Small Changes

We live in a rental on post. We'll only be living here  for approximately six months. Two and a half of those months are already over. Therefore, we haven't done much around here besides set up our furniture and hang a few pictures. In fact, we have a storage closet outback stacked floor to ceiling of things we didn't even unpack.

So in order for this place to feel like home, I have to make small and inexpensive changes.

One of the things that bothered me the most was the spices. We have no good cabinet space for them and after a few weeks, I kind of liked having the ones we used on the counter. We cook a lot and I definitely use spices more when they are within my view. Therefore, we've had them sitting on this turn table for a couple months now. Talk about an eye-sore.

I didn't want to buy anything new for the time being and the turn table worked pretty well, it just wasn't pretty. So what did I do? I made it pretty!

I took the pieces a part. Out in the garage in went and my husband used gold spray paint to cover it.

I just love how it turned out. It's a small change, but the turn table looks so much better with a fresh coat of gold spray. What do you think?

I plan on moving all our spices into matching containers at some point, but I'm waiting until we sit still in our house for a while. Too bad I didn't save all those baby food jars! 

National Organizing Month: Pantry

If you haven't heard yet... then get excited, because this month(October) is National Organizing Month! Were you as excited about that as I was?
So to start off the month this past weekend, I got my hands dirty fast. As my husband and I were cleaning up around the house on Sunday, I got to thinking... my kitchen was clean, but when you opened up the panty...

eww wait no! Close it fast! Yupp, that was my reaction! It case you need a closer look at the once organized pantry turned chaos:

So out went everything... and I mean EVERYTHING. But of course, I got completely absorbed into organizing that I forgot to take a picture of the entire pantry contents on my kitchen counter... or the bare white pantry. 

Yes, you heard me right, I added that little word "white" in there. Why? Because it is white no longer! Since the pantry was completely bare, I thought this is a better time then ever to paint it! My husband thought I was crazy and wanted nothing to do without(although he did help with the out of reach spots for my short self). So I got all of the painting essentials out of the our garage, and used the same blue paint (which I still LOVE) that we painted our kitchen.

What a nice pop of color! It just brightens my day:-)

Then back in went the shelves, and after sorting and purging a few things, so did the food!

And a closer look:

Containers got new matching labels with Breakfast foods on the first shelf (minus the rice).

Bread and Grains on the second.

Snack foods on the third.

And extras on the two bottom shelves. If you notice, I keep our daily vitamins in our pantry, along with some Tylenol, because it's easy to grab in the morning while eating breakfast. Yes, I know I am lucky to have it on the bottom shelf while I can since we don't have kids yet. 

Also, If you noticed, I made sure nothing was on the floor this time, and what a difference that makes in looking so much cleaner!

Finally, canned foods and packages on the door. 

I must admit, it looks way better in person than the picture does justice for, but the best part about it, is that every time I open my pantry now... I smile:-)

Round two of organizing for National Organizing Month this weekend! I can't wait!

until next time,

Kacie