Kuzak's Closet - Professional Organizing & Estate Sales

Silicon Valley's Best Blog!

2012-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Kuzak's Closet was selected as Silicon Valley's Best Blog for 2012! Thank you all so much for voting for me! The official results and all of the other winners will be published in the June 24th edition of the San Jose Mercury News and I can't wait!

Wanted! Guest Bloggers for Kids Week

2012-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Kids Week starts on June 18th and I can't wait to read all of the great guest posts! I am still looking for a few more guest bloggers so please let me know if you would like to participate, to get you motivated here is a look back at the posts from last year's themed week...

Healthy Summer Snacks

Explore Their Inner Artist

Balancing a Summer Schedule

Multi-tasking, Education and Entertainment

Keys to a Successful Children's Party

Day in the Life of a Triplet Mama

Organized Travel with Baby on Board

It was an awesome week and I am really looking forward to all of the guest posts this year. Please let me know if you are interested in participating and remember you don't have to have a blog to be a guest blogger! If you have never guest blogged before it is a great experience and I would be happy to help you through the process!

The Art of Unpacking...

2012-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is an art to unpacking a house after a move. It is important to stay organized and always start what you finish. Summer is a VERY popular time for families to move so I wanted to share some of my favorite tips so you can stay organized while you unpack each and every box. I know some of you are reading this post feeling guilty that boxes from your last move are still packed up in your garage but don't worry, there is still hope for you!

Start by being organized as you pack! It is so much easier to purge and sort as you pack compared to after you move in! Take time to sort through things as you put them into boxes.

Label all of your boxes by room so you or your moving company can put them into the appropriate room at your new home.

Instead of unpacking one box at a time dive right in! Open up all of the boxes in the room and sort the items from the boxes into categories and plan where things should go before you start to put them away.

Do not keep things just because they are new or unused if you never plan on using them. The cost of keeping them around and having them clutter up your storage will outweigh the benefits of letting go!

Only purchase storage if your new living situation is temporary. Remember, what is out of site will be out of mind.

Here are some photos from a unpacking project that I worked on last summer. My newly single client downsized from a 4,000 square foot home into 1,800 square feet. I unpacked many of the rooms in his house and set up organized systems so that he and his kids would be able to function as an organized household.

Here is the master bedroom before I started...

I started by pulling everything out of the boxes and sorting the items by like and kind in piles on the floor. Doing this will help you see the all of the items that you have so you can efficiently plan where things should be stored. If you unpack one box at a time you will waste hours reworking shelves and drawers.

A few hours later I was able to find room for everything my client needed to keep. For this project I worked independently and my client trusted me to make decisions. For the items that I wasn't sure about I left him small piles for homework to be tackled on his own. Here is what the room looked liked after...

There is a little cottage in the back of the house that my client used as a home gym and family media/game area. This is what it looked like before...

In this space I unpacked all of the boxes and sorted everything into categories. Most of the boxes were filled with toys and games. If a game was missing parts or was too young for his children I put it in a box for Goodwill. This is what the room looked like after...

Most of the family games were sorted through and put away in the cabinets in the room. The rest of the toys belongs to my client's son and were put into bins in his room.

My client's master bath was much smaller and lacked the storage that his old bathroom had. He had several large boxes of toiletries that needed to be sorted through and most importantly he needed to find a storage system to give everything a home. Here are the boxes before...

Tons of little items!

And after! We found this great low profile storage cabinet at World Market. I really liked the glass doors and adjustable shelves, plus the dark wood matched the rest of the decor.

After I sorted through all of the products I stored them in neat rows, keeping like items together. All of the products that were expired, close to being empty, or had a funky smell got tossed. Products that had many duplicated for downsized and donated to a local shelter.

If you are moving this Spring or Summer please use these tips when you are unpacking. The process always seems stressful but it doesn't have to be. It really pays to be organized and if you could use the help or a professional don't hesitate to contact Kuzak's Closet.

Don't forget to check out these blog posts for more advice on decluttering before you move and how to be prepared for a stress-free move.

Estate Sale Find & Castle Update...

2012-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! Nancy's moving sale on Saturday went really well, we sold almost everything giving her lots of extra cash to cover her relocation expenses. I wish I would have taken a picture of the sale after it was set up but we had a big crowd there first thing in the morning and I didn't have a chance.

I couldn't resist this great chair that she had for sale so I brought it home with me. Nancy has an interesting professional background and has worked for lots of famous people and on several presidential campaigns. This chair was from when she worked at the 1988 George Bush presidential campaign headquarters. I have no idea how she was able to bring it home but I am glad she did. It is really comfy so I am going to use it at my desk.

In other estate news...

My client (and friend) Kelly from the castle sale in January was visiting from Sacramento on Friday so she stopped by to say hello. It was great to catch up with her! We sat on the front porch and had a cocktail and some snacks (Chris came home and sat in the GB Campaign Chair, our neighbors probably think we are nuts).

Before she left we decided to take a drive by the castle for old times sake. There was a fire there 6 weeks ago and the garage and barn were totally destroyed. We pulled up and the exterior was still in place but as we got closer we could see that roof had collapsed and the entire interior or the barn and garage were completely destroyed...

This is the view looking left...

and looking right...

There was a chalkboard that survived the fire inside. It crossed my mine to sneak in and grab it but then I realized that my clients no longer own the property and that would be stealing. I didn't want to get arrested for stealing a chalkboard, ha!

