By Sun and Candlelight

Putting Paper in its Place

I finally got around to reading my January Better Homes & Gardens the other day, and I stumbled upon a wonderful article called "In-Box Rx." It featured a family desk all decked out with nifty office products - bins, baskets, drawers and the like. Of course I enjoyed all the pretty pictures, but I found the accompanying sidebar, "Keep Track in an Action File" even better.

As most of you know, I keep a weekly file folder system, and this has worked brilliantly for me for many years. Now, those folders hold timely papers - items for specific weeks of the year. But then there are those papers that come into the house that aren't assigned a particular date, but need attention all the same. What about them? Where do they go?

In the past I've had a slush pile for these items (a phrase from my newspaper days) which is a very dangerous thing, because often said items need action sooner rather than later. Well, the BH&G article described a neat system for sorting papers like this, and I thought I'd give it a go ...

I'm using the two trays seen above and below, as well as a clipboard.

Suggested categories: Pending, Do Later, Do Now.

Now, I'm just trying this out, to see how it works with my file crate system. It might be overkill, I'm not sure, lol! But I figured it was worth a try ... plus I really like using those alphabet stickers. ;)

(And for Sarah, who asked where I got those ABC stickers ... I bought them at my local paper craft store, but they are made by a company called, Pebbles - here's a link.)

So I'll post later about what kinds of papers I put where, but my "online" time is quickly running out this morning. Before I go, a quick peek at two more Martha products I've set up on the fridge ...

I swear I don't get any kickbacks for all these product plugs, lol!

(Though wouldn't that be nice?)

On the left side is an adhesive dry-erase sheet - my new "Honey-Do List" - and under the calendar on the right is a handy adhesive pocket. The list is self-explanatory of course - ;) - and the pocket will be used for some random papers we always keep on the fridge. Things held by magnets that seem to constantly slip off. These would be the allowance tallies, Mass participation sheets and such. (The soccer schedule will go here in the spring.)

After I put up the board, I decided to amend my phrasing a little ...

The Honey-Do (please) List. ;)

Well, my friends, I'm going to sign off for now and tend to my homefront. Earlybird had a very rough day yesterday, but thankfully he slept well last night. (Thank you all so much for the well wishes and prayers!) So far this morning he's kept down some weak lemonade and he's had a few sups on a homemade popsicle ... and now he's begging me to "Ask Nana to bring us chocolate milk," which tells me he's getting his appetite back. :)

So have a good Thursday, everyone ... I'll see you again very soon!

❤

Pretty Little Clothespins

I found these at my favorite paper craft store last month:

I wasn't sure how I'd use them, but I knew I had to have them!

Well today I decided to try them out as part of an old-fashioned "clothesline."

I just strung a length of twine along a sunny windowsill, stretched taut between two thumbtacks. Very much like our Christmas card display, only using twine instead of ribbon.

You could use a display like this for all kinds of things: alphabet cards, leaf types, art projects, photographs, birthday greetings ...

(Or bits and bobs of pretty nonsense as I did.)

I'll admit, I was very tempted to line all the learning room windows with this "clothesline" but I held myself back, trying to control my "clutter bug" instincts.

;)

Well, my friends, I hope you all had a nice Wednesday! Our day was busy as usual, but I felt like I got a lot accomplished so that's a good thing. For one thing, I cleaned the refrigerator from top to bottom, and goodness did it need it! (I am loathe to tell you how old some of those salad dressings were ...) And lol, Bookworm just poured himself a glass of milk and when he opened the fridge door he said, "Wow, there's light in the fridge!")

But now our day's winding down, and since Bookworm has an evening activity, I'm trying to get supper done a bit early (baked ziti and sausages). So I'd best be off ...

So I thank you all for stopping by ... and I wish you all a nice night.

See you again sometime soon!

