The Painted Smile

I love the color green and had painted the boys bathroom a celery green about 7 years ago.  The paint held up well, but I was getting tired of the color and it started to look dull.  After years of cleaning the walls from little marks here and there, it was time to make a change.

I went into Sherwin Williams and took a whole bunch of their paint samples.  I brought them home and placed them side-by-side.  I then chose what I thought was the perfect shade of blue for my kids’ little bathroom.  I chose an appropriately named color, it’s called Watery.

I also purchased some rollers, a tray and a paintbrush for edging.  I was excited to start!

As soon as I got home, I realized that I purchased the rollers thinking that we already had the roller frame (or poll) in our garage.  I couldn’t find it.

I was so anxious to start, that I decided to paint the bathroom with a paintbrush.  It seemed like an excellent idea at the time.  I would take advantage of my toddler’s nap time, and I would paint a room.  With only a small paintbrush.  Genius.  Interrupted.

I start painting the first wall and my arm starts to hurt.  I start losing steam ON THE FIRST WALL.  This isn’t good.  The small bathroom starts looking like Versailles from my vantage point.

I start convincing myself that the WHOLE bathroom didn’t actually need painting. I convince myself that only one wall should be painted.  I convince myself that the contrast between the blue and green is actually better than re-painting the whole bathroom. I convince myself that broccoli actually tastes better than cake.

But deep inside, I know the truth.  Cake tastes better than broccoli .  I must finish the project that I began.

Also, my husband was out-of-town and groveling for help, like with my Master Closet Remodel, wasn’t an option.  You can read about that “adventure” HERE.

So I kept going and positioned and re-positioned our ladder “cirque du soleil style” until I finished.  My paintbrush and I were done.  We did good.  We were rock stars.

I love the new color and I want to share some pictures with you.  What do you think?

I did end up leaving a small nook at the very top, in the old green shade.  I added some blue pots to bring in some blue from the walls.  Not sure if I love the green nook yet.  Maybe I should go ahead and paint that too.  I have to wait and see.  Its a small area that I could paint it really fast, even with a paintbrush.

I hung up the towels and the shelves.  (The photograph does not accurately show the color. There is no natural light in this bathroom, making good photos a challenge.)

I purchased the towels from Frontgate and I love the quality.  They are holding up well and were a perfect match to the new color.

The shelf and a more accurate picture of the color.

Since my husband was out-of-town, he had no idea that I was doing this.

As soon as he got home, I proudly told him that I had painted the kids’ bathroom…using only a paintbrush.  No roller.

He smiled.

But I knew this smile.  I have given this smile before (Usually to my toddler, when he rushes in to tell me that he has “decorated” my bedroom.  I smile and excitedly say “YOU DID?!” and inside, I immediately start crying).

There is no joy in that smile.  Only fear.  My husband was afraid.

You see, according to him, he loves my decorating, but my DIY projects…

He says they either culminate in total success or…fear.  I think I have a pretty good batting ratio.  His opinion has no basis.  None that I would admit to.

Regardless, I was hopeful that he would love it as much as I did.  It would make the fact that I didn’t feel my right arm, almost worthwhile.

And…He loved it!  The smile was no longer forced.  He really liked it and so did the boys.

Even this boy.

By the way, that smile gets me every time.  Even when he uses toilet paper as streamers in my room.

Of course, I found the paint roller pole the next day.  God has a sense of humor.  I am sure of it.

– Maria

Makeup Drawer – Before and After

Anyone up for some before and after pictures??

A while back I shared where and how I store my makeup.  You can find that post “HERE“.

A friend of mine has a huge bathroom…with a huge vanity…with a huge drawer to store all her glam!  Is green the color of envy?  I forget.

Well, she was nice enough to let me photograph her space and share with all of you.

Here you will see the before and after of the drawer.  It’s really not a bad before picture and most of us would consider it an after shot.  Here it is:

All we did was purchase some clear containers that had more customized dividers.  That way everything has a home!

Doesn’t it look better already?

And the makeup lived happily ever after…THE END.

Well not really…not until I say goodbye and ask you how you store your makeup.

Please share and as always,

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Organizing Perfume and Cologne

You already know that many of my organization ideas revolve around turntables.  Revolve…haha!

I need to learn to focus.

Well, this is no exception.  You may recall that I used turntables HERE in my linen closet and I use them in my kitchen as well.  I usually purchase white ones.  I added this stainless steel turntable to the Amazon store because I thought it was nicer for fancier items like perfumes.

{You can find the turntable HERE or in any home store that you frequent}

Here is the before picture.

I love how the perfumes look on the turntable!  They are accessible and contained at the same time!

Don’t leave the hubby out in the cold.  Lets work on his too!

And here is the after.

Simple idea but it really makes a difference!

Share with me where you store your perfume.  In the bathroom, closet or bedroom?

🙂

Maria

How to Fold Towels

That sounds kinda silly right?  I mean we all know how to fold a towel quickly and put it away but don’t you love the way they fold them in the department stores?  Beautiful white towels with no seams visible…Sigh…

It’s actually pretty easy to fold them like they do in the stores and they look so nice that its worth the extra step.

