While generating ideas for my craft show booth that I had last November, I checked a few books to get myself to think outside the box. I got some floral arranging, bridal and kids crafts. One of the books, had some spa gifts in the back. I thought the Cocoa Butter Bonbons would make perfect teacher gifts for Christmas.

I made a list for my supplies and went to Whole Foods. I found some stuff but not everything. Never one to be afraid of a recipe, I made some improvisations and purchased the following items: Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Beeswax.

At home I had mini muffin pans, measuring spoons, mini muffin papers and of course the paper supplies needed to decorate my little treasures.

After heating the mixture at a very low temperature (it smelled like chocolate), I poured about 2 tablespoons into each muffin cup and placed the pan in the freezer to “chill out!”

Then I realized the little bonbons needed a place to stay. Off I went to the Container Store in search of something to hold them. I found some 1 ounce plastic containers with hinged lids.

After coming home, I took the pan out, turned it upside down on the counter and the bonbons fell out. They were so cute! I put each of the bonbons in a cupcake paper and then went to the craft room to decorate the plastic containers.

JustRite Stampers made the perfect titles for the tops: I used the 1/5-8″ Wood Stamper with Times New Roman letter stamps.

I stamped several images onto cream cardstock and used S4-194 Classic Inverted Scalloped Circles LG and S4-170 Pinking Circles LG to cut them out. For the bottom, I added a Gourmet Delights (from the 1-3/16″ Recipe set) along with hand-printed ingredients and instructions for use.

The bonbons in a paper could not have fit any better.

For the final touch, I wrapped the bonbons to look like candy.

All in all this was a very fun project. I do hope the teachers like them. Thanks again for dropping in and I hope you have a fabulous, creative day.

Eli

Recipe

• 1-1/3 Cups Cocoa Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Almond Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
• 1 Oz. Beeswax

1. Place ingredients in saucepan and heat very low until melted and combined.
2. Pour 1-1/2 Tablespoons into mini muffin tins.
3. Place in freezer and remove when bonbons pull away from the sides.
4. Turn pan over and pop out bonbons.
5. Put into mini muffin cup papers and place into plastic containers.
6. For use, warm the bonbon with fingers and smooth onto skin.

Feels great on your skin and smells like chocolate. Yummy!

]]> http://lcamp.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/great-stocking-stuffers/ Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:34:05 +0000 lcamp http://lcamp.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/great-stocking-stuffers/

One of my favorite places to look for the stocking stuffer type items is The Container Store. Now I don’t actually buy stocking items (my mom still does all of those! But I do like to get a little something extra to add to the package on my gifts. Here are some of my favorites…

Desk Top Speakers.. Great for the Office!$9.99

Not A Paper Cup... Its always good to recycle!$14.99

Another option for ipod speakers, $19.99

Wine Opener, $14.99

Check out other great items HERE.

December 13 What’s the best change you made to the place you live?

*This post is part of the Best of 2009 Blog Challenge.

This one is easy. If we are talking about superficial change, the biggest impact and best change we made at home this year was to install new closets. And not just any closets, we got the mac-daddy of organization (but surprisingly not the mac-daddy on your budget), Container Store elfa. 3 new closets (1 bedroom, 1 office, 1 laundry room) made our lives easier in so many ways. They were so easy to install, plus we had so many options to customize according to our needs & space. I will preach them to anyone who needs an update.

And the best change we did that impacts others was we started recycling religiously. We cannot believe how much trash we were throwing away before that is recyclable. Now we feel better because we are not being so wasteful, and hopefully the world is becoming a greener place. Do you want to recycle too? or do a better job of it? Check out Earth 911’s recycle site. There’s some very helpful info to get you started.

I splurged on some really cute wrapping paper at the Container Store last weekend and was giddy with the prospect of bundling up presents for my family in it when I got home.  (I’m a freak, I spend an extensive amount of time picking out a signature wrapping paper each year for Christmas, go ahead, judge.)

Major disappointment though: the paper looked deceivingly like rolls of wrapping (given that they were sold IN ROLLS), but when I opened them up they were two 20″x30″ sheets of paper that weren’t big enough to wrap any of the presents I’d already bought. Container Store, why do you deceive me?

Sorry for the unexpected blogging silence!  Work and life has me hopping this month.  Not to mention that there are still pumpkins on my front porch….

Speaking of, YIKES – 17 days until Christmas!  Here are some  unique, fun and affordable stocking stuffer inspiration for all the great peeps on your list:

For Her

What gal doesn’t like fun, dotty accessories?  I love this belt from Boden (on sale for $32)!  It would look great with brown, black or any color!

And this dot scarf from Garnet Hill ($58) adds some fun to bundling up.

