Tuesday, April 23, 2013

That Pesky Closet: Tips on Closet Organization



In the interest of being real, here is a picture of what my closet looked like when I started this project.



That’s pretty bad, right? I can feel clean freaks cringing all over the blogosphere. But to be honest, it drives me nuts too. I’ve never been the cleanest person in the world (my mom and all former roommates are screaming AMEN to that!), but my closet has ALWAYS been organized. So the fact that I have let it get this bad is pretty dadgum bad. I mean, a shoe rack with only one pair of shoes on it? What the heck is up with that!!

I was so glad this challenge with Simple Mom popped up, with this week’s focus on the closet. I tried to find pictures of the closet before Ben put up the organizing system, but I couldn’t find them ANYWHERE. But we used a simple system made of brackets and shelves that we bought from Home Depot. I knew I needed a bigger hanging section for dresses, pants, and Ben’s clothes, so that takes up about half of the closet. The other half of the closet was measured so that my longer tops could hang on the top rack, while still leaving room on the bottom rack for skirts and some shorter tops. We finally bought the shoe rack after Ben and I got some beautiful boots for Christmas this year (not that its doing us any good with all the shoes on the floor!).

And here are the pictures after I spent a little less than an hour organizing.

The shelves still need organizing, but its much better!
 

Here are some simple tips to organizing your closet, at least from the point of view of an OCD messy person (yes, they do exist!).

1.     Start with a good organizing system.
It doesn’t have to be expensive, or even fancy. It just has to work. If you have a crappy builder-basic closet like I do, then making the most of your space is key. Without our closet system, Ben would probably be getting dressed in the spare bedroom. : )  But in all seriousness, this system adds space and function to a small space.

2.     Divide your closet by item (or color).
Organizing freaks everywhere argue about this topic all the time. (Cant you just imagine clean freaks meeting up and being OCD about stuff like that? Hilarious!). Personally, I prefer to sort everything by clothing type, and then further sort by color. For example: my closet is divided into pants, dresses, shirts, sweaters, skirts, and jackets (with a little bit of Ben’s clothes thrown in there). My shirts are further divided into sleeveless, short sleeve, long sleeve, short sleeve t-shirts, and long sleeve t-shirts. These categories are further divided down into color, arranged with the ROYGBIV method (obviously the only way to organize colors). This works for me because I know EXACTLY where to look for the blue and white stripe long sleeved sweater (although there may or may not be a few of those…I have a small (major) obsession with stripes, ok???). In all seriousness, this really does help when I am putting together an outfit.

3.     Consider arranging your closet by items that you wear most often.

keep all of Ben’s clothes in the center so he doesn’t get frustrated going to the back of the closet each day to find what he wants to wear. I also keep my jeans and dresses on the far left, and my sweaters and jackets on the far right. I don’t wear these items as often as my shirts and skirts, so it is more time effective to keep those lesser-worn items out of the way.


4.     Keep your nice shoes off of the floor.

Let me explain. Ben and I both have a nice collection of boots (btw-not all are pictured). We would both be sick if they were chewed on by our sweet-but-mischievous 60-pound lab puppy that seems to want to get into everything within sight. So we arrange our shoes with our nicest ones on top. Now truth be told, it isn’t going to keep her from getting into them if she really wants to, but the stray shoe laying in the middle of the floor is a lot more attractive than the flats neatly stacked by pairs.

That is all I have to say about closet organization, but let me leave you with this: do what works for YOU. The world’s most expensive and genius organizing system won’t work if you don’t get it. So play around and figure out what does!


Monday, April 22, 2013

Weekend Wrap-Up: Toomer's Corner


More often than not, I don’t do anything that exciting on the weekends. We usually will go to a local shoot or work at the house, and that gets boring to read about after a while, I’m sure. But this weekend was special. We got to say goodbye to a piece of history. If you aren’t familiar with the SEC or it’s traditions, after every win for Auburn University (my alma matter), fans flock to Toomer’s Corner and roll the beautiful Oak trees that stand at the entrance to campus with toilet paper. If you have never experienced this, it may seem a little silly. I mean, TP’ing trees? Isn’t that what teenyboppers do to have fun? But it truly is one of the happiest memories I have from my time at Auburn. It is a tradition that has been around for years that generations of Auburn Tigers have participated in.


Diagonally across from these oak trees is a local hangout-Toomer’s Drugs. Toomer’s was originally a drug store founded by Shel Toomer in 1896. It still is standing in its original location and is a great place to go have lunch, lemonade, and ice cream.
The lemonade here is amazing-definitely something you want to try if you are ever in town!

Legend says that this tradition started in the days of the telegraph, when drugstore employees would signal to locals that Auburn had won an away football game by throwing the tape from the telegraph over power lines that crossed the corner.

