Some Thrifty Bathroom Updates!

Our lower level bathroom was the beneficiary of some new and fun thrifty updates!

I already shared that I snagged this fabulous stool from a local junk convention...

The style reminded me of great high end styles I have seen at One Kings Lane and West Elm... so much love!

When I purchased it for $20, I had no idea where it would land.  I knew it was versatile enough to be popped next to any chair or even in the playroom.  Then it dawned on me that it would be the perfect solution to our lower level bathroom dilemma.  We needed a stool for the boys at the bathroom sink for hand washing.  And this was the oh so perfect size!

But it was in rough shape.  And although I sort of loved that, I wanted to clean it up a bit and make it mesh well with the bathroom.

So, I decided to finally give the oh so famous Annie Sloan chalk paint a try!  It had the reputation of being able to cover on any surface and is raved about all over blog land.  I went with Paris Grey.

I started by painting the underside of the stool, which was really tedious with all of the nooks and crannies... a combination of a regular brush and craft brushes was necessary.

I noticed that the paint seemed to level really nicely.  And it was covering really well!  YAY!  So pretty!

While the stool was drying, I decided to go after my next project.

Some thrifted glass containers found at the ol' Goodwill to the tune of $1.50 total.

Not so pretty now, but a quick wash and some pearly swirled craft paint later.....

And we had fabulously fun storage for the bath!

I looked up painted glass tutorials all over Pinterest, and some said to cure the paint in the oven.  I will caution I started to do so, and I had issues with some bubbling {even at super low temps}, so, I pulled them out, touched up the paint and just let it air dry and cure for a week before popping my cotton products inside.

I think they are pretty adorable on the bathroom shelves!

And the new stool lives next to our laundry hamper...

It works wonders as it's intended purpose....

Or, as a bathtub side table for momma!

And a tray I found on clearance from Target, before going on strike, to hold my pretty soaps...

Thanks to a few thrifty finds and a little paint, both the bathroom and I are smiling nice and big!

Anyone else grinning ear to ear over some thrift store finds that are making a great impact in your rooms?  Who else loves the painted glass effect?

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Quick Tip: Get a Grip on your Toothbrush

About two years ago we added a tall cabinet to our itty bitty bathroom, since we had limited counter space and a linen closet far far away.  Then, we added a door a year later, to conceal all the contents and use it as the perfect place to keep the kid's toothbrushes away from all the germs that swirl around a bathroom each day...

The toothbrushes have been haphazardly stored in a cup with their toothpaste behind the cabinet door.  Little did I know that was still bad.  The toothbrushes should be stored in a divided holder or away from one another, since the germs like to go from toothbrush head to toothbrush head.  Ew.  A perfect way for all of the boys to get sick, when only one comes home with a cold.

A while back I featured one of my favorite bathroom shots from BHG, and it was a great way to store toothbrushes for those with limited counter or cabinet space.

Many of you were equally in love and excited about the picture, but we all seemed to have a hard time finding out just what those fantastic toiletry clips were.  I then promised you that if I ever figured out where to snag those wonderful holders, I would let you know as I was interested in finding them as well!

Today I am excited to report, that I found them on Amazon, and they are actually intended for holding pens and pencils, so they might also be available at office supply stores or even big box stores!

We put the toothbrushes at a level that all the boys can easily reach, so no more mixing up toothbrushes!  Wahoo!

We also use toothbrushes that are numbered {since everything for the boys is labeled by number}, which also helps reduce any opportunity of mix-ups.  And tea light holders make great holders for floss and other smaller bathroom items.

Oh happy day!  Sometimes, it's all about the quick little things!

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A Pretty Organized Vanity, a Promo and a Surprise CAMEO Giveaway!

So much to share in this post so hold onto your britches my friends!

A few months ago, I used some banked Joss & Main credit to snag a desk and mirror to use together as a vanity in our new dressing room.  Although the two pieces were sold during different flash sales, when I popped them together, they were like the hubs and I... completely meant to be.

Two years ago when I started designing up the room, I knew I wanted to create a cozy and special place to escape and be a girl in this home full of boys.  The desk and mirror were the missing link the space has been waiting for!  {I know it's crazy ridiculous that we have a dressing room, however, you can find more about how it came to be here.}  But oh so white right?  It's a phase.  My name is Jen and I am addicted to white furniture.  Seriously, I just love the clean and fresh feeling that the white gives, especially in windowless areas... but this was screaming for some color.  Even the drawer dividers disappeared in the sea of white...

Yawn....

The first pop of fun and whimsy I decided to add to this new girly hot spot, were some fabulous knobs I found at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 each!

Aren't they incredible?  During our recent trip out to Montana, Amanda treated me to the most incredible and overwhelming trip to Hobby Lobby.  I was a Hobby Lobby virgin until that point, so I had no idea what to expect, and it was everything I was hoping for, and so much more!  Their knob selection was my favorite part!

