A Place to Hang my Keys

Way back in September I received a Pottery Barn giftcard from a friend as a birthday gift. It was super sweet of them and I was excited to go shop. But there was one problem- Pottery Barn is expensive! I am crafty for a reason- I'm cheap. I like PB style, but I also think it is way overpriced. So when I received the giftcard I knew it would be a challenge to find something I would like. I have a general rule when it comes to giftcards- do not spend more than $10 over the amount of the card. I do this because I want the card to actually buy me something, not cost me more to get something that I normally wouldn't buy.

So with the Christmas sales and clearances going on, I checked the PB website to see if I could find a suitable purchase. When I found this key cabinet I was in love:

I like how industrial it feels. We can use it to hang Doc's leash on, and all of our various keys can go inside the cage with their appropriate labels. Plus it was on clearance for $24.99!! With my giftcard being $25, I only had to fork over the shipping costs! I can't wait to get it onto the kitchen wall.

Well, do you have any new organization pieces 'round the house?

Open Shelving?

Even as an avid clean-freak, open shelving scares me! I love how orderly the dishes, bowls and cups look, however I think that it would bother me when the shelves are half full. I would constantly be washing dishes so that the shelves were complete. There are a variety of types of shelving to choose from. Glass, wood, floating, open cabinets... I like the look of the floating shelves, but with an interesting background like the glass subway tile. Maybe cabinets with glass doors is a good way to ease into the wide open spaces.

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Do you think you would indulge in this over-exposure of kitchen wares?

DIY: Etched Glass Jars

    

As mentioned earlier, I love organizing my home and labels are my favorite part of it. However if you are working in the kitchen paper labels are not the best idea especially if your containers are ever going to need to be washed. Again, leave it to Martha to solve the problem. Here is her directions for putting glass etched labels on your glass storage containers:

   

     

1. Clean and dry the glass. Using painter's tape, mark off the area you want to etch. Attach vinyl stick-on letters and decorative tape; press hard to ensure they are attached firmly. 

2. Cover work surfaces (be sure to work in a well-ventilated area). Put on protective gloves and an old shirt with long sleeves. Paint an even layer of etching cream onto glass. Let stand for amount of time indicated by manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Rinse with warm water in a stainless steel sink. (Avoid porcelain sinks; the cream damages glazed surfaces.) Remove letters and tape.

© Martha Stewart.com

These glass jars from Ikea would be perfect for etching. 

I MUST do this immediately! Flour, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and chocolate chips here I come!