Laundry *Room* Re-Do!

TWO (2) weeks since I've last shared some love with you?!?! Really? Well, if it makes you feel any better I haven't posted on my family blog either so I'm sorta slackin' everywhere, but remember this post about summertime? I've been true to every word of it and we have been kickin' it every day, night, and waking hour playing! Mr. Sweet Love had the last 2 weeks off of school (the break between summer and fall classes) so we have been soaking up every second of having him home more before he disappears again for the next-and LAST!-8 months (which means of course that I will re-appear here:) ). But while he's doing some new cell-phone shopping (he's been waiting for his upgrade for months and is drooling over words I can't even pronounce), I thought I'd sneak in a little blog time and share with you my Laundry *Room* Renovation. *Room* because it's technically just a closet :).

Keeping in mind that we're in a rental and can't paint, add wallpaper, add shelving, or new lighting, etc., this is what I came up with to organize our space using LOTS of inspiration from this post of Kelsey's over at Tattered and Inked.

Before-seriously. This room was not staged to look this bad before I took the picture, it really was this bad.


Alllllmmossst ready...


AND after!


A little closer up view so I can break it down for ya!


Starting off to the left, on the wall to the left of the washing machine is a free printable, also created and provided by Kelsey at Tattered and Inked, I just printed it off at home and framed it in a frame I already had.


I picked up 2 hanging baskets from Home Depot for about $5 each to take advantage of the space underneath the shelf as well as the space above (b/c remember we can't add any shelving of our own!). I love that I can hang hangers and clothespins from it as well as use the basket to hold different small laundry items.


Just to jazz up the space a little, but not wanting to add any more holes to the wall (I really would have loved to hang up old cabinets here like Kelsey did in her laundry room) I used these chalkboard stickers I found at the dollar store (2 in the pack for $1) to write Wash, Dry and Lost Socks on.


My second hanging basket holds dryer sheets and old microfiber cloths used for cleaning.


On this plate screwed into the wall on the right side of the dryer, I added this vinyl quote that I've seen around the blog world just using my cricut to cut the vinyl. I added a shower suction cup underneath to catch anything and everything that comes out of those pockets before they get washed. (this may or may not be the result of having previously washed my husbands wallet) $ in picture not staged-I typically find about $10 a month in pockets doing laundry- Finders Keepers!


Off to the right side of the dryer I added 2 mesh hampers for dirty towels and a small trashcan (all from the $store).


Besides the brown basket on the top shelf for cleaning supplies (which used to be under the kitchen sink) and the 3 tiered drawer unit used to hold "stuff"-light bulbs, soap, extra cleaning supplies...you know just the junk that you don't really have a designated space for but you don't need to get to very often-is...


...a laundry soap dispenser (drink dispenser purchased at walmart on clearance for $2 about a month ago) and...


...a glass bowl for my oxi clean (purchased at a thrift store for $1). Vinyl letters cut using my cricut.


One of my FAVORITE things I added to this room are the 3M hooks on the insides of the doors. I use them to hang up damp bathing suits or shirts right out of the dryer if I know I'm not going to be able to get to the folding of clothes for awhile (or more realistically...b/c the Mr. thought he did the laundry b/c he threw a load into the washer and then the dryer, where it will sit until I can get a chance to fold it. The act of putting laundry into a machine is not laundry. Folding and putting away clothes is doing laundry. Just so you know.)


And one last look. Ahhhhhh. I love a fresh, clean space.


Thank you SO SO SO much for stopping by and takin' a looksy today! Don't worry, I promise there won't be another 2 week absence so stay tuned... :) Love yall!

Coat Closet turned Crafty Space

HeLlO friends!! How are you?! I'm good thanks (cause I'm sure you're asking me too) and I just wanted to stop in for a quick sec today and share a little organization project I finished up! I present to you...

The COAT closet turned CRAFTY space!


We're currently in a rental home and have the perfect amount of space for 4 people. We have just what we need, but in the year and a half that we've lived here we have completely maxed out that space! (Isn't that funny...even if you move somewhere bigger you magically fill it and still feel like everyone's still living on top of each other! ha ha!) So even though we still "fit" in this house there is NO extra space! Enter...creativity, organization toys, and using height to maximize your space.

I had my "crafty" things spread out throughout all 3 bedrooms, some in this coat closet and some under my bed. It was ridiculous! It got to the point where I KNEW that I had that specific color paint somewhere but I could NOT remember which location it had been stored so I just went and bought a new one. Those times are NO more! I wish wish WISH I had taken a before picture so you could truly appreciate this space (only my husband really "gets" it because he was the only person allowed to see behind this door) for what it is now, but trust me. I rock. Granted it's still not a large space (just about 3 feet by 4 feet) but now everything is in ONE place and I can SEE where it all is! Someday I'll get my dream craft room, but for now I'm perfectly happy with this!!


I had some old mason jars from canning peaches a few years back (ya...definitely just a one time thing for me) and they work great for keeping ribbon organized by color!


