Attack of the DVD's

Our DVD collection has never been neat.  In our apartment my husband first had them in a rubbermaid drawer storage cart and then when I moved in, we bought a book case to store them.  Since we have so many movies neither of us was ever able to bring ourselves to put them in any kind of order.  What would be the point though? We're constantly adding new movies to our collection. 
When we moved into our current house, I had visions of alphabetizing the movies as we unloaded them, but in the chaos of moving, they were dumped on the floor and placed back into a bookcase quickly so we could move on to unload the next box.
In a year of yanking DVD's off the shelf to watch and haphazardly tossing them back on the shelves, and adding new DVD's of our favorite movies, this is what our shelf looks like.

Aren't you jealous of this beautiful mess?  And can I tell you that this bookshelf is out in the open.....for all to see....and faces our dining room....where our dinner guests have prime viewing of this. (sigh)
So, I finally decided, enough is enough.  I pulled out all the DVD's and organized them by genre and then alphabetized each genre. 
This was not an easy task.  My husband is more of a movie person than I am so about 75% of the movies we have are his and I had no clue what they were about.  I had to look up most of the movies on-line to see what genre they fit under.  What was supposed to be a quick project took a bit longer since I had to do some research on the movies.  But, it was worth it!
I assigned the bottom two shelves to hold our TV shows on DVD. I can't believe we have 12 seasons of the Simpsons, but we do!
So, without further ado, I bring you the organized movie shelf.

I was able to leave a little space in between each genre to allow for new DVD's that we add to our collection.  Although, I think we should hold off on some new movies since there were a few DVD's not even opened yet. 
Also, once I get the right sized tape for my label maker I hope to label each section.  There are about seven genre's total, so it is a little confusing.  On the up side, I hoping this will make us turn to our movie selection before running to the video store on rainy nights.

A little beauty in the kitchen

Our kitchen theme was based upon these potholders my mother-in-law got us when she went to Pennsylvania a year ago.

 I decided I wanted a country theme in the kitchen and pictured roosters, white painted cabinets, pink lace curtains and a country-looking table. 

What actually happened in the kitchen?  Well, after a year still haven't found curtains I like, realized our cabinets cannot be painted since they seem to be made out of formica or some other horrible 1970 product and I'm really not a fan of birds, and I couldn't see how a rooster would could win me over in the kitchen.

Soooooo, plan B needed to be thought up.  I went on to Behr's website and looked up our kitchen paint which is called Sage Tint.  I think looked to see what colors they said coordinated with it.  Well, I fell in love.  The colors Behr suggested were a light blue called Carribian Mist and a light pink called Delicate Blush.

Armed with this information I pondered how I could make the kitchen a room I could enjoy. I don't cook all too often so I'm not in the kitchen unless Dave asks me to taste something he's cooking or if I'm washing the dishes. Dave is the cook in our household.  I decided to incorporate the blue and the pink in little accents in the room. 

Here's my first little project.  We got these canisters for our shower and I looooove them! I love the sleek style and is timeless.

Now, with some hot glue and ribbon, they add a nice little pop of color to the kitchen.

I still haven't decided on a theme for the kitchen to tie in the blue and the pink, but I'm pleased to be able to start moving in some sort of direction color-wise. 

I have a microwave cart with a butcher block top which I may decide to paint the wood the light blue called Carribian Mist.  I can't wait!

Kitchen cabinet clean-up

One of my favorite blogs is Young House Love.  I love the ideas they come up with and sometimes, they even inspire a DIY project of my own. 
This week they shared how they organized their kitchen cabinets and I was inspired.  After seeing their beautiful makeover, I was quite bummed to be coming home to this:

Yeah, everything is just kind of tossed around. It was all nice and neat at one point....ok, so it was neat the week we moved in and then it became a mess.  I pondered over how to whip that cabinet into shape this week and even rounded up some empty containers to use for storage.

Well, after about 15 minutes, the above mess turned into this:

A place for everything and everything in its place.  I was even able to use two of the empty containers I kept.  One holds toothpicks and the other holds my cake & cupcake stuff.  I'm so relieved now to open that cabinet every day.

