organizing and house talk.

I love inspiration photos. I included some in previous posts, but wanted to include some more that I'm oohing and ahhing over.  I'm still keen on making 2011 an organizational year; it's been a lot more slow going than I thought it would be. Wait, who am I fooling?

It's now June; halfway through the year (!). I should have half of my house organized by now, right? Riiiight... let me show you what I've been thinking about.

FOR THE LIVING ROOM

To make room for the new baby bug, we've moved our office (primarily our desk, laptop, printer, and a couch) from the second bedroom down into our living room. This room was basically empty, except for Dex's kennel... it's been great to make it functional! We loved the idea of having the computer centralizied, especially as Liv and Bug get older and have homework to do. For now, R will often bring work home and hang in there, and I'll plop on the couch with a book. It's nice together time without actually being together-together.

Anyway, I liked this picture because we don't have any bookshelves near our desk. I'd like to put up wall shelves to house our books, which are all now in the second bedroom on built-ins. I would put books in every room if I could...

GUEST BATHROOM or LIVVY'S ROOM

Labeled cubbies? How cute is that. I'll keep my eyes peeled at Savers or garage sales for something like this...Would be easy to paint and fill with fun things, either for bathroom items or playthings for Liv or Bug. (I guess the baby's official name is "Bug" now...)

FOR MY DRESSER

I love a) the color of this little system and b) all of the little squares that are just big enough for a pair of earrings or a bracelet. Would be easy to make with small boxes for a more mis-matchy look (which I also like). And it's nicely tucked away. I have some necklaces and earrings out on my dresser top displayed, but sometimes I think it'd be nice to just have a vase of flowers there and everything else put away. Especially as I don't own or wear a lot of jewelery! The drawer it would all go into is a complete mess right now... it looks more like it belongs to a teenager than an almost 30-year-old. Oops.

I remember going through my mom's jewelry and makeup drawers as a little girl, and they were emmaculately organized. Maybe that's why it was so fun to go through them? ;)

FOR SOMEWHERE...



So my friend Tess is awesome about framing all sorts of fun and meaningful little pictures and artwork... whether it's hand-drawn, from a magazine, postcards, tickets, you name it. It's like her own personal museum, all in monochromatic frames she's picked up along the way. It's so fun to look at her walls and ask her about everything, because everything has a story, of course, and she's a fun storyteller. This picture reminded me of her.

I don't know if the whole wall-o-frames thing is a trend that will fizzle out, but it's one I gravitate toward constantly. I'd love something like this over my family room couch, but seeing as the wall behind that couch is all mirrored (yes, thank you 1977), no can do. I'm hatching a plan to do something similar to this up our stairway, and I'm slowly stowing away frames bought on sale, at thrift stores, or ones my folks don't want anymore that I'll paint black.

Alrighty then--so there's a little more fuel for the organizing fire!