Home Style Quiz

Yesterday I was browsing Pinterest and came across a HomeGoods Style Quiz.  We're not allowed to paint the walls in our apartment but I like to sit and daydream about what colors I would use if I was allowed.

I have always liked the more neutral/warm wall colors: brown, grey, blue, etc.  When I walk into a home I want to feel instantly soothed, not smacked across the face with some loud wall color.  With a more neutral background you can find that unique accent rug or colorful throw pillow to bring color into the room.  Plus, you can switch them out easily if you decide you want new colors.  It's much easier to find new curtains or pillows instead of painting a wall!

When I took the Style Quiz I found out what I already knew: I like earthy colors.  I think the name they used was Earthy Casual.

"You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect."

Yep, that definitely sounds like me.  

What do you think?  Do you know what your style is?

Photo Storage

My mom moved out of her house a few weeks ago and she gave Chris and I a ton of stuff.  I thought we didn't have room in our apartment before but now we really don't.  So please excuse me if I don't invite you over for dinner and drinks anytime soon.  The mess is slowly taking over and I just can't handle the idea of people seeing it this way right now!

One thing she gave me (that I am really excited about) was all of our family pictures.  They are in two huge bins, all categorized, but I am not able to store them in a friendly space-saving way.  I looked on Pinterest, Office Depot, Ikea, and Staples but did not find what I was looking for.

What did I want?
I wanted something that held a ton of pictures but was easy to store, and you could easily find what you were looking for.  Was that too much to hope for?  

At first the answer was yes.  I seriously thought I would never find anything.

Where did I find my solution?
The Container Store.
It's no surprise that this is now my favorite organization store.  As Sarah puts it, "it made me want boxes for my boxes."

What did I find?

12-Case Photo Storage Carrier

This little beauty is a 12-case photo storage carrier that can hold up to 1,000 4x6 photos.  You can buy either the 12-case ($32.99) or the 6-case ($19.99).  I opted for the bigger case because we have so many photos.

I only bought one (on sale!) to start out with because I wasn't sure how I'd like it.  But, since I love it I will be buying another one in the near future.

Why do I love it?

  1.  It's lightweight.  Even with photos in it I can easy move it wherever I want.

  2.  It's see-through so you can easily find what you are looking for.

  3.  It's versatile.  It's also a good way to store recipes!

  4.  Easy to label.  

  5.  Photos will be well preserved for a very long time.

  6.  They're stackable so they don't take up a lot of space (score!).   

In a matter of days I went from this:

To this:

Big difference, right?  And I still have another box sitting in my car that is filled to the top with photos. 

Life Story Binder Part 2: Materials

Remember my idea to make Chris a Life Story Binder?  Well, I've finally got all the supplies I need and am ready to start putting it together!

My goal price was to spend $20 or less.  Let's see if I was able to accomplish that!

Price List:

• Shutterfly Photo Prints : $4.06 (I received 50 free 4x6 prints through a promotion and only had to pay tax and shipping)
• Photo Album Insert Pages : this plan backfired.  The 4x6 photo pages available at Target do not fit in a regular 3-ring binder.  Plan B is to make scrapbook pages for which I already have the materials!
• Binder : already owned!
• Sheet Protectors : already owned! (Costco sells 100 for $10 which I will be getting if and when I need more!)

Total Cost : $4.06 
I came in $15.94 under budget!    

I really lucked out by already owning most of the items I needed.  My wallet is happy and I'm ready to get cracking on this project!  I plan to do a little at a time that way I don't become overwhelmed and want to stop working on the binder all-together.  

I've also been tweaking my suggestion list here and there so I can make sure I include everything that I want to.  The one part I am most excited about is including Chris's Family Tree from ancestry.com.  He's worked hard on it for a few years now and is always so excited when he finds something new about his family.  

And, because he is so into video games (especially World of Warcraft), I want to include a section with pictures of him and his guild members, stats about the character he plays, and notes about the Guilds he has been in.  I'm expecting this part to be a huge surprise because I don't think Chris would ever expect me to be knowledgeable about his game and I already know I'm going to have to figure out some unconventional and crafty ways to get some of the more vital information. 

Those are just two of the ways that I tweaked my list to include things about Chris that I find special and endearing.  Most of the other categories are from all things simple's original suggestion list.  

Stay tuned to see how everything turns out!