And speaking of accessories, this triple strand headband from Anthro ($32) would make a great stocking stuffer for any girl on Santa’s list:

I would love to hang these fabulous icicle quartz ornaments from Viva Terra ($44 for a set of 12) on little pine trees on either side of the front door.  Or even from a chandelier.  Gorgeous!

For the traveler on your list!  You would never overlook your bag at baggage claim or forget your passport with these awesome faux croc Ivana passport cover and luggage tag from Z Gallerie ($16.95).

For Kids

I just bought this Fair Isle Hat from Gymboree for baby spark! and we both love it (on sale for $11)!

For the chic-est baby on the block!  Check out these zebra booties from Layla Grace ($10).  So.Darn.Cute!

Wouldn’t this stag toothbrush holder ($8) from Urban Outfitters be so cute in a kids bathroom?  Gotta love useful antlers.

For Him

Can’t have too many of these.  And for $4!  Check out these nice fleece gloves from Old Navy:

This is totally random, but is your man as obssessed with shredding as much as mine is?  I thought of him immediately when I saw these shredding scissors ($8.99) from the Container Store.  No need for that bulky shredder by the trash can anymore! 

Check out this great off-season deal: 4 piece barbeque tool kit for $7.48 from World Market.

And of course, the good ole standby in our house for all stockings: Moose Munch by Harry and David.  Yummmmm.

I hope these ideas have inspired you!  Off to start decorating — merry merry!

A little something before bed…

Finally finished painting and fixing up my bedroom at my new spot in Greenpoint. I wanted to make the most out of the two small rooms I moved into in September and while I finished my dressing / computer room (pictures coming soon) right off the bat I’d seriously been slacking on putting the bedroom together, something I regret not doing sooner, as it’s looking pretty damn good if I might say so myself. Unfortunately I got caught up in the flash flood that is life and as I didn’t attack this project right away it fell by the wayside.

However, my mother wanting her cordless drill back before the weekend gave me the final kick in the pants I needed to pull it all together and I painted (Behr Premium Ultra – Serene), hung divider / privacy curtains (Ikea Dignitet hanging system w/ Ikea 2-layer light blocking curtains) as it’s a railroad apartment and myself and my roommate didn’t get the second door open yet, and put up a little 20 or so compartment wall storage thing I picked up  at the Container Store. It’s not 100% finished as I’m sure I’ll get some more ideas for how to utilize the space and I have to figure out what the hell I’m going to do with my bike, but at least it looks a wee bit more respectable now and I can feel like an actual adult instead of a recent college grad who hasn’t fully let go of his college days’ lifestyle or decorating habit (though it wasn’t this bad think electrical spool tables, a cot, etc).

Before I turn in though for my first night in my bedroom 2.0 I’m trying to sort out which discussions I’m going to try and catch for the final day of Entrepreneur Week up at Columbia U. Since I signed up for the Start Up & Idea Stage Events as that’s where my crowdsourced fashion intelligence project is right about now I’m thinking about checking out The Development, Launch and Turnaround of High-Impact & Disruptive Technologies, CEO Challenges and How To Surmount Them, and Three Billion in Value Created: Top Entrepreneurs in NYC Reflect. While most of the events haven’t really had much for me…well more so the topics didn’t really hit me so I didn’t check them out, one that I did make it to and loved was

A Roadmap for the Tech/Mobile/Telecom/Media Sectors: Top Entrepreneurs Reflect
MODERATOR: Adam Penenberg, Author of Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today’s Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves
PANELISTS:
Noah Glass, Founder & CEO of GoMobo.com
Chris Logan, Founder & CEO of cc:Sync
Jeff Stewart, Founder & CEO of Urgent Career
Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder & CEO of Meetup.com
Darren Herman, Head of Digital Media at The Media Kitchen

Great conversations, and great panelists. Also, some interesting questions from the audience. Definitely also left me with some questions about how one might go about getting to the point where they’re making things happen when you’re in a situation like mine without a tech lead / co-founder, something I’m desperately searching for and hoping to possibly meet from my participation in Startup Weekend NYC. Can’t wait for this tomorrow eve. Don’t know what it’s going to be like, but it seems fun and intense and I tend to like things with those qualities, so…

Anyhow, about the panel and the event as a whole, I must say the standout was most definitely Scott Heiferman, Co-founder & CEO of Meetup.com who I had the pleasure of speaking with, albeit briefly, after the panel. Didn’t get to finish, or really even start as he was kinda mobbed and in a hurry, but I got his card and definitely plan on emailing him sooner, rather than later.

One major thing he said that really struck me was about creating a great service / launching a great idea that actually helps people, that solves problems, and not necessarily in a humanitarian way, but something that helps people live their lives and makes it easier or better, something enriching, versus a service that does something like…I think his example was helps people buy a watch some character on a TV show is wearing. Loved it.

