Our bedroom linen, simplified

I forgot to take a before photo. I laid the old quilts on the bed and used the drawing function to reinstate the glare of the white plastic covers on the box springs. 

Changing bed linen one day, I realized how unifying and simple all gray bedding looked. I have a gray weighted blanket and a gray Beddy on my bed. 

I was not about to waste time, money and my thumbs making two all gray quilts. 

I ordered four sets of gray bedding from Target. 

I ordered two gray quilts from Kohls. 

Everything was returnable if the grays clashed. 

Why four sheet sets? Two fitted sheets to cover the box springs, one set for my husband’s bed, one extra set for my husband’s bed. My bed utilizes a Beddy. I made extra pillow cases with one of the extra flat sheets. 

Luckily the quilts were not available in xl twin. So I was forced to order full/queen which then gave me the width to tuck in these quilts. Since both beds are propped on cement blocks, the wider width works well for us. 

It might seem odd for a quilter to purchase solid gray quilts. 

First, it is hard on quilts to tuck them under a mattress. It causes threads to break. I have no concerns about tucking an inexpensive store bought quilt. 

Second, tucking the bottom of the quilts keeps the beds tidy. Vacuuming is easy, there is nothing on the floor.

Third, the all gray is very restful and unifying. I crave simpler these days. 

The living room window seat got a mini make-over

The tree went back to the attic today. So six weeks seems to be about how long I enjoy it.

This is how it looked between Thanksgiving and Christmas, after Christmas it just had the lights and the “skirt”.

Today the window seat got a mini makeover.

If I had taken a picture of the inside of the living room window seat six months ago, it was full of things that did not belong there. Mostly big toys we are saving. Doll beds and cradles, large plastic horses, a doll beauty parlor chair that are now in their proper place in oldest’s closet.

If I had taken a picture of the top of the window seat two months ago it would have been piled very high with pillows, blankets, and three yoga bolsters.

The huge pillows went upstairs to the loft for use there. I also put all the comforters up there for the kids. They are colorful old college ones. Everything is neatly stacked on big ottoman with a dust cover over it.

The extra quilts are now clean and IN the window seat. So are a couple pillows and the three yoga bolsters. They are all plastic bags to keep them clean. (The inside of that window seat is very clean, my husband cleaned it twice, first when we emptied it and then again when he took down the tree).

I could no longer open the lid on this seat (arthritis). It was hard for the girls to open too. My husband made a loop. And now I can open it easily. The loop lays very flat under the cushion. It is now easy to get in the window seat to get something and it looks clean and tidy. That is a 7’ cushion, so when it was full, it looked really messy, and blocked the view.

Corner cabinet

This corner cabinet and the oriental dishes came on the truck when my husband and his brothers cleaned out his mother’s house after her death in 2010.

It got stuck behind the backdoor next to the laundry room door because it was the only empty corner in the house.

A couple years ago it almost was sold/removed because I really wanted to put a floor to ceiling shoe rack in that spot. We ended up building shoe rack right outside the backdoor which pleases me hugely. So that solved that.

https://baby-steps-v.blogspot.com/2019/11/cubbies-in-use.html?m=1




The corner cabinet matches/blends with four other pieces that came from husband’s mom, and everyone else convinced me to keep it. And there was no where else to move it in the house. So it stayed and it was useless.

It sat with the oriental dishes (that came with it) in the top and silver stored in the bottom for 9 years. (I have been slowly selling the silver. I don’t use it, the kids do not want it.)

And one day it occurred to me that my odds and ends like phone carrier and sunglasses could go in the (now empty) bottom of the cabinet.

As you can see, hard to find containers that really fit/fill the area. I went on to try other bins and even oval buckets. But I got used to putting my things away in the bottom of this cabinet. I realized the value of the spot  and the cabinet. And I also started condensing things I had stored other places.

