outside in

one of the best things about my marriage is the way that mitchell and i see eye to eye on most of the big stuff, but we have such different approaches to things small and large, which makes each of us better. he often comes up with solutions that i would never think of, and vice versa. when consulting each other on challenges we're facing, we often stare incredulously at one another's suggestions, as if to say "i never would have thought of that." it makes for good teamwork and the occasional "spirited debate."

so this weekend, i plan to employ one of mitchell's strategies for cleaning and organizing...my closet is more or less verbally asking to be organized so i must oblige. i think some of the items you see above literally threw themselves onto the floor our of frustration. it's a multi-part process, for sure, and i've been inspired by these great closet photos (minus the atrocious one directly above) from nicole of making it lovely, so i'm using them as my driving force. i'm thinking if she can do this all with a freestanding ikea wardrobe, i can make sense out of my small walk-in closet.


mitchell's smart idea is to remove everything and then organize and purge as you bring things back in and place them neatly where you want them. here's what i mean kids - i never would have thought of that. i would have been crammed in the closet with barely a foot to move around, sweating, cursing, wishing i had never started this damn project.

mitchell's plan makes a bit of a mess of the room temporarily, but overall is a much more effective strategy, i've found. it also forces you to assess the ways you're storing things and all the tools bought over the years - special hangers, boxes and bags and forces you to consider a new formula. to start, i've stocked up on hot pink bins and baskets on heavy sale at bed, bath and beyond and i'm ready to strike.

and now that i've seen nicole's lovely little chestnut of a plan (above), i'm cooking up my own. i love me a good plan.

what are your weekend plans?

images from making it lovely

this one's a keeper, part 2

around the holidays, i wrote about a reusable iced coffee cup from starbucks as part of the honey gift files, and although it was a great find, this one is even better because it doesn't have the starbucks logo plastered on it. i love the fact that it has a "jacket" built in so your hands don't get wet from condensation on these days where it's so hot you feel like you might burst into flames.

and it's half the price, less than half if you remember your 20% coupon.

bottoms up!

for summer entertaining, i think we all love the idea of serving really festive drinks, and its an added bonus if the drink accoutrements are festive too. even if you're not doing your own entertaining, fun summer barware makes a welcome hostess gift, especially in conjunction with a bottle of something good! just in time for the 4th of july...

i think it's best to start at the source - with the drink dispenser. one idea, and the simplest of all, is to just use simple glass bottles (as shown in country living, below) or carafes like the vinny from crate and barrel.


it's amazing what a wow factor a pretty summer drink in a large, clear cooler can have - your guests will immediately ooh and aah, and be dying to taste your special mix. slice in some fruit for added visual appeal.

for simple, clean lines in glass, i love the glass drink dispensers from pottery barn and the cold beverage jar and stand from crate and barrel.


i also like the agua fresca jug and the mason jar drink dispenser from pottery barn for their playful twist on the standard glass option.


if you're concerned about breakage, there are some great acrylic options out there, specifically from pottery barn in two sizes and bed, bath and beyond's 3 gallon beverage dispenser with cooling cylinder for ice to keep your drink cold! (i've seen this one in action and it's a keeper).


and if you're a fan of options (and why not), check out the del sol double beverage jugs, a terrific value ($30 at bed bath and beyond).

okay so now that we have that part straightened out, on to the glasses. if something jazzy feels right to you, i have some great options to share.

from crate and barrel, how about the zazz and frida collections? love all the colors on both.



if you like the frida above, then i think you'll like pier 1's spring confetti and regular old confetti collections below. i totally love how, in all cases, it looks like paint was poured in and allowed to dry in whatever shapes it fell.

and their kaleidoscope stemless goblets and stemless margarita glasses are extremely pretty too, aren't they?



if you want to go in a totally different direction, check out the very subdued and elegant bennett collection from pottery barn, hand-blown and available in green, blue and clear.

a simple and pretty acrylic option (great for kids and drinking grown-ups alike) is west elm's hammered acrylic set, available in green or clear.

and for some reason, i can't stop eyeing the recycled glass options below. i love them. like, a lot.

i love the heft and chunkiness of the miguel barware from crate and barrel, made from rustic, mexican recycled glass, and the warpy-looking waves of west elm's recycled glass option.


so now the only thing left is what to drink. you might remember my fizzy peach and sangria recipes from last summer, but take a look if not. they're both easy to make and great for a crowd.

i also came across these wonderful looking variations on the southern living website - a site filled with so much decorating, entertaining and lifestyle eye candy, it's hard to contain one's excitement.


cava sangria (cava is spanish sparkling wine)


raspberry beer cocktail


watermelon mint margaritas


cool lavender lemonade (non-alcoholic)


berry splash (non-alcoholic)

bottoms up!

all images from linked sites

in the closet

i'm thinking this: until i have a closet that looks like this, i'm thinking of a few of these for bag organization in my closet. it's from the new real simple line of organization products at bed bath & beyond.

looks sort of sad in comparison, i know, but i think it would do the trick. any suggestions/past experience/thoughts?



photos from http://www.carlottascloset.biz/, http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/, http://www.bagsnob.com/, www.craveonline.com

let's dish about this

i sort of love this wall hanging from bed, bath and beyond. it caught my eye in the store a couple months ago and i still find myself remembering it fondly. i like how it's a play on the idea of hanging individual plates on a wall, but is more modern and artful looking in my opinion. i'm thinking perhaps it would be nice hanging in our new dining room. and with the ingenious 20% off coupons, it would be even more of a steal.

photo from bed, bath and beyond