Alright…that’s it…about time to go to bed…wash my face, brush my teeth, put in my Invisalign, and get horizontal and maybe, just maybe watch a little Darker Than Black on my comp.

(PICTURES OF THE BEDROOM TO FOLLOW IN THE AM)

Lots of changes and transitions have been present in my life over the past few months. One of which had been completely re-arranging, purchasing new furniture and re-decorating my room! I had this past weekend off and was finally able to pull everything together.

My entire Saturday morning was spent waiting for the last piece of my furniture to be delivered. When I woke up I noshed on a vanilla Oikos mixed with some fabulous fruit & nut granola from Bear Naked.

I know a good bloggie friend of mine enjoys this granola as well. When I first read the ingredients  I noticed coconut– not being a huge coconut fan I wasn’t sure how I would acutally like this granola… yet it did NOT disappoint in the least! The granola was crunchy, chewy and sweet all at the same time.

I thought frozen grapes would be make the perfect companion with my yogurt and granola mix.

The remainder of my Saturday involved LOTS of shopping with my mum. We went to Bed Bath & Beyond as well as the Container Store to get a few more things that I needed for my room. I am definitely one of those people who LOVES organization type stores– kind of ironic actually considering I’m NOT organized in the least.

Other eats of the day included (but were DEFINITELY not limited to)

A cinnamon raisin Ezekiel english muffin topped with Fage, cinnamon & Truvia.

And my all time favorite Clif bar!

I absolutely LOVE Saturday nights, and let me tell you why…for several years now, my family and I have been going to the Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons here in Boston! We eat here about two/three times per week (in fact we have a permanent reservation here every Saturday!)…but I ESPECIALLY LOVE going here on a Friday or Saturday night because they do a HUGE Viennese style dessert buffet! The buffet consists of MANY treats..cupcakes, pies, cheesecakes, crepes, candies, tarts, chocolate mousse, bread pudding and thats not even the beginning!!

Before I get to the dessert buffet– lets get to some of my dinner eats. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, we were instantly surprised with a HUGE raw seafood platter– compliments of the chef! Seriously this was TOO nice!!!!!

Lobster claws, crab legs, jumbo shrimp and grilled marinated scallops! This was PURE heaven!!!! I LOVE shrimp and lobster!!!!!!

I completely forgot to snap a photo of my entree but I had a simple scallop dish with asparagus and munched off of my mum’s GINORMOUS portion of french fries that came with her meal.

After we finished our entrees it was DESSERT TIME!!!! Here’s my platter:

Starting from the top and going clockwise; Carrot cake, chocolate chip cookie, cupcake, german chocolate cake, cranberry pecan pie and pumpkin cheesecake. I would be lying if I said this was all I ate My parents and I have some of the worlds BIGGEST sweet tooths– my mum can definitely put DOUBLE this much away when she’s on a sweet tooth kick!

Check out the festive cupcake:

Even though all of these treats are bite-sized…I DEFINITELY have my fair share every time I have the dessert buffet… but I truly ENJOY it! Whenever I leave I’m definitely stuffed— but to me it’s worth it! I LOVE sweet things and I look forward to spending this time with my family. I NEVER feel guilty about having this many sweets because I know my body and I know that splurging once a week or so will not affect things in the long run.

How do YOU REALLY indulge?!?!

Have a lovely night everyone!!!!

Myyy goodness.  I know I’ve been on a slight hiatus, but here’s why.. This is what the week has looked like.

Monday: Class 9:00am-5:00pm, Work 7:00-11:30pm

Tuesday: Internship 8:00am-4:00pm, Work 5:00pm-12:00am

Wednesday: Class 9:00am-4:00pm, Work 8:00pm-5:00am

Thursday: Homework all day, Work 8:00pm-5:00am

Friday: Internship 7:30am-6:00pm

I’m really trying to stick to my guns and NOT agree to any social affairs for Friday night.  My body will probably be happier if I spend that time being like Hadiah:

From now until November 1, you can get 20% off at the Container Store with this coupon. To use the offer online, just enter promo code savenow.

If I wasn’t in love with our condo (and if I hadn’t vowed to never move again… until we move again), then I would seriously consider taking up permanent residence at the Container Store.

From their punny shopping bags (Contain yourself! …get it?) to their storage solutions to problems I didn’t even know I had, it’s Nirvana for control freaks with questionable senses of humor.

Speaking of Nirvana,  late last week my intern accidentally snapped the head off the Buddha my brother brought back from Thailand.  For over a year, that little guy had been overseeing the karmic flow of my office, making knowing eye contact with me every once in a while to remind me to stop swearing and start recycling, and now…

…he rests in pieces.

