31 Days to a More Organized Life : Day Fourteen : Much-needed Inspiration

The longer I write this series, the more I respect bloggers who post daily or almost daily. It takes a lot of work to come up with a quality post for each day. Today instead of taking a break, I'm sharing some of the organization blogs and sites that I find most inspiring and motivating. Get ready to see some serious organization skills!

I Heart Organizing
From DIY to creative storage to printables to keep you organized, this gal does it all! Jen is a home management guru and clearly works hard to make her home not only orderly, but beautiful.

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Toni takes the cake when it comes to organization. Her blog is full of fabulous ideas and tutorials to help you get control of your own home.

Organizing Made Fun

Becky has a zillion ideas for organizing on a budget. Her blog is a great reminder that you don't have to blow the budget or have endless space in order to be organized.

I hope this gives you some good motivation to tackle some organizational projects! I'll be back tomorrow with more ways I'm getting life in order.

Check out the whole 31 day series here!

Fall Fever

Fall is in the air it seems... everywhere but southern California! This time of year is always hard because everywhere you look are pumpkins, multi-colored leaves, cozy sweaters and yummy soups. Meanwhile, here in San Diego, it's 85 degrees and still feeling like the middle of summer. It's not exactly the most inspirational weather for fall decorating.

Even in the midst of a late summer heat wave and some of the muggiest weather I've felt in a long time, I can't ignore all the amazing autumn-inspired decorating that I've seen lately. Here are some fantastic ideas that I fell for on Pinterest.

A Little Pinspiration for Monday

It's Monday and the hubs and I just got back from a weekend wedding getaway last night so I need a little help getting going today! The wedding was in beautiful Steamboat Springs, CO. It was wonderful, but both Friday and Sunday were lonnnggg travel days. It's hard to get home late Sunday night and jump right into the groove on Monday morning. (The kids do not seem to get this.)

I have a lot of fun projects in the works but none of them are happening today! Instead I thought I'd share some of the awesome creations out there that I've pinned for future DIY projects.

Dress Up a Box Spring
Check out this cool tutorial from Urban Nest on how to create a cover for your box spring or even make it look like a faux frame for your bed. We have a giant bed frame but the box spring is still exposed and this would be a cool way to make it a little prettier.

Burlap & Button "Art"
I love the basic idea behind these button letters from Pottery Barn Kids. I like that each letter is in a separate frame so it adds dimension. I like that the burlap and buttons are simple but add texture. You could make this work for so many different rooms. It's a super cute idea for a little girl's room but I'm thinking this might be fun in our bathroom or for the holidays.
Note: As far as I can tell PB Kids doesn't actually sell the button art. It's just part of a room design featured online, which you can see if you click on the link above.

Family Organization Station

I used to have a tolerable spot for our calendar and message area when the side of our fridge was exposed. Now the fridge is enclosed and the doors are non-magnetic stainless steel (plus I like the front of the fridge not to be clean and bare.) We need a new space for all our family business, especially with school starting in a few weeks. I love this space from BH&G.

Sweet Book Decor
I love these paperback books turned cute decor from Simply KellyB. I think they would be awesome for a fall mantel or table-top display. She gives a simple tutorial towards the end of the post so go check it out and see all the other fun ways Kelly uses books and pages.

So there you have it! A little pinspiration to get everyone moving on this fine Monday. Tune in tomorrow for a fun surprise!!

Kitchen Inspiration

I realized today that I've talked about the general renovation plan but not about any of the specifics. To me it seems that the easiest way to share my overall vision for our new kitchen is to show some of the inspiration pictures.

Love the openness (is that a word?) of this kitchen with the large island. Love the white cabinets and the pendants over the island.

via bestremodelingkitchen.com

Again loving the white cabinets and the island with the extension for seating. We'll have an overhang like that and wide drawers similar to the bottom right of the photo.

via BHG

If we had a similar floorplan, I would have practically copied Lindsey's kitchen below because I love this kitchen! I would love to do the white planked ceiling in our high-ceilinged living room someday down the road.

via The Pleated Poppy

I knew from the start that I wanted an apron-front farmhouse sink. My husband wasn't too sure but I stuck to my guns on this one. After all, which one of us spent more time on Pinterest researching ideas for this renovation? In my book that's a completely valid argument. Case closed.

via TakeJoy.tumblr.com

It doesn't take an eye for design to see there's an obvious theme going on in these pictures. When it really comes down to it, white feels right for our kitchen. It feels light and open and airy in a way that deep wood tones would not in our house. And although there may have been times when I saw beautiful mahogany stained cabinets and gave them a second glance, in my heart I've always known we'd stick with white. We've been dreaming about this redo for a long time and I've been saving pictures and drooling over other people's fabulous kitchens all along. It will be really exciting to see it all come together!

