Stress + Guilt = Clean Office

Ever get that feeling like the walls are starting to close in on you? Well in my case they really were. Actually, I should say the boxes were starting to close in on me. The heat has been turned up in all areas of my life right now. My {day} job is getting busier {people need iv catheters} and both InkSpot Workshop and Fire Hydrant Press sales are constantly growing {thank you}. All of this means more stuff ending up in my office and claustrophobia settling in.

Although we had Spring like weather here in Atlanta, this weekend, I never got to enjoy it. Instead I spent my entire weekend buying, putting together, organizing and thoroughly cleaning {achoo} my office. As I sit here in my {shining clean} office, I feel at peace. I can actually think clearly since the clutter has been eliminated. What a relief!

My overall design theme for this space is British West Indies with a touch of modern. I just love the way I feel in the Virgin Islands and wanted to replicate that in my workspace. Bright sunny patterns and colors, just like my stationery. I try to keep my reward for all this hard work in mind when I am in here. That reward being a nice beach vacation.

Not such a pretty before shot

Ahhhhh, much nicer place to work

essentials within reach

My new shipping, cutting and packaging station. I just love it!

Ikea Vika Artur Trestles double as storage

and clear Lucite bins from the Container Store come in handy

Benno CD Tower is my new envelope tower. Thanks to Ikea for including an unfinished edge on one front panel, I got crafty and glued brown, satin ribbon on each side. Actually, I like the way it pulls my use of dark wood and white wood together.

Ikea and Container Store Shopping Guide

The lovely day I missed with my family:(

My son and very understanding husband got to have 2 full days of father/son time.

Although they had a great time, it doesn't help my guilt.

Pimping My Office

This is brave, here it goes....a real life peep into my messy side:)

Got up before the sun this morning and am tackling my much neglected office. I'm really not a slob, however these pictures would have you believe otherwise. My home office {just 3 years old} is where I keep everything for my medical sales day job, plus is where Inkspot Workshop happens. The space is nicely sized, it's just that too much stuff is piling up on the floor and I need to better utilize my storage areas and supply closet. Nothing makes you feel like you are going crazy more than having a cluttered workspace.

Look at this sad shipping center.

My lovely envelopes are multiplying on their own!! How about that light box, balancing on top of that bookcase? At least my shelves look somewhat organized.

Just ordered these new colorful curtains, say bye-bye to these boring white ones

Loving my new credenza and baskets for the cubby holes. My theme is British West Indies, since I love the Virgin Islands and want to make my office feel somewhat Caribbean. Better yet, need to remember the reason to work is to pay for a vacation to St. John!!!!

Stay tuned for the finished product!

Paper Everywhere! - Keeping It Organized

As my office is starting to take in more and more supplies {inventory} for my shop, I strive to find a balance between storing my medical supplies {day job} and ever growing paper stash. The garage is already overflowing with stuff for my day job, so my husband has placed me on restriction from placing even one more object in it.

My on going quest for organization lead me to The Container Store, where I visit monthly {at least} for inspiration - so lucky to have this store less than 4 miles from my house! This trip, in particular, was more inspiring than others because I discovered the niftiest invention ever! It's simply called "Stationery Organizer" how cool is that? Especially since this is precisely what I was looking to organize!! What makes it different from other "tray" style organizers is that the design has some style to it and it doesn't look like the basic items you find at every office supplies store.

The company who makes my latest love is called livingbox, based in Taiwan. Leave it to East Asia, to come up with some of the best storage solutions out there. I guess when you live in a country where real estate {space} in general is a premium and your living quarters mimic that of a cruise ship cabin, necessity really is the mother of invention.

My new stationery organizer has three trays measuring 12.5x9 inches and they are stack able. You can choose to have your drawers pull out either landscape or portrait orientation. I chose landscape {sideways} and it holds my A9 {5x7} paper perfectly!!

Check out these other fresh, colorful items from livingbox's young designer, Yira Wu, Jr.