W Design: Pretty

Go ahead, it's fun. With Thanksgiving only two days away, I'm well aware of those "big deal" things, like the head count, the pies {apple for me, please}, the bird. Then there are the little things, the ones we could easily overlook while we're yelling at our husbands to get the extra chairs out of the garage, but the ones that make the celebration extra fun and a little fancy.

During the spring semester of my junior year in college, I was awarded the English Department's book scholarship. I had free reign to buy $50 worth of books at Border's; I simply had to turn in my receipt to the English Department secretary to be reimbursed. After 45 minutes of browsing, I had made my selections and showed my husband {my fiance at the time} what I had decided on.

"The Art of Napkin Folding and Etiquette for Everyday? I'm pretty sure the English Department wants you to buy something like Moby Dick," he told me.

"I don't care. It's my scholarship. I'm still reading, aren't I?"

Needless to say, I didn't receive that award again. But that napkin folding book has brought me plenty of use. When friends come for dinner and my husband spots the napkins transformed into pieces of art, even he can't deny that it was a good buy. So here's a little something fun and fancy to add to your Thanksgiving table this year.

How?

1. Start with a cloth napkin laid flat on the table.
P.S. Iron it first!

2. Fold the bottom of the napkin up to meet the top.

3. Fold the top layer of the napkin down.

4. Fold the top back up to meet the top of the new fold.

5. Carefully flip the napkin over.

6. Fold the right side of the napkin into the center.

7. Fold the left side in to meet the right.

8. Pull back the bottom right side of the napkin and tuck the left snugly inside.

The back of your napkin will look like this:

9. Flip the napkin over and insert silverware.

Easy, and a little bit fancy! The best part? You can set the table and fold the napkins the night before, saving yourself a little extra time for yelling at your husband to get those extra chairs out of the garage tomorrow.

As promised, the master closet.

I always wanted a walk-in closet, one with space for bags and shoes and pretty things - oh yeah - and clothes, too. The closet we designed for our remodeled master suite was a decent size, much bigger than any closet I'd ever had before, but the space that I'd always wanted was left neglected as we simply threw our shirts on hangers, and well, that's about it. I did paint the walls before we placed everything inside, but the color I selected was one I ended up hating.

If you hate the color of the closet before, me too. If you love it, why thank you.
I picked it out myself, and it's called Beachwalk by Behr.

Because life is busy and there are always more important tasks on our lists, I left the closet alone, leaving it to "Someday." Well friends, that someday is now.

I decided that I deserved a space that made me smile when I walked inside, one that reflected me. I knew I wanted a nice color on the walls {something that didn't make me cringe}. I knew I wanted a pretty way to display my shoes and bags. I knew I wanted a special space for my jewelry, scarves, and other pretty things.

I cleared everything out of the closet, taking a good look at each piece along the way. Having four kids in five years didn't leave a lot of time to build a good wardrobe, and I had pieces dating back to college. By trying on almost every piece and taking inventory of what I had {Hello FIVE black long sleeved shirts!}, I made a sizeable pile of bags and clothing {and a pink cowgirl hat} to donate.

Next, I painted the walls what I have deemed the most beautiful color of paint on earth: Rhino by Behr. It's a wonderful light gray blue that just soothes. The closet is the third space in our home to be lucky enough to wear the shade, and it wears it well.

After a quick coat of Rhino, I called in my husband to help me with the next step. When we remodeled the downstairs, my husband and father-in-law put together a quick storage system to stow our shoes.

It's great, but I wanted to move it to accomodate an extra piece of furniture.

Wasted space!

I used to have a couple lonely hooks to the left of the shoe shelf to store my bags. We removed the hooks, shifted the shelving system a couple feet closer to the door, and voila! I was left with enough space to incorporate my own accessory area! I had a narrow desk that I had picked up at Home Goods {and painted probably four times}. It had been in my oldest daughter's room and the entryway and was currently sitting in the garage. It was narrow enough to fit the space, it had three drawers made for storing lovely things, and it was just plain perfect. I made my way to the paint department at the local Home Depot {where I think they recognize me} and selected a new shade for the desk. Since I only needed a tiny bit of paint, I asked for the color to be mixed in one of Behr's sample sizes. The 8-oz sizes are less than $3.00 - perfect for testing on walls or painting a small piece of furniture.

This cute mini size is more than enough paint for this project.

We mounted some wall hooks that we already owned above the desk for hanging bags and jewelry. A few finishing touches, and this project was complete - one of my favorites to date! Welcome to the closet.

Rolled up magazines or catalogs will help your boots keep their shape while sitting pretty.

Rocks from my honey spelling LOVE from a trip to Door County {way back on a high school band trip!}
are now in a place where I see them everyday.

Necklaces and bags are hung on hooks. Easy to grab, and I can see everything at one time -
no more digging for the perfect piece!

Hello my Lovelies!

Earring are hooked on this piece of iron decor I stole from the nursery.

Bracelets sit in the Woman of the Year bowl from my last trip to Goodwill.

Drawers in the desk hold scarves and belts.

I knotted my new favorite scarf on the doorknob near the desk - fun to see and wear!

I own a pair of long black leather gloves that belonged to my husband's grandmother.
They sit safely in one of the desk drawers during the warmer months,
but I see them when I pull out a scarf or a piece of jewelry and think of her.