Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Organizing & Storing your Jewelry

And today's Shade of Shay...organizing and storing that wonderful jewelry of yours!

You know how I love my jewelry, right?  I love my bangles and my big earrings...I love to wear all of it at once.  But what do I do with it when I take it all off?  I store it carefully.  The thing about jewelry is that it's fabulous, fun and the best way to make any old tee shirt and jeans shine...but if it's a big tangled mess in some jewelry box, you might as well throw it out.

About two years ago, I decided enough already.  I was so tired of reaching for an earring only to find one of the two.  I was tired of grabbing a necklace only to see that it was caught and twisted around 4 other necklaces.  And I was tired of wearing the same 3 bangles every day because I couldn't really see or get to all of mine, and so I just wore the same ones over and over again.  

One day, I dumped all of my jewelry out on my bedroom floor.  All of it.  I sorted it, threw away what was broken, divided it into piles (gold bracelets, silver bracelets, necklaces, earrings, watches, rings and very special pieces from my family).  I looked at what I had left there on my bedroom floor, wrote down a few notes and then went to The Container Store for some solutions to my jewelry madness.  And this is what I came up with...

1. First and foremost, I took all of my very special family jewelry that I don't wear but need to keep forever and placed it somewhere safe (not pictured).  I didn't want that being confused with my fun costume jewelry any longer, and I especially didn't want it damaged.

2. Next, I tacked my earrings....

These are all of my earrings, each in their own little sandwich bag inside a plastic box with lid.

See :)

Each pair is inside the bag and placed in the box.  This way in the morning, I can just look through the box, find a pair for the day and go.  I always have two of each pair, they're not damaged and they're really easy to look through since they're all laying on top of each other in the box.  Plus, since they're in the plastic box with a lid, I can stick that box in any convenient spot I have in my bathroom (and not just in a jewelry box).  My plastic box is inside a drawer that houses my hairdryer, flat iron, hair brush, etc.  My earrings are safe and protected and valuable jewelry box space isn't used up.

3. I took the exact same approach with my necklaces.  I found a bigger box with a lid and placed each of my necklaces in a sandwich bag inside.  Every necklace is safe and protected and most importantly, not getting tangled up with other necklaces.  I can just look through the box each morning to find one that suits me for the day.  I know some people hang their necklaces, but I don't have wall space for that.  I like to just close this up and stick it under my bathroom counter.  Easy.

My necklaces.  Because the baggies are clear, they're a cinch to look through and find the perfect necklace for the day.

My gorgeous Bauble Bar necklace is safe and sound.

4. And then of course, there are my bracelets.  I love my bracelets.  I have so many bracelets that I divide mine up into two categories, gold and silver.  If you don't have as many bracelets, then you only need one box...but for me, I need two.  

I found a great compartment box at the Container Store and use that for my bracelets.  Every morning, I just open up a box, pick a few bracelets (or maybe 9), load up my wrist and go.  By using the compartment boxes, I'm able to see the bracelets at one time and then really decide how I want to mix and match them for the day.

These are my gold bracelets :)

And my silver bracelets (I wear much more gold than silver).

 5. And for watches and rings, I decided to get one good jewelry box from Pottery Barn and go from there...

This is just your basic old jewelry box but I only keep watches and rings inside (and a few bracelets that I tend to wear every single day with my other bracelets from the bracelet box).

Inside on the first level.

And down below on the second level.  

I'm not going to lie...piling on my jewelry has been so much simpler (and faster!) now that I have a good storage system in place.  Plus, I really feel like I'm wearing more of the jewelry and getting my money's worth now that I can easily access everything.

And don't forget, this week, I'm doing a Stella & Dot giveaway!  Talk about fabulous jewelry!  Click here for more details and to enter to win my big prize!

Thanks for stopping by to see how I store all of my jewelry!  I bet some of you just assumed I slept in it and never took it off :).

And today over on Sheaffer's blog is her 

Shopping with Sheaffer and Shay: Back To School Edition!

