A Heavenly Home: Spring Cleaning Day 2: Office

                So while I wanted to enjoy my time off from work this week I wanted to reorganize parts of my apartment that needed a little TLC. I decided to devote my time to three areas of my apartment: my closet, my office and my bathroom. I conquered day 2 of my spring cleaning with the task of my office.

                My side of the office was not necessarily dirty but mainly cluttered and unorganized. For example, if I wanted to find a pair of scissors or my stapler I would have to look in several bins. I would not know where to find it. So I decided to reorganize and de-clutter my side of the office. I also decided to pare down the items next to my desk which are used for storage. Next to my desk I have two storage bins and a suitcase. The office is the only place that will hold these items comfortably (because our bikes fill up our storage closet). On top of all that I had four pillows that I use for winter and fall in our apartment and a few extra boxes and bins. I paired down those items and tried to make it look less cluttered. 

                Next, I tackled my desk. My desk does not sadly have drawers so I have to make use of what I have. I have a small three bin organizer that I use to hold my stapler, post its and note pads. Then I have my pen organizer (an old BBW candle covered in glitter) and a purse post it organizer and my high heel tape dispenser. That is it. While I love office décor items I wanted to keep the desk free of clutter so I could focus on my  tasks at hand.  I have a larger three drawer organizer under my desk that holds other items, like notepads and other necessities.

 Finally, I have a mail organizer that I use frequently to hold my items that need to be taken care of, bills to pay etc. I didn’t want it on my desk but I wanted it nearby. I decided to de-clutter the top of my bookshelf and put my pretty decorative books elsewhere. That way I could put my mail organizer there so I could access it while working at my desk when I pay bills and such.

This was a very small project for me. Because of that I decided to use this time to purchase more index cards to write to do lists and I also decided to make business cards for this blog. I am thoroughly enjoying the blog process and want to have cards to give to others so they can enjoy and experience my blog. While this was a small project for me, it motivated me to keep working on tasks around my house. My last step in my spring cleaning “series” is the bathroom. It should take me an hour or two, but I can’t wait to be done with the process!

Does organizing a part of your home make you feel motivated? What tasks are you working on around your home? 

A Heavenly Home: Spring Cleaning: Day 1: Closet and Dresser

                This past week, I was off for a “Spring Break” of sorts. I don’t necessarily count it as spring break because of the crazy wintry weather that we have had recently. I decided on my first weekday off to spend my day cleaning out my closet and my dresser. While the weather has not been warm (besides a few odd days here or there), I have been in love with spring dresses. I have been purchasing spring dresses during the winter in preparation for the upcoming season.  

            I decided to go through my closet and get rid of a ton of items. I decided to make two piles. One pile was a trash pile (clothing that was so destroyed it would not be good for others) and a pile to give to my mom. I managed to get rid of quite a few items. I then made some organization progress in my closet. For example, I sorted clothes by work clothes, then by pants, ¾ sleeve shirts, t-shirts, etc. I also put away my winter clothing. Then I made room in my closet for all of my jeans (as they can be heavy and weigh down my lovely dresser).

        Finally, I made space for all of my spring items. I figure I can wear some of them with leggings or jeans and cardigans until the warmer weather officially is here to stay. I also pulled out some of my favorite tops and put them in the front and center of my closet so that I could enjoy them and see them. A lot of people on Youtube like to have a closet rack out in public. I do not like this for myself (even though I love the idea) because I have a hard time with clutter. Also, I do not have the space for it in the bedroom. This is my solution. I can see my most beautiful items and can enjoy them. I also placed a nice pair of heels and a book to showcase in my closet. It makes me happy to open my closet now.  

                Next, I tackled my dresser. As a self proclaimed introvert (and Social Anxiety member), I love PJs. They make me feel comfy and safe. I had a TON of PJs. I decided to thoroughly go through them and finally got my items narrowed down to my favorites. Again, I organized my PJs by sets, different types and put my workout clothes in a pile. I also organized my socks and my shirts into sections again.

