A Gem of an Organizer

Most people do everything they want in the month of December.  You eat until it hurts, shop till you drop and party like it's going out of style.  No wonder January feels like one long Monday. To help pass the time, my mission is to get myself organized once and for all (yeah right....this resolution will be broken by March!)

First up my jewelry collection!

With jewelry being a big trend the last few seasons, I've started to accumulate some fun pieces.  Not owning a jewelry box, my jewelry has been spread out all over.  As a married gal, I have to consider solutions that are aesthetically pleasing, but also something that works with my unisex decore. After recently seeing some fun ways to display jewelry, I was inspired to come up with a practical and stylish solution.

Photo Credit

Kelly Wearstler's jewelry collection.  Wish I could dedicate a whole dresser to accessories, but lack of space and collection doesn't make this a practical solution for me.

Photo Credit

Using tea cups is a whimsical solution to storing jewelry, but I don't think I'm dainty enough to use this idea.

Photo Credit

I love the shadow box idea, but I have too much jewelry for this idea.  

The Solution:

A vintage inspired 3 tiered thing I found from here...

It holds cocktail rings

earrings

necklaces

& bangles!

With a masculine metal finish, but a feminine scallop edge, this was a great find that can easily be integrated into any bedroom or powder room decore.

Now onto the next organization project!

The Lamp Shade That Started It All

When you've lived on your own for 11 years, moving back home with the parents is an adjustment.  Since my new job requires me to work from home, I thought this was a great opportunity to redecorate Stephanie's old bedroom and turn it into a cozy office (after all she doesn't live here anymore)!  The new room was inspired by a vintage lampshade I bought at a flea market a few years ago (picture above).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 We repainted the room from buttercup yellow to a battleship blue.  I love how the color goes from blue to gray as the light changes in the room.  I unfortunately had to keep the daybed, (my mother politely reminded me this was still Stephanie's bedroom), but modernized the bed with some decorative pillows.

 

For extra storage, I'm using the dresser as a place to house my files. 

I spied these file holders on this favorite blog site.    

I also personalized the space with my favorite pictures 

(including this one of Stephanie).

 

I finally framed the prints bought at this flea market 

and mentioned on this blog entry.

 My desk bought at target features a chrome vintage chair bought from e-bay.  Life lesson #453: When bidding on a piece of furniture, it is only a bargain if your shipping is less than your purchase.  E-bay chair cost:$35.  Shipping cost $150.  Can you say ouch!  I also recycled an old picture frame, by spray painting it white and turning it into a chic bulletin board.

This decorating business is harder than I thought.  If you have any suggestions or tips, please let me know.