Easy DIY Projects

 

My name is Amanda Kuzak, I am a professional organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area and my blog Kuzak's Closet features my client success stories as well as adventures from my life. I was lucky enough to guest blog here at A Lived in Home back in January and I'm so happy to be back today with a little organizing DIY tutorial for all of you! Many of my clients and blog readers struggle with creating enough room to store all of their shoes in a way that keeps them organized and visible. Instead of having a pile up on the bottom of your closet or tubs to search through try my trick of storing them in clear shoe boxes with photos attached. I love how easily the bins stack up and no matter what you can SEE what is inside! Here is how you do it...

 

  1.) Take photos of your shoes, I like to position the shoes like this so you can see the front and the side of the shoe. Use the same position for each pair of shoes and the same background so the photos look uniform after they are placed on the clear boxes.

2.) Upload your photos and print them into 3x5 prints. Tip! It is difficult to find a company that prints 3x5 anymore, I uploaded mine and ordered them in 4x6 size and then called the photo shop so they would know to adjust the prints to 3x5.

3.) Place all of the shoes in the clear shoe boxes, then match up the photos to the shoes in the box.

4.) Place the photo on the inside front of the box and adhere it with 2 pieces of tape. I always recommend putting the photo on the inside so it stays protected and the sides don't roll up.

5.) Stack the boxes on the shelf and admire your collection!

If you are reading this post and still wondering what the big deal is here is a photo of the shoes in their boxes without the photos...

and After...

Obviously now you can see how much of a difference the photos make! If you are looking for extra shoe storage give this trick a try! Here are a few more of my favorite DIY projects, I hope you will be inspired to try something new!

DIY Picture Frames Made out of Fruit Drying Racks

How to Create a Jewelry Nook

How to Organize Your Makeup with Velcro

My DIY Coffee Table

Thank you Megan for having me guest blog twice while you were on vacation! I hope your readers are inspired to get organized and start some creative DIY projects after this post!

Guest Post {The Little Black door}

Hi everybody! I'm Elizabeth from little black door and I'm so excited to be here today to talk about some things I've learned from my years of DIY projects. I started DIY'ing when I was 2, which is why I have so much experience but still remain so young and beautiful. :) Hopefully you can find a useful tip or two or at least can relate to some of the hard learned lessons. There is no rush. Leave the deadlines at the door. Sure, you know how long spray painting a lamp will take but when dipping your toe in a new DIY pool, don't add to the stress of the unknown by working under a randomly selected deadline. New (to you) projects are full of surprises and you can't take the time to deal with them correctly if you are rushing. As I learned when reupholstering our couch, what you think will take an afternoon can end up taking two weeks, or four. So frustrating. Especially for someone who has zero patience...that would be me.

 

No need to reinvent the wheel. There are tons of great tutorials out there and chances are whatever you are trying to do has been at least attempted before. Do some research (Pinterest is great for this) and read a few tutorials. Even if you don't end up following the tutorial line by line, it will at least give you an idea of what you are in for. You've got skills. Never underestimate your DIY abilities. Of the 50 or so DIY projects I tried in the past year, I would have guessed I wouldn't have been good at about 49 of them. Turns out, most turn out to be not half bad and I had a great time doing them to boot.

 

DIY Monogram Shams

Quick can be good. Not every project needs to be a huge undertaking. Some of my favorite DIY projects were less than 10 minutes. Like this....

 

Gold spray painted lampshades

Help is a good thing. Sometimes you've reached your DIY limit and you've just got to hire it out. As I learned with the chandelier, not every project is a DIY project. On the big projects, save yourself the stress and the extra money by getting the right help from the start.

Thanks for having me Megan, this was fun! Now off to Pinterest to find my next DIY project!

Sweet Treats for Valentines

Hi Everyone! I'm so happy to have the opportunity to guest blog for Megan while she is away! My name is Amanda Kuzak and I am a professional organizer from the San Francisco Bay Area. My blog, Kuzak's Closet, features my adventures in organizing as well as my adventures in life. In my free time I spend my time in my kitchen and today I wanted to share a few sweet recipes for Valentine's Day. Sometimes simple is better, and these chocolate sour cream cupcakes with buttercream frosting are no exception. Let's be honest, who doesn't love a chocolate cupcake with rich chocolate frosting? They are SO delicious, you won't ever want to use a box cake mix again! Chances are you have most of the ingredients in your pantry already so get to work!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 ¼ cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup sour cream ½ cup water Directions Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of the flour mixture mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth. The batter is ready to bake, or for additions such as nuts, fruit, chocolate chips, or other flavorings. Bake cupcakes at 350 for approximately 20 minutes.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 1.5 tablespoons cocoa 3 sticks of butter 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 oz melted unsweetened chocolate Directions In a mixing bowl, cream confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and butter. Beat in heavy cream and vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and frost each cupcake.

