Christmas at Home

December 11, 2024December 13, 2024 Raising up RubiesLeave a comment

Our house is all lit up for Christmas time, so make a cup of coffee and come visit with me ♥

I picked up my crochet hook for the first time in many years, I forgot how much I enjoy it. I started with the blanket pictured above, then moved on to a few more and decided everyone was getting a blanket for Christmas 🙂 the pattern for the pom pom striped blanket was from here.

The train is a new addition to our Christmas tree this year, I was inspired by someone on Instagram who spray painted this train from Home Depot gold and put it around her tree – so I did it in white instead and we decorated the cars with little bits of things from our stash and some mini tree items from Hobby Lobby

Paper mache houses are from all different places, and tucked into the branches of the tree – making sure that the track was clear. The houses even light up! It looks so pretty at night.

I love nativity sets … I have a few of them scattered around the house, but found this white one at target a few years back and added a few pieces (trees & houses) to them that I found separately over time. I like to put battery operated candles inside the little house so it lights up.

My grandfather was a commercial artist (he even designed the 7UP logo back in the day) who painted and sketched his whole life – I have a few of his pieces in my home including this hand lettered print that I put out every year – I love it so much. He passed away when I was only 14 and we lived outside of the US for many years, so I have only a few memories of him. This sign reminds me of the handful of times I poked around in his drawing studio and sat with him while he talked about his tools.

Our kitchen gets all dolled up for the holidays, since I love to entertain. The vintage egg nog set was a once in a lifetime find at a thrift store many years ago, and to be honest I almost passed it up!! Yikes. What started out as a Christmas mug tree has turned into a whole year long mug tree haha … we started collecting mugs for every season and I try to switch it up every few months.

My etsy shop has kept me busy the last few months – I spent some time designing two new calendars for 2025, Christmas cards and some other things for gift giving – there are a few calendars left and you can find everything here.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is this patriotic tree – we call it the white house tree because most of the ornaments on it are from the white house historical association which I started collecting a few years ago … we went to DC last year and we accidentally stumbled onto the historical association visitors center and I was so excited. I added a bunch to my collection and have also added a few more ornaments we picked up while traveling.

If you have a chance to visit the capitol add this stop to your list, it’s worth it! We saw a place setting Queen Elizabeth used while dining at the white house, Mary Lincoln’s china and Reagan’s jelly beans – it was one of my most favorite things from our trip, and we crammed alot of stuff into a three days!

We put our shed in two years ago and now it’s become something fun to decorate for the seasons – this is the view from my kitchen sink window ♥

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year my friends! I pray your new year will be filled with peace & joy only our Savior can bring ♥

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autumn home decor ♥

November 11, 2019 Raising up RubiesLeave a comment

We are soaking up the last little bits of fall around these parts – even though a major snow storm is expected tonignt. i don’t quite feel ready for winter, but who ever really is? 🙂

i share a lot about my home on instagram, but i thought it might be nice to have it all one place here on my blog – thankyou to everyone who has followed me on here over the years, i appreciate you all ♥ i’ve also shared about how over the past year or more, i have been simplifying how i decorate and scaling waaaay back on the amount of seasonal stuff i keep and store.

i’ve designated specific spaces in our home for holiday/seasonal decorations and i try to keep to those same spots to avoid over-buying (we all have those in-store “this is so cute but i don’t have a place for it but i will figure it out when i get home and i love it so much so i will buy it” moments) and to keep it simple! I used to love having things & more things to decorate with, but as i get older i’m finding that less is more – and that “less” is so much more appealing… of course i love to decorate our home, of course i love to make our home cozy & comfortable & inviting with beautiful things ♥ but i discovered that the “managing & organizing” all of that stuff was weighing me down and controlling me! i wanted to be rid of the burden of having to always go though & reorganize storage spaces over and overrrrrrr again.

so by keeping it simple and only applying seasonal changes to a few standard areas in our home, holiday decorating mainly, became a joy as opposed to something that i dreaded or felt like “i had to do”

here is a short list of the areas on the lower level of our home

that i decorate & swap/add things seasonally to :

entryway wreath

entryway bench

kitchen table

kitchen wreath

kitchen frame

pantry doors

living room end table

living room faux mantle

i like to add a wreath to the open shelves in our kitchen during the holidays

(just for fall & Christmas) throughout the rest of the year there is nothing on it.

