Now, that's true transparancey for you!
True confessions...I'm a "piler".
I've been in many people's homes through the years, and I'm convinced there's "shovers", and "pilers"...and maybe an elite few who actually put their life items where they belong right away. Let me define the terms:
Shover (n): A person who can't stand visual clutter and therefore shoves any and all of life's paraphanalia into whatever drawer or closet is nearest. Their mind then tells them their life is "clean". Woe to the person who opens one of the drawers or closets. They will know the ugly truth.
I will not be naming names...
Piler (n): A person who wants to put their life paraphanalia into the "right" place, organizationally speaking. Therefore, piles gather anywhere and everywhere while that "right place" is being determined. These places are usually one's desk, at the bottom of the stairs, by the back hall, any available flat surface. In the piler's mind, there seems to be the idealistic view that if the right system were in place...everything would be in it's place!
Hence, my desk organization and beautification. Goal: vertical visual prompts rather than horizontal piles.
My desk is an old kitchen cupboard. Picked it up from the laundry room at a Lake Minnetonka estate sale for $30. I knew from it's perfectly chipped green paint, to the original glass knobs, to the amazing divided drawers, that I would not be selling this piece. I refinished the beautiful oak top, sanded and polyed the inside and out, and had Mr. Fix-it jack up the legs to a good standing height. The top piece and two drawers actually slide out if I want to have a stool there, but usually it's a standing desk for me.
I've been pretty good with organizing the drawers, and keeping them that way, thanks to the dividers!
This desk area is the brain of a family of 5, and a small business to boot! There's no office in our home...it's all here! Max amount of usefulness in a small amount of space. The drawers hold everything from the address book, to envelopes, stamps, bills, tape and stapler, to greeting cards and bindwire for on-the-spot decorating.
My goal in trying to keep the top of the desk clean was to clip or pushpin any of my "remember this" pieces of paper onto a visually appealing corkboard, rather than piling them all over the pretty, wood top.
I received this awesome birds-on-a-wire thing for my birthday from my mom. I put a fabric-covered cork backing on it to make it even more functional. It's my place for inspirational quotes, sentimental pic's and bits and bobs of paper-thingys I don't want to forget. I'm visual...if I can't see it, I am likely to forget it.
Our new, hot off the presses, Patina General postcard! They'll be in the store next occasional. An old photo of Cheryl, my neighbor Michele and I, at one of our outside sales, when we were Bloom Cottage...kind of "vintage" Patina General. Think that was the year we were pricing items with a trouble light till 2 a.m. Michele brought us warm scones at midnight. She was baking them for the sale. Ah... good memories.
And my favorite quotes that I want to paint in my house someday...
"In art, the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire."-Ralph Waldo Emerson.
"One day in the country is worth a month in town."-Anon.
Under the bird corkboard is the all important family, paper calendar. I cross off days, so I can know at a glance what day we're living! I will often say to my kids..."Did you put it on the calendar?" I also use my phone calendar & try to have everything that's on the paper calendar on the phone calendar. Then Mr. Fix-it can check his phone and see what the family plans are. Technology does help my life, despite my frustration with it!
On the other wall is the rest of my vertical organization:
Two shutter shelves display my much-used folders and binders. The three kids' health binders from the doctor's office. How often am I pulling them out to fill out a sports form, or church youth group form? I also have a folder for each of them to corrall other papers regarding school, activities, etc. I even have a folder for the dog, to keep track of her shots, etc. This shelf also displays phone books for school, church, etc. I like how everthing stays neat because it's propped up between the brackets from the upper shelf.
The backdrop is a cute paper quilt I just created to cover the holes in the wall from moving the shelves up higher. Mr. Fix-it was going for the spackle, and I told him to skip it, I'd cover the holes with something cute! More on that next week, though...
The wicker holder is a great vertical place for me to corrall receipts, bills, coupons, etc. I can still see items I don't want to forget, but they're not flat!
We finally hung the stick blinds on this window that match the ones in the dining room. A cheap rod and some clip rings from WalMart, and more cut ticking cozied up the spot, and created a little night-time privacy. All the basic needs are out in the open: kleenex, lotion, pens, scissors, post-it notes. Of course, a little junky, vintage inspiration always makes me feel at home!
Have you been organizing your life for the new year? Has it been closets, desks, or the basement? Hope you're inspired to organize in a pretty way! Form + Function=Happy Me.
Linking up with Miss Mustard's Furniture Feature Friday:
http://missmustardseed.com/2015/01/furniture-feature-friday-favorites-link-party-52/
And also Funky Junk's Heap of Change, 2015:
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2015/01/new-paint-station-area.html
Oh how I remember that night, pricing early into the morning. It still sticks in my mind, never buy cheap safety pins. We were just a little loop-y
Posted by: Cheryl Jarl | Friday, January 23, 2015 at 10:25 AM