Outdoor Inspirtation

I've got some inspiration for your outdoor spaces today! Here in Nebraska, it's chilly and rainy {one of the first times it's felt like spring since spring started}, but I would still rather be outside than stuck in an office!

Front Porch

I'll start today with ideas for the front porch. At our new house, there isn't much of a porch. Just a couple of concrete steps that lead to the door. Now, I have grand, "someday" ideas of building a long front porch that spans the width of the house. We'll see if that ever happens. In the meantime, check out these ideas:

Source: keepingitcozy.blogspot.ca via Jen on Pinterest

This screen door is so much prettier than the standard metal door. It reminds me of something my great Grandma had, and would definitely give our house some rustic charm.

Source: thediaryofdaveswife.com via Jen on Pinterest

This is such a simple decoration that makes a big statement! It could be used on any size porch, and I really like the idea of adding a little decorative statement in the form of a welcome sign or pretty wreath.

Source: lightoutlet.com via Jen on Pinterest

There are certain necessities that come with many front porches, but those details don't have to be ordinary! This light, for example, can provide you with a safe journey up your stairs while adding to the feel of a charming front porch.

Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

Mailboxes are another feature that serves a purpose, but who says yours has to look like the neighbor's to be functional? This one from Pottery Barn is adorable!

Back Porch or Deck

Moving on to the back of the house, this is where we spend the majority of our time at the current house, and probably at the new house as well. When my husband and I were looking to buy our first house, my only demand was that the house have a deck. Ours does...but it's tiny. I'm not complaining! I just can't wait to get to the new house and spend some quality time outdoors on our {much larger} deck!

Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

For us, there's one key component to summer: barbecue. Almost all of our gatherings center around it, or it at least makes a showing. We love to cook outside as soon as it's barely warm enough, and if we can stay out there to eat, it's bliss! I love this big table and how many chairs can get around it. It's sturdy and looks almost like it could be a piece of furniture in the home...which is probably why I love it so much. I've always wanted a deck or outdoor space I could think of as another family room for our home.



Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

Comfortable seating is also key. Whether it's drinking coffee and reading the paper in the morning or chatting the night away with a good drink, we want to be comfortable in our seats. My experience with outdoor furniture isn't the greatest, so something like this is on my "must buy" list for the new house. 

Source: ballarddesigns.com via Holly on Pinterest

I love that I'm seeing more and more outdoor rugs when I'm browsing at this time of year. I don't know if I just didn't notice before or if they're becoming more attractive, but having a fun, colorful rug is high at the top of my wish list for our new outdoor space.

Source: plowhearth.com via Jen on Pinterest

Cute or surprising details are also fun to incorporate on a deck space. For us, the deck's primary purpose is to gather people together. It's fun to think of uses for spaces, like a cooking station, where people can gather around the grill and watch the master cook. Or this drink space, so everyone is free to help themselves and they don't have to walk back and forth to the house.

Source: outdoorrooms.com via Jen on Pinterest

And finally, this might be the one area of your house where it's completely acceptable {and even encouraged} to leave up Christmas lights year round!

I can't wait to have a deck space that we can really use for relaxing and entertaining!

I've been talking a lot about change here on my blog because we're getting ready to make a move in our personal lives, but this isn't the only place change is happening! On Monday, we launch a new program at work for short-term rehabilitation stays. It's a completely new area for me to market, even though we've been doing rehab for our long-term care residents for years. I'm excited to open this new wing on Monday and help our newest clients focus on wellness as they prepare themselves to return home. It's an exciting time for me right now...here's hoping I have the energy to get through it all!

Have a great day, everyone!

Inspiration: Organization

So glad to be getting back to my normal routine! Easter was nice, but I'm very glad to be getting back in the swing of things already this Monday morning.

I was listening to the radio the other morning and someone asked a question about what the listeners were "in to" right now...meaning, what are we obsessed with, focused on, choosing to spend our time on, etc. Right away, my answer was organization!

Before I met my husband, I was very in to having everything in it's place. I was never what you'd call a neat freak, but things were definitely more organized in my life. Since having another person to live with, that hasn't been going very well {on either of our sides}. We just haven't been focused on finding an organizational system that works with our house and is easy to use and fits in with our busy schedule. I'm craving something like that for our new house and have grand plans in my head, so I thought I'd share some inspiration with you today.

