Drop it Like it's Hot

I had been frustrated with how everything we brought into the house seemed to wind up on the kitchen island... mail, bags, jewelry, keys... you know the deal.  So I created a small space right next to the garage entrance to our house (where we usually come in) to drop our things... the DROP ZONE!  I was originally calling it the "command center" as I've seen it sometimes called around the interweb, but Greg told my family we called it that because that's where I command him what to do.  Haha.  So I changed the name to the drop zone :).

The hooks are for our keys and the occasional scarf.  I have been hanging coupons I get in the mail on the cork board so I remember to grab them when I go out shopping.  I actually just got a sweet chevron cork board for Christmas so I'll be switching that plain one out.  I have been eyeing that @ sign for so long and I happened to see it on sale at HomeGoods the other day for $7.  Score!

The green magazine holder is from Three by Three Seattle.  It has these cute little magnets that are surprisingly strong.  The board on the right is a chalkboard for writing important dates.  I have an idea for a calendar I may put there instead, but I like this for now.  The little wire basket is from a general store near me and holds incoming mail. 

The little bowls are from Target and catch jewelry and spare change.  The little tray is just an old mirror that I spray painted.  The teal paperweight is from West Elm and $5 of each purchase goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.  My mom really loved St. Jude's, and after she died my dad bought a memorial brick at the hospital in her honor.  Because of that, we were invited to visit the hospital in Memphis a few years ago.  It was one of the most touching experiences of my life.  Seeing all of those sick kids and how positive they are makes my every day problems seem so trivial.  I believe the worst thing in the world is a suffering child, and St. Jude's does so much to help these innocent children.  I urge you to check out their gift shop or consider donating.  We decided to make a donation to St. Jude's in lieu of favors for our wedding... they give you these cute little bookmarks to give to your guests.

And to wrap up this post, for once I stuck to my self-imposed scheduled and installed my under-cabinet lighting on New Years Day!  Nothing like checking something off of my 2014 list on the first day of the year!