                In reality, I am not a fan of dressers but I love my dresser. While I do not like clutter, I typically do not care how my clothes are organized in drawers. I changed that on my first day of spring cleaning. I am happy with the progress I have made. My next steps to take include tackling my bathroom and my office. The rest of the areas of my apartment have already been cleaned and de-cluttered recently. Stay tuned for additional posts on how I reorganized these two areas. Finally, I can’t wait to share my post about my “office in an ottoman.” As stated I have recently made myself a fabulous reading nook in my bedroom. I have filled my mini ottoman with necessary essentials. Stay tuned for this post.

                I am surprisingly content with the look of my closet and dresser and anticipate the next stages of my organization process!  How are you spring cleaning? Do you spend more time organizing or deep cleaning? I do a mix of both as needed. 

A Heavenly Home: My Relaxing Nook

          I am a true introvert and a homebody. If someone asked me what my perfect day would entail, it would include a cup of tea, a book, some fuzzy PJ's, and the kitty nearby. I decided to make a little tiny space for myself to relax on the weekends or at the end of a long day. I decided to purchase a chair that I placed in our bedroom by the window. I enjoy this spot because when it rains, I can hear the rain in my cozy little corner. I will often bring a cup of tea over and my phone and relax for a little bit. I like to journal about my day in my little chair. I feel safe and at home in this little spot. 

My cat is currently residing in my little relaxing nook. This little area reminds me of OrganizedJen’s loftice, or office in a loft. Because I share an office with my boyfriend, I wanted to create a small corner of our bedroom that I could feel relaxed and comfortable. Originally, my boyfriend’s nightstand was over next to the chair, but I asked him if we would mind if we switched sides so that I could have access to my lotions, potions, and balms when I am sitting in my little chair. Do you have a little space that you call your own? How do you use it?

A Heavenly Home: Bring on Spring

            Lately, I have been in one of those ruts, you know when you want spring to come? Well this weekend, I woke up early and decided to get our apartment ready for spring. I watched a Dollar Tree Easter decoration video from Doltonadime and got the best ideas to decorate our home! I immediately got in my car and headed to the dollar store. I got rid of a lot of my decorations because a lot of them were girly.  I typically decorate 3 areas in our home seasonally or based on holidays. I decorate our coffee table, our dining table and the entry way. I will keep up these decorations for most of spring until about mid May.

            Our dining table has a pretty vinyl polka dot blue and white tablecloth. I am not usually a fan of vinyl but the pattern was so cute I had to get it. Plus, vinyl is nice and easy to wipe down. Then, I put a set of daisies in a vase on the dining room table. Not many decorations, as we use the table frequently, but it’s cute enough. 

            Nex,t I worked on our entryway. I put up a little vase of flowers. Again, I chose daisies because they are a gender neutral color and I feel like they really brightened up the space. Usually I am not a fan of decorating for Easter; this year is no exception. However, I found these cute eggs at the dollar store and purchased this egg Ferris wheel (from Jo Ann’s) to place by our door. 

          Lastly, I decorated the coffee table with pieces I have had around the home. For example, I like to have a placemat or two on my coffee table at all times to use instead of coasters. However, I was so tired of the boring tan. So I decided to use one of my boyfriend’s old pillowcases and folded it. It will need to be washed after being used and is temporary. I am hoping to find a few placemats as I shop around. I also placed this iron teapot I purchased a few years ago on the table. In my old apartment, it had pink flowers, but I took them out and added daisies. Finally, I placed our book “box” that is used to hold our remotes on the table. 

        I had one casualty that did not make it to our home (or did in small pieces). I got a snow globe chick that I was going to put in the entry way.  I decided to save it and break off (very gently the snow globe pieces) and wash out the glitter and use it by the door.

I am very happy with the design of our home. While I am a strong independent woman, I love decorating my home. Again, I am fortunate that my boyfriend is flexible with how I decorate our home, as long as it is fairly gender neutral (no pink or purple colors). How have you decorated your home for spring? How often do you change the décor in your home? 

A Heavenly Home: An Office for Two

                As stated in a previous post I have lived in many different places, basements, dorms, studios etc. However, my boyfriend and I have never had the luxury of having a two bedroom apartment until now. We are very fortunate to have a two bedroom apartment and actually save money on rent living together now. However, we are still working out the kinks of decorating.
                When we found out we were going to have a second bedroom my boyfriend told me he wanted a man cave. I was okay with this, because he gave me permission to decorate the house as I see fit. Of course I still consulted with him on our design of our house. However when we moved in he noticed he didn’t have a TV cord in the room. So in the end we made the second bedroom our office/guest bedroom. This is the one room (besides my bathroom) that I feel comfortable decorating in purple and pink (at least on my side).