Practical Storage & Organization

Source: familyhandyman.com via Jen on Pinterest


There are a few things in my life that I'm never quite sure what to do with. Curling irons & straighteners are 2 of those things. I currently keep a basket under my bathroom sink for these, but the cords get tangled or curled, and I still have to dig through 4 or 5 appliances to get to the one I want on any given morning. Though not the prettiest storage solution, who really looks at the inside of the doors in a vanity? No one but the homeowners, I would hope. This PVC storage solution seems to work really well, and as an added bonus, it keeps the cords tidy so they don't curl up on you.

Source: familyhandyman.com via Jen on Pinterest

Measuring cups and spoons fall into the same category for me. Sure, I could restack all the measuring cups when I wash one and put it away. Unfortunately, I'm not normally the one putting them away {thanks, husband, for doing dishes so often!} Measuring spoons have those rings, but that's really annoying when you only want to use one spoon, so I normally take the ring off as soon as I get the spoons home. Shortly after, I'm complaining about not being able to find the particular spoon I want. This practical solution accomplishes a couple of things: 1. every cup or spoon has it's place and we know exactly where to find it or put it away when finished and 2. like items are kept together {which I'll talk about a little more below}.

Source: chicaandjo.com via Jen on Pinterest

Here's another kitchen issue. I don't know about you, but I have a drawer and a pull-out shelf dedicated to plastic wrap, foil, parchment paper, press & seal, sandwich bags, freezer bags...well, the list could go on and on. Seems like a waste of a drawer to me {especially if drawer space is limited in your kitchen}. Using a magazine rack to keep these necessities in the pantry without the fear of them toppling all over the shelves or floor seems like a perfect solution. They aren't used terribly frequently in my house {we use Ziplocs daily, but nothing else), so by putting away the items that we only use every so often, it allows more storage space in the kitchen for items we use daily. 

By identifying the problems you currently have with storage and organization, you may just be able to see a theme or realize you need a solution to make your life run more efficiently. Taking inventory of your routine and how things are working makes you really see the big picture.

Store Items Where They Are Used

I'll admit it, I don't even do this in my own house most of the time, but that's what I want to correct next time around. For example, look at this wrapping station on the back of a closet door:

Source: myidealhome.tumblr.com via Jen on Pinterest



In my house, wrapping paper is kept in the basement storage. Ribbon & tissue paper are kept in my craft room {also in the basement}. Scissors and tape are kept in the kitchen supply drawer. And I typically wrap presents on my dining room table. Doesn't make a lot of sense when I put it that way, does it? By creating a wrapping station {whether it's on the back of a door like this one, in a home office or guest room, or even made out of a laundry hamper like this one} all of the supplies are in one place and you can either access them easily and take them where you'll wrap gifts, or just wrap the gifts near the station.

Source: homesteadrevival.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Here's another fun idea. Corral all those counter-cluttering necessities into a pretty basket. Grouped like this, everything has it's place and the counter looks much tidier. Storing this basket near the stove makes everything readily accessible, and if you need the items elsewhere, you can just grab the whole basket and move it to where you will use it.

Source: realsimple.com via Jen on Pinterest

Here's a similar idea that could probably be used in a number of ways in your pantry or fridge. When we buy things that are for lunches or snacks at work, I try to pre-package them into serving sizes as soon as I bring them home. Then we just have to grab the packages and put them in lunch containers. I can see this working out really well for school lunches, after school snacks, lunch making supplies in the fridge, or even a breakfast station with cereal options, brown sugar for oatmeal, and so on.

When I'm organizing anything, I like to think about how I use the item. Yes, it may fit in a drawer, but does it really need to be there? Or, most people might keep this in the pantry, but for our family, it makes more sense to be out in the open {like the beverage station I plan on building, that I talked about in my fun details post a couple weeks ago}.

