Working with What You Have: Storage

Warning - this post is a lengthy one!

I absolutely love J & my condo in Boston. It may not be much, but its ours. And for the past 3 years, we've done our best to take advantage of our city location.  Yes, I've been very open about my desire to head to the suburbs soon and gain more square footage, but I can't really complain about our current living space. Can I complain about the parking, the bus schedule, the lack of grass for Tucker? Sure. But if I had to chose a 1 bedroom condo in the city again, I'd like to think I'd still pick ours.

So what's this post about? Working with what you have. In our case, it would be what you don't have. With 700 square feet of living space, storage is a premium. We have a total of 2 closets in our place. Our bedroom closet, and a coat closet by the entrance. That's it. So when Emily invited us to link up with how we work with what we have, I thought this was the perfect time to go through how we make it work.

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One word: Baskets! (well, and shelves...)

A quick mental count; we have 3 baskets in our living room, 4 in the kitchen, 4 in the bathroom, 4 in our bedroom. Wouldn't you rather look at a pretty, simple basket than clutter? Because we sure do have plenty of clutter too!

Oh, and have I mentioned that J works from home? So somewhere in our 3 room condo, we needed to make room for an office. Or quasi-office in this case. We happen to have about 30 sq feet near the entrance to our place which ended up being the perfect spot for J's desk. Don't ask J if he'd call it perfect....because I'm sure I could guess his answer. Don't worry dear, a home office is at the top of the must-have list in the next place!

Storage Solution #1: Best use of space

Storage Solution #2: Shelving

 I don't interfere with the man's work, or gym resistance bands. This is his little piece of our condo...if he wants to tape job reference material to the wall, I'll cringe and look the other way....In addition to his desk area, the shelves above house more work needs, personal laptops, printer paper, books, etc.

Storage Solution #3: Sweater hanger turned storage space 

The closet by the entrance of our place is also right next to the kitchen, and across the hall from the bathroom. #smallspaceissues

Storage Solution #4: Storage bench

Storage benches are ideal for small spaces. We've had this one since we moved in and I don't know what we'd do without it. It houses an air mattress, extra sheets, and blankets for guests. We honestly have no where else to put these items so a storage bench was a no brainer. Tucker loves using this bench to keep an eye on the neighborhood for us.

Using the extra wide window ledge as a bookshelf isn't such a bad idea either. Especially when you have such awesome books to display....along with J's extra speakers....men....

 Storage Solution #5: Baskets

Like I mentioned above, baskets are amazing storage solutions. They work their magic to turn clutter into fooling your guests into believing you are so organized.

Living room baskets to hide DVDs, games, cable provider paperwork

Living room basket to house Tucker's toys. Don't worry, he figured out how to take every single toy out, every day. If only he knew how to put them back.

Kitchen baskets to hide my mail and important documents, J's mail/documents, J's work mail, Tucker's mail brush, nail clippers, and  miscellaneous items that need a hidden home.

When I mentioned we have one extra closet besides our bedroom closet, that means no linen closet. Womp womp. Our solution? Open shelving and baskets for the win.

Lastly, baskets in our bedroom closet. They have been the perfect solution to organize/hide my wallets, wristlets, purses, beach bags, etc. 

Not exactly basket storage, but we happened to find a bed we loved that came with drawers underneath. The perfect place to store extra bed linens.

Storage Solution #6: Update your closet

Major selling feature of our condo? The walk-in closet. I can't believe I might be giving up closet space to gain more overall space in a future home! But, the closet had a one bar system across two of the walls. What a waste of space! So we updated the closet with a Martha Stewart closet system from Home Depot. It has worked out so well. J also installed a shoe storage area for me. What a guy!

A picture from the closet install day. Look how tiny Tucker was!

And a look at the finished closet with plenty of hanging space as well as shelving, and a unique place for shoes.

So there you have it, how to solve storage issues in a small place. Or any place for that matter!

How do you control clutter and storage? I am always looking for ways to improve/get rid of the extra clutter in our small space. 


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Dream Home v2.0

First off - what do you think of the blog makeover? As much as I loved the former design, it was making it tricky for a few formatting issues so an update was much needed. And long overdue! I was horrified when the blog started loading my header in Comic Sans from time to time. Oh man, haven't used that font since the days of AIM. I hope you welcome the updates, but let me know if you have any suggestions.

We had a great weekend over here. The condo got a deep clean, we've started in our meal planning (3 trips to the grocery store this weekend), and we hosted an evening of tacos and margaritas with friends to forget the snow outside. Sunday included a long walk/jog with Tuck, blog updates, and some lounging. I'm feeling quite refreshed for the work week ahead.

So last Monday, I shared a home on the market here in MA that's pretty ideal to me. The post seemed to be a huge hit! How about another Dream Home tour?

