HAPPY  HALLOWEEN

Yes, you might be saying "ummm Halloween was 6 days ago" but not here on the East Coast.  Thanks to Hurricane Sandy our Halloween was pushed back a couple days. My nieces and nephews were chomping at the bit to get their hands on some yummy candy. 

 At my place we were all ready for all of our little trick or treaters with our Wicked Basket of candy.  Wondering why it's not filled to the brim? Let's just say the hurricane made us a little hungry. 

Here's the crew....

One Elmo or as Eva says it "Melmo"

 Two Captain Americas

One Spidey Chick and a Pirate to add to the mix!

This is what it's always like trying to get a pic of the whole crew....

Alright back to eating all of the candy I stole out of their bags.  The pirate is the only one who caught me stealing, she is 8 going on 18.  Hope you all had a Happy Halloween with your little nuggets!!!

DIY Dual Pocket Folders

I expressed my LOVE for my household binder in a recent post and it feels so good to finally have everything organized in one big HAPPY place. The binder includes so many genius ideas ranging from a password log to an auto maintenance log.  Jen over at IHeart Organizing has totally hooked me up and I am so grateful.  She even personalized this binder kit just for little ol' me.  I am in love with her blog and her cute bubbly personality. It is so much fun to get a glimpse into her WELL ORGANIZED life.  If you think I am OCD with labeling, wait until you see her project gallery.  

So now that I have my binder, can you guess what my next step is? Duh....labeling each section {the FUN part}.  I ran over to Target to snag some really cute dividers and I couldn't find anything that I liked.  I was so bummed because Target is usually my life saver and it wasn't coming through for me.  Before I left the school supply section I came across these colorful geometric file folders and I had a LIGHT BULB moment!  I immediately imagined doing the "typical" cut the folder in half and hole punch them and BOOM you have a divider with a tab for labeling too.  But there was still one problem, I needed folders for each section to house my stamps, greeting cards, receipts, bills, etc. 

After looking at the front inside pocket of my binder {see below} I knew I wanted a dual pocket folder for each section.  I hate when smaller items like stamps and gift cards are not visible in a normal size pocket because then I forget I have them and then they expire or I go and buy more...not cool! 

Not sure if you can tell from this photo but there are two clear pockets here. I stuck on of my folder scraps in the smaller pocket so you can see the divide.  I am sure you all are very familiar with what I am talking about, so I apologize for dumbing it down!  

When I slid that scrap piece into that little pocket that's when it hit me, "Why don't I just make my own folders and save some money!" {Genius right?} So here is what I did....

I didn't cut my folders in half like I had originally planned on. Instead I just cut this top piece off...

Then I stapled the open sides of the folder together with one staple on the bottom and one on the left...

To keep it colorful I grabbed another folder and I cut this small piece to serve as the bottom pocket of my dual pocket folder....

I added two staples to the bottom to make sure no papers slide out. 

And then another staple to the left and right side of the folder. 

It sounds like a lot of staples but they are not noticeable at all.  The geometric print allows the staples to blend right in.  After you put your stapler away it's time to whip out your 3 hole punch get ready to call it a day....

These were exactly what I wanted and needed.  I am so happy that I didn't just go out and spend more money on an unnecessary item. After I typed that I immediately thought about my grande plan to start living more simply...does that makes sense?  I want to appreciate the things I love instead of the things I have.  Stay tuned for a future post about living a simple uncluttered life, getting out of debt and keeping it that way. Should be another light bulb moment for all of us considering the debt our nation is in.  {Fun Fact: not really fun but interesting- 70% of families are living paycheck to paycheck, even wealthy families.  There is something majorly wrong there.}

Back to my DIY folders! After I made this one dual pocket folder I got crackin and made a bunch more. I am digging the orange and blue together it reminds me of the nursery I did for my baby boy who ended up being a girl. Yes you read that correctly, the technician got it all wrong at my 19 week appointment and we didn't find out until my 39 week appt. SO CRAZY! You can see that post here. 

Next and last stop is labeling each folder with these cute labels that came with the folders.  I did have the option to print on these labels with a website they included but I don't mind my handwriting. As I am saying that I am regretting not using some really cute fonts I recently found on the www.

I am so stinkin happy with how this went down.  A couple months ago I didn't have a damn thing organized, well I WAS organized but I had all of these items scattered all over the place.  Now I can grab this binder and search for insurance numbers, forgotten passwords, stocked up birthday cards, budget info, and the best of all, I can store any kind of important paperwork in these NEW handmade folders and they will not be lost or forgotten about. {and they look GORG}

Now back to you! Are any of you stressing about keeping track of your finances, family birthdays, gift giving expenses, your budget {if there is one?} and the maintenance of your home? What are you doing to get a grip on it all?

If you are reading this and feeling overwhelmed because you are NOT organized or you ARE organized but you want to get it all in one place then go to Jennifer Jones' Etsy Store and purchase her binder kit.  It is only $40 and it is WELL worth the money. She will personalize it just for you and your family! She's cool like that.

HOUSEHOLD BINDER = ORGANIZED LIVING = MORE FAMILY TIME = PEACE OF MIND 

Everybody Wins!

Over and Out

  

Part 2- Powder Room Gets Some Jewelry

She is back and almost all finished.  I am so excited to show the progress this little bathroom has made. She has come a long way since her ugly striped wallpaper days.  Check out her new jewelry {I always say accessories are the jewelry to a great room}... 

 

It all started when I secretly planted my accent color in the fonts of this style tile. Did any of you pick up on that when I shared this style tile back in a recent post? 

Here was my updated Style Tile {not my best work but I knew I wanted a vase with pink flowers and a white crown shelf}....

Watch her change..... 

     

I made this cute artwork with some scrapbook paper and I think it's so cute.  My nieces were cracking up when they saw it.  {I love that they appreciate my humor}

The label on this basket cracks me up too.  I don't know what made me think of it but I smile every time I go in there. It's the perfect place to conceil toilet paper and an extra hand towel.  I used a Martha Stewart label that I had left over from my gift wrap station to add just a little somethin somethin to this basket.

Of course the font had to be pink....duh! 

This vase is one of my favorite things in this powder room.  I love the texture of it.  

Same goes for this soap dispenser. I love the braided/sweater design. 

Believe it or not this one bar of soap gives off the most amazing smell.  I had planned on doing some sort of air freshener in here but now I don't have to because of this lovely smelling accessory.  

Only 1 or 2 more changes and this beauty will be complete.  I am on the hunt for a new faucet and some sort of towel bar/ring. I am so happy with how she has turned out.  The wallpaper and all of the pink accents just make my heart flutter.  I heart this room sooooo much!

Are you as smitten as me?  Any suggestions on what kind of faucet or towel bar/ring I should get?