DAY 139: His & Hers

I honestly don't think that anyone in his or her right mind would ever confuse my husband's closet with mine... or vice versa, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's fun to have an Uppercase Living vinyl "label" on each door.  It adds an element of whimsy to your door decor.  And it's just one of those neat, little things that I like!  You can do the same kind of thing with vanities/mirrors in your bathroom or over the towel racks, to show whose towel is whose!  There are lots of fun ways to separate the genders in your household!

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 129: Jewelry Jumble... no more!

You may remember a while back when I posted about a truly unusual - and VERY neat - little black dress.... a little black dress that's actually an organizer for jewelry! Well... I couldn't resist this adorable doo-dad.  I put it on my "wish list," and my wonderful hubby bought it for my birthday!

Following is the saga of getting all my jewelry - and the jumbled, annoying heap of boxes and bags it had become - into tip-top shape and ready for my new, little black dress!

First and foremost, here is the jewelry holder I was using.  I was on the right track, with a convenient, hanging organizer on the back of my closet door... BUT this two-sided, pocket-loaded item did not have specific places for bracelets or necklaces.  So, most of those bulkier items stayed in their boxes... and ended up in my sweater organizer!

I don't have a jewelry box, so the sweater organizer was the next best place.  Everything was together... but everything was a mess.  Any time I got any new jewelry, I just piled it on top of the other stuff!  So, it looked like THIS!. :(

The next step was to take everything out of the sweater organizer and spread it out on the bed.  Here is the mass of boxes and bags.  Goodness!  What a disaster!  (And quite an embarrassment for a neat freak!) There was stuff in there that I hadn't seen in years... it was just too buried underneath all the other jewelry boxes!

I sorted through everything and tried to put items in places where they would be convenient and neat and where they would make sense to me... with "popular" earrings and necklaces near the top and less-often-used or larger items near the bottom. 

I worked this method the same way on the flip side of the dress for all my necklaces and bracelets, and I tried to keep sets close together, as well!  Everything looks super cute and super organized now!  I just need to put it in my closet.  (BTW: I did keep the other organizer with some other jewelry items in it; I just placed the organizer behind my clothes instead of on the door!)


I only had a few boxes and random items left over from the massive clean-up, and those went back into the sweater organizer.  And one important item I kept here, mostly for convenience, is my watch.  You can see it there on the bottom left.  I wear it every day, and it was just easier to have it here!  I can slip it on while I gaze at my lovely, little black dress of bobbles and bangles! ;)



Now, THAT's neat!

Day 123: I'm Dreaming of a Custom Closet...

I think that most of us neat freaks (or nor-so-neat freaks) can admit that we secretly (or not-so-secretly) dream of a place for everything... and everything in its place... and even a color-coded label for everything, too!   And one thing that I've always dreamed of is an organized and beautiful bedroom closet.  Ok, actually I've dreamed of all my closet spaces, storage areas and the garage being organized and beautiful.  But until I strike it rich - in the area of money AND time - I guess I can just keep collecting ideas for what my perfect storage spaces would entail!

Of course, I've already got some things working in my favor in my bedroom closet.  As y'all know, I love boxes and baskets for gathering, categorizing, sorting AND decorating items.  These work perfectly - even in the smallest spaces - for managing everything from shoes and socks to scarves and jewelry.  I also store all my clothes items with "like" items.  For instance, t-shirts all go together, followed by sleveless shirts and other dress shirts on one bar.  Below, all my jeans, dress pants and capris hang next to long-sleeve dress shirts and sweaters.  (And, no, I don't color code!)

But even with a plan in place, I do find myself limited by my closet's overall design... or lack thereof!  That's why I drool at photos like THIS, showing a perfectly ordered and lovely space from closet organizers like California Closets!

(Photo courtesy of California Closets.)
Or THIS.... which, of course, might be about the size of my entire bedroom!  Ha-ha!

(Photo courtesy of California Closets.)
But even smaller spaces (like those "reach-in" closets) can be functional and beautiful.  For example, I would absolutely LOVE to have a guest bedroom closet like THIS that was worthy of being displayed - sans doors! Amazing!

(Photo courtesy of California Closets.)
If you want to get started on the closet of your choice and make it the closet of your dreams, incorporate those little organizational pieces, like shoe storage and hanging "shelves," and make your closet make sense for you.  If color coding is your thing, then by all means - arrange by hue!  Just be sure to purge unused or unwanted items along the way (donation boxes are ready and waiting!). OR... you can go for the gusto, and get a custom-designed closet!  Yep.  A professional closet designer from California Closets can help you see your storage nightmares as hidden potential!  Then perhaps YOUR closet photo will be the next to go in my growing file of storage solution designs and ideas!

Now, THAT's neat!




NOTE: This is a sponsored post.  But all thoughts and opinions are the author's!

Day 112: Little black dress?

You know how you got that adorable, little, bird-shaped ceramic dish to sit on the bed-side table and help keep your jewelry nice and tidy? How's that working? ;) If you're like me, anything small and cute will just be quickly overwhelmed by either the volume and/or the size of jewelry items that are fighting for elbow room! SO.... I say, ditch the impractical, cutesy stuff, and sort your bling with the simply irresistible "Little Black Dress" hanging jewelry organizer by Umbra.



How cute is THIS!?!?! The smart and stylish black "dress" is two-sided, with 39 clear pockets on one side and 24 hook-and-loop tabs on the other. SO handy! AND... it fits nice and neat in your closet, meaning you'll never have to look at all that clutter on your nightstand again (at least not jewelry clutter!).


Now, THAT's neat!

Day 109: I Think I'm in love....

I don't personally have any Elfa designs or components in my home. (You can get it at the Container Store, which, unfortunately is nowhere near me!) But, every time I see a photo of this ingenious organizational tool for closets, pantries, garages, offices, playrooms - you name it - I just start to drool!

Here are just some photo inspiration for you!
1. What an amazing craft room! I love the "mesh" drawers; everything is put away, but there is still visibility!


2. This is a great look for a closet, but this organizational look works beautifully for a den/TV room! Everything is beautifully coordinated and neat!


3. What a naturally beautiful office! And I love how the organization uses the available space above the desk. If you can't go out, go up!

4. Wow. This closet is amazingly tidy! It makes me seriously think about digging through my own closet to purge some more unwanted items, but it also makes me want to throw a little color and maybe some patterns into this very neutral clothing arrangement! ;)



Now, THAT's neat!