our kitchen is the most lived in area of our home – our table and island are always occupied and the open cabinets are stocked with things we use on a DAILY basis as opposed to stuff that just looks cute but has no function – the best thing i’ve discovered/learned throughout this whole process is that when i’m looking for ways to make the spaces in my home work functionally – functional can also look pretty & nice! …for example, do you need new kitchen towels? look for some that you love and would be pretty to have out on display in a simple wire basket – on a counter or behind your kitchen sink – and all the while freeing up some space in your kitchen drawers 🙂

the doors to our pantry are white and hold two small wreaths or hangings very nicely.

i find those easy to swap seasonally with minimal storage – i have a few designated shelves in our basement for the wreaths i have – i store them in large white garbage bags that have the cinch pull tie things – i stack them on top of each other with a piece of cardboard in between for the ones i’m worried about getting crush or squished.

when it comes to frames i always buy white – they match and hold anything & everything

and they make whatever is in the frame stand out and pop.

this frame from hobby lobby is on some corner shelves in our kitchen – there are several pieces of artwork stored in the frame – i swap them out for every holiday or just when it’s nice to have a bit of a change.

my husband built this faux mantle for me a few years ago – the collection of white pitchers & laura ingalls wilder home wood sign always stays – the flowers & foliage for every season changes! spring flowers – small American flags for summer – fall sunflowers & white billy balls/wire snowflakes for Christmas. having a consistent neutral base to start with makes seasonal decorating so much easier.

i also like to change this small wreath in our living room

along with a knick knack or two on the table below it

this year i found the light up acorns at bed bath & beyond on clearance for only $1

when i saw them i visualized in my decorating head 🙂 right where i wanted them to be.

i didn’t have to think about where i would put them even if i didn’t have the space

or decide to just buy them because they were on clearance for a dollar then figure out what to do with them later.

remember just because something is on clearance doesn’t mean you need it.

one dolla is more expensive then no dollas 🙂

they were the only seasonal decor i purchased for fall this year (apart for some yarn to make the yarn wreath in the picture above) and i’m so glad i did! they fit in with my simple white theme and add a bit of twinkle to our nights in the living room ♥

how has your seasonal decorating changed over the years? are you overwhelmed and dread dragging the Christmas tree out or are you a pro at keeping it simple? i’d love to hear & learn from you all in the comments below & i hope this helps give new perspective on simple everyday ways to manage your home ♥ much love to you

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autumn basket wreath

October 24, 2019 Raising up Rubies4 Comments

Fall is in full swing here in upstate NY – the leaves are on fire and the weather is chilly in the evenings

it’s one of my favorite times of year here where we live. Life has been so busy and full with field hockey & volleyball games, senior year activities & a new teenage driver with her own car & new job (yes. tell me about it.) but I’ve been sharing on instagram about how i have been trying to simplify my holiday/seasonal decorating methods by choosing few but meaningful pieces to spread throughout our home while still keeping it cozy …

I was searching for some simple fall inspiration to replace the lemon wreaths on our pantry doors,

when i stumbled on these $3 tobacco baskets in the target dollar section

with some wool pumpkins i had leftover & wire florals i found on clearance for $2 at Joanns –

i layered all three together with some hot glue

i used command hooks to hang them on our pantry doors

and my fall decorating is now complete 🙂

If you pick these baskets up to make your own,

you can fill it with any combination of things for any season or holiday –

changing it up for Christmas would be so easy.

With life being as busy as it has been, I’ve been doing lots of reflecting in my down time … on how this season we’re in feels alot like fall too – our girls are getting older and will soon have their own lives apart from us – like everything we’ve done as parents up to this point is now a culmination of how they will choose to live out life and the paths they choose to take – it’s a strange scary feeling – like something is coming to a close and it’s almost time to let go. I don’t handle lack of control very well that’s for sure…

As a mother you spend so much time watering, grooming, teaching, protecting, guiding and then just like that their true colors, personalities & individual choices are out on full display -from all the little + big somethings to the end results – like the trees and their leaves outside my window.

