Organize that closet: Ingrid Callot on the best tie and belt organizers on the market

Yesterday my friend Edgardo Versoza went by my house to check out the new green dress I bought (which he’s jealous of). He opened my closet and shrieked, “Ingrid Callot! Did a storm hit your closet? Hurricane Katrina was sooo six years ago!”

From Ingrid Callot

I peered inside my closet and realized that yes, it looked like it was hit by a storm. My hats were on the floor, my clothes were everywhere and were mismatched, and my belts were on the floor too, lying there like dead snakes. My husband Roger’s neckties were mixed up with my scarves, and even his favorite blue tie was wrapped around the heel of one of my shoes. I stood there, stone-faced. I never knew my closet was this messy until today, and I realized I haven’t organized my closet for a while now. Edgardo clicked his tongue and said, “That’s it! Ingrid Callot, we’re going shopping!”

After days of searching the Internet and visiting stores that sell tie and belt organizers, we found these cool ones that you too, would surely love:

• Richards Homewares 16-Hook Spinning Tie Hanger. This hanger is perfect for Roger’s ties and belts. It has 16 sturdy hooks which can pivot independently, allowing for even greater organization. It hangs on any closet rod and measures only 8 inches at its widest points, taking up minimal space in your closet.

From Ingrid Callot

• Smartek Motorized Rack. Both Edgardo and I gushed over this! This electronic revolving rack stores and organizes ties on 64 tie hooks and belts on eight belt hooks that rotate smoothly. It includes a built-in light so you can see your necktie collection in the dark. And oh, the light shuts off automatically after 10 seconds. Neat-o!

From Ingrid Callot

• Handy Hold-All.This cute organizer will be my gift to my little son Jacob, so that his closet won’t be as messy as Mommy’s. Made from cotton, the Handy Hold-All keeps bags, belts, hats, ties, and scarves neatly organized, and you can hang it on the closet door thanks to the small grommet at the top. It also has heavy-duty snaps to keep items secure.

From Ingrid Callot

Once I buy one of these organizers (or all of them!), Edgardo will never look at me disapprovingly again and say, “You are one heck of a clutter queen, Ingrid Callot.”


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Ingrid Callot on Organic and Mineral Make Up: Giving You the Freshest, Most Natural Glow

This is Ingrid Callot, also known in my side of town as the biggest fan of Martha Stewart, and of green, eco-friendly living. I admire Martha a lot, and in my mind, we're best of friends – sharing DIY tips and trading recipes while sipping freshly-squeezed orange juice and some vegan cupcakes. In real life, though, my bestfriend is the fabulous Edgardo (or "Versoza. Edgardo Versoza" as he calls himself), who is also my stylist, shopping buddy, personal cheerleader, and publicist. He fully supports my family's decision to live a greener lifestyle, and has taken baby steps to eco-friendly living as well (or maybe he just wanted an excuse to hoard eco bags).

We were supposed to go to the organic Sunday market last week, and upon arriving at my doorstep, Edgardo screeched, “Ingrid Callot! Living green does not mean you have to look like a corpse! Why aren't you wearing makeup?” I tried to explain that I did a little spring cleaning and threw out all my makeup because they contain lead and parabens, when he shut me up and said, “That's what mineral makeup is for!” And so, our Sunday was spent looking for mineral makeup online. I ended up spending the budget for grass-fed Wagyu beef on mineral foundation, blush, and lipstick.

From Ingrid Callot

Mineral makeup was worth every penny, as it made my skin look fresher and more radiant. The foundation made my skin look matte and poreless, and the blush imparted a healthy glow. The lipstick made my lips look and feel soft and supple. The best part is that the makeup did not have any scent, which means only the most natural ingredients were used, and I did not get skin irritation or breakouts, which means it's perfect for sensitive skin. The formulation for mineral makeup is gentler than that of commercial brands, so it's safer for everyday use. The makeup did not budge even after 6 hours of running after my little boy, preparing dinner, and doing the dishes, which meant less retouching, so I use less of the products. The packaging is also made of recycled materials, which makes it very earth-friendly.

