UHeart Organizing: Cheerful Desktop Storage

I have been loving the emails, links and posts surrounding Home Office month!  Everyone is getting involved and it's making it much more fun and exciting to work on the projects!

Today, my cute crafty contributing friend, Cassie from Hi Sugarplum, is here to share how she prettied up her workspace in a super simple and darling way!

Hello everyone!! I hope you're having a fabulous start to the New Year, and riding the organizational wave that always comes in January! Don't you love that resolute feeling to get your house under control? I've been taking advantage of my new-found motivation while it lasts, starting with our bathroom cabinets.

But the organizational bug isn't the only thing biting. After a holiday filled with family and friends, I'm reminded just how important these people are to me. And no matter how busy our lives get, I want them to always feel like a priority. These are the days of texts, e-cards and an overload of emoticons, but nothing beats receiving a good old-fashioned note in the mail; full of love, personality and thoughtfulness.

And since it's Home Office month around these parts, I decided to create a cheery little desk nook, stocked with all the essentials.

My day-job confines me to a computer, in a gray and window-less cubicle. So I wanted a space at home that was bright, cheerful, and full of all my favorite colorful supplies. Since I'm an incurable diy-er, of course I decided to create my own accessories! Lucite has been the rage in home decor for awhile, but inexpensive acrylic gives the same look for a much lower price tag. You can find them at most office supply stores, Target, WalMart, and sometimes even the Dollar Store. Don't overlook the Bathroom and Kitchen departments when looking for office supplies...this is actually a Cosmetic Organizer. The other is a Letter Sorter...both from The Container Store.

First I covered the bottoms with zig-zag washi tape, giving it a chevron look.

Then wrapped a few strips of striped tape in coordinating colors around the sides. It removes easily, so when I'm ready for a change or new color palette, it'll be easy-breezy!

Is it just my Southern roots, or is everything cuter with a monogram? I picked up these little wood letters at the craft store, and gave them a few coats of paint.

After super-glueing them to the front, I've got the cutest office caddy, created just for me!

I love the peek of chevron through the clear acrylic.

Filled with all my favorites, I've got everything at my fingertips in my own little corner (kind of like my daughter's Craft & Reading Corner!) This spot has quickly become my sanctuary for writing notes, filling out paperwork, brainstorming blog ideas, and tracking the family calendar.

My {DIY}Confetti Vase pretty much follows me around the house...I love having it nearby when I'm working!

I have a weakness for cute notecards, and the dollar bins at Target and Michaels never disappoint.

We live for Before & Afters, right?! These plain, inexpensive organizers made quite the transformation...and it only cost a few dollars!

This corner of our Family Room is my pride and joy, since it used to be a wet bar, and the walls were orange...then I made the chunky desktop and distressed shelves myself! You've come a long way, baby!

Have you jazzed up any office supplies lately? Is there anything nicer than receiving an actual note in the mail? Thanks for having me, and I'll see you next time!

"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"

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UHeart Organizing: A Cozy Craft Corner!

We have been doing a lot of holiday talking lately, so let's get back to organizing shall we?  Cassie from Hi Sugarplum is back again today to share the most sweet and stylish crafting corner yet!  Ready to be in loooove?

Hello fellow organizational enthusiasts! {That's the polite version of 'OCD Whacks'! But I don't care, it's a label I wear proudly!}  I'm thrilled to be hanging out with you again, and I hope you're having a fabulous holiday weekend! One of my favorite things about this time of year, is having the kids home from school. But that doesn't mean mama wants them glued to my side the entire time! It's nice when they play by themselves some, too {can I get an Amen!?}.

My daughter loves to draw and read, so to encourage self-play and creativity, I carved out an Art Center space just for her. It doesn't have to be big...just a little corner or blank wall.

I created a small Art Center for her last year, but her needs have changed, so it was time for a little overhaul. Like Jen always says, organizational spaces need to be revisited and tweaked until perfect!

First I painted our Ikea chalkboard with leftover paint from her dresser, and hung some magnetic rails we weren't using. If you don't have an Ikea nearby, you can use small curtain rods or magnetic strips. But always search your house for supplies first, you'd be amazed at how useful those random items can be!

I'm a sucker for personalization, so I spray painted wooden letters and glued them to the chalkboard. These are from Hobby Lobby, but most craft store sell them. My penmanship rivals a serial killer doctor's, or else I'd have just drawn her name.

The chalkboard pulls double-duty since it's magnetic, too. We don't have a large house, so I try to squeeze every usable space out of it!

Every artist needs supplies to create their masterpieces....so we hung several buckets on the rails to corral colored pencils, markers, scissors, stencils and crayons. I'll label the buckets {duh!} once I see how she likes to keep them. I left extra room in the buckets and rails, so she can add little touches of her own.

You can read how to create these cute monogrammed buckets here {they were part of the original space}.

