13 Just Three Things & Some Link Love: 06 | 15 | 17

It's that time of year again! The kids are home from school for the summer and we are trying to figure out schedules and daily activities and boundaries and sanity savers. We have already made a trip to the craft store to load up on supplies, picked up a couple books from the library and Amazon, enrolled the boys in a few summer classes and tuned up their bikes for hours of cruising the neighborhood. We had a rocky start just trying to get everyone adjusted to the freedoms of summer, but I think we are finally finding a good groove that we all enjoy (fingers crossed). I am always looking for ways to keep the boys busy doing fun things that don't include a lot of tech time; they are each working on summer journals and have picked up a few fun hobbies to try and learn and also just spend a lot of hours playing with friends and being typical boys. But I always enjoy (and appreciate) chatting with fellow friends and families to add some additional summer sanity savers to our list. Maybe I should dedicate a post just to that since I could totally keep this conversation going for multiple paragraphs...


O N E //

I have said it a thousand times, but sometimes the best organizing solutions are the simplest, most obvious ones.

I am completely ready and dreaming of a true full-size built-in closet system, but until then I am making the most of my personal armoire. This last winter I realized that I own and utilize more sweaters than summer/swim items, so it only made sense to create easier sweater storage in the main area of my armoire and move my seasonal swim items to the less accessed canvas boxes I made. And who are we kidding, I am always so cold that I wear sweaters year round. In fact, I just pulled one from my pile yesterday. #freezebaby

I have forever wanted to try these wire shelf dividers but was skeptical that they would be flimsy and that I could DIY something better. Why do I let myself believe that I need to try and make everything?! I don't! So I finally just bought a couple of dividers, popped them on my shelf and fell in love with this little area of my closet.

I am happy to report they are very sturdy! The dividers do not stick out too far to shut the cabinet doors (but if they would have I would have just shaved a 1/4" off of the back of the shelf), and they do exactly their job of keeping my piles stacked and separate. Now, if I pull out a sweater out the rest remain in place. They are so much easier to see and use on display this way, and considering I wear them so frequently, this makes my happy every day!

I still love my DIY sweater boxes, but they now hold swimsuits, coverups, and other seasonal accessories.

Moral of the story? You don't need to DIY everything. Don't avoid simple solutions. Easy changes make a big difference. Rethink your spaces from time to time. Nicely folded and stacked things are always going to make me smile. And I can't wait to use these in more closets.


T W O //

I have a thing for pretty hardware for a few reasons but basically, I appreciate that it can take anything and make it look shiny and new. Good hardware elevates cabinets and furniture and also can instantly change the entire look and feel of a piece or even a room. That said, good hardware can be expensive. I have been sourcing bar pulls for a few projects and the majority of my faves were running from about $20-$50 for anything over 8" long.

I wish that I could report that I found the most stunning hardware on the planet for under $5, but I did find these at Home Depot for a really great price considering their quality, scale, weight, and finish. They are really so good in person. I was so heart-eyed when I opened them, I decided to end my search, order a couple more for the other projects and share their prettiness with you.

UPDATE: They seem to sell out on HD's website quite often, so I also tracked down the same hardware on Amazon here.


T H R E E //

I continue to contribute to Redbook magazine each month, which is always such a rewarding and fun experience! It is really important for us to collaborate on projects and spaces that are accommodating to busy families, won't take a lot of time, effort or money, don't have to be perfect to be functional, and ideas that are completely no-nonsense/approachable! That last one is especially important!

A few of the spaces we have covered recently are the pantry, junk drawers (using my tried and true method as well as a new one), and this summer cabinet which is currently on newsstands.

We have two summer stations in our garage; a cabinet that holds all of our picnicking items and beach supplies and another for our outdoor toys. I also especially love this bin for transporting items to and from the beach and parks because it is lightweight, durable and holds quite a bit.

Having these two areas has been essential in getting out the door quickly and easily when traveling to the ball field, park or lake. I highly recommend taking a few minutes to setup an easy-to-access summer cabinet.

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L O V E  L I S T

July 11th and 12th I will be speaking at my third Bloom Workshop! I can't wait to go back because this workshop is done so beautifully and thoughtfully. There is something for everyone and it is especially amazing for those in the creative industry with small businesses. We focus on photography, styling, design, branding, social media, blogging, florals and growing a variety of additional creative skills. This time I will be heading to Chicago and I would absolutely love to meet you there! IHeart Organizing readers can receive 10% off their ticket with the code IHEART at checkout.

This mini blush and gold binder is calling my name! I love these for organizing receipts and notes in my handbag.

I do my best to stay away from Target but I have found a couple of good items lately! These gold sandals have been on my feet for a month straight and my son loves his new super-soft and super-cute Pillowfort sheets. The one thing I have somehow resisted, although I have gone back to it a few different times, is this super chic file box. I don't need another file box, but am trying to come up with another use for it!

I will be the first to admit that I have made quite a few mistakes while working on our home. With that, I have learned some things over the years; if you don't try you won't learn, nothing is permanent, and some of the best results come from taking risks. I also feel like making mistakes comes from rushing something or acting on creative impulse, and at times those mistakes can make us feel a little defeated, discouraged and deflated. Emily Henderson recently shared some mistakes she has made in her new home, and I found it to be really humbling to hear from someone with a lot of experience that this is OK and normal. In this Pinterest pretty blog world paired with the Instagram highlight reel that we look at daily, I think it is really important to share and talk about the good, bad and the ugly.

These gold wall pockets are stunning and I am considering a couple for stylishly stashing away small accessories.

I recently made these "no"jitos for a lunch gathering and they were delightful!

20 Weekend Projects Under $20! I spy one familiar project, but I have 19 more to add to my list!

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I should know by now that I am too chatty to limit these posts to just three things or just some links. I think we need to have more frequent chat sessions, would you be interested in that? I always think that I have nothing left to blog about, and then I sit down and start typing and you can't shut me up.

This week I have been working on a really great pantry project for a friend, I can't wait to finish it up and share soon!