I showed you my post about shopping for girls clothes and today, Sheaffer is showing you boy clothes.  You must go check it out!! 

Check out dinner tonight...

BBQ Baked Chicken Tacos!

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Find me on Instagram  @mixandmatchmama

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Shopping with Sheaffer & Shay: Back to School Edition

For this edition of Shopping with Sheaffer and Shay, we decided to focus on back to school.  Our game plan was for me to find girl stuff and Sheaffer to find boy stuff...plus, we both decided that moms needed a little back to school love too!  

Our day was filled with kids' clothes, lady clothes, Starbucks, laughing, stares from strangers, erasing 867 pictures off my i-Phone of Sheaffer, tacos, and one jump in a window display...you know, basic stuff you do when you shop for back to school clothes.

My pics are up today and then Sheaffer's will be up August 20 (because next week is Sheaffer's big blog birthday celebration week!).   

First, a few of my rules for back to school shopping:

1. I try and buy things that layer easily and can be worn all year long.  A cotton dress is perfect because you can include leggings and a jacket for cooler weather or keep legs bare for warmer weather.  Layering saves me money with kids' clothes!

2. Money is well spent on good quality shoes.  I have wasted more money on less-expensive shoes but honestly, if you invest in a good pair of shoes, it will last your kid all year.  

3. I only buy shoes at Nordstrom for my kids because of their fabulous return policy.  They will exchange or let you return shoes even if your kids have worn them several times, if their shoes start looking distressed, they will replace them for you (like Toms).  Honestly, they are wonderful in the kids' shoe department about exchanges and returns, so that's where I try and shop exclusively for my kids' shoes.

Here are my picks for girl back to school clothes (with a few mommy items thrown in for fun!)...

1. Your girl needs a light-weight coat she can wear everyday:

The first thing I saw was this cute military jacket!  I bought Kensington one last spring and she wore it all the time.  It's light-weight and goes with practically everything.  They have it from baby all the way through big girl sizes.

They don't sell this one that I bought for K in the spring any more, but I think the one at Nordstrom is a very close match (plus, I love the little yellow zipper details on it so much!).

And to me, there is nothing more classic than a denim jacket!  This one comes in toddler sizes through big kid sizes too.  I always buy a size up when purchasing outerwear.  This way, we have room to layer underneath, plus then Kensington can wear the jacket for two years instead of one.  If the sleeves are a little long with the bigger size, just roll them up!

These little jackets are great for those school mornings when the weather is cool at drop-off and warm at pick-up because they're just so easy to layer!  Click here to see other big kid jacket options and here to see other toddler jacket options.

2. Your girl needs good quality shoes that will last her all year long:

Kensington is really easy to dress in the morning until it comes to her shoes.  She doesn't want them to pinch, rub, hurt, cause a blister, etc. (which I understand), but she hits the panic button if she gets the idea in her head that a certain pair of shoes will hurt (before even putting them on her feet!).  So, I've searched long and hard for a few pair of staple shoes she can wear over and over again that look good and will not hurt her in the least bit.

 (All of the following shoes come from tiny baby girl sizes through big girl sizes as well!)

My mom bought Kensington her first pair of Uggs on her first birthday...and then every year since then.  

Just last week, my mom asked me if I was sure she should buy her yet another pair and my answer was, "YES!".  They are always comfy for her, they are easy for her to put on and take off, they look cute with jeans tucked in and with leggings, they keep her feet warm, she can run around like crazy and be hard on them and they still look good...they are her very favorite shoe!  

This new style with the bow are my new faves (take note mom!).  They come in 5 different colors and I love them all.   I realize that they are an investment, but my daughter wears them probably 4 out of 7 days a week for 7 months...I feel like we get our money out of them.

She loves her Uggs :).

I've told you ladies about these Crocs before!  These little shoes are often my lifesaver in the mornings.  When nothing else works, we put on our Crocs.  I love them because they're rubber, so I can just wash them off and they look great again, they're closed-toe (so perfect for school), and they are so simple and fast for Kensington to do herself!  We have the pink but they also come in a fun purple color too! 