❤

Martha in my Corner

I know many of you, like me, are Martha Stewart fans - particularly, Martha Stewart product fans. And I'm hearing her new line of home office products has created quite a buzz across the country! Now, some of you have not had a chance to check them out, and some of you don't even have the option, as her line is opening in select US regions at this time. Well, I bought some of her desk accessories this weekend and I thought I'd show you how they look and how they work. :)

*By the way, I'm sorry I haven't been around much this weekend ~ I had planned to follow up on yesterday's coupon post and catch up on comments but did not have the time. It was a busy day to start with, but then Crackerjack came down with a nasty stomach bug and that threw everything off. (Top bunk + stomach bug = ugh). He's feeling a little better today, but seriously bummed he had to miss - not only our parish pancake breakfast this morning - but the Superbowl party at Nana and Papa's as well! My poor guy. :(

Back to the corner office, though ... here are the separate pieces I purchased:

Shown here is the magazine holder, two in-box trays (purchased separately), and then two divided organizer pieces (also purchased separately). The desk accessories are available in a pearly white (as above), a soft aqua (that signature MS shade) and a deep chocolate brown. I picked the pearly white for obvious reasons. :) 

The trays stack neatly - you can stagger them so the lower tray is more exposed, or sit them direcly on top of each other as I have done.

And the neat thing about these products is that they snugly fit into each other using a beveled edge design:

They don't actually "click" but with a little wiggling the pieces fit firmly in place. (And they are also easily taken apart.)

Here is the larger organizer piece placed on top of the trays:

And the final piece - a lidded and divided rectangular piece: 

I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying out different configurations at Staples. It got to the point where I started feeling self-conscious, thinking the store associates must be wondering what I was up to, lol! Above the product display was a large poster showing different ways to use the pieces, so I was following that, but it was hard to picture how it all would look at my desk ...

But here's how it does look, in the corner of my corner desk: 

(We get great light in this room, but it makes for tough photography sometimes!)

Now, to show you how I'm using the various parts ...

In the bottom tray I am storing my daybook and monthly calendar when not in use. (Yes, I pulled the monthly calendar out of my homekeeping binder ... I had an epiphany at the orthodontist's office the other day, lol. More on that later.)

The top tray will serve as a true inbox - holding things I need to address in some way - read/review, file away, add to my journal, etc.

Now, in the front portion of the divided sections above, I have the bits and bobs I was keeping in those colorful little pots. (They were very pretty, but they proved to be kitty magnets!) And I like that I can place the lid on this area and not only does it look neater, but it protects those "bits and bobs" from my oh-so curious cats.

Above that area I have some sticky note pads, a few notebooks (inlcuding my shopping notebook) and in the very back section I have my clippings journal and my "active" file folders. Sitting directly behind all this is my homekeeping binder. (It was too heavy and wide to fit anywhere else.)

The magazine holder currently holds my "special" magazines and a wonderful library book I'm savoring. I would add preferred catalogs here as well.

So there you have it - my Martha corner all decked out. :) I'm glad to say I'm happy with how it looks - but I was prepared to return things if they didn't fit well here. 

Well friends, for now I will say goodbye and I will wish you all a good night. As for tomorrow - my posting will depend on the "state of affairs" here on the homefront, but it is my hope (and plan) to have my "morning after" Downton post up very early. 

{Yes, I DO know it's the Superbowl tonight - I'm from New England, after all! (GO PATS!) But I still plan to watch Downton when it airs from 9-10. Bill and Bookworm will be watching The Game with my family just up the road, while I'll be home with the younger two - both surely asleep by that time. Now, I certainly love football - and I'm very proud of my team! - I just can't miss my DA fix! So Bill - handy, tech-savvy guy that he is - is setting me up with a second TV so I can keep one eye on the game - while still enjoying my Downton. ;)}

So we'll see what tomorrow brings then, shall we? In the meantime, thanks so much for stopping by ~ and have a SUPER night, everyone!

:)

Outfitting a Home-Centered Desk

But first, a Good Sunday evening to you all. :)

Here we are at the very close of the week, and I finally have a desk post to share with you! It was such a nice sunny day (and fairly mild, too), so I had lots of light and fresh air to work in ...

And here's my new desk, situated in the southwestern corner of our learning/sitting room:

As you can see, I now have an honest-to-goodness "desk chair" for my desk! Bill and the boys brought it home from Staples today, and it's very comfortable, I'm happy to say.

So first off, I worked on filling in (i.e. organizing) all the drawers ... 

The lower drawers are for file folders. On the left I will keep recipe storage and household information. (Seen in the picture at the top of this post.) And on the right is my File Crate System (my weekly file folders).

The top drawers are devoted to the various materials I need as "home manager." On the left: a correspondence basket, stickers and labels, and a master to-do pad (suspiciously empty at the moment, lol).

On the right: my budgetkeeping drawer.

(It may not look very organized, but honestly - it is!)

