One of My Favorite (Cleaning) Things...

In the past, my favorite things have usually been organizing products.  This time, however, I want to share one of my favorite cleaning products: The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  These things are awesome.  They clean almost anything off of any surface!  You simply wet the Magic Eraser and procede to erase stuck on, stained, scuffed, slimy, stingy stuff.  I recently spent an hour on my hands and knees 'erasing' the dirt from the floor tile grout in my kitchen and entry-way.  It looks like new!
After trying the Magic Eraser on many surfaces and many stains, I've found that it does leave 'buff' marks on painted walls, so now I use a wet cloth to clean scuffs and smudges on the walls.  Other than that, I have no complaints!  Go do some magic!!

Clothing Swap...

...or in other words, Switch & Bitch!  Have you ever been to a  Clothing Swap?  I hadn't until a couple years ago when a friend invited me to a Switch & Bitch.  She told me it was a clothing swap, and there would be food and drinks and gals swapping clothes.  I thought it was a great idea!  Since that first S&B, I have hosted several at my home.  It's easy!  Invite the gals, ask them to bring their gently used unwanted clothing, a beverage and food to share, and you've got yourself a party!

Inevitably, not every item of clothing finds a new home.  Un-swapped items are donated by the hostess to Goodwill.  Everybody wins!

I borrowed a clothes rack from a friend.

Cheers!

Recycle What?

So I've been recycling for several years now (as I hope you all have been too!)  This morning I decided to check in with the LA Bureau of Sanitation's website to see what, if anything, had changed regarding what they will accept.  To my surprise (and maybe yours?) they now accept all plastics, 1-7, and many other items I would not have thought  I could recycle.  Plastic laundry baskets?  Yes!  Styrofoam cups and containers?  Yes!  Plastic hangers?  Yes!  And much much more!  Click HERE to see for yourself, and I'm off to get a bigger recycling bin!

Heaven in a Handbag

I recently helped my client Amanda move into her new home. Although she now has more closet space, it is configured differently and the old systems for storing purses and handbags no longer work.  We took a trip to The Container Store and picked up some shoe cubbies and accessory hangers.  Shoe cubbies are great for shoes :) but are also perfect for storing smaller accessories.  We used them for her clutches and wallets.  Bigger handbags were more of a challenge - we came up with the idea of hanging them on accessory hangers.  Amanda can now see each and every bag and get to the one she wants when she wants it!

Shoe cubbies are great for storing clutches and wallets.

We used belt and accessory hangers for her handbags.

One of My Favorite Things...

I love the clear plastic shoe boxes from The Container Store.  There, I said it.  And I meant it!  They are called shoe boxes, because - guess what - they can hold shoes!  But they can also hold so so so much more.  In fact, I don't usually use them to hold shoes at all.   I just found 3 different places in my home where I used clear plastic shoe boxes to store things.  If you've worked with me before, chances are I've recommended them to you.

To organize a drawer...

To hold art supplies...

To hold tissue and wrapping paper...

I also love them because: They are clear - so you can see what's inside.  They stack - so you can stack them on top of each other.  They are durable - so you can use them for a long time. 

And they come in cases of 20!  

Spring Cleaning CA$H!

As part of spring cleaning, I always sort through my clothes closets.  I pull things out, try them on, and put them into 1 of 4 categories: "back into the closet", Goodwill, "next clothing swap", or "sell."  I hate to admit it, but usually most items go straight back into the closet.  For some reason, I was recently able to let go of a lot of clothes!  I filled 2 bags and dropped them off at Goodwill, I have 2 bags waiting for the next clothing swap, and this afternoon I took 2 bags over to Crossroads Trading Co. in Studio City (a new and recycled clothing retailer with 6 different Los Angeles locations).  


I've had mixed experiences at Crossroads in the past, sometimes I've sold a few items, sometimes I didn't sell any (frustrating, but different sales clerks will take different things, it's worth it to bring things in a second time just in case.)  This time, I sold 20 items and made a cool $131!!  They take things that are currently in season, are from (more or less) high-end designers, and are in good condition.  I was told that they are always in the market for jeans (which is why I made out so well today), and they take shoes and accessories as well.  Like I said, Crossroads can be hit or miss, but I definitely think it's worth the trip.

I've Seen the Light

Did you know that I once studied interior design?  It's always been a love of mine and recently I decided to 'refresh my memory', so to speak.  I enrolled in UCLA Extension's Interior Design program and am taking a class on "Accessories."  Each week we meet at different showrooms around town.  This week's class was about lighting and we visited 2 very different showrooms: Foundry Lighting (more traditional) and Artemide (very modern), both on Beverly Blvd.  Here are my favorite chandeliers from both showrooms - VERY different from each other but I could see either one hanging from my ceiling.

Do I Need to Keep This?

Good question!  I hear it all the time when working on filing systems for my clients.  The first step in setting up a system is to sort through the paper you already have, but how do you know what to keep or toss?    

I found a great resource back when I first started in the business of organizing - www.onlineorganizing.com.  A particular item I reference often is their Records Retention Guidelines which tells you how long to keep your paperwork/records.   With tax time coming up, now is a great time to get your paperwork in order!   

The Unknowns

It never fails that while sorting, you'll find things that don't seem to belong anywhere or to anything.  These are always the hardest items to deal with, where should they go?    One way of dealing with them, as I found today in my client's garage, is to put all of the 'unknowns' together in a bag, aptly labeled:

IS THIS ANYTHING?  Pieces + bits of things unknown

Operation Petticoat!

What is Operation Petticoat?  Operation Petticoat is a day of FREE beauty, pin-up photography and so much more for wives and partners of active-duty members of the military!

Our first event takes place on January 30th for wives of *Marines stationed abroad.  Participants will enjoy hair, make-up, brow and skin care, vintage clothing and accessories, graphic design, web design, logos, branding, handmade caramels and marshmallows, personal and home organizing, custom greeting cards, and photography.  I am proud to be a part of this amazing project and am offering participants a discounted rate on professional organizing services.

Other services are provided by:

BlitzVisage Katharina

Candy Method Gourmet Confections

Cheeky and Chicy

Crown Jules Photography

Dulcinee Studio

Lola and Roxy's Hair Studio

Flirt Salon

Swift Vintage

*Upcoming events will include all branches of the military.