Happy {belated} Halloween!

There's a lot going on around here right now, especially with M's entire family descending upon us for Thanksgiving. It seems like there is never enough time in the day and my never-ending "to do" list is... well... never-ending! I have a turkey dinner to plan, guest bedrooms to set up, a basement to clean and organize, winter preparations to make, fall bulbs to plant asap, over a dozen centerpieces to make for a 50th anniversary party, a pool to close, blogs to post... all before Thanksgiving! You know, just to name a few. Want a sneak peek at one of my upcoming projects?

Add all those to the never-ending "to do" list, coupled with potty-training a puppy, raising a toddler, and trying to spend quality time with the hubby, and I guess you could say my days are pretty full. I guess that's why I have no desire to go back to work, I'm just too busy! It doesn't help that I can't say "no" to anyone that asks for something, apparently I have this need to help as much as I can, which is usually more than I should. Even my 30th birthday "day off" last week was full of errands and crazy running around busyness. I can't remember the last time I had a day to myself. No, that's not true. It was about 29 months ago, before C was born.

Now all this isn't to complain, I absolutely love my life and the busy insanity that comes with it. I'm thrilled to be able to stay home with C, and I know some people who are a million times busier than I am. I don't envy them. This random tangent into my everyday life is simply to say, I don't have a new project for you. Things are just way to crazy right now, but I've got plenty of projects planned over the next 10 days. I DO, however, have some great pics from our Halloween party to share!

We invited all the kids from C's playgroup over for some fun and games, and I think they had a blast. It was our first ever kiddo party, so it was definitely a learning experience! Mental note: if you have a bunch of kids under 5 years old, you don't need organized party games or special food. The kids just want to run around playing with new toys and eat whatever fits in their mouths!

Our food spread that the kids pretty much ignored. 

Check out the homemade guacamole one of our moms whipped up!

She also made this yummy Halloween chex mix. It was sooo good.

Another momma brought these adorable pumpkin shaped grilled cheese sandwiches.

In keeping with her pumpkin theme, she made these pumpkin rice crispy treats, 

complete with chocolate licorice stems and a ~surprise~ Hershey's kiss in the middle!

She even brought these delightfully spooky monster juice boxes!

Of course the kids had to have cupcakes and sugar cookies to decorate.
I finished up these cookies literally as guests were walking in the door!

An adorable pirate enjoying her cupcake.

My little superhero-in-training was definitely a fan of the snacks.

Batman has a little bit of everything, too! Guess those snacks weren't a waste after all...

This guy made a pretty cool pirate, I'm loving the facial hair!

Cutest. Parrot. Ever.

I put up a crepe paper "maze" for the kids to climb through. 

One of the kids decided it was more fun to run right through them, though, so it didn't stay up long!

C was thrilled about all the fun arts and crafts supplies, 

thanks again to the momma's who helped out with the supplies for this project!

We let the kids make their own goody bags, 

they definitely had fun with this part! C was a big fan of the googly eyes.

I love how different they all look; some of the kids were into stickers while others got a kick out of the jewels or pom poms. Some of the kids even thought to glue their pumpkins to their bags, 

something I hadn't had in mind at all. Check out how great they all are!

I didn't get these milk jug jack-o-lanterns out in time for the party, but they WERE out for the trick-or-treaters on Halloween! And we were happy that M's parents decided to stop by for the evening...

C was very curious about these. Basically I gave the milk jugs a super good cleaning (thanks again to the mommas who donated some) and then drew various faces on them. The blogger I got this idea from suggested using strands of Christmas lights to light them up, but I definitely don't have any of those sitting around and new ones are pricey. I had M gather up all the LED candles we have scattered around the house instead. I cut an opening in the bottom of the jugs, slid the candles inside, and voila! Easy homemade jack-o-lanterns.

Well, that was our Halloween. We had crazy fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. What was your Halloween like? Did you have a party or just a lot of trick-or-treaters? Or did you shut off all the lights and pretend you weren't home? No judging, sometimes I wish we could do that!

Hall Closet Makeover

Okay I am particularly excited about this project. The hall coat closet in our entryway has been the bane of my existence since we moved into this house. Well, after the basement, of course, but that is a whole other series of posts I'm not getting into right now.

Sorry, back to topic. One of the reasons that the hall closet drives me crazy is because it is absolutely HUGE. I know I know, why would that be a problem? Shouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe if it was laid out properly. With plenty of storage. But it's not. It is a huge closet that has one hanging rack. ONE. In addition, the kitchen immediately adjoining it has no pantry. I will never understand why people feel the need to build a home without a kitchen pantry. Where do they expect you to put all of your food and random cooking things? So every time I have to move things around to try and find something stuffed in the back of my kitchen cabinets, I can't help but glare at my huge coat closet going to waste and think "why can't you be a pantry?!?"

