CasaSugar

Cool Idea: A Shoe Organizer as a Vertical Garden

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:30:28 -0700

Vertical gardens are a great choice for those of you who are space-conscious. But, unless you want to pony up for a Living Wall system or the like, they can be complicated and costly to build on your own. So, I was pleased to find a vertical garden made using an over-the-door shoe organizer on Instructables. Aside from the actual soil and seeds, the installation requires only a few household supplies (curtain rod, hooks, a piece of wood, and a trough) and takes only four steps to build. While I'm not sure about how long the fabric would last, it's still a pretty clever solution to a small-space dilemma.

Casa Quickie: Welcome Guests With a Shoe Organizer

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:15:43 -0800

TeamSugar member SweetPeasMom shared a great tip for making your guests feel right at home involving an over-the-door shoe organizer, which she repurposed. She says:

I hang an over-the-door shoe organizer on the back of the door of our guest room. In each of the different clear pockets I may include the following: a map of the local area, sun lotion, soaps and shampoos (usually the free hotel ones or samples), note cards, a good paperback book (with a note saying to take it with them if they haven't finished), candies, a flashlight, a variety of medications and personal items, a couple of stamps, postcards from the surrounding area, etc. My guests seem to really appreciate it. And it's amazing how many of these little things are free or very inexpensive.

Source

Do You Keep Your Shoes in Shoe Boxes?

CasaSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:30:55 -0700

My closet is the most unruly area of my home, and my shoes are the worst of it. The thought of keeping them all in shoe boxes, clear plastic or not, is actually funny to me; they wouldn't last even a week. But I applaud anyone who can keep up with it. Organization Tips group member PopGal recently spent a rainy weekend organizing her shoes in transparent plastic shoe boxes from the Container Store.
She says, "Not only can I see where everything is at once in a nice, organized way, but my favorite part is how clean it keeps my shoes. I have so many pairs I love, but only wear a few times a year, so it was making me sad to see the dust build up on them." How about you?

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:06 -0700

Decorate with horse art. - AT:NY
Kitchen designs for the elderly. - Charles and Hudson
Get your shoes organized. - ShelterPop
You have to watch this mural video! - Craft
Tour Wilco's studio loft. - PoppyTalk
I like the look of this composter. - Re-Nest

How Do You Store Your Shoes?

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:30:38 -0700

If you're sitting pretty like Blair Waldorf, your designer stilettos are neatly stacked in your custom closet. But, if you're more like Yours Truly, your ballet flats are piled up like Legos and plastic trucks in a kid's toy box.Source

Open House: What Makes Your Entry Work?

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:35 -0700

The entry is such a massive multitasker. It has to provide room for storage, mail, putting on shoes, hanging jackets, and placing keys. It also often functions as a gallery space. Often, this happens within a very small square footage, many times in 10 square feet or less! I'm still looking for the perfect skinny console that offers adequate storage for shoes, hats, sunglasses, and letters and bills. For now I make due with various storage vessels, including a repurposed knitting caddy stand. I'm also terribly fond of the decoupaged bowl that a friend made for me, which is the perfect size for all of our various keys.

How do you organize your entry? Is there any piece of furniture that makes everything work? What kind of art do you include in your entry?

Tell me about what makes your entry work - and what you're still figuring out - when you read more.

Do you have some must haves that are essential for keeping your entry tidy and design-forward? Are they the same as my must haves shown below?

10 Degree Coat Rack - $49.95	Amy Ruppel Welcome Friend - $450.00
Channing Mirror - $299.00	"Saville" Valet Tray - $110.00
Blu Dot - Drift 2 Door/3 Drawer Console - $1,599.00	Emma Gardner - still runners by emma gardner - $525.00
Galvanized Boot Tray - $39.00	Ljusas Salbo Table Lamp - $39.99

Source

Etsy Find: Handmade Maple Bench

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:30 -0700

Need to add some organization to your entry? Then try this Handmade Maple Bench ($279). With its streamlined, modern design, compact size, and multiple compartments, it's the perfect place to tuck away everything from shoes to laptop cases when you come home at the end of your workday. This pretty bench is handcrafted from Forestry Stewardship Council-certified Maple, and finished with a clear lacquer that highlights the wood's natural beauty. I also love that its built-in handles make it easy to move. I can see this coming in handy as extra seating for a party - just pick it up by its handles and move it to your living room or dining room.