I am not really sure how it happened, but at some point, he unceremoniously hit my glass desktop, and his holy head went shooting into my lap.  My poor intern looked like she might croak.  I thought about asking her to go to Thailand to find me a replacement (immediately, obviously), but I am more Michael Scott than Miranda Priestly.  Instead, I wadded up a piece of double stick tape, mushed the head back on, and went about my business.  And by business, I mean posting the above picture to Facebook.

Needless to say, this quasi-traumatic incident left me craving balance and order, and there is no earthly place more rife with both than the Container Store.  Nick and I made a pilgrimage to their Natick store (after spending hours and dollars at Jordan’s Furniture. Side note: apparently any color that is not beige is considered a “custom” color.   Please stay tuned for 6 weeks for our living room transformation!  Wooo!) this weekend.  Man, we know how to live.

One giant cartload and several hours of sweat and elbow grease (ew) later, we now have two of the world’s most organized closets.  Once I find my label maker (I might be the only person Type A enough to have a label maker… and yet, Type B enough that it is missing), I can kick it up one more notch.  Bam!

A place for everything and everything in its place.

–Isabella Mary Beeton, The Book of Household Management (1861)

Now I just need to find a place for Buddha’s head.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Seriously consider making one of these, and then seriously consider whether or not this is out of my reach.
• Dream up some really great birthday presents for my sister and Nick, both born on the 7th of October… sassy Libras!
• Eagerly await our first Peapod delivery; I will report back on cost vs. convenience.

How do you restore balance?  How do you react when another human breaks one of your toys, with grace and poise?  Or glares and profanity?  Any good ideas for the man and the sister’s birthdays?

Literally, LITERALLY.. I turned my computer on today for the first time since MONDAY.  It wasn’t broken or anything.. I just haven’t had the time.  I swear, this whole grad school/internship/work/homework/life thing is either going to kill me or make me a multitasking superhero by the end of the semester.  Here’s a recap of my week.

Monday: recovered from Vegas, went to class all day, blogged and folded laundry.

Tuesday: internship in Pasadena 8am-6pm, fought through traffic to work in Century City 7-11:30pm, showered, slept at 1:00.

Wednesday: class 9am-5pm, work in Century City 6-10pm, TiRon’s music video release party at The Echo (Eagle Rock), home to hang with Wes, slept at 3:00.

Thursday: worked out early, helped stuff envelopes with USC’s APAA (volunteer hours in exchange for my scholarship), donated blood at the red cross, homework through the afternoon, work in Century City 7-11:30pm, got surprised by Wes when I got home, showered, stayed up til 4:30am drawing out plays for his bball team.

Friday: internship in Pasadena 8am-6pm, Ladies’ Night with my high school girls (wine at Porsha’s, followed by an appearance at The Parlor), in bed at 2:00.

Saturday: FINALLY slept in til 9:00, homework all morning, open gym at Narbonne in the afternoon, O Dae San for Phoebe’s birthday dinner, ice skating in Culver City for Nicole’s birthday, migrated to Yankee Doodle’s for more celebrating, in bed at 2:00.

Sunday: slept in til 9:00 again, worked out, showered, studied, work in Century City 2-7pm, ate dinner, homework, ABDC, aaaaand (now) blogging.

Understandably (I hope), I’m too sleepy to be very witty.  Enjoy the pics, with limited captions.  I’m pretty sure my blogging e-fanbase is clever enough to refer back up to the day-by-day breakdown to figure out where each picture was taken.

Pretty sure TiRon is incapable of taking a non-goofy picture.

TCS fam at The Echo.

TiRon, Pac Div.

Taking a break from play-calling..

Ladies' night.. A few "Waiting to Exhale" moments, but I didn't torch Wes' car.

The flying V!

Quack, quack.

Theeeeee end.  I’m hoping this coming week will be a little less hectic (and a little more computer-friendly).  Wish me luck!

The Transformers prepare snacks for the Pride parade...

I’ve decided to take a trip to The Container Store this weekend, and live-blog my experience. I am apprehensive. If I don’t survive, bury my body in a plastic cubby or something.

Despite the Tasmanian-Devil-esque nature of the way I live my life, I get branded a Type-A personality a lot. I think it might be a side effect of last month’s topic; when you’ve got something that single-mindedly drives you a little, it gives the illusion that you might have all your shtuff together, as you’re moving all your energy in one direction. Not so much.

Mess and chaos can be their own addictions, I guess: you can throw some energy and laughter towards an idea that it’s a romantic ideal, and part of one’s charm and character. I suppose it’s also part of the company one keeps, too. When your life does not provide you little boxes, it’s hard to make them yourself.

