Valentine's Day Decoration

Today, I made a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up scrapbooking paper, felt in pink/white/red, and a little hanging decoration, and glossy black paint.  Here is what I came home and created!

Sorry about the picture being off--but, these are the supplies I used to create my picture frame.  A 12 x 12 piece of scrapbook paper, cut to 8 x 11 1/2.  Glossy black paint, an unused picture frame from around the house.

After 2 coates of paint, I was ready to put it all together!

After removing the glass, I added scrapbook paper, after using a light coating of Mod-Podge to the back of the paper to keep it from slipping around.  (Just in case I need the glass later, I stored it on the back of the frame)

I found this little hanging today at Hobby Lobby.  I really Heart it!  I hot-glued it to the scrapbook paper, then added a felt flower I made to cover up the glue.

Next, I added a felt flower to the lower right corner.  I think I'm going to add 2 smaller flowers, but ran out of red felt!  Need another trip to Hobby Lobby, don't I?

This is the finished product!  I love it!  At first, it was hard to decide where to hang it, but I decided on hanging it in the kitchen.  I Heart my whole family, and this is a way I can show/tell it all day long, every day!



Here it is, hanging in my kitchen!  I hope you like this as much as I do!

I LOVE my family...and here they are:

A different type of organizing...okay...I know, it's not the normal 'organizing'.  However, for me, this was a nice break from the crazy organizing race going on here!  I love it!

Organzing bit-by-bit,

Shari



Laundry and Entry Way

Another project has been completed today!  Living in a mobile home, we don't have a great option for our laundry area.  It is right as we walk in our back door.  I really don't like it, but sometimes you just gotta live with it!  So, I do.  Last year, (I think...) I painted the laundry/entry way and put up a fun border that I picked up at a Thrift Store.

This area also has a closet.  The closet is now a 'coat' closet.  When we first bought the home, it had 3 large shelves with no hanging option.  I took care of that!  This closet also has no door...I took it off and have hung a curtain up.  Obviously, this picture doesn't show the curtain.  I wanted you to see what my closet looks like first.  We use the little basket on the door to hold dryer lint.  A fun way to use my little Longaberger baskets!

 For these pics, I am actually leaning my against our back door!  That's how small the space is!  Originally, there was just a plain 'ol shelf above the w/d.  I took that down and put up this wonderful cupboard and clothing bar!

The basket on the shelf holds my fabric sheets.  The old bobbins on top are just a few in my collection!  I don't know how well you can see them, but the old "boric acid" and "Palmolive" jar are from my aunt who passed away many years ago. 

Here's what I have in my cupboard.  I just wish I could get my laundry soap

in here, too.  It's just a little too big!  I'm trying to think of another creative way to store my liquid soap...any ideas out there?

Here is our shoe storage.  I wish I had taken a 'before' pic so you could see the wonderful improvement.  This was Joel's idea...and I didn't like it.  But, today, while he was gone, I decided to try it!  And...thanks, honey...I like it!

Well, there you have it...again!  The finished product.  You can see the curtain hanging in the doorway now.  This view is taken from the doorway of my kitchen.  I love how it looks...so nice and peaceful!

I added one more thing...do you notice what it is?  You guessed it!
A candle greeted my hubby tonight as he came home.  Just another way to have peace in our home.

Organizing bit-by-bit,

Shari

Special Dishes cupboard

Well, here is another project completed!  Yes!  I cringed every time I opened this cupboard...can you see why?

I just knew something was going to fall out when I opened the doors!  This is the cupboard that is between a wall and the refrigerator.  It started out being for my glass serving dishes...boy, do things sure change!  This took about 5-6 years!  LOL!

Well, I did it!  Here is what my cupboard now looks like:

All my special serving dishes are on the top shelf.  I know the paper towels are ugly, but they're protecting the dishes from each other.  I don't know what else to do. 

On the bottom shelf, I found a basket that I had around the house, and placed all my seasonal salt and pepper shakers in there.  The kids occassionally use straws, so they are in a plastic cup on the right side.  I like to use a small glass pitcher for pancake syrup and a couple of other misc. glass pitchers.

