Pretty Real

Our New Indoor/Outdoor Table All Decked Out for Halloween!

Thank you Article for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine.

When we renovated our patio, I settled for a metal table because the majority of our budget went toward the lounging area. Fast forward a couple of years and the old table is paint-stained and rusty so we were ready for an upgrade. When Article approached me to explore their outdoor collection, I was smitten with the Tovala Table and Sala Chairs- we've been so happy with our indoor set that adding an outdoor set was a no-brainer.

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The PERFECT Coffee Table plus Other Woven Coffee Tables I Love

If you're a long time reader, you know we've been on the struggle bus with the living room for years. It just never feels quite right. While I can't say we've nailed it (yet), we are much closer with the addition of this amazing coffee table. We've never had one that really fit the space and while I truly loved our previous one, I finally found a woven round coffee table I loved, saved up, and bought it- picture me jumping up and down, please.

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genevieve

A Peek at the First Addition to Genevieve's Pre-teen Room

Thank you Serena & Lily for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine.

When Genevieve said she wanted her own room, I can't say I was surprised. She and her sister are very close but she's inching (actually more like barreling) toward the teen years and homegirl needs her space. I adore designing kid spaces so we immediately started dreaming about her new room. Her very first request was for a hanging chair and let's just say that was the easiest 'compromise' I'll probably ever make with my almost teenage daughter. While we are in the very beginning stages of the room, the Hanging Rattan Chair from Serena & Lily will absolutely set the tone! It's playful, well made, and cozy- especially when paired with the linen cushion which I have to say is so much prettier and substantial in person than it looks on the site!

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diy

How to Build Shelving in a Corner Pantry Plus Pantry Sources!

Today I'm wrapping up the pantry project by sharing how we built the shelves. Adding built-in shelving took this corner pantry to the next level and is a fairly budget-friendly DIY that anyone can do with some patience. Here's how we built our corner pantry shelves (and skip to the bottom if you're just here for all the sources!):

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home organization

How To Create an Organized and Pretty Pantry

Thank you The Container Store for sponsoring this post.

When you last saw my pantry, it looked like this [hangs head in shame]:

And now? wow.

How to Create a Pretty and Practical Pantry

This transformation blows my mind. It's so much more practical for our family of five and the cuteness factor is just icing on the cake. I shopped The Container Store for the majority of the items and I could not be more pleased. Like the rest of America, I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and fell in love with her approach to simplicity. When I heard about the Marie Kondo collection at The Container Store, I knew it was going to be good. Guys, it did not disappoint. It's beautifully designed and the perfect mix of form and function. But before I get into it, here are a few tips to tackle your own pantry. PS- a step-by-step tutorial for the shelving is coming but this post is a good place to start.

How to Create a Pretty and Organized Pantry

The first step is to take out all of your items. Literally all of it. If it's expired, toss it. If not, how long have you had it? If it's been longer than 2-3 months you're probably not going to eat it (why did I have so many unopened bags of dried cranberries?!). I dislike wasting food so if you're reluctant I get it but you don't need it taking up space and emotional energy in your soon-to-be-super-gorgeous pantry. If it's not expired you could donate it to a food bank.

Next categorize your items by group. Snacks, breakfast, dinner, lunch box snacks, etc.

And then by container type- lazy susan, large, medium, or small basket/box/crate, canister, etc. This step is crucial to make sure in your excitement, you don't run out and spend $$$ on baskets that aren't going to work. I simply made a list in excel where I listed the food item and the type of container I might need, in the column next to it.

Next, measure your space so you know how much room you have to work with- especially depth of your shelves.

How to create an organized, practical, and pretty pantry plus a before and after you won't believe!

Rattan Bins

Glass Canisters | Ceramic Canisters | Pantry Labels

A Note About Creating a Practical Pantry (i.e. Where's all the food?)

When I was looking for pantry inspiration, I kept finding myself asking "where's all the food?!" There were so many pretty pantries where the food was all hidden in baskets or there was barely any food in the pantry at all! Here's how you want to avoid re-creating a pantry that might not be the most practical for your situation.

Before the fun part- buying pretty containers- have an honest conversation with yourself about what type of person you are. Are you going to want to decant everything into a container? Are you going to forget about things in the bottom of a bin or basket? For me, decanting brings me joy- I seriously love pouring sugar into a crock or cereal into a container. The glass canisters are perfect for me! They're great for dry goods you don't buy every week which incidentally also look pretty in glass. That said, I know I'm not going to spend 45 minutes after grocery shopping (which I hate btw) putting every last noodle and cracker into a canister. This is why I adore ADORE the Marie Kondo Bamboo Pantry Bins. They're open so you can see what's in them but also help corral the chaos and bring order. I haven't labeled mine yet- I want to live with it for a bit to see if anything changes- but these labels are the cutest pantry labels I've ever seen. I stand by it. To sum it up, other than cereal, I only decant things I don't buy each week. Secondly, although closed woven bins are gorgeous (and these fit that bill), I used mostly open storage to better suit our habits.

Glass Canisters

Rattan Bins | Bamboo Pantry Bins

Ok, now you're ready to put it all together! When you do, think about how often you use the items. Daily, weekly? Do you need it reachable for the kids or out of reach because they will eat an entire bag of chips in one sitting if you let them (never happens over here ever) and plan accordingly!

This is how ours came together. There are a few things left to do, like decide what appliances we may store with all this newfound space. I also have some pretty cookbooks on order because of course, if you have a styling moment, take it! We will probably add hooks to the inside wall for the broom and dustpan too, but all in all we are extremely happy with it!