Closet Organization

You know the saying- I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet? Well, what is a woman supposed to do when there is no longer room in the closet? For some people, space isn't an issue, but for people who rent or live in a small home or apartment with even smaller closets, organization tips can help utilize the closet space you do have. 

Bookshelves: We all know bookshelves are lifesavers when it comes to book clutter, but did you know bookshelves can help organize clothing and shoes too? In fact, I use an IKEA bookshelf to display everyday flats and boots, plus I even have some larger handbags on the bottom shelf.
Be sure to check it out at the end.

For now let's talk inspiring bookshelves:

 Get fancy with it and add some hooks for your necklaces between shelves

I love how this person mixed the shoes on the shelf as if they belong right next to the other decor. *Mentally takes notes*

Who said a smaller bookshelf can't be used for strictly purses? Nobody.
Pretty and practical, I love it.

Maybe you want to use a bookshelf but don't want to have it displayed in your home. No problem, just drape a piece of fabric over the shelf like below.

Wardrobe/ Dresser: Another way to organize the clutter in your closet is to invest in a wardrobe or dresser. You can find affordable ones at thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets then fix them up the way you want. You can even add shelves or compartments to fit your needs, such as:

An easy way to create those small separators for drawers happens to be hiding within the shelves of your local hardware store. Just ask for 48 inch (or however long you need them) wood lath pieces.

Image via Organized Mom

Cube organizers: When I say cube organizer, I'm referring to furniture with perfectly made squares made for those cube organizer bins. Well, one way to incorporate them into your closet is to organize socks, underwear and other intimates in them. Another way is to ditch the bins and fold your jeans in them. See what I mean below:

I love and am totally stealing the idea of adding a cube to a dead space like the top of a closet. 

Perfect for organizing shoes and/or jeans.

Cubes are also a good place to organize t-shirts. Add more storage on top with modern looking boxes or maybe some jewelry trees for jewelry organization.

Now for a look at how I organize my everyday shoes and larger handbags 

(Don't mind the dust, I literally dusted as soon as I saw this picture, yuckkk):

I have boring books and magazines on the other shelves.

How do you organize the clutter in your closet? 

Did this post inspire you to add some organizational furniture?

Comment below!

Weekly Chic

Happy 2015, readers! If you read "Transformation" (my previous post) then you are aware Bows and Moccasins is undergoing transformation and website maintenance. I am still deciding about everything and how I want to re-brand so back to the drawing board it goes.

As for today, let's talk about what is chic this week in my mind:

#1: Philosophy so one of those brands you can always count on. My mom gifted me the "Best of Philosophy" beauty gift set from QVC for Christmas and amazing doesn't even accurately describe it. I will post pictures later with reviews on each product in a post by itself so look out for that. I will tell you that I have been using Hope In A Jar Moisturizer for quite some time now and definitely notice when I don't use it. If you've been looking for an overall A+ moisturizer, look no further.

#2: A Long Cami with Lace makes the perfect layering piece. Originally, I purchased the first long cami with lace from h&m during a pre-black friday sale. I grabbed it on a whim because I was overwhelmed and conveniently low on cash. Have you ever been in a fully stocked h&m? It can be an overwhelming feeling of I want everything! (haha) But honestly, if I could rewind time then I would go back and grab all the colors: Black, Cream and Pink because it is the best layering cami. Once you wear it, you're like how in the heck did I go so long without you in my life?! However after the black friday chaos, I went back to get more and they were all gone. I hopped online only to see-Sold Out. As I was searching I came across these gems from Bealls Florida Online for only $9.99.

 It doesn't look like much but once you wear one with leggings and a sweater or a tunic that is almost too short to wear in public, you will find that the cami acts as a slip-like piece and peeks out, creating a layered look. Long camis with lace add that extra layer needed for some long sleeve t-shirts and sweatshirts as well. It adds a feminine vibe to almost anything; I am obsessed and I know you will be too!

#3: I have an exciting announcement: Wildfox the brand is having a huge end of the year sale at 6pm.com
I purchased the cutest tunic, which is unfortunately sold out now, but for only $29.99. It is white and says Wildfox in black letters- super cute. I plan on wearing it as a bathing suit cover or with leggings for shopping, running errands or working out. Other Wildfox tunics on sale:

Baby Anchor Cover Up Tahiti Tunic Pink Shell- $39.99 (Orig. $98)

Animal Island Indiana Tank Dress Caribbean Sea- $24.99 (Orig. $78)

Mermaid Cover-Up Dress Sunshine- $39.99 (Orig. $98)

Ariel Cover-Up Dress Pink Shell- $39.99 (Orig. $98)

Take note that all orders from 6pm.com receive Free shipping both ways so if something doesn't fit or you decide that you don't necessarily need the item, no biggie-just return it for free.