Along with being an "organizational enthusiast," comes just a teeny-tiny bit of neat-freakness....which means I don't like things laying around on the floor. A small rack provides enough storage for the coloring and reading books she uses most. This one is from Container Store, but any wall mount rack will do. Or even a small basket to place nearby.

We clipped her stickers to the basket as well....you know, that whole double-duty thing!

Everything she needs to create, read and relax...all in one cute and colorful spot!

Happy girl means happy me!

I took the Art Center one step further, by adding no-sew throw pillows, a cozy throw and a lapdesk.

This sweet corner gets a lot of action! You can check out the rest of her room here.

I could totally spend the afternoon here, napping coloring and reading with my favorite girl. Do you have a little space for yourself or your kids, totally dedicated to crafting and creating? I think I need to find another corner in the house for me!

"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"

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UHeart Organizing: Wrap It Up!

Do you know that Christmas is coming?  Yep, hate to break it to you, but it is right around the corner.  I am already seeing Christmas displays in some of my favorite stores.  And although I try to look away, I am a bit thankful for their eager holiday spirit, since I try to plan ahead and it's a great reminder to begin searching for gift ideas early.

Knowing Christmas is near, this post is perfect timing.  A special thank you to the organizing superstar, Cassie from Hi Sugarplum, she has reminded me why corralling all of those gift wrapping supplies in one convenient place is so smart and important.  I love what she has done, and her personal spin on a really great wrapping station.

Hello fellow lovers of all things organized! I'm thrilled to be back here, showing off my latest OCD episode organizing project! I love sharing on Jen's blog, and really appreciate those of you who stop by Hi Sugarplum!  I've organized our Pantry and Linen Closet, and created a Family Drop Zone, but when I stumbled on Container Store's big Elfa sale, I knew it was time to tame the wrapping paper beast!

Two years ago when I revealed my son's new room, I didn't quite show all the details....like the fact I was hoarding bins of wrapping paper and ribbon under his bed! He didn't really appreciate me using up that good stash space (you know boys and all that 'stuff' they bring home), or waking him up at midnight when I remembered I needed a gift wrapped for the next morning.

So after purging through the unnecessarily large collection, I hopped over to Container Store for their Door and Wall Rack System. I've learned the hard way to get more than you think you'll need, and just return the extras....so I picked up several large deep baskets and shallow baskets, along with a media rack and wall bar. I was going to screw the bar directly into the door, but decided I wanted the flexibility to move it (and to take it with me if we ever move!), so we used over-the-door hooks.

First step is to place all the paper in a deep basket, with the media rack helping to keep it upright. Once this is done, you'll be able to see how much door space remains for the rest of your supplies. My house is not large, so it's important I get the most out of every space.

I folded tissue paper over the rack to keep it smooth, and it also acts as a wall to hold in the really short rolls of paper. (Darn you Target Dollar Spot and your irresistible tiny rolls!)

The top rack holds the tall and oversized spools of ribbon, and the next two racks hold the standard sized rolls. Arranged by color, of course. I may have started hyperventilating at this point.

Gift bags, boxes and gift card holders fit snugly in another deep basket, placed just above the wrapping paper.

And package embellishments are clipped to the outside, so nothing gets lost or overlooked.

I wanted a type of command center at eye-level for the small and frequently used items, so I added a magnetic strip.

That created more storage space by utilizing every part of the door.

Magnetic containers (mine are Ikea) are perfect for corralling small gift tags,

and skinny ribbon and twine.

I created an Important Dates sheet {which you can download for free here} and clipped it to the strip as well. It's so convenient to see all the birthdays and anniversaries in a single glance. Even the scissors stick up there (and out of reach for tiny hands) with the help of a small magnet!

Another shallow basket sits below, with a bucket for hole punches, pens and tape, and containers for the other smaller items.

I didn't realize my obsession with cute gift cards and tags until I rounded them up from all my stashes. It's so much simpler to find the perfect tag with them all in one tidy spot.

The other boxes hold more ribbon remnants and metallic string. And obviously I didn't need labels...but I never pass up the opportunity! Plus, the gift wrapping station is more likely to stay organized if it's clear where everything belongs.

I'm so smitten with this new spot that I couldn't stop hugging it taking pictures!

I was partial to the silver shelving unit, but used a white over-the-door hook so it would blend in with the door. It's so small it's not even noticeable from the other side.

How many times do you think I've opened this door (with lots of flair and after a drumroll)?  Nope, more than that! Who knew a small hall closet door could be the love of my life such a usable space?! Bring on the Christmas season...I'm ready to wrap! And you're in luck too, because the Container Store 25% off shelving sale lasts another few weeks!

If you've made it through this post, and your heart is racing, then you and I are meant to be. Isn't sharing our irrational love of pretty, organized spaces grand?! My son is pretty happy, too...now he can stash who-knows-what under his bed again! Do you have a system for keeping gift wrap organized?

"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"

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