DIY ~ Jewelry Organizer

Hi lovelies!  If you're anything like me, you have a huge collection of jewelry you've amassed and it seems to reproduce itself overnight.  Which means you've long outgrown your jewelry box, jewelry armoire, and it's now overflowing off your dresser, similarly to an erupting volcano's lava flow.  And, much like a toddler believes, if you can't see it it's not there.  At least for me.  So I need things hanging in plain sight, where I can see them without even looking for them.

Enter this simple DIY.  It uses some common household items, and even involves a bit of upcycling too!  Best of all, it's easily customizable to match your decor du jour.  {Keep reading to see what I used to make this and to be inspired to make your own too!}

DIY ~ Upcycled Birchboxes Into Earring Organizer

Hi lovelies!  I'm constantly trying to think of out of the box (no pun intended, but I'll run with it!) when it comes to storage and organization ideas.  This one evolved really organically from a complete random thought while eyeing my recycling bin.  This couldn't be easier, and if you're a Birchbox subscriber you'll have the necessary boxes right off the bat with one box, and you can add another and another in subsequent months - so get started!  {How-to after the jump!}

DIY ~ Pretty Tin Organizers

Happy Wednesday, lovelies!  I have a quick craft for you today, it's another one that will take you maybe 5 minutes!  Yay!  My mom knows how much I love crafting, upcycling, and just making things, so she recently sent me a few boxes full of goodies!  Imagine my delight!  Well the materials to make these adorable flower topped storage tins were inside, want to see what I used?  {Click to keep reading!}

Father's Day DIY ~ Upcycled Birchbox to Trinket Box

Happy Father's Day, lovelies!  I wanted to share what I made for my boyfriend for Father's Day but didn't want to risk ruining the surprise by posting it before he got his gift.  So in the event you're still looking to DIY up a quick gift for dad, or you just want to make something rad with all those empty Birchbox boxes you have laying around, you'll definitely want to see how to make this!  {Click to keep reading!}

DIY ~ Bracelet Holder

 
Happy Friday, lovelies!  Ahhh organization... it's such a necessary evil, isn't it?  I have piles of baubles covering my dresser and I *try* to keep them organized, but I seriously have no idea where anything is or what I even have.  I'm very visual; I need to see things.  I was thinking about bracelet organization, and was thinking of those velvety displays you see that hold bracelets.... you'll never guess what I made this from.... {How to after the jump} 

DIY ~ Kate Spade Confetti Inspired Jewelry Plate

Hi lovelies! I know many people make resolutions every year to organize themselves, and while I don't make any resolutions, I do make a yearly "To Do" list and yes, getting organized is on it every. single. year.  One of my biggest problems is corralling my jewelry.  One of these days it will get under better control, but for now I like things where I can see them, otherwise I forget about them.  I wanted a pretty dish that I could put some of my frequently worn pieces on so they're all in one place.  I kept envisioning those pretty Kate Spade Confetti plates and wanted to make one.  {Get the how to after the jump} 

DIY ~ Upcycled Birchbox Makeup Box

Hiya lovelies!  I recently de-stashed some of my hoarded empty Birchboxes and made this upcycled Birchbox makeup box!  It was so easy and it's so cute!  Here's the how to: {More after the break}

DIY ~ Compact Scarf Organizer and Hanger

Hey lovelies!  Happy New Year!  Sorry I didn't do any obligatory end of year / beginning of year posts, but I'm not so big on them.  So to ring 2012 in the right way, here's a spanking new organization DIY!  I know many of you resolve to better organize yourselves, so I'm going to help you organize your closets...in particular, your scarves!  Mine were overflowing, and I could never find the one I wanted.  So I made a solution, and it seriously takes up as much room as a sweater in my closet!  Here's the how-to: {Steps after the jump}

30 Days of DIY: Day 13 ~ Satin Ring Tray

Today's DIY is a quick and easy pretty organization fix. I need to do alot more of these!

Behold part of my huge dresser.  This is where I throw all my rings when I take them off.  (Yes, I have a jewelry armoire, but I only keep the good stuff in there) So it's pretty much a disheveled mess of rings.  I've had this little wooden tray from a zen garden that my kids spilled all the sand out of; I'm so glad I kept it to repurpose!

Materials:

• Shallow wooden box/dish/tray
• Fabric (I have this satin that I've done nothing with)
• Scissors
• Glue gun and extra glue sticks 

Pick an edge on the bottom to begin gluing down the fabric.

Run the glue down the entire edge, and securely press the fabric onto it.

Glue the edge above and press the fabric.  Keep doing this until the entire surface of the tray is covered.

After about 5 minutes of gluing and pressing and folding, here it is!  Now my rings all have a home, and it looks pretty on my dresser next to my flower bracelet bowl!

