Interesting Shelves

Hi friends,
Happy almost New Year to you! Do you have some fun plans? My husband and I plan on giving the kids an early dinner and then letting them watch a new kid friendly movie in the bonus room while we have an adult dinner and movie downstairs in our family room with the fire going. We're hoping that the kids fall asleep while watching the movie. They like to make "nests" (blankets, pillows, stuffed animals...) on the sofas to enhance their movie watching experience which leads to sleepiness. Odds are, we too will be asleep way before midnight!!!!! Our kids typically get up between 5-7am so we have to get to bed early! When do kids start sleeping in????? Please, tell me it's soon!!!!!!


As you might know, I've been working on decorating my home office (really supposed to be our dining room). It's come a long way since we moved in last spring.


Here are some photos showing the transformation of my home office (notice that the ceiling light has evolved from 3 different lights!):

I am just about finished with this room. What I think it needs now is a little additional shelving. I am inspired by our white Ikea shelving that we inherited in our new home last spring in our family room:

For my home office I am thinking of some shelving that is less modern than the Ikea shelving in our family room. I think I am really interested in finding some shelving with architectual supports that are pretty and charming. Here are some inspirational pictures that I found on the web:

Now, where to find interesting shelves....hmmmmm.


Happy decorating & living,
Megan
megan@cottagebluedesigns.com

Organization Please!

Hi friends,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season! We traveled up to Northern Virginia to spend Christmas with my parents and my brother, Richard, and his wife, Noriko, (visiting from California). Here we are right before visiting our old church, The Falls Church, for their Christmas Eve family service. We saw several of our old Sunday school kids which was awesome.

A couple of days before that we had my husband's mom stay with us to celebrate her birthday and Christmas. Lots of good times!

Now, we're home. I caved in today and put away all of the Christmas toys. I purchased some new organization baskets at Target which were on sale which helped motivate me to put things away. I also vacuumed which was much needed!

As luck would have it, my new Better Homes and Garden magazine arrived in the mail today. I was really inspired by a woman who took one weekend and $100 to transform her coat closet into a cool organization space for all of her family's things (coats, bags, backpacks, boots, etc). I can't find a picture of it online to share with you but it looked very similar to these images that I found online:

  

I remember my friend and neighbor, Alison's house that I shared with you this fall. She has two awesome organizational zones in her house that I loved:

Now, we have a small organizational zone off of our garage leading into the house that we inherited with our house when we bought it last spring. But, somehow, it isn't working for me. I think we have too much stuff! I am really feeling the need for more space within my organizational zone. It doesn't look pretty, it just looks junky!

Bags that we use daily or almost daily:

Kids' coats that are currently being used (other coats are in their closets):

I had an idea that possibly we could sacrifice our hallway near the entrance to our home and convert it into an organizational zone. But, I am waffling on that idea because we would be able to see all of our "stuff" all the time. This space isn't hidden. I think if we did it right and made it "pretty" it could work. I really like the hooks that I saw in the inspiration pictures. I also like the idea of everyone in our family having their own zone. Also, a place to sit to put on shoes is neat.

Or maybe I'll just put this idea of an organizational zone away in my Idea Book for our "dream house" (our "someday" house).

What about you? Do you have a really cool organizational zone in your home that you love? If so, I'd love to see it. Email me, megan@cottagebluedesigns.com.

Three year old (almost 4) Brayden LOVES his new Woody toy that his 5 year old sister, Bryce, gave him for Christmas.

Happy decorating & living-
Megan