#4: Next, let's talk organization tips. I purchased a few things for the bathroom that I feel are definitely worth mentioning. I'm pretty sure the majority of you wear make-up, but how do you organize it? Some people are different, but I prefer to see exactly where everything is, even when it's not in use. If I run to Sephora, a quick overview of what I have is convenient to avoid double purchases and whatnot. Another advantage is that it just looks great displayed in these acrylic organizers:

     

Another organization goodie that I picked up from TJ Maxx is the white utensil caddy(shown above), and solves the issue of having way too many make up brushes with nowhere to place them. The caddy also holds concealer and other tall slender objects you might want in the bathroom.

#5: I don't mean to be a cliche blogger but I found the perfect rustic bar cart for my house. In fact, you've probably seen it at Target if you've been lately. The three shelved wooden one with wheels. I have no words to describe it except perfect for the vibe I was going for. I didn't want to be normal and purchase the gold mirrored bar cart so I opted for one that matches my interior to a T. I will post pictures later because unfortunately, I had to leave it at my mom's (where I purchased it)- that thing was not fitting in my little SUV with all of our luggage AND the dog-no way, no how. So currently, while waiting for her to bring it, I'm drawing inspo from these images:
                   

#6: Another TJ Maxx find that I am obsessing over lately is a pair of fabulous Seven Brand pair of shoes. You're probably thinking Seven brand, like the jeans? Yes, the same brand apparently makes shoes and boy, do they make them well. I have been searching for a pair of chunky heeled combat boots and I managed to stumble upon the perfect pair for only $29.99. Can you believe it?

#7: Have you heard that bells are back? That's right. bell bottoms are back with a vengeance and one brand does them so, so, so right...Show Me Your Mumu. If you haven't heard of them, you're in for a wild ride. They do floral and print so, so, so right too. One of my favorite items is what they call "Bam Bam Bells" which is the perfect pair of bell bottoms in literally every colorful or bold pattern you could ever want. They also do this really fun giveaway every Monday on Instagram- look up #showmeyourmumu on instagram for more info. If you want to see my favorite pair of Bam Bam Bells, click here.

#8: I have purchased a good amount of my wardrobe from online boutiques lately and figured I would share a few of my favorites:

www.shopmintjulepboutique.com

www.reddressboutique.com

www.shophopes.com

I hope you enjoyed this post! What is inspiring you this week? Comment below!

DIY: Mini Globe Decor

I am always looking for creative ways to use pearls because I have so many of them. The other day I was looking at how bare and boring my desk is and decided to concoct this DIY. Another plus to this small project is it utilizes one of the three mini globes that I bought from One King’s Lane and have yet to use.

What You’ll Need:

I hope you enjoyed! Talk to y’all Friday!

Beauty Organization [Small Space #4]

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Hello there beautiful people,
Today continues the Small Space series with post #3. Let’s talk about inspiration to organize all of the beauty clutter. Earlier this year, I traveled to a bigger city to go to IKEA for the first time. I was beyond excited to explore the many floors and experience the full IKEA shopping experience. It is mind-blowing how innovative and space conscious IKEA is. The furniture is built for small spaces; which is why I had to include this trip and what I bought in the series. I bought a few little things because everything is so considerably cheap, but I was the most excited the ALEX storage system that I bought.
ALEX is a popular furniture line of IKEA’S because of all of the storage it provides.

Pictured below is the ALEX piece that I bought:

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This particular ALEX piece has 9 drawers and is tall and skinny so it works perfect for small spaces.
I bought this item in March and haven’t even taken it out of the box until this past weekend.
Why you ask…
1. The box it came in was entirely too heavy for me to lift.
2. IKEA furniture comes in a zillion pieces and honestly intimidates me.
3. My boyfriend attempted to put together a bookcase I bought from IKEA and ended up putting the shelves on backwards so I was not going to ask him.
4. Since I moved into this apartment, I had no clue where I was going to set it up.
Well, my mom came to visit this past weekend and she finally convinced me to dive in and try to piece it together, piece by little piece. So, we did and I have to mention that it looks just like the picture! WOO HOO, SO SO PROUD!
I was going to include pictures of how I organized each drawer but this post is already so long.
Stay tuned for pictures of each drawer in Small Space #4: IKEA ALEX ORGANIZATION tomorrow!

Have you tried IKEA furniture? What are your thoughts on it? Also, do you have a funny story about attempting to build IKEA furniture? I would love to hear.

Tell me in the comments!

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Small Space #3: Solutions

I have a space solution to discuss: My boyfriend has wayyyyy too many hats so I picked up this coat tree from Kirklands and transformed it to a hat organization tool. I think it turned out pretty great and am pretty proud of myself for seeing hat organization in a coat hanger! 

