When I saw these photos of the IKEA advertisements in the Paris Metro, my heart fluttered and my knees felt weak. These are two of my favorite places: spots perfect for casual afternoons, people watching, and feeling instantly happier. When I spent my summer in Paris, I would often ride the Metro around town and discover hidden and beautiful places to sit, eat, and shop. It was a perfect way to quickly and conveniently absorb Parisian life. As for IKEA, I find myself going there on weekends to simply walk around and look at their displays. It’s one of my favorite places to relieve stress and rearrange my thoughts. Check out these amazing IKEA installations at recognizable Metro stops.

images from ultramaly.com

I’m a huge organization junkie and definitely believe that the more organized your things, the less they will intrude on you living your life. I know most people don’t enjoy organizing or don’t think they have enough time. If you took 5 minutes each day to organize a small part of your home/car/office, I guarantee your routine will become more efficient and even more enjoyable.

First, don’t start too big. If you are new to organizing or are short on time, compartmentalize your home and tackle it in small chunks. A good place to start is your medicine cabinet. This important and often cluttered storage cabinet is used twice a day, at least. Here are a few steps to organizing your medicine cabinet.

image from slog.thestranger.com

Take everything out. It is good to have all your products out in front of you and to see the available space inside the cabinet.

Examine all medications. Check expiration dates and dispose of any that are past these dates. (It is also recommended to keep medications in the kitchen, where humidity is low)

Throw away any products you have not used in the past year. An important thing to remember when organizing is to not keep items in your home with the fear that you may need it later. If you are apprehensive about throwing things away, refer to tip #9.

Take any products you still need on hand but do not use daily (band-aids, nail polish remover, etc) and place them in another container beneath the sink.

For under sink storage, I would recommend these from Bed Bath and Beyond: Smooth-Glide Under-The-Sink Drawer

If these products must exist in the medicine cabinet, designate a shelf for them and don’t let them mingle with your daily-use products.

Take any items that require a specific shelf because of size and put them there. Position them so the ones used most frequently are easiest to reach.

Take all remaining items and arrange by use. I assume most people use their products in the same or similar order each day. Arrange your items in the order you use them to speed up your morning/evening routine.

Buy some clear containers for Q-tips, cotton balls, etc. As supply gets low, refill so they are always on hand. Having small items contained and easily visible both keeps the area free of clutter and helps you find these items quickly.

Try something like this: Palace Chrome Bath Ensemble By Springs

Most importantly, put each item back where it belongs after you use it. This small act will keep everything in its place and eliminate the “where is my deodorant?” dance each morning. It may seem like a hassle, but a few seconds each day will eliminate the clutter that slows you down and stresses you out.

EXTRA TIP: If you keep things around in the fear that you may need it one day, first recognize that this is a hoarding state of mind. There is no reason to keep things in your home that you do not use or do not have sentimental value.

An easy way to deal with these kinds of feelings is to set a specific purging goal. Take any items you have not used in the last year. Place a sticky post-it note on the product and put it back in the medicine cabinet. If you do end up using that product, remove the post-it note. After another year passes, throw away any items that still have post-it notes attached. If you haven’t used something in two years, I doubt you will miss it once it’s gone.

This whole process takes 5 minutes at most. I promise tomorrow morning when you get ready for work, you will be very pleased to see all of your necessities neatly organized and ready to use.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Angels and Airwaves. Well, more than usual anyway. Their new album LOVE was released for free download through their website on Valentine’s Day. It’s pretty incredible and I would recommend everyone take a listen. My favorite song so far is Epic Holiday. They are playing the Marquee in Tempe on May 25th and I can’t wait!

The image above is a post secret from 2008. I thought it really summed up what AVA is all about, at least for me. It’s as we often joke, “the kind of music that can cure diseases.”

On Saturday I saw Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, a film I’ve been excitedly anticipating for several months. I have to say I was both inspired and disappointed. The visuals are amazingly creepy, giving familiar characters the Tim Burton treatment. Helena Bonham Carter was splendid as an insecure, yet cruel Red Queen. Her performance and lispy, ‘w’ heavy speech were very reminiscent of her Morgan Le Fey in the TV miniseries Merlin. I was not as impressed with Johnny Depp, who usually can do no wrong. His Mad Hatter looked like a ginger mix between Madonna and Elijah Wood, and his crazy ranting bordered on irritating. I loved Mia Wasikowska as Alice and Stephen Fry’s Chesire Cat. However, it lost the smug, likable nature of the Caterpillar I loved so much.

The visual brilliance of the film almost makes up for the lack of originality in plot. It reminded me very much of Prince Caspian, the most recent film from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Child(ren) grows up since her last visit to a magical world. She finally returns and that world is in trouble. An evil royal has taken control of the land and must be stopped, as foreseen by a prophesy. She defeats the enemy against all odds and restores peace and magic to the world. With all the amazing characters Burton had to work with, I expected a more creative storyline. However, as Lewis Caroll’s story is dear to my heart, I really did love Burton’s adaptation and reinvention.

I’ve been wanting dark green Converse for quite some time now, but the only green they offer is a kelly green. At Converse.com you can now order custom shoes from a selection of colors and prints. It is a pretty neat option, but costs $17 more plus shipping. I decided to go a cheaper route and bought white canvas shoes with plans to dye them green.

I picked up a package of dark green RIT dye (powder) from Walmart for $1.65 and gathered supplies. You will need:

• RIT dye (powder or liquid)
• bucket or sink
• old towel
• mixing bowl or old plastic container
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon laundry detergent

First you want to fill a mixing bowl or plastic container with hot water. I used an old Harkins cup. Mix in your powder dye until completely dissolved. If you choose liquid dye, you can skip this step. Next, fill your bucket or sink with hot water and add the salt and laundry detergent. I used a small bucket and an entire package of RIT dye.

Next, mix your dye into your water bath. Be careful with splattering and be sure to wipe up any spills immediately. Remove the laces and place your shoes in the bucket. The shoes will float to the surface, so to avoid this I used two bamboo skewers to hold them down. I left them in the dye for about 20 minutes. When your shoes look good and done, carefully empty your bucket. Rinse the shoes first with warm water and then cold. You will want the water to run clear.

I let the shoes sit for 5 minutes, rinsed again, and then set them on a towel to dry for the night. The next morning I threw them into the dryer and ran it for 10 minutes. Then I added black laces and voila: dark green.

EDIT: Frequently Asked Question

Will the rubber soles absorb the dye?
I’ve never had a problem with the rubber absorbing the dye, but I have heard of some people having issues. If your soles do stain, try scrubbing them with a magic eraser or with a paste made of equal parts hot water, baking soda, and white vinegar.