A Place for Everything

When you have a small house, sometimes you have to think of unique places to store your things away and, often, that involves maximizing your space.

In order to use every bit of limited and valuable space I have, not only do I use the inside of my cabinets but I also use the inside of the doors to my cabinets.

Inside of my cabinet doors, I stuck some 3M Command Hooks {they are easy to remove and don't damage the cabinets}.  These hooks allowed me to free up valuable drawer space.  My oven mitts now have a place.

When Grace was a baby, it was the perfect place to hang her bibs, which previously had been stuffed in a drawer.

Now that the bibs are packed away, this hook now holds my vintage apron.

When space is limited, you make do, you get creative, you use every bit of space you have.

What is your best space saving tip?

I made a coat

After a year of procrastinating, I made Grace a coat.  

For a year, I've had a Heidi and Finn pattern for a swing coat that came with the following disclaimer:  all my patterns are great for those just starting to sew and all you need is a sewing machine - no fancy tools needed!

After a year of being intimidated, despite the disclaimer, I printed out the pattern.

Then, after month of looking at this printed pattern, taunting me, I finally bought some herringbone fabric I liked and I cut out the pattern pieces.

 

 

I let Grace pick out the lining for the inside of her coat, pink, of course.  She used the excess to decorate herself and the dog.  

I obviously overestimated how much lining I needed.

 

Things were going surprisingly well, until it came time to top stitch.

This is where my amateur sewing knowledge becomes really obvious.  I wanted the top of the coat to have black thread and the inside of the coat to have pink thread.

In a panic, I sent Jill from Sew a Fine Seam an email, explaining my problem.  She wrote back minutes later, hopefully not laughing too hard, telling me it was as easy as having the thread in my bobbin pink and the thread on the top of the machine black. 

Thank goodness for wonderful bloggers like Jill because I was able to finish my coat without throwing my sewing machine out the window :)

Believe it or not, despite having made a few pillows and on a fluke a fitted domed circus tent topper, this was my first experience making clothes. 

Are there flaws...yes.

But I don't think Grace noticed or cared.

As I proudly finished my coat, I pinned the following quote:

Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.

I am so glad I finally decided to try.

The art projects just keep stacking up

It's that time of year again, fall is in the air, school has started back up and inevitably your children's artwork is beginning to stack up.

Are you trying to figure out how to display these masterpieces?  I've come up with a unique way to do just that.

And, I've shared it with Bonbon Break.

So, if you are looking for an interesting way to display and preserve your child's art, head over to BonBon Break and while you are there, why not submit your post for consideration.

Put a Pin In It - Kitchen Cabint feet

I am, admittedly, a home improvement junkie.  From big projects to small projects, my home improvement wishlist is never ending.

When I came across a pin for how to make custom kitchen cabinet feet, it quickly moved to the top of my list.

I told my husband our cabinets were sad they didn't have feet.

 

SO the very next trip to Home Depot {which happens about as often as my trips to Goodwill}, my handsome husband came home with these...Chair feet or buns {yes, that's what they're called} and they are about $4 a piece.

*They'll come with a screw on the top that you'll have to remove {since my husband is not a blogger, he didn't realize the necessity of taking a picture of them with said screw}. 

He lined them up next to the cabinets and with a pencil marked approximately how much needed to be cut off to securely fit them into place.

Once marked he cut them down, gave them a coat of paint and put them in place.

They were cut so they would fit snug.  With a few taps of a rubber mallet and some wood glue, they were put into place.   

This is Grace's nook.  The chalkboard station is, thankfully, still a fun distraction for her.

I think it would have had a more dramatic impact, had we not already had quarter round trimming out the base beneath our cabinets.

But the cabinets seem happy they have feet.

Of course, now they are complaining they need shoes :)
Link Party Websites

{M} * Thrift Share Monday on The Apron Thrift Girl&nbsp*Make It Pretty Mondays&nbsp* Sharing Sweet Mondays * Busy Mondays at a Pinch of Joy  *Made Monday at Toastie Studio * *The Cure for the Common Monday * *Polly Want a Crafter * Craftastic Link Party * Brassy Apple, Make it Monday * Made By You Mondays * Between Naps On The Porch * Thrifty Decor Chick *  Skip To My Lou *