Toomer's Corner in the 1890's. Via

It started with Football, but now students, locals, and fans roll the trees for wins in other sports as well as happenings in the community. There are many different stories about how to the current tradition started, but most say that it came to its height in the 1980s and has grown ever since.
After Auburn’s victory over Alabama in 2010, a crazy stupid Alabama fan (I will refrain from calling him what I really want to because it involves words I shouldn’t say) poisoned those trees with a lethal dose of Spike 80DF, an herbicide, and started the slow process of the trees dying. Auburn tried to save the trees, but was unsuccessful. For 2 years, the best agricultural minds in the country tried every way to save these trees, but finally made the decision to remove them and update the park around them. The plan was revealed at Saturday’s A-Day game (the football team’s spring scrimmage) and I like what I see. The final plan will incorporate new live trees and will allow for more fans to enjoy this tradition in years to come. While the tradition will not be the same, it will evolve and grow for years to come.


Part of what I love about this plan is the open space at the corner. It will allow for more fans to celebrate Auburn victories! Via

David Housel, former Auburn Athletic Director and current historian said it best on Saturday: “There is more to Auburn than two oak trees, revered and sturdy as they are. These oak trees are but an outward visible symbol of the Auburn heart.” And that Auburn heart will continue to live on in this Alumnus, her husband, and future family.

After our first game together. 












One of my best friends and me at the corner. 
After the Georgia game in 2010. 

















The day after the National Championship. It truly looked like snow!

Downtown after the National Championship in 2010. 

There is so much toilet paper that it was hard to walk!
 


Mom, Dad, Ben, and Me.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, April 12, 2013

Friday fancies: Shoes

Today's edition of Friday Fancies is all about shoes!! So I found some of my favorite shoes and make the outfits around that!

Friday fancies: shoes church edition

Friday fancies: shoes church edition by candbselman featuring a leather shoulder bag

Friday Fancies Shoes: Church Edition
I started with these shoes because I thought they were pretty and feminine, and who says you cant wear crazy shoes to church! I thought this dress was soft and flowy and I love the way it plays off of the colors in the shoes. The earrings and purse coordinate with the shoes, and the watch is understated enough not to compete with the rest of the accessories.




Friday fancies : shoes work edition


Friday Fancies Shoes: Work Edition
For work I have to wear closed toed shoes, so I picked a pair that was conservative enough for work, but still maintained a fun vibe. Next came the skirt to match the color in the shoes. The neutral shirt and bag kept everything grounded, and the bracelets and earrings coordinate without being overwhelming.



Friday fancies : shoes casual


Friday Fancies Shoes: Casual Edition 
This set may be my favorite of the week. I seem to be drawn to the turquoise/minty color this week! I found these shoes and KNEW I wanted to pair them with shorts and a flirty tank. Then I layered the necklace and bag in the same color as the shoes, and added the braided bracelet to match the braided shoes and add some texture. 

Friday Fancies is becoming one of my favorite posts of the week. I hope you enjoy all the options as much as I do!

Linking up with Long Distance Loving for Friday Fancies.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

OOTD: How I Got PINSspired.

I put this picture in my inspiration file on my computer FOREVER ago, and stumbled upon it this morning after I couldnt get anything else to work. I have been wanting to wear it for a while, but other things always took the place of this outfit. But not today!
I cant for the life of me find where I found this picture, so if you can find it, let me know!


A close up of the texture of the skirt and the print in the shirt!
This isnt an EXACT replica, but I think its pretty close! I LOVE this outfit. I am always amazed at how Pinterest inspires me to put things together in a way I never would have thought of before! I have had both of these items for a few years and never really knew how to put them together, and now I have a great option for both!

Sorry for not linking items, but they are all old and I ran out of time to look up similar ones!
Shirt and Skirt: Gap, Boots: Arturo Chiang, Watch: Michael Kors, Bracelet: Pandora

Linking up to: Style Elixir,  The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up PrettyBecause Shanna Said So, and Get Your Pretty On. 

Monday, April 8, 2013

Ultimate Blog Party 2013

So this weekend I stumbled upon the coolest thing ever: The Ultimate Blog Party 2013 hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom. This party includes blogs from every corner of the blogosphere linking up to meet new people and find new blogs. It even involves some really cool prizes! So part of the deal with this Blog Party is to link up a post that describes what your blog is about. So without further ado, here is SIMPLY SELMAN: In a nutshell.

As I sat down to figure out what it is exactly that I am about, 4 things came to me: Faith, Family, Fashion, and Furniture. I cant even do a simple list without coming up with a theme, so here are the 4 "F's" that describe my blog.