Several weeks ago I sold the 3 oriental dishes and their stands. I had one more set in the living room that I sold too. And I channeled that money into baskets.

I had to hunt a lot of places to find four oval baskets that were the right size. I had the one round basket.

This area is now a very functional/useful station. The top basket holds all my winter socks. The top/center basket is currently empty, waiting for a guest. Middle uses the big round one for her purse and sunglasses. My hats, gloves, foot warmers, phone holder, fleece jacket and other things are stored in the lower two  baskets. A lumbar pillow and blanket I use in the car are also stored below. So I take up three of the five baskets. But I no longer have anything setting out in the backdoor area. I eliminated the hooks that used to be on the backdoor, a basket that use to sit on a bench, a bag that hung on hooks by the backdoor and a bin of socks in the laundry room.

If you are wondering about the heavy metal bucket in the lower left of the cabinet picture, it holds dog toys. I had the bucket.

Super pleased with this little redo. I ended up $30 ahead between the selling of the dishes and the buying of the baskets.

Another spot for holiday decorations

This little “window box” hangs on my back kitchen wall, between window and stove.

It is very sturdy, mounted on wall with L brackets.

I had odds and ends in it, which were not worthy of the space.

The chicken pair is staying on top.

I am planning to rotate the inside shelves with the holidays.

It gives me one more place to display *seasonal things.

It is a great place for small things.

* plus: back door, island, 3  bathroom counters.

Empty drawer

I mentioned we added a tool cabinet in the garage several weeks ago.

Previously all the tools and supplies were stored in clear shoe box bins in garage.

Many people would think that was organized, but in reality it meant digging thru bins to find things.

One of my neighbors had a tool cabinet slightly smaller than the one we now have. And when I saw it in their garage, years ago, I was surprised. They are not very handy. They do NO diy of any kind. I doubt they open that tool cabinet once a month, maybe not even once a quarter.

But that planted the seed, regular people can have bigger tool cabinets. And how handy that would be for us.

Fast forward. We have a tool cabinet. I attached the wheels and sorted thru everything and filled it. I got rid of what was not cabinet worthy. (We now have a work bench with an empty/ready surface. I cleaned out and reorganized the cupboards in the garage too.)

I am in and out of our tool cabinet pretty much every day. It was a very smart addition.

Before we had the tool cabinet, during a kitchen drawer clean out (maybe in the last couple years), I added a tool drawer to the kitchen. And at the time, it was so handy. Instead of going out to the garage and digging thru bins, a tape measure or hammer or screwdriver was right there in a drawer.

Yesterday I emptied that drawer. I put the keepers in the garage tool cabinet. I packed a donate bag.

If I want anything, I can just walk out to the garage and get it. Having all the  tools in drawers in the garage is pretty much as handy as a few things in the kitchen.

I have had other empty drawers and shelves in various rooms. Sometimes for long stretches. And it a nice feeling.

I am in no hurry to fill it. If a need presents itself, it is available.

And actually there is a second drawer which I am considering. Because now that I have the post office cubbies in the computer room, this drawer in the kitchen may be able to be at least reduced too.

Thanksgiving decor

Downstairs bathroom (girls Hobby Lobby, I had the bench) -

My bathroom (Hobby Lobby) -

Upstairs bathroom (I have had him for a long time) -

Backdoor (craft show this fall, I would like to find a turkey for center) -

Close up -

bathroom shelves, version 3

I had odds and ends on these bathroom shelves for years. At the time I did it, I liked it, but it came to feel like a dusty mishmash.

And then I collected the little chairs (from around the house) and filled the area.

I do like identical collections in the yard and the house.

The white cubbies are from Target (maybe on clearance now).

But I kept looking at the space and wondering if it could be a bit more functional.

The two big cubbies hold towels (hand in one, bath in other).