… but as always and as hard as it is to do most days, I am trusting in God to fill in the gaps i left and taking comfort in the absolute knowledge that He’s holding on to them much tighter then i ever could.

what season of life are you in friends? tell me in the comments below

i’d love to hear your stories too. ♥

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bathroom remodel ♥

June 22, 2018 Raising up Rubies6 Comments

hello friends.

i posted a few pictures of our bathroom remodel a while back on Instagram

and i promised i would post in more detail about the project here on the blog,

with some source info & a few before pictures too ♥

(even though i always forget to take those until it’s too late #bloggerprobs)

we moved into this house almost 13 ago after leaving a small starter house that we had lived in for a couple years … when we got here the house had been updated in some ways but in a lot of ways i knew it would take a while before we made this house our home.

over the years we’ve been through every room in the house updating, tweaking, renovating … except for the main bathroom upstairs – it had been one of the last things on the list because we knew it would be a big job as well as a pain to tear apart because it’s the only shower in the house.

my husband & my dad did most of the work installing a new window, shower/tub, vanity, sink & toilet – and we purchased everything right at home depot.

Home Decorators Collection 49 in. W Marble Vanity Top in Arabescato Venato

vanity top source

Home Decorators Collection Thornbriar 48 in. W x 21.52 in. D Vanity Cabinet in Cement

vanity source

the old tub & shower unit was original to the house (almost 40 yrs) and needed to be torn out completely – new drywall had to be installed behind it as well because of water damage

Delta Classic 400 32 in. x 60 in. x 74 in. 3-Piece Direct-to-Stud Alcove Surround in White

shower unit source

Delta Classic 400 60 in. Left-Hand Drain Rectangular Alcove Bathtub in High Gloss White

tub source

all the hardware for the sink & shower was from Home Depot as well

we opted for a separate tub & shower instead of a single unit mainly because we wanted the bigger/deeper tub since my girls love to take bubble baths (and by bubble baths i mean sitting in the tub for an hour reading books & watching 5 minute crafts until i yell time to get out)

(the other day one of them asked me if i would bring a snack up to them cause they were getting hungry….???? um. no.)

the aqua rolling cart was from ikea a few years back, but i think they still carry it and i know i’ve also seen a similar version of it at Michaels as well. i’m using it to store hand towels, washcloths and some shower supplies that are handy to have nearby but not in the shower

(razors, shaving cream, shower comb… you get the idea 🙂

the shower curtian (which i love) was from world market … i purchased it probably three years ago and was holding onto it for when we remodeled. i can’t seem to find it anywhere on the interwebs so i’m thinking it’s been discontinued 😦

i’ve had a lot of questions about the flooring we chose – it was a grayish wood colored waterproof laminate safe for bathrooms, and yes, we went right over the existing tile, added new molding and it worked like a charm. we considered tearing the tile out but it was level and undamaged so we decided against the extra work & mess!

thinking the wall behind the toilet is looking kinda bare

got my eye on this adhesive wall paper from target but we’ll see 🙂

the window in our bathroom was fairly large (not a typical bath size window) so when we replaced it, i knew i would want to keep it open as much as possible since it lets so much natural light into the bath & upstairs hallway – i shopped for weeks to find panels that i liked but they were either room darkening, too long or too short. so when i saw this simple white shower curtain it dawned on me to cut it right up the middle in half and i would have two panels that were the perfect size. i also bought a cloth shower curtain liner (did the same thing by cutting it in half) and hung it behind the white curtain on the same hooks for another layer of privacy (i hemmed the raw edges i cut with stitch witchery and the iron:)

the green clock was on clearance and target & the canvases are from at Home

we have one storage space/closet on the upper lever and it’s in the bathroom behind the door – not ideal but we make it work – it’s an open space with no doors so i try to keep it organized and a bit styled since it’s all out in the open – the metal caddy holds products we use on daily basis and are within easy reach (plus it looks pretty 🙂 the baskets house towels, products, toilet paper, kleenex etc.

the large white framed mirror is from Lowes

i forgot to take a picture of the old vanity and mirror before it was ripped out but it was just an average builders grade bathroom setup, nothing special

i think the previous color was called lettuce leaf green … yikes.

and the dreaded boob light … who’s idea was it to install those lights in every house in america? 🙂

it honestly feel like i’m in a hotel bathroom everytime i go in there ♥ it’s clean lined & simple with a little bit of color here & there – such a huge difference! if i missed anything or if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, i’ll do my best to answer. 🙂