And look at these Leopard Flats!  Kensington has already worn them twice!  I keep telling you girls that leopard is a neutral and that rule applies to little ones too!  They look cute with bare legs, leggings and jeans.

Toms are a kid staple in my opinion.  Again, perfect for school, easy to put on, and cute with everything!

Sperry's are so popular for grown-ups that I decided to check them out for girls as well.  I am so in love with the purple sparkle ones!  From little feet to big feet, these shoes will be cute on any girl!

3. Your younger girl needs simple dresses and leggings:

I'm a sucker for a simple dress and leggings...like I said before, they're easy to layer and can last all year.  I also love them because they wash, dry and wear so well.  Here are some of my favorites from this shopping trip for girls 2T to 5T...

I think this dress would be so cute in the fall or the spring.  It's the perfect school-year dress!

I love Gap's dresses for girls.  This pink and grey dress comes in 2 other colors and would look so cute by itself or with leggings.  I, of course, would go for the two different patterns mixed together, but they have solid colors as well :). 

 I also love this other style of dress too with the fun leggings.  I'm pretty obsessed with Gap dresses for your girls...click here to see them all!

4. Your older girl needs colored denim:

  I love colored jeans on young girls!  (Let's be honest, I love wearing them too!).  They're fresh and fun without looking too grown-up.  These jeans come in 5 different colors and honestly, I love each color so much, I don't know which I would pick?!?!

To go with her colored jeans, she needs a fun graphic-tee...

I love a little girl with a sweet message on her shirt :).

5. Your girl needs a cute backpack:

Let's face it, I could try and find a lot of other backpacks but honestly, I'm pretty sure almost everyone loves the Pottery Barn Kids' backpack.  Not only do they come in different sizes for different kiddos, but they also come in a wide variety of fun patterns and prints.  And the best part of all...they last and last and last...for years and years and years.  They're my top pick for a backpack!

6. Your girl needs great bows:

My cousin's wife Casey (a mom to 2 year old Paisley) left her career owning a retail store last year to start a bow business.  Every.single.bow you have ever seen Kensington in was handmade by Casey.  One Stop Bow Shop is of course my recommendation for back to school bows.  And make sure you check out her new holiday bows (I've already placed my order for some fun Halloween bows!).

7. A few things for us moms:

I think we have our girls covered from head to toe (or bow to shoes), so I thought I'd throw in a few things for us moms too.  

I fell in love with this leopard skirt at first sight!  A pencil skirt is such a staple in my wardrobe for church, work outside the home or any occasion when I need to dress up a bit.  I love them because you can pair a pencil skirt with strappy sandals for spring and summer or tights and boots for fall and winter.  They really do work year around.  Loft also has some other new cute pencil skirts this season if leopard isn't your thing (but really, how could it not be your thing???).

 When I was in Gap looking at girl clothes, I headed over to the ladies' side to look at some staple items for my fall wardrobe: striped shirts and jeans.

Let's be real.  It doesn't take much to pull yourself together for school drop-off...just throw on some cool jeans and a fun tee and you're set.  Right now, everything at Gap is 35% off, so it's the perfect time to refresh your mom wardrobe.

I adore these jeans.  They fit great (with a little stretch to them), they're a little tattered (which just looks cool) and they stop at the ankle (so they would look so great with ballet flats or my new favorite camo Toms).  Throw on a striped tee with these jeans and I'm good to go!

Here the jeans are again with another striped tee.

I've blogged before about my ditching the sweats as a mom revelation and putting on some jeans and a tee instead (because honestly, it's just as easy and looks so much better!).  Here are a few other things I like right now that (especially 35% off) would be such a better alternative to my sweats...

These cords come in 8 different colors and look so polished and fun!  

Throw your cords on with one of these striped tees and you're feeling better about the carpool line already!

Top it off with a denim jacket and you're one pulled together mama!