Think Outside the Box

I think the most important thing I remind myself when figuring out an organizational solution is that is has to work for us. Sure, there are storage & organization solutions out there that are designed for a particular use, but they may not work for your situation. Here's an example:

Source: bhg.com via Jen on Pinterest

I know they make tiny trash bags that are supposed to hang over the cigarette lighter in your car. The reality is, that won't work for us. My husband & I spend around 15 hours a week in our car just driving to and from work, so we generate a lot more trash than would fit in one of those even during the day. We normally eat breakfast in the car, sometimes have a snack or dinner in the car on the way home, and I sometimes takes projects to work on while we're driving {like clipping coupons or craft projects}. One of those trash bags would never work. Using a cereal container with a trash bag in it definitely pushes the boundaries of what the container is meant for, but it is a pratical solution for trash in a car, without taking up a lot of floor space to put a trash can in the car.

Source: jazzieandtahlia.typepad.com via Jen on Pinterest



Here's another great idea. Card games come in their own {usually flimsy cardboard} boxes. We don't even have kids, and it doesn't take long for those boxes to get destroyed. Which means we're either losing cards, or they get damaged, and we're always looking for somewhere to keep them. Using clear boxes is a great idea, and you can even recycle the cardboard boxes to show the name of the card game inside the box. This storage solution is much more friendly for little hands too...it seems like they can never shove all the cards back in the original packaging {no matter how long they try or how many cards they destroy in the process}.

Source: asthecardrackturns.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest



Disposable food storage containers are an ugly reality in most peoples' kitchens. I can never find a lid that fits when I need it without crawling around on the kitchen floor and dragging all the lids out. This dish rack provides a really great storage solution to keep everything together and uses the space really efficiently. I don't think there's any way I could keep this many lids in my cupboards just because I would get frustrated with the mess they created. By using a dish rack {or tray, or larger Tupperware container, etc.}, everything has a place and you can easily select the lid you need without a fight.

Thinking outside the box may just help you come up with a storage or organization solution that fits your needs when you can't find a product that was made for your particular challenge. Thinking outside the box can also save you some money in the long run!

As always, you can find all of these pins and more on my Pinterest board {these pins are all from my Organization board}. Let me know if you have any great tips for keeping an organized house by leaving me a comment.

Have a great day, all!

Fun Details {Inspiration}

First up, a little housekeeping. I keep forgetting to mention that I've pinned all the ideas I've been sharing on my blog on various Pinterest boards {normally titled the same thing as my blog post}. You can follow me on Pinterest here or just check out the boards for even more inspiration than I share on my blog.

I'm still battling the same cough. I feel pretty good most of the time {other than being annoyed at the cough}, so I guess it could be worse. I'm ready to be done with it though.

I just finished some wedding invitations for a bride that she loved. I'll share pictures as soon as I'm sure they're in the mail so I don't spoil her surprise. Up next, an aisle runner for a wedding with a fuchsia, black and damask themed wedding and a custom printable collection for a modern & fun baby shower. I love this part of my life! {If you're interested in party printables or custom aisle runners, you can check out my Etsy store or e-mail me for more information.}

Today, I thought I'd do an inspiration post on fun details I'd like to include around the new house. A lot of these things I like because they're cute/fun/creative/unique AND they serve a purpose. 

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Jen on Pinterest

I love these barn doors inside houses. One of the things I hope to do with our new house is give it more of an old farmhouse look {it's less than 20 years old, the one we're moving from is over 70 years old}. I think these would be perfect. Plus, I love that it's just an interesting detail, and you don't have to account for the swing of a door when decorating or arranging furniture. It might just be perfect for the guest bathroom.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jen on Pinterest

Dutch doors are awesome. Especially when you factor in kids. I have one on my office door at work {it's not nearly this cute} and I love it...my door can be open, but people don't automatically feel comfortable coming in to interrupt me. In our new house, I'd love to see this on the door to the basement {where the family room will eventually be} so it has more of an open feel, but doesn't automatically allow dogs or {someday} small children to run up and down the stairs.