This 4 tiered white shelving thing (purchased at Walmart for $10) is the only thing I bought for this space. I knew I wanted to stack something on top of the 3 drawer plastic organizer I already had so that I could take advantage of the height in the closet. I also knew I needed something that was open so that things would be easily accessible. The white baskets I also got from Walmart for $1 each after easter and had them stuffed under my bed-I think they serve a better purpose this way. :)


My daughter had this shoe organizer hanging in her closet with exactly 2 pairs of shoes in it. Ya, I'll go ahead and take that. It's the perfect addition for a small craft space since it is Loooong and narrow.


I've had this little travel organizer since high school and it was sitting EMPTY in the back of my bedroom closet. It works great to hold all my little knick-knack craft stuff-googly eyes, pom poms, glue, tape, etc.


There's also a large brown basket on the floor (It was too big to fit on top of any of the shelves) that I also got at Walmart on clearance (2 baskets for $3) about 2 weeks before I decided to organize this closet. I had intended to use them in the bathrooms, but I needed somewhere to put all the big flowers I use to make hairbows. I don't love it there, but it's not in the way and it serves a purpose so I'm living with it. :)


"Where are all the coats?" Is the first thing my husband said when I opened this door. "Does it matter?!" I shrieked "Look at this beautiful, organized space!" "It's nice Angela." he says, "No really it is. But seriously what are we going to do for the 8 mo. of winter we have here?" "Uh...I don't know...I wasn't really thinking about that. Don't worry, I'll think of something by then!" ha ha-oh well!

Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer

In case you missed it here's the guest post I did a few weeks back over on Jessa Jill...

Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer:

While I was down visiting my family a couple weeks ago, I noticed my 16 year old sister had jewelry everyyyywherrrre! And since the kidlets and I were staying in her room (and they love jewelry possibly even more than I do-yep even my little boy) they were constantly getting into it. I figured rather than have to buy her all new jewelry I'd just make her something to store it all on so I wouldn't have to keep little hands out of it. And it's SO cute so why not?!


Here's a quick tutorial in case you want to make your own!

First I found a cheap $2 frame at a thrift store:


My sister picked out the colors that she wanted and she chose this pretty aqua/turquoisy color :)


Next the hubby and I went and picked up an {ultra} thin piece of plywood from the hardware store and he cut it (using a utility knife since my mom didn't have a saw-the preferred and normal way to cut wood :) ) to fit the frame.




After picking some fabric out of my mom's stash we glued in to the wood using wood glue-making sure to pull tightly against the board so the fabric laid flat.




The finished board fit perfectly, snuggly into the frame as it was, so no extra support was needed to hold it in.


I screwed in 6 medium hooks (that I spray painted black) into the upper portion of the fabric board; meant to be used for necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc.


3 large hooks into the wood on the bottom of the actual frame to hang bigger items like scarves, hats, chunky bracelets, etc.


The very top of the fabric board I was going to screw in 5 small hooks for earrings, and then remembered my sister doesn't have her ears pierced so I didn't end up putting them in, but that's what the empty space on top is for! :)


And that's it! So simple, so cute and so fun for ANY girl ANY age! I'm on the lookout now for the perfect frame to make my own!

Thanks for spending some time with me this week! I'm headed to sunny St. George for the weekend; see you back here next week! Have a Sweetly Lovely day!

Linking this post up to THESE great parties as well as:

28 years OLLLDDDD!

I turned 28 on July 21st. two. eight. It feels older. I remember 16 feeling older. And 21. 16 because I could legally drive and DATE! Something about being able to drive myself to work, school, over to a friends, etc. made me feel drastically more mature than I did on July 20th. My dad took me out on my 16th birthday so he could be my first "date" and I remember feeling a sense of empowerment knowing my freedom leash was getting a little bit longer.

And 21 because I got married 3 days after my 21st birthday and something about being married kind of made me feel grown up. Knowing I was starting a journey that I could only imagine the possiblities of was SO exciting, and gave me hope and encouragement, and inspired me to change. Not who I was altogether (because I kind of love me :)), but just certain...quirks. Things I knew about myself that needed *tweaking* in order to be the wife and mother I wanted to, and knew I could, be. I was ready to grow up. Something about turning 21-about that number- that kind of gave me the internal push I needed to embrace the next adventure.

And now I'm 28. And I feel different. I can't explain it exactly. Maybe 10 years from now when I look back to the 28 year old me, and this time in my life I'll be able to pin point exactly what it is that made this year different for me. But just to sort of describe it, I feel...wiser. Which is weird since I'm pretty much as "blonde" as they come and haven't done anything that would increase my brain capacity-educationally speaking-but I just feel like I understand things a little better now than I have in years past. Which I guess, makes complete sense-the older you get, the more knowledge you gain-but it's different than that.

