Summer Sales, Cute Birdies and Dish Storage Update

Birdie Update Mr. Snake has not been back. I guess he doesn't want to encounter that psycho woman again who sent him sailing off the top of the bench and into the shrubs when he tried to make a dinner of the Eastern Phoebe birds nesting in the corner of the front porch. The birdies have made quite the mess up in that corner of the porch, but you can't mind too much when you see these sweet faces. Just … [Read more...]




Flatware Storage, Delivery Fails and Invisible Splinters

Welcome to the 441st Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Hope you had a great one! Mine was really good, though it started out a bit discouraging. On Friday I was expecting the delivery of one of each of the cabinets pictured below. I've ordered two of the cabinets shown in the photo on the right below, let's call it the "drawer cabinet" for the sake of this post since it has drawers. And I've … [Read more...]




Attractive Storage Cabinets for Home, Garage or Basement

Welcome to the 440th Metamorphosis Monday! Around a year ago I shared a post about five projects I had thought about doing in my home some day, but for various reasons figured I never would. (Read that post here: 5 Projects I Want To Do In My Home, But Probably Never Will.) I guess I should never say never because I did add a small refrigerator to the upstairs part of my home and now it looks like I … [Read more...]




How To Clean Fingerprints Off Stainless Steel & Leave a Lustrous Shine!

A few years back I decided it was time to do something about my pitiful tool storage situation. I had a small, red tool box that was overflowing with tools and it would take me forever to find a tool when I actually needed one. I headed off to Home Depot and brought home a nice looking, standing tool chest. I shared the chest and the process of assembling it in this previous post: Getting … [Read more...]




A Cute Footstool with Storage Gets a New Look

A couple of months ago a large tree fell in my back yard, gently laying itself down across the length of the yard.   I'm beginning to think I may have a tree jinx going on because I was on the porch a few days ago and discovered this below! In talking with my neighbors and others in this area, I learned that we had a big storm with 70 mph winds come through about a week before I returned home … [Read more...]




Hat Storage That’s Both Functional and Decorative

Welcome to the 427th Metamorphosis Monday! A couple of months ago I purchased this adorable sunhat pictured below. After it arrived, I liked it so much I ordered a second one in the navy-ribbon style. With my hat collection rapidly growing, I decided it was time to find a better way to store them other than just tossing them onto the top shelf of my master bedroom closet where they were impossible to … [Read more...]




Organize and Keep Your Entry Tidy with a Stylish Boot Tray

Welcome to the 418th Metamorphosis Monday! This past summer when I was out digging and planting shrubs every day, I was coming in and out of my front door a lot.   The front door is normally the door I go out when I'm checking the mail or doing any gardening in the front yard, including vacuuming up acorns. :)   During all that gardening this past summer, I began to notice a … [Read more...]




Getting More Organized in the Office

Happy Weekend! Did you survive Friday the 13th? ;) I'm not really the superstitious type, but it's always kinda funny when my birthday falls on a Friday the 13th. Saw this online just now and it made me laugh. I've never seen any of the "Friday the 13th" movies, but apparently this covers them all. lol   Yesterday was one of those "Friday the 13th" birthdays and it was a biggie--one of … [Read more...]




5 Projects I Want To Do In My Home, But Probably Never Will

Now that's a strange twist, isn't it--blogging about projects I'm not going to do instead of a project I plan to do. lol  This topic is fresh on my mind right now because I just got back from visiting a large, hardware store near my home. I was there to scope out a project I was considering doing but have decided against. Once I get an idea in my head, it's really hard for me to let go. But I've learned … [Read more...]




Vintage Style Bins for Napkin Ring Storage Ideas

Welcome to the 377th Metamorphosis Monday! Thanks so much for all your awesome suggestions and comments on Saturday's post about my upcoming trip to Holland and Belgium! I'm so looking forward to sharing those places with you. I'll be posting throughout the trip, I've heard they have good wifi on board so keeping my fingers crossed it will be able to handle uploading photos. Be sure and follow Between … [Read more...]