Remember on The Transformers cartoon, when the transformers would gather energy, they’d make these little pink cubes and fill them with gasoline and call it Energon? I wish I could make little pink cubes to fit my life into, on demand.

(See? Even my dorkdom does not fit in a box.)

I’m re-reading Augusten Burroughs’ semi-memoir Dry right now; I like his writing. He’s funny, and a little mean, and we’ve been through some of the same things (not all of the same things, thankfully). I like to think that when and if we ever meet, we’ll have something to talk about. He puts his alcoholism into the perspective of choice against habits, against people who make those choices and habits possible. For a time in 2007, I had the following quote framed and posted on the back of my door, just in case I forgot:

“Now I can remove your number from speed dial on my phone. I can forget your birthday. I don’t have to put rubber gloves on and inject you with medication. I don’t have to worry about getting stuck with a needle. Or fill your humidifier. Or change the light bulb in the kitchen. Or answer the front door. I don’t have to wonder how long you’ll live. I don’t have to tell you I can’t see you today. I don’t have to ever put more ice in your glass or pick up hot dog buns on the way to your apartment.”

I can almost recite that from memory at this point. And while it helped me survive a pretty horrible breakup (either a story for never or another time), I’m finding odd value in those words as I try to take control of the maelstrom that is my life. There is nothing saying I have to keep a laundry pile, or live in clutter, or clean my bathroom with the regularity of Haley’s Comet visits. All of this man-slob garbage in my life is just my adherence to a guy I perhaps don’t want to be.

And I guess, if I want, I can say goodbye to him. Or parts of him. Just seal it all off in a box.

More tomorrow.

When you use this to buy office supplies, you're a professional. When you wear it on a shirt, you're deemed a slut. Unfair.

I am so bad at making things fit.

…

As I finished typing that just now and took a look at it, I realized that, even in typing, I say the wrong things sometimes. How does that happen?

My ex (known here as P) loved to say that there are two kinds of people in this world–those who could fit in boxes and those who couldn’t. There were advantages and disadvantages to both sides of this coin–if you’re in a box, you know where everything goes, but you’re also sort of stuck. If you can’t fit, then you’re always going to leave a mark and have limitless potential, but nothing has its place.

I’m the latter category, all the way. And one look at my desk every day makes that very clear. My thoughts tend to be pretty organized and surprisingly linear. I look at most organizational systems, however, as if they’re presented in Farsi or Esperanto or something.

I can see the pieces of the puzzle; I just resist plugging them in where they’re supposed to go.

I willingly fly in the face of organizational systems, and rituals, and it’s a habit I wish to break. I wish to break my bad habit of not having good habits. That is way too complex a sentence, right there.

I hate the Container Store. I scoff at Staples (fricking easy button…). Office Max is evil.

I accept these three statements as fact.

I also accept that I’m a pretty effective person.

But I want to be a highly effective person.

So, I’m going to learn those seven habits. I’m going to put my stuff in cubbies. I’m going to work on my penmanship.

I may even figure out who moved my damn cheese.

To be continued.

Being green is a serious commitment.  It takes a lot of research and a lot of work.  I have committed myself to this lifestyle however………………..there are times when my green self and my practical self get into a tussle.  Today was one of those days.

I needed to buy a new trashcan.  So I went to my favorite place for things that need to be contained, The Container store.   They have biodegradable trashcans and I was all set to get one.  I get there and all the biodegradable trashcans either have swing lids or no lids.   The struggle begins.  I have a 15 month old so a trash can with no lid is not an option.  I figure ok, maybe I can do a swing can?  I put the kid down next to the trash can and within a whole 60 seconds him and the lid were new best friends.  I just had visions of him pulling all of my receipts from aunt flows monthly visit out of the trashcan during  a dinner gather and I quickly put the trash can back!!!!!!!!!!  I opted for the non biodegradable flip top with a lid.  It only opens when you press the little latch on top.  Perfect, but not biodegradable!  So now I have the two trashcans on the ground going back and forth between embarrassment and constant clean up or peace and earth trash.  After 30 mins and about 8 dashes down the aisle to retrieve the kid I went with the non biodegradable one.  My compromise is, to reuse it.  When i’m done I’ll drill holes in the bottom and put a plant in it.  It will eventually end up in a landfill but maybe I can hold on to it long enough and continue to repurpose it until we have figured out a way to recycle it.

beautiful non toddler approved biodegradable trashcans!