From Ingrid Callot December

With mineral makeup, you beautify not only yourself, but gorgeous Mother Nature, too. Find more eco-friendly tips on my Facebook page.

Goodbye, Oprah: Ingrid Callot Reminisces Favorite Oprah Show Moments

From Ingrid Callot

Did you watch the Oprah Show finale? As a huge Oprah Winfrey fan, I did. I had a box of tissue beside the couch while wearing a personalized “Ingrid Callot loves you, Oprah!” t-shirt. It was a sad day for me, like for all other American viewers who have followed and watched every Oprah episode for the past 25 years. I am also sad because after all these years, I never got to be a studio audience and win a car. To curb my sadness over the end of my favorite show, let us reminisce my all-time favorite Oprah Show moments.

• A Skinny Oprah Dragging a Wagon of Fat. She had been truly open to the whole world about her weight but Oprah’s most unforgettable weight-related moment was back in the “Diet Dreams Come True” episode in 1988, when she dragged a fat-filled wagon down the stage. I, Ingrid Callot, shivered at the sight of the animal fat. The fat stood for the 67 lbs. Oprah had lost in less than five months. Wish I could do that, too.

From Ingrid Callot

• Everybody Gets a Car. Oprah worked her magic wand and granted every audience member a new Pontiac G6 sedan worth nearly $30,000 during her September 14, 2004 episode. The whole room went bonkers, including me, who was at the time staring at the TV in disbelief and in envy of the audience members. (Here I go again about the car thing. Must… STOP.)

From Ingrid Callot

• The Man who Jumped on Oprah’s Holy Couch. Yes, it was a moment worth remembering because a huge movie star made a fool of himself out of love. Tom Cruise’s uncontrollable enthusiasm over how in love he is with wife Katie Holmes led him to jump on Oprah’s couch, onto the floor, and then back on the couch. A bemused Oprah was like, “I don’t know what happened to you, boy!” I didn’t either!

From Ingrid Callot

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Hang in There: Clutter Queen Ingrid Callot on Unused Coat Hangers in the Closet

Hello, everyone! It’s me, Ingrid Callot, your go-to friend for tips on how to be green and help save Mother Earth. I had been hounded by nightmares of getting chased by garbage cans as acid rain poured down on me, melting my face. Thus, I woke up one day and started living sustainably, together with my hubby Roger and curious little boy Jacob.

Roger has been bugging me to clean out my closet for weeks now. He says, “Hunny, the closet is storage for clothes. Look at yours, it’s full of unused hangers instead of clothes. I love you, but honestly your organizing skills are non-existent.” So I thought, “Ingrid Callot, what are you going to do with those coat hangers?”

From Ingrid Callot

I didn’t want to throw all the plastic away so I Googled “use for unused hangers” and found an article about the Coat Check Hanger. The chair, designed by Jeoy Zeledon, makes something useful out of hangers by using them as material for the seat. This will save other materials like animal leather from being used to make another chair. The hangers slide on and off the steel frame without adhesive so you can use any hanger you like, in any color. According to Zeledon, the hangers “conform to your bum and are surprisingly comfortable.”

From Ingrid Callot

From Ingrid Callot

They sure look like they’re comfortable enough to slouch on. I will make a Coat Check Hanger and present it to Roger with a note saying, “My organizing skills compass is now pointing to the North. I told you I’d get rid of those hangers eventually. Love, Ingrid.”

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Ingrid Callot Tips for a Life of Glorious, Green Gardening

From Ingrid Callot Photos

I’m Ingrid Callot and my three favorite people are Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, and the Dalai Lama. I would love to have them over one night for a Mexican dinner with my husband Roger and son Jacob. After that, we’ll play charades over tubs of cheese popcorn and cream soda. When Jacob’s off to bed and Roger’s sauntered over to his nightly bout at his workstation, the four of us will collapse on the living room couch for a marathon of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Friends, Arrested Development, and The Real Housewives of Orange County.

From Ingrid Callot Photos

I live to keep house and keep house in order to live. Little by little, I am replacing bad habits for eco-friendly practices to usher in sustainability. “Ingrid Callot, you have so much fertilizer now,” my friend Edgardo Versoza declared one day after seeing the fruits of my composting, a habit I started over a month ago. “You need to plant yourself a nice, little garden.”

