the haystack needle

vintage sewing drawers as bathroom storage

The storage in our apartment's bathroom is the complete flip-flop of what we had in our last place. Before, we had no counterspace along the sinks, but we had two vanities to fill with our toiletries. Now, we have one huge tile counter stretching from wall to wall — but no vanity, no shelving, nor any wallspace (there's tile up to the ceiling) to mount a cabinet or shelf. So I've gotten creative with our storage solutions. For my makeup and perfumes (which I never use anymore with Juniper around, so at this point they're simply pretty bottles sitting around), I decided to store them in a couple vintage sewing drawers. When I started going to more and more flea markets and antique stores, vintage wooden drawers were one of the first pieces that I started collecting. I love all the different wooden drawers — some come from vintage sewing tables, others from hardware stores or libraries. They all have a story. And these two drawers are working out nicely for my potions and makeup. Too bad the makeup doesn't do much to disguise the lack-of-sleep dark circles under my eyes. 

ps. Here's what I did with the rest of our toiletries in the bathroom. 

pps. If you're looking to shop for your own vintage wooden drawers, I'd do a search on Etsy or keep your eyes on Three Potato Four, as they often carry collections of them. 

Photograph by me. 

linea carta pouches

I often think how fitting it is that I once worked at Real Simple, considering how much I love organizing. Yesterday, I reorganized my desk during one of Juniper's naps and felt so accomplished, you'd think I'd run a marathon. I'm also mildy obsessed with pouches. Sneak a peek into the backpack I use everyday, and you'll find separate pouches organizing my things and Juniper's essentials. It reminds me of an office party I went to for the Real Simple staff where there were different "party activities", and one was dumping out the contents of your purse and organizing everything with zippered pouches they were giving away. I kid you not. Years later, I'm still stuck on zippered pouches, and while I have more than I already need, these screenprinted linen makeup bags by Linea Carta make me want to add one more to the collection.  

Photos: Linea Carta

baggu totes + pouches

Dan and I are escaping to the beach in a couple weeks (cannot wait!), and I'm on a mission to pack light and efficiently — truly for the first time in my life. As much as I love all the cool canvas totes available now, these nylon totes by Baggu are lightweight and easier to squish in a bag (plus water-resistant and machine-washable which is great for sandy days at the beach.) The stripes and elephants are on my wishlist. 

I'm definitely scooping up a set of Baggu zip pouches before the trip. I'd love an alternative to wrapping shoes in plastic grocery bags before packing them in the suitcase. And I like the idea of keeping my beach day essentials — lip balm, sunscreen, book, camera — in a water-resistant zip pouch so there's one place the sand does not invade. Don't you love the bright pops of color they're doing? Seriously taps into my happymeter.  

Images: Baggu

shoe factory box

The perfect addition for our vintage shoe trolley: a shoe factory storage box! I was so excited to find this gem. Dan and I have needed a new system for organizing our mail and outgoing bills (which have been a bit of a mess). This vintage box has slots that make it really easy. We're using the front slot for outgoing mail ready to drop off, the slot behind for FSA receipts that need to be submitted, and the rest are for incoming mail (except magazines and catalogs, which we have a separate bin for.) I adore the Three Potato Four shop — I keep finding pieces that look cool and help me get organized. 

ochre shop containers

Simply lovely is how I'd describe all the containers from the Ochre shop. I have a weakness for pretty containers, perhaps because containers are essential for stashing things in cramped New York apartments. I love the rustic, natural style of these African baskets, lemon wood bowls, sisal storage baskets, and aged terracotta pots.

kolo accordion file

I do believe the next worst thing to paying back taxes is hearing your accountant say next year your taxes will be complicated. I don't like hearing the word complicated attached to taxes, a process that already feels hopelessly confusing to me. So I was so happy to hear that Kolo has just come out with an accordion file called the Kolo Rivoli Accordion Box. I'm not saying you have to store receipts and tax paperwork in something this pretty that's made with archival book binders board, but I think this may be just what I need to get my receipts in order. I'm an out-of-sight-out-of-mind person, so storing my plastic accordion file of tax stuff up and away from my desk and living space means I forget to file and wind up with a pileup of papers. So this might be the solution for me: keep my organizer out on my desk to remind me to keep up with receipts in a more daily fashion. This Kolo box would also be a great way to organize inspiration tearsheets from magazines or would make a lovely portfolio case. Find out more about the Kolo Rivoli here. (images courtesy of Kolo via Koloist)

flip & tumble produce bags

I cannot wait for all the spring fruits and vegetables to make their first appearance at the farmers market. Last Saturday, it was slim pickings at our market with pretty much just the meat, cheese, and milk stands set up in the snowy park. I never go anywhere without my purple Flip & Tumble bag stashed inside my backpack, as you never know when you'll wind up needing an extra tote bag. So I was excited to see that Flip & Tumble now carries produce bags! You can skip the plastic bags for your veggies and opt for a reusable set. I love the idea of these produce bags for grocery store runs, too. I hate to use the plastic produce bags, but I also get grossed out putting my veggies in a dirty basket (and then they still have to go through the cashier at the end.) And since these bags are see-through, it will be just as easy for the cashier to identify what you're buying.