The four long cubbies:
Extra bags of Epson salt
Youngest’s bathroom stuff
Tissue box
Middle’s bathroom stuff

The girls are in our tub and shower a lot. The tub is the only one in the house; the other two have showers. And when we have a lot of extra people, youngest is in our shower, so she keeps duplicates in our bathroom.

The huge canister is full of Epson salt.

I think it is now the right amount of little chairs.

I still love the dark grouping of three and it is the perfect place for it.

Added a plate rail

This is a civil war era cabinet made by one of my relatives, paternal grandmother's side.

It has been sitting in the same spot in the kitchen for many years.

I took this picture today, but it looks just like previous pictures.

The three little chairs are always on top. The three little trees are always to the side. (And at Christmas the three little penguins are added on the chairs.)

When I was getting ready to graduate from college, I asked for it. So very glad I did. This piece has always meant a lot to me.

Previously, it was in my grandmother's basement with about 14 coats of paint on it. Probably from the days when spring "cleaning" meant putting a new coat of paint or varnish on walls and floors. This would have been a kitchen cupboard, so it would have been in the same category. Scrub it down with a brush, and put another layer of paint on it.

My grandmother had it stripped for me. 1983. And I refinished it.

I am not sure anyone but the antique's roadshow would argue with redoing it. In its painted state, it was really dreadful.

And honestly, in its refinished state for 35 years now, it looks old.

The antique's roadshow would also be horrified to know I had the wooden panels taken out of the top doors and glass replaced. Also 35 years ago. And I am not sorry about that either.

The plate rail groove cut into each shelf, is very far from the back wall of the cabinet.

Yesterday my husband added a second rail to each shelf by going up, not down. He added a trim piece, painted to match the stain (I had the paint) and held in place by 5 tack nails. This allows me to put a second row of plates in the cabinet.

And absolutely you cannot tell this is a new addition. It looks like the second rail is original to the cabinet.

The original rail is cut fairly deep and on an angle. So there is a slope. The added piece sets right at the top of that slope.

This need to store more plates originated when I sent my husband up to the attic for what I thought was three boxes of china. This tea set, my mom's old china, and my grandmother's old china.

He came back with ten boxes. Glassware, serving pieces, ice buckets. ALL kinds of things packed at the old house and put directly  in the attic at this house.



 It took me several weeks to get thru it all.

Nothing went back in the attic.

It was sold, given away, put away in my pantry, or put in this cupboard.

Pantry, added six tiny shelves

An 8" shelf will be added to the very top. (The current top shelf is very full of clear glass serving pieces; they don't really show in these pictures.)

The little shelves, tucked under the big shelves, my husband added this fall to the pantry. There are six of them, three on each side. They add so much more storage space, maximizing what is on the big shelves.

He did a great job, I was able to match paint, they absolutely look like they have always been there.

Proactive fix - drying racks

I have four drying racks. The standing kind.

They get a lot of use. Drying big quilts, comforters, sleeping bags, mattress pad covers. I set up all four and drape the big thing over them. Often I put one or two box fans under there too.

Sometimes when everyone is home, all four are full of pool towels. Sometimes one is full of bras. Or several are full of sweaters.

But where to store them has always been an issue. Cleaning out the tool cabinet, when we got the work bench this spring, I found two bike hangers. These were intended for hanging bikes on a wall, which my husband vetoed.

They were perfect for hanging the drying racks on the laundry room wall. My husband mounted them in a stud. They are super sturdy.

A set of hooks were moved from the laundry room to the garage. The hooks, mounted in the garage, now hold dog walking supplies.

And in their place, back in the laundry room, went a pull out, wall mounted drying rack for small things. Very very handy.

This mounted upside down, so it pulls up instead of down.
We wanted to hang it higher. 

And now the rod above the washer and dryer is 100% available for extra hangers. So when I am hanging things, fresh from the dryer, the needed hanger is right there. Very much appreciated.

