Tag Archives: organization

Scavenger Hunt

18 Nov

 

As I read “20 ways to organize your craft space”by Laura Gaskill, I kept thinking “scavenger hunt” because I knew I could find these concepts here at home.  One thing leads to another….I turned it into a quiz of sorts and scored myself at 85 of 100.

  1. Sort yarn by color   X
  2. Stand paper rolls in basket (with yoga mats)
  3. Place loose paper in drawers
  4. Tools/supplies in clear bins w/lids
  5. For large paper:  art portfolio
  6. Stack fabric on shelf by color
  7. WIP in totes or baskets
  8. Stash fabric in wire drawers  (discarded wine rack)
  9. Hang fabric in closet (standing towel rack)
  10. Arrange spools on thread rack
  11. Hang tools on peg board   X
  12. Attach scissors to magnetic rail (store in case)
  13. Small items in lidded glass jars
  14. Paint brushes in open container
  15. Handled baskets for frequently used material
  16. Tiered cake stand as portable caddy   X
  17. Pop-up sewing corner  (permanent)
  18. Put storage on wheels  (moving men sliders)
  19. Desk/dining table double duty  (coffee table)
  20. To do list chalkboard wall (bulletin board)

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Office assistant Eve: "Don't you have something better to do?"

Office assistant Eve: “Don’t you have something better to do?”

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From Houzz on Home Libraries

20 Oct

 

This article suggests there are three styles (Dewey decimal system not included):  bookstore, theme and rainbow order.  After paring down and shuffling my books in July, I went with “theme” bookshelves.  Laura Gaskill has great advice with photos for oversize books, plan to rotate, display covers, care for rare books, rack ’em (children’s), vertical or stacks, accent with bookends and last but not least….leave room for more!

Coffee table books

Coffee table books

My oversize books span decades with The Incredible Year 1968 being a clue.  Kenny Rogers, Your Friends and Mine was a gift from my sister in 1987.  She had Kenny Rogers autograph it for me.  Tennessee, Virginia and Indiana have been home.  Hmmmm….I need a rotation plan for these books on the coffee table.

Eve and brass book end

Eve and brass book end

I love bookends and often buy them as gifts.  My shelves are so full, I don’t often use bookends myself.  However on my desk is a single brass one of a dog and a cat on a stack of books.  My grandmother used it for years.  Office assistant Eve…insists her photo is better than a brass cat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From Houzz: Personal libraries around the world

13 Oct

 

AWESOME!  Outstanding photos of the libraries and owners!

  • Personal interviews from 11 countries:

Canada, France, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Denmark, Japan, UK, Russia, Germany, Sweden

  • Described as:

Two story, Hallway, Nest, Stacks, Nook, Floating, Cave, Home, Geometric, Corner, With a View

  • Size:

300 to 6500 books

 

A couple of the interviews had comments about digital libraries.  Merging digital and paper was on my mind when I posted “It started when…” on July 28, 2015…part the evolution of my personal library that involved clearing obsolescence and sorting.

Enjoy!

 

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What’s in your desk drawer?

6 Oct
Right

Right

In this day and age…staplers, tape dispensers, hole punch, paper clips….even flash drives are obsolete.  However, these drawers are my idea of progress have disposed of obsolete chords, phone accessories…well you can imagine…

Left

Left

What else does one do with slide rule artifacts?

The small zip pouch with the elephant emblem was the perfect gift from a friend after I traveled overseas on business and forgot spare flash drives! (That’s a keeper.)

When I gazed on my results, it struck me that I had gone “old school”……Sanity check….

What’s in your desk drawer?

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Mission organization (part 2)

23 Sep

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

This is where I left off in 2012!  The primary goal was to organize a pantry system (in the absence of having a designated pantry).

Mission Organization

That’s more like it!

The pantry would have served us better, if we had stayed home more and eaten out less.

The current mission started when I chose three cans of vegetables to prepare my favorite soup and 1 of 3 cans had a 2012 expiration.  Yikes!  That’s a FILO (first in, last out) not a FIFO (first in, first out) inventory system.  Now, everything has been scrutinized…including freezer and kitchen cabinets.  There were more expiration dates from 2012!

The remedy:  Significant additions to the compost and recycling bins.

Compost bin (wildlife ate thru original plastic lid)

Compost bin (wildlife ate thru original plastic lid)

Recycling bin for curbside pick up

Recycling bin for curbside pick up

Step 2:

Contents of rejected cans, boxes, bottles and packages get added to compost bin.

Step 3:

Packaging is added to recycle bin

Step 4:

Rearrange contents of cabinet for FIFO inventory.

