Re-Organizing Our Home…

I recently shared my ideas on redesigning our home, since then I’ve been reorganizing our home in the hopes of making our tasks and chores more efficient.

At the top of my list – The Kitchen!

Aside from a complete kitchen makeover, complete with a newly redesigned cabinets, I’m attempting to reorganize and even purge my kitchen. My pots and pans typically stack within each other nicely but their corresponding lids were everywhere! I took my completely unorganized and “looking like a bomb went off” pots/pans/lids cabinet to a much more organized cabinet with the help of this sweet baby!

#TargetThreshold Pot Lid Rack

I shared these photos on Instagram recently because I was beyond excited with the pot lid rack/storage I picked up from Target’s Threshold Collection.

AFTER: Organized!! Ah, much better!!

Now let’s talk cheap under the kitchen sink storage. I know there are many pricey items you can purchase or even DIY to make the space under the kitchen sink more organized, just take an afternoon stroll through Pinterst! But for now I’m not going with any of them! Instead I’ve picked up a few smaller plastic baskets and even a couple of magazine storage folders from Target’s dollar spot (BTW – this isn’t a @Target sponsored post – but I wish it was! 🙂 ) to help corral my dish-washing/cleaning supplies perihelia!

Take all your messy sponges & scrubbers and put them in a plastic freezer bag and seal so that… 1.) they last longer & 2.) they’re easier to store. After this step I also had enough room to add my rubber gloves and a pouch of cleaning wipes!

And finally my simple solution to corralling the plastic grocery bags we re-use as trash can liners. Take an empty Kleenex box (or your tissue brand of choice), fold the plastic bags neatly, and stack them inside the box. I fold mine in half, in half again and then in a zig/zag pattern by thirds from top to bottom so I can layer them. When we pull one out the next one pops up!

I’ve also put a few smaller cleaning supplies in these cute little pink plastic baskets!

I’ll be highlighting other places throughout our home and hopefully a few more in the kitchen too, that I’m slowly organizing/purging in future posts.

Stripes & Turquoise!

Happy Middle-of-August Everyone! Who’s ready for crisp, cool weather, changing leaves and hayrides – this girl!!

Sweater – Target, Capri’s & SAK Purse – Thrifted, Canvas Shoes – old, DIY T-Shirt Bracelet – handmade

I picked up this striped summer-sweater at Target the other day for $5!! I love finding stuff in the Target clearance racks or their $1 section! I went with the small because the medium was just huge and didn’t fit right. Although with all the walking and running I’ve been doing lately, I’ve lost some weight and all my clothes are fitting better!

Please forgive the frizzy hair, when I left there were some loose curls, but overall my hair was mostly straight! This humidity is killer these days and its been raining and raining, come on fall!!

Sundays: What I Wore Sunday linkup / Sunday Style

Mondays: Funday Mondays! / Monday-Mingle / Visible Monday / My Style Monday / Color Blind- Thrifters Anonymous / Lowercase Letters- Miscellany Mondays / Covered in Grace- Monday Meet Up /Claire Justine oxox- Creative Mondays /Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans- Monday Mingle /Join the Gossip- Monday Morning Gossip /

Tuesdays: Real Girl Glam Link Up / Anything & Everything / Style Statement Tuesday / Style Sessions Contributor

Wednesdays: WIWW @ Transaltantic Blonde /Whatever Whenever Wednesday / Get Your Pretty On / Wardrobe Wednesday / Dress For the Day / My Whims Wednesday / Diaries of a Bargainista / Whatever Works Wednesday / What We Wore, Read & Made Wednesdays / Trending Pretty Wednesday / Random Wednesday @Shannasaidso / Wildcard Wednesday

Thursdays: Think Tank Thursday / Three-fer Thursday /Look What I Got! / #ThrifterThrusday / All Things Pretty Thursday! / MIX MATCH – Summer Style Linkup

Fridays: Casual Friday Link Up / Fridays Five / Fashion Friday @ All Things Chic / Favorite Frock Friday / Fridays Fancies / Fashion Informant Link Up / Style Me Friday / The Best of Friday Style Link-Up! / White Tee Challenge

Saturdays: Watch Out For The Woestmans / Weekend Recap /  Sami’s Shenanigans- Weekend Update /

May 2013 TOTM Challenge: YELLOW

Today is the Trend of the Month Challenge Link-Up and May’s Trend link-up is Yellow! Hop on over the Marion’s blog to link-up!

I talked a few times about being afraid to wear yellow most of my life but since changing my hair color to red, I’ve attempted to embrace the color. A few years ago while at Target (where else?) I saw their $7 Tees and I decided to get one in yellow, hopping it would work with my red hair. I’ve worn this tee loads of different ways on the weekends throughout the summer and spring, but I’ve never really dressed it up for the office.

White Blazer & Tee – Target, Navy Cropped Pants & Bag – Thrifted, Jade Statement Necklace – Grandmother, Bracelets – Julep, Sandals – Payless

This white blazer is the perfect way to dress up a tee in any color really, it instantly takes a casual outfit to classic! It’s has gotten loads of wear this season too. A white or colored blazer is the perfect staple in a spring/summer business wardrobe and yet can be worn casually as well.

Originally when I thought about how I could dress up my yellow tee for work, I wanted to pair it with a navy blazer and white pants, but it just didn’t work with the navy blazer I have so I reversed the colors with white on top and navy on the bottom. To help tie everything together I added my white purse and sandals, oh and a red lip!

I have found that the simplest outfits have the most impact. I love that about this look! I got lots of compliments from Caveman and a few women at work too!

Although you can’t really see it unless you’re in direct sunlight, my necklace is made of Jade. I’ve been looking for a way to wear it for a while now, but just never could seem to get it right. Wearing it brings me closer to my late grandmother and reminds me that she was a hard working mother too!

