All About the Little Things

It doesn't take much to make me smile.  Unfortunately (for the people living with me, especially), it doesn't always take much to make me frown either.  Or sigh.  Or roll my eyes. 

I did all three everytime I walked into my kitchen and saw this:

This is clearly the sad, catch-all area.  My husband calls me a piler (sad, but true).  I implement organizational strategies often, but they don't always pan out as expected.  You can see some of my sad attempts to organize here.  The file box holds all the monthly bill that have been paid, but kid work from school that I plan to keep and do something with  ignore forever is sticking out in the back.  The hanging file boxes hold business and tax info, as well as "pay attention to me soon," stuff.  A couple of binders and a pile (ack!) complete the desk top.  This is SOOO NOT what I want to see when I walk through the kitchen.  Plus, the wires hanging down were driving me batty! 

In my last post, I told you how I needed a change.  I needed to smile big  not roll my eyes and turn into a raving lunatic when I walked through the kitchen. 

And now that's possible. 

Thanks to a little sanding, a little painting, and a little Hobby Lobby.  I decided to paint the back of the shelves the same color as my dining room to tie the areas together.  I moved the hanging files to the other side, so they are no longer a focal point.  They will eventually move to the office (or the trash) when the office becomes my focus (hopefully before the year 2012).  Since I didn't have enough paint left over, I went to Lowe's and bought a $3 sample and they matched the color for me.  The sample was enough for 2 coats and a little left over for touchups, should they become necessary. 

I pulled several items out of my pantry and started playing around.  The beverage container was screaming to be filled with lemons, but when I went to HL to get some fakies, all their lovely fall decor was screaming to me.  I succommed to the acorns instead. 

Hey--it's thisclose to fall!  It seemed silly NOT to go ahead and do a little planning ahead.  And those things in the corner of the picture?  Yes--it's completely too early for pumpkins.  But this are not orange.  These are fabulously cute!  And cheap! 

I couldn't resist.  Who can blame me?  (Well...someone whose name begins with the letter "M" for starters...) 
He doesn't count!

And the (almost) final outcome???

So much more enjoyable to look at!  I now find myself smiling everytime I walk through...
It still needs a little something, but it'll get there.  Other than the acorns and the pumpkins, everything else was shopped from my house.  Pretty stuff, hidden away from sight. 

Take out your pretties, people!  You'll be happy about it! 

Just for a final comparison:

Icky, icky before

 

Pretty, pretty after

And the wires?   Why did I not have the computer tower on the other side???  Because (ahem) now they are practically hidden from view.  Seriously, sometimes the things that make the most sense don't always present themselves just so in my brain. 

I'm now on the lookout for an ugly chair that needs a makeover.




Parties I'm linking to...