This home is also currently on the market on the south shore of MA, and is a beauty. Not surprised to find out it was Boston Magazine's 2012 Dream Design Home...

Enough teasing, let's dive right in. This house is currently on the market for $1.9M. A steal I tell you.... It's set on over an acre of land, has 4 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and is a sprawling 5,700 square feet. I honestly can't imagine that much living space.

You just can't go wrong with a white exterior. And add in a red door and turn around driveway, love.

 Look at those windows! There is nothing better than natural light. And I'll take a deck the length of my house any day.

 I am in love with these pendant lights. They remind me of these from Restoration Hardware that are so striking in person. 

I'm usually drawn to white kitchens, but the natural wood in this kitchen is simply stunning. It has a rustic look to it that provides an incredible amount of warmth to the room. And the new trend of two tone cabinets works well in this space.

 A bedroom with a wall of windows and french doors leading out to a private patio, yes please! The privacy from the surrounding trees is so ideal too. Wouldn't this be amazing to wake up to? I am a huge fan of chandeliers in bedrooms. 

What a gorgeous bathroom. I'm in love with the mix of rustic and modern pieces. A distressed cabinet with a marble countertop and clean, minimalist faucets. Love the mirrored storage cabinet between the sinks too. The mirrors certainly help it blend in.

More windows, more french doors. Plus a gas fireplace. This place feels like a resort!

 This is not something I need in a dream home, but found it amusing. Thank goodness there's a putting green to practice on! Ha. J would be in heaven here. 

All photos via Redfin (Home originally found on NewEnglandMoves.com)

So what do you think? Is this place more your style? Or this home? I'd take either!

Happy Monday!

Stay tuned - you'll be getting another dose of home design this week. Wednesday I'll be sharing my tips to work with what you've got in a small living space.

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

Meal Planning

I've been inspired this week. I want to start planning out more meals each week and maybe even prep a few this weekend if the time allows. We seem to go through cycles over here. A few weeks in a row of grocery shopping regulary, bringing breakfast & lunch to work, eating in dinner. And then we get busy. And we don't get to the grocery store, which only leads to eating out often or making something quick, which tends to be unhealthy (hello Anne's Mac n Cheese). Eating out is heavy, on both the wallet and the calories. And saving on both of these items is a plus!

So here we go. The meals I'll be shopping for and making next week are as follows:

Breakfast: Overnight oats, welcome back into my life! Instant oatmeal is getting real boring after eating it daily for the past few months.

Lunch: Turkey wraps, salad, leftovers

Dinner:

Sunday - Veggie Burgers (these sound amazing. I must try them)

via A Cup of Jo

Monday - Turkey Meatloaf (how did I forget about this recipe) with an arugula salad

Tuesday - Apple chicken sausage, whole wheat pasta, spinach

Wednesday - Thai Chicken Quinoa Bowl (a friend pinned this and it looks awesome)

via How Sweet It Is

Thursday - Leftover turkey meatloaf for J. I'll be out with gfs.

Friday - Homemade pizza

Thank you to those of you who've recently blogged about meal planning, eating in, etc (here and here). Just the inspiration I needed. I'm looking forward to trying out a few new recipes this week, bringing back a few favorites we haven't had in forever, and overall, just eating some delicious, nutritious meals. 

Of the recipes above, which sounds most appealing to you? I'll make sure to let you know how it is!

Happy Friday!

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Pretty in Pink

Although Pantone has named Emerald the color of 2013, I find myself drawn to pops of pink. While this outfit is an extreme example, any one of these pieces added to a neutral outfit would be perfect. A pop of pink, or any bright color for that matter, will brighten up your outfit without being too excessive. I may have even purchased these cropped polka dot pants and fuchsia loafers from Ann Taylor today...

Pretty in Pink by Talkative*TLC featuring:

Here's an example of a neutral top paired with pink. So fun for Spring!

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The fact that there's a winter storm on its way to Boston right now makes me want to cry. It's ruining my plans for margaritas after work this week! And between today's purchases, and my new Jack Rogers, I am sooo ready for some warmer weather.

Any new purchases you're hoping to make for Spring? Tell me about it! What colors are you loving right now?

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

Winter Wonderland: Ski Weekend

This past weekend we headed north to enjoy a few days of skiing in Maine. We'd been planning this weekend since before Christmas (ski ticket gift cards for xmas worked out well!) and I was so excited it was finally here. In addition to J & I, J's brother & fiance joined us, as well as my sister.

The drive up to Rangeley, ME is long. It took us more than 5 hours to get up there from Boston Thursday night due to icy roads. But, it is just so nice to wake up and already be there. We planned to ski at Saddleback Mtn on Friday and see how we felt for Saturday.

