Thursday, July 21, 2011

Calling all neat freaks! (or those aspiring to be)

So, this week I have been scouring the DC area for apartments.  After living in NYC for 3 years I figured every other city would seem inexpensive and abounding in square footage.  I was wrong.  The apartments in DC are less expensive, and slightly larger, but I guess I had my hopes up too high.  That's okay though, because a smaller space forces me to be more creative with how I store, organize, and edit my belongings.  If there's one thing I love - it's solving an organization/space issue beautifully, functionally, and inexpensively.

So the next month or so I might be throwing a lot of organization sales and ideas your way as I'm figuring our how to keep all my belongings in my new, down-sized apartment.

If you have any ideas let me know!  All these goodies are from the fab. sale site Beyond the Rack.  You have to be a member, but it's free and fast to sign up - just click here.

 canisters, $10.99
 I always use a folding dish rack like this, that way after I put away the dishes I can stow the rack under the sink and clear off counter space - important in small kitchens.  bamboo dish rack - $9.99

We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies and hanging baskets will keep them from taking up valuable counter space. $5.99

Once I know our exact kitchen dimensions we'll definitely get a kitchen trolley.  They're cute and super useful. $59.99
I think city homes especially should be no-shoes indoors. One treads on pretty nasty stuff walking the city streets...it also keeps your floors cleaner. $17.99

In my opinion you can't have too many bins, baskets, and boxes.  $7.99

shoe tree $49.99


hamper $19.99

I've never seen one of these before. It's a boot storage shelf. Good idea if you have a lot of knee-high boots. $44.99

sweater shelf $9.99






metal cabinet shelves and racks - especially those that roll out - maximize your cabinet space. $21.99 - $74.99

If any of these call to the neat freak in you head over to the sale at Beyond the Rack.  Here's the free/fast sign up link.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Have a beautiful weekend!

We've had a rare few days here in Maryland with little humidity, which makes the 80 degree temperatures and sunshine super pleasant. Hopefully the weather where you are is beautiful too. Have a great weekend!


images above via Pure Green Living Magazine

via BHG

via Country Living

via Pinterest

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Fabulous, classy kitchens

These kitchens are elegant and functional, a quality that I think could make my cooking taste decent....

via Pinterest

via Trad Home

check out the arm chair in the kitchen!  Do you like this look?

Stunning...the floor, the tiles...the jumbo baskets...

check out the light fixture....spoons!

An interesting loft minimalist kitchen

Interesting layout - great use of rugs...

5 images above via Schibsted Forlag

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The amazing mountains Lauterbrunnen in Jungfrau region of Switzerland

More pics from my summer backpacking in Europe!

I had never seen mountains like this - movies and pics don't begin to convey the awe and beauty of Lauterbrunnen. Arriving in Switzerland after spending the past few weeks in Spain and Italy was like landing on another planet. We had some clouds but the scenery was still gorgeous.

Just one of the many adorable cottages decorated with adorable flowers.




cheese shacks! With Stauubach falls behind.

Fresh milk just a few hundred yards from our cabin





Staubbach falls











In Lauterbrunnen are 10 glacial falls accessible by lift. They are called Trümmelbach Falls







Here's that list again of all my posts from our travels that I've posted -

Spain

•Introduction to my European backpacking trip and a list of places we visited
Galicia - Baiona and Isle de Cies
Galicia - the coast, some charming vineyards, and Pontevedra
Santiago de Compostela and gorgeous hidden beaches
Gorgeous mountain lakes of Picos de Europa
Stunning mountains - Picos de Europa
Bilbao and San Sebastian
Beautiful Barcelona
The amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona
Art Nouveau dream house by Gaudi in Barcelona

Italy

Not to miss - the gorgeous rocky coast of Italy's Cinque Terre
More from my summer traveling Europe - amazing Rome
From my summer in Europe - amazing Pompeii
Turquoise ocean and vineyards on cliffs - the amazingly stunning Amalfi coast
My Summer in Europe: Pictures from lovely Florence, Italy
Enchanting Siena
Venice
Lake Como, Italy

Thanks as always to my boyfriend Chris, who took these amazing photos.