There you have it!  Yet another quick and easy organizing project completed...and it's done...bit-by-bit!

Shari

My day today...

Today was a very profitable day as far as de-cluttering and organizing goes.  I had the whole house to myself and decided to get down to business. 

First of all, I spent time doing my Bible reading as I'm following the goodmorninggirls.org James study.

The previous post was one of the projects I completed.  I am feeling so good about my home.  I love it!  I am making so much progress and can't wait to share with others what I am accomplishing!  God is so good...He gives us strength to do what we need to do to bring peace and order to our homes.

Organizing bit-by-bit,

Shari

Cupboard above Stove

You know that little cupboard above our stoves?  I've always wondered what others put in theirs.  It seems like such a silly place to have a cupboard.  So...Here is what I've had in mine...up until today:

As you can see, there is a little bit of everything in here!  I completely emptied it, decided what could go...you know...to Thrift Store Heaven.

THIS is the end result:

(sorry about the glare on the jars)

The basket holds baking items seldom used: cupcake liners, sprinkles and extra toothpicks used for 'testing' to see if cakes are done.  The jars are extra ones I have been moving from one place to the other around the house because I didn't have a home for them.  I WILL be using them...eventually...they are for future projects and storage.  For now, they are in the 'wonder-how-I-should-use-this' cupboard! 

This took very little time, but looks great!

Organizing bit-by-bit!

Shari

Home Management Control Center

Do you remember when I created my "Home Management Guide"?

I realized that I didn't have a space to keep it...what good was it going to do my family and I if we couldn't even find it to use it???  There is a space on my counter-top that I would call one of many 'hot spots'...by the phone.  Here is what it looked like BEFORE started de-cluttering it:

Yes, this picture is for real!  I keep receipts here, address labels, mail that I don't know what to do with, 'things' I don't know what to do with.  And, if you look closely, the skirt I wear every week for 'weigh-in' at TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) is sitting there under the 'stuff'!

Obviously, this was not going to be a help at all in my journey to de-cluttering and organization, and keeping my household running smoothly.  So I took about 30 minutes, sorted through every piece of paper, item, receipt, and even found a new home for my skirt!

Now...here it is:



A distant view...right on my counter by the phone.
Everything is at my fingertips...and my family's, too!



So much nicer!  My Home Management Guide is right where I can find it.  See "The Household Money Organizer"?  This is also the year I am going to do much better with how I spend money.  This nifty little book has a pocket for receipts to go with each month.  My goal is to file receipts according to their month...right away!


That's it!  What do you think?

Organizing bit-by-bit!

Shari

Gift Wrapping Re-organized!

For many years, I just haven't had the right arrangement for keeping wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows, cards, etc. organized.  About 6-7 years ago, I found a Christmas wrapping paper storage container at Target.  Here it is, unorganized...

The other white storage unit on the left hangs from a clothing rod.  I was using the basket for extra items that I couldn't fit in either container. 

So...last night, I worked for about 15 minutes (thanks to flylady.net, I can do something for 15 minutes!) and had it all organized.  Here are the organized containers, minus the basket!

 

I designated this one for
Christmas wrapping
paper only!

Just a peek inside this one...
sorry it's so hard to see!

I'm finding that I can organize bit-by-bit!

And, I'm having fun doing it, too!
So...what are YOU working on?  Share with me, and send me pictures, too!

Organizing bit-by-bit,

Shari

Master Bathroom is done!

I've finally finished decluttering and cleaning our master bathroom!  It feels sooo good!  I didn't take any other 'before' pics of the bathroom, but here are a few 'after' pics.  I hope you enjoy them...

I haven't decided what colors I'm going
with in this bathroom.  This is one of the
three rooms that still need to be painted.  Therefore,
not many decorations around the room.



The stool is there for Joel...he has a hard
time standing for long periods of time.

I really love my Garden bathtub...which reminds me,
I should really schedule a 'me-and-my-tub' time!

So, there it is!  The rest of my bathroom.  It is very nice to walk in and see a clean space!  No clutter!

