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Spring Cleaning

24 Mar

Love this article by Lori Boyd on page 48 of Spring 2013.  She investigated the history of Spring Cleaning to engage her family in the process.  Origins of spring cleaning go back to Jewish preparations for Passover and Iranian preparation for the Persian New Year.

http://www.tnfarmbureau.org/tn-home-farm

Additional searching brings up Chinese preparations for their New Year.

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/spring-clean-in-spring2.htm

How interesting to discover spring cleaning is a global experience.  I believe Lori is on to something with her family team approach.  She even has a playful approach with her “Up” game.  Thanks Lori!

Next day:  One more thing.  Leave it to HGTV to have a great list of things to do for spring cleaning.

http://www.hgtv.com/homekeeping/spring-cleaning-made-easy/pictures/index.html

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Storytelling

7 Mar

Check out this link for storytelling templates like:

Your story can be told in four simple parts:

  • Once upon a time: The introduction. Set the stage; where does your story start?
  • Suddenly: The story’s characters are confronted with a challenge.
  • And then: The characters take action to address it.
  • Happily ever after: How did it all work out?

http://lmpartnership.org/storytelling

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A DEAR CO-WORKER

who engaged us with her

Vivacious vocation

Profound profession

Lessons of livelihood

Existential experience

SUDDENLY, THERE WAS TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT

AND THEN WE GATHERED TO TELL OUR STORIES

KL storyboard 1

KL storyboard 1

Inspired by names of paint colors, comic strips, images of chocolate, popcorn, a transmission and “golden” nest eggs;

we honored our long time friend

and recanted the habits of highly effective people which she embodies.

KL storyboard 2

KL storyboard 2

More names of paint colors on the second storyboard panel inspired dreams of travel adventures around the world.

…and a happily ever after.

Credit to Liza Hyatt for using paint names for input to creative writing projects.  Just maybe this story evolves and becomes poetry, lyrics, short story, article, autobiography or novel.

I actually applied paint chips to the storyboards in these photos as well as calendar images, wrapping paper, Christmas card, decorative paper, puzzle and a Designed Experiment matrix.

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Buckets meet notebooks

16 Sep

The latest Abode software is great for merging files, searching, etc.  I have used it at work.  Personally, I learned a lesson from Quicken and lost data, because I did not keep up with their revisions from 2002 to 2008.  Also, all my Kodakgallery.com albums moved to Shutterfly.com as a result to the sale.  This post probably should be about scanning to organize personal records, but I’m not there yet.

I have had my grandfather’s cherry writing desk as long as I can remember.  When we got our first personal computer in the 1990s, a modern style desk was part of the package.  The PC is long gone and the computer desk now has a flat screen TV.  For a few years, my home office was the writing desk and bookcases.  That was until two years ago, when I had a new addition to the guest room.

Almost new desk

One of my favorite things, is being able to have my Macbook Pro and iPad charging on the keyboard tray while only my old laptop takes desktop space.  I did round-up many files, etc.  However, getting to the title of this post….my system is more like “buckets”…with handles to grab and go…..medical, financial, home and work.

“bucket” files

Yes, this is old school.  First things first.  My original system used notebooks, after 25 years…that did not hold up.  So, this week my current “buckets” met old “notebooks” to merge into $20 worth of hanging files for a comprehensive sort.

 

Mission organization

12 Aug

Every so often is it time to clear, sort, clean and reorganize.  This weekend was one of those times.

During the seven years we have had cats, we have found reusing the buckets from cat litter a great convenience.  We probably use them most often for recycling bins, collecting weeds and trimmings, transporting plants, storing corn for the squirrel feed, utility for hand tools, etc.  This week our buckets held the clearance of used paint cans headed to recycling.  Memories of nearly twenty years of painting projects are contained in these buckets with sturdy handles.

That is a LOT of cabinet space freed up!

The primary goal was to organize a pantry system (in the absence of having a designated pantry).

Mission Organization 2

That’s more like it!

 

 

Clean Freaks

1 Apr

“Clean Freaks” an hour-long show hosted by Sabrina Soto on HGTV last night.  Sabrina effectively “crowd sourced” the content of her show by asking for tips from viewers on their best organizing ideas.

