closet organization with the riley group

I have mentioned my closet's unfortunate state before here and here.  But finally, I have made legitimate steps towards recovery.

Step 1:  We had a garage sale.

Step 2:  I did my research and got inspired.  This blog is all about your closet.  This post really got me thinking this summer on how I needed to edit my wardrobe.  I love Kendi Everyday's working closet series.  I started reading Jen Hatmaker's book called "7" and quickly fell in love.  I'm hoping her chapters on clothing, shopping, and possessions are helpful to me.

Step 3:  Cassie from The Riley Group helped me reorganize my closet!

We met a few weeks ago for a consult so she could take a look at my situation.  My situation was this:

Pretty gross.  There was no order to my closet at all.  She wrote a few things down and gave me some ideas for what I could purchase that would help my closet become functional.  I decided on one adjustable shelf and 6 bins.

Last week, Cassie came back and we did this:

There it all is.  Can you even believe all of that was in my closet?  It looks ridiculous.

We started at the top.  We organized purses, bags, gloves, tights, hats, etc. into labeled bins.

Next on the list was shoes.  We put the shoes I wear the most on the shelf so I could access them easily.  We made this bin for all the others:

Then it was time to address the mounds of clothes.  She organized everything into these categories:

Pants/Jeans
Skirts
Workout Pants/PJ Pants
Long-Sleeved Tops
Short-Sleeved Tops
Vests
Long-Sleeved Cardigans/Jackets
Dresses

Within each category, they were organized by good ole Roy G Biv. 

She put everything back in the closet with the hangers going the opposite way.  This is so that in 6 months, I will be able to see what I've worn and what I haven't worn by whether or not the hanger is turned.  If I haven't worn it in 6 months, it can probably go in the donation pile.  I love this idea because it's something practical I can stick to.

Here's the finished product:

It's like a breath of fresh air walking into my room and knowing that my closet is organized.  If you all are feeling overwhelmed by lack of organization somewhere in your home, you should definitely contact The Riley Group!

weekend review - s'mores and grits

On Friday, I went to a little pumpkin carving party at Sara's house where we ended up not carving pumpkins at all.  But we did eat chili, drink cider, and make s'mores by a lovely fire.

None of us were exceptionally knowledgeable when it came to making fires.  Sara and Jenny planned on taking care of it though.  They did a great job, but I did hear the phrase, "Oh!  We need matches!" right before they walked outside.  Luckily, they were successful and got it going.  Then, because we're a bunch of girls and were tired of the smoke burning our eyes, we let it die.

We went to a little family get together on Saturday for October/November birthdays.  It was a brunch so Duke got to try some breakfast casserole and grits for the first time.  He loved it!  He also loved being the center of attention for 2 straight hours.  I just don't know where he gets it.

That afternoon, Karlie and I ran over some things for The Girlie Show this Saturday.  Please come!

And last but not least - the jingle contest.  You're tired of me talking about it and I get it.  BUT we've only got 2 more days of voting left!  So please click HERE and vote for us, Adult E! 

my first concert of motherhood

Last week, Colt and I saw Page CXVI and Derek Webb in concert at Frontline.  In the beginning, I was pretty "whatever" about the whole thing.  Yeah, I'm a musician and I love live music but I don't like standing at concerts and that night, I just wasn't in a concert mood.  Turns out, we sat down the entire time and the concert was absolutely amazing.

Obviously I'd heard Derek Webb's music once upon a time and I saw him live in college.  But I never was a crazy fan.  As for Page CXVI, I'd never even heard of them.  My expectation was to sit, drink my decaf mocha, and passively listen to the music being played in front of me.  

Page CXVI took the stage and with the first note that came out of her mouth, I was hooked.  They sang several hymns (which is what they do) and some originals (which is what their band under a different name does, The Autumn Film). 

They totally sucked me in.  But when she began to sing "Roll Over Me/Joy," I felt like the rest of the room disappeared behind me and I was sitting directly in front of the stage alone.

It was like I had written this song and she was singing it for me. 

So roll over me
I'll just sink down, I'll just sink down
To the bottom of the sea
I'll just be here, I'll just be here

My eyes started to fill with tears and stayed like that the rest of the song.  She told us the story behind the song and although my story is completely different, I could still relate to the idea of wishing I could sink down to the bottom of the sea.  You can probably relate too.  There are just those moments that you would rather be hidden under rock (because of anxiety, heartbreak, a loss, etc.) than out in the open.  I was so thankful for her honesty that night.  It was a beautiful time of sitting, praying, and reflecting on this journey I've been on and am still on.