{T} * Be Inspired by Elizabeth and Co.   * Tutorials and Tips on Home Stories A 2 Z   * I gotta try that   * Tips and Tricks Tuesday at Stringtown Home  * Delicate Construction * The Winthrop Chronicles  * Open Call Tuesdays on Salt Tree * Adventures of a DIY MOM * Take a look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts * Blackberry Vine Tuesday To Do Party  *  Coastal Charm * My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia  * Tip Junkie   

{W} *Adorned from Above * All Star Blogging Party *Well Crafted Wednesdays *What I Whipped Up Wednesdays * Homemade by You Wednesday * Whimsy Wednesdays  * Blue Cricket Design  * The Fun In Functional * What I learned Wednesday *   Home Happy Home * Someday crafts 

{TH}* Thursday Linky Party at Osie Moats* Taylor House ThursdayThursday's Temptation Link Party* Delightful Order* A Glimpse Inside  *  The Crafty Blogstalker * Made In a Day  * Somewhat Simple* A Little Knick Knack* House of Hepworth's * Chic on a Shoestring * 52 Mantels *
 

{F}*  Fantabulous Friday with Little Becky Homemaker *  Financial Friday Link Up with The Grant Life *  Sharing Saturday  *  The Chic and Crafty Party *  Fab Not Drab Fridays *  Shine on Fridays with One Artsy Mama *  Share What YOU Did with Two Sasters *  Bubbly Nature Creations *  Friday Favs Party at Nap Time Crafters *  Centsational Girl *  Dwell on Friday *  French Country Cottage *  At the Picket Fence * Serenity Now  * Tatertots and Jello * Chic On A Shoestring *  Decorating

Nutmeg Place

{Sat} *Saturday Show and Tell *Saturday Showcase *Overflowing With Creativity *YOU Inspire Link Party *Be Different Act Normal * Nifty Thrifty Things * I heart naptime * The Sweet Talk Shop * Funky Junk Interiors *  Twigg Studios * 

{Sun} *  Nifty Thrifty Things Sunday * DIY Showoff * The girl creative * By Stephanie Lynn * My 1929 Charmer Blog * Embellishing Life Everyday * Alderberry Hill * Homemaker On A Dime * Delectable Home * Everything Under The Moon * 

I'm in fabric corsage love

Last week's retail therapy, brought on by Grace's first day of preschool, resulted in the purchase of this strapless linen Theory dress for $4.99.    

It was nearly perfect but it was missing a belt {this isn't just my opinion, it had loops for a belt, just no belt}.

In attempts to think outside the box {or belt loop}, I pulled out a fabric corsage I had made back in January and some brown grosgrain ribbon...

 and I made my own belt.

 Not bad for a $5 dress and a homemade belt.

I hadn't really looked at this fabric corsage since I had made it back in January so it was like a renewed love affair was happening.  Barry White music was playing in my head.

This poor forgotten about fabric corsage was now getting some some love.

I pinned it to an elastic headband and tested it out in my hair, thinking, why oh why had I forgotten about you, little fabric corsage?

This is where my love affair turned to an obsession.

I remembered a vintage handbag I bought from Goodwill for $2.99 back in April.

I loved the simplicity of this bag, including the label.  What I didn't love, the scuff and the stain.  I guess that's to be expected and maybe the reason it was donated {no belt = donate, scuff and stained = donate...both of which obviously equals, I must buy}.

So, I made myself another flower corsage and glued it over the marks.

Since my fabric corsage is on the verge of considering me a stalker, perhaps my handsome husband will romance me with a date night, where I can wear my no longer beltless dress or use my no longer stained vintage purse.

Linked up and a big thanks to:

 

Wordless Wednesday

Linked up to:

100 Year Old Home - Craft Room

Down in my basement, I have a nook.

A nook that is mine...all mine.

A nook filled with things that inspire me to create.

A nook that at one time was my husband's.

A nook where *we* compromised as a suitable location for his bachelor decor.  By compromising *we* agreed his mask collection was best out of sight.

And, out of sight, we happily compromised until the beautiful Parson Tower Desk he made me was placed in this nook.

Believe it or not, he willingly compromised {again} by donating his masks in honor of my nook.

I am positive, one day, I'll see a spray painted makeover of these masks on a blog.  Maybe one day, you'll see them hanging in Sherry Petersik's house :)

So, the masks came down and a TV went up because, this is still just a nook.  

A beautiful little nook I share with some workout equipment...

and my husband :)