Making room for the things that matter

A few of my favorite things

Dear friends,

I am so humbled that many of you have continued to come here to read my posts over the past few months, likely wondering when and if I would ever blog again. Your kind comments and concerned e-mails have brightened my days and encouraged me to find a way to return. Today, I'm here to say that yes, I am ready to give this blog another go now that I've had some time to rethink my focus and to gain new energy.

A new reading nook since there’s always time for books in our home

Since I last wrote, I've spent much time pondering over what is truly important in my life. With the start of a new year, I found myself at a crossroads, questioning whether I was on the right path toward achieving my personal and professional goals. I finally faced up to the difficult reality that an overflow of clutter at home and in my life was slowing me down. I scrutinized everything, including my beloved thrifting and blogging. I found that thrifting, as rewarding and enjoyable as it is for me, was creating more work for me in the long run since I was spending an inordinate amount of time cleaning, repairing or repurposing items I was buying.

Taking stock of what’s important meant taking a look at the big picture ...

And blogging? I wrestled hard with myself over this one. As many bloggers know, blogging is time-consuming work. I am a professional writer and, frankly, I'm used to getting paid for my writing. My knee-jerk reaction was to eliminate my blog altogether, preferably with a proper good-bye note. But, friends, I could not do that. I love blogging too much, especially all the connections I've made with so many of you all over the world. I finally came to the realization that my blog is rewarding to me in ways that go beyond dollars and cents. Aren't these always the best things in life?

... to be able to make small changes and go from this:

to this:

though a few things stayed the same

Over the past few months, I've made many changes in my home and in my life, mostly small ones, that I will write about in the weeks to come. Added up, these changes have created room for the things that truly matter. The simple and not-so-simple: An impromptu baking session with my kids. Thrifting, less frequently but far more focused. Writing that feeds my family and my soul.

With my priorities (and home) in order, I hope to avoid rushing through the important things in life.

Thank you for helping me along in my journey. I'll be by soon to visit all my blog friends. It feels good to be back.

Hugs,

Before and after: Tiny craft cabinet

So here we are with just a few weeks to go before the year ends. This is when I begin to assess my goals, which just means a lot of thinking and, when I remember, madly writing down lists. Lately, I've been thinking I want and need to do more crafting with my kids and on my own.

Now that my five-year-old is in school, time seems to be on even shorter supply and the months are whizzing by. Last year, I put together "art boxes" for my kids that consisted of decorated fishing tackle boxes filled with all sorts of crafting goodies. My kids use these boxes every day for creations of their own and those we make together.

My own craft supplies are mostly stored in my writing room, (somewhat) organized into wooden and metal drawers. But we all know that out of sight means out of mind so I decided to put some of my favorites in a more visible place. I repurposed one of my thrift finds into a new tiny craft cabinet that now hangs in my writing room.

The cabinet really is quite tiny, but has just enough room for some of my favorite supplies at the moment and adds a nice pop of color in my office. Not that I need more color, but I've been craving something different other than my usual fuschia-yellow-orange-red combo. I love knowing what colors make me feel good, but it also feels refreshing to get out of my color rut.

This cabinet gives me so much joy, especially knowing I paid only $2 for it at a thrift store. I forgot to take a before shot of it before I removed some chicken wire that was attached on the doors instead of window panes. I rather like it without the chicken wire because it allows me to see what's inside better.

By the way, sorry for my messy bookcase, but I removed some books during the decluttering phase a few weeks ago and need to organize and restyle the entire bookcase now.

Strangely, I'd been craving some turquoise in my home, but even a color junkie like me has to start in small doses when it comes to a bright new color. Two sheets of whimsical Martha Stewart scrapbook paper added the perfect finishing touch to my new crafting cabinet. I am able to fit a few of my favorite crafting supplies, just enough to stoke my imagination and make me want to sit down and craft for a bit. Just what I need.

I hope you have a wonderfully creative weekend. The Thanksgiving holiday last week lulled me into a relaxed mode that I've finally shaken off. Good thing because I just realized Christmas is three weeks away!