Here is a photo of the sale a few nights before we opened. I am took it when I was on the second floor or the house looking out the window. You can see the garage on the right and the barn on the left.

It seems like that sale was so long ago but I really miss that project and the family. It was such a challenge to get everything organized and priced but man it was a blast. Hopefully I have another sale like that soon!

Another Palo Alto Sale...

2012-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am having another sale this weekend in Palo Alto but this time around I am not very happy about it. Why you ask? Because it is a moving sale for my friend Nancy, she has decided to leave me and move to Washington D.C. to take a new job. She decided that she wants to start over when she gets there and wants to sell it all so I volunteered to help her run her sale.

Yesterday I stopped by to drop off the tables and I was surprised at what I found in her garage...

Yes, it was a MESS!!! I was hoping that she would have done her homework and gotten things sorted before I came but no such luck. When I asked her about it she just laughed and said it would all get taken care of. Ha! Let's just say that Nancy is what I like to call a procrastinator.

I only had time to drop off the tables and take pictures so I could list and market the sale online. Today will be spent getting this place into ship shape for the sale. I am going to have tables lining the walls to display everything and on Saturday I will put up a tent to give us even more room.

If you are in Palo Alto on Saturday and want to stop by and say hello please do! The sale is from 9am-3pm at 325 Bryant Court and everything must go! Here are a few snapshots of my favorite items.

2 Matching Iron Queen Headboards...

Shabby Chic Chaise Lounge...

Cute Fall Wreath...

Full Size Hospital Scale?

Darling Little Side Table...

Cute Green Chair...

Vintage Fan...

Wish me luck getting this sale organized and I hope to see you this weekend!

Gobble Meal Delivery

2012-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Catherine, a lovely client of mine sent me a free meal through a local dinner delivery service called Gobble. The thought of a home cooked meal that I don't have to shop for, prepare, or clean up after sounded like a real treat but I didn't know what to expect considering the only delivery that I have ever ordered is bad Chinese or local pizza.

Chris and I took a look at Gobble's site and we really liked the simple layout. It is organized by day and each day has 5-7 dinner options with great photos and descriptions from local chefs. The options change each day and so do the chefs so there is always something new.

We decided to schedule our delivery for last Friday night so we could have a easy dinner at home after a long week of work. We ended up choosing these two meals cooked by Chef Alisa Chotibhongs...

Khao Ob Sapparot

We will be making a traditional and elegant Thai dish of fried rice with organic egg, organic

grape tomato, organic yellow onion, organic green onion, organic pineapple,

cashew nuts, organic raisins and shrimp tossed and served inside a pineapple.

Panang Beef Stew

Chunks of tender stewed organic grass-fed beef in Panang curry sauce with steamed organic broccoli, topped with coconut milk and shredded Thai basil leaves. Served with a side of steamed rice.

On the day of the dinner delivery I received a reminder email letting me know that dinner was almost ready. I scheduled the delivery between 5:30 and 6pm and it arrived right on time. I loved the packaging that everything came in, aren't the labels great?

It was nice to sit outside in our sweats and enjoy our dinner with a glass of wine. I ended up eating most of the panang beef (we were supposed to share) and it was so good. It was tangy and spicy and I would definitely order it again...

Chris is all about presentation so I wasn't surprised when he ordered an entree served in a pineapple bowl. The shrimp and rice were infused with the pineapple flavor and it was just as good as it looks.

This whole experience opened our eyes to a much tastier meal delivery option and we can't wait to order from Gobble again. I will also keep it in mind as a gift for my clients and friends, it would be perfect as a housewarming gift or a treat for new parents. Thank you Catherine for the meal and opening my eyes to a great local service!

FAME!

2012-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna live FOREVER! Who doesn't love Fame? It is an iconic movie and soundtrack and I know I am not the only person who tries to replicate the dance scenes in my spare time. I am currently working with Dean Pitchford's brother, the writer of the FAME (and Footloose) to help sell Dean's original cast jacket that he wore on the set of the 1980 hit movie. I have worked for several famous clients in my years in business but having Dean's jacket from the set of the movie FAME at my house to sell on eBay is really exciting.

I went to pick it up from Dean's brother and guess what song came on the radio on my way home...FAME! I swear I am not kidding!

1981 Academy Awards, Dean Pitchford won the Oscar for best song "Fame"

I can't wait to put this baby on eBay and see what happens with the sale. Don't worry, I will keep you posted. It will take all of my will power not to put it on and dance around my house, ha! I will leave you with the movie trailer just in case you need a refresher...

Nutella Cupcakes

2012-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! We had beautiful weather in Northern California and we spent the weekend working on the coffee table I picked up at Salvation Army and the picnic table we snagged for free.

Today I am sharing a sweet recipe for Nutella cupcakes. Chris loves Nutella so we usually have a small stockpile in our pantry. One of the containers was going to expire this month so I thought I would try baking with it to use it up. I Googled recipes for cookies and cakes but this recipe from a blog called Piece of Cake won me over.

I mixed them up and baked them off after work last Wednesday so we could have them as dessert with dinner. They were so good I packed them up and sent them to work with Chris the next day so I wouldn't eat them, Nutella may be healthy but eating a dozen cupcakes in one sitting isn't, ha! Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
8 ounces Nutella
2 eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk

For the ganache:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate but you could use any flavor you prefer)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts or chocolate sprinkles for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour and salt and set aside.