I'll be doing a lot more organization (that are also decor!) DIYs coming up, so I hope you like this!  Let me know what you'd like to see more of in the next 17 days of DIY, and I will try to get them in!

xxooxoxo
Lia

Mama's Putting Herself on a Budget...and Will Post a DIY Every Day!

So this is it.  I'm making the commitment.  And now it's out there in the interweb, it's like cast in stone.  I'm putting myself on a budget.  After bills and allotments for groceries and gas, I am giving myself $60 out of each paycheck (every two weeks) as my allowance.  That's for if I decide to go out to lunch, or happy hour, or spot something that I cannot live without.

I waste spend too much money.  Whatever I have, I spend.  It's pretty ridiculous when I stop and think about it.  I mean, obviously, I make sure that my kids are taken care of first and foremost.  But after that, it's game on.  I have no savings at all.  I plan to take my kids to FL in June to visit my family, but I don't have any way of doing that at the moment.  I want and need to pay all of my bills on time and more importantly, have money left over. 

I quit smoking 67 days ago.  That was seriously the biggest challenge I've faced in a while.  It was a testament to my willpower and I needed to prove to myself that I have that deep inside me.  Now that that's a done deal, I need to challenge myself again.  It's imperative that I work with what I have instead of buying something new.  I must force myself to refashion and repurpose things that I already have.

Spring cleaning is upon us (me).  I've got to declutter my house, my life!  I have way too much stuff.  People come to my place and say hey, you've got a lot of stuff.  I'm going to pack up some boxes and drop them off at Goodwill.  I've got so many things that I don't use.  I have such a hard time getting - and staying - organized.  I start so many projects but I never finish them.  Well my friends, this is all going to change.

I am going to chronicle my challenge here on my blog as a means of holding myself accountable.  And I am going to do this by posting a DIY/repurpose/refashion/idea EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. in April.  Stay tuned ladies!  I may even get ambitious and start early!  I usually do things like that.  Once my mind is made up to do something, I do it right away. 

Please let me know if anyone has any tips, advice, ideas, or even projects that may be of use.  I'm anxious to do this, and so excited! 

xxooxoxo
Lia

DIY *Link Love*

Some amazingly talented ladies have been putting together some pretty incredible DIY's recently!  I am so enamoured with some of them that I felt the compelling urge to start doing a *Link Love* weekly post!

The uber creative Maya of Soccer Mom Style posted this amazing tutorial of her DIY inspired by Chanel's Ice Cube Clutch.  I'm in love with it.  Must make this.  Not only did she make the clutch, she made a matching ring as well as an ice box clutch shaped to look like a bottle of Chanel No. 5!

Jessica from What I Wore had two DIYs that I am itching to try.

First, she showed us how she made some adorable white striped sunnies.  So simple!

My next fave is her Denim Wedge DIY.  I just need to find some wedge sandles in need of a facelift now :)

The lovely Alicia from Dismount Creative made a TO.  DIE.  FOR. leather bracelet.  She did such an amazing job and I love it!

Alicia also made a Dollhouse Chair Jewelry Tree to rival that of  inspired by one from Urban Outfitters.  I am going to Hobby Lobby to get the supplies and make my own this week, stay tuned!

I hope you all love these projects as much as I do!  If you have a project you would like included in the next *Link Love* please send me an email :)

xxooxoxo
Lia

Pockets Full of Sunshine Easy Peasy DIY

I was about to throw away a too small pair of my daughter's old jeans, but I'm so glad I didn't!  I always carry my pink inspiration journal in my purse, and my purple marble notebook is full of my work stuff.  But I can *never* find a pen....

You will need:

• an old pair of jeans with the back pockets still intact 
• glue gun and glue sticks
• scissors
• notebook or something you want to attach a pocket to

Cut out the pocket from the jeans, cutting *around* the seams so as to keep the back material attached:

You will be gluing this down, so it's imperative to keep it!

Repeat with the other pocket.  Now you have two! 

Using your glue gun, glue as close to the edge of the *back* of the pocket, around the entire perimeter as well as some in the middle too.

Now turn your pocket over and press it firmly against the desired spot on your notebook.  Do the same with the other pocket.

Et voila!  Super simple, this took about 5 minutes, start to finish, and since I had all the materials on hand, cost me nothing!  I could only find one pen, so my big notebook is modeling scissors :)

Sorry I've been out of the loop lately, not posing or tweeting.  I have inflammatory arthritis in my knees and I've been in agony lately.  Work has been crazy busy too, and my unorganized butt has not had time to do anything.  Well that is going to change!  Stay tuned!

xxooxoxo
Lia