8 Arranging with Anthro Goods

The day before mother's day, as a special little gift from my uber fantastic man, he took me to a place I have been longing to see.  A place that seemed like a myth because it is one that I have only seen in online photos and read about on blogs, yet had never seen with my own two eyes.

Eiffel tower?  Nope.  The Pyramids of Egypt?  Still No.  House of Chanel.  Not quite.

An Anthropologie shop is located approximately one hour and two minutes from my humble abode and was artwork to my eyes from the outside, and as we walked from the car to the front doors, I got giddier by the step.

Once inside I was on sensory overload, but my man told me to take my time and browse until I covered every inch of store floor.  I had a small agenda and as much as I could have spent hours browsing through all of the fabulous apparel, I went straight for the home good items.

After wondering around in bliss, I left with only three things in hand, since I had to have some moola restraint...

I know it's been seen before, but IHeart being a copy cat when I benefit from it!  So now next to the pillow in which I rest my head each night, my nightstand now boasts a pretty ceramic egg crate to cradle my jewels.

The sky color is the perfect precious touch to my bedside, I just heart it so!

And so does my jewelry!  It used to be torn between an ice cube tray in my closet and a small dish that was previously bedside, but now it's living life in luxury!

Next was a super quick and easy way to give my bathroom some added bliss.  And that was via this gorgeous sparkling glass, in which I splurged on because it also doubled as a new toothbrush holder.  If purchased as a set, this glass would be spendy, but when it does double duty as a glass and toothbrush holder, and only one was needed, I was able to justify!

My last edition was to the family room media cabinet, in the form of a monogrammed mug.

I am slightly monogrammed obsessed.  I have them lingering here and there, and I couldn't be cheekier about the new accessory.  And I know it can't wait to get to work holding all sorts of cute blooms down the road, since that will be it's sole purpose going forward instead of my typical kitchen mug that had been doing the job previously!

It was such a treat to have a moment to myself to enjoy the store.  There was so much inspiration to be found.  Being a mom of three little joyful boys keeps me super busy day and night, and when I live in small community with a minimum of an hour drive to any good shops, it's rare that I get to find my way to somewhere beyond Target {which is why I am a frequent Target shopper!}  It is definitely a goal of mine this year to find more local businesses with inspiring home finds, if only I was better at taking some alone away from home time!

What about you all?  Where is your favorite place to venture to find little bits of treasure for your home?  Anyone have a new home accessory that was added, that completely brought new life to your space?  One that brings a smile to your face every time you enter the room?  Accessorize the comment button with stories of your favorite home accessory and why, I would heart to know!

11 IHeart Answering: Bath Bewilderment

I recently received an Email from a reader, which was looking for some guidance in getting her bathroom cupboards under some organized control!

Choleia wrote:

Hi Jen,

I am a new reader to your blog and I am really enjoying it and learning a lot. After reading about your Q and A and your mom's bathroom, I decided to write you for HELP! The closet in the guest bath is a horrific mess. I have a three year old son who gets into everything and a master bath that does not have a closet, so toiletries and toilet paper are kept in here. In addition to toiletries I also use these bathroom frequently since our master bath is small. So I keep all of my hair products, tools, etc in this bathroom. I would also like to space for towels and wash clothes. I have a large vanity with 6 shallow drawers and a large area underneath but no medicine cabinet. Please help!

Thanks,
Choleia

She was even kind enough to share some visual's for me to work from!

And here were my thoughts back to Choleia:

Here are a couple of general ideas and tricks that work great in many bathrooms, that should definitely give you a jump start on your upcoming organizing project as well!

1.  Start out by taking everything out of your cabinets and starting from a blank slate.

2.  Pair Down/Throw Out/Combine items.  Toss items that haven't been used recently {or are expired}, only keep items that you use on a daily or very frequent basis, and combine half used like items, into one container {for example, multiple used lotion bottles or shampoo bottles into one bottle vs. multiples}.

3.  Use empty box lids, trays, baskets or canvas bins to corral like items when returning them to the cabinets.  For example, you may place all of your lotions/perfumes together in one basket, and all of your overstocked supplies in another, and all of your feminine products in yet another.  Add some labels to go that extra organized mile!


Some options that I totally heart {linked above}:

4.  Snag a decorative tray to keep out on display only eye appealing items/toiletries.  And if counter-top space is limited, a floating shelf can instantly add some additional space!