2015 Pantry

2015 Pantry

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It started when

28 Jul

I put away the recipe for Impossible Vegetable Pie.  Pause.  Ah ha.  Half of my modest cookbook collection is just taking up counter space.  Now those unused cookbooks are headed to a public library book sale.  But not before…I’m on a roll…before scrutinizing the nine shelves behind the couch.  In 2010, the nine shelf solution was progress.  Some of the books I have had 50 years.  The thermodynamics text book…40 years.  Blah, blah, blah.  Since then, I have read dozens of ibooks.

Before

Before

The first sort of about 300 books is complete with everything left in place and hot pink stickers on spines of books to donate.  The subjects range from travel, gardening, fiction, non-fiction, business…even organizing…I stopped to scan that one.  The goal of the 2010 effort was to fill the shelves to keep “Office Assistant” Eve from napping between books.  There is no Dewey decimal system in place.

Sort with Hot pink tags

Sort with Hot pink tags

Donation_first 50, followed by 27

Donation_first 50, followed by 27

 

After

After

A week has come and gone since I started this project.  Results:

  1. Extra foot of countertop space in kitchen
  2. Empty file drawer
  3. Extra shelf available on desk
  4. Bottom three shelves have new purpose
    1. Memorabilia storage
    2. Stationery, cards, Christmas cards
    3. Board games
  5. Book groupings arranged for next phase…

Eve still naps under the potted plant 🙂

Snooooze

Snooooze

I choose to keep the six shelves filled:  (2) for favorites, (1) for travel, (1) for business/government, (1) for youth and finally…..miscellaneous!

What is your story?

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From Houzz

25 Mar

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Nailed, screwed

26 Oct
Two shelves enough?

Two shelves enough?  No.

Nailing, Screwing:  Methods for mechanically joining similar or dissimilar materials.

Reminiscent of childhood days playing at Hall Lumber Company in Saw Mill Holler, East Tennessee….I have sorted and organized hardware this week.  Specifically, sorting many varieties of nails and screws discarded over decades from carpentry, drywall, masonry, roofing, fencing and flooring projects.

Larger scope

Larger scope

Miscellaneous times three

Miscellaneous times three

The design options and variables are staggering.

  • length
  • diameter
  • size and features of the head
  • material
  • finish
  • coarse or fine thread screws

Observations from various groups

  • Rule that three or more types of nails from a project will be mixed 😦
  • Original cardboard boxes are bad news for long-term storage
  • Designs of nails and screws have improved (some material is functional, but obsolete)
    Lead head for tin roofs, Color coordinated for new steel roofs

    Lead head for tin roofs, Color coördinated for new steel roofs

    For asphalt shingles. New ones have plastic "washers"

    For asphalt shingles. New ones have plastic “washers”

  • One type of hardware remains a mystery
    What is this?

    What is this?

    Mystery

    Mystery

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Alternative workout

23 Mar

My exercises of choice include 5K walking, yoga classes and swimming laps.  I wrote a post about the Automattic’s Worldwide 5K Event September 23rd last year.  I’m looking forward to doing another one this year.

Opportunities to stretch oneself come along….like relocating firewood to help open space in a barn for more hay storage.  The subject firewood was very neatly stacked at the point where it was cut.

From here

From here

This stack was originally small, long, straight trees used for poles to hang tobacco plants to dry.  (The hay barn was originally a tobacco barn.)  Long out of use, the poles were cut into firewood.  The problem is this is about a quarter-mile from where it would ultimately be used.  Now, this is where my alternative workout comes in.

Load 1

Load 1

Load 2

Load 2

Load 4

Load 4

My estimation is there were 45 wheel barrel loads times two with about 66# per load.  First to load the end of the truck at the hay barn and the second to unload at the former dairy barn.  This is one row deep on the truck with the goal to stay within an ergonomic zone for reach (which did not apply to the start and finish stacks).  So, where am I going with this?

Stowed at point of use for Dad

Stowed at point of use for Dad, 85 years young

Stowed front

Stowed front

Stowed back

Stowed back

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dad is ready for next winter with wood at point of use, stowed under a 4′ x 8′ workbench.  Yes, there was an overflow.  Fun estimates:  density of this wood=30#/cu.ft and 100 cu. ft of storage makes for 3000#s or 1.5 tons!  That concludes the story of my alternative workout.

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Even potting benches need cleaning

8 Sep
Potting bench 1

Potting bench 1

Potting Bench 2
Potting Bench 2

Potting benches get dirty and cluttered!

We found this mottled brown laminate countertop in the sale bin.  It has been perfect for this space, my purpose and an outstanding value for $5.  It is installed at the right ergonomic height just below my elbow, which creates a space to tuck away several trash containers storing potting soil and pots.  Dividing perennials is the number one project.

This is also our central bird and squirrel feeding preparation area.  Our fly-in diner serves suet cakes, corn on the cob, thistle, hummingbird nectar, various mixes for wild birds and when the price is right….peanuts.

Cleaned and ready for another season.

 

 

 

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