Although my practical self won, my eco self did have a say so and somewhat of a compromise was made.  The battle between us and them rages on!  Why can’t we all just get along?  Why can’t we have the same conveniences as the non greens?  Why are we to be tortured with no lids for our beliefs?  Geez manufactures beeeeeeeeeee nice!

my trashcan/future plant holder

should you need anything from the container store use the click15 coupon code when you order online and do and in store pickup and get  15% off!

www.thecontainerstore.com

Oyasumi Nasai!

www.shopturtlepie.com

Not me!  No longer is my master closet a tangled mass of clothes, a breeding ground for missing shoes and a catch-all for things that don’t otherwise have a home. 

This chaos became just a memory the weekend of March 7th.  Though that was the weekend of the physical labor, the mental labor was on-going for months prior, starting in December of 2008.

I measured the closet walls countless times (measure lots, buy once) and diligently studied the Elfa products on the Container Store website.  In a notebook I recorded all these meaurements and products then started sketching several options.  At 9AM New Year’s Eve day I arrived at the Costa Mesa store to take full advantage of the annual Elfa sale.  I bee-lined to the Elfa section and with the help of the Elfa design specialist, my dream sketch was loaded into their system and the supply list was generated.  I could bring all my goodies home that day if I hung out until 4PM.  Hhhmmm…..New Year’s Eve day and they wanted me to drive the 91 east at 4:30PM??!?!!?!  I don’t think so!  Besides, I wasn’t going to overhaul the closet until after the CHA (Craft & Hobby) trade show in late January so I was in no hurry.  I opted to drive back to the store in 2 weeks to pick up the supplies…

Due to an injury the night before the trade show, I nearly cut off the tip of my left index finger while using the rotary cutter, my closet overhaul was postponed until early March but it was, and continues to be, so VERY worth the wait!!!

Throughout the week prior to the overhaul I removed all the clothes and “stuff” from the closet except those items I would be wearing that week.  Friday night I spent 4 hours gutting the closet down to the drywall and then taping off the walls so that I could paint them Saturday morning. 

I patched nail holes and “dents” in the morning then put 2 coats of white paint on the walls.  While the second coat was drying I assembled the 4 Elfa drawer units then filled the drawers with clothes.  At that point I called it quits for the day as I was getting a bit tired and knew without a doubt that I would only make negative progress if I continued.

Sunday morning I was in the closet by 7AM drilling and screwing in tracks, hanging standards, adding shelf brackets, shelves and closet rods, adjusting and readjusting the shelves and rods and inserting track covers.  After 6 hours I moved the drawer units into the closet, slid the drawers in place then set about retrieving my clothes from the guest room and putting them back in the master closet.  At this point I was beyond tired so I left the final project for Monday night.

All day at work on Monday I was stressed out.  Not because of the chaos and frustrations at the office but because of the final part of the closet overhaul I had to tackle when I got home.  Up to this point I was confident that I could do everything — “hammer” with my rubber mallet to remove shelves, unscrew brackets from supports, hammer a flat head screw driver behind flushly mounted boards in order to pull them off walls, fill nail holes (and a few “dents”), paint and hang all the Elfa stuff.   

Given all that I had accomplished, what had me so stressed?  Replacing the light in the closet with this beauty.  I do NOT “play” with electricity.  I plug cords into outlets, I turn switches on and off and I replace lightbulbs.  Up to this point, that was the extent of my electrical experience.

But now I can PROUDLY say that I successfully added this gem to my closet all by myself!  OK, truth be told, I did have to call my brother and ask him a question, but I really did the work myself!

And just how AWESOME is my entire closet?  Take a gander at these pix of the completed closet, including the spotlight effect…..

Not only do I absolutely LOVE this closet, but it is STILL as neat and organized today as it was the weekend I installed it!!!  And the best news is that I have 5 empty drawers in the closet AND I have 3 empty drawers in my nightstands!! 

And then there was THE finishing touch.  I bought a $5 door mirror at Lowe’s and hung it on the door to the closet.  The piece de resistance is the valance I made for said mirror.  Not only does it match the valance I hung over the vanity mirror but both match the bedskirt in the master bedroom!!!

Before you think I’m an insanely organized person, I’ll share a secret with you.  My guest room closet is sort of organized, ditto for the very large linen closet in the hallway and the closet in the third bedroom.  That last closet is my craft closet, also full of Elfa products, but crafts by nature are creative, not neat, so achieving “sort of organized” means said closet is in much better shape than most home craft storage areas.

The Gazpacho I made a couple of weeks ago turned out great… it was a pretty labor intensive process, but the taste in the end was totally worth it. I used heirloom and roma tomatoes from Harris Teeter, sherry vinegar from Whole Foods and whole wheat rustic bread from Trader Joe’s (to make the croutons… which was surprisingly easy to make!). We had some leftovers, so I ate it for breakfast the next morning with toasted slices of rustic bread, sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil. Whoaa… heavenly. Can you just say the most refreshing liquid salad ever? Making gazpacho helps you realize the role each vegetable plays in the soup’s overall flavor and puts you in touch with the benefits of eating organic versus processed foods. Lovin* it!

