Outfit Planning

I'm a planner.  I realize that's not "news" to anyone here...  I plan our dinners, I plan out all the home/DIY projects I'd like to accomplish, I plan my blog posts {usually...} AND, I plan my outfits weekly.  A little crazy?  Maybe.  But nothing stresses me out more at 6am in the shower while laying in bed, procrastinating, than the question that plagues us all: "what am I going to wear today?"

I can say with 100% certainty that I am out the door on time in the morning, if not earlier {GASP!} when I have planned my outfit for the day.  It really alleviates the rushing around, clock-checking, and stressing.  Am I the only person that has this problem?!

On Sunday's, my designated day to get stuff done, I check the five-day forecast.  Based, loosely, on what the temps look like, I start to pull things out of the closet & drawers and build a few outfits for the week.  I lay it all out on the guest room bed, make sure I'm not wearing polka-dots two days in a row or too much black {or in this weeks' case, pink...} and then call it done.

I'm VERY fortunate to work for a company that allows us to dress down everyday.  Jeans & flats are a daily standard.  As long as you look "put together" you're A-OK!  There are certain days when the big-wigs are in the office or we have to meet with clients that I have to bust out the black pants & heals, but it's rare.

I'll hang everything back up with necklaces and accessories in a small section in the closet.  In the morning, all I have to do is throw it on.  No thinking.  I refuse to think too hard before finishing my coffee :)

Do you have any tips to make the morning routine more smooth?

Medicine Cabinet Organization

In an effort to stick to the OctNOber plan, I pretty much camped out at home this weekend.  I just knew I'd be too tempted to pick up a new outfit or fall decor if I went anywhere near Target...BUT,  it was SO nice to get a few little projects wrapped up, do a lot of relaxing AND there may have been an all day Modern Family marathon on Saturday--why didn't we watch this show before?! {yes, I'm late to the game.  Judge away.}

I finally peeled myself off the sofa and decided to organize our new medicine cabinet.  O installed a larger one with more interior space back in September, but most of its contents were still spread all over the top of our small sink.

The whole purpose of installing the new medicine cabinet was to add extra storage to our tiny bathroom.  That, AND the old medicine cabinet was fugly.  So I took a quick five minutes to get things spruced up.

Looking at this picture now, it would appear that this post is sponsored by Aveeno or philosophy.  Not so much--those are just some of our favorite products!

I had a few random votive holders laying around, and decided to put them to good use.  They're now holding q-tips and all of the little odds and ends that cluttered the shelves and fell out when we opened the cabinet.  This was such an easy {and free!} way to keep everything organized & clear off the top of the sink.  I also had an extra bathroom tumbler that I'm using to hold O's razor, and a few other random things.

So what did I learn from this?  Use what you have laying around!  You'd be amazed what you can repurpose in your own house.  That, and our next house will have a double vanity.  With larger countertops.

This Weekend

The weather cooperated Saturday, and the rain disappeared just in time for us to head downtown for Oktoberfest!  We're very lucky to live so close to Cincinnati--it's nice to be able to go over there and take advantage of fun things like this, but then come home to the 'burbs.

There was a lot of chicken dancin', lederhosen's, and yummy food {and drinks!}  I even got a free hat and t-shirt from my Oktoberfest fav's, Angry Orchard!

The rest of Saturday was spent eating, relaxing, Pinning, and watching a mini Friends marathon

On Sunday, it was church and I was able to get the house cleaned & organized because MY MOM IS COMING TO VISIT!  {Can you tell I'm excited?!}  So I tackled the guest room first.

Here's a little tidbit {I promise, it's relevant}  I'll just put it out there--I'm a product junkie.  Pretty sure its hereditary.  My Gram has a dresser {A DRESSER!} full of miscellaneous cosmetics, samples, and the "free gift with purchase" bags and contents.  I suffer from this same type of hoarding, but on a much smaller scale.  SO, I took all of my random samples and freebies, and popped them into this glass jar for the guest room!

Similar Jar Here

We don't have guests very often, but I thought it would be nice to keep a few little things in the room that guests may need!  I hope the samples finally get some use now!  Or I could just start using them...

I'm about to fill up with a little more coffee this morning--sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays stayed up too late watching the Emmy's!  Did y'all do anything fun this weekend?!

DIY Stenciled Bins

Yesterday, I posted about our freshly organized coat closet.  I got a great deal on the three canvas bins from Home Goods {$4 each!}, but I wanted to be able to distinguish our bins easily, so I decided to add a quick stencil to each.  I printed out the letters in Word, and used an exacto knife to create the stencil.  I Google'd "dog bone clipart" to create the bone stencil for the pups' bin, and cut it out the same way.

I held down the stencil with one hand, and used a foam brush to lightly dab the paint onto the canvas bin.

Ta-da!  Labeled bins!

Shared with The Winthrop Chronicles

I'm a closet organizer.

One of my 2013 goals {I'm not good at keeping resolutions} is to get more organized.  Things are pretty organized around here to begin with, but there is always room for improvement!  One little area that needed some extra attention was our hall closet.  So often things get shoved in the closet, or thrown up on a shelf.  Before you know it, its out of control.  A quick trip to Home Goods for a few baskets & bins took our entry closet

A large basket at the bottom holds a few pairs of shoes we wear often & I added a hook on the inside wall where I can hang my purse and work bag.  I'm famous for just hanging them on the outside facing knob!  Now, they have a home.

I stenciled our initials on each of the bins that hold our hats, gloves & scarves.  The dog children also share one with their leashes, toys and etc.

The top shelf now keeps all of our random household items in one central location. Magazine holders now store miscellaneous warranties and manuals.  Our home management binder {that mysteriously travels from one location to another in the house} has an official home!

Its amazing the sense of accomplishment you get from getting one little space organized.  Thanks to Our Fifth House's Winter Project Challenge for kicking my rear into gear!

Cubicle Decor

My love of decorating & organization extends far past our home. In fact, when I started my new job and learned that I'd be spending 7.5 hours a day in a cubicle, I was {strangely} excited to decorate my new work space! I went right to Google & Pinterest looking for cubicle inspiration--but sadly, I didn't find much of anything. Could this be because no sane person likes to sit in a cubicle all day? Maybe.  Or is it that I'm the only person on Earth who's googling Cubicle Decor? Probably.

BUT here is what my 5'x5' "corner office" looks like today!

Erin Condren Life Planner   DIY Dry Erase Board  Gold Frame, Hobby Lobby  Magazine Holder  
Seagrass Snack Basket, Home Goods

 Navy Chevron Pencil Cup

Cork tiles, Walmart Wall Pocket Files  Frame and Letter, Hobby Lobby

Custom Quatrefoil Mouse Pad

Ikea GRUNDTAL Containers   DIY Dry Erase Board    Gold Frame, Hobby Lobby

I consider myself lucky to be at the end of the row, so I do have an actual wall next to me---instead of being surrounded on all sides by padded cubicle walls.  I figure I sit there all day, I may as well enjoy the view.