How to Clean Encrusted Mineral Deposits From Inside a Humidifier

Lately I've been a cleaning fiend around here. I understand now why you hear so much about "spring" cleaning. When winter begins to fall away and the days start getting longer and warmer, something inside just makes you want to clean and freshen up everything in sight. It's kind of fun to put up away some of the things I've been using this winter, a sign that winter is pretty much a thing of the past. I … [Read more...]




Getting Organized and My Favorite Finds

After the hecticness of the holidays and with the cold weather officially here, I've been enjoying being inside and "nesting" a bit more. I know a lot of folks really get into the organizing mood this time of year. At first I thought this urge to get organized at the start of the new year was due to it being a whole "turning over a new leaf" thing. But after giving it some thought, I think the reason I find … [Read more...]




A Bathroom Update & Perfume Storage

Welcome to the 358th Metamorphosis Monday! Please note: If you subscribed for blog post updates and they are no longer arriving in your Inbox, check your junk or spam file, especially if you use hotmail or yahoo mail. I recently changed services for delivering email updates and that always throws off the email servers for a bit. If you find an email in the junk/spam folder, mark it as "not spam" or … [Read more...]




Storage Bins & Ideas for Refrigerators

Do you ever open the deli or crisper drawers in your refrigerator with plans to make a yummy sandwich only to find a yucky mess awaiting you? Maybe on your last visit to the market, you purchased a bag of kale for a green smoothie or some fresh tomatoes in anticipation of a making a healthy salad. But now, as you peer down into the crisper drawer, you discover the kale has decided to transform itself … [Read more...]




Corral Those Charging Cables With A Charging Valet

Welcome to the 314th Metamorphosis Monday! I love wireless devices and the freedom they afford us, but that freedom has to take a pit stop every now and then to recharge. I think I may finally have a system I'm happy with for handling the pit stops when they occur. A little over a year ago I shared a solution for managing all the little charging cables on my desk in that semi-hidden area where the … [Read more...]




A Christmas Present For Your Future Self

Have you ever started a project thinking you could knock it out in a few hours, only to find it took more like a few days? That's how the revamp of my Christmas storage went this year, but now that I'm done, it was totally worth it. My Christmas decorations, except for the Christmas trees, are all stored here in the upstairs family room.   This quirky F.R.O.G. (finished room over the … [Read more...]




Has To Get Worse Before It Gets Better

Welcome to the 313th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Hope it was restful and fun! I been working the last few days in the upstairs family room.   When I put away all the Christmas decorations this year, I decided it was time to get better organized. Each year when it's time to pull out the Christmas decorations, I dread it. This is why. As you can see, it's jam-packed up under … [Read more...]




A Closet Makeover Marathon

Welcome to the 291st Metamorphosis Monday! A couple of years ago, I opened up a big ole fat can of worms. Have you ever purchased something because it was a great price or maybe it was on sale, then before you knew it, it ended up costing you a lot more than you had planned? I'm not sure if the project I'm sharing today is one you would want to undertake or if it's more of a cautionary tale. ;) I am … [Read more...]




Rosedown Plantation: In The Butler’s Pantry

Welcome to the 305th Tablescape Thursday! Pssst: My content area is wider now here at the blog... so horizontal photos are going to look a lot bigger/better. Yipee!  But, I have a question for you about the size of the vertical pictures. You'll find that question part way down in the post. Please leave a comment answering the question regarding the size of the vertical pics you'll see in this post. Let me … [Read more...]




A Cure for Sagginess

Welcome to the 274th Metamorphosis Monday! How was your weekend? Hope it was grand! I spent much of my weekend pouring through One Man's Folly, a book I had pre-ordered and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. I rarely pre-order a book but this one sounded like it was going to be amazing from the articles I had read online. Oh, my gosh...is it ever! Such a wonderful book! I have so enjoyed every … [Read more...]




Build a Cubby Organizer, Pottery Barn Inspired

If you've been reading Between Naps on the Porch for a while, you know I love organizing "stuff." It's ridiculous how excited I can get over finding cool ways to store those things we need and use each day. It's icing on the cake when storage is actually pretty and decorative in addition to being functional. One handsome storage solution I've been eyeing for a long time is Pottery Barn's Cubby … [Read more...]