With an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well-blended. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and pale in color. Beat in the Nutella until well-incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl while beating. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture just until it beings to disappear into the batter. Beat in the milk. Fold in the remainder of the flour mixture by hand until the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them no more than 1/2 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs–if in doubt, pull them from the oven a bit early–do not over bake. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Place the chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stopping to stir after each interval, until the mixture is shiny and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

When the cupcakes are completely cool, using a spoon, top each one with about two teaspoons of the ganache, and with the back of the spoon coax it as close to the edges as possible without letting it drip down the sides (or go on and let it drip…drippy chocolate is rarely a bad thing). Sprinkle on a bit of the chopped hazelnuts. Let the ganache set before storing in an airtight container at room temperature overnight–these cupcakes truly taste better the next day. But if you want to defy me and serve the cupcakes immediately, refrigerate them for about five minutes and the ganache will quickly set.

Let's Have a Picnic

2012-05-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Chris and I have been shopping for a patio set for the last year and we haven't been able to commit to a style or setup. Mostly because we are renting and we don't want to splurge on something that we love risking that it won't work at our next place. Also the cost, a table with 4 to 6 chairs is running between $500 and $1,500 yikes! Now that summer is upon us I asked Chris if he would be up for looking for a low cost picnic table on Craigslist that would be budget friendly and give us the outdoor seating that we need.

(Via)

Literally two days after we chatted about the idea of a picnic table we saw one for free in our neighborhood. We were on our nightly walk with the dog when we spotted it so we picked up the pace and headed home. We hopped in the truck to go pick it up but when we got back to the house that was giving it away it was gone. We were so bummed that we missed the opportunity and as we turned around to head home I caught a glimpse of the table poking out from the side of the house. I told Chris to stop and I jumped out of the truck and knocked on the door. As I waited for the owners to answer it occurred to me that I was probably crossing the line but I really wanted that darn table. When the owner came to the door he was so excited that we wanted the table, he said he just put in on Craigslist because it had been sitting in his front yard all day. He helped us load it into the truck and we headed home with our new treasure.

Here is a picture of the table, it needs some TLC but I think it is going to be perfect once we get it fixed up. I am going to sand it and then stain it, I just don't know what color to pick. My instinct tells me to do something neutral but the thought of a bright color would be fun too.

I went looking for some inspiration on Pinterest and here is what I found. Tell me what you think, should I go neutral or bright?

(Via)

Pantries Don't Have to be Painful

2012-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today I am back with another pantry project. A new client of mine was sick and tired of the pileup in her pantry so she scheduled a session for me to work my magic. She thought it was going to take an entire day or two so she was surprised when I quoted the project for just shy of 4 hours.

She is experiencing the start of empty nesting but her buying habits haven't adjusted. With two kids in college and one living at home she no longer needs to stock up on supplies for her large family. Most of the items that we got rid of were items that she bought for the older kids last summer and never used up.

Another issue she had was that her husband is always receiving gift baskets as a thank you at work and they are filled with items that they don't eat due to dietary restrictions. Instead of tossing or donating the junk she was letting it clutter her pantry and her counter tops.

We started by going through all of the food and purging the items that she knew her family would never use or that had expired. As pulled all of the food out of the pantry to sorted it into categories on the dining table.

Once we were done I worked my magic and put everything away. My client is about five feet tall so I put all of the food items and appliances she uses regularly on the lower shelves. I put her son's items on the upper shelves so they will be at his eye level which should help him easily find a snack. I repurosed bins that she already had and used clear shoe boxes to corral snacks and baking supplies. I ended up finishing the pantry in 2 and a half hours so had extra time to tackle the counter tops in her kitchen and a medicine rack on the back of the pantry door.

She loved the result of the project and said in the past she tried to do it on her own but after hours of effort and lots of distractions she just gave up. She was just happy to have it finally organized and now it is up to her to maintain the system that is in place. I can't believe how much brighter her pantry looks in these before and afters!

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Here are the pantry maintenance tips that I gave to this client, I wanted to share them with you because you might relate to her...

1.) If people are giving you food or gift baskets, ask yourself if your family will use it before you put it away.

2.) If your lifestyle has changed your pantry should reflect it. For example: if you are going on a diet get rid of all of the junk. If you are empty nesting curb your buying until you use up some of your stock and then change your buying habits.

3.) Consider what you use the most when determining a layout and put those items at eye level.

4.) Keep like items together and have all items facing forward, your pantry should look similiar to the shelves at your favorite grocery store.

5.) Meal planning is the key to curbing your over buying habits. Shop with a list and stick to it!

Baby Favorites

2012-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

It was fun to put together today's baby products post, thank you so much for leaving comments on last week's babies, babies, babies post and on my facebook page. I am so excited to meet all of the babies that are arriving this year, I can count at least 12 friends that are expecting, crazy! Below are all of your favorite products, thanks again for sharing!

Stacey, Jill, and Katie from Michigan and love...

The Babysense or Angelcare Movement Monitor

Elizabeth from Colorado loves...

The BOB Stroller

Amy from Texas loves...

Aquaphor

Alicia and Katie from Michigan love...

Ergo Baby Carrier

Nikki from Michigan loves...

Mamaroo Rocker Bouncer

Kati from Iowa loves...

Cute Grass Bottle Drying Rack from Target

Laura from California loves...

Chicco Lullaby Magic Playard

Happy Madrash likes...

