Guest Bedroom Makeover – Home Away From Home

Wow. So it’s been forever since I last posted. I finished my last semester of classes for undergrad in December and at the beginning of January, I started an internship. I graduate in May just to turn around and start my master’s in the fall! Phew.

All of the big changes really took a toll on my mind and body, so blogging wasn’t a top priority. I kept pushing without taking care of myself as much as I should have.

But now I’m feeling myself again and possibly on my way to being even better than before 😀

But back to the internship. If I drove from home it would be a 2-hour drive twice a week which means I would probably have to wake up at 6 am. Ew.

The good news is my mom and her boyfriend live 20 minutes away from my office. Jackpot. And in this crappy Michigan winter that makes life so much easier.

I’ve been staying in the guest room which they basically use as a giant storage closet.

Guest Bedroom Makeover - Home Away From Home

This is pretty much the before picture. The bed was originally coming out of the corner on an angle and the stuff wasn’t shoved into the corner as much.

They have a really nice house and it just makes me sad seeing a room not living up to its potential.

And since I’ll be staying here until May I figured it would be a great way to (1) make it feel homier for me and (2) make it feel homier for the future guests.

Guest Bedroom Makeover - Home Away From Home

Above is the product of my second step. Obviously, you can see there is less stuff shoved in the corner. I put a bunch of sleeping bags and pillows in a bag in the closet, some sheets and blankets in drawers, and shoved other stuff under the bed.

Ideally, I would like to have my mom sort through stuff with me, take some things down to the basement, and figure out better storage options for the rest.

I think the tall dresser would be better positioned in the hallway or even in the closet.

Guest Bedroom Makeover - Home Away From Home

My mom has some horse tack in here which might honestly be the best place for it for now. The other stuff though could definitely get moved out/around.

Guest Bedroom Makeover - Home Away From Home

In this picture, you can see I put my quilt on the bed because it made it feel homier for me. This will eventually get changed to match the room design, and my mom even mentioned buying a new bed set. I also moved this lamp in here which was first in the living room, then my mom moved it into her office. So we’ll see if that’s permanent.

Guest Bedroom Makeover - Home Away From Home

I like the footboard but I don’t think it goes perfectly with the style I have in mind for the room. Maybe if I’m feeling motivated I will stain it a darker color.

Also, say hi to Louie. He’s such a cool cat and pretty much in love with me. Lol

The Plan

Besides all the organizing I already talked about, I also want to do some DIYing and decorating. So here’s the short list of what I want to do:

  1. Organize/Declutter all the stuff
  2. Paint the walls
  3. Figure out the best furniture positioning (bed, side table, tall dresser, bring in a chair?)
  4. Paint the side table and dressers
  5. Stain the bed?
  6. Get a new bed set
  7. Decorate with objects around the house/thrifted/new

In future posts I hope to update you on how the organizing goes as well as share an updated design plan. I get the feeling that my mom will be open to my ideas so this should be a fun project for the next few months!

What are some amenities that make you feel more comfortable when you’re the guest? Or what are some things that you try to do for guests in your home?

Thanks for reading and as always…

See You Around!

Lauren <3

To see the next post in the series, click here.

Labeling Frenzy – 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

It’s really a surprise that I didn’t start an organizing blog because I LOVE anything that has to do with organizing.

Recently, I purchased some labels and chalk markers from VersaChalk, mainly because I was looking for some labels for the set of baking containers I got at Goodwill. Let’s be real though, there is always a good reason to label the crap out of everything.

VersaChalk’s markers come in a set of classic colors which are more pastel, and neon colors. The classic colors come in a set of 10, and the neon colors come in a set of 8. Both colors have either fine tip or bold tip options. I decided on the neon set in fine tip.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

The labels come in round and vintage shapes, and I decided on the vintage shapes because they’re really cute. There are 7 different shapes, and each package comes with 6 sheets for a total of 42 labels. The best part is the labels are reusable, and according to the website – dishwasher safe (if only I had a dishwasher). Another cool thing is that the labels come with a white marker, so you don’t necessarily have to buy a whole pack of markers.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

1. Baking Containers

The first thing I labeled was the baking containers I mentioned. It takes a little bit to get the juices flowing from the marker, but once it’s going the markers write really well.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

I love having these jars because they definitely class up the open cabinets. The labels just add on to the class factor 😉 I think this is one of the most obvious uses for these labels since it’s a mystery what’s in each container without a label.

2. Plastic Drawers

Another area that can always use some labels are bathroom drawers. I labeled all the drawers except for the bottom because it’s kind of a mish-mosh drawer of stuff. I also realized that I need to practice cute cursive writing, and being able to center it. LOL. But I do really like how the blue marker looks with the blue bathroom decor.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

Right now my drawers are a disaster and I definitely have too much stuff, but I just read The Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo. I’ve started the decluttering process and I’ll be getting to these drawers soon!

Along with my bathroom drawers, I also labeled the plastic drawers in my bedroom for socks, underwear, and bras. Not that these drawers need labels because I’m the only one that gets stuff out of them. But they do look cute! 🙂

3. Leftovers

These also come in handy to label leftover containers in the fridge. If we can’t tell what something is or how old it is, it doesn’t get eaten and sits in the fridge for months until it’s nasty and needs to be thrown out.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

Since the VersaChalk labels are easily removable, slap one on a Tupperware container when putting leftovers in the fridge. Then write what’s in the container, and the date it was prepared.

4. Kid’s Dresser or Toy Box

From what I’ve seen on Pinterest. labeling kids drawers is a great way to teach what items go where. These labels would be perfect for this because many of the labels are big enough to write or draw pictures if your child doesn’t read yet.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

The same idea also applies to toy boxes to help kids see where to put which toys to keep everything organized.

5. Linen Closet Bins

Lastly, I think these labels are really handy for labeling storage in the linen closet so it’s easier for yourself or guests to be able to locate extra items.

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

I haven’t organized in here quite yet, but I will soon! I love how much the green marker matches these bins I got at the dollar store.

And just so you have a comparison of what all the colors look like, here is a shot of some horrible doodles. As basically every single one of my teachers said through school (and still say), “I’m not an artist”

Labeling Frenzy - 5 Uses for VersaChalk Labels

What needs labeling around your house? Can you think of any other creative uses for these fun labels?

P.S. I was not compensated for writing this post in any way. I bought the markers and labels with my own money and I wanted to give a review for anyone who was interested.

See You Around!

Lauren <3