A Workbench for the Basement

I've been hold-up in the basement for the last few days, working on a project that reminds me of the time I decided to teach myself to knit. It went something like this: Gee, I think I'd like to learn to knit. Ummm, what should I knit first? I know...gloves! Yeah, you can imagine how that turned out! Later on, an experienced knitter told me that a glove is one of the hardest things you can ever knit. … [Read more...]




Battery Organization and Storage

Welcome to the 264th Metamorphosis Monday! I have a mini-met for this Metamorphosis Monday, something that's so simple but has me pretty charged. (Har, har...couldn't resist.) I get just as excited about the little improvements I make around here as I do the bigger ones. Do you do that, too?  This was my battery storage system--a gallon size baggy. Pretty sad, huh?   Whenever I needed a … [Read more...]




Organize Charging Cables with Cable ID Labels

Welcome to the 257th Metamorphosis Monday! My Before and Aftert today is a minor change here in the office. It's a small update but one that has made life a little easier. I love those kinds of tweaks, sometimes they can have the biggest impact. (Psst: If you're new to reading BNOTP, you can see the Before and After for the office in this previous post: Creating a Home Office)   See that … [Read more...]




If These Walls Could Talk: A Mystery Alcove

My home was built in 1982-83 and I'm the third owner. The house was 8 years old when we moved here and I think the first owners lived here around 4-5 years. The second owner from whom I bought the house, lived here for around 2-3 years. I bought it in 1991, so I've lived here for 22 1/2 years now. Even though the home was brand new when the first owners purchased it, they made a pretty significant … [Read more...]




Erasing the Messy Parts of Life

Welcome to the 235th Metamorphosis Monday! For this MM, I have a small "Before and After," something that made me a happy girl this weekend. I'm probably the last one on earth to discover this, but I thought I'd share it today in case it's helpful for you. Do you ever get these annoying little scuff marks on your walls?  They just appear, don't they? There must be little gremlins running through the … [Read more...]




Dish Storage & A Serious Case of Pantry Envy

Hooky Day!  This post is going up a bit late because I took a little time off today to play.  I'm blaming it all on my friend, Marie. ;)  Today we had a "girls day out."  It started with a yummy lunch at a local cafe, then we headed out to shop some of our fave haunts.  I didn't buy anything (yet) but I found a table umbrella for my seating area out on the deck that I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy. I … [Read more...]




Wide Ironing Boards Make Ironing Easier

Welcome to the 216th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently I made an upgrade most folks would probably not get too excited about, but I'm actually pretty excited!  While out shopping a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the ironing board isle of a local home product store. Guess what I discovered?  Ironing boards come in wider sizes! Did  you know this?  I had absolutely no idea. I didn't buy an ironing … [Read more...]




A Fabulous Gift-Wrapping and Craft Room

Welcome to the 207th Metamorphosis Monday!   The last few weeks I've been sharing the amazing metamorphosis that happens each Christmas in the home of Governor and Marie Barnes.  It's been a joy to share their home decorated for this special holiday. This will be our last post, although I may put one together showing all the trees.  Marie decorates 16 trees and I don't think that's counting the fairyland … [Read more...]




Labeling the Baskets in the Closet Expedit

Welcome to the 198th Metamorphosis Monday! Recently, I made a trip to a lighting store in search of some items to "upgrade" a chandelier in my home.  I'll be posting about that soon and can't wait to share it!   Ballard Designs outlet is just a few blocks away from the lighting store.  Since I'm rarely in that area, I decided to stop in. The parking lot was packed which is unusual even for a Saturday. … [Read more...]




Getting Organized: It’s the Garage This Time

Welcome to the 197th Metamorphosis Monday! Have you ever done this? Sunday I drove over to the dollar store in search of a clear glass vase or some clear glass votives for a little project I had in mind for Met Monday.   I found votives that were just right but didn't put them in the shopping cart immediately.  I thought I'd look around the store a bit to make sure they were what I really wanted to … [Read more...]