Anyway, above is photographic evidence of my first attempt at making this delicious summer treat. I don’t think I’ll have a problem eating it year round, though. And I am excited to try more recipes…

On a completely different note, I can’t believe its August (the summer has gone by WAY too quickly) and I will soon return to my job as an ESL & Art teacher. My friend M who was visiting from Hong Kong and I were perusing the Container Store earlier today and came across the best *to-go* container ever invented for all you cereal lovers out there:

All you have to do is pack your cereal and (soy) milk the night before and take it out of the fridge the next morning on your way to work! The bottom container has a gel covering that helps keep the milk cool during your commute. Perfect for those who never have time to eat the most important meal of the day… hmmmm… I will definitely consider getting one of these (the green one, of course) before school starts. And resume my love for eating cereal!

Till next time…

Man oh man.  I didn’t get much sleep this week, because of work, my internship, and other random errands / social engagements.   So it probably would have been smart to just have a relaxing, low-key weekend.  Whoops.

Thursday night: Antar’s last Night Truck shift.  He’s moving on to bigger and better things.  We’ll miss you!!

Antar, front and off-center. Red shirt.

Friday night: Wes’ birthday isn’t until Wednesday (the 5th), but we’re both so busy during the week.. so we decided to celebrate it a few days early!

Manhattan Beach Marriott. Bam.

Not too shabby at all.

McCormick & Schmick's. He's a lobster man.

Checking show times for The Ugly Truth.. which was surprisingly good!

Saturday: lazy morning, Jamba Juice, open gym, Santouka Ramen, Container party, Jamilah’s birthday party.

I realized that a quick way to my heart is to wake me up with a Chappelle quote.  Wes rolled over on Saturday morning and said, “You used to live in my BALLS, man!” I almost fell off from laughing so hard.

Open gym at Narbonne was excellent.. my team went undefeated for 2 hours straight!  Take that, suckas.

Santouka Ramen with the fellas (and Nicole).  ‘Nuff said.

Here’s where the waterfall of pictures comes in.  Saturday night was SO SO fun.  Container Store party first, then Jamilah’s.

Heather's focused, mayne.

Gina, Michele, Heather.

Del and Heidi.

Wii boxing.. boom boom POW.

Amy, Ricky, me.

Dennis!!

Samantha and Clay.

Even Robin showed up!

Gotta love Tiger's NZ All Blacks shirt!

Ripped jeans = easy pickpocket.

Family reunion!

The party started when Marie walked in.

Long-lost sisters.

Aaaaand then I headed to Jamilah’s birthday party at Aakash’s place.  Whew!

Happy birthday, Wifey!

D'Lo, Aakash, Sarah, Jahan.

Make a wish..

So I finally got home, unpacked, cleaned up, and hopped into bed around 2:30am.  Exhausted, sore, and SO SO thankful for all of the wonderful people I have in my life.  You’re all worth it!

Edit: I tried to fix the “Samantha and Clay” pic 3 times, and ended up messing up the rest of this post 3 times.  So I’m just leaving it the way it is.

Paper.  We get a lot of paper in our homes and some of it we need to keep.  You don’t see many homes without a pile of paper somewhere and usually the piles are on the kitchen counter.  An easy and quick solution to get rid of the piles of paper is to have an open file box. The file box works best if it is kept in the location where your papers accumulate.  Mine is on my kitchen counter. 

How do you set up a file box?  The first step is to sort your pile of papers into groups and recycle anything that is old and not needed anymore.  Decide which piles need to stay close to you and what can be filed in a more permanent location.  Keep close anything you will be referring to on a weekly basis or anything that calls for an action (like bills to pay).  You may have about 8 to 10 piles when you are all done. The piles might include bills due, activity information, school information, church information, volunteer information, to do, to read, to file (in a permanent location) and maybe more.   Now you are ready to label your files.  Don’t think to much about this…just label your file what you call the pile.  Then place in your file box. 

Here are a few tips about having a handy file box like this.  Do not get a file box with a lid.  A lid makes it very easy to stack your incoming paper on top instead of inside the box.  Keep the box handy.  Be open to having your “to do” file on the counter when needed but know that it does have a home.  Make sure you get one that looks good, like the ones in the picture, so you don’t mind keeping it out in the open.  I found these online at www.containerstore.com.

Make a file box today for your piles of paper and next time you are looking for something it will be much easier to find.

