DIY jewelry display wall

I'm kindof sentimental about my jewelry. every necklace I own has a special significance to me. in some way they are all connected to a loved one, a personal moment, a meaningful event or place. these are not the kinds of things I want to keep hidden in a drawer where they get all tangled up together or worse, forgotten.

so I set out to create a jewelry display. I don't have a dresser or large bedside table, so I knew if would have to be something on the wall. if you scour Pinterest you can find dozens of ideas, but I had one major obstacle: all of my walls are cement.

let's talk about cement walls for a minute. in Taiwan, that's what we have. in our entire house. [I guess tile in the bath + kitchen, but that's just as bad.] putting a nail or screw in the wall involves power tools. and a lot of dust. instead, I have been using 3M command hooks. they are manufactured in Taiwan, so just about every store carries a huge selection. 3M hooks have saved my life. I used them to hang up my belts in my closet, my bags in the bedroom, our towels in the bathroom, our helmets in the entry, hot pads in the kitchen... you get the point. and when I found clear hooks with clear stickings? I knew it was the answer to my jewelry problem.

this little nook in our bedroom was the perfect size for the display. I measured the space and used my bed to lay out all the necklaces in the arrangement I wanted, and matched each up with the appropriate size hook[s]. the different sizes are for bearing different weights, but for this project it was more about what size of chain will fit. then I moved everything to stick on the wall. the best part is you can easily remove a hook and replace it with a clean sticky if you aren't accurate in placing it on the wall. and no ugly nail holes. [this would be perfect for renters]

since the hooks are clear, I decided to use a few strips of washi tape to add a little color + structure to the display. there was also a hideous light switch right in the middle of the area I wanted to use... washi tape to the rescue again!

I love this display wall. every time I walk into my room I see it and smile. organized things make me happy! it's also been helping me wear a little more variety with my jewelry, now that it's all out there to see when I'm putting together an outfit. kindof like an interactive wall art installation.

maybe it's the spring cleaning bug, but I can't stop thinking of what else I can organize and/or cover in washi tape... any ideas?

bangkok: the "night market"

 // let's go for a spin

ok. I've shown you what a night market is before. now I'm going to show you a "night market". one that has all the same basic ingredients - food, clothing, souvenirs - but has been organized and plunked into a clean and tourist-friendly grid. does it have the same authentic flavor? not quite. but I'd be lying if I said I missed dragging my feet through dirt and sweating my face off while trying to avoid the stench of stinky tofu.

// view from the ferris wheel // wanderers // fake water tower // fancy eats + grassy park area

welcome to Asiatique. Bangkok's riverfront night market. complete with food stands, upscale restaurants, theater acts, cheap sundresses, expensive antiques, and everything in between. a word of warning- they are only open from 5pm to midnight. plan accordingly to give yourself enough time to explore.

 // doner kebab // eat me // the line

it's usually best to stop and investigate when you see hunks of meat roasting on a turning spit. doner kebab is a Turkish specialty, and yet, they had it here. clearly Husband had to stop for some, since he's quite some time in that country. a tip for picking food stands? go where the lines are long. it's usually worth the wait.

[I feel like that was a very Bourdain paragraph, don't you?]

// one day I will own this // this too

Husband and I were lusting over the contents of this store for at least 20 minutes. it was full of gorgeous woodwork, and we seriously considered purchasing the giant twisty wheel of wood. until we saw the price. and thought about how expensive customs/shipping would be. and where we could store it while living abroad because Taiwan's humidity would kill it. wah, wah. 

// & me // shops + bars + food + more shops // yes, that's a KFC

most of our time was spent window shopping or eating. [I also may or may not have consumed several mai tais.] but we didn't come home completely empty handed... Husband picked out a pair of red, flowy Thai pants for me, and I also found a beachy sundress. in total I spent $12. win!