Source: bhg.com via Jen on Pinterest

This beverage station is so cute! I already have a {smaller} spot picked out for this in our new kitchen. It will be right next to the fridge, and will house our Keurig, or standard coffee pot, k-cups, coffee, tea, drink mixes, cinnamon sticks, hot chocolate, marshmallows and anything else that I frequently use for making a drink. I don't particularly love the look of this one {not my style} but it is a fantastic idea! {And, it gives me a great excuse to go buy adorable, matching coffee mugs instead of the hodge podge I have now!}

Source: flickr.com via Jen on Pinterest

We love spending time outdoors with guests. We have a portable fire pit now that's smaller and still in great condition, but I love this built in one also. We'll have plenty of space to build it, and it just seems so much easier to have something like this rather that replacing the small, cheap ones every few years. I'd also love to figure out a way to incorporate some wood storage near the fire pit so we don't have to worry about finding cut, dry wood whenever we want to build a fire.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jen on Pinterest

I pinned a self similar to this when I first joined Pinterest, and I've been pinning these kinds of things ever since. I hate the look of towel bars, so this is the perfect solution for our guest bathroom & master bathroom {in different styles, of course}. I'm so anal that even if drying towels aren't hung perfectly on a bar, I have to fix them. And you know there's always that spot that's still wet the next morning. It doesn't really matter how messy the towel is on a hook, it still looks great, and it drys my faster.

Source: leevalley.com via Jen on Pinterest

This is just genius, and it answers my issue with having drying space in the house. It's not very noticeable when it's retracted, and it would meet my needs for having a ton of drying space but nowhere to store all those collapsible drying racks. I'll have a clothesline outside as well, but with Nebraska winters being so unpredictable and long, I'm definitely going to need an indoor solution as well.

You can find these pins on my New House? Board on Pinterest. If home decor isn't your thing, I've got a lot of inspiration for crafts, party themes, wedding, photography and recipes pinned as well.

I'll be back tomorrow with an update to my 112 in 2012 goals list for March. Have a great day everyone!

Laundry Room Inspiration

Hi all!

Back with my little series of inspirational pictures for functional, organized, and beautiful rooms. Today, I'm focusing on the laundry room.

Let me tell you a little of my laundry story. I actually don't mind doing laundry. I love my washer & dryer. What I don't love is having a small space for all of this. I don't typically dry my clothing in a dryer (some I do, but it's not often), so I need plenty of room to hang clothes. Once they're dry, it would be nice to have a spot to iron them and fold or hang them on hangers. And, ideally, it would be nice to do all this with a tv on so I don't get bored hanging out in a room by myself.

Our current laundry room is in a small room in the basement. It's dark and cramped and pretty boring. The laundry room at the new house is much larger and I actually think it can meet all my needs with some careful planning and organization.

Here's a few inspiration pictures I'm using as I make my plans:

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

First and foremost, I adore that rug and WILL own it shortly. The colors are amazing, and they even go with my red washer & dryer. Laundry would be a LOT more fun if I was able to do it in a beautiful room. I love that she's using the pedestals too {I have & use pedestals, but don't find a lot of inspiration that includes them}. She has created plenty of storage and opportunities for organization by using inexpensive bookshelves from Ikea {oh, how I wish we had an Ikea within reasonable driving distance}.

Source: dwellerswithoutdecorators.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

There's a lot of things I love about this room. But, I think the reason I originally pinned it is because I love the way they incorporated the necessities of a laundry room into its decoration. The apothecary jars with clothes pins and detergent keep the function of the room in mind while making these mundane laundry supplies look great!

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

I adore the folding space and the shelf on the left of the washer. It allows necessities to be tucked away in baskets, and the whole set-up looks like a piece of custom furniture.

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

My beloved tv, hanging over the washer & dryer. I swear, so many chores are less boring with the addition of tv. Now, I realize it's a little extreme to have a tv in every room of the house, but if having it there means I would actually keep up on my folding, ironing, hanging and putting away...well, it might be worth the investment.

Source: nestegg.typepad.com via Jen on Pinterest

I love this island with basket storage if you have the space. I'm pretty sure I don't, but it is a really great idea.This idea could easily be modified so that it would work in a folding table or counter pushed against a wall.