 We each have a half of the room for our personal items. We have our desks, bookshelves and he has a dresser. In the middle we have a futon which pulls out as a bed. The best part is when you walk up the stairs the main thing you see from the office is the futon and the coffee table. It makes the room look cohesive.

 

"Guest Bedroom"

 
              We each decorate our “sides” however we see fit as these are our own little personal spaces but the middle of the room looks clean and cohesive. I really enjoy the look of our office. I find it to be comfortable and functional. I also think that it looks appropriate enough for guests to sleep in. Also, I enjoy the fact that I have a place that I can sit down and complete my work if I want to. I can keep other areas of my apartment for rest and relaxation and use the office for work as needed.

 

"Hers"

 

"His"

 

     Have you ever decorated an office for two? How did you make it work?



 

 

A Heavenly Home: Wall Décor Haul

                When my father came to visit me a few weeks ago, he told me that I did not have enough wall art. As I stated in a previous post, I moved away from decorating for myself (a girly girl) to decorating for a couple. I had to change the way I was thinking when decorating.

                Tonight on Valentine’s Day, while getting supplies for dessert, we decided to stop by Kohl’s for something to hold our keys. So we got four pieces of décor for our living room. We purchased the key holder and then traveled around the art section looking for items. Besides the fact that my boyfriend spent a lot of time looking at sports memorabilia we were able to select a few other pieces. The “Love Lives Here” sign was only $4! Then we got two other pictures, each one depicting my boyfriend or I. He chose the music note one to highlight his love of music. I chose the outdoor city picture because that reminds me of a place I would love to travel to.

      

        

                We still have a few more pieces to add to finish off our living room. We need two more pieces next to the mirror above our sofa. We also purchased a new coffee table because while I have loved my coffee table for five years, it has seen better days and needs to go to coffee table heaven.  We also purchased two new matching nightstands. When those items come in I will be sharing them in a blog post. Also, stay tuned for a blog post about my “little pink drill” and my pink tool kit. I am an independent woman who finds accomplishment in building things on my own.  

                What have you purchased for your home to make it yours? I really feel like our apartment is becoming “our” home. 

A Heavenly Home: What’s in My Nightstand?

                A home should make you feel safe and comfortable. When you crawl into bed at the end of a long day, you should be ready to relax for a bit before falling asleep. I put a lot of items in my nightstand that I use frequently before bed or when I wake up in the morning. All of these things help me feel comfortable and feel as if I have everything I need. 

                First, and most importantly, I have a lamp on top of my nightstand. I have the sleep Lavender Vanilla Lotion and Pillow Mist sitting on top of my nightstand. I like to keep the rest of my nightstand pretty clear because I like to only see “pretty” things. 

                 In my nightstand I have a variety of products. My most used item is my Kindle Fire (stay tuned for a later review post) and my lip balms. I get very chapped lips so I have a variety of lip products.  I have Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter from Lush and I have a few other lotions. I also have some pens and notepads and post-its. I like to make notes before I go to bed. I also have a journal (which I hope to get back into writing in before bed). I have remotes, a flashlight and a coaster.  I frequently will have a drink of water in a sealed container on my nightstand so that my cat and I do not knock it over and spill it. 

                I will admit that my nightstand can often get cluttered. I am NOT a fan of drawers; while I find they are a necessity, I often end up piling items on top of each other and forget they are there.

                Lastly, my nightstand has a variety of books that I enjoy reading or haven’t yet read. For example I have Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual, Lauren Conrad’s Beauty Book, and a variety of magazines and books that I like to read. My physical magazine collection is slowly dwindling due to my Kindle Fire, which helps eliminate clutter. I often fall asleep with a variety of things on the nightstand but put them all away before heading out for the day.

                When putting things in your nightstand, think about what you really need. I try very hard to NOT use my nightstand as a junk drawer and remove items that I no longer need. I believe that your surroundings should make you feel comfortable and relaxed. What do you put in your nightstand? How do you keep it organized? I am always looking for new tips to organize my small spaces.