DIY Jewelry Organizer

I've always hated when my jewelry was a tangled mess.

Fortunately, for me it has been pretty organized since my highly creative sister in law, Leigh, made this organizer for me for Christmas using corkboard, a picture frame, and pretty fabric.

It has pins for hanging dangle earrings and a ribbon to put studs in. Genius!

 I've totally loved being able to see all the earrings I have. That way I actually wear them.

The only problem I've had with it hanging in my closet has not been with it at all. It's been with me.

I'm clumsy and constantly  bumping it and spilling the earrings all over the floor. 

When I was in Marshall's the other day, I spotted this and knew I could steal borrow Leigh's idea to make it more Bethany proof.

 It's a shadowbox with a cork board background and glass door with magnets that keep it closed.

Then I went to JoAnn's and found this pretty discontinued fabric sample on clearance. 

 At 17"x17" it was the perfect size to cover the back of the shadow box.

Here it is all done and hung on the wall by my handy husband!

I added grosgrain ribbon around the edges because I didn't cut the fabric perfectly straight and couldn't get the cork back out to wrap the fabric around the edges. 

Now, I can still see all my earrings in one place while I'm picking out my outfit but they're more secure and won't fall on the floor if I accidentally bump into it. The magnets keep the door tightly closed too. Yay! :)

The house tour I promised is coming, but won't be until next week because Jason and I are headed to New Orleans for a long weekend. There is a family wedding on Saturday and we're spending an extra couple nights in the Quarter to celebrate our 2 year anniversary a week early. :)

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

-Bethany 

Sewing Project: More Pillows

Hello Everyone. Happy Friday!

We've been in the house a week now and its definitely beginning to feel like home.

I'm still going to the sewing classes and I'm really enjoying it.

I wanted to show y'all the two pillows I've just completed.

Drumroll please....

oooooo

ahhhhhh

 I made them with the master bedding in mind (pictured above) but am glad I went with something neutral enough that can be used almost anywhere. 

I'm currently working on a round table skirt for a 28" decorator table that I plan to use as my bedside table.

I've got tons of sewing projects rolling around in my head too:

Skirt for my sewing table

Cushion for the front porch bench

Envelope pillows for living room (with the beautiful fabric my mom bought me. Hi mom! Thanks mom!)

Also, next week I plan to do a mini house tour on what we've done throughout so far before we head off to New Orleans.

Check back for updates and have a great weekend!

-Bethany

The Joys of Home Ownership and Working Out the Kinks

Well we're officially moved in as of Friday. 

I'm so glad to finally be here!

On top of unpacking, organizing, cleaning, looking for something, and finding said something, we've been to Lowes about a dozen times.

If the trip wasn't for something small like garden hose washer rings, it was for something big like a grill.

We've also already had repair men out to the house. 

The downstairs AC is broken, apparently some factory defect and we're waiting for a part to be delivered. While Jason was in the crawl space investigating our AC troubles he noticed a leak.

 So we had the plumbers out. It turns out it wasn't a leak in the pipes like he initially thought.

This guy was the culprit.

Yep, the only appliance in the house not under a manufacturer's warranty. The washing machine.

Luckily, it wasn't the washer itself but a hose running from it had a pin hole leak. 

Because I had done about 30 million loads of laundry since we moved in 3 days ago, that pin hole had leaked alot of water....into the master closet behind the laundry room.

So we ripped out the soaking wet, 3 day old carpet and padding out of our closet.

So now we're trying to get the sub floor dry before we get new padding and carpet laid.

I really don't want mold in our new house. That would not be fun.

At least it was just carpet and not hardwoods. 

At least it was just a hose and not the whole washer.

At least its not 90 degrees outside while we go without an AC for a couple days.

And have a separate unit upstairs that is running like a champ if we get hot.

 

All is well, these are just the joys of home ownership.

Stick around while we work out the kinks of our new home. :)

 

-Bethany

 

PS- Head.Heart.House. now has its own facebook page! Go to it here. Once there make sure you "like" it to get blog updates in your newsfeed. I will stop posting blog updates on my personal facebook page soon because I am sure that everyone I have ever been friends with is not that interested in it. Particularly the men folk. (Except for Jason, Dad, and Will...I still expect y'all to at least pretend you're interested :) )

Linen Hayden Dining Chairs

Hello!

This past weekend we finally managed to finish buying all the chairs for our new dining room. 

The table is BIG. It seats eight, so we decided to do 6 wooden chairs (3 on each side) and 2 upholstered ones for each end. We spotted the ones we wanted months ago at World Market. They were neutral, comfortable and affordable at $179 apiece. Score!

The problem was they didn't have 2 in stock at our local World Market Stores and there was a delivery surcharge of $50 per chair. Boo!

So we waited. When they didn't have them they next couple of times we went by the store, we got a "raincheck" for two. We didn't go ahead and pay, but they said they would call me when two came into the store and they would hold them until I could get over there. That was 2 months ago at the beginning of February, (Boo again!).

So this past Sunday on our way home from church we swung by there just to browse and daydream about our new house, and I'll be darned if they didn't have the chairs in stock. 

When I asked about my raincheck, they got defensive and said there store couldn't make long distance calls (to my 901 area code)...this is 2012 right? Ok. Just making sure. 

So I dropped the whole raincheck thing and said, " Ok, it doesn't matter now. We'll take two." 

Their response, " Oh, we only have three and two are on hold for another customer." 

Whaaaaaat? But I had a raincheck!!!! Since the beginning of February!

(Luckily Jason was there to be the calm, rational one and to do all the talking. Otherwise I would have had a rage attack on a poor unsuspecting World Market associate.)

Turned out, they realized they'd goofed, and sold us a perfectly good floor model at a discount and the other one they had in stock. PLUS, they were on sale. PLUS, I had a coupon. Yay!!

So we got both chairs for $280. Not bad at all. 

 I can't wait to see how they will look with the new table in the dining room, which they are painting today!

The house is pretty much done but I'm not posting any more pictures here until we close. 

Which is a week from today! Yay!

Now, if you'll excuse me...I have some serious packing to do!

Spring Wardrobe Additions from Opry Mills

This Spring weather is making me think about Spring fashion.

Opry Mills, Nashville's largest outlet mall, just re-opened this past week from being closed for the past 2 years due to flood damage in the May Day floods of 2010.

I went to check it out on opening day and I'm glad I did!

There are a ton of great outlets...Michael Kors, Cole Hann, Coach, Banana Republic, but everything I purchased came from J.Crew Factory and Saks Off Fifth.

Here's what I bought.

 (shell J.Crew Factory, jeans Saks Off Fifth)

The lace detail on the shell is hard to see in the picture of me, so here's a better picture.

(via)

And...

 (Shell, Skirt, and Belt all from J.Crew Factory)

I also got an amazing cocktail dress from Saks but I'm not showing you now because you'll see it in a post later this month. :)

 I'll give you a hint...it's the same color that my dining room will be.

I hope you are enjoying some pretty Spring weather (and fashion) too!