But, I didn't stop there.  Our utensil drawer was also a disaster. I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of the before, but here's all the stuff.... 

 that was crammed into this little drawer.

After Dave vacuumed out the drawer for me, I found left over scrapbooking paper which he cut down to size for me.  I glued it all down and then got ready to organize this disaster.

 I used left over drawer organizers to hold our pens and then our miscellaneous stuff like glue, chapstick, etc. and moved our take-out menus to a cabinet.  I also got rid of a lot of unsharpened pencils and a ton of markers that were rolling around in this drawer for months.

I think this could work for us.  I'm very happy with the results and I just love the pop of color in the drawer too!

Enjoy your weekend! I know we are.  We're busy little bees cleaning and organizing.  Stay tuned for more!

Waiting paid off

I've been drooling over these paper weights in Pier 1 since the winter. 

(Pier 1)

Beautiful, right?  I just wasn't loving the $14.95 price tag that came with it.  I know they're heavy items and they are from Pier 1, but I just couldn't justify spending that much on something that small that was literally going to just sit somewhere in my house. 

I checked the store religously to see if the paperweight went on sale or was moved to clearance. Every time I got an email from Pier 1 I searched their website to see there was a drop in price.

But, for months, my dream paperweight held steady at $14.95.

Well, the other day, Dave & I went into Pier 1 to kill time before we had to leave for a party.  My eye was immediately on this lovely piece that was marked down to $6 because there's a teeny tiny chip on the top.

I grabbed it up and continued to browse the store.  Dave laughed at me that I always seem to find great deals on items.  What can I say, I'm a sale & clearance kind of gal!

After not finding anything else that was reasonably priced or as lovely as this vase, I quickly checked out the price of the paperweights.  Yup. You guessed it. Still $14.95.

Dave asked which was my favorite and I pointed to the one that had a picture of a chandelier. He grabbed one and placed it on the counter explaining that I may as well get it now since I've been drooling over them for so long.

Can you guess what happened next?  IT WAS ON SALE!!  It was a surprise sale I guess because it rang up at $11 and change.  WOOHOO! I am one happy girl.

See, isn't beautiful?

And it soooooo belongs here, in my home, on my entryway table.  I love beautiful things and this little paperweight makes me so happy.

Please ignore my empty vases. I do plan on adding flowers to them, I just haven't had time.                         

My latest obsession

I've developed an obsession with hour glasses.  I already own two, and if I pass one in a store, I have to stop, stare, and pick it up. 

I'm not sure if it goes back to my love of the Wizard of Oz.

(uponamidnightdreary.com)

My favorite hourglass scene is when Dorothy is just about to be rescued by her friends and she turns to the hourglass, which is almost empty, and begs them to hurry.  I still get anxious watching that scene, even though I know what happens.

My obsession with hourglasses could also stem from my love of the beach.  There's nothing like the feeling of sand beneath my toes and watching the sand sprinkle through the hourglass does have me daydreaming of summer.

(flickr.com)

Although, it could very well be that I love the sleek lines of the hourglass, the delicate shape and the curiousness it sparks in me as to how they get the sand inside.  Now matter what it is, I'm obsessed with hourglasses and hope to add to my collection.  I think these two need some friends.

I especially love the one on the left since the hourglass is encased in a tube of water.  It's awesome!

I hope to add more to my mantle soon.  And did you notice my Dorothy figurine? My love of the Wizard of Oz doesn't just end at hourglasses.  That is truly my all time favorite movie!

"Madam Green Thumbs"

That was the nickname my husband gave me on Saturday.  We took a trip to Lowes, with a coupon I might add, and loaded up on some beautiful plants for our front garden.  With the help of Hendrix, our rabbit, we were able to turn the soil, lay down some top soil and plant everything we got, all while soaking up the sun.  As you can see, the tulips I had planted are all gone.  I cut down the brown stems a few weeks ago. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these plants stay green and flower throughout the summer.  As long as we remember to water them, we should be ok.  My husband is going to pick up some Miracle Gro this week so we can feed these beauties. 

My Easter Lily, which is front and center is still standing tall and green!

