Spring Cleaning...

is well under way. I have this entire week off as I am transitioning into a new job (yay, excited!!!) so I decided to really really clean out my closets (and anything else that needs to be cleared out). I have to say that I ended day 1 with a headache. It's so tough trying to decide what I want to get rid of. I am taking longer than I should because I am trying on every shoe and every pair of jeans that I really want to keep but probably shouldn't. So to really get me focused, I googled "closet organization ideas" and came across some great tips over at My Home Ideas and wanted to share them here since I've noticed that there are several people also doing their Spring cleaning this week. I really hope I can follow these steps myself.

#1 Clear It Out
Distinguish clothing and shoes that you wear and items that you need to get rid of. You can do this by the golden rule of closet organizing: If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it. Also, if it doesn’t fit you well, it is time to get rid of it. Instead of hanging on to your “skinny jeans” until you lose a few pounds, donate them. Then, when you get down to your goal weight, treat yourself to a new, stylish pair of jeans.
Me: what a great tip, have been guilty of this before.

#2 If the Shoe Fits
If you are keeping your shoeboxes, label what is inside. We like the Post-it Durable Tabs because they offer a writable surface and are quick and easy to apply. Alternatively, invest in clear shoeboxes with drawer-front pulls; they allow you to see what’s inside so you can easily access your shoes.
Me: I take pictures of my shoes and tape the picture to the outside of the box, but I like the idea of clear boxes too.

#3 Measure Up
Once you have whittled down your wardrobe, you need to assess the layout of your closet. Measure the space you have, making sure to utilize backs of doors, floor space, and all interior walls. When you go to shop for boxes, bins, and other necessary space-savers, make sure you have your closet measurements in hand.
Me: This is the step I am at right now, well kinda :-)


#4 Get Hung Up
Invest in the right kind of hanger for the type of clothing you are hanging. Use padded hangers for items made from delicate fabrics, plastic hangers for button-down shirts, and sturdy wood hangers for suit jackets as they help retain the shape of the items.
Me: This is soooo helpful. I bought those velvety hangers a while back and what a difference it made.

#5 No Sweat
Sort sweaters, T-shirts, and other folded clothing by color as well. Always remove sweaters from hangers and fold them. Hangers will ruin the shape of sweaters over time. Store sweaters on shelves in manageable-sized stacks using sweater dividers to keep them from turning into leaning towers of Pisa. Even better, store them in sweater boxes with well marked labels.
Me: I actually put my sweaters in drawers down the hall from my bedroom...it's getting warmer and I know I will not be wearing them anytime soon.


#6 Eyes Have It
Keep items you use frequently at eye level or below and items you rarely use higher up. Labeled boxes are good for storing things like bathing suits or turtlenecks because you can rotate them higher or lower in your closet depending on the season.
Me: I will definitely be following this...bathing suits are coming out baby!


#7 Seasonal Change
It's possible that no matter how much you try to edit and organize, you just have too much stuff to fit in your closet. If that's the case, then you need to resort to a seasonal system by rotating your fall/winter clothes with your spring/summer clothes. Covered clothing racks can be filled with out-of-season clothes and kept in your attic or basement or under your bed. Flat storage boxes can serve a similar purpose.
Me: Yup that would be the case with me...too much stuff to fit in my closet. Will have to figure something out since I don't have an attic or basement and there is already junk under my bed :-(

So this is what I accomplished today..the small closet (sorry bad photo, it's from my phone), tomorrow I will tackle the bigger closet...oh I feel a headache already coming on.

Notice all the hangers are the same, color coordinated the clothes, lined some shoes at the bottom, stacked my jeans neatly on the shelf above and to their left are my clutches (there are some sweaters in the back of the jeans).

And this is what I am hoping to accomplish once I am all done (I wish).


Check out My Home Ideas for more organizing ideas and great tips on...well everything.

XoXo

Iris

A few good Flea Market finds...

Sunday at the Long Beach Flea Market turned out pretty good if I may say so myself. The BF and I were getting tired already and weren't having any luck then we stopped at ONE booth and that is where we did all of our shopping. Here is what we bought today:

I love this to turn into a console table or even a cool desk. Let's see what I come up with.


Peter really liked this trunk. Pretty darn solid. Maybe a coffee table (liking the idea of placing a large glass over it. I also kinda like it as a sitting bench with some funky pillows on it.


And speaking of funky...a few weeks ago when I came across this photo from Peppermint Bliss I just about died. I thought "OMG where in the world did they get that enormous quirky painting? I wish I could get my hands on something like that."


And low and behold I found this one today!!!! My God...I just about peed in my pants when I saw it. How fun is this??


I love me some funky-ness. And it's pretty big too...this photo does it no justice. Still deciding where to place it...our beach apartment is pretty tiny so for now it found a place over the TV cabinet.

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend (L.A. was super hot on Saturday, but cold today. Crazy weather)

XoXo,

Iris

Orange and Blue...