Linking up to: A Few of My Favorite Things and Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Vintage frames repurposed into jewelry holders

Oh, the infinite possibilities that exist with just a little imagination and some spray paint. For years, I needed a new, more visible way to display my jewelry, then the solution became quite clear a few weeks ago when I suddenly found myself with several vintage frames.

I am thrilled with the result because, for the price of less than five dollars, I now have new jewelry holders.

Remember those old frames that I wrote about a few weeks ago after I created a new reading nook for my kids? I had bought vintage artwork at thrift stores and switched the frames to more modern ones, leaving me with several unattractive frames.

I am embarrassed to say that my collection of jewelry had been languishing in a plastic bag (!!!) on a shelf in my closet for several years. I've always enjoyed changing my jewelry on a daily basis, happily collecting mostly silver pieces throughout my travels and storing them in a small standing cabinet in my closet. Unfortunately, I put most of my jewelry away when my youngest started grabbing my earrings with all his might while I was wearing them. Ouch! To make matters worse, he began rummaging through my jewelry drawers, so I put my jewelry away in a plastic bag, expecting to find a solution. But then I became pregnant with my daughter and, before I knew it, four years had passed.

Then, I saw something while hanging out with a girlfriend at a Los Angeles boutique recently.

The jewelry display struck me for its simplicity. Now here was something that I could replicate easily, but the best part is that my jewelry would be out of reach of my kids yet visible so I could quickly choose at-a-glance what to wear even during harried mornings.

The stars must have aligned because right about that time I found a large bag of yarn at the thrift store on sale for 50 percent for a grand total of two dollars. I decided to paint the frames for a little more bling, especially since I already had the paint out while working on another project.

For a cleaner look, I also decided to use thumbtacks on the back rather than wrapping the yarn around the frame.

For now, I've only put my earrings on these jewelry holders, but may add different types of jewelry later.

I think my husband often wonders why I have a bunch of "junk" in the garage, but most everything has found a home inside after a little repurposing magic.

Closet organization makeover

Unbelievably, I am still in the process of decluttering and organizing our books. After spending countless hours sifting through hundreds of books, the painful truth has become evident: I must get rid of some books. I don't part easily with my little friends. Not at all, especially when I think of them so fondly. I've decided then that, first, I must stop referring to books as my friends and instead start referring to my inspiration files on organization.

In this case, I'm looking at one of my own reorganization projects so that I can remember the satisfied feeling that made the tedious work of sorting and organizing so worthwhile. I took the photo above of my daughter's closet just a couple days ago. The fact that it's still as well-organized as the day I first reorganized it more than a year ago is a testament to how well the closet system has been working for us.

Until having a daughter, I didn't realize how many little things girls have. Barrettes, ribbons, headbands, bracelets, necklaces and on and on. This closet system is great for storing and organizing all those little things and a few of the big things. For example, the baskets on the upper shelf hold extra bed linens, gifts for the kids and clothes they've outgrown that I'm collecting to donate or sell.

The lower shelves hold towels, a couple extra blankets and pillowcases. The slim drawer unit contains shoes I've bought on sale for my daughter to use in the future, or those that my niece has outgrown and given to us.

The photo above shows what the closet looked like before the organization, with enough blankets seemingly for a daycare center! As soon as my daughter reached nine months or so, we no longer used so many blankets and this hanging organizer stood mostly empty. I have since sold it at a garage sale.

The photo above shows my kids soon after I cleaned out and organized the closet. Most of her clothes hang on the clothes rod to the right of the main organizer ...

... except for her princess/ballerina tutu, which has its own special place to hang.

Honestly, I wish we could spend more time talking about closets although I realize it may not be the most "sexy" topic. But think about it, doesn't a well-organized closet make all the difference? I can find whatever I need at a moment's notice and I get such a little thrill whenever I open this closet.

I need to remember this feeling as I continue sorting through my kids' books and imagine how great it will be not having to trip over book piles everywhere. I'll let you know how it goes.