Wish us luck!

My little helper

We spent the day outside today taking in the beautiful weather.  We even brought out our little furbaby, Hendrix.  She's an angora rabbit about 2 years old and she has grabbed a hold of our hearts from the moment we laid eyes on her.  She's an inside bunny with full range of our house, but today we decided to spoil her even more. (If that's even possible)

We brought her cage outside so she could soak up the rays, which is good since it'll provide Vitamin D for her and to feel the breeze on her face.  She's never locked in her cage so she was a little disoriented at first, but once she felt the first breeze on her face, she was sooooo happy.  Here's just a few pictures of her soaking up the sun.  Stay tuned for the reason why she was my little helper today!  Enjoy your weekend!

"Why am I in a cage?"

"I love the smell of Spring!"

"Working on my tan!"

I loves me some Target!

I needed a bag to bring to work that would carry my stuff. My stuff being whatever book I'm reading, my lunch, my gazillion snacks, my water and whatever bills I need to pay.  I had a little bag for a while, but I had a little mishap with my lunch one day.  My salad dressing spilled all over the bottom of my bag and ruined it.  I guess I could have washed it, but it was just too gross to keep around all day at work.  Soooo, after a few weeks of trying to beat my husband to left over shopping bags (he's got stuff to bring to work too), I finally broke down and went on the hunt for a new work bag. 
I went to my favorite store of all time........TARGET!!!  I did find a few cute bags, including this one:

It was on sale, but I wasn't that crazy about it.  I held onto it and wandered over the the dollar bins. (Those bins are my favorite part of Target!)  There were a few bags, but they were huge and see thru. Not exactly my taste, not that this bag was my style either.  I then spotted two green handles sticking out from the bottom of one of the bins.  I pulled on the handles and found the perfect bag.  Here it is:

                                      

 And it was only a DOLLAR!!!! How can you go wrong with a dollar?!  I am quite thrilled with my purchase.  Dare I say I can't wait for work tomorrow to show it off?                                                

Linen closet mini-face lift

This is our linen closet. 



















It's tiny, but functional....sort of.  As you can see the shelves are kind of organized, but in our haste to put laundry away quickly and toss aside the hair dryer in our mad dash out the door for work, things get a little.....messy. 

Ok, so the shelves get very messy.  We've been waiting for baskets so we can organize the sheets & towels and all the other stuff in the closet, but never got around to this purchase.  Well, the other day while I was cleaning our office, I discovered this little treasure that needed a home:

I knew this basket was just the sign needed that the linen closet need to be straightened up.
So, after some refolding and tucking sheet sets into the matching pillow case, and putting my new basket to good use, Iwe give you......the neater and less hectic linen closet:

We can finally find where things are and grab just one towel, instead of the whole bunch bursting out of the closet. We can also grab sheets for the bed, which are now all tucked into a pillow case, instead of searching the closet for the matching sheet or pillow case. 
Just keep your fingers crossed that we're able to keep the linen closet this organized! haha

Anxiety room

Doesn't every house have that anxiety room. The one that's a mish-mosh of stuff; the one you organize and reorganize in your mind during the day; the one where you only go in there to drop off more stuff and quickly leave the room because to clean it would be daunting.  If there's no room like that in your house, I'd like to introduce you to mine.  This is our spare bedroom/office/man cave/catchall for stuff/workout room.  Yes, it's all those rolled into one room. Look at the pictures, you can see why it causes anxiety.

Even the closet was a disaster!  Oh, and the treadmill.....doesn't work! Wish we knew that before we lugged it upstairs from the garage. 
So, I finally decided last night would be the night that I organized and brought some sort of peace to the room.  I moved our filing cabinet into the closet and set up a small table for our lamp.  I also moved all the wires for the TV and game systems behind the table holding the TV. The wires before were just hanging out for all to see....and trip on.  I also organzied my desk drawer. I should have taken a picture of this, but didn't think of it. The drawer was full of stationary...tons of it!  Here is it all laid out on the floor.

