Tag Archives: home office

Easy Gift Idea: Silver-Rimmed Bowls

This is a super-simple diy that makes for a very easy gift idea. All you need is a small ceramic bowl, a paintbrush, and any paint of your choosing. I prefer metallics for this project, because it gives the look of a gilt edge and adds just a little bit of bling. Who doesn’t need a bit of bling?

Just paint the inside and/or outside edge of your bowl, let dry, and voila! A delightful little way to collect rings, earrings, perfume vials, lip glosses and balms, hair accessories, bracelets, office supplies, or any number of other small, loose items. I filled this one with hair bands to give to my friend for her birthday. I also use one to corral perfume and lip balm on my dresser.

Sharing with: Creative Spark

Two Things

That are making me happy right now:

1.) After 28 months on the market, and 13 months of paying two mortgages, our old home has finally sold!! And we were able to dig this guy out of the front yard and give him back to our generous neighbors who lent him to us.

2.) I made a little change to my office – switching out my old desk chair for a more stylish option. I’m loving how it looks, and it’s comfortable to boot! Win-win!

New Desk Accessories, or Who Doesn’t Need a Giant Clothespin?

While I wait for my “dream office/liiiiiibrary” (say it with a British accent) to take shape, I decided to spruce up my desk space a bit.

From left to right: cool, twisty blown glass by my cousin, owner of Glassometry Studios. The giant clothespin is from Michaels; I spotted it over the weekend, and for $3, couldn’t pass it up! I picked up the postcard at a photography portfolio share at my work a few months ago. And the 2013 calendar is by Pinwheel Print Shop.

Do you have a fresh new desk look for a fresh new year?

Things I’m Putting Off, But Desperately Need To Do

1. Reorganize our pantry.

I got off to a good start at the beginning of the year, hauling home a huge amount of totes and bins from Target, but due to other members of the family not paying attention to my system (Tom, I’m looking at you), it demands a re-do. Our pantry has also become a bit of a catch-all. I don’t there’s anything too unrelated to kitchens / dining in there, but now I’m scared to look.

2. Create a filing system.

Tom and I have had separate filing methods since we got married 5 years ago. He takes care of his, and I take care of mine. And the problems with this are numerous…

– We now have a lot of joint accounts and shared assets, from savings accounts to our mortgage payments.

– We constantly lose W2 forms during tax season because they wind up all over the house.

– I use a pretty simple Banker’s box system; Tom… well, I’m still not really sure what his filing system is. But statements have turned up in some pretty random places around the house, including a drawer of our nightstands.

I have no idea where to start. As soon as I start thinking about this project, I feel completely overwhelmed. I feel like I need to take at least a week of vacation to sort it out and do it properly. Please, oh please, help me find the inspiration, determination and endurance to complete this task!!!

3. Stain the deck

While Tom will probably take the lead on this one, I should probably offer my services. At least to pick out a nice stain color 😉

We’re waiting for the weather to cool down before tackling this one, but then I see college football and Bengals games eating up our weekend afternoons…

4. Seal the driveway

There’s been some debate recently about how important this one is. Do we really need to seal our driveway? I guess it would help it last longer, because the last thing we want to do is pay thousands to have it re-poured in a few years. Thoughts? Any tips on driveway sealing?

What tasks are you putting off? Let’s inspire each other to conquer them!

Articipation

Just ordered this colorful 8″ x 10″ print titled “The Rain” by Michel Valenton from the Erin Loechner Specialty Shop at The Foundary. (Not a member? Want to be? Send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite!)

I love all of the different colors, but particularly the bright oranges and pinks. I think it will perfectly complement the color palette I have planned for my Library/Office, which is white, magenta, and tangerine! Plus, how could this print not make you smile every time you see it? It’s so bright and cheery! Can’t wait to get it, frame it, then put my entire office design together (ha!). For more on that, check out yesterday’s List-O-Mania post!