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a little laundry space

December 5, 2013 Raising up Rubies11 Comments

kay! i promised pics of our little laundry space … here we go

a few years ago we were talking about putting our washer/dryer somewhere on the first or second level. this little nook outside our bathroom at the top of our stairs ended up being the perfect spot

our appliances are stackable so that was the main reason for utilizing this empty little spot

on the landing upstairs … if they weren’t i think the laundry would still be in the basement.

really thankful for this space

it saves me gazillions of trips up and down two flights of stairs

(but bad for my four cookie food group lifestyle)

i mean it only makes sense to have laundry facilities on the level where all the clothes are doesn’t it?

yes. i agree with you.

on the opposite wall is a skinny little table that holds our detergents

family bible & books … some that we read before bedtime

a little tray with dry erase markers for chore charts

and magnetic alphabets for love notes & messages on the side of the washer

that’s some happy right there.

the JOY clothesline canvas how-to is here

i made that last year sometime

the laundry canvas hoop thingy how to is here

the pom pom flowers are super easy to make … just whip up your poms

and hot glue them to some brown floral wire (found in the floral section at joanns)

orrrrrr… you can just buy some here. love that shop.

i made the doily/ fabric strip bunting while i was at Meg’s craft house

for whatever craft weekend. you can read about that here too

my girls always think that the picture of the little boy on the shelf is my husband when he was little

but it’s not… my grandfather was an artist (like for a living not just for fun 🙂

he died when i was a teenager but later on after we were married

i found this drawing in one of his old sketch books and framed it

…neat huh?

much love ♥

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a craft room update … ♥

November 12, 2013 Raising up Rubies71 Comments

well. i promised an updated tour of my studio

and i finally got it done! whew…

it’s a hard room to snap pics of (it’s never clean & tidy) and to catch good light at the right time of day is a challenge on this side of my house.

between upstate NY gloomy fall weather and my messy crafting habits

getting those two things to happen at once are like the planets aligning or something

(i don’t think the planets really align)

(but in the new Thor movie they do for pretend)

(wait … do they?)

(no. they don’t)

glad that’s taken care of.

i get a lot of questions & emails about this room, and most of them are similar … but when i originally blogged about it here, things were a bit different and a lot of little changes have happened over the past two years …

so instead of narrating, i’ll just let you enjoy the eye candy without my annoying descriptions of every picture … and if you have any questions about how we did something or about where i got something, just leave a comment and i’ll do my best to answer them throughout the day … kay?!

so grab a cup a somethin’ and stay for a bit puh. lease. thanks 🙂

(oh, and my hubby’s original plans for the big table are here)

most of the artwork & prints you see on my inspiration wall are from

some of my favorite etsy shops …

pen & paint ~ katygirl designs ~ yellow heart art ~

doodles by amy lou (on instagram) ~ joy’s hope ~ mandipidy ~ grace for grace

this space in our home is a blessing to me … a gift from my husband really

who has yet to finish the basement or make a place he calls his own,

that we often talk about. he wanted to see my dreams and goals come full circle, and is so supportive of everything i try to accomplish. do i love this room? yeah.

but i love why i have it more. i’m loved by a man God gave to me

and i’m living out my calling for Christ.

that’s more joy than a hundred cute craft rooms 🙂

thanks for stopping by today and remember to leave a comment

if there’s somethin’ you want to know.

that this room inspires and makes you guys happy is a gift all in itself, i appreciate all of you.

happy new week ♥

linking up to:

Tatertots & Jello

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coupon organization ideas & some printables ♥

June 5, 2013 Raising up Rubies33 Comments

so let’s talk coupons

🙂

such a touchy subject for some, i know

… if it works for you, great. if it doesn’t then that’s great too.

i started using coupons last year, (as in planning & checking flyers)

and found i really save some money if i stick to it and stayed organized…

by being able to see which coupons i have and applying them to what is on sale every week

here are some supplies i use to keep everything going with this system …

sharpies – index cards – post-it tabs

binder, binder labels, binder bands

(from Staples) (thank you Martha)

and baseball card protectors – not pictured

and of course a super cuter pencil case (from my instagram gal pal here)