Whew!  That was fun!  Back to School Shopping for girls and moms by Shay :).

OK...the party wouldn't be over if I didn't share with you some of our outtake photos...

For some reason, Sheaffer cannot take a picture next to me.  We take one and she deletes it. We take another one and she deletes that too.  We were sitting in Starbucks just trying to get one picture taken and she must have deleted 875.  Oh my heavens!  Half the time, she wouldn't even look at the picture before she deleted it.  Finally, I grabbed my phone away from her and just started snapping away...

This is Sheaffer panicking at me snapping her photo.

Then, she took my camera back and tried to take one of herself and accidentally had the camera flipped around and took this picture of me instead...

This pretty much sums up things.

We never got a picture of us together (that she didn't immediately delete).  So on our way out, we passed by Loft again and I told her to take my picture to represent our day...

Happy, with a Gap bag and Starbucks.  Back to School shopping has never been so fun!

Don't forget, Sheaffer's post on boy stuff will be up August 20th!

And today on the foodie blog, easy and yummy Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes! 

And the two winners of my Lovely Lace Leggings Giveway are AmyJo Jeans and Cassandra Criswell!

Congratulations ladies!  Email me at mixandmatchmama@yahoo.com to claim your prize!

Find me on Twitter here.

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Have a great weekend!

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Tennis, Tap and Ballet...oh my!

Yay!  It's Friday!  It's been a crazy week around here.  The kids were supposed to have had tennis camp all week from 8 to 9 am...well, it rained both Monday and Tuesday mornings, so even though we were up and dressed, we weren't able to play.  (Nothing like pulling your sleeping young children out of bed, sticking tennis clothes on them, driving them to tennis practice only to be told it's called off...all before 8 am...)  But then the weather cleared up and we were able to finish out the week.

Here is how we spent our rainy days...

We played games...

...and snuggled in Kensington's bed watching movies on the i-Touch.

We also went to Target.  Twice.  (Because even with a list...I always forget something!).

On Tuesday, Kensington had her first day of a combination tap and ballet class.  You might recall that we tried dance once before about 2 years ago...and were asked to leave after the 3rd lesson and refunded our money (the sobbing 2 year old might have been the problem...), but this time, she was ready!

Look at her in her black leotard and tights!

Learning how to tap!

Practicing ballet :)

She loved it all!  When we left, she told me she wanted to dance for the rest of her life.  (I said that too when I was 4 but then 15 years later, I specifically remember after my final performance, throwing all of my dance stuff into the Goodwill bin and eating a banana split...just sayin'...)

I love these little summer classes where the kids can try out a new sport or activity for a shorter amount of time instead of just committing them in September for a full 9 months of something.  That being said, along with dance, this was our week of tennis camp to see what my kiddos thought about that...

I begged bribed convinced suggested to Erika that her kids sign up for tennis camp too.  Here they all are, rackets in hand, marching out to the tennis courts at 7:45 am.  (We are crazy people!)

Don't they look like a fierce group of 3 and 4 year olds?!  Prayers for their coach were being said at that very moment!

At first they had to run laps...

...and then some basic drills...

...and finally net practice.  

I'm not sure we have any US Open hopefuls in our bunch but they had a great time all week!  And I love getting my kids exercising and enjoying outside activity (hopefully, that enthusiasm will stay with them for life!).

After tennis on Wednesday, we did this...

Summer fun!  Now, mama needs a nap!

And...

Don't forget, it's Sheaffer's turn to show you what she tried on, loved and bought when we went shopping!  Click here to see her shopping experience and click here to revisit mine from last Friday!  The Shopping with Sheaffer and Shay fun continues!

One last thing...you should totally check out my friend Cassie's blog post about how Google Reader is leaving us July 1!  If you've missed this memo...you need to know.  This is why, you've been seeing this...



...on the bottom of my posts.  This is what you need to start doing to follow your favorite blogs once Google Reader is gone.  Click here to read Cassie's post.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

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