Gifts | bulletin and magnet board...

I made customized this bulletin / magnetic board for my precious little nephew's first Christmas. I painted the cork board on the left side with orange craft paint, so it would be a little more exciting looking and match his nursery. [I also painted the push pins, because once I start painting I just don't stop.] Also, the gift will totally grow with him, because I'm sure as his room evolves over the years, there will always be plenty of Longhorn's orange around. :)

The cute little wooden jungle animals were originally from his baby shower - I just glued some magnets on the back. The animals make me smile every time I see them, not only because they are so cute, but also from the memory of when we bought them. At one point while my sister was pregnant, I was shopping with my parents at Jo-Ann's and we must have been hilarious to listen to - literally, every aisle we walked into, at least one of us found something the baby would have to have. Everything from fabric, to stickers, to books, to stuffed animals, to little wood animals - we wanted to get him everything. We were probably the most excited, proudest family to ever shop the aisles of Jo-Ann's. :)

And in true, proudest-aunt-ever fashion, here is the adorable little guy with his first snowman...

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a "magazine holder"...

Every once in a while, I'll notice a folder full of photos that I meant to post here and forgot about....oops! Now they are a bit more random, but I'm still going to share them. :)

A long time ago, I mentioned our "magazine holder" in our office. It is actually a wine rack, but works great! I did have to tell Mr. W that I "read it in a magazine" to convince him the idea wasn't crazy though. :)

I'm a teensy obsessed with wine racks. This one was a wedding gift and even though we already had four others in our house, this little one just had to have a home too. And using a wine rack as a magazine holder is a great reason (as if you need a reason) to have a wine rack in every room of the house. :) [See, I liked the idea so much I even used it in a Design Star play along room.]

Keep organized by using white...

I just read "How to KEEP organized in 2010" on Houzz and learned an interesting tip - use white bedding and linens...

"White not only looks professional, it can be cleaned easily and transferred from room to room while keeping a continuity throughout the house. If all-white bedding is too pristine, add splashes of colors with throws, pillows, and color surrounding the bed."

I'm not gonna lie, I've always been a little afraid of white bedding and keeping it looking nice (i.e., not getting make-up on all the pillow cases if I take a nap). But after thinking about it, I guess it makes sense that they would actually be really easy to clean. And after looking around on Houzz for photos including white bedding, I am pretty much sold...

I also love it because white sheets would work perfectly with the bedding set in our master bedroom (below) and the comforter in the guest room. [My wallet and I are both too scared to go to completely white bedding yet!] 

Bed Bath & Beyond

Well, I'm off to scour the Internet for some deals on white sheets! Have a wonderful evening! 

P.S. The sheets that came with our bedding set look waaay whiter in this picture than in person. They are actually a kind of dingy gray.

Office storage boxes...

I love these destination storage boxes from ZGallerie [found here]. They are a little out of my price range, so I will be on the hunt for a comparable set. I am fairly certain I have seen similar boxes at Hobby Lobby...

They would be perfect with the giant wall map we bought for our office. [Photos coming soon, hopefully.]

Peg board organizing...

I like the idea of using peg boards for organization. Here are some ideas...

These hanging baskets aren't quite my style, but with the right baskets for me, I would love this.


I know peg board is not generally considered pretty, but adding trim and color like they did with this Pottery Barn knockoff really dresses it up.
Whoa, organization heaven! How cute are these painted silhouettes? And, even better, nothing would ever be put in the wrong place and you would know right away when something was missing.

There were two big peg boards already hanging in our garage when we bought our house. One of them just might be a recycling station in its next life.

Yes, this is a kid's closet. But the same idea applies to other closets or little spaces as well. A little extra peg board could add up to a lot of extra storage.
And another way to sneak in some extra storage - put it right on the cabinet doors.

Or just cover the walls with peg board. I really like this idea and the others that could be used in our laundry room. Now, if I can just figure out how to incorporate this drying rack idea into my new peg board obsession, I would be set. :)

OTC organizing ideas...

More from the Oriental Trading catalog...this time focusing on organizing my growing collection of random ribbon. I like both of these ribbon organizers - either to make my own version or just buy one like a normal person. One way or the other, I'd like something similar in our office...even though my husband frequently reminds me that it is an office and not a craft room. Oh well, my cool organizer can always go in the closet.

Two-dowel wall unit

Lazy Susan organizer

Getting organized with lists...

If possible, life seems even busier right now for my husband and I than normal. With balancing work, traveling, a new puppy and just life in general, we could definitely use a little extra organization these days.

So, I made lists to help us get organized before each week - what's for dinner and what we have going on...
And lists for us to jot down things to get done and what we need from the store, with a little spiritual motivation thrown in also...

The plan is to print them off when I get back home, cut 'em out and put 'em to use in our kitchen to help organize our lives. I actually first made them to better match our kitchen, which is decorated with items like this from Bed Bath & Beyond...

We have this framed print and the matching trivets, coasters and ceramic pot [holding our cooking utensils]. So, I thought the lists should coordinate with the colors, like this...

But then I remembered that I want to keep them in the cabinet like they did here at Young House Love...

So, I changed the colors. But since I am stuck in a hotel and can't print them yet anyways, the colors, style, etc. will probably all change again by the time I get home.

[By the way this part of my mini-kitchen makeover I am planning. And by mini, I mean very mini, like $20 mini. But still fun. Stay tuned for the small improvements until my husband lets me do this. Or until we win the lottery and can install real granite countertops. :)]

E-stationary, labels, and more...

I just got the cutest e-thank you from this marvelous girl. Check out all of the fun, free e-stationary at iomoi. Adorable.

They also have tons of fun items to buy. I love labels of all types, so of course I liked the address labels and gift tags. [I'm actually a mega dork and have already been thinking about making custom tags for all our Christmas gifts this year.] This site has great ideas for bright, graphic labels.

I also love the handmade lucite trays. I can honestly think of a reason I need one in every room of our house. :)

Office accessories...

There is something about being away from home that makes me really motivated to do home projects. Tonight, I am wishing I could be home to finally get our office organized. We are painting the room in just two weeks. Then, we will finally be able to put the desk together. And then, we will finally be able to decorate!!!

I am planning for some crazy amazing organizing to take place. Can't wait! The plan is to use unique containers for storage and make the room feel inspiring. [And I'm secretly planning to sneak in some girlier, craftier, prettier items too. But, shhhh, don't tell my husband.] Check out some inspiration accessories...

inspiration from Ballard Designs

inspiration from Pottery Barn

Anthropologie

inspiration from

[I don't know what happened to some of the pictures in these last two...but if you click on them, you'll be able to see the missing items. It's kind of just a big accidental surprise.]

So, some of the items are definitely not realistic for me to buy...but they are inspiring some great crafty thoughts. Like adding numbers/letters to glass jars, recovering a bulletin board we already have, making my own chalkboard hanging tags, designing my own notepads, and so much more! Stay tuned for office updates. :)

Loving labels...

I'm not sure when my obsession started...but I absolutely love labels. If I had my way, I would label everything, so I was very glad to see I am not alone. Check out this post from iDiY for some fun labels and ideas. Actually, check out all four fun posts with free labels - which inspired me to come up with some of my own designs.

Ideas:

• The ones in the first row would be bright and fun for items in the kitchen.
• The second row would make perfect mailing labels.
• I can already imagine the third row on folders.
• The bottom left is very similar to the labels I made for my plastic tubs.
• And the thought bubbles would be a great way to label a binder with all the random ideas I tear out of magazines.

I see lots more labeling in my future...like right when I get home from West Virginia!