Stamp Bucket::Organization

I don't know about you, but I can never have too many stamps! I heart me some stamps! Unfortunately, I have so many, and not enough places to keep them. I have a few drawers where they are laid out and easily accessible. I also have a neat little stand I found while thrifting. That stand holds my most commonly used stamps, my 'go-to' stamps if you will.

While I was at said thrifting trip I found this hideous orange bucket. Totally ugly. And of course, I forgot to take a before a pic. But the after! Oh this after is so much better.

I repainted the bucket a very pretty blue and stamped the word 'stamps' on the front. So now I have a catch-all for those loose stamps that I use often, but not everyday

I just love reaching into this pretty bucket and pulling out wonderfully fun stamps. I also love the word stamps! I'm also a goofy dork!

Moral of this story? Never leave something at the thrift store just because it is a hideously, gross, ugly, orange thing. Paint does wonders my friends!



And don't forget to stop by and visit me at Layton Family Joy today!

More Photo Box Love

I am totally in love with these photo boxes. My next project is still a work in progress. I need to buy more boxes for this to be complete. 

My new use for photo boxes: Shoe Boxes!

I replaced all of my shoe boxes with photo boxes in co-ordinating colors to make my closet look pretty, organized, and put together. I absolutely LOVE the look. I need a few more to make it complete. Unfortunately, the hubs size 13 shoe is much to big to fit into the box. Darn. I told I him I had to cut the toes off of all his shoes to make my closet look pretty. He wasn't too keen on the idea. I said it was all in the name of beauty and his reply was, only women are that insane! :-) I almost fell over laughing, cuz it's so true!!

Again, I forgot "before" photos. But you can enjoy my "afters".

I love this because I can label each box with the shoe, if I need to change them out, just make a new label! Easy Peasy!

That chandy there next to the boxes is awaiting a home, well, rather, is awaiting the hubs to hang it in it's new home. I don't trust myself to hang it so it won't come crashing down on top of my head. I have two of them and I can't wait till they are up! :)

Send your photo box uses my way, I love seeing how you put them to use.

More Organizing Tools

In my quest to achieve maximum organization throughout my home (Ha!) I recently made-over the craft cabinet. I purchased a few bins from the $$$ store and amazing things happened!  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before photo. But trust me, things were shoved, crammed, and falling out! Now it it (almost) pure bliss. We are getting a little to big to fit in this little cabinet. 

In this cabinet I keep all of the craft items the children do not need permission (or supervision) to get out. They have free reign here. And they like that. I have put together a list of child friendly items that are perfect for them to get out on a rainy, bored, snowy day. 

• Construction Paper
  
• Paper plates
  
• Dried beans (split peas are my fav. My grandmother always had those for me)
  
• Pipe cleaners
  
• Glue sticks and Elmers glue
  
• Paper lunch bags
  
• Craft kits (martha stewart are good-so are foam craft kits from Michael's)
  
• Clay, plastic knives, toothpicks (i don't leave play-doh in there b/c that need supervision!) :-)
  
• Coloring books, crayons (I just purchased the twist-ups from Crayola-Love em!!!)
  
• Foam stamps and washable markers (Have them rub the stamps with markers instead of ink pads)
  
• Pencils, rulers, erasers, notebook paper
• Stickers, foamies, gems
• Washable water colors, water color paper
• Child friendly scissors
• Tissue paper and crepe paper (great for "stained glass and making flowers)
• Popsicle sticks
• Child's Smock!

I hope this list helps and inspires you to create a cabinet of fun! If you have other items you use please share. And enjoy my "after" photos.

Tomorrow I will be showing you what else I used those photo boxes for. I love it and I am so excited! 

I am In Love with these bins from the $$$ store!

They really hold alot!

This little guys came in handy-pk of 3 from $$$ store

See, getting to big. But it works. Ha, see that jar of play-doh I don't allow, ya, um, so, I have no clue how it got there.

I heart Photo boxes

I have been wanting to do this post for quiet some time, but with the last few weeks of being sick, I haven't done much of anything. Everyone is finally starting to feel better and I had the motivation to finally tackle this project. 

Of course, with a new year comes new goals and ideas. One of those for me was to make sure everything I own has a "home".  My linen closet was getting seriously out of hand. In comes the wonderful photo box to save the day!

I have photos available for your pleasure, though the before is nothing pleasurable. If you have never organized with these boxes, I strongly urge to start now! It's really funny because I would have normally just said, "oh, photo boxes, well I have albums for that!" But when I saw these in the store (on sale *Grand Opening* for 5 for $4) I had to have them. I knew I would find some use for them. As I was driving home a thought occurred to me, I could use these to stash all of my junk and make it look really pretty. *Another thought jumped into my head and I will share that one with you tomorrow*. 

So sit back, enjoy the photos and let your creative juices flow. The uses for these are ENDLESS!!! 

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

*See, pretty scary! Also, you can see that I have a linen closet the size of a shoe box. Nothing like the wonderful bedroom sized closets that Martha has!

And now, on to the real delight!

AFTER

AFTER

SUCH CALM

AND SO MUCH SPACE!

Now I just need to make sure the hubs and children don;t just throw things in there. Who am I kidding... I need to make I don't just toss stuff in there.

Don't forget to show me your transformations! I can't wait to see what you use to hide all of your items.