(totally not necessary, but way more fun if you have a cute pencil case)

now let me start off by saying i’m not a die-hard couponer

i don’t buy things just because they’re on sale or because they’re free even though we don’t use them

… and i don’t go to 14 thousand stores every week just to get a bargain.

i generally shop at Target & our local grocery store, Wegmans

… and i am brand specific. for some things.

when you’ve found a soap that doesn’t irritate your skin or a shampoo that works great for you hair

i think you should be brand specific … just be smart about buying those particular items when they’re on sale, and preferably when they have a coupon circulating … double savings!

we also have a few heavy duty shelves in our basement that hold over-stock …

so when something is on sale and i have a few coupons for it,

i’ll buy 2 or 3 instead of just one since i’m getting the item at such a discounted rate

(most weeks i buy 2 or maybe 3 newspapers to get extra coupons –

the cost of the paper is minimal compared to what i’m saving on product)

… for instance, we use dove soap, a coupon comes out for dove products once every few months. when it does, it’s usually on sale at one of the stores i shop in. so with coupon & sale combined, buying a few boxes will get us through to the next coupon and sale week (most times i always have some left, so i just adjust how many i buy for next time)

i also like to keep a clipboard (hanging on the shelves) with a list of all the products we use and how many we have left … so when i see that coupon for soap, i can just check the list to see how many are left, and then how many to buy

did you know Target has their own coupons? online… yup!

Target lets you use their coupon combined with the circular coupon!

(well, they do here anyways 🙂

and if that item is on sale as well … it’s a huge savings.

i love Target sales… so i take a few extra minutes when i’m making my grocery list, to go check their coupons and see if any can be combined with what i have … i save a bunch in the end

so back to the binder …

i started out by making some dividers and printed these on heavy card-stock

and i wanna share them with you!

(download & print your own here)

then used my post-it tabs to label the sides for easy filing

use a 3-hole punch to tuck them into that pretty binder 🙂

slip a few pages of baseball card protectors in between each divider and you’re ready to cut!

some categories have only one or two coupons in them, but i know right where to go when i get to the store and find that the yogurt is on sale this week, even though i didn’t see it in the weekly flyer

most of the coupons i use are for food items, paper products & health/beauty supplies

i make some of my own cleaning products, laundry detergent & fabric softener

so i don’t have much of a need for cleaning coupons, even though i have a section for them

🙂

i also carry a small coupon folder in my purse that holds every day coupons

(i only bring the binder when i’m doing my major grocery shopping trip)

craft stores, restaurants, or just general shopping coupons are all tucked into this cute little aqua organizer right inside my purse for easy access, or when i’m on a spontaneous lunch date with the hubs and remembered i had a coupon for wherever we’re eating (which almost never happens … i always forget to use my coupons when i’m shopping & having fun … guess i’m only in coupon mode at the grocery store for some reason 🙂

(oh, and at the craft store … i do remember at the craft store

i’m there waaaaay to much to not remember to use coupons on stuff … oy)

so hear ya go … this is how i do coupons

🙂

i actually thought this was going to be a really simple post

but a lot goes into using coupons … and trying to decide how much time you want to invest into things based on what the results are, is also important.

… i’ve found now that i have a bit of a system in place, it’s a lot easier to think about using coupons to save on groceries. once you get into a routine and figure out what works best for you then stick with that … it might be more couponing, it might be less.

i also try to meal plan at the same time, which is a whole other long post …

a doozy of a post 🙂 but i hope to share that as well … i’m working on it a little at a time.

my binder system is slowly taking shape 🙂

they all live on the counter in our kitchen/office area

and i’m currently working the household & meal planning binders

i’m kinda crazy with planners … i love them ♥

and i really big fat heart my Jen Jones planner from here 🙂

i’ll talk about that a little bit in my meal planning post

i also have a Much Ado About You printable planner from my IG bestie here

that i use more like a journal & scrapbook for me

kay, now just for fun …

i made you guys a cuteified grocery list

cause planning a trip to the grocery store, with coupons,

is way more fun with a cute grocery list … yes. it is.

download your super duper it’s gonna be a fun week to grocery shop grocery list here 🙂

it actually looks just like everything else i do

notes everywhere, little things here and there … all over … random

yup. that’s me 🙂

do you coupon? tell me about it in the comments … i wanna hear please.