Yup, still obsessing over orange and blue color combo...totally my favorite. So, when I saw what Bailey, and her hubs, from Peppermist Bliss did to their family room....jaw dropped (it really did.) It's simple, but still funky and fun and I LOVE it!!! And there is a disco ball hanging too (can't see in this photo) will definitely post more on her home soon (which was just featured in Rue.)




Short post today...super busy with my "real" job and still helping my freind with her bedroom. Picked up an antique lamp for her today, hope she likes it. (will share photos of it some other day)

XoXo

Iris

A Sneak Peek

So things are finally coming together for my friend's bedroom. I think the hardest part of redecorating a bedroom (or any room) for the first time ever since childhood is discovering that most of us (and I do speak for myself here) are hoarders. I can not believe how much stuff we accumulate throughout the years. My friend was telling me (Sorry Cristina but I have to mention this because I thought it was so funny) that she even found some lunch tickets...yes LUNCH TICKETS from High School in her clutter...and we graduated over 10 years ago. LOL. I had to motivate my friend a few times, because to be honest having to de-clutter and the thought of having to clear out everything to start fresh can be so overwhelming and discouraging. BUT she is so happy to have done so, it's a breath of fresh air and such a good feelings, makes the headaches all worth it. So anyway, here is what we accomplished this weekend. This is definitely not done as there are still so many things that need to be added, like a bedside writing table, roman natural shades, window treatments need to be done, and most importantly it still needs to be personalized with accessories and those special little touches that will complete the room. I wanted to share how it is coming along, so here it is.

BEFORE (I know, OH DEAR!!)

AFTER: Chose a navy blue on one wall and the rest white. And yes, we still need to put a bed skirt on that bed :-)

Another after:


BEFORE: (got rid of this big thing)

AFTER:
Oh look!!! It's a window that was being blocked by that enormous clutter machine...more natural light, YAY!!! This is where the writing table will go. We are hoping to score on an old one like at Goodwill, a flea market, or even a yard sale and paint it orange. The chair will have a cushion made out of the black and white stripe fabric that you see on the chair.



So I wanted to make a headboard for my friend that would be simple, yet make a statement.

Here it is almost done, just needs to be lightly stained.

And this is what it looks like all finished. I love how the wood looks against the navy blue walls and all white bedding. (oops, just noticed that it's off centered lol told you we weren't quite finished)


So we settled for white drapes...I say settle because we really wanted a white and orange pattern that would give a WOW factor to the room and compliment the blue walls. BUT we couldn't find any, so I figured white would have to do (plus they were 20 buckaroos at Ikea per pair, not bad huh?).


And since I am all about detail (and actually couldn't really just settle on plain white curtains)I decided to add orange pom pom trim to the inside edges. Really make a difference, doesn't it?

So this is it for now {sorry for the crappy photos, didn't have my good camera with me.} I can't wait for it to be completely done. Stay tuned.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

XoXo,

Iris

Happy Weekend.

I wish everyone a relaxing weekend....I will be here:


ok well not really, but a girl can dream.

XoXo

Iris

Dog Love!

For those of you who don't know, or haven't noticed my right side bar, I absolutely ADORE dogs. If I could I would adopt every single dog out there. They warm my heart like nothing else. There is nothing like a furry friend to keep you company when you most need it. Now excuse me for saying this, but I sometimes like dogs better than people LOL...well only some people. These images put a smile on my face from ear to ear and totally made my day.
Gorgeous interiors + dogs = Love & Happiness.
Enjoy!!


































{all images via Domino and Elle Decor}

Make a doggie happy and adopt, trust me they will make you so very happy too:-)

XoXo

Iris

P.S. Stay tuned...I am loving this dog post so I will for sure continue it when I find more photos of doggies and interiors, and will for sure include my little (and big) fur babies too.

Bedside Writing Tables

So we have decided on a Navy Blue accent wall (from yesterday's post)...and now we are deciding on furniture. What will be salvaged and re-painted, what will be donated, and where it will be placed.. I love the idea of having a writing table in the bedroom (and so does my friend Yay!) My dear friend is hoping to go back to school, so what better than to have a desk in her "new" room for those future all-nighters (yikes). These interiors with writing tables/desks are perfect. I'm hoping to find a perfect one for my friend as well.

{found at decor8blog}


{found at thelenoxx.com}


{via LiveLikeYou Blog}


{Robert Passal}


{Ruffalo Vanity via Domino}


{Betsy Burnham}


{Wendy Haworth}


{Jay Jeffers}


{Via HGTV}


{via Domino}


{Jay Jeffers}



I also wanted to include this on my blog today. Read it and made me smile, but also made my heart feel heavy. What a cutie Charlie is with a heart of gold. My best wishes go to Charlie and his family.

Check out La Maison Boheme for more information and to find out how you can help.

XoXo,

Iris