Getting Organized in the New Year

 

-watching arrested development in the mess.

we've really put off organizing since school started back in august, because we've both been SO busy! it gets hard to keep up with a clean house when you're working 40 hours a week & spending 30 hours a week in school.

but now that it's the new year, it's time to get it together! i love the apartment therapy blog, they're always posting great organization ideas for someone with not a lot of space.. if you've seen where i live, you know that space here SUCKS! 

check out this list of tips for organizing.. i plan on using it this weekend, before school really kicks in.

mon salle de bain! (my bathroom)

thanks to a super awesome IKEA run with ally this week, my bathroom is finally tolerable. unless you look in the shower...there's black mold, which i have no idea what to do about, & the bathroom is seriously the oldest room in the house. it's falling apart. i ought to talk to my landlord about it....anyway. here's how you make ghetto look less ghetto. or at least how i did it.

this is my little corner of the bathroom. i inherited the mirror from my friend ryan when he moved out of logan...it's a favorite of mine! i bought the stool from ikea for 4 bucks, so now i have a little nook to get ready at. ignore the kitty litter.

i like hanging things skiwompus. i don't know why...it's just a thing. but anyways, i bought the framed mirrors also at IKEA for 2 dollars each. before, i had a ghetto painting i got for 50 cents at the DI that would never hang straight. it was bad.

the no parking sign came with the house...awesome, i know. the dresser used to be an ugly cream color, but luke & i bought new knobs & spray painted the thing black. i also bought a bin to keep all our cleaning supplies in.

i made this for 3 dollars...saw the cut out at ben franklin crafts & decided it'd look awesome painted green. it hangs right next to our bathroom door, above the light switch.

i know that's not very classy, but come on. i couldn't resist. hanging it right above the toilet makes it clear...NO SPRINKLING WHILE YOU'RE TINKLING.

i bought 2 green rugs to (kind of) match the peace sign decor as well as the oddly colored shower curtain. we also installed the toilet paper holder as there was none when we moved in.

so...yeah. i guess it's sort of coming along! yay!

les artistes dans ma petit maison.

the other day my friend aimee was over. i worked with her at starbucks & she is one my favorite coworkers from working there. she asked me where all the art in my house is from... at first i was kind of shocked. my house is over 100 years old, the carpet is over 40 years old, nothing is updated, & there are holes in all of the walls. needless to say i've spent a LOT of time covering up wall space, but i've always thought my house was kind of...bachelor pad.

but since she asked, it seems like everyone who has come over has said something like, "wow that art is really cool!" or "where did you get this?" sooo here ya go, all. a lot of them aren't really "art" but mroe "covering up that huge hole in the wall." so enjoy!

luke's best friend amy painted this for his birthday. the pic is small, but this bad boy is HUGE. like takes up the whole wall, huge.

one of my dear friends annie let me buy this piece off her. it's simple and yet soooo not at the same time. this might be my favorite painting in my whole house.

PS she will paint you anything. if you have an idea of something, let me know & i will give you her contact info. she is brilliant.

to cover up the gross blinds in my living room, i painted clothespins and hung up the various polaroids i've acquired over the years. my personal favorite is the one of my sister casie & i on santa's lap..it's hilarious.

the toms flag is just until i can afford another frame for my vinyl covers (they're so expensive?!) the pic on the top right is a beatles montage my friend kendra got me in mexico in 2008. the other frames are 2 vinyl record covers that i want to keep in good condition, & also look awesome on the wall: pink floyd's "dark side of the moon" and the beatles "sgt peppers lonely hearts club band."

these 2 prints are the newest addition to my casa.. we are still looking for frames for them. we found them while wandering the utah arts festival this summer.. the artist is kendra baird & her work is found here.

so there you go. i'm definitely still working on my bedroom...it's the most bachelor pad room in the house. broken windows, blankets used as curtains, a towel hanging to stop the AC from leaking...it's a mess, guys. someday, though. someday...

house tour!

my house is FINALLY starting to come around, guys! i moved in august, & ever since it's been a battle to turn the ghetto into...well, ghetto fabulous.

over the next few weeks (or months) i'm going to showcase my cute little casa, because i'm quite proud of how far it's come. so far, however, i've only been able to afford making my living room/kitchen area somewhat cute. the bedroom is still a shrine to bob marley at the moment, which is great & all, except it looks like a bachelor pad. hoping to make it a little more girly in the next few weeks.

without further adieu, i give you.... my living room!!!!

this is the basic look of the room. it has a music theme, as well as ghetto bottles everywhere. do excuse that, as i've been going to thrift shops to find cool vintage pieces to add to the room. that will take some time though.

i'm also trying to figure out what to do with all the storage under the table. it looks a little trashy. need to buy a tablecloth or something.

favorites are all the plants we have!!! it's become quite the jungle, if you ask me.

i also love the "coffee table" & ghetto couches. 

i'm still on the lookout for  a DIY couch cover that doesn't cost an arm & a leg.

my *second* favorite part of the room is this huge bookcase piece. under it we have a mirror that we can't hang since there's windows behind this piece (the back room is an add-on.)

on each shelf i have something different. books, a plant, some of my favorite Polaroids, a vase made by my coworker austin, as well as a collection of glass coffee mugs.

on one side of this gigantic bookshelf i have two of my most FAVORITE wall hangings. on the other, i have a bulletin board where we keep bills, pictures, notes, etc.

my favorites! 

if you're facing this bookcase & turn around, you see something even better. this ties the whole room together.

on this shelving unit we keep my beautiful record player, along with all the records we own (around thirty.) it's a great shelf to go along with the "music" theme of the room... my record bowls & decoupaged concert ticket stubs are my favorite part of the shelf.

i also keep my electronic picture frame luke got me for christmas!

the walls are decked out with a beatles frame my friend got me in mexico, a frame consisting of more of my favorite Polaroids, mine & luke's "tiki men" as well as framed records (pink floyd's "the dark side of the moon" & the beatle's "sergeant pepper's" albums!)

i absolutely love my living room.