 

5.  Roll washcloths in an easy to access basket near the sink/bath.

6.  Pick up a pretty drinking glass {one shouldn't set you back too much} to keep your toothbrushes in.

  

7.  Use clear containers {remove labels off of applesauce or condiment glass jars for an on the cheap solution} to display cotton balls, bath salts and cotton swabs.

8.  Bring together first aid items in a portable tote {one with a handle works great}

9.  Combine cleaning supplies/sponges/rags in a small caddy/basket under the sink for quick cleanup!  A small toilet brush is also best stored under the sink.

10.  For the floor of your closet, grab a drawer or shelf system to store towels/extra toilet paper/bathroom electronics/etc...

I am unable to see a bathroom layout or size, however, another option if you are looking for more storage in any bath, would be a five cubby vertical storage shelf, that is fairly narrow, yet offers height and loads of additional storage potential.  Here is an inspiration shot of the shelf being used in a bathroom space.  I am totally crushing on the versatility and added storage the shelf provides!!

 {Image courtesy of bhg,com}

And lining your cabinets and/or shelves with some decorative shelf liner would also add a fresh and clean feeling and look.

I would also recommend snagging a thin board cut to size and topped with some decorative paper to place in front of the back wall in your cabinet {like a faux wall in front of your real wall}, this will also clean up the appearance and disguise the wall and glue markings.  I scanned in an inspiration photo from an old Storage Magazine.

Another option would be to snag a vase or other tall and narrow container to keep by your toilet with a couple of rolls of toilet paper stacked inside {just make sure to measure the opening/width first}

 {Image courtesy of realsimple.com}

Lastly, it sounds as though you travel between bathrooms {as I do in my home from time to time as well}.  What has worked best for me is to caddy my hair heating tools and other toiletries in a canvas bag {and keeping makeup in a makeup bag}, that I can bring back and forth with ease.  It's also a quick grab for traveling.  A handled plastic basket could work well also!

Here is one made especially for moving between spaces!

And there you have it!  Some simple solutions to getting your bath in tip top organized shape!  I am a big believer that an organized space is a more enjoyable space, and I also believe that when organization meets design, then not only will the room be functional, but it will also be one that you will want to spend loads of time in!  Never under estimate the power of paint, fresh wallpaper prints and decorative storage options.  When put to work together, amazing transformations can be made!  And if on a tight budget, search for items around the homestead to use vs. buying new.  Old condiment jars, decorative boxes and baskets, a satchel from your closet or trays, plates and cups from the kitchen. 

Best wishes Choleia in your bath organizing endeavors!  And we would love to see any after pictures you would be willing to share with us!!  And for the rest of you, if you are feeling generous, send your organized bath spaces and storage solutions right over!  I would heart to feature them right here on the blog!

5 May Featured Space: Outdoors - Sandbox Shade

As Annie sang it, "The sun will come out tomorrow!"  And thank goodness because we heart the sun oh so very much!  However, the sun doesn't heart our skin.  Therefore, along with protecting my little ones with loads of sunscreen, I also invested in a little shade for their sandbox time.

I always dreamed of having one of those incredible covered sandboxes that either cost a small fortune or would take some extra DIY weekend time and potentially some sewing skills, which I have NONE of....

{image courtesy of potterybarnkids.com}

So, I decided to go for a cheaper and easier alternative.  Enter this fantastic guy:

It's a beach umbrella.  If they are good enough for protecting us at the beach, then I figured they would be good enough to protect us in our sandbox in our backyard.

And SO very easy to install!  Just screw a base into the ground:

And stick the umbrella in!  I wish all projects were that easy!

And when the sun goes down or a storm comes around, then the umbrella comes down also.  It has an attached strap that wraps around it to keep it closed securely.

Why IHeart it:  Because of it's ease of use, ease of installation, cheap alternative to the expensive ones and it protects the ones IHeart.

Cons:  Completely out of any one person's control, the sun switches directions all day long, so there are periods of the day where the umbrella has to be altered to accommodate.  Typically the only time it's really a concern for our clan, is late in the evening {as pictured here at around 6:00 p.m.} when the sun is lower, however, the umbrella can always be tilted as needed!

This gets me dreaming of a day trip to the beach, and IHeart that the weather is finally getting to the point that we can start to talk about planning one!  Anyone else have a handy idea of covering the kiddos sandbox?  How about inspired ideas typically meant for places away from home, that are being used at your dwelling?  Spill the sandy beans!