Organizing bit-by-bit,

Shari

Kayli's Bedroom (before pictures)

I'm catching up on posting my organizing accomplishments in my home!  That is why there are so many posts tonight!

Here is yet another one!  I am going to show you pictures of Kayli's room AFTER working in the bathroom, and BEFORE we started clearing the CLUTTER!!!  Again, this is NOT her fault, so please don't judge her, poor thing!

This view is from the doorway.  The door on the left is her closet.  Remember, this was NOT her fault! 

In the picture below is most of the junk from the bathroom!

But, after a lot of hard work, here is what it looks like now:

The dresser stores misc. items, like American Girl doll and accessories.

Her hanging clothes are towards the back of the closet on the left.

Kayli neatly hung her scarves, belts and beloved hat on hooks.  They all have their place now!

I discovered that Kayli has more than enough clothes!

We spent a lot of time sorting through them, finding some to share with girls in Sunday School!

AFTER:

You're probably wondering where all the junk is that Kayli has taken out of her room?  Well, it has a temporary home in our Family Room!  Extra emphasis on 'temporary'!

Getting rid of:

I am so proud of Kayli!  It's so hard to declutter things.  She says the show Clean House has really inspired her.  I hope she now has peace in her room so that she can...

These are words above Kayli's bed.

The Bible talks about 'sweet dreams'...much easier when the clutter and chaos is gone!  Awesome job, Kayli!

Organizing bit-by-bit,

Shari

  

Bathroom #3

Earlier this week, I worked with my daughter in the bathroom that is between her room and another room.  It was a mess!  But, it wasn't her fault.  Really!  We don't use the bathtub, so it became a catch-all for everything that didn't have a home.  Unfortunately, I didn't think about taking before pics of the tub. 

Here is an 'after' pic of her sink and countertop, though:

This is the cabinet over the toilet.  I picked this up at a garage sale!

This is one of the 3 rooms that is still unpainted.  Hopefully, before Summer!!

Organizing bit-by-by,

Shari

Master Bathroom Counter

A few minutes ago, I posted before and aftger pics of my master bedroom closet.  After finishing the closet, I was on a roll and went on to my bathroom.  I didn't have a lot of time, so I chose to work on the countertop...because I can do it...bit-by-bit!

We are very blessed to have a large master bathroom.  But, having a larger space means that I have more space to put things, right???  LOL!

Anyway, here are a couple of 'before' pics:

Just like the closet, we have a 'his' and 'hers' side...does anyone else do that?  Anyway, my husband's is on the left and mine is on the right.

You also may have noticed that my bathroom is not painted.  It just has the original walls.  I have painted every room in the house except 3...I hope to have them ALL painted by summer!

Here are the 'after' pics of our counter top:

I really HEART Longaberger baskets and pottery.  Unfortunately, I don't have as much as I would like.  I took one of our Longaberger soup cups and am using it for our toothbrush and toothpaste.  On the right side, I have a couple of round baskets that holds my hairbrush/comb, barrettes, binders, and such.

On Joel's side is a basket by Peterboro basket, another type of baskets that I like.  Joel's deoderant, comb, lotion he needs everyday, our hairspray, and cologne are in here.

I didn't know what to do on top of my mirror and thought I'd try some little Longaberger baskets.  You can't see it in this pic, but above the cabinet, there is about 3-4 inches of the original mirror showing.  In these mobile homes, they like to GLUE flat, plain, mirrors to the wall!  And, boy, is that glue TOUGH!!  When we put up the cabinet, it didn't completely cover the mirror.  I tried greenery across the top, but didn't like it.  Any ideas, please let me know!!

This is another Petersboro Basket set that I have and I really like it!  However, I don't know what to do with it!  I have had it beside my bathroom countertop, but it just collects junk.  So, I hope to re-purpose it somewhere in the house.

Again, this is just the counter top and mirror cabinet.  I don't have pics of the rest of the bathroom, yet.  You'll have to wait for those!

Thanks for reading as I organize bit-by-bit,

Shari