Still rolling thru the kitchen

Before -

After -

Everything came from Bed Bath Beyond.
This was the most expensive drawer.
The plastic in the old knife drawer had massive cracks and was discolored.
  I had 20% off every item at BBB. All these drawers will now probably last the rest of my life. Many other drawers were free, so I felt free to get what I actually wanted.

I have no before picture. Just visualize wraps and boxes spilling out the top in a wadded up mess.

Yes, those are two US post office boxes. I looked at several stores and could not find plastic bins the correct size. I dug through my box stash and these worked perfectly. Free.

I have no before picture. Just imagine small plastic ware in a big mess. Lids, containers, so many small pieces. I sorted everything. If it was Tupperware brand, I kept it. But I moved it to my large Tupperware containers in the cupboard above our microwave. And they are sorted. One size and the corresponding lids in one large container. There are 3-4 large containers will small sets in them. So yes, if I want to use the big container, I have to dump the little ones in something else. I am okay with that. The big ones do not get used very often. I have several of each.

This is a giant, empty drawer. My second empty drawer. 

Yes, those are also ten empty shelves.

Drawer envy.

This is what started it.
I was looking for a pair of scissors at our neighbor's, the dog's house. Her kitchen drawers were lovely. I thought they were custom, built with the cupboards, because I have a couple drawers like that. But when I asked - Bed Bath and Beyond.





Both our girls were home for spring break. And on Saturday/yesterday, we all made a trip to BBB.

I was smart, the girls cut pieces of paper to fit exactly in the two drawers getting a makeover. So then we had a visible grid to figure sizing/placement. Middle was smart, she took the before pictures (below) so we had an idea of what was being stored in those drawers.





The second most used drawer in the house. second to the flatware drawer.
We have lived here over 15 years.
And I think it has been cleared out 2-4 times.
Each time it looks great and then falls to the wayside.

Drawer one BEFORE -

AFTER -

Drawer two BEFORE -

AFTER-

I debated for about 12 hours on what to do with this drawer. We got the tool bin of the garage and picked out these items. There are duplicates of things still in the tool bin. So if you open this drawer, you do not have to look in the garage. And if you get out the tool bin in the garage, you do not have to come in the house and open the drawer. Two full sets. And by the way, when we were done, you could not tell I had taken one thing out of the garage tool bin. It is still very full. 

If you are wondering where all the batteries went, they moved down one drawer and are now here -

This is a deeper drawer. If we had taken a before picture, it was full of paper. FULL. Of all the paper, a few things were saved - the instructions for the snowblower, the instructions for my bike, three cookbooks. Those all moved to new homes. The tape rolls from all over the house now live in this drawer. And the angel box, which was sitting empty in the kitchen from another clean out, is full of batteries. 

These next three drawers did not get new furnishings, instead they got sorted and scrubbed. Before pictures would have looked pretty much the same. These drawers were already pretty good. I think the key might be dividers. The more sections, the better. Maybe.

These drawer dividers are built ins. 

These drawer dividers are built ins. 

I have one drawer (below) left to sort. It is the knife drawer. BBB has several options made specifically for knives. There are also many different kinds of dividers. It is a big drawer. I taped the two pieces of paper from the other drawers together to make a template for this drawer. And it is in the car. So the next time I am near BBB, I am ready.

My potholder drawer by the stove was left as was. It is just a drawer full of potholders, no dividers.

Ditto with the kitchen towel drawer. Intact.

And the drawer that holds table knives, napkins and a Kleenex box is untouched also. If we moved any of those items, people would be forever confused. So those things stayed where they were.

One other drawer held rolls (plastic, aluminum, baking). And birthday candles that have rarely been used (we usually have pie for birthdays). Those items moved to a very deep, large drawer full of paper bags and zip-lock bags and that sort of thing. That drawer is a jumble and one simply digs for what they want. Adding 3-4 rolls made no impact on the jumble.


And this is my last drawer -

Gretchen has her empty shelf, and I have my empty drawer, at least for now.