Storage Solutions

20131020-150850.jpg Do you ever feel like decorating is a domino effect?  Change one thing which changes another and then leads to even more.  I have been on the hunt for a very narrow console table for our entryway for almost a year.  The space called for a sleek and simple table that you wouldn’t constantly bump into when you entered the apartment.  I finally found the perfect table with a 10 inch depth on Amazon which led to the day of rearranging this weekend. The new table eliminated space for the coat rack, which wasn’t a big deal because it was always in the way, but then the domino effect began.  Removing the coat rack from the equation left no space to hang coats for the upcoming cooler months.  It’s not that we don’t have a lot of closet space, for an NYC apartment we actually have quite a lot, but the layout isn’t conducive for easy access to entirety of the racks  (and maybe they’re already full with my clothes… maybe).  Knowing our lifestyle, it needs to be easy to see, access and hang back up a coat or it will end up hanging from the back of a dining chair. We had a wasted corner of space in the bedroom that housed the hamper and then later a dog crate. Hudson will never be big enough for that crate but if I moved the crate the domino effect continued because he still needs it.  Solution?  I found a smaller crate that will fit under the shelf of my nightstand and be the perfect size for what he needs.  That comes tomorrow so hopefully the nightstand space works as double duty because I have already taken over its previous space.

The wasted corner (pic from when we first moved in, the crate was where the bag is)

The wasted corner (pic from when we first moved in, the crate was where the bag is)

I did my research and found a garment rack that had two shelves to provide even more storage, in an apartment you can never seem to find enough.  After fighting through the Saturday Bed Bath & Beyond crowds, I had the rack assembled in less than half an hour.  The rack fits perfectly in the previously wasted corner and provides us with winter organization for coats, hats and gloves (in the lower baskets) as well as a better system for sheets and extra linens (in the upper baskets).  I used the same baskets in my jewelry closet.  The open layout allows easy access and hopefully will help the coat dumping problem at the table. 20131020-150850.jpg 20131020-150958.jpg20131020-150947.jpgBaskets & Garment Rack: Bed Bath & Beyond

Fall Tree

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I love fall! Leaves are turning beautiful colors and adorning our lawn! We decided to to bring a little bit of fall inside and created a beautiful tree to hang on our fridge.

materials

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Large sheet of paper
Glue
Leaves
Markers

directions

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Go on a leaf hunt to find your favorite leaves!

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Free hand draw a large tree. I am NOT an artist, by any means, but was able to create his beauty.

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Have your child choose a leaf and then either tell you where they want you to squeeze a drop of glue, or have your child squeeze a drop onto their chosen location. Have your child press chosen leaf down onto drop of glue. Continue this process until all leaves are used.

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In the spirit of fall, continue to add color with crayons and/or markers!

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Chevron Pumpkin

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Simple Chevron Pumpkin!

materials

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materials
Pumpkin
Painters Tape
Scissors
Spray Paint

directions

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Create a pattern towards the top of your pumpkin, using small pieces of cut painters tape. I did not measure the pieces of tape that I cut, nor did I measure the distance between each piece of tape. I wasn’t concerned with this pumpkin being perfect. If you are, just measure the tape and distance between each piece, so that it’s perfect.

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Follow top pattern an inch or two ( eye balled) bellow the top pattern. Cut pieces of painters tape and continue until your pattern covers the pumpkin.

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Tape off stem, so that it is covered during painting.

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Place pumpkin outside on top of something that you don’t mind getting a little paint on. Spray your pumpkin with chosen color paint. I ran out of paint, but again, I wasn’t shooting for perfection, so I wasn’t disappointed.

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After paint is dry; slowly peel painters tape off of pumpkin.

Painted Pumpkins!

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Reagan loves to paint and asks to do so on a daily basis. She picked out a few pumpkins at a local market the other day and was super eager to ‘make them pretty’! I’m all about skipping the carving and adorning the pumpkins with bright beautiful colors instead.

materials

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Pumpkins
Paint (I always try to use washable)
Stickers
Egg carton
Paint brushes
Something to cover your work space

directions
Reagan picked out three pumpkins and decided to sticker and paint two, while leaving stickers off the third.
Wipe dirt off pumpkins.
Ask your child which colors they want to use and where they would like the color placed within the egg carton.
If using stickers; stick them to the pumpkin before painting.
Have them use the color names when asking for more of a specific color.
Involve your child with the clean-up process.
GET CREATIVE!!!

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Baby Banner

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Totally in LOVE with pictures from my families childhood. I love looking through pictures of my husband and his siblings from when they were younger; the family resemblance is uncanny and my daughter is looking more and more like her father everyday.

In between each letter; I attached pictures of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I asked both of their mothers for a few pictures from birth to around age one and true to mothers everywhere; I got TONS of pictures! I picked similar pictures of each person to clip next to each other (ie- eating in a high chair, playing outside, in the tubbie, etc.). I wish that I had a close up picture of the banner, but with the hustle and bustle of hosting a baby shower, I didn’t get the chance:(

materials
Paint for letters ( I didn’t have purple paint, so I mixed pink and blue to make purple)
Paint brush
Fabric
Ruler
Scissors
Pencil
Paper for making a flag pattern
Bakers twine
Mini clothes pins
Two small nails
directions

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Using a piece of paper, measure out the size of the flag that you want. My flags had 8 inch sides. Draw the flag on the piece of paper and then cut it out so that you have a pattern to trace on your chosen fabric. I wrote the letter ‘B’ in my cut out pattern to make sure that the size of the letters that I wanted fit inside my flag.

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Trace your flag shape onto your chosen fabric. Cut out your flag and write the chosen letter onto the fabric. I free handed my letters, but using a ruler would leave you with straighter lines.

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I didn’t have purple paint, so I mixed blue and pink until I came up with a purple that I was happy with. Paint your traced letter on your fabric flag. I did two coats of paint, allowing the first to dry completely before applying the second.

I used mini clothes pins, found at a craft store, to attach the pictures and flags to a piece of bakers twine. I cut strips of left over fabric to tie bows at the ends of the banner. The banner hung from two small nails that were inserted into the top of the mantle. No one will ever notice the holes, unless they are 10 feet tall and have super vision.
The end result was adorable! The lit candles added the perfect touch.

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