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Jen on Pinterest

Remember I said that I don't dry my clothes in the dyer? That means I have to find a lot of places to hang clothes when I'm washing them, and I don't really like hanging them on hangers {hello, shoulder bumps}. I have a couple of those collapsible drying racks, but they take up a lot of room when in use, and there's nowhere to really put them when they're not in use. Something like this drying rack might just be my answer. It could be extended when it's in use, and then tucked up against the wall later on. The question is, how many of these bad boys would I need?

The key to having a functional laundry room for my family {both now and as it grows} is to make sure everything has an obvious place. My husband will not go looking for the correct place to put something away, so everything has to be clearly labeled and visible. Fortunately, I'm finding more and more storage solutions that are as attractive as they are functional. I wouldn't mind having a lot of them out in the open for others to see!

What are your keys to making sure your laundry room stays organized, while still being functional? Do you have a room that you don't mind being in for this never-ending chore?

Have a great day everyone!

Bathroom Inspiration

I've spent the last couple of days cleaning and decluttering, and as exhausted as I am, I'm really in the mood to clean and organize anything I can get my hands on.

One place in particular that storage and organization are key, at least for me, is in the bathroom {I read on a blog somewhere that a family called it the "Necessary Room". I love that! In my head, I picture a proper Southern woman saying that. I'm trying to get it to catch on in my farm house in the Midwest. So far, no luck with the husband or the dogs. Hmm...}

Anyway...the new house has 4 bathrooms. I don't need 4 bathrooms, but I'll have them. The current house has 2 bathrooms: one on the main floor that's used for everything, and one in the basement that has the only shower in the house. It's inconvenient and both are too small even for just Mike & me. So, I'm really looking forward to having more space at the new house.

 Master Bath

The master bath currently has double sinks, one large mirror, a walk in shower with a glass door, and a linen closet. It's fairly large {especially compared to our existing bathroom}, so there's plenty of potential. The keys for us when we're looking at changes are:

• Plenty of storage off the counter
• Great lighting
• Relaxing, pleasing decor

Believe it or not, that last one is pretty important for me. Considering showering, hair, make-up and dressing, not to mention other necessary things, I spend more time in the bathroom on weekdays than I do any other room in our house. Keep in mind I'm not home all that much, but come on. The bathroom?!?

Alright, enough rambling, on to pretty pictures that inspire me...

Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

These first two pretties are from Pottery Barn and entirely out of my price range, but I love the open storage at the bottom and all the drawers & doors for hidden storage. I also love the two smaller mirrors hung above each sink, rather than one large mirror. And the lighting on the second picture is amazing, even if I don't think it would work well in our space.

Source: google.com via Jen on Pinterest

This photo is pretty similar to the two above, but the lighting would suit our needs in this particular set-up. I also just noticed the coat rack to the left of the sink, which I imagine is for hanging towels. What a cute idea if you have the space!

Source: marthastewart.com via Jen on Pinterest

I won't delve too much into organization in this post {but I will in a later "Organization Inspiration" post}. However...I love this. I'm definitely one of those people who has a lot of little things that I need in the bathroom, and nowhere to put them. Which means I end up chasing bobby pins down the drain or hunting for just the right eye shadow in my huge makeup bag. This drawer is awesome!

Source: houzz.com via Jen on Pinterest

Hello, dream bathroom. I love the flooring, the shower, the hardware, the lighting, the neutral colors, the woodwork...I could go on and on.

Guest Bath

The guest bath will have a lot of functions in it's little life with our family. It will be the main bathroom used by guests who are just visiting, will probably be the designated bath for people who are staying over {though it doesn't have a shower...}, and will eventually be the closest bathroom to where our kids' room will be. That's a lot of responsibility for one little bathroom. And don't even ask me what I'm doing about the shower issue quite yet, because I don't have an answer. This bathroom has a tub, and there's a bathroom off the laundry room that has a shower...they may have to work together to get our guests ready for the day.

Anyway, here's some inspiration for the guest bathroom:

Source: smallplacestyle.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

I adore everything about this bathroom. The sink is what caught my eye originally, but the little shelf under the mirror is great, the lighting is awesome, the subway tile is exactly what I want, the repurposed plant stand...all of it is so great.