Once they finished playing, Derek Webb was up next.  He did about 20 minutes of requests from the audience.  Then, he brought Page CVXI back up to play with him.  They played through his CTRL album all the way through.  I was totally blown away.

(P.S.  Read the short story behind his album here and the hidden meaning behind the story here.) 

I was not only blown away by the concept behind all of it, the musicianship, and the flawless execution, but by the chord progressions.  Oh, the chord progressions were fantastic!  I wished so badly I could get out a piece of paper and start doing some harmonic analysis, but that would've probably been odd.  This album is so creative and so well-done.

I highly recommend that you check all this music out.  And while you're doing that, I'll be stalking Tifah from Page CXVI and wishing we could be BFFs.  We totally could be though, right?

duke's 1st birthday

Before I spill a bunch of pictures and tell you how wonderful Duke's party was, let's get something straight.

Thanks to social media and Pinterest, everyone in the universe feels the need to go all out for their kid's first birthday.  I felt this pressure creep in on me as I was planning.

I need to cut triangles and make a bunting to hang.

I need to have cutesy labels on all my food.

I need to have a very evident theme throughout the whole party.

I need a banner.

I need an awesome cake.

But then I asked myself, "Why do I feel the need to do all of this?"  And guess what?  It wasn't even for me!  It was other people.  It was for pictures.  It was so I could look like mom of the year.  I mean, here's the deal, if my normal life already looked like a Pinterest board, then great.  But it doesn't.  So, who am I kidding?  I'm not throwing a Pinterest-esque party for my child who, while he is incredibly special, has only been alive 1 year.  It doesn't mean I'm a bad mom or I don't care enough or I'm rebelling.  It means that what works best for me is to do something simple.

(And hey, if simple is not your cup of tea and you prefer the totally awesome parties, that's great.  We can still be friends.)

I made the cake (a recipe I copied from Sara) and it actually turned out normal.  That's all I was asking for.  Normal.  But watching me bake the cake was anything but normal.  Colt found it very entertaining as I poured ingredients into bowls that were way to small to fit everything, spilled cake mix on the floor, and talked to myself constantly.  Keep in mind, these were box cake mixes.  So, really, nothing crazy was going on.  But this is just an example of why I'd much rather cook than bake.

You know, it's weird having a party for your kid.  "Hey, everybody, come to my house, celebrate my kid, and give him presents!"  I know it's what I'll be doing for the rest of my life, but it's a weird feeling.  To counteract this weird guilt I was feeling, I almost considered doing party favors.  But they would've been from the Dollar Tree and who really needs kazoos and other random crap strewn all over their home with kids running around.  Nobody.

All I'm saying is that I kept it nice and chill.  If Duke could talk, I'm pretty sure that's what he would have suggested as well.

So that's that.

Now, for pictures!



Time to open presents!

 

 

 

 Duke's first experience with cake was definitely a good one.

We counted to 3, threw our kids on the couch, and took a billion pictures.

 

Happy birthday, Duke!

After it was all over, this was left.

I stood there, looking at the floor.  A pile of trash over here, new clothes over there, big boy toys everywhere.  It was all done.  Bam.

The party had been thrown. The cake was eaten.  The presents were opened.  A year had gone by.  I was a mother.   I was a different person.  I was changed.  It was overwhelming how much had happened in a year and the range of emotions I experienced in that year.  I'm not sure how all of that fit into 365 days, but it did.

Did I do what I was supposed to do?  Did I do things right?  Did I do enough?  Did I catch all of it?  (It's crazy, this mom job.  You can do everything you're "supposed" to do and still feel like you could've or should've done more.)

And then I cried.  But Colt hugged me and reminded me that yes, I did.  I did my best and I was a good mom.

I was completely thrown off by my tearful response to Duke's birthday.  But my tears weren't from being sad or wishing I could go back in time and redo Duke's first year.  It's just the fact that a year really does go by that fast. 

So here I am - a proud mom of a precious one year old.  I'm so thankful and blessed that I get to be Duke's mommy.

duke's one year pics

My sweet friend, Kelsi, came over on Duke's birthday to take some pictures in exchange for a meal.  I'd have to say that we totally got the better end of the deal.  I mean, the chicken was good, but these pictures are great!  We absolutely love them.  Here are some of my faves.

To contact Kelsi, visit her Facebook page or her website.  Thanks again, Kelsi!