Unfortunately, I am no green thumb. I wouldn’t be able to tell the plants from the weeds if the darned parasitic growths were killing my crops cold. Thanks to Oprah.com, however, I now know a thing or two about gardening.

From Ingrid Callot Photos

• Plant locally – Vegetables and greens native to your area will be adaptive to the climate and temperature extremes, and will tend not to need too much extra water.
• Mulch it over – Mulch preserves soil moisture, saving you gallons of water. It also prevents the growth of weeds.




From Ingrid Callot Photos




• Re-use water – Put rain buckets under the house gutters and use the extra runoff to water your garden.
• Keep things simple – A frenzied backyard mess will only stress you out rather than relax you. Small gardens prove to be more manageable and rewarding.

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Ingrid Callot: Paper Bags vs. Plastic Bags

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

My name is Ingrid Callot, and I long to one day meet Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama. In my dreams, the four of us go trick-or-treating on Halloween, with me as Betty Boop, the Dalai Lama dressed as Super Saiyan Goku, Martha as Marilyn Monroe, and Oprah as Whoopi Goldberg. I wonder how much candy we’d get.

From Ingrid Callot December

Last Christmas, my family and I made a vow to live green. We began favoring reusing and recycling over buying new things, eating only local produce, avoiding the purchase of detergents and substances that have toxic chemicals, refraining from using and buying things made out of plastic, and composting our organic waste.

From Ingrid Callot December

One day, my friend Edgardo pointed out that my environmentalism was still problematic. “Ingrid Callot, you are hopeless,” he said, cocking his head from side to side. “You ban all plastic bags, but you’re using these paper bags, which is worse.”

“Edgardo Versoza,” I said. “I use paper bags for a reason. They’re perfectly recyclable and biodegradable and hold more stuff than plastic bags can ever carry.”

“Call me when you graduate from being an entry-level environmentalist,” he said, before walking out.

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

Puzzled, I Googled “paper plastic environment,” and felt my jaw drop. According to an article from Treehugger, the best choice was neither paper nor plastic, but reusable canvas bags. A study showed that canvas bags, when used 500 times during their life cycle, are 14 times better than plastic, and 39 times better than paper on a range of aspects including the amount of energy used in manufacturing, environmental damage caused in production, and reuse as well as recycling rates.

With that, I dialed Edgardo’s number to invite him to go shopping for a reusable canvas shopping bag.

From Ingrid Callot December

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Small Touches: Ingrid Callot’s Alternative to the Romantic Big Splash

Exuding the calmness of a greenhorn who hears afresh the jolting notes of a war cry, I, Ingrid Callot, walk already a dead man past the arsenal of Anthropologie, away from the crimson fittings and blood-kissed accouterments that scream Valentine behind the tall glass windows of my once-favorite home décor shop.

I go home triumphant.

From Anthropologie

My baptism of fire in the fight for frugality last Christmas is working wonders for me. My husband waves his white flag of a bank statement in my face and congratulates me—I have just cut our household expenses down to a smashing 50 percent! February comes as a challenge that brings opportunity to save moolah once again.

Forget about the clinking of champagne glasses and bells. The Ingrid Callot contingency is to throw some fancy bonbons on a crystal candy dish, redeem the linen table from the closet, and concoct a self-blended potpourri in a wine glass. Voila! A romantic dining table masterpiece is set for me and Roger.

From Etsy

Take this from me: there is something saccharine about handpicked garden flowers arranged with the right colors. Let me tell you, my hard science-oriented husband appreciated the “art” outlining the floral arrangement I made for our Christmas dinner.

Toss in some paper napkins with kitschy designs as well. Forget about fancy tablecloth this V-Day. Let small touches spell out the romantic big splash for you. Besides, “no retreat, no surrender” is the game when it comes to the thriftiness test.

From Inspired Living Spaces

Learn how small touches can turn into big splash from my other blog, www.myspace.com/ingridcallot/blog.