Source: blissfullydomestic.com via Jen on Pinterest

I love the idea of pampering guests if we have the chance. It's also really practical to have some necessities out in the open. One of my favorite aspects of our wedding were little guest baskets I put in the restrooms so guests could help themselves to bobby pins, hair spray, first aid items, feminine products, body spray, shout wipes, aspirin, etc. I think the same should be true at my home...they can get what they need without having to ask or rummage through the drawers!

Source: ana-white.com via Jen on Pinterest

This is adorable, a great idea, and almost makes me want to have kids!

Source: myhomeideas.com via Jen on Pinterest

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Jen on Pinterest

Again, these are great, practical ideas. I hate staying at someone's house and having to awkwardly ask them where to find towels. In either of these bathrooms, there's no guessing. I looks like in the first picture the home owners even included some shampoos, soaps and other things to pamper their guests.

Lots of inspiration and lots of rambling from me. Now here's a question for you: what features do you think are absolutely necessarily in the perfectly organized bathroom? Leave me a comment and tell me your must-haves!

Have a great day everyone!

Entry Way Inspiration

I posted back in November that we had purchased a new house, and then I took my break from blogging and never got back to things. Without going into a ton of detail, we decided not to purchase the house, and it looks like we'll be moving in to Mike's parents' house sometime this summer or fall. We were terribly upset when we had to make the decision, but in the end, it will be best for everyone involved.

That being said, the move to their house has gotten my creative juices flowing with ideas of what I'd like to do to make sure we have a beautiful, organized, and functioning home for us. I'm very inspired by opportunities for fresh starts and this is a big one in our family. So, I thought over the course of the next few weeks, I'd share with you some of the ideas I've been pinning on Pinterest and collecting in my notes. Once we're in the house, I can hopefully share with you before and after photos and stories as we make the house feel like home.

By the way, if you follow me on Pinterest, you can see most of these ideas and more than I'll share here.

Our entry way has to serve a lot of functions, even without throwing kids into the mix. Things get dropped there, shoes get taken off, we need to have a place for the mail, and so on. In our case, it can't be anything too dainty because we've got furry {often muddy} dogs and a {often muddy} husband coming in the house from doing animal chores.

Our current entry way is more of a back porch, but everyone comes in through there. I realized that I don't have even one picture of it because it's kind of small and pathetic. We have a tiny little coat closet and maybe 4 feet by 6 feet to work with for space. I think that's being generous. Needless to say, it doesn't function for us except as a place to drop shoes.

So, at the new house, I'm hoping for something a little more like these inspiration pictures:

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

There's a lot I love about this one {it's first on my list for a reason}. The space for shoes under the bench is great...in my head, each person in the family has their own cubby. The oversized hooks for coats and bags look like they would hold a lot of weight and they still look great. The baskets on top with the chalkboard tags could be assigned to each member of the family for things like hats and gloves, or they could hold collections of things. The set of drawers on the left is really cute and would provide a great mail drop-off.

Source: homeremediesrx.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

I like the openness of this one, though I'm actually craving something more established when we build ours. I do love the numbers above the hooks so each person knows which hook is theirs.

Source: inspirationfordecoration.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Here's another great one. I love the symmetry of the small cabinets on either end, and the long bench with shoes under it {again, my version wold have more cubbies so each person could have a spot}. I love the corbels and the board and batten to make it feel like a piece of furniture. There's obviously plenty of storage space available over the hooks as well.

Source: ana-white.com via Jen on Pinterest

This entry way was done on a budget, and I think it looks just as cute as the others. The bench is made from kitchen cabinets and the shelves are from Ikea. Oy, I wish we had Ikea close by, I really miss it from when I was living in Phoenix.

Source: potterybarn.com via Jen on Pinterest

And finally, an asymmetrical version. I have a feeling something like this might work best for us when I take into consideration where I want our new "entry way" to be built. I like the look of the individual "lockers", but I'm afraid that might be too confining, especially when we pull out the bulky coats to make it through Nebraska winters.

Now that you've seen/read about what I'm thinking, is there anything I've missed? What are some of your must-haves for entry storage, organization and functionality? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think is most important!

Have a great day, all!