Now I don't want you to think we have this huge closet that is just sitting there being empty. As the Queen of Random Junk, I can guarantee that closet was definitely being used, much as the laundry room was being used before its recent overhaul. I don't even remember all the things that were in it at one time. We were stashing shoes, bags, hats, tools, steam cleaners, toys, crafts, and who knows what else in there.

With winter coming I knew it was time to clear room for cold weather things, so I grabbed all the obvious items that I knew didn't belong and stashed them somewhere else, leaving me with a lot of space in the top half of the closet.

It still left a lot the craziness at the bottom, though.

I knew all that junk wasn't going to fit after the closet remodel I had in mind, so after another round of sorting and organizing I was left with a much more satisfying start.

Now we are ready for the serious stuff. I thought long and hard about how I wanted the closet to be organized in order for it to function at its maximum potential. I knew I was definitely going to need a lot more shelving for all the items I was planning to store in this closet:

• everyday shoes
• hats, gloves, scarves
• jackets, coats - plus "space" for guests' coats
• my purse
• camera bag
• off-season items - right now that means bubbles, chalk, flip flops, sunscreen, etc
• rarely used kitchen items - bread maker, crock pot, waffle iron, etc

Here are my solutions:

1. A fun paint color on the wall - my first actual foray into the world of color!
2. Full length shelf above the current one for little used kitchen and off-season items
3. A row of shelves along the left side to easily access regularly used items
4. Hooks along the interior wall next to the door for lightweight sweaters and C's little jackets
5. Storage on the inside of the door for quick grab items: flashlights, umbrellas, flip flops, etc

The first step was to paint. I am absolutely in love with the turquoise that's so popular right now but I usually play it safe with neutrals. The thought of trying out such a bold color in a whole room absolutely terrifies me so I figured this closet would be the perfect place to start. I chose Olympic's Blue Dusk (A-58 2), and I used the Premium Zero VOC. It costs a little more but there is very little paint fumes and even those are completely gone within a few hours. Definitely worth it, especially in such a high traffic area.

I love it! It's so pale I guess it could still qualify as a neutral but it's soothing and definitely helps all the white pop. I'm still not quite brave enough to put it in a main room, but I think adding it to the laundry room and other closets would be absolutely dreamy.

Once the paint was dry it was time for the new shelves to go up. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures as installed them. Remembering to take pics step-by-step is definitely going to take some getting used to!

At this point I've wrapped up most of the major isues. There are still a few changes and additions that need to be made but this is a 100% improvement and I'm so happy with it.

And now, without further adieu, I present the hall closet makeover!

Check out the added shelf on top! The fabulous people at Lowe's cut it to size and showed me exactly what pieces I needed to put it up, and it was super easy to install.

I went through all the random tools that were stashed in the closet... and drawers, and laundry room, and office, and bathroom, and kitchen... and set aside only the items that I know I use on a regular basis. Then I stored them in this handy makeup caddy that I'd picked up at Target for $3. Everything else was packed in a box and moved to the garage until I get a chance to organize them.



Those awesome banker's boxes have been vegetating in the basement since the move. I rescued them hoping they would be the perfect size for these shelves, and they are! Eventually they will be covered with fabric so they are nice and pretty (oooh that will be a fun post).

Now THESE shelves were a serious pain. The top rail went up first, but of course I couldn't find my level so I had to eyeball it and hope for the best. The vertical rails were hung, but I waited to screw them in since I wasn't sure about the spacing. I put the shelves up to so I could mark locations for screws, then took them back to down. Finally I screwed everything into the wall using drywall anchors and put the shelves back up. Phew, it makes me tired just to think about it.

M requested a shallow tray to toss all his pocket items when he got off work. I went through various baskets, boxes, and trays before we settled on this one as his favorite size and shape. It's just a baking pan from the dollar store, and it will look FABULOUS once I make it over!

I debated whether to hang my purse from a hook or put it on a shelf and finally settled for the shelf. I didn't want to have all that continuous stress on the straps and potentially ruin all my favorite purses!

Now the final question is what to do with our shoes; we have two options at the moment. M doesn't want me to take this shelf out, he prefers to line his shoes up neatly in a row. I think this rack is bulky and awkward, and it interferes with the new streamlined look of the closet. If we decide to stick with a shelf I think it might be better to have one that runs the full-length of the closet, like the one I added to the top.

Another option is to place a few baskets along the bottom of the closet, either on the floor or on a full length shelf. Each person can have their own basket to toss their shoes into. The bins would look streamlined all lined up, but save crucial seconds of bending down and lining the shoes up one by one. Trust me, when it comes to convenience and keeping things clean and organized, those seconds count! What are your thoughts on our shoe debate?

Last but certainly not least are the hooks I added to the interior wall by the door. This is definitely an under-utilized space in most closets, and I decided it would be the perfect spot to hang quick-grab items. I was hoping to use some pretty hooks but after pricing them I decided to wait, especially once I found these simple racks at the dollar store. The top set of hooks are for my camera bag and the light weight cardigans I seem to be wearing all the time. I made sure to use drywall anchors with this rack in case I decide to hang any heavy items later on.

