organizing

{quick aside}
I spent all of last night organizing photo files dumped willy nilly on my computer over the last year. I spent three hours (!!) sorting pics into folders... and I'm not even done yet. And that's simply sorting... I didn't do any editing or even deleting. I've just been dumping memory cards wherever whenever they're full... ever since the craziness of last summer. And now I'm having to find photos hiding in every nook and cranny of my two computers. Ugh.

I realized, wading through all those pictures, how much the past 12 months have really been full of lots of insanity. Lots of vacations and visitors and new ventures and projects and trips and decisions and stress, all piled up on top of each other. And glancing through the pictures last night I realized exactly how much I didn't get here on my blog. Like I maybe touched on barely any of it. And it makes me really sad, because lots of that was really good stuff. And even if it wasn't, it's our life.
I already miss those memories, and I'm lamenting the fact that it's not recorded.

So with my renewed commitment to keep on top of organizing, backing up and actually using all of our pictures from here on out, I'm feeling a renewed urgency to be keeping on top of organizing, backing up and actually retelling our stories around here from here on out. Blogging. Blogging regularly. About the big things and the seemingly inconsequential other things that make up our life. I hate all the gaps in our story over the past year and I might even do my best to fill those in along the way. At the very least, I'm seriously jumping back on the wagon. For real this time.

{back to the point of the post!}
Anyway, all that to say, it's been a looong time since I've done any WFMW posts, even though I've had a ton -and I mean A TON- of them rolling around in my head.
Since I posted pictures last week of our previous bathroom facelift, I thought it'd be a good time to add a couple of projects I also did way back then that work wonderfully for me in there!

I was stuck for a long while on what to do with my [probably too]rapidly growing jewelry collection. You see, I'm kind of boring when it comes to fashion... I like easy, predictable, solid colors, layers and I don't much go outside the box. But the way I do try to at least seem a little bit with it is to throw a great necklace or an eye-catching pair of earrings in the mix. That way I can get more than one look out of the same t-shirt and jeans. :)
Problem is was, I didn't know what to do with all those big necklaces and where to put all my earrings so I could see what I had. I don't really have any place to put a great jewelry box or anything like that. So I got creative...

For my necklaces, I picked up two of these key hook thingies (similar to this one but in silver) at Target for about $6-7 each:















I simply hung them up behind my bathroom door and wha-la... they're the perfect place to hang all my necklaces so I can see exactly what suits my fancy for the day.















And for earrings, I revamped a shadow box and turned it into a great display for all my "earbobs". (i just love that word!)














I bought a black shadow box at Hobby Lobby (at 50% off) as well a package of plastic canvas for crossstitch/needlework for about $1.50. I also grabbed a few kebob skewers I had, black craft paint and my glue gun and I was ready to go!





















First I painted the skewers black to match my shadowbox.




I took apart the shadowbox and set aside the glass and the backing as I only needed the frame.






Next I cut one of the pieces of plastic canvas to replace the glass, fitting inside the front frame of the shadowbox. Hotglued that in.







Then I cut the skewers to the width of backside of the shadowbox frame and hotglued them in place. These are to hold hooped earrings or pairs that wouldn't work on the canvas.

Here's the backside with the skewers on the back ledge and the canvas glued in the front frame.









Let the glue dry well and ta-da... a place to hang any and all earrings that looks nice and tidy and actually a little fancy in the bathroom!














Put studs and wires right in the teeny holes in the plastic canvas and hang bigger wires or hoops on the dowels in the back layer.















You could prop this slightly open (like a book) standing on a vanity or dresser and be able to see all the earrings and use it as decor.

Or you can do as I did and hang it on the wall... simply open the front door to find your second layer of jewelry!

I love it and it was so easy and cheap to do!
















See what great ideas work for others or share your own at We are That Family, the fabulous faithful host of Works for Me Wednesdays. :)