The builder, Josh Ganshorn, an Oakland-based designer and contractor, will add hinged front panels to this piece if you want to keep the look even more streamlined, and also offers different finishes or paints to match your home.

View 4 Photos ›

Casa Interview: Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss (Part 2)

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:47 -0700

Alison Hotchkiss, the creative director of Alison Events and the author of Destination Wedding Planner, has plenty of smart advice on planning destination weddings. If you, or a couple you know, are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Alison's new book to lend a guiding hand in your planning process. You can read the first half of the interview here. Alison has more great advice in the second half of this interview.

CasaSugar: When you plan a destination wedding, do you try to use local artisans, caterers, and other services?

Alison Hotchkiss: I definitely try to use as much local support as possible. It’s cost-effective, puts money back into the community, and is a positive way to support the area. I will sometimes hire a local planner to serve as my eyes and ears locally, and then I have someone to help us when we’re there. Especially in smaller beach communities, a lot of negotiations and contracts are over a handshake, not a formal agreement, so it’s important to respect the way that the local community does business.

To see Alison's advice on everything from wedding favors to organizing activities, read more.

CasaSugar: What’s your take on wedding favors? Have there been any that have stood out? Have there been any alternatives that were creative or impressive?

Alison Hotchkiss: One of my favorite favors was from my Costa Rica wedding. All of the guests were given Holga cameras preloaded with film, so everyone was able to take photos throughout the ceremony. There was a big beautiful glass bin where everyone could drop their film and they could reload throughout the evening. At the end of the evening the bride took all of the film, processed it, and put it on the Pictage website, so everyone could see all of the photos that were taken.

Another trend I’ve been seeing is people paying it forward by offsetting people’s carbon footprint for travel. This is often seen on the bottom of the menu or program. Other couples have donated to schools or children’s community shelters. I’ve seen a lot more of that than people purchasing favors. I think it’s a waste of money to do a favor these days when there are so many other things you can put your money towards.

CasaSugar: How do you deal with gifts at a destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: I rarely see gifts at a destination wedding. Most people know to not bring gifts and to ship them in advance. If somebody were to get gifts they’d have to pack them and bring them back. You’d have to arrange for shipping, and oftentimes if you’re staying at a hotel that’s something they can execute for you.

One other great story is that some of my clients, in lieu of wedding gifts, the client included a notecard in the invitation asking everyone in lieu of gifts to “pay it forward” and do something for someone else, be it a family or an organization in their name, and then to write it on the notecard. Then, when people got to the wedding, the guests had the same card that had their name and their table numbers on it, so they replaced the name cards with the pay it forward card, and we had this really awesome display of what people had done to pay it forward. They ranged from deep, meaningful stories to really silly stories, such as “Oh, I paid for the person’s toll behind you,” and someone else said, “I rescued a bird off the side of the road.” That was a really cute idea and a great way to say, Let’s not focus so much on material gifts, and focus more on giving back to the world.

CasaSugar: Once guests get to the destination, have you found a fun way to organize activities? Do you let guests know a schedule beforehand, or spring it on them as a fun surprise? How would you say is the best way to organize this?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’d say the majority of people these days are creating their own wedding websites, which is the best way to communicate all of the information that can happen. It can have directions, wedding activities, local things to do and see, all of that. Or, rather than asking people to sign up beforehand on the web-site you can have people, during the rehearsal dinner, sign up for the following day’s tours. We have used a chalkboard so it was more fun than writing it on a 8.5x11 piece of paper. Different activities we have done are a snorkeling adventure, massage, or horseback riding. It’s nice to not have to determine things so far in advance.

CasaSugar: Given the economic climate right now, if you were going to recommend one area where guests can squeeze their budget, what can be downsized?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’d say music. We always tell people to go with a DJ vs. band, it’s thousands and thousands of dollars for a band. A band can run from $2,000 to $10,000. That’s one area. Another is limiting favors. You can also choose beer and wine instead of an open bar, or limiting the time of the open bar. Pick your battles and consider what’s most important.

