Neat as a Button

Somehow I felt like my grandma was with me today as I was sifting through her tin of buttons. There are several hundred antique buttons that I’ve been saving for over a decade now. My grandma passed them down to my Aunt Carolyn, who in turn gave them to me.

Originally, I planned to sort through my grandma's buttons, separating and organizing them by color. But then I realized that I love to sieve through them, feeling the textures, and reminiscing about the past. They go as far back as the 1930’s and my grandma, Rachel Siopes, was an excellent seamstress. I like to imagine her sewing on these buttons; maybe hand stitching them onto my grandfather’s coat, or even on my mother’s dress.

I’ve decided not to sort my grandma’s buttons, because I love them just the way they are. They are still in the original tin with my mother’s childhood name written on the lid. They are a mixture of diverse colors and textures, with a couple of green Tiddly Winks circles tossed in (who remembers the game Tiddly Winks?) My buttons remind me of my beloved grandma, and what her life was like back then. Grandma’s tin of buttons are a link to my past.

Here is a part of the original label, with a list of ingredients for chocolate candy on the lid. My grandma used a candy tin to organize her sewing buttons! How cute is that?

On this note, do you remember when your own mother or grandmother taught you how to sew? Do you still remember how? Do you still like to sew now?

Happy organizing, saving treasures & collecting buttons,

Cathy

Signs of Spring

I love this photo because it reminds me of springtime. And what better time is there to get organized than spring? The weather is warming up, the birds are chirping, and the world outside is fresh and alive again! Here are a few of my favorite spring projects as the weather starts turning warmer.

#1 - Wouldn’t it be nice to look outside through clean windows at all the beautiful spring flowers in bloom? Open the windows, remove the screens, and thoroughly wash the panes and sills. I like to use vinegar in a spray bottle, and recycled newspapers for this task. Newspapers keep my windows streak free, and vinegar really makes them sparkle!

#2 - Patio flags are festive and fun, and I look forward to changing them with the seasons. Today, I decided to fly this colorful butterfly flag in celebration of spring. It makes me happy just to look at it! : )

#3 - Its been a long cold winter! Open up all the windows and doors and breathe in all the nice fresh spring air...aaahhh! Replace the filter in the furnace and vacuum out the air-conditioning registers.

#4 - It's not too late to plant a few seeds and begin a vegetable garden indoors. If you have seedlings that are already growing, its a perfect time to transplant them outside! (Be sure to check the Farmer's Almanac for the last few days of frost in your area.)

#5 - This time of year, I begin to pack away our winter hats, gloves, scarves and jackets. I also rotate our winter sweaters and cold weather clothes to make room for spring and summer clothes. It feels really good to clean out our closets, and put away the things we won't wear again until next Fall.

#6 - Springtime = fun + sun, so now is a good time to stock up on sunscreen. I also like to keep my gardening hats, baseball caps, and sunglasses handy.

#7 - When spring rolls around, we get ready for BBQ season by wiping down the BBQ and cleaning off the grill. Then we make sure the propane tank is full, and replace any tools, if needed.

#8 - I just LOVE the idea of drying my clothes outside on a line as the weather starts turning warmer. Hanging them outdoors saves electricity and money, and makes my clothes smell so fresh and clean!

#9 - Switch over from heavy winter bedding to lighter, cooler sheets and covers. Wash and fold our winter blankets, and tuck them away again until the Fall.

#10 - Treat myself to a pretty new spring lipstick! : )

Do you have any favorite routines to help you get ready for springtime, too?

Happy organizing, saving, & welcoming the sunshine,

Cathy

Tea for Two, Two for Tea

This jelly cabinet was a housewarming gift from my Uncle Gene when we first moved into our new home. Last weekend, I finally finished painting it...and now I have a special place to keep my tea! Yay!

Here is the pine wood cabinet that I started with.

First I lightly sanded the cabinet, both on the inside and out. Next, I painted it with non-toxic milk paint by the Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company in "Light Cream." Then I stained the top of the cabinet using Eco Procate Timber Soy natural wood stain in “Oak." After it dried, I used very fine sandpaper to gently distress all of the edges. And last, I found a little glass knob, which I attached to the door with a screw.

This is the inside of my newly finished tea cabinet! Can anyone spy my favorite ballet mug? I’ve owned this cup since I was ten years old, and I still sip tea from it every single morning.

On the top shelf are my teacups, on the second shelf are my teas, and on the third shelf from left to right, is a little box I made to hold our fireplace key, essential oils, and even more tea.

On the bottom two shelves are my Christmas mugs, a set of dessert plates, a tiny tea-cup I received as a baby shower favor, and my flower vases.

James and I vacationed in Northern Michigan last summer, where we visited the Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company. Here’s a picture of James relaxing outside.

The owners, Chris and Heather Sack, are very knowledgeable about all things tea. They even have a resident parrot, who as it turned out, was quite the character! If you ever find yourself in the Traverse City, Michigan area be sure to drop by the Great Lakes Tea and Spice Company in Glen Arbor.

Fruit Juice Tea

I’d like to thank my friend, Veronica, for her simple and delicious fruit juice tea recipe she shared with me today. It only has two ingredients...I'll bet you can guess what they are!

Just warm up some fruit juice on the stove top, let a tea bag steep for a couple of minutes, and you have fruit juice tea!

I’m partial to pear juice with an orange spice tea bag, myself. But you can try any kind of tea, in any combination of fruit juice that you like.

Has anyone else tried fruit juice tea before?

Happy organizing, saving & sipping tea,

Cathy

Berry Organized

This week, I decided to recycle some berry baskets to organize miscellaneous items in my bathroom. Do you know those cute little plastic baskets at the grocery store filled with yummy strawberries, blueberries and raspberries? Who knew they would be absolutely perfect for organizing make-up, q-tips and hair accessories?

The berries at the store were on sale this week for 10/$1 each, with the 11th basket being free. I couldn’t resist this great sale...so I decided to buy all eleven baskets of berries.

I removed the sticker using my blow dryer, and found some left over scrap booking labels, ribbon, scissors and a non-toxic glue stick. I glued the tags to both sides of the lid, so when I open them up, they look pretty on the inside.

I’m just tickled by how they turned out! These whimsical tags dress up the baskets and give them a personality and style of their own! They look cute and colorful inside my bathroom cabinet.

From top left and clockwise - my lipsticks, q-tips, ponytail holders and cosmetic mirrors.

I threaded some pink satin ribbon through a strawberry basket to house my everyday make-up items.

Here’s my finished make-up basket!

This turned out to be such a fun project! As you can see, I didn’t have to spend a lot of money on storage containers to organize my miscellaneous bathroom items. While big chain organizing stores are fun to walk through, most of the time I find myself using containers from garage sales, thrift stores, the dollar store, and my own home.

Oh...and since I just bought eleven baskets of berries...I'm looking forward to baking berry cobbler this weekend!

Mmmmmm!

Happy organizing, saving money & baking berry cobbler : )

Cathy