Monday, July 27, 2015

How to Organize your Closet

2 weeks ago I hopped over to one of my favorite blogs I Heart Organizing to look for an organization tip she had posted for art supplies, when I stumbled upon a challenge she was currently running. That day the challenge happened to be in the closet. Well, on my to do list was "organize our closet" so thank you Jen for giving me the little push I needed to finally weed through and find a home for everything. See how ADHD I am I totally forgot why I went to her blog in the first place. If you're looking for organization tips she's got an idea for everything! 


 After moving in to our home we had a master bedroom that was way too big. We put a wall up and turned it back into 4 bedrooms but we made the 4th bedroom a walk in closet since these don't exist in older New England homes.  My husband installed a closet system from Lowe's that works great for us for now.  Yes, I'd love a nicer looking one but would rather finish rooms that are actually seen. This serves its function for now. 




Here are the Steps to getting Organized:

De-clutter time: 

Create a donate, sell, keep and trash bin. I started emptying out the closet of things that hoarded their way in there. I will frequently evaluate what I wear and don't wear and then sell on eBay or poshmark but then I have bags and bins of clothing being sold that tends to take over my closet (see before pic below) So I created a bin for stuff that is already listed and a bin for things that need to be listed. They're currently sitting in my hallway until I find a home for them. 

In order to attempt to stay organized everything needs a space and everything needs to be put back in that space (repeating this last one to myself over and over so it sinks in) you know, clean up after yourself. 

Finding a home for everything:


Once everything is out you can access your space for where you would like to keep everything. Sort what needs to be folded vs hung and categorized by item. I have half my stuff in dressers in our bedroom so I had to also include those as well. Write your plan down. 

Once you have a home for everything you can envision where everything can go. What do we access the most, what can we store on higher shelves, etc. you don't need to have everything out all at once. Unless you live in a Kardashian Kloset and you can. I took some tips from the Magic of Tidying Up and organize my hanging clothing by categories and hang heaviest to lightest. This is new as I usually color coordinate so we'll see if I stick to that. Find what works well for you and stick with it. 

Once all of our hanging items were sorted I made sure we had the same color hangers (next will be switching to the skinny velvet ones) and everything was in order. Shelves and shoes were then sorted as well as seasonal items that went on upper shelves.



Bags & Scarves: I finally found a storage solution that works well for me for my clutches. This happens to be an old baby basket but now used for access to clutches. I hang my bigger bags on hooks. Do you own a ton of scarves like me? I store seasonal ones on a shelf and keep the ones I use hanging on hooks in my closet so I can see them. 






Shoes: this has been a tough one for me to figure out and stick to. My husband hates the one hanging over the door because he thinks it's ruining the door but honestly it holds the most amount of shoes without taking up a lot of space. I love seeing pretty shoes on display. If you have the space create floating shelves to display your prettier shoes. We currently have a cabinet that I'm using for now that I store my heels in. It puts a smile on my face when I open it and see them so neatly organized. We spend a lot of money on these shoes, they should have their own little space. 








Jewelry: I've been a stylist for Stella & Dot for the past 5.5 years so I've accumulated a lot of jewelry. We've made our display pieces available for our customers to buy and they are a great way to display your accessories and prevent them from tangling. Hanging frames on the wall also helps take up less storage space on your dresser. Jewelry is so pretty too why hide it. Bowls are great for storing bracelets and I use a little vintage soap dish for my studs and rings. 






Last Step-Make it look pretty: once you have a home for everything and everything is put back where you'd like It update the room with a new rug or pretty light fixture and enjoy! 

Yes we have a coffee station in our closet. It ended up here during the kitchen remodel and has remained here since my husband is the only one who drinks coffee. 



Before: (can't believe I'm posting this) 


After: 






Monday, July 13, 2015

#Nsale Round up of my favorite items




I posted a sneak peek of some of my favorite items from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale which happens to be one of the best sales of the year. For those with a Nordstrom card you are able to shop the preview sale which ends on the 16th and opens to those who don't have a Nordstrom card. The sale ends Aug 3rd and prices go to their full price. I'm sure that fall/winter clothing is the last thing on your mind but now is a great time to stock up on shoes (especially if you have a bunch of little ones to buy for), outerwear for the family and the brands that never go on sale (North Face, Tory Burch, Nike, Under Armour, etc). I've rounded up my favorites from each category. What are some of your favorites from the sale this year?
#Nsale accessory picks #thestylenext











Friday, July 10, 2015

Friday Finds Preview of Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Preview


How is it that the Anniversary Sale is already here? I always think of back to school shopping since I get the kids their shoes but it seems to have popped up so early this year. Maybe it's because I'm in denial of colder weather just months away. But then again we have Fall clothes shopping to look forward to and Fall clothing is my favorite! 

Stay tuned for a full blog post for what my favorite items are for the sale this year on Monday. For now my Friday Finds are showing a couple of my picks from the Preview Sale. If you own a Nordstrom's Card you can start shopping now! Yay! 

Bag /  Scarf / Coat / Make Up / Girls Dress / Boys Sneakers / Mens Sweatshirt / Watch /  Necklace / Candles /  Booties


Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Best Uses for an Entry Table

Console/Entry tables are the first impression of your home and you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one! They are great for showcasing unique pieces you've collected on your travels, displaying your favorite books, showcasing family pictures and displaying with your favorite fresh flowers. Console and entry tables can also serve many purposes. I'm always changing mine up with the seasons and my mood. 

Below I'm sharing some of my favorite styled tables and how each one works for specific spaces. 






Console tables are a great way to store extra seating. This works well for small spaces where you don't have the room for extra chairs but would like to have the option. Store a couple garden stools or benches under this open black console table for pull out seating when needed.


Apartment Therapy

One of the biggest challenges I hear from clients with smaller spaces is worrying that more furniture will make a space feel even smaller. Using lucite furniture helps keep the space visually more open yet creates more space to display things.


Jessica Walmsley Interiors



The bold graphic wallpaper is gorgeous in this space with 2 larger lamps on a simple table make this a statement space for sure. Finishing off the look with a pop of color in the flowers. I'd say this is a good first impression. 





I have an attraction to x base tables and the bamboo on top of this one makes me love it even more. Tory Burch uses this in her office to display family photos, treasures. 



A little trick to make a space feel larger is adding mirrors. This creates the illusion that the hallway continues in with a mirror under the table.  



McGill Design Group

The use of a floor to ceiling mirror opens up this entry space making it feel larger then it is. How great is that table too?!




This is a great piece to showcase in an entry. The wood tones warm up the space. The pops of color in the flowers and tray are great. Do you have grandma's old chest sitting in your basement? Dust it off and bring it back to life. 



I've always loved this entryway. They've made the most of the small space. Adding a table with drawers helps keep clutter away and somewhere for you to keep your sunglasses, mail, etc. Extra seating and great lighting! 



This yellow entry table works great for this beach house with lots of storage for towels and big drawers to store beach essentials! 













Monday, July 6, 2015

Weekend eye candy

Weekend eye candy #thestylenest
1. How adorable was the Royal family this weekend? 2. Love this bedroom in the HGTV SmartHome 2015. 3. Dreaming of having an outdoor space like this one day! 4. 5. Missing my hydrangaes from my old house. How beautiful are these? 6. All I seem to hear about are sharks lately. So these shark themed cupcakes from Georgetown cupcakes fit right in! Just in time for shark week. 7. Um, where was my invite? T's 4th of July party looked like so much fun. 

That was my eye candy for the weekend! Hope everyone had a great 4th! 


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