Another area is the flowers. Instead of doing flowers, consider using a combination of herbs, flowers, succulents, and fruits. We did a wedding recently in the tropics and cut bougainvillea petals from the local branches and made a carpeted aisle for the ceremony. It was so vibrant and so colorful, and it was free. Use what you have locally.

CasaSugar: What would you have at your destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: All I know is I want it to be somewhere tropical (with good surf), laid back, and I would be totally happy with fish tacos, a DJ, and local beer, Oh and I think I am going to wear a short dress and lose the shoes!

CasaSugar: That sounds excellent.

Source

How-To: Spring Organize Your Bedroom

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:39 -0700

Spring is the perfect time to get your home clean and organized. To help you get inspired, I've whipped up a Spring Cleaning Checklist, which you can download and print out. The PDF lists cleaning and organizing duties room by room, to keep things simple. Earlier today, I expanded on my PDF tips for cleaning your bedroom, so if you haven't read my post on cleaning, definitely do so.

To see my tips for organizing your living room, read more.

Relocate your computer station/laptop. Bedrooms should ideally be reserved for sleeping, relaxing, and getting romantic. If nothing else, invest in an under-the-bed storage container or basket that you can use to toss your laptop in and slide under the bed.
Donate any clothes and/or shoes you have not worn in the past year that are cluttering up your closet. Also add any extra bedding you do not use to that pile, as well as books you will never lend to friends or read again. Choose your favorite local charity, or go with one of the bigger, national charities that does great work, such as Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.
Recycle papers and magazines that have spent too long sitting on your bedside table.
Toss anything not in good enough condition to donate. If the objects are large, arrange a pick-up from your waste service, or take it to the dump, which will probably involve a fee.
Add shoe storage, closet storage, and under-bed storage. You might also try reorganizing your jewelry by making my earrings shutter. Check out my finds below.

Lt. Walnut Cut-out with Glass Armoire - $385.00	Degernes Bed Storage Box - $39.99
CLOSEOUT! Martha Stewart Collection "Closet Shop" Over-the-Door Hanging Shoe Pockets - $24.99	VÄnna Storage Unit - $249.00
Platinum elfa Easy Hang Shoe Rack - $8.99	Barn Wood & Chalkboard Bin - $38.00
John Louis Home Honey Maple Premier Closet Organizer - $359.99	10-Shelf Shoe Organizer - $15.00

Source

How-To: Spring Organize Your Entryway

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Spring is the perfect time to get your home clean and organized. To help you get inspired, I've whipped up a Spring Cleaning Checklist, which you can download and print out. The PDF lists cleaning and organizing duties room by room to keep things simple. Earlier today, I expanded on my PDF tips for cleaning your entry, so if you haven't read my post on cleaning, definitely do so.

To see my tips for organizing your entry, read more.

Relocate unnecessary furniture cluttering the space, as well as Winter clothing and boots you won’t need until next season. Furniture is likely unnecessary if you don't use it, or if it makes it difficult to move through the entryway.
Donate multiples of jackets, equipment, and other clothing. Choose your favorite local charity, or go with one of the bigger, national charities that does great work, such as Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.
Recycle newspapers, magazines, junk mail. (Or, try turning it into art.) To prevent future junk mail, get your name removed from mailing lists.
Toss anything not in good enough condition to donate. But before you put it in the garbage, make sure that it's really garbage. For instance, lightweight, worn-out jackets can be cut into pieces for cleaning rags.
Add cabinets, baskets, or cubbies for jackets and shoes, a blackboard or corkboard for leaving messages, and a mirror. Check out my ideas for new organizational furniture below!

Source

Barrel Stave Blackboard - $195.00	10 Degree Coat Rack - $49.95
Barrel Stave Coat Rack - $99.00	Barrelhead Mirror - $229.00
Ceres Console - $299.00	Flora Fabric Storage Boxes - $12.99
Wood Storage Box - $149.99	Village Black Armless Bench/Natural Cushion - $79.95
modernlink - Ryder Entryway Table - $3,450.00	Samantha Entryway Collection - Charlotte Blue - $299.00
OFFI - Perf Boxes Storage/Shelves - $299.00	Belhaven Corkboard - $149.00