Um, I honestly don't remember the last time I had the chance to ski on a weekday, non-holiday. It was a dream. No lines, no one on the trails. Fresh powder, light snow coming down, temps above freezing. The only downside? The visibility. Oh my word, the visibility stunk. At first, our goggles were getting covered in ice by the time we made it down a trail, but by the end of the day the heavy fog set in and even though our goggles were clear, the air was not. But we had so much fun Friday, we decided to head back to Saddleback Saturday versus driving a bit further to Sugarloaf.

Here are a few photos I snagged on Friday. At the top of the mountain, there was so much snow, we were skiing near the tops of the trees. J may have even fallen on a tree at one point....I hear it didn't feel so good.

 View from the top, looking over the edge of a trail. Pretty creepy!

This is going to sound strange, but I don't know the last time I was surrounded by so much snow while skiing. No need for the snow makers here.

 J taking down some fresh powder, moguls, and a few baby trees hidden beneath the snow.

A view from the chairlift Friday. The mountain was all ours.

 J got me these new goggles for Christmas this year. First time I think I've ever had reflective lenses. Isn't he darling with that face?...

 Reflective lenses lead to some pretty awesome photos. This is all J's work. And I love it.

All weekend I kept telling myself to snag a group photo and what do ya know, it never happened. Bummer. But I couldn't have asked for a better group to ski with. We were all close enough in skill level to ski the same trails, and even push ourselves to try more challenging ones. Needless to say, I need to do a few more squats before ski season next year, my quads were burning by the end of each day! It was such a great weekend. Looking forward to planning another trip next year!

Dream Home

Grab yourself a napkin now, before you start drooling over these photos.

Sometimes, when checking out the open houses in the area, I don't set the price limits. Just tend to browse what's out there. Well, I have found my dream home. I don't even know where to begin. This house has so many features that appeal to me. And after sending it to my sister and J, it looks like we all  feel the same about it. It is awesome. If you have $2.15M to spend, this house could be yours...

Here's the exterior that I shared on Friday. What I love? Classic white with black shutter, black doors, black garage doors, great front porch, and that classic New England look. The specs: It's a 5 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom, 5,000 square foot home, with close to 1.5 acres. Wow.

 Onto the kitchen. Amazing. White cabinets, carrera marble island, soapstone counters, farmhouse sink.

Another view of the kitchen. In love with the open layout, the breakfast nook/bench seating in front of the window, double-wide gas stove, pendant lighting.

 How great is this family room? The fireplace looks great with the black front plate against the white walls. The wall of windows adds so much natural light. And that chandelier? In love (obviously).

 I don't have know if this is the master bathroom or just one awesome bathroom. A soaking tub, double pedestal sinks, long marble tiles.

 I don't think I've ever seen this before, but I just love it. Multiple hanging fixtures/semi flush mounts down a long hallway instead of recessed lighting or flush mount fixtures.

Lastly, a built-in desk area. All I need for blogging and working from home. Oh, and check out those pocket doors. Such a dream.

All pictures via Redfin

What do you think? Worth $2.15M? Drool-worthy? This house has so much natural light, clean crisp lines, and white walls ready to be accessorized with fun, colorful furniture and decor. 

If you had an unlimited budget, what is a must have for you? 

For me, I'd say a high-end kitchen with the works - stone counters, built in high-end appliances including a fully stocked wine fridge, walk-in pantry, island with seating, and built-in sound system for some music while cooking, cleaning, entertaining, etc. And a walk-in-closet/dressing room would be ideal. Oh, and an amazing deck, patio, and pool. I would love to have an in-ground pool. 

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Fun Fact Friday

We've made it to March!! This makes me happy. Oh Spring, you are so close!

1. While you read this, I am making my way over to Saddleback Mountain for a day of skiing on some fresh powder! Cannot.freakin.wait. We may then make our way to Sugarloaf on Saturday.

2. Tucker is probably running through the acres of snow with his BBF Bruno right now too. He will then take 5 naps throughout the day, snore all night long, and be ready for round 2 Saturday. Here's a glimpse at his nap style when someone's there to cuddle. Received these pictures from my sister.

3. We drove up last night, and it is the longest drive to do at night. But so worth it to wake up already here. Nothing like some fresh air and miles of clean white snow to clear the mind.

4. Oh man, if you're on instagram check out the #beabull hashtag. I've found Tucker's long lost siblings. It seriously makes my day. Who knew there were so many other Beabulls out there that look like Tuck!

5. 4 weeks until my birthday, but who's counting...

6. I've been making some small changes to the blog this week. Did ya notice? I've been meaning to tweak it for a while now, finally got my act together. Bear with me if something looks funny from time to time, I have a list of tweaks I'm making my way through.

7. Get ready for Monday's home post. I stumbled up what I would deem my dream home this week while looking at homes for sale waaayyyy above our price point. Here's a teaser of the outside. To.die.for. More pictures Monday!

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Ok, that's it this week. Have a great weekend! I'm really looking forward to spending a good deal of time outdoors this weekend. I hope you get to too!

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!