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

So far this season, I'm making very slow progress on our holiday decorating. I think the biggest challenge is having to keep our decorations child-proof for the first time. Last Christmas, Baby wasn't mobile yet so valuable heirlooms didn't have to be protected from curious little hands. This year those little hands are more than capable of reaching all those breakables and the fact that they are shiny and sparkly makes them all the more desirable. I've seen lots of beautiful Christmas decorating that has me inspired but it's taking a lot more thought to make things look nice and keep them safe at the same time. I'm also trying not to buy too many new decorations and instead use what we have in new and different ways. Here are a few inspiring pictures until I get my own act together enough to share...

Melissa at The Inspired Room has a natural and simple mantel design that I love.

Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick also went for some natural touches. You can read her whole post here.

Naptime is just about over so that's all I can manage for right now. And maybe I should get back to decorating my own house. Maybe.

Some Pleated Poppy Love

If you've never been to The Pleated Poppy, you really need to check it out. Lindsey is incredibly talented and has some really fun things in her shop. Her blog is full of her creative talents and is very inspiring. One of her creations is called the Petal Pusher and it's a simple but pretty fabric flower pin. She sells them in multiple colors and they could be used in a variety of places to add some extra embellishment. For example, I recently used one of her snow white petal pushers as a hair accent during my wedding reception. I wore a long veil during the ceremony and pictures but wanted something to dress up my hair after the veil was off. (Bear in mind the picture was taken after some serious dancing had taken place so my hair is a bit undone.)

I just slid a hairclip through the pin that was already fitted to the back of the flower and then clipped it into the side of my updo. I'm sure the flower started out higher but like I said... dancing and more dancing. This little guy was a fun addition for my hair and cost a lot less than most of the floral hair accessories I had looked at in bridal shops. And now I have this sweet accessory to add to another outfit whenever I want. Definitely check out The Pleated Poppy soon. I'm sure Lindsey will have all sorts of crafty goodness going on for the holidays!

Friday Finds

I cannot believe the 4th of July has passed. Where is the summer going?

I found a new site that I am in love with. It's called Crafty Nest and it is all about DIY projects. It's really wonderful and inspiring. Here's a bookcase made from old kitchen drawers.

This idea is pretty cute too. I could see doing it with sweet, girly patterns for over Baby's bed someday.Finally here's a treat that I was hoping to make for the 4th but it didn't happen. I'm thinking I'll take the recipe on our trip to my folks' house and make it for a bbq next weekend. The recipe comes from Better Homes & Gardens and I posted it below in case anyone else thinks it looks too delish to pass up.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
• 4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Make Ahead: Wrap the peanut butter base in foil; store at room temperature up to 24 hours. Before serving, top with jam and berries. Or freeze the peanut butter base in a freezer container up to 3 months.

Happy Belated 4th of July!!

Double-Take Tuesday

I almost didn't make it but here are some great fixer-uppers from Centsational Girl who is absolutely brilliant at DIY makeovers. For example...
The shelf on the left is hideous. The re-created shelf on the right is adorable as an outdoor storage unit for all those wonderful summery nights when you can eat outside.

Awful. No further explanation needed. But then...

So charming. If I had a guest bathroom that wasn't currently being invaded by a one-year-old I would definitely want something like this sitting next to the tub. You can find other great transformations in this post. She's great at explaining her methods too so wannabe DIYers can try to replicate some of her great ideas.

Friday Finds

I have been a little scattered about blogging lately. I'll have a good week where I post 4 or 5 days and then I'll have a week like this past one where I posted twice, including today. I like the idea of providing some links to good articles, blog posts, etc. on Friday because it makes me feel better if I don't get to post over the weekend. Another little trick I've starting using is the post scheduling option. That way when I have a lot of ideas in my mind, I can crank out some good posts and schedule them to publish in the future rather than trying to get it done each day, which obviously doesn't happen. So here are some goodies for today...

On Smitten Kitchen I saw these little yummies that look seriously tempting for this weekend. I've loved SK since it was a personal blog with frequent cooking posts and not just a cooking blog, but it's still great and Deb is super talented in the kitchen.

Melissa at the Inspired Room did a post on lovely home offices which makes me want to just carve out a new space right now. We actually do have a nice little desk space, but it's been temporarily taken over by a dresser while my sister spends the summer in our guest room.

