The Office - Reveal

So what was it in the laundry room shot that inspired a change in my office?

Better Homes and Gardens

Yep.  That one little shelf.

Because you see, I'm a girl who needs pretty along with the practical.  I couldn't get rid of my treasures to create space for the papers so I thought if I could move the pretty stuff up, then I could free up more desk space.

And so it began.  The always handy Dino installed a shelf above my desk for me.

And I filled it.

The rule is if it's on the shelf, it's special.

I also added a couple of jars from Target's dollar bin section.  One stores receipts and one holds business cards and gift cards.  I cut black construction paper and rolled it to fit so that you can't see inside.

With the pretty stuff mostly moved off the desk, I bought a set of plain file folders (also Target dollar bins) rather than using the old patterned ones.  I made the switch and did the black paper trick with the jars to create as little pattern as possible since there is already a lot of stuff going on.

I added more files than I'd had before and put all my paperwork in them.

Then, in order not to forget to actually DO the stuff I'd filed, I created a master planning board.  I hung an old window (a fab Christmas gift from my nephew and niece) to use as a white board and gave each pane a category. 

I needed space to keep track of goals (stuff I want to get done eventually), gifts (stuff I need to buy for the month), things to do this week, and things to do this month.
I use my chalk pens to write on it.

I also hung my Starbucks advent calendar.  It's a little magnetic blackboard with numbered tins.  I'm hanging stuff on it that is coming up soon that I don't want to forget.  I use the numbered tin to match the date due.

Next I enlarged my bulletin board.  I am not a big keeper of stuff, but there are sweet notes and items that I do like to have.  I don't want them stored away out of sight though, so I'm pretty choosey with what gets to stay.

There are just some things that are too sweet to throw out.
(Like my bee tacks?)

It's certainly not that perfect, pristine desk I showed you in the last post.

But it is reality and there is a place for everything I need to maintain a busy household of 6.

Come back next week to see a few more changes I made in the rest of the room.