Dresser Organization: Close Up

So I recently posted my dresser top organization that I did (you can view that post here), and I wanted to showcase some of the items that are on display up close and personal. Makenna really helped me utilize the space on top of my dresser that had previously been used for storage of whatever was lying around my room that didn't have a place. I really couldn't deal with this anymore, so she helped me turn it into a wonderful makeup area. Without further ado, here is a close up of the organization!

First up is my candle and the little glass jar I use to store my lotions in. My friend bought me this super cute (and AMAZING smelling) candle at Target for only $10! For the amount of candle you get, I'd say that this is a super deal. I love this soy candle, and am definitely going to buy more. The little glass jar that I have on top of it, I got at the Dollar Tree for only $1. It stores my little lotions in there perfectly, and I love having the colors displayed.

Next to my candles are my brushes and eyelash curler. I got this fishbowl jar at Michael's when they were having a sale, so it was only about $1. Super cute, and perfect for storing my brushes. I also bought some sand to help them stand up better, but I have yet to locate where I placed that (oh my forgetful mind).

The way Makenna organized my little drawer set from Target absolutely blew me away! If you had seen the state of these before...well you'd never think that it could look so great! We sorted through all of my makeup and now the top drawer has my face products, the middle drawer has liquid eyeliners, and the bottom drawer has all of my loose eye shadows. I LOVE this! I can quickly reach in and grab my bronzer now; no more searching through piles of makeup! I think as long as things are put away in their proper places, it really helps my mind calm down.

Now this is one of my absolutely FAVORITE parts of the organization that was done. All of my everyday makeup is neatly displayed on my dresser! When Makenna first suggested that we put my everyday makeup up on top of my dresser, I was a little weary because I thought it might look cluttered. Luckily, I had this organizing tray that I had picked up from the $1 bin at Target which was perfect to store all of my most used makeup in! It doesn't look messy at all and now I never have to search for anything in the morning; it's all right there! So functional, yet cute.

The left hand of my dresser is provides such a cute decorative area! I have two $1 picture frames that I got from Ikea and my lighted flower display in the background. I also have another one of the Sweet Spun Sugar candles from Target (this one was $5) and that is sitting on a cute chair stand that I found at the dollar store in Japan. I'm in love with this area, it's so pink and girly, just the way I like it!

Phew! That was a long post. Hopefully not too long. I'm pretty hyped up from Starbucks forgetting to make my coffee decaf at 8:00 at night! But my closing statement is this: organization. I can not emphasize this enough. Organization helps create a balanced and calm mind. Take a few minutes every day to put things back where they belong, it might seem like a hassle at the time, but in the long run you will thank yourself. It will help you spend time on things that are more important in your life. I hope you enjoyed this post!

- E.

Before and After: Dresser Top Organization

Before:

   

After:

I am a relatively messy person. Okay, I take that back, I am unbelievably messy. However, I've had some life changes within the last year and organization has become something that I've not only incorporated into my life, but have made to be a necessity. It helps me keep a calm mind when I am stressed and being able to find things easily really helps ease the stress in the morning. Makenna came over for an hour the other day and she helped me reorganize my dresser to make it a more effective space. I had originally had my makeup over on my other dresser, but it was time for a change. I hadn't really planned it when I had put my makeup on that side and it looked extremely cluttered and unorganized. I absolutely love the way that I have it now! My most used makeup is easily accessible during those rushed mornings. I absolutely love the arrangement now, I feel much more at at peace.

- E.

I Wear My Stunna Glasses At Night

Ok, so that’s not exactly true.  Actually, that’s not at all true; I don’t wear my sunglasses at night.  In fact, I hardly wear them during the day.  Generally, my sunglasses remain tucked away in the center console of my car.  Initially, I thought this was a good place to keep my sunglasses.  With my sunglasses within arm’s reach, I figured I would never have to worry about the sun’s rays blinding me while driving. 

Unfortunately, storing my sunglasses in the same place where I keep my GPS, cell phone charger, iPod adapter, and parking meter money turned out to be not one of my best ideas.  As a result, I was more than excited when I stumbled upon this cute way to display and organize sunglasses while flipping through Ikea’s catalogue.  By hanging my sunglasses on a clothing hanger, I am able to easily see and access all of my sunglasses.  Rather than use the plastic hangers that I use for my clothes, I decided to invest in a more aesthetically pleasing hanger; I ended up buying white, wooden hangers from Ikea ($5 for a pack of 8).  I jazzed up the simple, white hanger by tying a pink and green, floral ribbon that I found in my mom’s ribbon drawer around its neck.  Now, not only are my sunglasses organized, but storing my sunglasses this way also provides me with a nice room embellishment. 

By having my sunglasses so easily accessible, I am now able to wear my sunglasses during the day.  And maybe even at night.

Just kidding.  I'm not that cool...

- M.

If You Like It, Then You Should Put A Ring On It

Or in my case, multiple rings.  I used to keep my rings tucked away in a jewelry box.  However, I found myself never wearing my rings; I guess that old saying is true, "out of sight, out of mind."  I figured if I put my rings in a place where I could see and access them more easily, I would wear them more often.  Rather than just throw my rings on my dresser top where they would be out in the open and clearly visible, I wanted to display my rings in a more organized and collective manner.  I decided on using a small serving plate that my mom found at a Japanese grocery store to display my rings (I can't remember the exact price of the plate, but I can't imagine my mom spending more than $15 on it).  I liked this plate because it was simple yet unique.  Now, not only am I able to easily see and access my rings, but this display also serves as a nice accent for my room.

Let us know how you display or store your rings and other accessories in the comments below!

(If you want to see a "neat" (neat as in organized and cool...) way to display necklaces, check out our post Necklaces Galore.)

- M. 

Low-Cost Drawer Organizers

Being the super-cheap, organizational-freak, college student that I am, there was no way I was going to pay $20 for drawer organizers from Bed, Bath, & Beyond (I'm sorry BB&B, but we can still be friends).  Instead of dishing out the cash, I decided to make my own drawer organizers.  I took some of my old shoe boxes and covered them with packaging paper I picked up at Target for around $6.  I opted for packaging paper instead of wrapping paper because I liked the simple and natural look the paper gave the boxes.  Although I could have left the shoe boxes as they were, I decided to wrap them in matching paper to give them a more clean and cohesive look.  I also liked the fact that I could personalize the boxes and truly make them my own.  Now, not only is it easy to find things in my dresser drawers, but by using low-cost materials and things lying around the house, these drawer organizers cost me next to nothing.  Oot oot.  Now I can go spend the $14 I saved on more essential items - like food.  Priorities people.

- M.

Necklaces Galore

Once a belt hanger, now a necklace organizer.  I originally stored my necklaces around my doorknob.  However, I soon grew tired of wrestling with my necklaces trying to get them untangled every time I wanted to wear one.  While sitting on my floor aimlessly staring into my closet (which sadly, I often times do), I noticed my empty belt hanger.  BINGO!  A light bulb went off in my head.  Belt hanger + necklaces = perfection.  Now I am able to easily access my necklaces and no longer need to whip out the chainsaw to cut them apart.

(Check out our post If You Like It, Then You Should Put A Ring On It for tips on how to display and organize your rings!)

- M.