There is a metal basket nestled in there, and inside that is another small basket holding coupons and gift certificates. Also in the metal basket are current bills to pay, weekly church envelopes, business cards (held together by a binder clip) and my calculator. In the front section of the drawer is a plastic zip-top envelope in which I will (temporarily) store shopping receipts. On the left side of the drawer is a stack of monthly statements (held together by a binder clip - boy, do I love binder clips, lol!). 

Now, I showed you the right hand side of the desk when I first arranged it the other day. It looks pretty much the same, only I made that little letter holder a bit more purposeful. (It now holds a task binder, the "active" weekly file folders, my notecards, shopping notebook, and daily routine index cards.)

Above the desk I hung my projects clipboard.

On the windowsill, just behind this side of the desk, I used those pretty planter pots for some tiny desk accoutrements. :)

Orange holds tiny multicolor clothespins (for a neat project I'll tell you about soon), yellow holds small binder clips, green holds nothing at the moment but I had stuck my reading glasses in there, and blue holds medium size binder clips.

(So far the cats have left these little pots alone, but that could all change in a moment - most likely an after-midnight moment - so we shall see.)

Now, the left side of the desk I've kept mostly open because I can't decide what I want to put here, but for now, I have a small crate with my clipping journal.

(Which was promptly taken over by Archie.)

I think I'd like to get a two-tiered inbox for this spot. A place in which I'd keep things to look at - correct, address, file, etc. I'm thinking about getting something like this.

So here's the desk view to the left ... my reading (and tea) corner.

And here's the desk view to the right ... the family reading corner.

A closer look at Earlybird's February "library" nook:

Underneath that table there are nature puppets, a portable dvd player and a basket of videos, puzzle buckets and a few games.

So I think it's coming together quite nicely! The desk fits in well here, and it feels great to have a space devoted to home management. The family computer is located here, so the boys do share this desk with me sometimes. In fact, as I finish this post, I'm sitting in my reading chair working on my laptop, while the boys are at the desk, laughing at some Star Wars website ...

And Archie's still in that crate!

:)

Well my friends, I hope you enjoyed this tour of my new desk, but I'm going to sign off now as it's getting late and I've kept you here long enough! I'm looking forward to a quiet Sunday evening with my fellas, having supper and watching TV ... but I'll be here bright and early tomorrow to kick off our Downton discussion, so I'll catch up with all again then! 

*★ Good night! ★*

File Folder Migration

Well, I took a few steps towards setting my desk up today! First off, I moved the file crate system (sans crate) into its new home:

The folders fit perfectly in this drawer. :)

Now, you all might remember how hard Bill worked to set me up with an under-counter, in-cabinet, rolling-cage scenario last year? (God bless that man, he is good to me!) Well, I am happy to say I made this file folder "migration" with his blessing. When he found this desk online and showed it to me, the first thing(s) he pointed out were the TWO file folder drawers!

(And not to fret - that rolling cage thingy will be put to good use - he's thinking he might keep his "upstairs" tools in the crate for easy access. OR we might keep seasonal baking supplies under here ...)

I also started laying out a bit of my "stuff" on the desktop to see how it would look.

I'm really trying to keep my penchant for clutter under control, so I'm doing this little by little. (Carefully arranged and color-coordinated "clutter" is soothing to me, lol - but I know open spaces are more efficient, and to most eyes, more attractive.) Helene asked about a lamp and a chair ... and we're thinking on that. I'm not sure I need a lamp here, since we do have two soft lights in either corner of this room, as well as an overhead light. And then of course, there are all those sunny windows! But Bill mentioned something about a task light so we'll see ...

As for the chair, well the one we're using here is just a stand-in till we get a proper desk chair. (It's a lovely chair - an old family piece - but it's low and very hard!) Actually, we bought a desk chair at Staples a month ago for EB and it was not too expensive but very comfy and nice looking. Though I love the idea of a white, wooden "swivel" chair I'm going to opt for comfort over style ... or hopefully, a happy marriage of the two. :)

So the stuff I set up today included my Mary Engelbreit page-a-day calendar, which I set upon a slice of tree branch. The branch gives the small plastic calendar a little more presence, and compliments the woodsiness visible through the windows. I also set my pens, pencils and scissors in an old candle jar. The red goes with the room, of course, and I love the star motif.

Also added, was this pretty metal letter/file holder. I used to keep it up on the kitchen island, tucked against the wall corner. In this, I keep odds and ends - some practical, some pretty - but I do display my current ("active") file folders here.