much love ♥ and gladness in my heart

linking up here:

A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday

Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You

live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe

Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue

Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello

Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime

Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors

Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market

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diy pennant bunting & a summer front porch …♥

May 31, 2013 Raising up Rubies13 Comments

as i work my way through fixing up our house, i’m slowly discovering my decorating style

and slowly discovering what works & feels best for our family

and realizing it’s not about perfection, it’s about using what you have

to make it an inviting & welcoming place to live

♥

i’ve always dreamed of having a wrap-around front porch with a swing and a pretty

spindle-ish wood screen door … so even though our front porch is small,

it’s still fun to spruce it up a bit for summer

sometimes i sit and watch the kids play (they usually don’t know i’m sitting there)

or i read there in the morning, after the bus leaves

(unless it’s raining)

(or if it’s too hot)

(we don’t have consistent weather here … at all)

but it’s quiet, and peaceful

the bunting was an easy project … just cut the pieces to size, sew a pocket and thread some jute through the pocket … or hot glue directly to the jute

this rocker was on the curb one night before garbage day … a long time ago

i love it, it’s my favorite. i’ve painted it lots of different colors

this year it got the mint green treatment 🙂

i hope to find some odds & ends to add to this little wall near the rocker

maybe a mini side table too … the welcome sign was actually a mirror

with some chalkboard spray paint to cover the mirror

and some almond colored paint around the frame …

it takes on a whole different look

welcome to the porch! 🙂

the azalea’s are in full bloom this week

that means summer is almost here

the girls will cut a few branches off every couple of days

and put them in a vase near the kitchen window for me 🙂

well tomorow’s friday! that means yard sales! fun fun fun 🙂

be back soon with some info on my coupon system…

happy weekend

linking up here:

A Crafty Soiree ♥ Yesterday on Tuesday

Whatever you Want Wednesday ♥ Free Pretty Things for You

live laugh linky ♥ live laugh Rowe

Party Time ♥ the 36th Avenue

Weekend Wrap-Up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello

Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime

Party Junk ♥ Funky Junk Interiors

Junkin’ Joe ♥ the Cottage Market

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kitchen cabinet re-org … ♥ part two

March 15, 2013 Raising up Rubies21 Comments

i hope my last post inspired you to crack away at problem areas in your home! 🙂
so on to the bottom half of the kitchen/office are

for starters this was the junk drawer

‘cept we had two other drawers just like it elsewhere

it was a catch-all for random stuff

this is the cabinet below the junk drawer

oy.

i had the intention of making this whole area an “arts & crafts” station

then my craft room came along and that idea was toast 🙂

so it just became the cabinets with the “stuff” in it

stuff-that-was-out-on-the-counter-and-people-are-coming-over-so-we-have-to-hide-it-somewhere-stuff

so here’s the after … all cleaned up

with some help from my little friend Mr. Target

and a whole lotta indecisiveness

(like a ton of indecisiveness)

so first things first

i lined the drawers & pull-outs with wrapping paper

just like i did with the spice jar drawer

unlike in my spice drawer, where everything kinda just sits there,

i tacked these papers down with a little double sided adhesive

since we would be sliding bins and things in & out

some of the little things that helped organize these areas were inexpensive, simple solutions.

dipping dishes found in the kitchen section were the perfect size for herding small things together … and the metal rimmed tags keep all sorts of items from getting mixed up

take a closer look

the dishes hold spare or random keys

USB drives & memory cards

small size batteries & whatever else 🙂

using small pieces of washi tape, i labeled the cords

so now we know what’s what, and it’s in plain sight

no more searching for cords when we’re in a hurry 🙂

the cupboard below now stores my silhouette & all of our camera paraphernalia

(which really is more than i thought we had)

when i need to use the silhouette, just pull it out and plug it in

the bin next to it holds the postage scale i use for the shop

(multiple times a week … so having it handy, but out of sight is perfect)

extra ink cartridges for the printer, cords, and screen wipes

(cause our screens are always nasty & dusty)

(aren’t yours?)