The next solution I want to mention is too organize all of my shoes. Including: flats, boots, sneakers, heels, and whatever else. I picked these plastic drawers up from Target or Wal Mart (I don't remember). Either way, I had them stuffed with computer paper, pens and pencils, and other office supplies. I think they fit in much better in the closet and helps with my shoe hoarding problem.

There are a few problem areas in my closet, as you can see. The question is what can I do to fix these unorganized and overflowed parts of the closet? My jeans are an obvious struggle and with the weather getting cooler day by day, I need some organization. What do you suggest?

By the way, I had an unexpected death in the family, an overload of unavoidable work, and my mom came to visit all in one weekend, So I apologize about being gone for a few days, but I am back. 

The Small space series will be extended through the next week then I have an upcoming giveaway! Yay! 

Stay Tuned!

Small Space #2

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I have so much I want to blog about other than small space tricks but as promised, here ya go…Small Space #2.

According to Five Style Tricks to Open Up Your Small Space from Apartment Therapy, there is five things that make your small space appear more open. My apartment only has one of the five things mentioned in the article and that is white walls. Apparently, white walls make smaller spaces look bigger, who knew? Okay, so check to white walls.

Now I only have to add built in storage, deeper bookshelves, more height, and more light. One thing that is hilarious about my old school apartment (not really funny at all) is that there is no ceiling fans or over head lights EXCEPT in the kitchen, dining room, bathrooms, and the master closet. See what I mean about it not being funny, at all? How old school is that? Well, needless to say I DEFINITELY need more lighting.

Which of the five things does your small space lack? What other tips would you add to open up a small space? Also, does anyone have any lighting secrets? I need more lights but don’t want bulky lamps or the stand up kind and adding ceiling fans is out of the question because I am a renter.

Any input is appreciated, Thanks!

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Small Space #1

Happy Monday! Today [as promised] is the first Small Space post. To access the full story behind the Small Space series, check out the post before this one.

The first thing to keep in mind when decorating a small space is multipurpose. Look for furniture that can be doubled as something else, like the example below: This piece not only doubles as a perfume stand and bookshelf, but triples as a little bit of shoe storage also!

Utilizing one piece of furniture for multiple reasons really accentuates the ‘small’ in small space.

[ Image Source ]

Next, who does not love IKEA furniture? The innovation demonstrated in IKEA’s furniture is amazing and literally built for small spaces so check out this Expedit storage below:

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Third…two words…floating shelves. Yes, these can be found at IKEA also. Living in a small space makes a person want to decorate every inch of their apartment to make it seem not so…small. Floating shelves is the perfect way to stylishly store and organize all of that “stuff.”

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Another take on storing “stuff” is more innovative and genius than stylish and decorative. Below is an example of behind the door shelving which can be used to hide some clutter:

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Basically, you do not necessarily have to get rid of all your belongings when moving somewhere smaller; just learn how to effectively and sometimes stylishly store everything!

So, how do you effectively store all the “stuff” or clutter? How has moving from a large space to a small one impacted your life and cleanliness?  Leave responses below!

Small Space- Series

Sundays are meant for laundry, pinterest researching, playing xbox, homework, dog walking, catching up on my favorite blogs, editing pictures, and overall getting ready to tackle the upcoming week’s activities. As I was cleaning the extra bedroom, I came across many troubled areas that need organizing. So what do I do? Blog about it.

Lately, I have been on a mission to clean and organize our apartment-top to bottom because I am so tired of random things being out of place and are not accessible when I need them. I have been pinning cleaning tips and organization ideas under my CLEAN board on Pinterest but decided (between sips 0f Full Throttle) that I need a ‘Small Space’ board. As some of you know I used to live in a 3 bedroom house with 2 roommates, but now my boyfriend and I moved to the city and the apartment is a lot smaller than what I am used to. Something you might not know is that I have moved 5 different times in the last 5 years. I’m a wanderer, I can’t help it. During that “wandering” I acquired quite a bit of stuff. Between relatives dumping their hand-me-downs on me and my mom’s compulsive buying syndrome, my tiny apartment looks like an overstuffed thrift store. Follow me as I organize and get rid of the “stuff” overtaking my apartment and life through this ‘Small Space Series’. One major thing that brought on this series is this blog. Right now I have no decent place to take pictures for it because of all of the junk; it’s absurd. So this weekend began my binge cleaning and organizing spree. I tackled the extra bedroom first and started working on my closet, where the real problem exists. I wish I would have taken a BEFORE picture to demonstrate how much junk was actually there.

Tomorrow (usually Mention Monday) will be Small Space series post #1 with pictures explaining my progress and where I found inspiration. I will be blogging everyday this week with Small Space series posts so get ready!

What are your thoughts on this post series? Do you have any tips to add? Comment the tips below and I will feature the best ones.

Happy cleaning and organizing!