Keeps them handy and visible!

Then of course I laid out my primary planning tools:

The month @ a glance calendar, my household binder and my Daybook. The daybook is open to next week's planning page because that is what I worked on today. (I start my "next week planning" on Thursdays.) The little notebook is my "weekend errands" notebook. I start working on that on Thursdays as well.

And you can't see them too well here, but there are tiny ceramic plant-pots on the windowsill. I bought these at the nursery for all of $2 apiece! We may plant seed in them on Candlemas (or perhaps Ash Wednesday) or I may just use them to hold little desk things like camera batteries, flash drives, binder clips and such.

So that's all I've done so far! The other three drawers are still empty and the other side of the desk is still open. I'm slowly working my way around ... :)

Well, my friends, thank you so much for stopping by ... I hope your Thursday was a good one! Our day was busy (in and out, back and forth), but we're home now and the sky's growing dark - though it seems to stay "light" a little longer these days ... and that's a very welcome thing! 

So have a good night, everyone ~ I will see you again soon!

❤

Flowers at the Office ...

My goodness, but it was a long and busy day! But I wanted to pop on quickly and show you a better picture of my desk ... as well as these pretty things:

Remember the tiny white carnations yesterday? Well, ladies and gentlemen ~ we now have ourselves rainbow flowers! (Honestly, they started turning color after only 30 minutes! I think the short stems do the trick.)

Anyways, here's a better view of my new desk, a birthday present from Bill:

I'm very glad it fits in this corner so well! Bill took numerous measurements to be sure that it would fit, but it can be tricky ordering furniture on the internet. And I like the location of the desk ~ the windows let in lots of natural light and give us a nice view of the birdfeeders (so of course, the cats think of this as one big window seat, lol).

So the learning room has changed quite a bit from when I first started this blog! Some of you might remember the deep wine-colored walls and the large, dark table. I can be funny about change - I tend to like things to stay as they are - but these changes have been gradual, so I'm feeling comfortable with it all.

And our needs as a homeschooling family have changed - one large table around which all the kids work is no longer necessary (or even sensible, lol). The older boys like to work at the kitchen island, while Earlybird and I "learn" all over, depending on what we're working on at the time. I've enjoyed sitting with EB on the loveseat with a library book, a magazine, the iPad, or just watching the birds. The wood flooring is ideal for puzzles and games and other random projects. I also like sitting here in my chair (as I am now) while one son is reading comics on the loveseat, another is playing on the computer and a third is talking to me from the family room just beyond ...

So it's all good! 

(And when it's all tricked out - with a few desk accessories and just a wee bit of clutter - it will be even better. ;))

But of course, this is still a learning room, so I still have baskets of books, puppets and seasonal displays like the nature shelf:

As well as a special spot for the class mascot:

(Who seems to be feeling better ... thank you for your prayers!)

❤

Well, Bill just got home so it's time for me to sign off. I hope you all have a great evening ... thanks so much for stopping by ... I will see you again very soon!

Hot Cocoa, Handcrafts and a New Command Center!

We enjoyed such mild weather today! It was so sunny, and the air felt soft (if that makes sense) and smelled almost like Spring. Even so, the boys and I thought it was a good day for cocoa! So my "Tuesday Tea" this week was hot chocolate with a dollop of whipped cream and a small shake of cinnamon sugar. This mug was a gift from another homeschooling mom years ago ... it was made locally and I just love its earthy colors and texture. :)

And speaking of gifts, I'd like to show you some lovely things made for me by two kind and thoughtful friends ...

The first is this pretty tea towel, hand-sewn by Elizabeth:

Isn't it beautiful? The colors are just perfect with my kitchen! And the nostalgic pattern reminds me of my new set of mixing bowls:

:)

And Theresa crocheted these sweet kitty toys for my Archie and Ollie:

As you might expect, the kittens are simply smitten with them ...

❤ I am so grateful to Elizabeth and Theresa for their lovely and thoughtful, gifts. I will treasure them always! ❤

Now, before I go I must give you all a peek at my new desk - aka "command center!"

Here's how it looks from my "tea corner" where I'm sitting at this very moment ... that's Bill figuring out the wiring underneath.

I think it fits the corner very well!

(My "corner office," lol.)

