The last area where I focused my organization efforts is my vanity. Our master bedroom has a small full bathroom inside - it has one sink (his), the laundry chute and a tub/shower. My closet, however, is located just outside the bathroom and directly across from my vanity area.
That photo was taken shortly after we moved in... before we had blinds in the bathroom, lol. You know what's interesting about MY vanity area? It's not mine at all. EVERYONE else uses it, puts their crap on it and has the nerve to complain when it's a mess. Both the kid and man have their own sinks. For some reason, however, the toothpaste, the Q-tips, the lotions... it all has to be kept at MY sink. I have my own needs for my vanity... I started wearing makeup last year, remember? Can a girl have a girl area for makeup... Even if she doesn't know what she's doing with it?
In addition to makeup, perfume, lotions and more, I need a place to store my statement necklaces. I was excited to find this [new with tags] jewelry stand at Goodwill:
I wanted to start wearing long necklaces more often... I also realized I had more necklaces than I cared to admit. Having them hanging for me to see has really helped increase the likelihood that I'll wear them! O and here's the stand as it looks at Target:
Yes, the price says $19.99. No, I didn't pay that. For the record, I only paid...
$2.99!! Isn't that awesome? I was so excited but unsure if I had a place for it. It sat in my trunk for a LONG time... like a month. My challenge is that I want everything we have on our surfaces to be intentional. I love my jewelry chest. It looks like a substantial piece of furniture and holds a lot of jewelry.
The only downfall is that the tiny hooks for necklaces can't support the weight of the trendy chunky necklaces. Hmmm... where could I put it?
I'm trying to create an oasis in our bedroom so I thought long and hard of where to place the necklace display and FINALLY decided on the vanity area. I cleared the space and hung my chunky necklaces on my fabulous new organizer. I love it. I also needed to turn my attention to the other items in that area.
My problem is that I want things to be neatly put away at all times. I want to tuck all vanity supplies under a sink. Then, I'm annoyed every night as I tuck my toothpaste, deodorant, and hair brush away. Sure, the counter was pretty but, on MOST days, when I'm not in the mood to clean the counter right before I climb into bed, the clutter became [another] mess.
I realized, in my attempt to keep it clean, I prevented my vanity from functioning.
No, I wasn't THAT bad but... well, this is a safe space, right? I DID reach a point where I had to move things out of the sink to brush my teeth. Did you just snicker? Come on, Islanders. Don't JUDGE me!!
SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE!
I'm happy to report that I cleaned up my vanity and, while it isn't always perfect, I've found some organization tips that have worked for me.
1. Use it? See it.
As I already said, I have products I use everyday - brush, facial moisturizer, lotions, hair products, toothpaste and more. I pulled the items I use on the regular and I knew I needed to find a storage solution that kept them in plain sight. I also flipped this concept and pulled the items I wanted to use more often for display on the counter top. Like what, you ask? Well, I went through this basket under my sink and found several bottles of perfume I NEVER wore simply because I couldn't see them. I donated 10 bottles of unopened brand name scents (Fendi, Armani, Victoria's Secret and more) and the others, I placed on a glass tray:
I'm trying to create an oasis in our bedroom so I thought long and hard of where to place the necklace display and FINALLY decided on the vanity area. I cleared the space and hung my chunky necklaces on my fabulous new organizer. I love it. I also needed to turn my attention to the other items in that area.
My problem is that I want things to be neatly put away at all times. I want to tuck all vanity supplies under a sink. Then, I'm annoyed every night as I tuck my toothpaste, deodorant, and hair brush away. Sure, the counter was pretty but, on MOST days, when I'm not in the mood to clean the counter right before I climb into bed, the clutter became [another] mess.
I realized, in my attempt to keep it clean, I prevented my vanity from functioning.
No, I wasn't THAT bad but... well, this is a safe space, right? I DID reach a point where I had to move things out of the sink to brush my teeth. Did you just snicker? Come on, Islanders. Don't JUDGE me!!
SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE!
I'm happy to report that I cleaned up my vanity and, while it isn't always perfect, I've found some organization tips that have worked for me.
1. Use it? See it.
As I already said, I have products I use everyday - brush, facial moisturizer, lotions, hair products, toothpaste and more. I pulled the items I use on the regular and I knew I needed to find a storage solution that kept them in plain sight. I also flipped this concept and pulled the items I wanted to use more often for display on the counter top. Like what, you ask? Well, I went through this basket under my sink and found several bottles of perfume I NEVER wore simply because I couldn't see them. I donated 10 bottles of unopened brand name scents (Fendi, Armani, Victoria's Secret and more) and the others, I placed on a glass tray:
Lastly, I have a few items that I always seem to buy because I can't find them when I need them (bobby pins, pony tail holders, Cortizone10, etc.). I pulled that stuff out too.
Does it sound like a lot? It was. I love the thrifty two tier thing-y (tray? display? server? IDK). I got it for $1.90 and it holds all of my incidentals...
2. Designate an area for back-ups.
Things you frequently need or use - like razors, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. should have a designated area for refills. That way, you can take advantage of sales without the worry of forgetting where you put them. I set aside an area in one of the linen closets with soaps and toothpastes BUT I also took a basket for my personal stash under the vanity sink.
3. Think outside the container "box" for storage solutions.
I was so excited to re-use jars to organize under my sink. Sauce jars make great comb/brush storage and will save you money! I also use an old shoe box to hold items. You can wrap the boxes to make them pretty or simply place the box under the sink with a label on the front. Using boxes in this manner makes stacking a breeze and helps save lots of space!
Also, think outside your list of typical stores for the supplies you want. I always see the cutest acrylic vanity storage containers for a discount at Ross, TJMaxx, etc. They are always much cheaper than fancy-pants makeup stores.
Does it sound like a lot? It was. I love the thrifty two tier thing-y (tray? display? server? IDK). I got it for $1.90 and it holds all of my incidentals...
2. Designate an area for back-ups.
Things you frequently need or use - like razors, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. should have a designated area for refills. That way, you can take advantage of sales without the worry of forgetting where you put them. I set aside an area in one of the linen closets with soaps and toothpastes BUT I also took a basket for my personal stash under the vanity sink.
3. Think outside the container "box" for storage solutions.
I was so excited to re-use jars to organize under my sink. Sauce jars make great comb/brush storage and will save you money! I also use an old shoe box to hold items. You can wrap the boxes to make them pretty or simply place the box under the sink with a label on the front. Using boxes in this manner makes stacking a breeze and helps save lots of space!
Also, think outside your list of typical stores for the supplies you want. I always see the cutest acrylic vanity storage containers for a discount at Ross, TJMaxx, etc. They are always much cheaper than fancy-pants makeup stores.
I was SO excited to find one at the thrift store for $1.90. It now displays my makeup and it looks so cute:
My vanity is nothing serious but it works for me:)
I hope you've found some of this information useful and that you'll be motivated to work on one problem area in your home.
I'm off to finish prepping Munch's Halloween costume. Here's a sneak peek:
It's going to be AWESOME!
My vanity is nothing serious but it works for me:)
I hope you've found some of this information useful and that you'll be motivated to work on one problem area in your home.
I'm off to finish prepping Munch's Halloween costume. Here's a sneak peek:
It's going to be AWESOME!
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