Storage ideas for magazine addicts

A minimalist, I am not. I've made my peace with that. I definitely crave my books, magazines and countless other bits and bobs all over my home to make me happy.

design sponge

That doesn't mean I like clutter. Quite the opposite, I've found that the best way for me to appreciate everything in my home is to be well organized and to curate my collections down to the very best.

Why then, do I have so much trouble culling down my magazines piles?

Check out the home above of stylist Annette Joseph, who uses rubber tubs recycled out of tires to store her magazines. Let me tell you, that tiny tub wouldn't hold even a small portion of all my magazines. My magazine piles look a bit more like those of stylist Irina Graewe, shown below.

design sponge

Heaps and heaps of magazines. I don't store mine in the hallway or else hubby, who rarely says anything about my decorating choices, would certainly have a word or two about a fire hazard. But I do have little piles everywhere. On my nightstand. In my closet. Inside a large antique chest I have in my living room (shown in the sidebar). In the garage. You know what I'm talking about, right? I know I'm not the only one. Look at these two homes below.

design sponge

ekenstam via desire to inspire

The photo below shows my feeble attempt to corral my pile of current magazines:

This side table in our family room holds at least 50 magazines in the little shelf. I naively thought I would be able to contain my magazine habit to this table. Then, someone on Freecycle gave me her entire five-year collection of Martha Stewart Living magazines. Right about that time, I noticed that my public library sells used magazines for 25 cents each. Let's not forget that we magazine addicts also tend to have numerous subscriptions. I won't even mention that, as a freelance writer, I need to keep certain magazines around for reference.

I do read several magazines almost on a daily basis, but I have finally started doing the sensible thing, which is clipping tear sheets of my favorite pages and filing them away. I am realizing that is going to take me forever, so I have started to fantasize about other ways to store my enormous collection of magazines.

Hus & Hem

I adore the clever way that the homeowners above have solved their dilemma for storage of magazines and books. The color coding heightens the visual excitement. This is definitely an idea for me to file away since I have wide hallways on my second floor.

Sunset

Here's more color coding on bookshelves, which provides a striking contrast to the all-white palette of the magazine holders on the lower shelves.

design sponge

Magazine holders seem like the obvious solution for someone with so many magazines. It creates a clean, uniform look, but there are plenty of other options if you're seeking something more unconventional.

Country Home

The photo above shows magazines housed inside a former chicken coop, creating a graphic and unusual display.

The photo above is one I took while doing a store tour last year (you can see it here). The magazines were for sale but this idea is one that can easily be incorporated into various styles of decor.

Sundance Catalog

I've been pining for this bookcase from the Sundance Catalog ever since I first saw it. The storage possibilities for magazines and more are endless, with so many different sized cubbies and slim drawers beneath.

Living Etc.

If you're looking for a quick solution, just stick all those magazines into a bookcase. Somehow, the piles don't look as unappealing.

Anitta Behrendt via desire to inspire

Or, just grab a basket or other container.

ReadyMade

If you're pretty handy with your tools, you could follow the instructions to make the magazine table, shown above, from Ikea magazine files. Go here for the instructions.

Speaking of magazine files, I fell for the magazine holder shown below, from Etsy seller paperdoll woodshop.

paperdoll woodshop

I'm also rather keen on the side table, shown below, making it possible to hold several neat little piles while making your magazines easily accessible. It's from Etsy seller flatpatterns.

flatpatterns

Whatever your preference, there are certainly plenty of options around. Though I'm not going to buy anything new for my magazines, it is heartening to know that, with a little imagination, I can house my magazines in a stylish way. Storage and organization has figured in my posts lately as I make my way through our home in a major decluttering effort before the holidays. This week, I'm focusing on our magazines and books. I'll show you the fruits of my organizing efforts in the weeks to come.

How do you prefer to store your reading material? Are you a magazine addict like me, or have you found a way to curb your magazine habit? Do share!