Organizing series: The closet

The house I live in has one closet around 100cm long (way too small for two people). In addition to that, it is very bad organized with large selves of clothes that look untidy the moment you try to pull one out. Please tell me you know what I mean. I’m sure you’ve seen that before.

closet organization

Haven’t you? Trust me. I did not make that mess for the photo. I lived with it for many months before finding a solution. First of all, I had to move all the linens and the towels (they were hiding behind the clothes!). I believe that in order to have a tidy closet, you must have enough space to hang your clothes. In my case the closet had already had one clothes rail, but that was clearly not enough.

closet organization

There seemed to be a place for a second clothes rail, but that was nowhere to be found. So I bought a rail from the hardware store and handsaw in order to cut it to the right length.

closet organization

The rail was then secured to it’s place.

closet organization

Ten minutes of work and I got a functional closet.

closet ogranization

Pretty, huh?

I later found out that Ikea sells adjustable clothes rails that could work with my closet. Well, too late.. So my advice to anyone of you trying to conquer an untidy closed would be this:

  • First throw/donate all the clothes that you don’t need. The less you have to store, the easiest it will be.
  • Then right down what you need. How many clothes would you like to hand? How much space you need for your bags? etc. Planning is essential if you want to end up with a closet that works for you. For example, I know that I like to hang most of my clothes, so I planned for a second rod.
  • Reconfigure your existing closet to fit your need, or buy a new closet. It depends on your budget. Not all of us can afford a walking closet (although if I could I would take the same approach).
  • Put all the clothes back in, live with it for a while, see how it works for you and make all necessary adjustments.

Is there anyone else who can ignore an untidy closet for months? I was so excited when I found clothes hidden in the back that I didn’t remember I had!

My first running race

Last Saturday I was in Oslo and I ran my first race, a relay. This race, called Holmenkollstafetten, is a famous one in Norway and there were more than 30000 people running. My own run was in the beginning of the race and when it was over I went to the finish line with some of the girls that I was running with. Then we all cheered for the girl who finished the race in our team. The same night we celebrated with a 3 course dinner at a nice Vietnamese restaurant in the center of Oslo.

holmenkollstafetten race

I never would have thought running could be so much fun. I’m so happy that I got to feel the adrenaline rush when waiting for my turn and that I pushed myself to reach the finish line as fast as I could. I always though of races as something difficult or even painful and I’m happy that I overcame my fear. I am already planning my next race, probably a 5km in Trondheim in September. Have you ever ran a race? If not, then you should totally try it..

ps. You can check many more images from the race by searching for the #holmenkollstafetten tag in Instagram. In case, you find yourself wondering, yes, this guy ran dressed up like a condom. It was that fun!
ps2. Find me on Instagram here!

Birthday Gift List 2013

My birthday is coming in a month and it’s birthday gift list time again! I prepared a short gift guide same as last year, the year before and the one before that. It’s a long tradition that helps my friends buy things that I will love. However, this is just a guide so if my friends, who know me well, decide to get me something else or nothing at all, that is just as fine. Or if they decide to interpret my suggestions in their own weird way (that’s for you S!), I think a picture of an ice cream and a single bike wheel could be nice gifts too. Without further ado, this year’s Birthday Giftlist…

birthday gift list

1. An ice cream cone (or let me eat half yours).
2. A striped dress.
3. A small leather bag in beige or black, like this one from Marc Jacobs or this one from Kate Spade.
4. A woman’s bicycle. And a helmet. And a basket to carry my staff. And a soft seat. And a bell. And a light that blinks!
5. An gift card for the Norwegian iTunes store. Easy and fast, without shipping.
6. A small Nespresso machine. If you’re feeling extremely generous, I would also like that thing for the milk too as an extra. George Clooney may or may not be included.

Bonus gift: For my best friends who always prefer to DIY their gifts: A DIY camera strap.

Does anyone else make a birthday gift list or am I the only one? Also, what would you put in your list?

Doorway in Oslo

architecture oslo

I love taking pictures of houses. This one is an modern addition to a wooden Norwegian house of the 80s in Oslo. I like the two different wood tones and the fact that the stairs disappear into the the wooden box. I am going back to Oslo this weekend to run a race! Wish me good luck! What are your plans for the weekend?

ps. Doorways from Ålesund.

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