Late Grandmother’s Necklace

Linking up with these lovely ladies: Trend of the Month Link-up  / WIWW @ Transaltantic Blonde / Keeping It Casual / Whatever Whenever Wednesday / WIWW @ Pleated Poppy / Random Wednesday / Get Your Pretty On / Weekly Wednesday Blog Hop / Wardrobe Wednesday / Dress For the Day / My Whims Wednesday / Doing You Well / Diaries of a Bargainista / Wildcard Wednesday / Whatever Works Wednesday / What We Wore, Read & Made Wednesdays / Look What I Got! / #ThrifterThrusday / Trending Pretty Wednesday / All Things Pretty Thursday!

Tuesday Style: Yellow Florals

The Yellow Theme continues today with this pastel number.

Sweater – old, Easy DIY Skirt – ME, Belt – Forever 21, Ballet Flats & Wooden Bracelet – Target

I started the morning off with a denim embellished jacket because it is still super cool cold here. It is supposed to warm up later this week but the past couple of mornings have been cold. OK, please forgive my complaining about the weather! Here’s a comparison, with the denim jacket and without just for fun!

This easy DIY skirt is a more buttery pastel yellow although in these photos it is getting washed out! I’ve worn it a few different ways over the past year since making it.

Follow the links if you’d like a review:

1. Easy DIY Skirt, 2. Spring Florals Denim, 3. Monday Mingle – Floral Blush (a more sophisticated version of today’s look), 4. WWW – Minty Florals, 5. May 2012 Trend of the Month – Yellow! Do you have a favorite? Any critiques? I like today’s look or the more sophisticated version #3.

Hope you guys are enjoying my take on the Yellow Trend this month. Check out these linky parties for some more get outfit inspiration!

Yo Lo Mondays! / Monday-Mingle / Visible Monday / Real Girl Glam Link Up / DC in Style / My Style Monday / Color Blind- Thrifters Anonymous / Lowercase Letters- Miscellany Mondays / Covered in Grace- Monday Meet Up / Claire Justine oxox- Creative Mondays /Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans- Monday Mingle / Style Statement Tuesday / WIWW @ Transaltantic Blonde / Keeping It Casual / Whatever Whenever Wednesday / WIWW @ Pleated Poppy / Random Wednesday / Get Your Pretty On / Weekly Wednesday Blog Hop / Wardrobe Wednesday / Dress For the Day / My Whims Wednesday / Doing You Well / Diaries of a Bargainista / Wildcard Wednesday / Whatever Works Wednesday / What We Wore, Read & Made Wednesdays / Trending Pretty Wednesday

PS: Go read this post, it might just shock you. My hope for myself and our family is that even though we live in this ungodly world we can be “self-controlled and upright, living godly lives in the present age”! Titus 2: 11-14

God has truly blessed our family and in recent months, has been refining each of us to be more like Him. It has been a hard journey, that is by no means over, but it has also been so very good to go through the fire. We always come out better on the other side! To God be the glory!

WIWW: Brown Tangerines & No-Heat Curls Update!

Blazer – Old Navy, Sweater – JCP, Pants & Flats – Target, Scarf – Big Lots

This business casual look started off with the tangerine sweater and brown pants, but then I remembered it isn’t summer yet so I needed to find another layer at least. That’s when I rediscovered this closet orphan: a brown plaid blazer from Old Navy I picked up years ago. I threw on this scarf I picked up at Big Lots of all places and called it good! I’ve got some slight pattern mixing going on here!! 😉

I’m still rockin’ the no-heat curls method I found via Pinterest! This Twisty No-heat curls method has been super easy for me, and again I wanted to point out that it may work so well for me because I already have curly/wavy/frizzy hair.

I thought I would pass along some tips & tricks I’ve picked up for this method in case you would like to give it a try as well. Here goes….

I usually shower and wash my hair at night – it just works for me. When I wash my hair I can either blow it out straight, sleep on it and it’s nice and smooth the next morning OR I use the no-heat curls method.

1. I use some type of smoothing cream from about midway down on my hair to the ends while it’s wet. Not at the roots or it ends up looking greasy – yuck! (I’m currently using one from Suave, but it changes all the time so I don’t have a specific brand that I stick with or anything).
2. I section off the shorter layers around my face from the longer layers down my back so that I have 4 sections total. Caveman calls me Pippy Long-stockings if that gives you an idea!
3. DO NOT (at least for me) coil up into mini-buns around my head – horrific things happen, i.e. frizzy city!!!
4. Continue to re-coil throughout the evening, night. I’m not sure about you but I wake up for various reasons throughout the night and when I do I just finger comb the coils back into place.
5. Next morning – turn your head upside down and blast the roots, it adds just the right amount of volume.
6. Then I turn myself right side up and use a round brush to blow out my part. This helps the part to be not as noticeable and again added volume.
7. Throughout the day continue to finger comb curls back, away from face. That’s it!

It’s really a super easy hairstyle to achieve with great results. I hope you’ll let me know if you give it a try!

Linking up with these lovely ladies: WIWW @ Transaltantic Blonde / Keeping It Casual / Whatever Whenever Wednesday / WIWW @ Pleated Poppy / Random Wednesday / Get Your Pretty On / Weekly Wednesday Blog Hop / Wardrobe Wednesday / Dress For the Day / My Whims Wednesday / Doing You Well / Diaries of a Bargainista / Wildcard Wednesday / Whatever Works Wednesday / What We Wore, Read & Made Wednesdays / Look What I Got! / #ThrifterThrusday / Trending Pretty Wednesday / All Things Pretty Thursday!