Hostess with the Mostess has a great feature called "B is for Baby Shower" and the idea is really sweet. As she mentions in the post, it could also be adapted as "B is for Bridal Shower."

Happy Friday!

Double-Take Tuesday

This is a card table. Cheap, easy to store, great for impromptu parties where you need an extra spot for food or drinks. We have a square one and a round one. Really not that special when you get right down to it.
This is a card table disguised as hundreds of hours of playtime and fun.


If you feel like kicking yourself because you will never be creative enough to come up with something like this on your own, then take a look at this post on Ikat Bag, one of the latest features on Today's Creative Blog. I vow that Baby will one day have a princess tent like this to play in. And Baby, if you're reading this and thinking "I so did not have a princess tent like this when I was a kid," then now is the perfect time for a guilt trip about getting a car. Even more so if you are thinking "I so did not have a princess tent like this but my younger sibling did."

Friday Finds

I've added some new names to my list of addictions. Some I've been following for a while and some I discovered fairly recently. That's what happens when it's late at night and I have insomnia.

Centsational Girl is the queen of DIY and her creations are amazing. I'm always impressed by people who can see the potential in something that just looks like crap to most people. Check out this footboard transformation.

I have loved Anna Maria Horner for a while. She designs gorgeous fabric and fun patterns, although she just had a baby (number 5 I think!) so she might not be posting as much. Here's an older post from when I first starting checking her blog on a regular basis.

The Mother Load is just a mecca of information about managing a home. Yes there's a lot of mom-oriented posts but a lot of it could be useful for anyone who takes care of a home. She's big on frugality and budgeting which is helpful for almost everyone these days.

Just a few places to get lost if you have free time this weekend!

My New Obsession

I have found the blog of my wedding planning dreams. It's called Joyful Weddings & Events and is the blog of a southern CA wedding planner named Courtney Toney. She is the owner of an event planning firm by the same name and her ideas are fabulous! She has designs for baby and bridal showers, parties, and best of all tons of beautiful weddings. I have been devouring this website for the past two days and I can't get enough. How cute is this table number?!

(photo by Jenetta Lea Penner)
She is so creative and her decor is so inspiring. Her focus on the tiniest details makes the overall concepts come together so nicely. One of the coolest aspects of her style is that she is very in favor of DIY projects and it gives her events a handmade touch that adds much more personality. I am hoping that if I just soak up the creativity on her blog then maybe I will be able to give my own wedding the same personal feeling. Even if you aren't planning a wedding or shower anytime soon, you should still check out her blog. You will be inspired to host a party just so you can show off. Just look at this candy bar!

(photo by Furious Photographers)

Spring Cleaning Sidenote: You might be wondering where the daily spring cleaning posts are but given the fact that we are going out of town this weekend for my sister's college graduation, I am on a temporary hiatus. My plan is to resume Monday after we get back so that I can actually give this the attention it deserves.

Blog-Hopping

Lately I've been pretty lazy about writing on my own page but have done a lot of searching through other blogs. There are some that I really like and have added to my sidebar. I've been feeling pretty crafty in the past month and this was partly inspired by sites like Portobello Pixie and U-Handblog. I busted out my sewing machine for the first time in months and made a brand new bag for spring. I found the pattern on Portobello Pixie and I'm in love. It was much easier than I thought it would be, especially since I haven't really sewed much of anything in several years. I guess sewing is sort of like riding a bike. The new bag is almost complete and I hope to post a picture as soon as the camera is back in action.

I've also been frequenting a few wedding-related sites and finding some great inspiration for my own upcoming nuptials. My favorite is Melissa's Smitten which is the blog of an invitation designer who has the same classic taste as Martha Stewart Weddings. Another really fun site is Classic Bride which is mainstream but with a little kitsch added in. Both are great for creative ideas as well as tips on budgeting, DIY, and adding personality to your wedding. I'm all about not having a wedding that speaks to who we are and not focusing on what is or isn't appropriate or traditional for a wedding.

It's Official

#1- If I didn't qualify as a mom before, even after 8+ months of pregnancy AND a c-section AND caring for an infant for the past 9 months, as of yesterday I officially fit the bill. Yesterday afternoon I licked my finger and used it to clean something off my daughter's face. And not being satisfied, I then licked the corner of a burpcloth and finished the job. There you have it.

#2- I am officially obsessed with a wedding blog called Melissa's Smitten. It is so fun and has so many inspiring ideas. I love it.