Mish-Mash, Pish-Posh, Gobbldy-Goop ReWorked

Before: True Confessions

I find it so interesting how we (humans) just go along, day-in and day-out with the same systems set up in our houses. From the tangled up, dust covered TV & computer cords to the 57 vitamin bottles on the kitchen counter to the closet where, "Just Toss It In!" is printed on the inside of the door. 

Then there is MY issue, my daily beauty regimen/s.

Before: So disappointed in myself. 

Things tossed here and there 2-3 times a day. Somewhat sadly contained in old vanity sets, made for holding all the lady-crap we ladies love to have. And these "sets" are not sets at all. I have some Asian inspired things, 4 odd woven rattan boxes and random little finger bowls used for sushi. This mash-up holds all my lotions, potions, tonics and as much hope in a tube/bottle/jar as I can fit on these tiny shelves. Let alone hair bobbles, bandaids, q-tips, and all the things I seem to think make me look better. And if they don't, at least they make me feel better! 
That said, they deserve better organization, that's for sure!

I have a small collection of wine/booze boxes used for shipping bottles. I would collect them in my restaurant days, I like their look. I've always used them to store stuff, so these two I just repurposed from a bookshelf.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

After: Still many Lady-Crap things, but in much better order! 

After

I reused the 3 black Asian style boxes, bottoms only, turned them on their sides and slid them into the wine box vertically to make little compartments.  

In the finger-bowls are bobby pins, makeup sponges and safety pins. 

Next to the box is an old bottle I had for flowers, works perfect for bracelets and cuffs. 

After: In front this box, other smaller finger bowls
 hold hair clips and small earrings. 

In this old whiskey box, I used those old ratty rattan boxes, again to make compartments:
1=hairbands 2=bandaids 3=ointments/remedies 4=clippers/thermometer

After

Perfume in the center, behind it, a small mirror on the wall. And my favorite Christmas gift this past year, a stone carved Elephant ring holder. I like him a lot. Let's call him Henry. Also, I got some shelving grip cover to make everything more stationary AND keep me from having to paint. 

After

All in all, much cleaner and, yes, organized. My earrings have hung from that chain for years, if you had not seen that trick before, I still recommend it!
_______________________________________________

Before

NEXT: Yes, I like to keep well stocked.That's not the point here. I've been just stacking it on the back of the toilet . . . UNCONTAINED! How dare I!

After

After

One more wine box that I had misc. office supplies in, completely under utilized, under my bed. 
The cigar box on 
top holds some of our secret unmentionables, as did the other cigar box in the "before" photo. I like cigar boxes for these and many things - they're beautiful and cheap storage. 

As alway, Thanks for reading!  

POOF, Instant Kitchen!

One year to Remodel. One Year in a rental house. One year with her displaced, old-as-the-hills, sweetest pooch. One week to move back in. 

<--------------

The kitchen, after an attempted unpacking. We'll call it . . .

Pre "Ruby" ;-)

Now, I think the easiest way to go about this is to just go drawer-by-drawer, cabinet-by-cabinent. Pictures say a thousand words. But in case they don't tell you this: Yes, I unpacked and organized it. All.  

 

 

The Pantry:

                                                                                                       

Utility Drawers:

Bathroom Drawers:

The Den, In Progress:

   

The Den was finished wonderfully by the client and she has her dream home back, and in much better shape. 

Some photos omitted, there's only so many utensil drawers one can take. I don't have much to say except I LOVED doing this! It's like working a giant puzzle, on my own terms, with a 16 GB ipod attached to my scull ~ and I win every time! 

xo ruby

God Damn PAPERWORK!

Hello! Long time no blog! I have been lazy, in blogging, but not in organizing! Hopefully, this is one of 3 posts I've been meaning to do.

SO, it's tax time and all that paper piling up is possibly important, no? Possibly~ luckily for me, and this particular Client last week, he is not writing off any of these stacks / piles / throngs / troves / masses . . . this mother load of paper bits was mostly for the shredding pile, but there was still the task of sifting through and looking at each one. We found roughly 8 new gift cards for various places, a $168 claim for lost funds to CA Employment Division and a $517 check from a job a year ago, un-cashed! He called that employer who is willing to reissue once he checks his records to make sure it wasn't reissued already ~ with all these $$ finds, I think he came out ahead with just the gift-card findings alone even after he paid me ~ plus the $168 & $517 checks, if they come through. He made money by hiring me! That's a good day :)

Hi, I'm Desk. Do I Stress you out? Sorry~

I'm simply a corner,
Once bathed in the sun :(

 The sun shines outside, but not for me. 

HI!! Now I am happy, so YOU are happy! 

I, Floor, cannot breath very well...

My books are about to commit suicide.
Signed, The Shelf

My books now choose LIFE!
And D. Floor can breath again!

Thanks for stopping by! Call me if you need me ~ Happy March :)

Confession-of-the-day: Sometimes, I'm a Mess!

Hi There-

Forgive me People, for I have been a mess. Maybe the term "mess" is relative, but for me to preach organization and then carelessly toss DVDs and books around, neglect making the bed for days, and often leave my PJs on the floor (WTF?),  well, it's just wrong, and this is my collective, giant confessional.


I feel it necessary to show you as well. The aforementioned PJs on the left, the chaotic bookshelf above-right, and below is my poor beautiful antique Chinese chest, slowly becoming a small electronics & handbag depot. Chairman Mao would have sent me to the fields.



So, it was time to get my tiny place whipped into shape. Money where my mouth is, baby.
I began with the bookshelf. It's not as easy as you might think, especially when you have different sized things, books/albums/DVDs all on one shelf.  As you've all read and gathered, I have a limited space, to say the least-because I don't have the space to say the most.

On that shelf in particular, I was in a bind - not having enough of any one thing to adjust the shelf up or down and fill it. I also didn't have an extra shelf to insert, which would have helped fix the issue.  I had to get creative with placement. First, I pulled out all the regular sized books, edited my other shelfs to fit them, then put everything else on it's side. Next, biggest  things on the bottom (the albums), then my "coffee table" books side by side and leveled, to become a shelf in themselves, and lastly the DVDs.

I had to give up a few regular sized books, and I also edited my DVDs (you may be thinking What a sad collection for an actor & writer...) BUT I know that everything, I mean everything, I may need or want can be found on this giant series of tubes I'm using right now. And, less we forget, the Public Libraries - while they're still open!


You don't have to always donate your stuff if you're having a hard time parting with it, you can also sell your media at Amoeba or your local resale place (getting a few bucks always makes it easier).  In LA/SF, check out www.amoeba.com.

With the Chinese chest,  I just simply put my purses away in their box and my tiny electronic devices into their silver vase you see there. My phone lives on that plate, where it charges.  I'm allowing myself to keep the one purse out that I am currently using. The glass box full of beads is art, to me anyway :)


And that's my big secret - I like to toss things around and leave them where they lie. Sometimes...

Thanks for listening!

xo ruby