I really don't write letters to people, especially with email and facebook, I don't have reason to pen a note to anyone.  I may take it up though just to get rid of some of this stationary.  I was also thinking it could be used for a project, but I'm not sure what kind of project. Maybe some can be used for art work.
Anyway, I moved all but one box of stationary into the 3 drawer cabinent in the closet. And that desk drawer now contains useful desk stuff, like  pens, pencils, a calculator.  All that stuff was just tossed on top of the desk.
I also found this basket in the closet holding the boxes that our cameras came in.  I already have big plans for this basket!

Without further ado, I bring you my spare bedroom/office/with an ode to sports memorabilia.

I even added an area for stuff "to be filed" on top of the file cabinet.

I feel so much better walking into this room now.  Also, with less anxiety in this room, may even cause me to blog more!

Dinner for....one

Since my husband, and personal chef, had to work late Monday, it was up to me to make dinner for myself.  I've been trying to eat healthy lately, so my usualy Mac & Cheese was not going to cut it.  I had taken chicken cutlets out the night before and figured I'd try to be crafty with those.  After a little searching on-line, I had an idea of what I wanted: lemon chicken with brushetta.  The brushette we had left over from a party over the weekend, so this worked out perfectly.
I dreged the chicken through flour, sprinkled a little salt & pepper on them and cooked them in oil, squirting them with lemon juice as I turned them. 
On the side I made whole wheat pasta and I heated up some white wine and lemon juice so the pasta would not be dry.
Once the chicken was done, I topped it with the brushetta, added the pasta to the side and poured by lemon-wine sauce over the plate.  It wasn't that bad.

I even had another chicken cutlet let over for lunch!  I can't wait for lunchtime today!

My apothecary jar love

I've recently become obsessed with apothecary jars.  I love the shape and the lid and that they pretty much look beautiful no matter what's in them.

I especially love when they're filled with wine corks and decided that an apothecary jar with wine corks would make a great centerpiece for my dining room table.

I searched the web and found expensive ones that were nice, but I just didn't want to spend a lot.  On one of my many trips to Michael's I found a few, but even those were a bit more than I wanted to spend at $30 and $40.

Then, on one beautiful day, my husband and I happened to stroll into our local Home Goods and there was the perfect apothecary jar. It was huge and only $16.99!  What a bargin!

The only problem was that the line to pay was about 30 people deep. We didn't have time to wait on that line for one item so we left (reluctantly).

Then, Easter morning, Dave hands me this huge gift.  It was my apothecary jar! He went back and bought it for me for Easter.  I've already started to fill it with wine corks, although I think I have a ways to go before it's full!

  

Isn't it gorgeous!  Another item I was drooling over at Home Good was this yellow bottle with the Flur de Lis stopper.  I love this too! I think it adds a little balance to the shelf.

As you can see I had a very happy Easter!

Move over Martha!

I decided to try my hand at gardening this year. As you may recall from my previous post, I was not blessed with a green thumb, so "try" is the key word in this garden.

Since our garden here is full sun, picking flowers is going to be tough since I grew up in a partial shade house. All I know about are impatients and hostas. I've been surfing the web for full sun flowers, both annual & perrenials and I'm so excited that my favorite flowers are full sun: daisys! I can't wait to get started on adding some life to the front yard.
I did get to add a little bit of color after this Easter since I received quite a few plants from Dave & my family.

The white picket fence was an Easter gift from Dave. Isn't it great!?
I also planted some seeds for full sun flowers, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and wishing on Miracle-Gro that they pop up. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress!

My Target impulse purchase!

So after a long week at work, I decided some retail therapy would be good. I had a few necessities to pick up from Target so while there I figured I'd stroll around. Wondering past the home clearance section, this gorgeous vase captured my gaze.

Isn't the color amazing! And that price! It says $4.98. That's right, $4.98! You just can't beat that price. I loved the shape of the vase and instantly knew a quick run to Michael's was in the near future for me. After all, it's spring and my home needs "Jeanine proof" flowers. (that's fake flowers for those of you who are unaware of my non-existant green thumb).

So, after my trip to Michael's (with my coupon of course!), here's the finished product! I love that it just screams spring! I think the yellow flowers add a nice surprise too.

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!