Things I LIKE Right Now...

Flats
The time for flip flops is quickly drawing to a close, and I am enjoying breaking out the cute and comfortable shoes I haven't really worn all summer! I love the pop of color these
red loafers add to just about any outfit.


Scarves and other cool-weather accessories
As the temperatures gradually drop, I enjoy finding ways to layer clothing into outfits that are both stylish and warm! This multi-colored scarf (a recent New York & Co. purchase) goes with a lot of different pieces in my fall wardrobe and just throwing it on over a plain tee spruces up my look.

More to come....

Evolution of a Dining Room

Well, last weekend's closet "makeover" was a quickie. We were in and out of that one in a matter of hours. This next project has been a long time coming. I spend at least a couple of hours each week envisioning how I could improve the appearance of our living space... whether it be new linens for the master bedroom, a clean rug for the bathroom, or just a re-arrangement of furniture to freshen things up.

The dining room table we used since we got married was one DH has had since college, a great Kmart pick-up by my wonderful MiL (aka mother-in-law; and "DH" is for dear husband, for those who don't know). It's worked pretty well for the past several years, but I've been yearning to fill the dining space we acquired ever since moving into a new apartment in 2009. Here is what it looked like for pretty much the first 1 1/2 years of living here...

Around the beginning of this summer, I decided it was time to spruce things up a bit, even if we could make major changes (like painting). I did put some paint samples on the wall for a couple weeks, but DH was adamantly against it (even though he wouldn't be the one painting). But there were certainly other things I could do.... shifting the furniture and a few great purchases made all the difference.


The rug, from World Market, was a steal coming in at $35! The other new purchases include the two throw pillow on the chairs ($7 apiece), some fake apples (in the bowl on the green hutch), and a few other knick knacks. The mirror and candle-holders (un-hung in this photo) were pieces we already owned that were sitting around elsewhere. So the room sat like this for a little while... until today! We are regular World Market shoppers and during our closet-makeover shopping trip last weekend, we happened to stop in for a little look-see. There we saw a dining set that fit our various specifications (style, size, color, wood-grain, etc.) and was 50% off! Well, we didn't buy it that day (you can never be too hasty about an investment like this), but we had been considering a new dining set for a while so it wasn't a discussion we hadn't had before. That being said, after a week of consideration.... we decided to go for it! And here are the lovely results:

DH was not so happy about getting this thing home from the store and assembled from the six very heavy boxes it came in, but it only took about 4 hours start to finish (with a lunch break in between) and I think the results are pretty perfect. It's a set that will last us a lifetime, and I really think it fits our dining space well. It seats 6 (or even up to 8) in this setting, but it also came with extensions for each end that would seat up to 10! And did you notice that the hideous old hanging lighting is gone? I just wasn't feeling the stained glass lanterns, so the building engineer was kind enough to replace those with a less obtrusive fixture.

So, all I have to say now is... dinner party at our house, anyone?

Everything in its place...

I don't consider myself a "type A" person (although I can't vouch for the opinions of anyone else who knows me) and I can certainly be messy in my own right..... but I do occasionally feel the urge to organize and deep clean. This weekend happened to be one of those magical times. I'm sure it had something to do with the changing seasons and the need to start switching out my Summer shorts for Fall cardigans (yes, I switch out my clothes every 6 months; a habit probably acquired from owning two sets of clothing separated by my time in college going between Georgia and Michigan climates...you really don't need too many heavy coats during a GA winter). So, this weekend, I undertook the task of cleaning/organizing the closet I share with DH and making the wardrobe switch-a-roo.

Here's some before shots (it's bad, I know....but necessary for the sake of the post):


I knew this project would require more organizational helpers (boxes, etc.) than I had hanging around the house, so I gave myself a $100 budget to work with. With that and some measurements of my available space and a prepared wishlist from their online store, I headed to our local Container Store. [I pre-shopped online because I wanted to know the exact measurements of the products beforehand.... measuring in the store doesn't always work so well]. I came out armed with plastic and canvas containers to rein in my clothing nightmare:
If you're looking for a cheap solution, I would not recommend Container Store, they can be a tad pricey. I usually prefer to keep my costs low, but in the interest of a quick fix I was OK with the price-tag for these items.... this time. I did manage to stay within my budget, though, topping out at $99.09!

The entire process of shopping, organizing, etc., took me an entire afternoon.... so about 5 hours. But it was a fun time! I put some music on and enjoyed the process of going through my clothes, sorting into three piles: "Keep", "Give Away", "Throw Away". DH even joined in to help! We ended up with three full bags of clothing/shoes, etc. to donate. I know that economizing my wardrobe will make putting together outfits a little easier (not so many options!), and it keeps me aware of what I own so I don't buy something similar to what I already have. Here are some more great tips from one of my favorite blogs if you're interested in culling your clothing: Young House Love.

So, after all that, here's the end result!

It may be a tad difficult to see the difference since framing the shots in such a tiny space was a project in and of itself! But I'm enamored with the end results. Everything feels much more contained and organized. I especially love the canvas bins. They are labeled according to the contents and (currently) everything in them is nice, neat and folded. But, if I end up throwing things in a little messy at least they'll be hidden from view! I even managed to give DH some more space for his shoes (although my collection is clearly larger), after freeing up some shelf space. The upper shelf on the left contains bins of out-of-season clothing and extra bedding. There's even a little room left for future accumulations on the other upper shelf! Imagine that.

So, there it is. One-day closet makeover! Let's hope it stays nice and neat from now on. :)