Getting Organized!

Now that we've been here for 9 months I've started to focus on trying to get organized.  Yeah, yeah I should have started in the kitchen because I've accumulated three, not one, but THREE junk drawers.  However I've started with baby steps.  I stopped at The Dollar Tree and picked up some little plastic containers (for the record I did call for a price check....they were a dollar) for the kids' bathroom.

I hope ya'll see the awesomeness in this but of course my hubby didn't think it was as spectacular as I did!

Here was Jake's vanity before.

Uhhmmmm yeah that's his tooth brush laying right next to the toilet brush and the cleaner.  I couldn't stand looking at the random crap laying all over....oh and my son's toothbrush laying next to the cleaner ;)  #momoftheyear

So, I put all of the items that Jake uses daily into a basket that he can pull in and out each day when he needs to use them.

I pulled everything out, scrubbed it down with my bud Mr. Clean and put it back in all neat and organized.

Here is Emma's vanity before.  She had a lot more girl stuff on her side and, luckily for her, no toilet brushes or cleaners next to her toothbrush.

I love her 31 bag but it just didn't hold enough stuff and just doesn't have enough structure.  Sooooo I busted out a purple basket for Emma.

I also put the items that she uses daily in her basket and the things that she only uses occasionally and extra soap, razors, shampoo, etc. in the 31 bag. 

Now they can pull their basket out in the morning, do their thing, and then slide the basket in the vanity nice and neatly when they are done (so I don't have to holler at them to pick up their stuff).  Well at least that's the hope that I have :-)
Now I can easily Mr. Clean or Pine Sol their vanities every week when I clean the bathrooms.   Instead of pulling piles of stuff out to clean, I pull out each basket clean, slide them back in and DONE!


So, for two bucks I'm pretty happy.  I sure hope nobody else looked under these vanities before I got them organized.  If you did....I apologize ;)

The mantel and a quick project!

Let's take a gander at the mantel in the great room!  I don't completely love it but in the words of Shrek, it'll do Donkey.

One of the things I love the most are the firefly lights that I made with tulle.  I mean come on, can you ever go wrong with white lights and tulle?

Here is an up close shot and some more of the black garland from Pottery Barn.  You can see the detail of the lights a little better in this picture.  Love them.

 Some silver candlesticks and an orange glass pumpkin....nothing too wild and crazy!

One last up close shot of the banner that I got 90% off at Michael's a few years ago.  Finally, I'm getting to put this stuff to good use ;)

Here are some goods that I got from the Dollar Tree and Michael's over the years and it's about time I got crafty.  So, I gotta cut this short and hope for the best!

Our kitchen Halloween-a-fied!!

Here's the next room in our Halloween tour....the kitchen!!

I'm going to start this off by showing you the sign that I thought would get the biggest rise out of my husband.

Here's the "the witch is in" sign that I though for sure Ryan would have something to say about.  He didn't, so I had to poke him a bit.  To which he answered, always ;)  Hahhha he couldn't let me down.

Here is an up close of the sign.  Guess where I got it?  Yep, the Dollar Tree....ONE DOLLAR!!  As well as some more of the black garland from Pottery Barn.

The first picture didn't do this little guy justice.  So, here is an up close shot of my little chubby owl (don't tell Dillan that I called him chubby though, Conni :P).

Here's one of my favorite things....this mercury glass pumpkin.  I've also got my eye on a mercury glass "poison" jar in the Halloween section at Home Goods :-)

I just picked these up the other day and I LOOOVVVEEEE them.  I can't usually find Halloween kitchen towels I like because they usually have WAY too many colors and I'm more of a neutral girl (DUH, in case you hadn't noticed that!). 

So there ya have it, the kitchen.  I plan on getting some of those adorable mini pumpkins from Kroger to put around the kitchen in some bowls and vases. 

Which rooms do you have decorated for Halloween?  Just a little bit in one room or are you spreading the spooky love around the house???

Halloween decorations, anyone?

Now, before you start making comments about me being crazy let me just say this.  I've had two ginormous totes full of brand new Halloween decorations that have been collecting dust for three years.  Soooooo, I decided that it was time to bust them out.  I'll show you the dining room tonight and share each of the other rooms throughout the week!

Here is my little set up in the dining room.  I bought some black Halloween garland from Pottery Barn a couple years ago and that is what I cut up and put in the vase on the left. 

How cute are these?  I got these at Pier 1 at the end of the season a couple years ago as well.  There's a black cat, a witch's hat and a witch's shoe.  I wished I like foo-foo drinks so I could use these.  Hmmmmm maybe I should just start drinking beer out of them ;)

I got this little gem at TJ Maxx and I really love it for some reason.  Ryan, however, is not a huge fan of it.  When I first put it up he walked into the dining room and said babe, you're freakin' me out.  I said come on it is supposed to be funny now get over it!

So there is the dining room.  Do any of you have your Halloween decorations up yet?  Come on...be honest!!

Craigslist Dresser: Before and After

Not sure if you remember this dresser, but I got this off Craigslist for about 40 bucks.  I have to be honest with you and tell you that I feel kinda guilty that I got it so cheap.  It may not be your cup of tea but I really, REALLY love this dresser.  I had planned to paint it white initially, but we encountered some issues and I turned to plan B.  I must say that I love the final color even more than I would have the white.  So without further ado, here are the befores........

Annndddddd here are the afters......

I had to share a close up of this flower.  I (of course) got these down the road and I believe the gentlemen that grows them told me it is a gladiator.  I am bound and determined to start growing my own flowers in the next few years.  I just can't get enough.  #nerd

When my FIL and I started painting the dresser white, all the years of grease and gunk started to bleed through.  Sooooo, I went home and remembered that I had almost a full gallon of the gray that we painted Jake's bedroom.  I decided that I would give the Behr Cathedral Gray a whirl and I couldn't be happier.  I think this is my favorite piece of furniture yet.

What do you think?  Yay or nay?


I'm also linking up with Thrifty Decor Chick  and The Cottage Market.