5 Tips for Jewelry Organization

Several weeks ago, in preparation for the accessory swap that I hosted, I sorted my jewelry collection. By simply getting more organized, my freshly tidied necklaces got more wear in the days that followed than they had in months! I grouped my most worn necklaces by style – statement, delicate, chunky, long. I’m here to share five tips to get (and keep!) your jewelry organized. Here we go!

Purge Regularly

In order to make the most of your jewelry collection, it’s necessary to purge often. A regular evaluation of your glitzy wares will remind you of pieces that you haven’t worn in a while, and will inspire you to wear it or pass it on.

Group Like Objects

Feel as though you don’t have time to select a piece of jewelry during your morning routine? By grouping similar items together, such as rings in a bowl or necklaces on hooks, you can quickly choose an item to pair with your outfit without struggling through piles of tangled necklaces.

Keep Your Collection Visible

The biggest contributor to me wearing jewelry is having my pieces visible. I used to have all of my jewelry organized in out-of-sight containers and only wore a necklace or bracelet for special occasions. As soon as I organized my jewelry out in the open, I immediately wore them more!

Make It Fun!

It doesn’t matter if you have a sliver of counter space in your washroom, on your dresser, or an entire dressing table or walk-in closet – jewelry organization can be cute and eye-catching! Small bowls and containers from thrift stores, antique shops, and stores like Winners are my favourite for keeping my jewelry organized. Choosing colorful, artisan bowls or calm, monochromatic plates are both fun choices. Don’t feel like you need to purchase a “jewelry” stand.

DIY, Baby!

A DIY option is always fun for allowing your necklaces to be tangle-free, and Pinterest has oodles of tutorials. Remember that oddly shaped bowl that you created in pottery class and can’t bare to through out? It’s the perfect bowl for rings! By creating a rack or display for your jewelry, that little bit of personal touch may help you to feel more connected to your collection and wear your pieces more often.

I hope that these five tips help you to see your jewelry and accessories in a new light. Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear from you!

Company's Coming!

I don't know about you, but when I find out that we're about to have visitors, I panic a little inside. No matter what condition our place is in, I always get a little nervous. 

To keep myself sane, I have a little house clean-up routine 

that gets our place presentable in a jiffy. 

I thought that I'd share my routine with you today -
maybe it will help you out of a jam!

The pretty entrance at Mom and Dad's house

Here we go!

- Phone rings... we have a half hour to work with.

- I check my beverage supply... take out frozen juice, fill up the kettle, etc.

- Head to the bathroom... take out my handy cleaning wipes.
Do the sink, edge of toilet, and doorhandle. I clean the mirror, scrub the toilet,

and make sure that the shower curtain is pulled over. Done. Light a candle.

 - If there are any dirty dishes, do 'em up quick. Any dried, put them away.

Wipe down the counter and stove, sweep the floor. Done.

- Quick check of the bedroom. Take the towels off the door 

(yes, we reuse our towels... how else do you keep from doing a million loads of laundry?!) 

and make check to make sure the bed is made. No clothes on the floor. Done.

- Next room: living room. Wipe down the side tables, make sure the coasters are clean. 

Fluff the pillows, sweep the floor. If there's time, clean the mirror. Done. Light a candle.

Ahhhh. There. The house is neat as a pin. There's no deep cleaning involved, but your place will appear to be sparkling. Don't you feel a little less stressed?

I also have a rule - a self-made rule. No candle burning unless the room is clean. That keeps me from feeling grungy... like the candle is attempting to cover up the mess or something. Candle equals cleanliness.

Nothing better than a good clean house to welcome visitors into.

Bring on the company!

Craft It.

I finally got some pics of my crafting space to share with you. I love seeing other people's studios and creating zones, so I thought you might like a peek, too! I hope you enjoy!

My desk

My little storage unit and antique table (now side table slash printer table)

 

My button shelf - all of those jars hold buttons, except for the baker's twine and brushes

 

My little amigurumi friends from Kelsie 

 

My bookshelf - well, the bottom shelf is crafting books, storage on the rest

 

My acrylic paints

 My sewing corner

 

Little magnetic board, Nikki McClure print, and goals chart

One of my favourite Emily Martin prints, and the fox. The darling. Other tidbits as well...