Breast Friend Nursing Pillow

Shi Shu Baby Blanket

Night-Night, Little Pookie

Erica loves...

Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller

Becky from Michigan loves...

Lingerie Bags to Corral Baby Socks in the Laundry...

Rebecca from Michigan loves...

Baby Wipes

Erin from Michigan loves...

GroVia Cloth Diapers

Just a reminder that Kid's Week starts on June 18th and I am looking for guest bloggers to participate. If you have a kid friendly recipe, an organizing project, art project, field trip idea, or just want to share a day in the life of a busy mom please let me know!

Estate Sale Wrap Up

2012-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not all estate sales are perfect and when I went to meet with my client for my recent estate sale in Palo Alto I was really worried because the home was located in a large condo complex on the third floor. I knew we would need to market to the hundreds of people that lived in the complex and create lots of signage. I printed off color fliers and we put them in all of the mailboxes in the complex. In addition to my large signs I put small signs and balloons to guide all of the buyers who read about the sale online.

All of the marketing paid off because we ended up with a really good turnout for the sale. People arrived early so we opened around 8:45 and had a steady stream all day long. Chris and I took turns running the cash box and helping people bring their items down to their cars. Chris also delivered a few pieces in the afternoon which was a big help.

I usually feature the items that I have sold recently in a post called "It Pays to be Organized" but this time around I thought it would be fun for you to see how much all of the items brought it from just this sale. The kitchen items, crystal, china, clothing, Christmas decoration, and linens sold for small prices but all of those dollars really add up.

Ethan Allen Pull Out Twin Loveseat $350

Ethan Allen Leather Recliner, $325

Artwork sold for $15 per piece...

Brass Lamp $45, Round Table, $20

Ethan Allen Buffet, $175, Tiered Dessert Stand $15,

Wine Glasses $10 per set, Large Crystal Items $10-$20 per piece...

Iron Bistro Set, $40 (I had Chris deliver it to the buyer and take a lunch break)

Glass dishes, $20 for the set...

Noritake 12 Piece Place Setting, $50 for the WHOLE SET! Bookcase $25, Books 50 cents...

Lamp $20, Teacups $10 per set, Teapot with mini cups $20,

Small Waterford pieces $5 per item, the China Cabinet didn't sell.

Pottery Barn Queen Bed with Mattress and Bedding $500, Large Nightstand $75,

Small Nightstand $60, Lamp on the Left $45, Lamp on the Right $15.

My estate sales always bring a variety of people and personalities, some good and some bad. I am started to have a lot of repeat customers which is fun, it makes me feel like I have my own little store, just in a different location every weekend. This little pooch was probably my favorite customer of the weekend, his owner walked him all the way up the stairs so she could buy a wind chime.

We were scheduled to be open from 9am-4pm but we ended up closing around 5:30pm. We loaded up the truck with my tables and estate sale supplies and took down the signs. I was so STARVING so I talked Chris into going to In-n-Out Burger for dinner. If you are wondering who ate the third cheeseburger that would be me. Yep, and I washed it down with a chocolate shake.

We came home and unloaded my signs and tables and them I counted all of the sales. We were able to sell over $3,500 which was great and far over my estimate for this little sale. The few remaining items that didn't sell will be donated to my client's favorite charity.

Yesterday I treated Chris to brunch at Calafia for all his hard work at the sale. Check out his chicken and waffles, there was bacon in the batter...

On the way home we stopped at a few Sunday open houses just to be nosy. The prices out here still amaze me. This little 3 bedroom is on the market for 3 million bucks, insane!

The house next door was also for sale for 3 million, it had a better layout than the first house and the finishes were more my taste. I would like to think that we could afford to buy a house someday but I doubt that will happen, especially when Facebook goes public next month and hundreds of people in my area will be become millionaires. For now we are lucky to live in the nice rental that we do.

Well, that was my weekend. Hopefully more estate sales come by way this summer because I just love organizing and running them. Have a great Monday!

Palo Alto Estate Sale

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am holding an Estate Sale this Saturday May 5th 9am-4pm at The Greenhouse Condo complex in Palo Alto. This sale is full of Crystal, China, Collectibles, Furniture by Ethan Allen & Pottery Barn, Beds, Books, Clothing, Artwork, Kitchen items, Patio Furniture, Antiques, and MORE!!! Please stop by and say hi, here is the address...

777 San Antonio Road #50

Palo Alto, CA 94303

The Greenhouse Building 6 Unit 50

Babies, Babies, Babies!

2012-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

2012 is proving to be a year FULL of babies. Everyone that I know (and pretend to know i.e. Reese Witherspoon and Tori Spelling) are expecting and that means I get to shop for lots of fun baby gifts.

(Via)

My brother and his wife Kelly announced that they are expecting their first baby in October which means I am going to be an aunt again!

Because I want to spoil this baby rotten, I thought I should ask all of you to send me your favorite baby products so I could put together a shopping post with all of the latest and greatest items. Please email me at kuzakscloset@gmail.com with your favorite item or write on my facebook wall and I will feature them in a post next week. I can't wait to see what the latest and greatest products are!

(Nick and Kelly at their wedding in 2010)

Also on the topic of kids, please let me know if you are interested in guest blogging for my next themed week, "kids week", in June.

Tween Closets...

