find simplicity

Einstein never ceases to inspire me.

A few weeks ago, there was a whole lot of discord going on inside this cabinet.

Then I found harmony.

Simple bins for storing items.

Labels to find things easily.

Our Winter Break is over and I will be back to work with a perfectly ordered cabinet full of supplies.

Hope you make time to find simplicity in your day.

under a bushel

 Are you hiding your light under a bushel?

 Perhaps you are simply storing good things away for a rainy day in your bushel or baskets.

 An open wire basket clearly displays items to have on hand and at the ready.

 A small basket stoked with spa items makes a great gift for a freshly scrubbed shiny new self.

 This woven basket could hold a myriad of items, laundry, towels, magazines or supplies.

Baskets really help to keep one's home shiny and more organized.

Do you use baskets for stowing away items?

on file

Filing would be more fun with the help from this four legged companion.

 Loving the mix of the chartreuse, white, blue and grey.

 This color is called carbon.

Anybody remember carbon copies?

As I prepare to set up my design studio, file cabinets are extremely important for keeping important items on hand.  I found these fun file cabinets at cb2.  I was thinking white or gray but one of those bright colors sure would make filing more fun.  What color would you choose?

Blue

White

Chartreuse

Carbon

organizer (give-away)

"Winner is Style Chronicle"

People know that I am a giver, an organizer and a self-starter. I found this lovely organizer over here. In an electronic world, I still take refuge in an old fashioned planner. Take a look at Natasha's shop and her work. I love the name, "bubbo-tubbo."

Natasha is giving this organizer! All you need to do is tell me one thing that you are organizing today or have been procrastinating, as well as become a follower of my blog. (Thank-you, if you are already following!)

Natasha is also offering 20% off of all other things in her sweet etsy shop here.

I love this print, "I am so sophisiticated."

Reminders send good incentives.

Now what was that thing that needed organzing?

Winner shall be randomly selected July 6th.

Happy long weekend to each of you!

One more thing, please hop over here to leave a comment and enter the $500 Pottery Barn give-away!

freedom

Typography design by illustrator Penelope Dullaghan (a new Mom)

I have been working on "letting go" of some things in order to gain a little creative freedom.  

After scoring some sound advice from SCORE, I will be letting go of some of the managerial tasks in order to focus more on creativity and my artwork.  Keeping a blog, posting daily and then juggling the demands of a working from home and keeping it all happily humming along can sometimes be daunting.  I think letting go or gaining a bit of help will be a good thing. Today, I have an assistant (a college student on Summer break) on the way, just a few hours so I can let go, and create.  

How do you let go, so you can make room for a little freedom in your life.

monday, monday

binder from simplify 101

Monday is the start of the week in my home.  I turn to my handy dandy binder which is kept in a spot on my counter.  My daughter loves this book, home to class lists, school permission slips, and more.  My fave are the Menu planning sheets (courtesy of heart-of-light) which help me to plan my weekly menu.  It is fun to look forward to "what we shall eat" for the week ahead.  I save recipes in a file for future ideas for the weeks ahead.  When you plan, you are better equipped to stick to a budget.  I also love stocking the pantry with staples, should the best laid menu plans fail. Shopping seasonally and stocking the pantry with staples is key.

I am especially excited since last week I was waiting for the arrival of a new fridge!

meal planning sheets, click to enlarge and print, cut in half, thanks to heart-of-light

In my quest or desire to feed my organizational lust, I happened to find this wonderful site here.  There are simply super tips to motivate one to organize.  I love the Russel and Hazel binders, notes and other aesthetically pleasing items for storage.

We could all benefit from a bowl of simplicity and a few minutes for noting some time management tips which I gleamed from simplify101;

1.  Prioritize, "eat your veggies first" - then dessert.   Do the highest priority first.

2.  Say NO, for everything you say YES to, you are saying NO to something else.

3.  Balance, strive for a balance.  It is like going to a "buffet" and eating too much of everything and walking away not feeling great.  Feel good with less, limit the choices and you will find balance.

4.  Pick & choose!  Life is all about choice.  Make a list first thing to begin your day.

5.  Order gives light and energy.  

an ordered drawer of candles and matches - image from chez larsson

Learning to plan ahead for a rainy day, or a day without power provides energy and a source of light and contentment for any day of the week.  How do you plan ahead to simplify - so you can enjoy your week?  What would you say needs the most attention today, what is on your list in order of "highest priority?" Happy Monday, Monday!

new year's plans

My plans for the New Year will be with proceeding with this wonderful planner " Eight days a week" from Bob's Your Uncle. I found this at a nearby paper shop and am in love with the slim portable size and the layout. Each day is a blank list from 7:30 til 6:30, in half-hour slots. Day eight is marked "someday" which I use for future plans. I really love this book and you can find it online here.
You can write in the dates for each week, beginning where you want to get organized for 2009!
How are your New Year's plans coming along?