HomeZada, Software to Manage Your Home and Makeover Project: Awesome Giveaway

Thanks so much to all who entered the HomeZada Giveaway.  With this giveaway, really everyone is a winner because with the basic membership (which is free) you create a home inventory, upload property documents and contacts for easy access and create seasonal checklists to help maintain your home.   So if you didn't win, have fun using the basic membership! Chosen by random number generator, the winner … [Read more...]




Organization and Storage for the Home Office, Craft, Sewing Room

That's me, I admit it.  Anything that helps me put my hands on what I'm looking for, even if it's only a teensy bit faster, I'm all over it.  Recently I shared a whimsical addition to the office, a faux deer head with a rosemary wreath.   There was another little addition hiding in plain site on the desk under the wrapping paper organizer.  Did you notice it?   I spotted this organizer caddy at … [Read more...]




Trash to Treasure: Upcycled Kleenex Box

If you read my earlier post today, you know I have fun day planned today!  I'll be posting six (6) times today and each post will feature a wonderful "Before and After" project I've spotted during a previous Met Monday or from my travels around the Blogsphere. Instead of lumping all the projects into one big post, I've created 6 small posts that will go up throughout the day at the following times: 7:00 … [Read more...]




IKEA Expedit: Sneaking a Peek Inside

So many wonderful Before and Afters were shared for yesterday's Met Monday!  I haven't made my way through all of them yet, but I the ones I have visited were fabulous! Yesterday I shared an update in the office...new buffalo check curtains.  Thanks so much for all your wonderful, much appreciated  comments on that post!  You made my day! IKEA Expedit: Today I thought I'd take you into the office … [Read more...]




File Sorter for the Office: Tools for Organization

Recently, I asked your advice in choosing which size file organizer to use here in the office.  Thanks so much to everyone who voted in the poll running on that previous post. You may remember from that post, a day or two after buying this 2-file organizer below, I stopped by another Marshalls... ...and found the same organizer in a taller version.  With three slots, this one offered even more … [Read more...]




Storage and Organization for the Office

Welcome to the 172nd Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings this fine springtime day!  Hope your Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby weekend was fabulous!  Last week for Metamorphosis Monday, I shared a wee Before and After in my office/craft room.  I removed the TV I never watched from behind the lamp and added a great little file organizer. Here's a close up of the organizer.  You know how sometimes you buy … [Read more...]




Office Updates & Shell Charger Progress

Welcome to the 171st Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  How was your weekend?  What did you work on this weekend?  Do anything fun? I have a couple of small little updates to share this week for Metamorphosis Monday.  I decided to remove the TV from the office since I found I only turned it on a couple of times a month.   You can see it in this older photo to the right of the wallpaper organizer, … [Read more...]




IKEA PJÄS Basket Closet Additions

Welcome to the 164th Metamorphosis Monday! Greetings!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend!  Last Friday I met a friend for lunch in Atlanta.  We lunched in a restaurant by the name of Osteria del Figo.  I think most folks just call it, Figo Pasta.  After lunch I headed over to IKEA.  You may remember after my last visit to IKEA, the closet went from looking like this... ...to looking like this. … [Read more...]




IKEA Expedit Hack: How I Made It Work

A few days ago I pulled a Houdini in the renovation of the office closet. Here's a view of the "Before" and "After" below. You can view this closet renovation project here: IKEA Expedit for Closet Storage. The Houdini part was getting an IKEA Expedit shelving unit, which measures 58 5/8 inches wide, into in a closet that is only about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wider than the Expedit itself. The closet … [Read more...]




IKEA Expedit Closet Makeover

Welcome to the 163rd Metamorphosis Monday! A while back I wrote about how on a recent visit to the Atlanta IKEA with a friend, I repeatedly decided and un-decided to buy an Expedit shelving unit.  I really wanted to buy one for my office closet but there was one big problem. The Expedit measures 58 5/8 inches wide and my closet measures 57 1/2 inches wide and 47 1/2 inches deep.  With the … [Read more...]




Getting Organized: Label it!