I will do a follow up desk post (more than one, most likely) once I have all my 'stuff' arranged. I love how clean and clutter-free it looks, and I'll try to keep that in mind as I arrange. ;)

Well, my friends, thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you all had a nice Tuesday, and I hope your night brings you much comfort and rest. Tomorrow is a busy day for us ~ we're hosting Bookworm's Brit Lit group here in the morning, so I may not "check in" till after lunch. So if I don't make it on early - have a good Wednesday as well!

❤

Thursday Thoughts: A Little Home Office ...

... to be! :)

Well, our Christmas tree is gone now, leaving behind many happy, holiday memories - as well as several nasty scratches on the wall. (Note the "primer" spots beneath the windows?) It also left us with a wide open space in the corner of the sitting/learning room ... which of course got my wheels turning ... so I broached the idea of a "home office" to Bill.

And, being the sweet husband he is, he readily agreed ... to help me set up a "corner office" in this nice, sunny spot.

So, wheels no longer turning, but FLYING into action - I started brainstorming! And there I was, thinking about which old table we have lying about I might use as a makeshift desk, when Bill showed me something he found online - a lovely, white corner desk - that he wanted to order for me as an early birthday gift!

So, I was going to wait to post about my "home office-to-be" until after the desk had arrived, but I just couldn't wait - I just had to tell you all about it! The desk is not scheduled to ship until the 18th of this month, but that's quite all right ... I'm having fun just thinking about how to set it all up, and of course, I'm busily working on some handmade "office supplies." I'm also finding inspiration in a beautiful book my parents gave me for Christmas, all about women's creative spaces, as well as a magazine on a similar theme.

Of course, this desk will be less a "studio" than it will be a "home office," because for one thing, it will sit right out in the center of our living space, so I want to keep it as neat as possible. And to some extent I'll be sharing it with the boys - they can dock their iPad here to work on a bigger monitor. So I'll try to keep the "cutesy clutter" to a minimum - though goodness knows, I love me some cutesy clutter!

Oh, but speaking of home office supplies ... have you all heard about the new product line at Staples? The Martha Stewart Home Office Collection?

Oh my.

Now, maybe I've been living under a rock, but I've heard nothing about this! And I literally stumbled upon this new line when I stopped into Staples today. The younger two were with me - after dropping Bookworm at his art class, we ran over to the local Stop 'n Shop, and since we also needed black pens, repositionable tape and graph paper, we stopped into the Staples next door. Now because Staples is like a candy store for us, I was completely discombobulated - holding Earlybird's hand (because he tends to wander), and an armful of purchases (because I foolishly thought I wouldn't need a basket), while trying to keep up with Crackerjack, who was on a mission to find just the right dry-erase board ... When we rounded a corner and suddenly found ourselves standing in front of a WALL of all this beautiful Martha Stewart stuff!

So, obviously, I was transfixed, because there was just SO much to take in, and I hardly knew where to look first. Sensing my vulnerability, a couple of sales associates wandered over and started chatting me up. They said these products just debuted today - of all days! - and they were eager to see how the line would be received. Well, I first assured them the display looked fantastic (though I thought it deserved a better location than the back of the store), and then I made a mental note to go back this weekend - alone, mind you - so I can better consider the pickings. Because there were lots of neat things to look at, but I was quickly losing focus (and the boys were getting itchy) so I grabbed just a few things for today.

Lol, I just got off the phone with Bill (who called to say he was on his way home - this post has literally taken me all day to get done!) and when I told him about finding a new Martha Stewart Home Office line at Staples today he laughed. "Clearly she knew you were getting a desk this year!" 

;)

So needless to say, I'll be posting a lot more about these new office supplies - as well as the ones I'm making myself - in addition to the progress we make on my own little home office - so stay tuned!

But one last thing to tell you about ... and that's National Clean Off Your Desk Day which is this coming Monday, January 9th. (Apparently it's always the second Monday of January.) So I won't have my desk by then, but I can clean off my countertop which has served as my unofficial workspace for years now. Goodness knows it needs it!

Well dear readers, I'm afraid this post just got away from me and became much longer than I intended. I had planned to tell you about my forthcoming desk - and plans for a home office - and then I got completely sidetracked by the whole Martha thing so I got rather rambly!

So, wrapping up for today ... Bill should be home any minute, and I can smell those roasted veggies and they're ready to take out of the oven ... so I'll be off. 

Hope you all had a nice day, and thanks so much for stopping by! I will see you all again very soon ...

:)