Here are some more sweets for your sweeties!

Nutella Cupcakes

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

Simple Chocolate Brownies

I hope you all enjoyed! Too keep up with everything that is going on in my kitchen please stay connected!

Guest Post {Arcadian Lighting}

If you pay attention to details and like to add impact and drama with lighting, then this post is for you. Arcadian lighting is a great source for home lighting products. The name isn't new, and in fact I'm sure you have seen some of their amazing products around Blogland. Take it away Susi.

Hi, I'm Susi, a writer over at Arcadian Lighting, a great source for the latest in light fixtures and lighting trends. I love visiting other design blogs, so I'm super happy to be guest blogging here at A Lived in Home. Today's post is all about chic finishing touches for the bath. Design is in the details, and even in a bathroom it's the finishing touches and attention to details that make these rooms shine. Enjoy!

This bathroom is a great example of how details make all the difference. A vintage Murano glass vase adds color, fringe on the towels add a chic touch, and the garden stool is unexpected and oh so stylish.

Silver cups make organizing brushes, q-tips and other bathroom necessities stylish and chic. Mint julep cups and even sugar bowls are chic touches for the bathroom. The Burberry perfume bottle is a brilliant detail, the checked pattern is a great touch for any room.

Glass containers are also chic touches in the bath. Placed on a silver tray with a glass table lamp, the glass containers sparkle. Who knew lamps could look so good in the bath?

Small artwork and a colorful tray add pops of color in a chic way to the bathroom. I love the fresh flowers in the silver vaseóso pretty.

A single orchid plant makes for a chic touch in a bathroom or powder room. The silver stool is another chic finishing touch in this bathroom.

Monograms are a traditional element that adds a chic finishing touch to this colorful bathroom. Embroidered in a rich color, the monograms stand out against the busy wallpaper.

The repeating pattern in accessories, tile and lighting fixtures tie this bathroom together. I love the chic lattice patterned fabric added to a plain white shower curtain.

Using vintage pottery, or even new accessories with vintage style, adds colorful as well as chic touches to a bathroom. Pick a single color and vary the shades or mix it up with a rainbow of colors.

How much do you love these chic bathrooms? If you're looking for more design inspiration and ideas on where to put ceiling lights or lamps, come check out Arcadian Lighting's blog! (Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Guest Post and TGIF!

I'm guest posting today over at Saved by Suzy. I'm so thrilled that she invited me to join her series on "A Few of My Favorite Things." Suzy's blog is a great spot for design inspiration and she hosts a link party on Thursdays so check it out and link up.

Hope you had a productive week and at least squeezed in a little fun. Where we live, summer has come to an end for all the kiddos and teachers. The first day of school is on Monday. Thankfully, I have 4 years until I have to walk Baby A into Kindergarten. I'm already dreading that sad moment when I will sob like a baby. Anyways, here's wishing everyone a successful 2011-2012 school year!

Guest Posting

Have you checked out Splendid Design? Megan (great name) enjoys blogging about travel, design, baking, and party planning. I'm guest posting over there today. Go check out her blog and read my post. Here's a sneak peak....

Desk Envy and Guest Post

I'm so excited that Shelli from A La Mode asked me to guest post today for her Tuesday's Turndown. Hop on over to her blog and read all about our Master Bedroom and what makes it a tranquil space for us. While you're there look at her beautifully stylish home. Her blush office is to die for!

If you've taken my home tour you will see that I have an office that already has a desk and a work space. But, when you have desk envy like I do then it's possible to find another space in the home for this beauty.

I've been crushing on the Jett Desk from Z Gallerie, but I do not want to spend $449 on a secondary desk that will be going in our bedroom and will not get as much use as my office does. What makes me so envious of Jett are the clean lines and sleek white lacquer finish. I do not think Jett will be coming home with me though. I just can't justify him to my husband.

I decided to choose an alternative that's only slightly less good looking than Jett. Here lies the Josephine desk from World Market that's only $179.99!

It's actually on sale right now and $20 off the original price. Josephine is smaller than Jett, but still has crisp lines and ample tabletop space to work. Most importantly, it still has "X" shaped legs. She's pretty, practical, and on sale!! I'd say she's quite the bargain at $270 less than Jett! There better be one left for me at the store when I head over there today! Just sayin'!