I had C step in the closet with me while installing the bottom hooks so they would be at the perfect height for him. Now he can hang his own teeny hats and jackets!
























Now if you've been paying attention, you will notice that I haven't installed the door organizer yet. I'm still trying to decide what exactly I want to use and will update you once I do.

Okay, time for the final before and after pics!

BEFORE                                                               AFTER

BEFORE                                                           AFTER

Well, what do you think? Did I make a good use of the available space? And what is your opinion on the shoe debate? Would you line them up on a shelf, toss them in personalized bins, or do you have another suggestion we can try?

This has been a long makeover but the end result is so completely worth it. You can always tell an organization makeover has been successful if it's easy to keep neat, and (more importantly) you keep going back to smile at it like a goofball! Check and check!

Linked to:

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Ask Anna...

Laundry Room Makeover

Who's ready to see a laundry room before and after? I am, I am! Okay yes, I am the one who took it from before to after, but I am so excited to share it with you. It makes it seem more real, knowing that all of you are following along.

As I show you the befores, please remember not to judge. I'm sure you've been here at one point or another, and the only way to get past this point is to have a vision and go for it. If you are tempted to be mean or snarky, please read Keep It Happy! and do it! This is a happy blog and we are here to support each other!

And now. Without further ado. I give you the laundry room makeover BEFORE.

Shocking, right? See the dryer hiding there on the left? Behind all the... everything? We had to kind of squeeze in there just to use it. It's probably not surprising that we didn't do laundry very often. To be fair, the laundry room didn't always look this bad. These pics were taken immediately after a Halloween party, when we did the usual "omg where does this go, it has no place, find somewhere to hide it, the laundry room, put it in the laundry room QUICK!"

You've been there, right?

Now I'm sure you're curious what's hiding to the left... where the washer and dryer live. I'm pleased to tell you that area has always looked great.

Haha.

After the embarrassing last minute scramble before that party, I was determined to start my Happy Misadventures with this room. So here are the fabulous AFTER photos!

Look how clean and organized! Someday I will find a more attractive way to store the dog food, but for now I think this works just fine. The little white cabinet is holding all our pet supplies, though it may need to be exchanged soon for something with more storage.

These little bins and cute tray were all snatched up at Goodwill (my new favorite store) and hold regularly used pet supplies: dry shampoo, dental supplies, leashes, and brushes.

Found these cute "whicker" baskets at the Dollar Store (they are actually plastic! shhh...)

See that kleenex box? It's actually full of plastic shopping bags. They were taking up SO much space in our "before" laundry room and were exceptionally unattractive, so I was thrilled to stumble upon this little space saver (thank you, Pinterest)!

If you're wondering about the left side of the room, I fixed that, too!

I found these great storage bins on clearance at Wal-Mart and I knew they'd be perfect for sorting all the random things in the laundry room. The top shelf bins are full of: napkins and paper towels, extra plumbing fixtures, light bulbs, and touch-up paint supplies.

Eventually the laundry detergent and bleach will be poured into smaller bottles for easier pouring. For now, though, this works!

We discovered the hard way that potty training a puppy requires a lot of old towels, so finding a convenient spot for them was definitely a necessity. And I love having all white hangers for hang-dry items, it looks so streamlined!

It wasn't necessary to put the iron in a basket, but it looks much cleaner and since we don't iron very often it isn't too much of a hassle to haul it out (besides, I have a secret future plan for the iron). I also gathered all the squirt bottles together for a streamlined look. The blue bin in the middle is actually our Swiffer pads in their original packaging with the label pulled off. And the pencil box on top is filled with dryer sheets.

I forgot to take a before pic of the wall by the door, but trust me it was bad. Mostly because all the cleaning supplies were just slid in next to the washing machine. They were always falling over for us to trip on, and it was such a pain sorting through them to find the one we needed. It finally occured to me to move this rack off the wall (where it wasn't being used for anything except holding a plastic bag full of plastic bags) to the back of the door. Clutter problem solved!

Well folks, that's my new and improved laundry room. It's far from completed, I have so much more I want to do! But it's a start and I am so thrilled with it. I don't open the door and gaze in admiration with a dorky grin on my face or anything. At least, not often. Well, not more than 2 or 3 times a day. Or 4. Or, you know. All the time.

I am in love. I am so happy. This misadventure has turned into the highlight of my home. I fully intend greet all future guests with the phrase "Welcome to my home. Please, let me show you the laundry room!"

You think I'm kidding, don't you. Just wait, you'll see.

Just in case you've forgotten, let's take one more look at the BEFORE and AFTER photos.

BEFORE AFTER

What do you think?!? I would love to hear your Happy Thoughts, share share share!

This post has been linked to:

Debbiedoos Newbie Linky Party.

Organize and Decorate Everything

Between Naps on the Porch

Homemaker on a Dime