I've been busy the last few days organizing and cleaning out some of the closets around my home.  I've finally corralled most of my holiday centerpieces into one closet where I can find them when I need them.  I do so love having everything neatly organized.  It's such a great feeling when you can immediately put your hand on something you need, when you need it. Recently, I posted about 20 Things I … [Read more...]




Clearing Out the Computer Graveyard

What do you do with your old computer when you purchase a new one?  When I began working from home and decided to purchase a workhorse "desktop" computer, my still functioning laptop became the downstairs/kitchen/screened-in porch computer.  It's a handy place to quickly check e-mail, moderate blog comments or pull up the latest movie releases before heading out the door on a Friday night. Back in the … [Read more...]




Kitchen Tweak: Updating my “It’s Complicated” Baking Center

Welcome to the 148th Metamorphosis Monday! Hope you've been having a fabulous weekend!  Have you been shopping for groceries in preparation of Thanksgiving?  The stores have all been packed when I've been in. I don't have a big "Before and After" to share for this Met Monday--it's more like a little tweak.  Last week I shared a change I made in my kitchen in this post: Baking Center in movie, It's … [Read more...]




The Baking Center in the Movie, It’s Complicated

Hope your day is going great!  It's been gorgeous here...in the 70's, so I've been spending some time out of the porch enjoying the fall colors.   I know the cold is coming so I'm trying to fully enjoy these last warm days of fall.   A while back I posted a tour of the house in the movie, It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.  (That movie house tour is available … [Read more...]




Billy Bookcase, Easy to Assemble

Billy, where have you been all my life?  I'm a latecomer to Billy bookcases but it turns out they have been around for 30+ years.   The factory that produces the Billy bookshelf makes 15 Billys a minute.  That's 3.1 million a year!  Wow!  After buying three of my own, I can see why they are so popular.   They are sturdy, easy to assemble and reasonably priced. I shared my small (but growing) office … [Read more...]




IKEA Billy Bookcase & A Library for the Office

Welcome to the 136th Metamorphosis Monday! If you've been reading BNOTP for a while, you're very familiar with this view of my  Office.   I've shared this side of the room in previous posts, too. But, I've rarely shared this side because...well, there's just nothing to see.  Pretty boring, right?  Well, that's about to change! I've had big plans for this space all along; I just … [Read more...]




Painting the Closets and Office Trim

How's your week going? I've had so much fun reading the comments you left about your past excursions to IKEA. One tip I wanted to share about the best times to visit IKEA to avoid crowds:  try to go on a week day, if possible.  If you do need to go on a Saturday, get there early, as soon as they open, or late in the day like around 5:00 PM.  I noticed it was a lot less crowded come evening/dinner … [Read more...]




Displaying and Decorating with China for the Seasons and Holidays

Welcome to the 154th Tablescape Thursday! Jeanne  blogs at  Selep Imaging.  Jeanne has a wonderful hutch she changes out with each holiday or season.   I was so impressed with her lovely china collection and the creative way she displays it, I couldn't resist sharing it for Tablescape Thursday. As you scroll down, notice how Jeanne mixes so many different patterns beautifully.  There's a wonderful … [Read more...]




Litter Box Solutions

Recently, a reader e-mailed to ask a question no one had ever asked me before. The question was, how did I handle/cope with having a litter box in the house? What a great question! Back In The Day: When we bought this house 20 years ago, one of the things I liked most was it had a basement with an unfinished section, perfect for hiding the litter box. My last house didn't have a basement and we spent a … [Read more...]




A Behind the Scenes Tour

Sometimes the most fun stuff to see in a room redo are the things that are hidden from sight. So though I haven't hung this bulletin board, yet... Or, this cute shelf... Or, this wrapping center I shared HERE, I have been busy with a few other little things in the office. Come take a peek. Remember the steps I found for Max for only $10 at an indoor flea market HERE? I had Home … [Read more...]




How Many Place Settings Should I Buy?

I receive a good many emails each week from the wonderful readers of BNOTP and one question I get over and over again is: How do you decide how many place settings to buy of a particular china? Here's just three of the e-mails I've received on this topic: 1. "Whenever I see a dish sets (usually come in set for 4/box). I am not sure if I should just buy the 4 (in 1 box) or buy 2 boxes. Is hard to find set … [Read more...]




