Organizing Ribbon Storage

This is my before photo of my ribbon storage. Not really working. I got a great idea from Simple Mom's blog to use a paper towel holder for ribbon storage. I can't find the link so here is one from Real Simple.

I realized that unfortunately that wouldn't work for me personally because most of my ribbon is not on the individual spindles like when they were bought. So I decided that sandwich ziploc bags would work instead to keep all the ribbon separate. This is a plastic case that is meant to hold 12x12 scrapbook paper that has been holding a variety of craft essentials the last few years.

With the lid shut its much better to see each individual ribbon instead of one big tangled mess. Much better indeed.

Confessions of a Spray-Paint-A-Holic

I love spray paint. That is no secret around here. But I wonder if I crossed the line when the first two words are....Princess House. I received a set of Princess House plates complete with a serving platter and dish, bowls, and a pitcher. A family member was moving across the country and gave them to me as she was radically downsizing her house. Since space is at a premium in my kitchen, I really make sure that I only have things that I use. This large bowl was sitting in the back of the cabinet and if I was going to keep it around I wanted to make some good use of it. It's definitely a pretty pattern, but I knew I would use it a lot more if it was solid white as a decor dish. So I did just that.

I used Kilz spray primer - it took two coats for the pattern to fully disappear. I had a can of almond appliance epoxy spray paint laying around so I decided to use that since it would give it a really hard finish.

And here is the completed bowl! I love the change.

And here it is sitting complete with its current inhabitants - more yarn balls. I've been doing different colors and I've been throwing them in there as I finish them. I am loving that turquoise color, I'll definitely be making more of those! I'm definitely looking forward to spring colors coming soon!

Bathroom Vanity Mini-Makeover

I think a lot of us who either own or rent have bathroom vanities that look like this. Our home was built in 1992, and we bought it in 2007. So previous owners/tenants can make a mess inside, and you really don't know what was in there beforehand. Even if you're a renter this is something you could do without it being a permanent change and having to ask your landlord for permission.

This is our guest bathroom. It is literally the size of a closet. The width of the vanity? That's how wide the room is - the tiles are 12x12 so you can see its quite a small space. It's perfect for guests because its always clean as our family uses the other two full bathrooms in the house. Now I probably could of gone to the store and picked out some contact paper or something to the like but I wanted to see if I could pull it off without having to spend anything and just shop my own house.

I wanted the floor of the vanity covered up because of the various water stains and such that have happened over the last 18 years. I took an old towel I had and measured out what the dimensions were and cut accordingly.

Then I grabbed my stapler gun and started stapling the towel down on all 4 sides. It looked unfinished/raw with the staples showing through that I went into my ribbon box and found some ribbon to make it look more finished.

Much better. I also stapled the ribbon as well but since the ribbon is patterned the staples blend right in.

The main reason for this little mini-makeover was that I wanted a place to put towels, toiletries, and the like for guests in all one place so that when we have friends and family stay, they have the things they need at their fingertips and don't have to feel awkward looking through our cabinets for a clean towel, toothpaste, ect. This is what I included: Towels, washcloths, travel sized shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, soap, facial cleaner, chapstick, his and hers razors, shaving cream, baby powder, dental floss, a few toothbrushes, and most definitely feminine hygiene products. I know how embarrassing it can be to ask your host for a pad or tampon when the lovely "time of the month" comes. I also had an extra blowdryer, curling iron, and flat iron that I rarely use so I put those in there as well.

I had this small white plastic bucket that was being unused and it fit all the loot perfectly! I did not go out and buy any of this stuff separately, they were all things around the house that I corralled. The travel sized shampoo, conditioner, and lotion were from hotels that we had previously visited. I grabbed a metal tin that I wasn't using that I had previously spray painted and put the blowdryer and curling irons in it.

And here is my completed guest bathroom vanity! I can put those white towels on a clean surface finally!

Yarn Ball Tutorial

How to make yarn balls. I love these things-and no they are not cat toys they are for decor :) They are really simple to make - I think one of the reasons that I love yarn so much is that it reminds me of my Grandma who crochets loads of blankets, potholders, ect. Can I crochet? I've tried it several times over the years, but I'm too much of a perfectionist when it comes to making uniform loops to truly enjoy it plus it takes a long time! I definitely admire those of you that can crochet! I start with these foam balls that I got at a local dollar store, then my yarn of choice and some tape. (I used packing tape because that's what I had around). I've also used a tennis ball and it worked great as well - you can get those typically in a 3 pack at the dollar store too.

Although you can barely see it, I stuck a piece of tape over the beginning of the yarn to hold it in place. It'll be covered so it really doesn't matter what tape you use, just that it can hold the yarn in place for a bit.

Start wrapping yarn all over the ball. There really is no right or wrong way to wrap. Then when I finish wrapping the ball I tie a knot in the end and tuck it under some of the yarn strands. That's it! This is also the same way that I made my yarn balls that I stuck on my headboard (which are still there cause I love them so much.) You can read that post here.

Got Pillows?

I got back home this evening after spending a few days in San Diego. My husband was there for work for 2 days so the boys and I tagged along since they don't go back to school until Monday. When we walked into the hotel room these pillows stopped me in my tracks. I always love good design, but these pillows...WOW. I have never seen pillows this HUGE!!!

Here is the TV remote propped up against the pillow to show you some scale on just how massive these things were.

And here's another photo of me (cheesy grin and all, couldn't help it) Have you ever seen pillows so big?!?

To My Readers

Can you believe its the first of the year already? Amazing. First off, I want to thank each and every one of you who read my blog - especially the 50 awesome followers that I have. Each time a new person follows my blog it really makes my day. I know that there are a lot of wonderful blogs out there so it really touches and humbles me each time I get new followers. Truly, thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

Here's to a great 2011!!

Creative Ornament Storage

I loved this idea I heard somewhere about creative uses for everyday things. We pick up apples regularly at Costco, and they come in this plastic case aka whatever-you-call-these-things. These cases actually make perfect ornament storage! I was excited to try them out this year, and I'm pretty impressed, they work great!

Another tip that I loved was that when you pull out your Christmas decor, put the decor you are taking down for the season and put them in the Christmas storage boxes. That way when you're ready to take down the seasonal decor and put your regular display items up they're already stored together, and you didn't have to find extra space on a shelf somewhere (like I did this year but definitely not next!) Genius.