Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Awhile back, I had to do something with our pots & pans storage situation. It was getting to be a nightmare. An avalanche of cookware overflowing from the cabinets whenever I needed to retrieve a single baking dish. I was taking everything out of the cabinets every time I needed something. Then trying to shove everything back in again. And get the cabinet door to shut. It was time to take action.

I picked up a few of these kitchen cabinet organizers from Walmart, and what a difference they’ve made! Two of these racks are holding all my glass baking dishes in the picture above.

And another one here has made storing and accessing pans & skillets a breeze. The racks on the top shelf holding the muffin pans are just slightly different- they are the Walmart brand “slotted organizer racks”.

Here they are again storing my cutting boards, serving trays, and cooling racks. And a mini muffin pan! See that notebook up there? That’s my recipe binder. It holds all the recipes I print off the internet.

I bought it because I liked the stripes and it had a little BT head on the side. See that little guy up there? :)

And now you will forever know what the inside of my kitchen cabinets look like! I probably should’ve dusted first.

And I really hope you can’t see me in any of the reflective surfaces.

Filed Under: House & Home, organized, storage • 100 Comments

Tutorial: Shabby Chic Dangly Earring Display

This fun little shabby chic earring stand, made from an altered picture frame, is a great way to hang and display all your beautiful, dangling earrings. I had the idea for this project after we talked about my love affair with dangly earrings and how to display them. I don’t know about you, but I just love seeing them all hanging in a row! :)

The next day I made this earring frame, and it was so quick, easy, and inexpensive to put together, I knew I had to share it with you! :) I spent a grand total of $5.34 on this project. Plus I got to work with a staple gun. (Thats about as close to a power tool as I get!) ;)

Cost: Less than $10
Time: 30 mins
Supplies: picture frame, 12′ of picture wire, acrylic paint & brush, staple gun (or nails/tacks, etc)

I started out with a black 8×10 picture frame from Walmart, $3. They also have 8.5×11 document frames which would be good too, for a little extra space. On the same aisle, I picked up some picture hanging wire. They sold them in packages of 6′ for $0.97 and I used two.

Since the frame wasn’t real wood, I was a little concerned with how it would turn out once I painted it. I definitely wanted it to have the antiqued look, where you could see the previous color underneath the white paint.  I was afraid the only way to do that would be to use a real wood frame, so the wood would soak up the paint and show the grain underneath. I thought this frame, since it was completely flat with no texture, would just produce a flat, solid color when I painted it…

But as you can see from the above images, this little inexpensive frame did great! :) I was very pleased with how it turned out.

I gave the frame a couple coats of paint with this almost-but-not-quite white acrylic paint using the brushes pictured. I used this type of brush because it’s what I had, but I really liked how it turned out because, well, honestly, it didn’t do a very good job! But in a good way! It would wipe away some of the paint as I was trying to paint more, giving it that faded, shabby look. I just painted the frame, I didn’t have to sand it, wipe it, or distress it in any way.

Next, I took a piece of wire and laid it across the back of the frame. I folded it over twice so that I had three strands folded together that were just a little longer than the width of the frame (this was to make the hanging wire a little thicker).

Twist the wires loosely so they hold together, but loose enough so you can stick a post earring through there if you want! :)

On the back of the frame I used a pencil to mark where to hang the wire. I started with 1/4″ from the top opening of the frame,  then spaced the remaining wire 2.25″ apart.

Here’s what the back looks like.

I stapled the wire to the frame, then folded and tucked the wire so it wouldn’t come out. If you don’t have a staple gun, you could also use small nails or tacks to wrap the wire around and hold in place.

I gave the knots a few taps with a hammer to make sure there weren’t any sharp wire edges sticking out.

And that’s IT! :) So quick and easy! It looks beautiful on a dresser or chest of drawers.

Let me know if you try it! :) Have fun and thanks for looking! :)

Filed Under: Crafts & Projects, House & Home, Tutorials • 113 Comments

Inspiration for Decoration

My mantle needs a makeover.

What, you say? That’s not my mantle? Oh, of course! You’re right. I should back up.

My mantle *does* need a makeover, though. Desperately. Witheringly. But I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do with it yet- that’s always the hardest part, isn’t it?? Although, I am on my way- I have no problem in the collecting department! ;) But until I figure it out, these collections have taken up residence in the foyer- above this cubby bench, and have found quite a nice home on the cubby shelf, actually. I’ve dubbed it…. the “Overflow Mantle“!

My favorite piece is the framed photo (below, right) of my hometown (Auburn) in 1899. And see that little yellow tin? It’s a candle, and the scent is “Toomer’s Lemonade”.  Toomer’s Drugs is that building you see on the right in the picture. The drugstore opened in 1896 and is still there today. The same sign out front has been there since, gosh, I don’t know, at least the 50s!  And they have the best. lemonade. ever. Freshly squeezed, lip-smacking, so sweet and sour it’ll knock your socks off! If Bobby Flay were going to do a Lemonade Throwdown, he would have it at Toomer’s Drugs. Because they are the best. Of the best. The candle is divine. I love it. It’s my hometown.

The other candle’s scent is “Sani-Freeze”, an ice cream stand that stood just a block from Toomer’s Drugs- and was so run down and dilapidated it was more affectionately known as “The Flush”. They had the best peanut butter milkshakes (extra thick, please) in the entire world. Much, much, much to my dismay, The Flush is no longer there. It was replaced with (of course) a bank. The candle doesn’t smell anything like what I remember of the Flush… but I had to get it anyway. :)

My plan is for these pieces to eventually make it to the mantle- when I can finally make up my mind what to do with it! Whenever I need ideas for decorating and arranging mantles & shelves, or any room in the house, I totally hit this site:

Inspiration for Decoration

My favorite, favorite, favorite decorating blog ever- it’s a great place to start. Isn’t it so clean and refreshing? Just click on one of the labels in the drop down menu and you have hundreds of ideas to browse through- all for the room or space you are wanting to decorate.

What’s your favorite “inspiration for decoration” blog? Where do you go when you need ideas?

Filed Under: House & Home • 41 Comments