Pre-Christmas Preparations

My upstairs family room, "Before" And, now...Yikes! Scary, isn't it? Don't worry...I'm not getting out the Christmas decorations, just yet. Well, actually I am getting them out...but just to sort through them. It's time to get rid of some stuff that I just don't use anymore. I'm ready for a few new things this year. See those little storage doors... Halloween is on the … [Read more...]




Restoring Vintage Linens

Welcome to the 77th Metamorphosis Monday! I'm excited to share an awesome metamorphosis with you this week. Susan, whose blogs at, My Place to Yours, loves finding old linens that appear ruined and ready for the trash heap...and saving them...restoring them to their original state. Have you ever wondered if and how this could be done with stained vintage linens? Susan is going to show us today, then … [Read more...]




Dish & Flatware Storage

Welcome to the 54th Metamorphosis Monday! For this week's Met Monday, I'm sharing a small but fun little metamorphosis in my china closet. You may remember when I posted a while back about the little redo of this space...it was really being poorly utilized. It was being used to store deck cushions that were rarely used. After a little renovation, (you may read about HERE) it looked like … [Read more...]




The Ultimate Christmas Ornament Storage

Looking for the ultimate Christmas ornament storage? Over ten years ago, I purchased these two, fabric-covered, ornament storage boxes. I was impressed with their good looks, their sturdy construction and that they come with acid-free archival paper. Here's a view of the inside... I really like how the interior panels adjust to fit the size of the ornament. Their website states: "The … [Read more...]




Dish Heaven!

If you are a regular follower of BNOTP, you've seen some beautiful tablescapes I've posted recently that were created by Bonnie, a talented and creative reader of BNOTP. Bonnie and I have become fast friends as we've shared our love for tablescaping and all things, dishes.  Today we are going on a field trip!  Bonnie has generously agreed to let us see where she keeps all her wonderful dishes. Ok, hold … [Read more...]




Updates to My China Closet

Welcome to the 35th Metamorphosis Monday! Where in the world do you store all that china? I get that question a lot.  Since several folks have left comments or e-mailed recently asking about china storage, I'm pulling out an oldie but goodie post for this Met Monday. I'm also including a few more recent photos showing some of the changes I've made. And, I'm including a link to a post from December … [Read more...]




Built-in Book Shelves for the Upstairs Family Room

Welcome to the 31st Metamorphosis Monday! My Met Monday post is a little different this week. The "After" hasn't occurred yet, but I thought I'd share my "Before" and my "After Wish" with you, just in case it gives you some ideas for a similar area in your home. This is the view as you enter from the hallway into my Upstairs Family Room. (To see more of this room, click here:  Upstairs Family Room.) … [Read more...]




Building a Dish Closet

Welcome to the 12th Metamorphosis Monday...where it's all about "Before and Afters." I decided this weekend to tackle a project I've been putting off...the redo of a 35" x 24" coat closet in my kitchen/breakfast room. The previous owner of my home had a shell niche installed in the foyer/entry (Click to visit entry), where others houses in my neighborhood frequently have a coat closet. Then they took a … [Read more...]




Painting Furniture: A China Hutch Transformation

When my screened-in porch was nearing completion, I happened across a little hutch for a great price: $95.  It was just what I had in mind for storing dishes for dining out on the porch. After getting it home, I got down to work. This was B.B. (Before Blogging) so taking pictures almost didn't happen. Somewhere in the midst of sanding the piece, it dawned on me that it might be nice to take a "before" … [Read more...]




China Storage: Wishing for a Butler’s Pantry

Welcome to the 15th Tablescape Tuesday! I often get questions about where in the world I store the china I've collected over these past 30 years.   Well the answer to that is easy. Everywhere! Unfortunately, I do not have a "butler's pantry" like Interior Designer, Bunny Williams, though I desperately want one! In her book, An Affair With a House, Bunny writes this about her pantry pictured below, … [Read more...]