First, you lay out the towel.  I actually just hold the towel under my chin while I fold but that series of pictures was not flattering AT ALL.  I opted for the couch approach.

I always have your best interest at heart.

Then fold one side towards the middle.

Then the other side towards the middle.

Then fold in half.

If it’s a small towel then you are done.  If it’s a bath towel, give it one more fold.

You are done!  The department stores have nothing on you.  Except a full staff to keep things tidy of course…

I want to start doing some mid-week short posts on simple ideas that you can implement right away.  Last week I did the one on “how to fold your sheets” which you can find here.

What do think about that idea?  Are you enjoying these shorter posts as well?

Until next week!  Happy Folding!

Maria 

Kid’s Bathroom Organization

I have two boys and they share a bathroom.  ‘Nuff said.  You feel my pain.  It is the bathroom that gets cleaned most often and doesn’t seem to stay clean for long.  I decided that I needed to de-clutter the bathroom to make cleaning easier.  I used to have all of the boys toiletries right on the bathroom counter which made it more of a chore to clean.

I found two solutions to clear out the clutter.  The first was purchasing this curtain from amazon which you can purchase {here} or you can find at most Targets.  The picture below is not my boys bathroom because we covered it with another curtain which you will see in the next picture.  I don’t recommend that you put really heavy items in the pockets such as large shampoo bottles but I did put hairspray, cologne, a hairbrush and water play toys in our curtain and it holds them just fine.

Amazon photo of the Maytex pocket curtain.

This is the boys bathroom.  Like the curtain?  60’s psychedelic right?  Well here is my bathroom conundrum:  I have a toddler who would love to have a Mickey-themed bathroom and a 9-year-old who would threaten to run away if he had a Mickey-themed bathroom.  He is apparently too cool for the big mouse or any cartoon for that matter.

Keeping that in mind, I decided that I wanted to make the bathroom fun and colorful but not include a theme.  We found the curtain and mat at Target.

Since the counters need to be wiped down so often I just placed the essentials.  I chose this little container (also from Target) because it has a divider and the boys can share it.

I also purchased three small plants from IKEA and I spray painted a plastic plant holder that I had in the garage.  That’s as crafty as I get.  No joke.

The second storage solution was under the sink.   If my boys were both older I would definitely have a cleaning caddy under here but for now I like to keep those in higher cabinets.  Instead, I stored in these two baskets all the items that didn’t fit in the shower curtain pockets.  They hold one extra set of bath towels, hand towels and shampoo.  You have seen me use these baskets in the past because I love them so.  Also from Target.  I feel like I say “also from Target” after every sentence.  I guess I am drawn to that red circle!

The baskets are stackable so I purchased a large and a small one so that I can push the small one back when I need something from the larger.  I am so happy that the baskets fit despite the plumbing pipe.  That is always something to consider when purchasing containers for under-the-sink organization.

I love having the area cleared out and it is so much easier to keep the bathroom clean and tidy.  Peace to all {keeping the 60’s theme in full effect}.

What ideas do you have for keeping kids bathrooms organized?

Maria

Makeup Organization

I don’t wear a lot of makeup.  I just don’t have the patience for it.  However, I can alphabetize 200 CD’s no matter how long it takes.  I guess we are all built differently!  I do appreciate seeing my friends who know how to apply a perfect amount of makeup and still look natural.

Don’t you hate it when you look amazing in your bathroom mirror and then you get in the car and you look like Bozo in the car mirror?  What is it with the car mirror?!  Or is it the bathroom mirror?!  Who is the real culprit?

Like I said, I don’t always put on a full face of makeup but I like having the right tools when I do.  I like to see my makeup.

I purchased this large acrylic organizer at Target about five years ago.  They still have it in the section where they have all the cosmetic bags.  I place all the single shadows here so that I can see all the colors without shuffling through a bag.  In the large vertical spaces I store lip glosses and eye pencils.  I like that I can see them all at a quick glance.

The eye shadow sets are stored together and vertically.  It makes it easier to pull them out, use them and put them back in their spot.

Foundations and primers have their own zip code as well.  I picked up that little clear container at the Target dollar section.  Sometimes I cant find anything in that little section and sometimes its full of gems.

Lastly, the brushes.  I love those beads that they use at the top cosmetic stores so I decided to house my brushes in a similar way.  It turns out they sell those beads in most craft stores.  I used an acrylic pencil cup to contain the larger brushes.

The smaller brushes along with other makeup essentials are in this slim container.  I also used the beads in the larger compartment.

So that’s it!  I once read that it is better to arrive late than to arrive ugly.  It was a funny statement.  It still doesn’t keep me from sometimes leaving the house looking like one of the people who appear in the “People from WalMart” photo stream.  Have you seen those?  They are pretty funny.  On the rare occasion that I go out looking that rough, I pray that I don’t run into someone who I haven’t seen in years.  What are you supposed to say them?  “I assure you that I normally look human.  I just had to run out of the house to get milk!”

