Happy Halloween

The start of Halloween...

And the end of Halloween...

I have to say, I'm sad to see October go.



Pumpkins!

It still amazes me that we've been in our home for over a year.  We carved pumpkins tonight and I could so clearly remember carving our pumpkin last year in this very same room. 

Narls was insistant that we carve a devil.  Turned out pretty good huh?

The kids seem pretty happy with it (well Narls certainly does at least).

Much like last year, Em's not exactly sure of it.

I love fully experiencing an event, through all of my senses, and I’ve been known to slightly prolong the starting of something because we didn’t have the exact drinks or the just-right CD mix. We were in luck for our pumpkin-carving party as we played Halloween music through Pandora and Clay & I drank rum-spiked cider. I initially planned on making homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but the cider won me over. I’ll save the latte for the morning.

Drool-Worthy Shelves

I know I was supposed to be focusing on organizing this month but I gotta tell ya, it's just not there for me. And instead of forcing it, I'm going to embrace it and hope that maybe November is a better month for that particular area of decorating and home improvement.

Today? I'd much rather drool over these shelves.  I've been thinking about the teal wall in my family room and I'm going to attempt some diy floating shelves this weekend.  Here is my inspiration, enjoy!

Halloween Decorations Are Up!

We've actually had our Halloween decorations up since late September, but I just got around to photographing them.  We'll start with our front door...

First impressions are everything right? Well I was hoping to make a strong one and thanks to some leafy garland around the door, a rich harvest wreath, and lots of pumpkins, this was achieved.

The console table helps keep the Halloween feeling going strong because it's the first piece of decorating you see as you enter our home.  Our bat cake stand is put to good use holding some pumpkins and there is Halloween candy to sweeten you up :)  Plus an adorable shot of my babies in their costumes from last year to add to the cuteness.

Clay and I stuck on some bats & spiders that Narls and Emerson made last year (and few from the year before that!). The kids loved seeing how much their feet and hands have grown since last year.

And we finish the Halloween decorating with some subtle touches in the family room- some gourds and leaves (which can be left up through Thanksgiving) and a couple ghosts and a pumpkin.  Halloween is my very favorite holiday so I tend to decorate the most this time of year. What do you think?

Spooky Ghosts

My kiddos and I had a fun afternoon of decorating for Halloween. 

With a few sheets of felt, clear wire and some crumbled up newspaper we created ghosts to hang from the tree in our front yard. 

So cute! And entirely too easy and the best part? FREE! We had all the materials already on hand. I love afternoons like this :)

Operation Bathroom Closet, Phase 1

First thing I did was remove every single bottle from the closet. I need to assess my space and it's easiest for me do that when the space is wide and open. Plus I know I have to finish this project because there's no way I can leave all this stuff all over just waiting for the terrorizing hands of my toddlers.

Next I grouped things. I coupon so I have multiples of many things, like a dozen tubes of toothpaste. And ten bottles of shampoo or conditioner. Six bottles of febreeze. Five cans of bug spray. You get the picture. After everything was grouped, I made a list of how many baskets I'd need so that each group would have its own basket.

Now usually Target is my go-to store but for just the toiletries and cleaning supplies I needed ten baskets. So that means this project is starting at the dollar store. They had a ton of various shaped baskets for only a dollar a piece but I was limited on my color choices. Red and blue was not exactly the color palette I was hoping for but whatever, each basket was only a buck. At least they match and come on, you gotta admit it's fun. It'll be like a fiesta every time I open the closet door.

So the toilets and cleaning supplies are grouped, basketed, labeled (yes with masking tape, don't judge) and put back which brings us to Phase Two of Operation Bathroom Closet, which involves the arranging the towels and sheets which I hope to get to in the next couple days.

The towels are big enough to where I don't think they need baskets; they can remain neatly folded on the shelves.  The sheets though, they could use some organizing. Especially since we have king sets for our bed, full sets for Narls' and crib-sized sheets for Em. My next phase of action is to pick up three larger baskets to house each size of bedding sets. And I'd like one more smaller basket to hold wash cloths.

Phase Three (right now Clay is reading this and thinking "Jees lady how many phases are there??") involves wallpapering - or stenciling - the closet. It needs a little something on the walls. Some pizzazz.

And lastly Phase Four will conclude our project with the organizing of under the sink. Stay tuned; I know this project has you on the ends of your seats.

Organizville, Here I Come

I love organization. Me and systems and arranging and classifying and a-place-for-everything-and-everything-in-it's-place are best friends. Best friends forever best friends.

I'm really kinda shocked that more of my house is organized. I blaming this on the blissfulness of that first year in our house and how my focus was on all the fun decorating stuff. But I'm at a stand still with that (read: decorating budget is maxed out) so it's the perfect time to tackle the ugly messy stuff (it's free to organize right?) that's hiding in drawers and closets and omg the basement.

So I'm going to spend the majority of October working on getting our problem areas organized. I don't think it's realistic that they get completed this month (but my god, how amazing would that be?) but I am giving myself a December 31 deadline. Casa de' Clami (you like what I did there? Clay? Ami? Clami? Oh whatever, it's cute) is starting the new year out completely organized.

The areas I'll be working on:

1. Basement

2. Computer Desk

3. Kitchen Pantry (and under the sink)

4. Bathroom Closet (and again, under the sinks)

5. Bedroom Closet (and hopefully, maybe, please please my shoes)

6. Spare Room Closet

I'm a little on the fence about the organizing my shoes and the spare room closet only because I know both of those projects are going to involve an organizing structure of some sort and I know those aren't free. We'll see.

And now some proof just so we're all clear that it can indeed be done (because we all know it didn't happen unless there are pictures):

via Young House Love

This is actually their basement and it looks amazing. Very inspiring.

via His and Hers

via Martha Stewart

via I Heart Organizing

I can I just say I LOVE THIS all loud & proud like because I totally do.

via Young House Love. Again.

These two have done everything, I swear.

via Better Homes and Gardens

And if that wasn't enough to get an organizing fire started under your ass then go sign up for Martha Stewart's Organizing Tip of the Day, delivered bright and early every morning thru the interwebs and into your email.  You can thank me later.

'Tis the Season

Tonight we will be busting out the Halloween decorations. Ok, so I actually busted some of them out a couple weeks ago but Halloween is my favorite and I couldn't resist. And Target has had Halloween decorations up since the beginning of September so I'm actually late to the party by their standards.

Tonight will be the official Halloween decorating party at our place though. I got four Pumpkin Spice candles burning, some cider and rum ready, and a mix CD of fun Halloween songs for the kiddos (ok, for Clay and I, sheesh) to rock out to. FUN TIMES FOSHO.

So in the spirit of the season, here are some fun inspiration to get the decorating juices flowing.

via Family Circle

via Good Housekeeping

I can't remember where I found this image; sorry guys.

via All Hallows Design

via Pottery Barn