 

Writing goodies... and Daniel's cute mug :)

 

The reading/sleeping nook - cozy! That's my dress form, too :) 

 

Little Valentine's Day pillow that I made for Daniel (it's from Madagascar 2)

Hope you liked the glimpse into my space. It's small and has not natural light, but it's cozy and I love being in there!

Have a great day!

Currently... and for Next Week...

Demonstrating road rage at the playground...

Can you believe it? Another October week has passed! Each day dragged on, since I was on day shift at work, and Daniel was on evenings. Thank heavens we're both off tomorrow!

I've been in my craft room all evening, cleaning, organizing, and purging some bits and pieces of "maybe I'll use them in the next project" scraps. I am re-organizing a lot of my storage bins. Man, I've got a lot of supplies that I'm hoarding. I counted 24 packages of vintage rik-rak and hem tape... that's a lot! Ribbons, galores, too... and don't even get me started on my buttons. Buttons are okay though, they're my "collection"... right? :)

I'm going to do a craft room peek on Monday - overall room shots, and a few detail and organizational ones, too. I would love to do a giveaway next week - I have a few ideas that I'm toying with. Scrap-booking and paper-crafting goodness? Lap-top decals? Handmade accessories? We'll see what I decide over the weekend. Maybe I'll let the winner decide! Don't worry, it will be open to my readers that comment on my Facebook instead of through Blogger. Perhaps it will bring all my creepers to the surface :) Just keep your eyes open next week - there will be a fun way for you to win that you need to stay on your toes for.

I've been giving Sage treats all evening, since it's just him and I chilling, and he's keeping me company. I came out to the kitchen to write this post and I caught him sniffing in the storage room for more treats. Little rascal :)

I'm going to have a little snack and then right back to cleaning business. How's that for an exciting Friday night? :) Not your classic night out, but certainly one of my favourite nights in. 

Have a lovely weekend... Happy Friday!

Taking the Time...

Before we get ready for our weekend away, we're trying to get our home as organized as possible. Laundry finished, folded, put away. Dishes washed, dried, put away. Fridge emptied, tidied, wiped down. The works.

I took out my summer clothes today - it's funny how your taste changes. I have a big pile of clothes to iron and take to the consignment shop tomorrow... might as well make a little money from it. I found that my skirt lengths from last year/the year before were a little too dowdy looking, if you know what I mean. I'm a shortie, and I need every inch of long-leggedness that I can get. Mmmm, pretty summer colours though!

I hit up the thrift store and hit the mother load. I can't wait to take some pictures and show you. Case in point: I bought a skirt after work to wear this weekend - cost:$30. At the thrift store, I found almost the identical skirt, new with tags - cost:$3.50. Yes, please. Needless to say, I've got some returning to do tomorrow morning.

Like my colour-coded bookshelf up top? My mom gave me some of my old books to hang on to, and I couldn't wait to put them in order. Sometimes I'm anal like that :)

Hope your week is coming along well. I know I'm certainly ready for the weekend... We both booked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off and we're headed to a Bible conference. It will be so nice to be with friends and be encouraged. Sometimes this area can be a little hard on the head - especially this week. Yikers... I'm sure ready for a break - it's been one of those weeks.

Happy Thursday!

Moving Forward

Okay, I'll admit it. I've had a change of heart.

Last year, I was all about the closed storage. Stacks of pretty boxes, suitcase, baskets, bins, the works. I thought that the more tidy and streamlined, the better.

I was wrong.

I'm tired of forgetting about cute belts. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are all rolled into neat little balls, in neat little rows, in a neat little vintage suitcase. I'm going to wear a belt when it's hanging from a peg, organized by colour.

I'm tired of forgetting about luscious scarves. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are all folded into neat little squares, in neat little piles, in a neat little woven basket. I'm going to wear a scarf when it's draped and knotted over a hanger, organized by length.

I'm tired of forgetting about adorable hair accessories. I'm not going to think of wearing one when they are stacked together, in neat little groups, in a neat little leather case. I'm going to wear a hair accessory when it's hanging from the lip of a vase, organized by style.

I'm ready to change. I'm willing to open up the suitcases, baskets, and leather cases. I acknowledge that there are going to be nails, and racks, and hangers everywhere. I know that I won't have a place for everything, and everything in it's place.

I realize that things are going to get a little messy - and I can't wait to embrace it.

(all images via weheartit)

Happy Wednesday!