Toiletries

I collected all my toiletries that had been stored (shoved) into various places throughout the house. I piled them on the dining room table. I cannot believe how many bottles of whatever I have. Remind me next time I go to Target, Bath and Body Works, The Body Shop, etc. that I don't need more of whatever.
I went through it all and quickly corraled it into bins and totes. I wish my cupboards were cute and new, but they are organized. I thought I would share some photos. Far from Martha Stewart worthy photos, but so much better then what they were.

Done . . . For Now.

I finally got the mantel and the bookcases filled. I still want to do so much more, I'm not totally satisfied. BUT, they are done and I'm happy with how they are right now. They are (and will continue to be) a work in progress and I'm sure they will change a lot over time. I already have a few ideas of things I want to do, which will include more baby blue, some frame profiles of my favorite people, etc.

I love having all the books close at hand. The kids are staying out of the books and only getting the ones that they should (for the most part.) It is great to get these things unpacked and feel settled into our home.

So Very Easy!!

These were my valentines to the kids this year. They were seriously so easy to put together!! I printed the letters in the font I wanted off the computer, cut the fabric and the iron on stuff (at the moment, I can't recall the correct name), ironed them to the bags, and stitched around them. I bought the bags at JoAnns and the fabric on the bags is fannel. They turned out pretty cute! They are the kid's church bags. They will fit a Book of Mormon and other sacrament meeting kid's stuff. I filled them with some art supplies and a bit of Valentine candy. They were a huge success!

Isabelle is modeling the proper use of the bag. She is all dressed up pretty for church on Valentine's Day.

Been working on the bookshelves. Wow, do we have a lot of books!! I didn't think I would fill up so much so fast! BUT, there is still plenty of room for more. Just didn't think I owned as much as I own.

Oh, here is a sneak peak of a project I will show you soon. This one I'm super excited about.

Hair Ties

Okay, Isabelle's hair supplies take up the second drawer in the kid's bathroom. It has been a challenge to use, keep clean, and find what I need when I need it. I have used the tiny jars from Ikea to divide all the hair ties by colors. I liked the look of it BUT it was a pain to unscrew and dig through the jars each time I needed ties. I finally got the idea to use those fun craft carriers that I use for my scrapbook embellishments.

What a mess!! I started digging through and getting rid of all the things that her hair is too thick for.

So I planned a trip to JoAnns and bought the case below. I like that it has a handle on it and that it is easy to open and close.

I decided not to divide her hair ties by color and grouped them together by what they are. Now I can just open the case and get what I need. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the colors I needed when I needed them, but the container is shallow enough that this system is working well.
Here is her drawer without the above container. Her conditioner spray, gel, brushes and combs just lay inside. I put all her bows, ribbons, and large hair items in the floral container. Her foam curlers are in the tin heart. I did keep one of the Ikea containers to keep her extra elastics in.

Her plastic case fits right on top and the drawer slides closed easily. It is amazing how the small things make simple task so much easier!