Perspective...

Are my parents seriously coming to visit and staying in our guest room?

Weird...and I like it.

No wait, I LOVE it. Dad and Diana are driving their way down as I type! This will be the first time that they have ever visited us: a) as Mr. & Mrs. Davidson, b) in the Bay Area, and last but not least - c) it will be the first time ever they've stayed with me at my/our place since I moved to California when I was 18 years old. Epic. Moment. In. Time.

I am sooo excited! They are going to be here around 4pm. They are staying in our spare room at our cute little apartment until Tuesday. I'll have to remind them to think "Europe" when they are here (small, jam-packed, shoe-box-like living quarters...with the magnificent scenery and fantastic wine making up for any deficit in elbow-room).  Tuesday, we are picking up my beautiful sister, Teagan at the airport, and all heading up to Napa/Calistoga for the rest of the week for a fabulous 4th of July / Anniversary celebration for Dad & Di. 

The icing on the cake? 

The entire week of rotations has been cancelled, so Mr. can partake in all of the extravaganzas!

Some people have junk-drawers...

...We had a junk-CLOSET.

When we moved in to our new 750 square foot place last fall, we downsized from about four linen closets...to one. Our new linen closet resembled something close to the innards of a full-capacity trash compactor:

I was so tired of buying duplicates of medicines, shampoos (etc), and finding the exact same thing weeks later, nestled deep within the abyss. With my new-found, post-busy season sense of freedom (also said, "obsessive compulsive disorder"), I searched for some organizational inspiration on pinterest.  Of course, we have WAY too much stuff for our closet space to look that neat and tidy...so here is my best rendition:

Step 1: Decide which sheet sets and towel orphans make the cut. Roll each set into a gift-like bundle for easy access.

Step 2: Brave Oakland Ikea at 8pm on a weeknight after work in order to buy fabric closet organizer boxes in white and cream.

Step 3: Next evening after work, go to craft store to pick out a hot glue gun and cute metallic letters to label each of the boxes...and get the husband out of there before he convinces you to buy the entire store (he began college as an art major!).

Step 4: Get a buddy to help you glue hot glue letters to various fabric Ikea boxes (Miso makes a really supportive buddy, especially when your finger prints are being burned off by excess hot glue globs). --------->

Step 5: Take a break for some free local wine tasting. Our favorite place in Alameda is Rosenblum, where we are members.

Step 6: Come home and finish putting all the contents in each box, and find a home for it on the shelves: 

(I also got some super cheap metal shelving at Ikea, which helped by adding an additional level in each section of the closet...helped me fit MORE stuff in each nook and cranny! WAHOO!)

And the final product in sections:

...I know it still looks a little cluttered, but I refuse to give up things like laundry soap, my bread machine, and various other "ugly" items for the sake of the cause. Maybe ONE day, if we are blessed with a few more square feet to our name, we can spread out and make things prettier. Until then, I stand by my motto that "Love grows best in tiny houses."

Who needs a Band Aid?? Because...I know where they are!!!

Sophisticated Sheets.

One of my latest projects: to revitalize the random hodgepodge of mismatching sheets from different houses and beds that we {separately} occupied in our college days. I saw these seashore sheets at Pottery Barn and couldn't resist them for our beach apartment in Alameda....Reasons they were my top choice:

• Pattern fills a void left in my soul where leopard print & pink used to be.
• Passes Jack's "Cozy Test" (past winners fall into the category of micro-fleece, jersey,  or flannel...anything ridiculously comfortable and oppositely easy on the eyes...I consider this one a miracle!).
• This view from our bedroom is why they make sense. 
• Neutral brightens up our shoe-box sized room.