[with object and adverbial]pack or store (an object) carefully and neatly in a particular place
Now all the Christmas decs are back in the loft I have an overwhelming urge to get some order back into my home. Luckily I found some lovely items on Folksy to help me stow my clutter!
I am always losing my keys so this key holder made from an old oak cupboard door by skiprat creations would be an ideal addition to my kitchen! (I love the vintage key embellishment - I wonder if it fits the keyhole in the door?)
This beautiful and functional shelf is designed by Gafyn Owen of MijMoj Contemporary Furniture Design I love the dip in the shelf for loose change or keys and the inclusion of the single stem flower vase into the design is inspired!
This one off from Revival Furniture would make a great storage box for toys - quirky enough for kids to love and stylish enough to stay in the living room! Plus it doubles up as a handy stool.
I just love this idea! Vintage vinyl becomes useful book end in the hands of When the Music's Over who also produce clocks, letter racks and even jewellery from old records and tapes. This is repurposing at it's best!
Keep all your bills and lists in order so they are there when you need them with this fab wooden star peg organiser from Emma Lane Designs
I love these cute owl print storage baskets from Alexia Claire . They are quite dinky but the larger of the two would be perfect for storing my latest knitted socks WIP!
There are more storage and organisation ideas on my pinterest board here
I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I think my brain just rebels at the thought of any kind of restriction being placed upon it - "thou shalt not eat chocolate hobnobs" is doomed to fail!
So instead of giving myself a list of things I must or must not do in 2013 I have a list of words to inspire! (and a neat little acronym to boot!)
Simplicity
One of my favourite magazines (and blogs) is The Simple Things. I love their ethos and their style. I love the emphasis on enjoying the simple things of life - good, honest home cooked food; pottering in the garden (or at the window box); learning a new skill or craft; hanging out with family and friends and taking the time to look around and appreciate what you have rather than worrying about what you haven't.
The
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle states that most systems work
better if they are kept simple rather than made complex. Generally it
refers to computer programs but I think the same could be said for life .
. .
"unnecessary complexity should be avoided"
Life is complex enough without throwing all sorts of extra baggage into the mix.
If it is not essential, let it go (applies to belongings, activities and insurance policies!)
Heart
This
is the biggie! How often have you done something that deep in your
heart you know you didn't want to do? I'm not talking about your tax
return (no-one actually WANTS to do that) How often do you say 'Yes' to because your head says it's a good idea even though your heart is crying out NO!!? How often do you purchase an item without really
thinking about it where it comes from or what effect it may have on the
environment or yourself? What do you know about the people who produced the item? Or
the company behind it? Or if you DO have this information and it's not as ethical as you'd like, do you chose to ignore it because searching for an alternative is too much hassle?
This year I aim to listen to my heart more, let my conscience speak out and act accordingly.
Organisation
I have been saying it for years, but I really need to place more importance on being organised. It makes everything run so much more smoothly! I have got myself a nice page per day diary and this year I plan to *actually* use it! (honest, guv)
Positivity
It's so easy to get bogged down by bad stuff but there is always a positive in there somewhere, if you look hard enough . . . No money? Bargain hunting is a challenge to relish! No time? Isn't it good that you are busy?
Or as Aretha (and just about every other singer of note at some point in their career) sings...
One of the most inspirational people I have met online is the amazing ShellyBobbins.
When her boy, Noah was born at the beginning of the year with numerous
complications due to Spina Bifida, doctors were not hopeful that he
would survive. Shelly kept us all up to date with tweets and facebook
posts as little Noah defied all expectations and went from strength to
strength, recently celebrating his first Christmas at home with his
lovely family around him. Shelly's positive attitude has not only kept
her family going through this difficult time but also done a tremendous
amount to raise awareness of Spina Bifida too! And every time she posts a
picture of her gorgeous little boy smiling my heart just melts...
Simplicity. Heart. Organisation. Positivity. Those four words shall be my guidance for 2013 - I shall be looking always for the positive, attempt to keep organised, celebrate simplicity and act mindfully, allowing my decisions to be heart-led.
I my even try, for the sake of my health, to eat fewer chocolate hobnobs . . .
How about you? Do you have any New Year's Resolutions? Do you have a keyword or a affirmation to take with you through 2013? Or do you simply not feel the need to start a new calender year with any fresh intentions?
I have thoroughly enjoyed sorting out my new ribbon stash from Jane Means.
Organisation is the key when you are a butterfly crafter like me - my stash of fabric, yarn, buttons, ribbons, beads, paper tools and haberdashery tend to spill over their allotted spaces and find their way into all sorts of unlikely places (which usually means that when I am actually looking for a particular item I can never find it without an extensive search and much muttering under breath!) I knew I had to take control of all these lovely ribbons straight away or things might get messy. . .
Fortunately I had the perfect little 'treasure chest' sitting empty waiting for something suitably precious to fill it. Wrapping the ribbon around card 'bobbins' (cut out from cereal boxes) and writing the product code and description next to each one looks so cute AND will help me share all these ribbons with you when I blog all the lovely projects I am planning!
Ribbon Bookmarks
I love to read! I usually have AT LEAST 3 books on the go at any one time - currently I am reading the very funny 'An Utterly Impartial History of Britain' by John O'Farrell, a novel from the fantasy series by Raymond E Feist as well as flicking through the new Erica Knight book on crochet. Trouble is I can never find a bookmark when I need one, which means I usually end up using scraps of paper or *gasp* folding the corner of the page over!
Here's a really simple idea for using up small lengths of ribbon you may have left over from another project to save your pages and they make great little gifts for the literary people in your life!
Now obviously, a length of ribbon on it's own would make a perfectly good bookmark but it's very easy to pretty them up with some necklace ends and a few beads.
I have used these bar clamps to finish off lovely knitted necklaces my mother-in-law makes but they are the perfect width for these 15mm stripe ribbons. Just attach a few beads to either end to add some weight and voila! Gorgeously simple bookmarks ready to adorn your latest read and helpfully remind you where you got up to without a folded page corner in sight.
Why not create a ribbon bookmark to match a special book to give as a gift? I have used the orange and brown stripe with some amber coloured beads here.
The beads at either end create a bit of weight that hold the bookmark in place. I love the green and purple stripe combo with beautiful swarovski crystals and acrylic star charms.
You don't have to use beads at both ends - a lovely silky tassel in co-ordinating colours would look gorgeous too! Why stop at one? Create pretty bookmarks for all your favourite books :-)
It's nearly the end of June already. How did that happen? Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year) has been and gone. Before we know it the Autumnal nip will be in the air and we'll all be digging out our hats and scarves again...
What do you mean you haven't put them away from last winter yet?
To be honest, neither have I, and that is the main prompt behind this post. Not hats and scarves particularly but just putting things away generally.
Last year I was determined to become more organised. And I did. A bit. But really not enough...