So much better already!!

The next step was to tackle the inside of the drawers.  Now when I started this project, I will admit, I questioned if I was going overboard.  Have I taken my obsession with labeling too far?  But when I was done, I knew it was the right move and it will make me smile big day after day, and that is what matters, crazy or not. 

I picked a slew of my favorite colors of Silhouette's premium vinyl and started by popping the first one into my super slick cutting machine.

I was hoping to create something graphic and colorful inside the drawers, so I cut out the labels from different fonts, colors and images, and transferred them to the bottom of the acrylic drawer dividers.  This allowed me to easily see the labels, but they would also stay protected.

As always, I was excited that the machine was able to make such sweet cuts for me, especially since some of the fonts I adore are so delicate!

Once all of the labels were cut and transferred to the bottoms of the dividers, they made the statement I was going for inside the drawers...

A little bit label crazy?  Totally.  And I LOVE IT!  I can't help but smile just typing about it!

Even when all of my makeup was added into the dividers, you could still see glimpses of the colors peeking out and saying hello.

Since I also use the vanity for giving my hair some love, the second drawer was devoted to those belongings.

Goodbye white, hello color!

Now to find the perfect rug and this room will be about complete.  Time for a happy dance!

So now that we have gotten through the vanity details, it's time for the promo details!

Now through August 31st, you can snag your own Silhouette CAMEO and Vinyl bundle, for $75 off the regular price!

That means you can snag the following goodies:

• Silhouette CAMEO®
  • Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
  • Power cable/AC adapter
  • USB cable
  • Silhouette Studio® software
  • $10 download card
  • 12" x 12" cutting mat
  • Silhouette blade
  • Basic Instruction Guide
  • CAMEO instructional DVD
• black 12" premium vinyl
• white 12" premium vinyl
• 12" transfer paper

All for $270!  Already have a CAMEO?  All vinyl is also 40% off!  Just go here and enter ORGANIZING at checkout!

And last but not least, just when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting around here, my pals over at Silhouette are tossing in a CAMEO and Vinyl Bundle to GIVEAWAY to one lucky IHeart Organizing reader!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Thursday and...

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Bathroom Storage Furniture Favorites

Today I thought it would be fun to look at some fun furniture options for storing bathroom toiletries and linens; some are space saving and others are just plain ol' awesome!
 
I am pretty smitten with all the vanities that have space saving towel storage built right in at the bottom.  Such a pretty look and I am continuing to seek out a way to DIY one for our main bathroom:

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Bookcases are a really inexpensive way to add bathroom storage.  Just find one from a big box store, slap on some crown molding, and you have something fabulous for all of your linens and bathroom accessories:

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For those that are great at scouring Craigslist and flea markets and thrift stores for fabulous furniture finds, check out an old pharmacy cabinet {with a fresh coat of spray paint} or cabinets with character and glass door fronts.  Love!

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For smaller bathrooms, there are quite a few space saving storage options that I have fallen head over heals for:

Like slim slanted wall shelves

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And simple antique ladders...

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Wall mounted bookcases:

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IKEA always has space saving solutions, such as this slender Expedit:

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How about using that valuable vertical real estate with some wall mounted baskets?

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One of my favorite ideas is to just place a small chest of drawers in a bathroom.  Not only does it add storage, but gives the room a built over time feeling!

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And one last photo just to drool over.  I am so gaga for the glass front cabinet and all of the colors!

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Any other bathroom furniture favorites?

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Quick Tip: Keeper of the Cords

Today's post is dedicated to my awesome neighbor.  Here is why {and another reason why I love my job!}:

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to take the kids to baseball, and my neighbor popped over holding a toilet paper roll.  Hmmm.... She was really excited and said, "I have an idea for your blog!"  Love.  She showed me the toilet paper roll and said, this is awesome for storing your cords!  I mentioned I had seen something about using toilet paper rolls as cord holders on Pinterest:

And then I had to toss in a little personal plug, and share how I stash cords as well:

She waited patiently to tell me that she loved those ideas, but she used the toilet paper roll for her small appliances, like her styling products.  Oh boy, now why didn't I think of that?!

I couldn't wait to get those pesky cords under control!

Some simple cord folding:

Then I just slid the toilet paper roll over the cord!

Pretty stinkin' smart eh?  I thought so!  Then, some lovely scrapbook paper really made it special!

I have been loving this since she stopped by and couldn't wait to share how well it has been working {and after scouring Pinterest, I realize that we aren't the first to think of this, but I still had to share for those who haven't seen it yet}!  Now, I am going to become a toilet paper roll hoarder and do this for every small appliance I can find; hand mixer beware.

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