2012-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was going through my before and afters over the weekend and I realized that these tween closet pics hadn't been posted. Before the holidays I had a client hire me to organize her entire home, from top to bottom. It was a really great project because I was able to reorganize and spruce up room, closet, and drawer over a short period of time.

She has children that spend half of their week with her and the other half with their dad so it is important that their rooms are organized so they can easily pack up mid week. Because they are between in a transitional age range (between being young kids and being teenagers) I set up organizing systems in their rooms that they can grow into.

I started in her son's room. He plays several sports and has lots of gear to store. I used a different fabric bin for each sport so all of his gear stays separate making it easy for him to use and maintain the system. I also made simple changes like hanging up his clothes, lining up the shoes on the shelves, utilizing the hooks for bags, installing Command hooks for sweatshirts, and removing the mis-match products to create a more uniform look. Take a look at the before and afters...

Before

After

I chose Navy to match the decor of the rest of his room. Normally I would use my favorite velvet hangers but this time I stocked up on chubby navy plastic hangers because they would be easier for his 10 year old hands to use and because he has room.

Before

After

He had this great bookcase in his room but as you can see it was being underutilized. I used the blue and gray fabric bins to give the shelf a more uniform look and stocked them with toys, extra athletic supplies, artwork, and lots of room for future storage. It's amazing that such a simple change can add a pop of color and help accessorize a room.

Before

After

Before

After

Next I tackled the daughter's room. She is a few years older than her brother and her closet had similar organizational challenges. Like her brother she had most of her clothing folded in wire drawers near her closet. I used velvet hangers and hung up all of her tops and pants which gave her a lot more drawer space. I repurposed the shoe organizer from her brother's closet to keep her shoes seperate (big improvement from the pile on the bottom of her closet). I used labeled clear plastic bins to store her memorabilia and special school work and stored them on the top shelves.

Before

After

Before

After

She was storing her current schoolwork, beauty supplies, and accessories on the right side of her closet. Her room has a cute black, white, and green design so I found black and white bins at Office Max to coordinate with the rest of her room. I repurposed the wire bins from one of the bathrooms in the house for her beauty supplies. With the extra room in her closet she now has space for a laundry hamper.

Before

After

Before

After

Well, I hope these before and afters give you some ideas for how to spruce up your kid's closets. Here the rest of the projects I completed in this home makeover...

Kitchen and Pantry Makeover
Bathroom Vanity Makeover
Shoe Inventory & Master Closet Makeover
Garage Makeover
Laundry Room Makeover

April in Review

2012-04-30T06:00:00.001-07:00

Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers did a month in review last month and I loved the idea so much I decided to steal it. Between the DIY frames, my trip to Hilton Head Island, and my organizing business I stayed very busy, here is a look back...

Here are some of the highlights...

I made picture frames out of fruit drying racks and shared a DIY tutorial with all of you...

I organized lots of homes and featured great before and afters from one of the garage projects...

I shared some fun summer fashion from Fresh Produce...

I traveled to the South to visit my family for Easter...

I had some great guest bloggers post for me while I was away on vacation, including this

cute Easter Egg party post from my sister Ashlie over at Brining Babies...

I held an Estate Sale in Saratoga...

I made white chicken chili using a rotisserie chicken...

and I chronicled one of my days as a professional organizer...

Day in the Life

2012-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I documented my day as a professional organizer. As always, I wish I could share more details about the clients and the sessions but I need to keep all of that confidential. This post sums up what my day looked like yesterday, enjoy!

6:45am: I start most mornings checking emails on this chaise lounge in our bedroom. You might recognize it from our living room, it used to have a navy cover on it but when we bought new furniture for that room I bought this tan cover. It is a nice spot to snuggle up and read and Chris loves to pile his clothes on it, ha!

Harper is always the first one up in the morning and you can find her wedged between the sliding doors and the curtains hunting for squirrels. She is going to daycare today for a much needed haircut, she smells like the combination of a farm and a tuna can most days so I am really looking forward to a fresh pup.

7:45am: Finish getting ready for work, I am loving this eye shadow palette from Lorac, it is called Unzipped.

8am: Today I have a maintenance session with a regular client to I am bringing bins and products that I know we might need. I always have a stockpile of clear bins and shoe boxes in my store room. This client saw the rocking chair in the photos from my last estate sale so asked me to pull it from the sale so she could buy it.

8:15am: I stopped at Starbucks for my morning coffee. There is a couple that sits outside with their dogs every morning and they totally cracks me up. They bring dog beds for their pups, their own coffee mugs, and based on my extensive Starbucks research they are there every morning between 7:45am and 9:30am. I had to sneak this picture of one of the dogs on a dog bed. I know I am a dog lover and I do crazy things for my dog like send her to daycare but these people kind of cross the line for me, isn't there a point when you should just buy an espresso machine and stay home?

8:45am: Random rainbow spotting on my way to work...

9am: I arrive at my client's house and she isn't home (she was running late after dropping the kids off at school) but these sweethearts happily greet me. My client is a wild and crazy woman and I have been looking forward to this session all week. She loves to move at a fast pace but I have to keep her on task and focused so her energy can be put to good use.

9:15am: My client schedules and appointment with me every 8-12 weeks. We tackle new projects during some sessions and do maintenance during others. Maintenance is just as important as setting up a system and my keeping regular appointments with me she is able to stay ahead of the pile up and save money in the long run.