As I thought about the show this morning, it was one of the best shows I have seen.  My first choice for shows on organizing has been TLC’s “Clean Sweep” with HGTV’s “Mission Organization” coming in second.  Sabrina’s show turned the tables by allowing viewers to show and prove their best work.

As an informal challenge, one segment of the show reorganized a friends closet in one hour.  They had clear boxes for shoes, new hangers and labels prepared in advance.  However, it was still a big job and they did it….very impressive.  Another segment featured a family that maximized iPad technology to run the home audio, video, lighting systems plus synchronized family calendars with alerts.  Many great ideas presented playfully with great humor.

The clean freak in our household will enjoy watching this when he gets a chance 🙂

http://www.HGTV.com/clean-freaks/show/index.html

Another pairing

14 Dec

My appreciation for vintage ceramics has evolved from following Lara Rossignol’s blog www.piewacketblog.com.

Top self

My pairing for the top of the bookcase features 1960s circa flower pots from my in-laws garage and an original Mary Ann Boysen “kitchen window” series painting.  Accessorizing my still life painting with the vintage pots adds the third dimension and bold colors.

Field trip

30 Oct

Last weekend we had a field trip to the first Container Store in Indianapolis.  I say field trip because far west to north-east is a significant drive.  The Indianapolis Star did a lengthy feature article on its grand opening.

With 10,000 items it is not only a professional organizer’s dream store, but also an inspiration to others of us who are simply trying to solve a problem.  The vertical bookcase probably intrigued me the most.  A heavy base accommodates a single stack of books five feet high just right for small spaces that are difficult to use for another purpose.

The Container Store

The sentiments on their shopping bags are endearing!  I could not leave the store empty-handed.  I decided upon project cases that are stackable with handles for $3.99 each and a small modern floral fabric box.

As intriguing as the store was, sometimes the solution is already in reach if we just consider other purposes.  The kitchen junk drawer do over features glass dishes that formerly contained candles plus a butter dish (probably bought from the Vermont Country Store) for pens, etc.

Junk drawer make over

To Do List–Done

18 Oct

Change:  No photographs for this post.

It is a cool/cold rainy fall afternoon and my To Do List preparing garden beds is done (being done is an illusion). As I dropped my checklist in the recycle bid, it occurred to me that the content was meaningful to answer the question of effort required to have perennial flower beds. They do need attention.

  1. Plant Lily of the Valley previously located near the bird feeder.
  2. Move day lily being choked out by lilac.
  3. Plant Joe Pyeweed potted from volunteers (It attracts butterflies.) I delivered 3 pots to Mom. Three pots filled the spot vacated by Maiden Grass.
  4. Plant large potted hostas. These divided into 8 plants and ended up back in their earlier site under the Locust tree with bulbs and day lilies.
  5. Plan for coneflowers. Remove from Kitchen/patio garden. Plant as screen for compost bin.
  6. Remove hydrangea next to bird bath. (I needed help with this.  Very heavy.)
  7. Pot anemones. (I thought they had choked themselves out.) Two dozen potted roots with buds of life are ready for some unknown future site.
  8. I retrieved about 60 pounds of my homemade compost. It has been supplemented with 400 pounds of commercially bagged compost.

200 pounds of compost is down and 200 pounds are still waiting on me!

B4 Pinterest

22 Sep

Before there was “Pinterest”, a new social media bulletin board for pinning images of interest to you and your group, I had my own “pin interest”.

Pinterest

What to do with those enamel pins that are collections, gifts, awards, remembrances, etc?  For years, like my earrings, I used and embroidery hoop with fabric stretched for pinning.  Some of these pins in my collection are rather heavy (especially the Disney ones).  Last year it occurred to me that stretched canvas would be sturdier.  The custom frame finishes my “story board”, “Pinterest”, other suggestions for a name?

Flower Power

18 Sep

These earring holder/displays remind me of “Flower Power” from the comedy variety show “Laugh In” broadcast in the early 1970s.  It was a thrill to find them on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday.  For years, I displayed earrings on lace stretched over an embroidery hoop….very easy to retrieve.  More recently each pair was stored in its own “cube” of an ice-cube tray.

Flower Power

The elongated mango wood bowl/tray was on sale at Target last year.  It is just right organizing bracelets.

Yes, there are a pair of trolls with rainbow hair.

Not shown:  the single earrings saved to decorate a miniature Christmas tree 🙂

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