Reorganise How To: Get Rainbow Bookshelves

Step 1: Empty your bookshelves/library of every book/ornament/piece of clutter

Step 2: Dust/polish/repair your empty bookshelves

Step 3: Store or chuck any ornaments and junk that you don't want to display

Step 4: Sell or donate any books that you have outgrown, won't read again and don't want to keep

Step 5: Organise the books and DVDs left over into colour piles (green spines, pink spines, yellow spines, etc.)

Step 6: Set up your new shelves by lining up your books in rainbow order. Within each colour organise your books by category (non-fiction, crime fiction, etc.), height

Step 7: Finally, add pretty decorations, display items or candles. Finish with fairy lights, rainbow Nepalese prayer flags, etc.

Your done, now sit back and enjoy!

Carpe Diem xx

How To: Autumn Clean Your Wardrobe

It's that time of year when 'school term syndrome' starts. Research shows that a lot of people, in the habit of having started school and uni in the academic term beginning in September, make life changing shifts or decisions in August/September time. Forget spring cleaning your wardrobe or closet, fall/autumn is all about autumn cleaning! 

Step 1: Take all of your clothes and shoes out of their hiding places (yes, all of them!). This is likely to make a big mess of your room or house as most people have a lot of clothes!

Step 2: Get a plastic bag and put anything for charity, recycling or rubbish in. If you haven't worn it in 2 years chuck it out!

Step 3: Organise your clothes and shoes into piles categorised by type (short sleeved tops, summer bottoms, long sleeved tops, day dresses, autumn/winter dresses). Make a note of clothes that you need to replace on a shopping spree or repair.

Step 4: Hang up dresses, blouses and shirts that you will wear in the autumn and winter in your wardrobe or on a rail. Use wooden, white or slim non-slip hangers to categorise the items by colour or type.

Step 5: Wash and fold the summer clothes that you will wear next year and store them in clear storage boxes and containers. Do the same for summer shoes. Don't use plastic bin bags because they won't allow your clothes to breathe and will damage the material.

Step 6: Finally, fold and categorise your autumn/winter clothes that need folding and store them in easily accessible drawers.

And your done! Congratulate yourself and enjoy a stress free transition to autumn!

Carpe Diem xx

(Re)Organisation Series: How I Organise My Fiorelli Clara May Bag

I have badly needed to update my handbag collection (literally, not as in I've got 100 and am missing a purple tote with glitter sparkles) for about a year, so of course instead of buying one bag last week, I bought two. I bought the Clara May bag by Fiorelli (I'll get onto the name in a minute) from the Debenhams website and after waiting excitedly by the front door, it came in four days. 

I'm impressed with the quality and the design is long and flat like a sausage dog, making the bag Tardis-like and deceptively roomy. Confession time: I did slightly fall in love with it when I saw the name; May being my birth month and Clara being the Latinized/Italian version of my name! It also slightly reminds me of Chanel totes. What do you keep in your bag?

Here's what I keep in it permanently, shuffling the contents when needed:

Wet Ones

Fiorelli Purse

Tote/reusable bag, The Body Shop

Plastic wallet, Muji

Earphones

Clear ziplock bags (actually pretty handy)

A pen

City Lights makeup bag, Boots

Fiorelli Clara May Medium Shoulder Bag, Debenhams

Carpe Diem xx

Beauty Drawer: My Makeup Storage and Organisation, Benefit, Models Own and More

It's kind of a sin to admit as a beauty blogger that you don't own or use a ton of makeup, and even worse to admit that you don't want to, but I have to admit that my storage and organisation is even more important because of the small space I have to store it in. I keep a small but regular supply of products I generally know and like, as well as samples to try, so enjoy having a nose around my beauty drawer!

Striped Box, Accessorize: samples (Benefit 'That Gal')

Secrets Tin: 100ml travel bottles, travel makeup brushes (Real Techniques), Zinc tablets (Holland and Barrett)

White Wicker Basket (from set of 3), John Lewis: extra makeup sponges, spare toothpaste (Colgate)

Gaudi Mug, Barcelona: current lip products to use up (Rimmel Stay My Rose lipgloss)

Spare tissues (Kleenex Balsam travel tissues)

Yes, it does need a sort out, any ideas? How do you organise your products?

Carpe Diem xx

(Re)Organisation Series: My Walking Stationary Pouch

Yet more credit must go to Miss Organizedlikejen for the inspiration here. I bought a day-to-a-page 2013-2014 organiser and A3 clear popper wallet from WH Smith and hey presto! I have all my stationary needs in one place to grab on the go!

Here's what you'll need for a walking stationary pouch:

A3 Popper Wallet WH Smith

Organiser/diary/journal

Clear plastic case with assorted stickers/labels

Clear plastic case with pens, Post-It notes, ruler

3-sided ruler

See you soon for more of 'the organisation project that turned into a thousand'!

Carpe Diem xx

Simple Organisation Solutions for Offices and Home

Compartmentalizing things you might not use often into clear plastic box (e.g. Tupperware, Lock'n'Lock) can be a great space saving solution to storage. Not only practical but also makes finding things quicker as you can immediately see the contents of each box.

Keep a folder of stickers and labels for labelling storage containers and boxes or creating a 'reward system' sticker chart for daily chores or activities. It works for children, so why not use it to motivate you to stay organised and keep you on track?

Keep a labelled folder containing all you important documents (driving licence, passport, birth certificate, etc.) so that you always have it at hand and know exactly where they are when you need them. I use my favourite butterfly folder from John Lewis. Never miss a holiday, deadline or bill due to disorganisation again!

Carpe Diem xx