Closet Dreaming

Happy Monday Everyone!

 I wanted to begin purging my closet this past weekend.  This activity was delayed due to sickness in our family. While resting, I was thinking dreaming about the new closet that I want to have. I found these great ideas on Pinterest.

Idea #1   I love the separate sections to hang clothes and the drawer space! 

Via

Idea #2  I need two of these! I have lots of shoes.

Via

Idea #3   Ironing board on the wall. What a great idea!

Via

Idea #4  A laundry chute! My favorite! It looks like a boat winch :)

Via

If I could get all of these ideas to fit in my closet, I would be so happy. 

 You will never know unless you try :)

Unruly Receipts

I have a confession. I hoard receipts. I have had times in the past when I have tried to find a receipt for something that I wanted to return only to conclude that I must have thrown it away.  So now I keep every receipt just in case I might need it. 

I realized that this habit had started to cause problems in my purse while trying to find my keys that had dropped into the black hole.

 I dumped out the contents of my purse on my desk. I just couldn’t believe how many receipts there were. The rest of the things I found weren’t so bad although a few things had me scratching my head.  

 Here is a rundown of the things that were in there.

Perfume

Eye makeup

2 small bottles of medicine

A memory stick

A hand full of Splenda packets (My husband only uses Splenda)

Note pad with pin

Hair tie, bobby pin, and clip.

A fun and J card from Justice (My daughter’s favorite store).

A penny

My wallet

Reward card key chain

Keys (Hey I found them!)

2 soda can tops (We collect them.)

Chip clip (Why is this in my purse?)

Screw (Where did this come from?)

25 receipts (WOW)

There has got to be a better way to deal with those pesky receipts. While I gave that some thought, I took out the last 4 items on my list above and put them away except for the receipts.

Then I put everything else back in my purse.  

That’s Better

I have decided to take the receipts out of my purse each day and keep them in my office.  By doing this, I can still keep the receipts for a while in case I need them and my purse is organized. Win Win. 

 
















 I found this cute little book to store them in.  It hides the receipts and it is small enough so that I don't collect too many before I have to go through them.

The unruly receipts have been tamed.

                   Simplify Life One Step At A Time

Sprinkler System Disguise

Every time I swing on my Granny’s swing, I keep staring at our sprinkler system pipes. How Ugly! While they have an important duty, they are not very nice to look at. 

 After a few weeks of thought, I gathered up my DIY courage and went to the wood shed.   I had already taken the measurements for the size of my bench. 

 It had to be:

72 inches long

25 inches wide

22 tall

  I found the following wood in the shed in various sizes:

2x4s

Old fence posts

A 72 inch plank

First, I made a square from the 2x4s. Next I cut the legs for the table out of the old fence posts and screwed them into place. Then, I cut (2) pieces of  2x4 to put in the middle for support. Finally, I screwed the plank on to the front.

I had to be able to remove the top of my bench to adjust the different sprinkler zones. If I made it one piece, I wouldn’t be able to lift it by myself so I made the top in to three different sections. To make the top, I cut several 2x4s the same size and secured them together from the back to make the 3 sections.  I forgot to take a good picture of the three sections but you can see one of the sections in the bottom corner in the above picture. 

After my table was built, I put some sealer on and put it in its new home.  Yea, No more sprinkler.

I wanted a boat paddle to put on the front for decoration but I didn’t have any. I think that my Boat Captain husband has hid all of his old boat stuff from me. Discouraged but not defeated, I got my boat paddle towel rack from above the spa. I traced it on a piece of wood.

 

The paddle was a bit too big for the wood so I improvised a bit by adjusting the length of the arm. 

Then I called my Daddy. He has a jig saw. After about 15 minutes with the saw and some sandpaper to smooth out the edges, I had my boat paddle. (I’m doing my happy dance again) :)   I found some nails and fastened the paddle to the front of my table.  I think it might be a bit off center. Something I will fix later. 

Now I can swing without spying the sprinkler system. Oh Happy Day!

 Simplify Life One Step At A Time

Out With The Old & In With The New

The holidays are right around the corner. It is such a busy time for us. Most of our birthday’s are also during the holidays as well. This means that gifts pour in by the dozens. They seem to come from every direction.  I am thankful for the wonderful gifts but it is overwhelming trying to find a place to put everything. So each year about this time, I start thinking about a yard sale. I collect things throughout the year to sell and they stay in my attic until I gather enough stuff.  A few months before the yard sale, I try to go through each room again to see if there is anything that needs to go. I don't make a master list for all the rooms and a date to finish by which is unusual for me. I just go through each room as I have time or am in the mood. 



 As I shared my Treasure Under the Stairs with you, (here), I gathered a few more things for the sale. 

I am getting rid of some deviled egg containers, dish caddy, and some cake containers.

Next, I went to our bathroom sink. Wow, how things seem to pile up in a hurry.

 

I found two matching baskets in the attic and set to work. I pulled everything out and threw away things that were old or no good. I put the rest back in “his” and “hers” baskets. After about 10 minutes, everything was in place and looking good. 

I am getting rid of two baskets and a toilet paper holder. I am giving away some face wash and wipes to a friend in need along with some toddler tooth brushes.

Now, what else can I find for my yard sale?

Simplify Life One Step At A Time