Technorati Tags: paper,clutter,Container Store,file box,Amy Tokos,Freshly Organized,Professional Organizer,Omaha

Paper.  We get a lot of paper in our homes and some of it we need to keep.  You don’t see many homes without a pile of paper somewhere and usually the piles are on the kitchen counter.  An easy and quick solution to get rid of the piles of paper is to have an open file box. The file box works best if it is kept in the location where your papers accumulate.  Mine is on my kitchen counter. 

How do you set up a file box?  The first step is to sort your pile of papers into groups and recycle anything that is old and not needed anymore.  Decide which piles need to stay close to you and what can be filed in a more permanent location.  Keep close anything you will be referring to on a weekly basis or anything that calls for an action (like bills to pay).  You may have about 8 to 10 piles when you are all done. The piles might include bills due, activity information, school information, church information, volunteer information, to do, to read, to file (in a permanent location) and maybe more.   Now you are ready to label your files.  Don’t think to much about this…just label your file what you call the pile.  Then place in your file box. 

Here are a few tips about having a handy file box like this.  Do not get a file box with a lid.  A lid makes it very easy to stack your incoming paper on top instead of inside the box.  Keep the box handy.  Be open to having your “to do” file on the counter when needed but know that it does have a home.  Make sure you get one that looks good, like the ones in the picture, so you don’t mind keeping it out in the open.  I found these online at www.containerstore.com

Make a file box today for your piles of paper and next time you are looking for something it will be much easier to find.

Technorati Tags: paper,clutter,Container Store,file box,Amy Tokos,Freshly Organized,Professional Organizer,Omaha

Here’s your chance to get 25% off EVERYTHING in the store at the fabulous, amazing, addictive Container Store! You won’t be able to “Contain Yourself” (as their bumper sticker says) when you walk in the doors with this printable coupon. Tell them I sent you. Maybe you’ll get even more of a discount since they know I’m a crazy-obsessive organizer… Enjoy!

Find a Container Store near you.

Expires: July 12, 2009

Thanks to Christine for the tip!

Oprah Winfrey is at it again. She and the Container Store teamed up to offer all viewers and website visitors 25% off everything in the store and online through July 12th with this coupon. Its her “Clean Up Your Messy House Tour” so get crackin’!

Do you have one of these?

Well if you don’t – no worries.  They’re online.

Even though actually LOOKING and TOUCHING the stuff is so much better.  I’m more tangible than “imagine how this would look and feel and fit into your imaginary cart.”

A warning to those who consider themselves organized: do not go here – online or on foot.

Because I consider myself an organized-each-item-has-an-up-place kind of person and no one told me what kind of grenade field I was about to walk through before I made the mistake of suggesting we visit the store with the unassuming name. 

It isn’t like it’s called the Re-Organize Your LIFE Store.  The Container Store gives no indication of what the interior of its walls are really all about.

I cannot live their “An Organized Home is a Happy Home” motto when I STILL NEED A LETTER BOX and COLORED CODED LABELS and SIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRAWER ORGANIZERS.

Oh the things they have to make every space in your house UNCLUTTERED.

Five minutes in the Container Store will send you on a downward spiral.   You  will quickly realize that you really aren’t organized at all.  You don’t even know what it MEANS to be organized.  That you’re really a disgusting, slobby mess who cannot seem to get her act together.  The rows and rows of organizy-items mock you and taunt you, laughing at you because you do not have a special drying hanger for your panties and instead result to laying them out on the dryer.

FINE.  I bought one. 

SO WHAT. 

I couldn’t take the brow-beating anymore.  The “why-have-you-never-purchased-one-of-these-don’t-you-know-how-VITAL-it-is-to-have-one?” guilt.

Now all my little undergarmets have a space to call their own, suspended far above the hot, nasty, unsanitary dryer.

And Tim’s ties have their own hanger.  And makeup has its own little tray and the individual tea packets have a box to sit in all nice and snug and our spices have a rack instead of being thrown into a pull-out drawer where all we can see are the tops… so when we need the cinnamon we pick up and put down jar after jar until we find it – because it is never the first one we grab. If that ever happens, we’re playing the lottery because selecting the right spice jar on the first try is IMPOSSIBLE.

But now with our new spice rack WITH LABELS…we’ll never have to guess again.  They’ll be all nice and organized.

However, we can forget about being behind the organized-house-eight-ball…we can’t even SEE IT.

Mia tote 27.99 I like the different pockets for snacks, magazines, camera, water, all those extras that don’t fit in your purse.  Put a little neck pillow in there and you’d be all set for your trip. 

Medallion bag 9.99 cute waterproof bag made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Eagle Creek Pack It Stuff Sacks  Set of three 21.99 

Eagle Creek Zipper Pulls- great for luggage to make your luggage stand out from others and to easily use the zipper.  4.99