FAITH
Part of the reason I started this blog in the first place was to share my point of view. And every point of view I have is shaped by my faith. I am a Christian, so this influences how I look at and treat my family, how I dress, and even how I decorate my home (I know this last one seems like a stretch but I'll explain later). This is the single most important aspect of my blog/life and it comes before anything else!

FAMILY
In case you haven't noticed from past blog posts, I am the wife of the most amazing man in the world, and the mom to the 2 cutest fur babies around. My husband drives me to be the best person that I can be, and supports me in everything I do, including this blog. My dog babies are about as sweet as dog babies can be, and I am so lucky they are mine!

FASHION
I LOVE fashion. Clearly, since most of my posts are fashion related. But I didn't want to limit myself to just fashion, so I do write about other things as well. But like I said before, my faith really dictates this aspect of my blog. I detailed it here, but to sum it up, I want to dress in a way that shows what I am about and glorifies the Lord at all times. I want to show the world that you can be fashion forward and NOT show every piece of skin!

FURNITURE
This one is kind of weird, so bear with me. This last category includes my love for home decor and all of the DIY that comes along with it. (I didn't create a fifth category, so FOOD kind of falls in here as well). I have to tell you, there is nothing that makes my heart flutter faster than my husband with a drill or hammer. There is just something about having a handy man around that makes life more interesting! This is a lesser utilized part of my blog, but I still want to use my blog to reach people for Christ in a way that is fun and uplifting and never negative.


So there you have it: Simply Selman. And it really can be boiled down to one thing: using my blog to reach people in a way that I couldn't otherwise do and have fun doing it!

So Keep It Simple, y'all, and join the blog party. It's fun! Ultimate Blog Party 2013

Friday, April 5, 2013

Friday Fancies: Polka Dots

I had so much fun with last week's edition of Friday Fancies that I decided to keep the format going. From this point forward, I will be doing 3 versions of each theme: church, work, and casual. Each has a different point of view, incorporating the trend in a way that is appropriate for each venue. And again, click each link to find the sources for each look!

Polka Dots: Church Edition

Friday fancies : polka dots church edition

Original Polyvore set here.

Polka Dots: Work Edition
Friday fancies polka dots: work edition
Original Polyvore set found here.


Polka Dots: Casual Edition



Friday fancies polka dots casual edition

Original Polyvore set found here.


Linking up to Long Distance Loving for Friday Fancies. 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

What I Wore...Well...Thursday!

So I am a day late with the outfit posts, but without further ado, here is what I have worn in the past week or so. It's funny to me because you can see the ADD weather that we have here in Florida through my clothes-Winter one day and Spring the next !!



Shirt: Gap, Skirt: Loft, Jacket: Kenneth Cole, Shoes: Gianni Binni, Watch: Michael Kors 



Sweater: Gap, Scarf: Walmart, Skirt: Target, Boots: Arturo Chang, Watch: Michael Kors 



Shirt: Gap, Sweater: Gap, Skirt: Gap, Watch: Michael Kors




Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

A couple of weeks ago, Ben sent me a text message with a recipe that he had seen somewhere on facebook. I decided to make it just to see how it was, and I have to say, it was AWESOME. I wish I could find the original recipe, but all I have is the picture Ben sent me. I typed it all up for you here. Disclaimer: I DID NOT WRITE THIS RECIPE. I did not create it, nor do I take credit for it, and if you know the original source, let me know so I can link it here. 
Mixing the potatoes in the olive oil mixture. 


Finished product. So yummy!!

Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cubed (1")
8-10 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
6 tbsp hot sauce

Topping:
2 cups fiesta blend cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. in a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Carefully scoop the potatoes into the prepared baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mixture as possible. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, until cooked through and crispy and browned on the outside. While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the left over olive oil/ hot sauce mixture and stir to coat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese micture. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.
Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Linking up to: Northern Belle Diaries, The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife, and My Thrifty Chic.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Easter Weekend Roundup

Man, Mondays stink! We had such a great weekend...a long one at that! On Friday I was off of work so I ran errands, cleaned the house, and went to work with my husband to help out with some things at his office. Saturday we went to a local archery shoot, then raced back to Pensacola to help some friends move into their BEAUTIFUL new home! Sunday was spent at church, lounging around the house, laundry, more cleaning, and little bit more of archery.

And now for a photo dump of our weekend happenings:

The last target of the day.

Ben placed 2nd in Men's Open at the local shoot.
Sweet Ellie girl on her way to shoot with Ben on Saturday.
Ben and me in our Easter outfits. Isn't his bowtie adorable??
Easter outfit: Cremieux dress and belt, Corral boots, MK watch, Target earrings.
Lunch @ Cheddars. Ben had Sheppard's Pie and I had a chicken sandwich on Ciabatta.


 Linking up with: YOLO Mondays, Visible Mondays, Weekend Shenanigans, Monday Bloom, and Monday Mingle.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...