Today is a maintenance session for her wardrobe/closet and garage. Our last wardrobe session was in December, you might remember seeing the before and afters on my blog. Back in December I set up a system in her closet and we did a small purge but this time around my client was ready to get rid of more. I really pushed her to thin out all of the drawers, shelves, and her closet because I knew it make her life easier and more efficient.

Here is a piece of our conversation while sorting through her pajama drawers...

Me: "When do you where these pjs?"
Client: "Never!"
Me: "Really? Why are you keeping them?"
Client: "Just in case I need to be hospitalized, they are my nicest set."
Me: "Seriously? If you don't wear them now why do you think you would want to wear them in the hospital?"
Client: "Good point!"

It is SO important to clean out your closet every season and now is the time to get your closet ready for summer. A tune up will help remind you of what you already have and what items you need to add to your shopping list.

Here is an after shot of the closet, you can see all of the extra hangers lined up on the top shelf and now there is enough room to really move the clothes from side to side. We got rid of 10 bags of clothes, crazy!

12:30pm: We quickly tackled the coat closet and filled up another 2 garbage bags..

1pm: Devin and I organized her garage in December but today she wanted to tune it up. (By the way, did I tell you all that Devin is interning for the San Francisco Giants? So exciting for him!) There were some straggling Christmas decorations that needed to go in bins, luggage that needed to find a home on the shelves, and other misc. tasks.

2:45pm: On my way home from work I had to make my daily stop at my local Post Office. I love the ladies who run the counter, Doris, Jean, and Grace. They are all so friendly and it is more convenient for me to stop in quickly that print off labels and postage at home.

3pm: I got home and unloaded my truck, did I tell you that I have magnets on it now? I figured I should take advantage of the days that Chris drives it to work, the magnets are like little billboards in the Google parking lot.

3:15pm: Lunch! I never take a break for lunch and usually eat a protein bar between sessions in my truck. Because I had one longer session today I was able to make it home to my Greek quinoa salad. I made a big batch earlier this week (sans red onion) and have been enjoying it all week. Most days I am greeted by Harper when I am home but she is at daycare so the house was SO quiet. I really didn't know how to handle eating without having her try to steal my lunch.

4pm: My Grandma Orr called me and left a message, she thought that I had called her and that I had an emergency (I didn't call and there are no emergencies right now). She is easily confused so I had to call her back to put her mind at ease. When she answered the phone she asked me if I was coming to visit soon and it just broke my heart, I really miss being able to see her a few times a month. She gave me the updates on all of her friends and her life and slipped the detail that she drove to the nearby town to go to McDonald's. She is not supposed to leave town with her car but she likes to break the rules, I reminded her that she isn't supposed to drive out of town but she said she wanted to get her burgers, ha! I asked her to come clean about what she got from McDonald's and she said she brought home 2 cheeseburgers and a big box of nuggets, oh boy! It was great to chat with her and I wish I could see her soon.

5pm: A perky lady named Summer ( perky is an understatement) stopped by to buy this picnic basket for $30 that was listed on Craigslist. My client will be glad that it is gone!

When I opened the front door to sell the basket I noticed a big box on the doormat. Inside was this cute monogrammed tray, it didn't have a card or a note saying who sent it but I assume it was my mother in law, she is always sending something fun.

5:15pm-6:15pm: Start laundry and clean up around the house. I bought this coffee table for our living room last week at Salvation Army. It was a deal, only $24.50 and the glass pops out so I can easily freshin it up with some paint.

I was originally thinking that it should be the same orange color that is in the pillows but now I am thinking of a distressed beige or grey blue. We'll see. By the way, how do you like the new living room? We bought a leather sofa and a cute swivel rocker, it needs some accessories but it is getting there.

6:30pm: The beauty queen (and Chris) are home for the day. Harper looks much better and she knows it, every time she gets a cut she prances around the house.

7pm: Nothing fancy for dinner tonight! I was going to make gulash but poached eggs on toast sounded better.

After dinner I responded to emails, set up this post, and watched "Don't be Tardy for the Wedding" on Bravo while Chris worked. My Pinterest button stopped showing the amount of pins on each post so Chris fixed it. When I looked at the numbers I couldn't believe that my DIY Picture Frame from last week has been pinned over 2,000 times, wow!

Another day in the life, thanks for letting me share it and I will see you again on Monday, happy organizing!

Fresh Produce Review

2012-04-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

My mom took me to all of her favorite shops on Hilton Head Island when I was a visiting over Easter. One of her favorite stores carries a brand called Fresh Produce, my mom loves it because everything is so cute and comfy. Coincidentally Fresh Produce just contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in reviewing one of their products, of course I said yes!

I had the option of picking anything from their website and it was tough to make a decision because all of their tops, dresses, and pants look so comfy. I ended up picking this cute Katamaran Pullover, I love the Peri color and I thought I would get a lot of use out of it.

I wanted to show you the top but Harper kept trying to jump in the pictures, ha! Here is more of a candid shot but you can see that I paired the top with my boyfriend jeans, I rolled them up a bit and added my silver J.Crew sandals for some sparkle. I have also been wearing this top with my black yoga pants, it is perfect for running errands and for layering for my evening walks with the dog.

I really love the pockets, they give it more of a comfy casual feel.

Fresh Produce carries a variety of casual women's clothes, plus size sweatshirts, and fun women's tropical resort wear. Here are some of my favorite items...

