Closet Clean Out

I Love a good clean out; closets, drawers, garages… whatever it may be I love getting rid of the excess.

A couple of weeks ago my mother and I cleaned out her closet. I wanted to share the results as well as some tips to clean and organize your own space.

First you need the time and the energy to see the project through start to finish. When cleaning out a space I always manage to make a huge mess in the process, so keep that in mind as you plan your day. You don’t want to get half way through and have to leave and come back to a huge mess later.

You will also need a large clear space to start, I suggest you use your bed as a sorting station, that way all the clothes or items that come out of the closet have a place to go.

Also get two large garbage bags. One for items that can be donated and one for items that you think you can resell.

Now sort through everything! And I mean everything, my mom always tries to get away with “Oh i’ll go through that later” Trust me, there is no later. Do it all in one sitting and you will thank yourself later.

When sorting keep in mind how often you wear or use the items. Do they fit? Are they in style? Are they functional, practical? My mom had a lot of great stuff in her closet but if she never wears it and it is shoved in the back it’s not doing her any good. Better to have less items that you actually wear than a closet full of things you don’t.

Once you are through the sorting process begin to put things back in a way that is functional for you. Not everyone’s closet should look the same.

Again I like to set aside two bags; one to donate to places like Goodwill and another one of higher quality more current items to try and resell at Buffalo Exchange or any other resale shop of your choosing.

Good luck and enjoy your beautiful new closet!

    

The Bonus of cleaning out my mom’s closet was all of the great finds. Above is a beautiful old clutch she gave to me and my great grandmothers shoes.

-K

Thanksgiving Crafts

I cannot believe it is almost Thanksgiving!

For me, Thanksgiving always marks the end of fall and the beginning of the holiday season. However, for some people (and retailers) it seems like Thanksgiving isn’t even a holiday anymore. I went to the store recently to get some decorations and they didn’t even have any!

This year is my first year hosting Thanksgiving for my family! I am so excited to see family, have some delicious drinks, and eat until we all fall asleep! I have decided on a rustic theme for my decorations and I have used Pinterest to come up with some ideas.

A festive candle.

Perfect for a mantle

Gorgeous wreath.

You can never have too much glitter!

This would look great in a window.

Let me know how your crafts turn out – and have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

-A

Dresser Makeover

I haven’t had or needed a dresser for what seems like forever.  Now, however, my closet is overflowing…so I dug out my childhood dresser for a much needed makeover. 

1. First I had to give it a thorough cleaning. It was pretty grimey so I wiped it down with soap and water and tried to get it as clean as possible.

2. Then I removed all the hardware and sanded down the entire dresser. I used a medium grain sand in case you    were wondering. Sanding is important because it helps remove unwanted blemishes as well as to help the paint better stick to the wood.

3. After sanding I wiped down the dresser again and got ready to paint! Earlier in the week Ashley and I went to The Home Depot and picked out paint. I decided I wanted to paint the dresser white with teal accents. There are however many different kinds of white so make sure you pick carefully. I decided on Pearl Drops and Mermaid Treasure both by Behr. To paint I used a small foam roller (It helps the paint go on smooth and even with no brush strokes to show through).

I painted the whole dresser white. Because the paint is so light it easily shows imperfections, as well as the wood underneath so I did a few coats of the white. I taped off the edges as needed with painters tape and added my teal accents.

4. I wanted to keep the charm of the old dresser but with a more updated feel, so I bought new white knobs and painted the old ones. After everything was painted and dry I just had to screw on the  hard ware , step back and Enjoy!

-K

For the Love of Crayons!

If you were a crayon what color would you be?

Last year I was working at an after school program with first and second graders. At the end of the year I wanted to give my students something special, so I made them crayons. You can do this as a gift or with your own kids or kids you babysit. It can be a fun rainy day activity or just something to do with all your old crayons.

I got the idea from Pinterest and started collecting crayons earlier in the year. I used mostly broken or old crayons in order to recycle them, but any crayons will do. The brighter the better! Dark colors seemed to wash out the other colors and just became dark blobs.

1. I bought silicone baking molds to melt the crayons in.  The silicone makes the crayons easy to pop out and are easier to clean.

2. Make sure all crayons are peeled! (I had students help me with this task, they thought it was fun)

3. Break or chop up crayons into smaller pieces. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.

4. Fill molds with crayons. They will melt and expand so no need to fill them all the way to the top. Half way or three quarters full will do.

5. Place the baking mold on a baking sheet and put in the oven.

The crayons will take about 10-15 minutes to melt. Once they are melted you can take them out of the oven. They will need to cool and harden for the next 10 minutes. Once they have cooled down you will be able to pop them out of the molds. Have fun!

-K

Let’s get organized, organized!

Ashley, Kira, and decorating.

In my head, the title of this post is inspired by this fabulous 80’s song! I was recently catching up on one of my all-time favorite blogs, the wonderful Emily over at Cupcakes and Cashmere, and was totally inspired by her closet organization post from a few months back. I think that changing things up every few months, especially with the switch of the seasons, can be great for anyone.

On my dresser I keep everything that I need on a daily basis and some fun little extras.

I got these fun chevron printed bracelet and necklace holders at Z Gallerie about a year ago. To be honest they are actually a bowl and plate! I think looking out for your favorite patterns and colors should be your top priority next to functionality. It makes a huge difference when grabbing for your favorite bangle or necklace.

Okay, I need to be honest – I just recently fell in love with rings. I have always had a lot, but because they were in a little box I never grabbed one in the morning. Since I got this fun ring and earring holder at Target my life has changed. It makes picking something super easy, and since they are right in front of you all the time it is easy to remember what you have- especially if you have been on a ring buying binge like me! Find whatever ring/earring holder works the best for you – in college my best friend, Amy, put her rings on the ears of a wooden giraffe sculpture she had!

Perfume bottles are so pretty you want to make sure they are a focal point of your dresser. Don’t have them in the back of your cabinet collecting dust. This way it also makes it easier for you to switch it up in the mornings depending on your mood.

Lastly, make sure you bring in as much of you as you can! It’s YOUR room! Include pictures of family and friends, quotes and momentum’s from travels, candles, and what ever is inspiring you at the moment!

Happy organizing!

-A