he also helped me put up the beautiful clock that my mother gave me for Christmas. Sorry the pictures are blurry! They are from my phone and I was apparently rather shaky.

Sometimes a little help is just what I need to help move things along.

To helping the medicine go down,

Boomba

Not so simple after all

I have like a bazillion little projects around the house that I've been needing to get to. So my next few posts will likely be of these "small victories". So while they aren't terribly exciting... Just be proud of me anyway ;)

One small project I've been needing to get to is finishing the vanity. The middle section still needed the drawer and the door attached to it. No... I didn't finish it, but I took a step in the right direction! I got the faceplate of the drawer back in. I didn't just want a to put the faceplate back on though; I wanted a tip out drawer. You know the ones that are kind of like a secret organization spot? Yeah, we know how I feel about organization :)

So I got this tip out kit from Lowe's and proceeded to install it back onto the faceplate for the vanity. What should have been a twenty minute project took me like two hours. It was ridiculous! The faceplate actually was the front of a drawer so the grooves that it had were of course in the exact spot that needed to have the screws. So then the screws weren't long enough and I had to find more... Luckily I have a bunch of odds and ends on hand. After I finished installing it the first time, it wasn't tall enough, so then I had to do the whole thing over.

But I prevailed!


Now it's closed, but then it...


OPENS!

Now it is a little hidden location that I store my make-up. So I just sit in front of the vanity, tip out my secret drawer, and get going in the morning! It's pretty nice.

To not sweating the small stuff,

Boomba

Better Late than Never

I know that Christmas was almost a month ago, but I never got around to uploading these pictures from my phone. While these aren't really "home improvement" items. I still found them to be an adventure at my first Christmas in the house.

For all my neighbors/coworkers, I decided to make a little Christmas treat. As strange as it sounds, I have a very strong connection to jelly. Not just any jelly, my grandma's apple raspberry jelly.

Whenever I would stay at my grandma's house the breakfast of choice was toast with jelly. So in the morning she would toast me up a slice of bread and cut it into fourths. Now it is important to note that she did not cut it from corner to corner, yielding triangles. She cut it down the middle, yielding me four delicious squares of jelly slathered toast.

I have never had anyone cut my toast that way. It left such a strong impact on my memory, that I can stil close my eyes and see her handing me a plate of toast cut that specific way. You also better believe I have every intention of cutting toast that way for my kids. Just a little way of remembering her and keeping the legacy she left for me alive.

I'm not particularly domestic, but I had the recipe and had my mom come over for the first batch to make sure I did everything right and that the bottles sealed correctly. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Here are some of the pictures of my adventure :)

The cute little jelly bottles, cooling and sealing.


For packaging I got little Christmas decorated Chinese take-out boxes.


Christmas gifts and thoughts of Grandma, all in a row.

The gift was slightly selfish in that I made it so that I could have some. To my credit though, I really did enjoy giving something thoughtful and different to people for Christmas this year.

One of my favorite sights this year was when the Christmas tree started getting surrounded by gifts. My roommate and I would wrap them and put them under the tree throughout the month and it was so fun seeing all the interesting shapes appear to give to those that we loved.

Isn't it cute!?

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

To creating new traditions with old memories,

Boomba