Bonjour, Salut 2012

I went a little crazy with the cuphooks. But I love how it all looks. The tiny teddy was one the the first I made 15 years ago.

The little green bear was made by a japanese artist who used to sell on Etsy. She hasn't listed anything since before the tsunami. A french artist named Marion made the little white bear in the cone.

I rang in the new year by organizing my bedroom. I reworked a jewelry holder I DIY'ed from an old picture frame I scored for a buck at the thrift and wire mesh found on the curb. Some uber cool chicks, way craftier than me post some of their earring racks on Pinterest. They used eyebolts to hold earrings. One uber cool chick complained how bad her fingers hurt from screwing in umpteen eyebolts for her earrings. Really? What about drilling pilot holes? And I used cuphooks so that I could hang necklaces too.

Using wire and needlenose pliers, I added extra hooks to the wire mesh in order to hold more earrings. French wire backs slip onto the mesh, but the other kinds need the hooks. I screwed the cuphooks around the outside of the frame, eyeballing a symmetrical layout.

Next I tackled my messy dresser. UGH! It was getting really out of hand. I admit to not taking a before shot. It was horrible, trust me.

And this is midway. Obviously the Christmas bling needs to go away again for 11 months, sniff sniff.

And who wants to look at that messy victorian glass deer sculpture? The cat destroyed the dome that protected it, and now it keeps getting more breaks. Time to stash it or get rid of it.

I made the dresser scarf from a dress that looked like a sack, none too flattering, but I loved the little putti on it. So I spent an hour ripping out the seams to harvest the panels. Because in the DIY world cheap is in. And you must constantly brag about how little you spend when you are redoing your rooms. Next time I will just buy the pricy stuff I wanted. Drilling pilot holes was easier!

I love how it looks now! This glass tray is cracked, but I don't care. I've had it too many years to count. The little water baby is the perfect place for my starfish earrings. The bracelet was made by a local lady, and I wore in it Paris in 2010. A woman on the 72 bus said, "C'est très jolie, ça!" We struck up a conversation, and we chatted all the way to the Hotel de Ville. She pretended not to notice my American accent.

And finally the finished look. I love it! Are you organizing your spaces? It's worth the effort. Every time I walk into my room, I think I'm in some chic little boutique.