Fiji Notcho Dress

Tiered Jersey Skirt

Live-In Pullover

Kids Ruffle Tank Dress

Thank you for letting me review your product Fresh Produce! I hope you all like their stuff as much as I do, now is the time to stock up on comfy clothes for Spring and Summer!

White Chicken Chili

2012-04-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love making soup! It is so comforting and makes the perfect light dinner. I usually make a double or triple batch and freeze some of it for easy meals down the road. Recently I tried this recipe for white chicken chili using rotisserie chicken, one of my favorite ingredients. I like to pick them up at the cafe inside Calafia in Palo Alto but you can find them almost anywhere.

The recipe is based on this recipe from Southern Living, I made a few changes because I had trouble finding a white chili seasoning packet. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
14 oz chicken broth
2 (4.5-oz.) cans chopped green chiles
3 (16-oz.) cans cannellini beans
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder

Optional Toppings
Avocado, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in chicken, beans, chiles, and seasoning (do not rinse the beans or the chiles). Bring to a boil, stirring often; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve with optional toppings.

If you like this recipe don't forget to check out my recipe for chicken and dumplings using a rotisserie bird!

Pinterest Pups

2012-04-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great weekend! On Saturday night we rented the movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and I was not prepared for how scary it was going to be. During parts of it I had to hide behind a pillow and towards the end I had to distract myself by going to my happy place...looking at puppies on Pinterest. Yes, I am one of "those" people. Some people say that the internet was created for cats and dogs and sometimes I think they are right, these pups are so darn cute! Here are some of my favorite pooch pins...

Via

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Please Vote for Kuzak's Closet!

2012-04-21T09:18:00.002-07:00

Every year the San Jose Mercury News dishes out "The Best of" awards and since I know you all LOVE Kuzak's Closet I wanted to ask you to take a second to vote! Please hop over to BISV and vote for Kuzak's Closet as best blog in Silicon Valley, voting ends tomorrow. It will only take a minute, here is the link!

DIY Picture Frame

2012-04-19T06:00:00.003-07:00

Back in January I brought these fruit drying racks home from a large estate that I was working at. They were tucked away in the loft of a barn and it was pretty amazing that termites didn't completely devour them! Someone suggested that we put them in the dumpster but I suggested that we put them out at the estate sale I was having. My sales pitch to buyers was the idea that they could make picture frames with them and they quickly sold out (I am so glad I put 2 aside for myself!).

This is what they looked like before, lots of potential...

I wanted to create something that would encourage me to print more photos and allow me to switch things around frequently. My idea was to use eye install eye hooks on the sides and wind twin through so I could attach clips for pictures. Chris helped me with this project and here are the steps...

1.) Start with a few simple supplies: twine, eye hooks, a hammer, binder clips, and a can of spray paint.

2.) Measure the frame and decided where to install the hooks. With the measurements of the fruit racks we decided to install the first eye hooks 5 inches down, then the next hook 10 inches below the first, and the last hook 10 inches below the second. So 5, then 15, the 25 inches.

3.) Used the hammer to start the eye hooks.

4.) Screwed the hooks into the sides of each rack.

5.) Wrap the twin through the eye hooks.

6.) We decided it looked best if we wrapped the twin 5 times.

7.) Double knot the ends and trim off the extra twine.

8.) Install picture hooks on the back of each rack.

9.) Admire your handy work.

I looked at a few office supply stores for cute binder clips but I came up empty handed. I decided that I would just buy the standard silver ones and spray paint them chocolate brown to match our living room. I also wanted them to blend in with the frame, if you are more daring you could use just about any color that you like.

I laid all of the clips out on cardboard and sprayed away.

I really love the magic of spray paint!

I printed my photos in a variety of sizes with a matte finish so they wouldn't reflect the light. After I fiddled with the layout I clip them up to each row of twine.

It is so great to have some of our favorite pictures up, it makes our living room feel more like home. I mixed in old family photos and wedding photos with shots from our recent trips to Napa, Tahoe, and Michigan.

These DIY picture frames will be fun to display holiday cards too! It will definitely be fun to keep changing things up.

Afternoon in Savannah

2012-04-18T06:00:00.001-07:00

Because it is so close to Hilton Head Island, I decided to fly in and out of the Savannah airport. It was much cheaper than flying to HH directly and it gave me an excuse to enjoy the city for an afternoon.

Savannah is a historic city with a beautiful riverfront filled with shops and restaurants and neat squares. Before I flew back to California I stopped with my mom and dad to see the sights and have lunch.

Our first stop was River Street Sweets for some homemade pralines. These treats are NOT friendly on the waistline but they are totally worth it. We walking into the shop and it smelled like sugar and butter and I loved every minute of it. I liked the traditional pralines the best but I brought home an assortment for Chris to try, God knows he could use a few extra pounds.

Making the chocolate caramel turtles...

Yum! These were Chris' favorite treat that I brought home...

For lunch we stopped at a local pub for traditional southern shrimp and grits. They were loaded with butter, garlic, and cheese, yum!

After lunch we needed to burn a few calories so we walked through more shops historic squares...

You can see the state capitol in the background...

And we ended up at Lady & Sons, Paula Deen's restaurant. We didn't stop in for a deep fried Cheeseburger but we did venture through Paula's shop.

And I got to meet Paula herself...just kidding!

Savannah is such a pretty city, I love the historic buildings and the cobblestone. Next time I will try to see more!

Well, that concludes my Easter trip to South Carolina. I hope you enjoyed all of the pictures!

