bathroom storage: {girlie dilemma to delight}

Men: before you move in with a lady, please be prepared for the necessary space she may require.
First off: 
I love old, historic homes.

Unfortunately, sometimes in order to have those gorgeous original hardwoods and 11.5 foot ceilings, you sacrifice large bathrooms/closet space.

Which brings me to my bathroom dilemma: all my crap...and where to put it.

My husband doesn't seem to get it, but: chicks have stuff.  Lots of it.  Many products that may or may not be necessary every day.  It doesn't matter. 


I adore girlie stuff: makeup, clothes, lotion, accessories, clothes, perfume, clothes...but I digress.

Since moving in to our home Hubby and I have been sharing one sink in the teeny jack-and-jill bathroom that adjoins two small bedrooms {sense a theme?} upstairs.   

Let me just say this: two grown people should NOT share one sink.  It is not natural.

Exhibit A: My crap Our sink on a given morning

{hubby loves me.  hates my crap everywhere.}

My itty-bitty space in the itty-bitty medicine cabinet. This is barely a fraction of my womanly wares:

{really narrow shelves = stuff falling into sink constantly}

 My crammed-full drawer:

{cursing ensues each morning when I have to take literally everything out of this drawer to get ready. Rrrraaaarrg!}

Now enter your exclusive sneak peak of the "new" master bathroom...

Both hubby and I get our very own {ginormous} mirrored medicine cabinet

{I love how much of my girlie goodness I can cram in this baby!}

Not one, but two drawers each...

which I have added some clear organizing bins to

so I can even more stuff!

\

Drawer two...I have a lot of empty space in this lovely!

{does that mean I have to buy more stuff?}

Mirrors and vanity sink cabinet were purchased at Ikea.

Installed by amazing hubby.

Organizers I just got on sale at Target.

No assembly required.

:o)

More of the bathroom reveal to come!

**heart pumping wildly in excitement**

Love -- 

G

pretty pantry

This morning I opened my pantry door to begin my weekend ritual of brewing a full pot of coffee {which I sip blissfully throughout the morning while doing laundry} and I realized:

My pantry is a hot mess.

It has no rhyme or reason.

It is not, NOT pretty!

So I decided today I need to organize/revamp my pantry -- and find a way to make even my normal, boring pantry look {pretty.}

Here are some pretty pantries I found while searching for inspiration {aka avoiding the laundry}:

{thecontainerstore}

I love the bright yellow in this pantry -- so vibrant and cheery! This is showing Elfa wire shelving from The Container Store, which my husband lovingly installed after we moved in. It is fantastic! Hubby maximized every inch of our walk-in pantry! (I promise I will share pics once my pantry revamp is done!)

{thecontainerstore}

Here is another Elfa pantry...this time with fun lime-green accessories. {Can I just say I am in love with that citrusy lime mixer?}

{womansday}

I really like the wood shelving/cabinets in this one, and that there are some drawers that actually "hide" things -- not everything stored in the pantry is pretty! I am actually also digging the glass jars storing all kinds of things. Hmmm...perhaps I could incorporate some of these?

{frugalvillage}

So now I am off to begin the organizing process, and create a pantry that makes sense! Oh, and finish the laundry. :o)

G

sweet, solo saturday night

Don't you just love alone time?

Last night was my night alone. Hubby was out-of-town at a friend's wedding party, and since I am still working the night shift {yes, even on Saturday nights} I got the whole night to myself (well, until it was 11pm and time to go to work - drat!)

I love my husband dearly, and I also have a blast hanging out with friends...

...but I luuuurve my {alone time.}

Since babies are looming on our marital horizon, I have to take advantage of alone time. Not so sure I will get much of it when there are kiddos around! I'm sure all you mamas out there are nodding right now thinking, "Tru dat, G" or whatever language you speak in your head.

Here is how I spent my sweet solo hours:

1. Went grocery shopping. Surprised? Well, this was not the rushed, unorganized kind I do after work on a Monday. First, I sat in my kitchen, planned the dinners I would cook this week, and thoughtfully wrote out my grocery list. Then I went to our new, beautiful, swanky grocery store (can grocery stores be swanky?), went to the in-store Starbucks {I consider this swanky}, got my mild hazelnut misto, and strolled at leisure through the aisles. No rush, just taking everything in. Actually reading labels. This is how I like to shop.

2. When I got home I knew I wouldn't feel content about my evening until I did a project, so...I organized my massive pile of recipes I've ripped out of magazines that have been haphazardly shoved in random cookbooks!

I know this seems lame {nerd alert} but it made me feel soooooo goooood to get all these random recipe clippings organized into categories, hole-punched, and place neatly in a binder.

3. Settled in on the couch, indulged in a "meal" of veggies, Triscuits, and {delicious} roasted garlic hummus, while flipping through two magazines I splurged on {Martha Stewart Living and House Beautiful - to inspire!} and watching a chick flick I grabbed from Redbox.

Perfect night all to moi.

So my question is:

What do you {or would you} do with an entire evening by yourself?

I would love to know! Leave a comment below...

:o)

PS: When in Rome=worth renting - very funny, very cute romantic comedy. I was weak - from laughter and Josh Duhamel. ;)