So ladies, let’s put on a little rouge, a little color on our face and go out into the world (or in my case, WalMart) with confidence.

Happy Organizing!

Maria 

Bathroom Linen Closet Organization

The space that I lack in my sink…

I have in the linen closet that is right next to my sink.

My husbands sink is on the other side of the bath tub and it is equally as small.  If I had a larger sink counter or drawers under my sink I would probably store my makeup in that space.  Since I don’t, I use the closet to hold a LOT more than towels.  I have (maybe) 4 towels in the closet.  The rest is makeup, hair care, nail supplies, lotions and bathroom cleaning products.  Here it is…

In the very top, as in “I need a ladder” I have towels.  These are towels that are designated for guests.  I have another area in the bathroom that I store our daily use towels.

In the top shelf I also have 2 turntables that hold extra shampoo, conditioners and lotions.  Turntables are one of my favorite organizing tools.  They allow me to put items in areas that I otherwise would lack the visibility to see what is in the back of the shelf.  I just turn the tables and get what I need.  You can find these here: Amazon.com

Next to the turntables I store my travel toiletry bag.  It is not used often so I don’t need it to be right in front of me.  I will be doing a post on what is in the bag sometime next week.

In the next shelf I have my cleaning caddy.  I think every bathroom should have a cleaning caddy.  If you have to walk to another room to grab cleaning supplies you are less likely to wipe up simple messes.  Having this here helps me keep the bathroom cleaner in between deep cleanings.  I keep this caddy in the higher shelf to keep it away from the kids.

If your grooming items look pretty you will use them more.  That being said, fifty percent of the times my nails are not done.  Clearly it’s not because of lack of polish, just lack of time.  I think if this display didn’t look so pretty my nails would never get done.  I purchased the polish display years ago on Amazon but you can still find it here.  They have different vendors and different size displays that you can choose from.

In the next shelf I have my makeup.  Same story as the polish.  I use very little makeup on a daily basis.  My daily makeup routine consists of no more than tinted moisturizer, mascara and lip gloss.  The rest only gets used when we go out on the weekends.  I like to display my makeup so that I can “see” what I have and hopefully get inspired.  I know that if I threw my makeup in a bag I would never use it.  I will be doing a post on makeup organization later this week.

I have these baskets and bins to hold extra makeup and samples that I use to refill my travel bag.  I also have a sewing box.  I only know how to replace buttons and maybe a quick hem but even for simple things like that you need a system to hold all the different color threads and buttons.  This is also where I put all the extra buttons that come along with outfits. Otherwise you end up with 50 baggies of weird buttons swimming throughout your home.

Underneath are four white plastic baskets that hold items that I like to throw in without much thought.

Such as hair care.

Extra lotions that have been gifted to me or nice hotel samples.

In the very bottom is a large basket with all my rollers.  You like the pink ones?  Be honest.  I know you do.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Lots and lots of things that have nothing to do with each other but you can still manage to make them look organized if you dedicate a shelf to a certain task, use organizers and label your items.  I hope I gave you some ideas of other uses for linen closets.  What else do you store in your linen closet?

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Guest Bathroom Organization

The guest bathroom in our home is pretty small but considering that my first home didn’t have one,  I am grateful.  It was even hard to photograph due to the size.  I looked like Spiderwoman trying to get a good picture.  Minus the latex suit of course.

The guest bathroom is adjacent to the laundry closet and close to the kitchen.  In theory it would be a good place to store cleaning supplies.  However, since I have little ones I never keep cleaning supplies under sinks.  Instead, I use this space to store all of our beach towels.  I roll them up so that I can circumvent that annoying pipe.  I really dislike that pipe.

On the other side I have small plastic drawers that hold items that a guest may need:  Toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, shaving cream, small cologne bottles, karaoke equipment (just checking to see if you are paying attention!).   In the other drawer I have a first aid kit and Q-tips.  On top of this I put extra toilet paper.

Sometimes we forget to use the cabinet doors for extra storage and its the perfect place to put a small caddy.  Here I place extra lotions, soaps, essential oils and a roll of garbage bags.  I have these caddies in almost every bathroom.  They are narrow so you can still have the items inside the cabinet uninterrupted.  I love them!

On the other cabinet door I use a command hook to hang my cleaning gloves.  I placed a clip that is meant to be used to close chip bags onto the command hook and it is the perfect clip to hold the gloves.  It’s a good idea to hang the cleaning gloves so that they can fully dry after using them.

A little closer…

Here is a picture of the whole bathroom cabinet.

There are systems meant for under the sink that circumvent the dreaded plumbing but sometimes by using a little creativity you can find an inexpensive way to use every inch of space.  Here is the other side of the bathroom just in case you were wondering (ok maybe you weren’t but for the sake of symmetry I will end it with this picture).

I hope you got some ideas and if you have any ideas for me just post them below.

P.S.  My husband just told me “you realize there is no Spiderwoman?”  Clearly he hasn’t seen me in action cleaning the house when he leaves…

Happy Organizing!

Maria