That Time I Hit The Jackpot

I suppose I should start by clarifying. No, I did not win millions playing a slot machine or scratching my addicting cashwords lottery tickets.

When I talk about hitting the jackpot, I am talking about these beautiful silver bins! 

Last year, I purchased three bins from TJ Maxx that I thought would look great in my new home office, At that point, I didn't even have a newly decorated home office but I did have all kinds of ideas in my head for what I wanted it to look like, and the bins I found at TJ Maxx were perfect!

I posted this picture on instagram about a year ago, showcasing the bins:

The three bins ended up matching my vision perfectly, and were shown on the blog again with I did my Home Office Reveal this summer. 

They ended up matching the home office perfectly and to say I was in love with the bins would be an understatement. 

About a month ago, I was in TJ Maxx with my mom when I came across matching bins, and I knew it was meant to be. I was looking for baskets for my craft closet, and these were once again pure perfection. I filled my entire cart and bought every single one they had. I figured if I didn't use them all I could always return them, but if I didn't buy them all, I'd be kicking myself later.
I seriously felt like I had hit the jackpot!

When I got home, they ended up being a perfect fit for the shelves in my craft closet. The only problem was there were two patterns that I needed just one bin more of, and I knew I had bought the store out, so I decided I would just have to make it work... UNTIL:
A few weeks later, I went to Marshall's about half hour away just for fun. When I got to the aisle of storage bins and baskets, they had the two bins I needed!! What are the chances of that?! I snatched those babies up so fast.

After that, it was a sure thing: I had indeed hit the freaking jackpot! 

Seriously though, aren't they beautiful? 

I'm obsessed... maybe a little too obsessed.
I still can't decide which pattern I like best, they are all just... perfect!

I can't wait to reveal my finished craft closet! Just a few final touches before I show it off!

Happy Monday!

Craft Closet: Built-In Desk

It's been a while since we have made any improvements inside our home. Ever since we gave our home office a makeover, I have been wanting to also create a craft closet in that room. Lucky for me, I have a handy husband who was more than willing to build me said craft closet as a Christmas gift!

I've been scanning Pinterest and he's been "researching" the best way to put everything all together.

I feel like I should preface this by saying that I know nothing about building cool things, such as desks. I'm a crafter through and through, but don't ask me to use a saw, or a kreg jig... that's Adam's job. So, while I was doing homework all weekend, Adam was busy making me a built-in desk for a craft closet. Here's what he did:

First, he measured the closet to ensure a perfect fit. I didn't want anything slipping through gaps between the closet walls and the desk, so he cut everything to fit exactly. The closet measured 60 inches wide, 26 inches deep, and 50 inches tall (from the floor to the top opening of the closet). 

He purchased white Melamine wood (that I requested) and used a 60 tooth blade to cut the wood smoothly. The desk ended up being 20 inches tall and 23.75 inches deep. He allowed 24 inches in the middle for me to put a chair, and then placed shelves on both sides of the desk, about 16.5 inches wide. I haven't quite decided how many shelves on want on each side, it will all depend on the baskets I find to put on the shelves. Currently, the shelf is smack dab in the middle, about 15 inches off the ground. 

Once all the wood was cut, he used a kreg jig to make pocket holes to hide all of the screws. 

To put it all together, he anchored the exterior panels to the wall and into a stud. He then placed the shelf and the inside shelf walls. The last step was to add the top part of the desk.

And as simple as that, my craft closet has a work space! Easy for me to say, since I didn't do any of the work.

I love the way it's coming along so far. Now I just need to decide what to do with the rest of it. A peg board, a bulletin board, shelves? The possibilities are endless!

I guess you'll just have to check back soon to see what I decide! Any suggestions?

Happy Friday!

Home Office Details

Thank you so much for the sweet comments on my home office reveal last week. 

Today I am going to share with you all the details and where you can purchase most things. I'll also be giving the approximate cost of the things I purchased specifically for this makeover.

Paint Color: Tin Man by Pratt & Lambert... $30

Desk: Target, Threshold Basic Desk... $90

Chair: Meijer... $20

Ladder Shelves: built ourselves, similar to Ana White's Leaning Bookshevles building plan... $50

Grey Storage Bins: TJ Maxx... $30

Ceramics: TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Home Goods... $40

Frames: TJ Maxx/Marshalls... $15

Clock: Target, spray painted to match the room

Glass Canisters: Target

Mason Jars: Meijer

Washi Tape: Dollar Tree

Lantern: Ikea... $4

Wall Collage Frames: Ikea (check out the full details here)... $25

Cabinet: previously owned (check out the stenciled makeover here)

Pillows: Marshalls... $20

Antique Sewing Cabinet: Gift from Adam's Grandma, but the transformation cost... $30 (check out the transformation here)

Fabric Covered Bulletin Board: (check out the details here) Fabric from Hobby Lobby... $5

Grand Total: $359

That's right! A whole room makeover for only $350. Now it's your turn!

If I've missed something and you are just dying to know where I got it, let me know and I'd be happy to share. 

Home Office Reveal

Today I am finally revealing my home office, and I am so excited to be showing it off. I think this room goes down in history as my favorite room makeover yet! 

If you've been following along for a while, you may have noticed that I have never showed you what my office looks like. Mostly because it usually looked something like this...

Kidding... sort of. This picture is from when we first moved in and had just gotten married. It was always the dumping grounds for all our junk. While I'm happy to say it didn't look like this for too long, it always was kind of our catch-all room. 

Now that you've taken a look at the room, you may have noticed that this room has been in the making for a while. I've been showing you bits and pieces little by little (stenciled cabinet, sewing machine, bulletin board, wall collage). Well, now I'm finally showing you the finished almost finished product.

 We painted the room right after Christmas and purchased the desk shortly after. Adam built me these wonderful ladder shelves and I absolutely love them. The look is exactly what I was going for. I love how clean and white everything is! 

I wanted the shelves to be something functional, yet stylish and I really think I pulled it off. With the help of some mason jars, glass canisters from target, and these grey storage bins I found at TJ Maxx, I am able to store a lot of things I need that are not necessarily pretty. 

Alright, alright. Enough chatter. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Wall Collage

 Stenciled Cabinet

Antique Sewing Cabinet Transformation

Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

While this is the big reveal, there are still quite a few things I want to do in this room. First things first I really want to find a chair to stick in the corner. I also want to make some curtains and have big dreams of turning the closet into a craft area. A girl can dream right?

What are some essentials for your home office?

Which room in your home is your favorite?

Happy Hump Day!