I think that the older my kids get, the longer I've been married, the closer we get to the end of this forever-a-student-life tunnel, the more I think. About everything. Life, motherhood, marriage, the gospel, womanhood, what I want out of my life, what I want to accomplish personally, and so so much more. And I'm just at peace. Not that I'm not typically at peace with myself, but this time it's different. I'm at total, 100% complete peace with who I am as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, and as a person. NOT that I'm even close to perfect in ANY area of my life, but for-literally-the first time EVER I'm completely OK with that. I have somehow in this CrAzY-move once a year-always having to make new friends-constantly trying to figure out my kids-thanking my lucky stars I have a patient and forgiving husband-one adventure after the next-life, I have figured out how to "bloom where you are planted". And I sort of-hold your breath-like my imperfections. As a matter of fact I embrace them. (I actually left a crooked, vinyl quote on my living room wall for about 6 mo because it felt good to show the world-I'M NOT PERFECT AND I'M OK WITH THAT! I only recently took it down because I re-arranged my living room.)

I am in a different place at 28 than I was at 27. I can't ever say I've been in a bad place in my life; I've been extremely fortunate in that way, but today I am different. Not sure how else to say it, because I feel like comparing these two places, would be like trying to compare Alaska to Hawaii. Both beautiful and good in their own way(from what I've heard and seen pictures of-ha ha!), but very different. I am confident in a way I have never been. I am sure of who I am and I Love me!

This is not to say that I don't have bad days, or meltdowns, or question my parenting methods, or feel like a failure because no matter how honest to goodness I try, I will never be able to cook like my husband, because I absolutely do have them. But now I don't worry when those days come or let those emotions defeat me. I accept them. I allow myself to feel the emotion, I let my husband try to fix my problems (he's a guy, that's what he does, why not let him give it a go? I certainly haven't found the right way...and come to find out-he's usually right. ugh), and then I just let go. I guess in short...I'm a lot less high-strung than I used to be. And whaddya know? Life's a whole lot more fun that way.

So 28. Nice to meet ya, I'm glad you're here.

Summertime!

I can NOT believe it's already August! Stores are stocked with spiral notebooks in every color, patiently waiting to be filled with algebra equations and doodling; and boxes of fresh wood pencils eager to be sharpened to a perfect point with pink, crisp erasers ready to erase every monogrammed relationship disappointment (A+R=<3 A+J=<3 A+B=<3 ) passionately sketched onto abandoned homework assignments. Aisles are brimming with everything the freshman college student needs to survive dorm life and their first year away from home-including books on How to Avoid the 'freshman 15' and The idiots guide to not dying all your white clothes pink...aka laundry. Where were all these cute shower curtain choices when I went to college? I'm pretty sure my choices lied between Hello Kitty (NOT an option) and monochromatic shades of black. I digress. I miss the cheap sand toys, the over-sized, plush beach towels, the double barrel- super soaker- could possibly leave welts on your body-water guns and bottles of sunscreen with every spf level from 5 (honestly what's the point there?) to 90 (why even go out in the sun?) being the first thing I see when I walk into any retail joint. Just passing through an isle of beach balls and sand pails makes me want to eat a popsicle and sing California Gurls (Katy Perry). I don't mind the excitement that August/September brings with it, but seeing all the stores so...prepared is just another harsh reminder for me that days like these are almost just a memory of 2011....








This last week we had a special visit from Grandma and my sister and it was fun to have them experience a little *summer* with us!


Summertime is tan lined bodies, popsicle stained chins, consistently dirty bare feet, flip flops, little bodies sticky from bugspray and smelling like sunscreen. Cups full of ice cold lemonade and driveways filled with sidewalk chalk stick figures. Tired eyes at the end of a busy, outdoor, run-till-you-can't-breathe filled day and then falling exhausted into bed with an 'I love you mom', barely audible, coming out of their tiny, kissable lips . I think I know what the next 30 days will be like at our house. Summertime.

I'm sharing these sweet photos over at Sweet Little Gals photo swap!

Car Organizer

You may have seen this car organizer from Decor-ganzie Crafts made from a shoe organizer around the blogs you peruse, or maybe you remember seeing it here as I featured it awhile back, but I have been wanting one for myself ever since I saw it!


Especially when she posted her embellished version-using duct tape!


When I was scouring our dollar store for some organization items for my laundry room (I'm pretty excited to show yall it!), I came across the 5 pocket organizer Heather used for hers and bought...a few :). I haven't embellished mine yet-just waiting to come across the perfect duct tape:)- but it still has cleaned up our car immensely! Love it!


Now when my vampire children squeal the moment sunshine pierces their beady little eyes, I can quickly and safely (versus twisting my neck in all sorts of uncomfortable and unnatural ways to find them buried under a seat or in between car seats) find them and all voices can return to a more pleasant pitch level. Just a quick reach behind the seat and voila!


Tissues for their snotty runny little noses? Check. Oh car organizer how I love thee.


And oh my little readers, how I love thee! :) Thanks for popping in to say hello! Have a wonderful, fantablous Monday! (And happy AUGUST! what?!)