ok, so this is kind of my favorite part

i mean i just love how this whole section of the kitchen turned out

but having a place to keep all of our camera equipment

just seems like the bomb diggedy 🙂

the lenses, the cords, the manuals, the batteries…

these’s so much of it

to not have to go here and there to find everything is just wonderful ♥

i used glue dots to affix the chalkboards on this bin

(and to the bin next to the silhouette)

top, clockwise: the old point & shoot, lenses & flash, dslr (and it’s cute camera strap)

my older daughter’s camera, battery charger & extra cords

(that the hubby told me “yes, we have to keep those”)

and an expandable file for all the manuals, warranties, and other paper stuffs that go with these machines

see?? isn’t it fun??

i’m just super happy with how this came together 🙂

what? the cute camera strap?

oh, you like it huh?

me too ♥

my sweet gal pal Andrea over at Knitty Bitties made it for me

she’s the bomb diggedy too 🙂

you can check out her blog here

and check out her etsy shop and the other cuteness she’s got goin’ on in there 🙂

ok got sidetracked a little…

back to the big before & after

here it is 🙂

wow … that was fun … way alot of work … but fun

one more post and the whole office area will be done

then on to meal plans, coupon & household binders

and another junk drawer 🙂

are ya with me??

much love ♥

sweet parties here ♥

Weekend Wrap up Party ♥ Tatertots & Jello

Sundae Scoop ♥ i heart naptime

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simplify your kitchen – kitchen cabinet re-org! … part one ♥

March 12, 2013 Raising up Rubies22 Comments

i have a little secret to tell you …

i’m a piler

yes … a piler

as in i make piles

…

but i don’t like piles

i loathe them actually

and i don’t want any more piles

like ever

i’ve deduced (is this a word?) from my own psychological analysis

that pilers are also people who are indecisive

right?

cause the reason the pile gets made is because

a. there’s no place to put said item

b. there is a place to put said item,

but the piler is not sure which of the many options should become the home of the said item

(ie: do receipts go in the receipt file or with the owner’s manual?)

(do flashlights go with the candles in case of a power outage,

or with electronics? … cause they’re electronic)

(right? … are they? i mean if they run on batteries, they’re electronic right?)

(if the hubs is reading this post he’s rolling his eyes)

(well he doesn’t like eye rolling, so he’s probably doing some other gesture of embarrassment)

see… my brain hurts now

back to the piles

for those of you just gettin’ here 🙂

i decided at the beginning of the year to really go through the house and purge

just get back to basics

you can read more about that here, here and here

and for you gals who have been following right along …

i haven’t jumped the “simplify your kitchen” bandwagon

i just left the kitchen for a while …

to face the basement

now that that’s done … i’m back on track

(no, there’s no fancy organizing pics of the dungeon …

what happens in basement … stays in the basement)

(it’s not pretty down there folks)

let’s get goin’!

we have a very spacious kitchen … with lots of cabinet space

and lots of fun areas to organize

off of the kitchen is a little built-in office area

home to our computer, printer and basically where all family household duties are managed

(finances, schedules, blogging, etc…)

come to think of it, this little area wears many hats

making it more of a challenge to keep clutter-free and organized

here is a short list:

– first aid supplies

– houses miscellaneous household items

– where i blog & manage my etsy shop

– shipping area for my etsy shop

– bill pay

– meal planning & couponing

– household binder & files

my challenge:

to get this area out of the pile zone!

and into a functioning command center for our family

in comes my girlie girl

Jen @ i {heart} organizing

every month she throws out a challenge to organize a different area in your home

and i just love how she thinks everything through for you, making it that much easier to tackle your problem areas!

i copied her project list (from this post)

to my clipboard to keep me motivated … turned on some music

and was off to a running start 🙂

since there’s so much to cover in this little area of mine, i’m gonna break it down into a few posts

starting with the upper half of the cabinets next to the computer area

so the before really isn’t too bad …

i went through this cabinet last year and got things together

but after some time i realized the set-up would need some re-thinking

just a few things here that weren’t working right for us:

1. the baskets were much smaller than the space they were in

if you’ve got the space for storage … don’t waste it!

2. the baskets were pretty full

so the overflow was well … overflowing … everywhere else 🙂

3. we had to move or take some of the baskets out when we needed something in the baskets that were more towards the middle of the cabinet

4. the amount of candy canes that were in this cabinet was ridiculous

5. and yes those mini chalkboard apothecary jars are so stinkin’ cute, but they are for another project and don’t belong in there … so this cabinet started to become a catch-all!