In preparation for baby, we’re trying to make every inch of space count.  One thing we’d been struggling with was having somewhere to keep our hats and gloves organized.  So I bought these filing trays from the office section of Target and had Jon hang them on the back of our coat closet door.

They’ve probably become the most useful thing we’ve done in quite a while.  They’re right next to our coats, they’re out of the way, they’re easily accessible.  And for under twenty bucks, the price was also right.

Let’s just hope finding an efficient way to store baby’s things is just as easy.

I realize I’ve never actually shown you our kitchen, and that’s mostly because it’s a tiny nook in the corner of our living room.  Hubs and I actually prefer the nook in the corner over our old kitchen which was a galley down the hall on the other side of the apartment.

I mainly like it because I can bake, watch tv and have air conditioning all at one time.  It’s the small things.

So when hubs and I got a burst of inspiration to take on a couple DIY projects, painting the outer wall of our kitchen was one of them.

The paint job definitely helps define the one big room into two separate spaces.

We actually ended up using the paint that we bought for our last apartment so this paint job cost us all of $5 for a roll of painter’s tape.  The difference is only oh so subtle, but I think it helps make our cookie cutter apartment just a little bit more custom.

(PS. I’ve been meaning to change out that fabric on the island and possibly give it a paint job, but it’s not currently at the top of my priority list.  White wine currently occupies that spot.)

I can’t even express into words how excited I am to have this tiny little balcony to enjoy cocktails in the evenings.  Hubs and I are giddy like a couple of school girls. 

Before:

And after:

(Anyone spot a dog ear in that last picture?)

Wood tiles are from Ikea and the teeny tiny patio furniture is from Target (currently on sale!).  Not pictured are the lights hubs hung above our patio.  We’re still on the hunt for some planters and candles, but at least we have somewhere to sit and enjoy a cold drink.

In fact, last night we had some mildly warm weather so hubs and I sat out there for the whole night just chatting and enjoying each others company. I think that was the first time ever that we’ve come home and not immediately turned on the tv. Now those are some changes I can get behind.