Beach Life & Salty Dog

2012-04-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

I hope you enjoyed my post yesterday! Today I wanted to share more photos from my trip to Hilton Head Island. As I said yesterday, most mornings were spent walking on the beach. It was fun to see all of the dogs playing in the waves and the toddlers digging sand castles. One morning while I was walking with my brother, sister, and mom I ran into my college friend Brooke. We knew we were both on the island and we were planning on meeting up but it was such a nice a surprise to see her.

The next morning I walked down to the beach to Brooke's resort to meet her for breakfast and I was able to to snap some pictures of the beach before it filled up with people. These blue beach chairs were lined up in along the beach in front of each plantation, you could rent them for a day or the entire week.

I played around with this photo a little bit to give it more of a vintage look...

This yellow cottage is at the entrance of Brooke's resort, isn't it cute? I love the color! From the deck you can see the ocean and a little inland waterway with a fountain.

Breakfast with Brooke was great, we chatted and chatted and before we knew it we realized we had been sitting at our table for 4 hours! She had to get back to her family and so did I so I headed back down the beach. On my way back to the resort I this friendly blue heron was showing off for a crowd at the beach.

This is the view from the condo we rented. We were close to the pool and the beach which was convenient.

There was a resort next door to the condo that we could walk to for lunch. We spent many afternoons sipping frozen drinks and enjoying the sun. Here is a picture of my brother Chris at lunch one day...

The outdoor restaurant had a variety of healthy lunch options which was surprising, most of those spots only serve hot dogs and burgers. This was my lunch one day...

A trip to the south is not complete without a visit to The Salty Dog Cafe. We stopped in for t-shirts but didn't stay for dinner. (Last time we went there as kids everyone got sick, bad memories!)

It's been years since I have played putt-putt and my husband will be jealous that I went without him. We decided it would be fun to hit the greens at Pirate's Island. I'm pretty sure it hasn't changed since my last trip there sometime in the 1990s. Here are some action shots...

Trying to figure out my next move...

Drawing for teams! We decided to draw names after the game for a random result. My mom, dad, and brother Chris ended up winning so the rest of us had to buy them ice cream.

Sorry if these vacation posts are boring but it is nice share more personal details of my life from time to time. Tomorrow I am going to share photos from my afternoon in Savannah so please stop by!

Easter, The Master's, Harbour Town

2012-04-16T06:00:00.002-07:00

My family always spent spring break somewhere in South Carolina, usually Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head Island. We would all pile in our family van and make the long 14+hour trek down to the sunshine. It has been years since I have gone on a "spring break" with my family so when the opportunity came up to spend Easter in Hilton Head with my family I jumped on it.

Chris wasn't able to tag along so I traveled alone. I took my first red-eye (overnight) flight from San Francisco to Savannah hoping that it would help me adjust to the time different. I arrived at 9am, just in time to change into my swimsuit and enjoy the sunshine by the pool. Later that night my brother Christopher arrived and the next day my brother Nick and his wife Kelly joined us. Most of the trip was spent walking on the beach and relaxing in the sun. I thought it would be fun to recap the trip in segments, today I am going to share what we did for Easter, and views from an afternoon in Harbour Town.

On Easter morning my mom had little Easter candies on the dining table of the condo we stayed in. She is so thoughtful, it reminded me of when we were kids on vacation during Easter. To cancel out the candy, we all either went running or for a walk and then hit the pool for some sunshine.

The Master's golf tournament finished on Easter Sunday so later in the afternoon we headed back to the condo to watch the last 18 holes. It was an exciting last round, almost as exciting as having a chiropractor in the family! My brother Nick is a Chiropractor in Charlotte and he brought his mobile adjustment table so he could get us all tuned up. These pictures of him giving my dad an adjustment really crack me up and I am sure that all of you readers think that my family it nuts, ha!

Once the adjustments were over, we made appetizers. We cut up tomatoes for bruschetta and had crackers with cheese and smoked salmon.

It was fun to watch the playoffs of The Masters and it as neat to see Bubba Watson's emotional reaction to winning. I snapped this picture of my dad reading the paper the next day, the picture on the cover is so great!

For Easter dinner we went out for a nice dinner at an oyster spot on the water. Here is a group shot, (l-r, my dad, my sister in law Kelly, brother Nick, my mom, me, and my brother Chris.) Kelly and Nick are expecting their first baby in October and I am excited to be an Aunt again.

Nick and Kelly headed back to Charlotte on Monday and the rest of us went to Harbour Town for a little afternoon trip. It is on the end of the island and has some shopping, and great views of the water. Here is a picture of my parents and my brother, you can see a big cruise ship between them.

The Heritage Golf Tournament was just starting when we were there so my dad and brother were able to walk the course an see some of the players.

While they did that my mom and I went to the top of the light house to learn about more of the history of the area and to see the view from the top. We could see the golf course set up with tents for the tournament, lots of beautiful boats, and dolphins doing flips in the water.

With the golf tournament going on their were lot of big yachts in the harbor. We were able to see this boat leave later in the day and it was filled with people. I can't imagine owning a boat this big, I would be lucky to have the little dingy next to it!

We met back up with the boys and I talked Chris into going up in the lighthouse with me. Here is a picture of him with the 18th green set up for the golf tournament behind him.

We sat outside and had burgers for dinner and listened to live music. It was such a relaxing day!

Tomorrow I will be back with more pictures of the trip, some putt-putt and life at the beach.