Organization: FAIL!

I promised an organization update from my preview a few days ago-- and I was all set to nuzzle up to my computer and get my writing on until... iPHONE FAILURE. Hence, no photos of the project. And that gets a big boo. My phone has given up it seems-- turning itself off in mid-use. Checked the battery, tried a force restart, tried plugging it into a computer and a power source, fail, fail, fail and big time fail. So if you need to reach me-- it's the old fashioned way (land line!) until further notice. Hopefully my photos aren't lost (because although I'm a prolific user of technology and love my gadgets, I am horribly remiss about backing said gadgets up. Blah).

Getting organized

I'm in a bit of an organizing frenzy. I go through one every once in a while where I need to throw away all the clutter, give away the clothes, shoes, dishes I don't wear or use; or just more generally change things up with a new picture, pillow or some other redecoration (even if it's just moving things around). I suppose somewhat inspired by Gladys and finally being able to find my shoes, I've now started to tackle other areas of the house.

Case in point: the kitchen junk drawer. Does every kitchen have one? I certainly always have (well, except for in NYC where my kitchen only had one drawer. Seriously.). No matter how many times I empty the thing out and organize it, it always seems to fill up again (suspiciously with things like screwdrivers, nails, bolts, fishing wire and cuff links... not that I'm blaming anyone...). So last week, I decided that I'm putting an end to the not-being-able-to-open-the-drawer-and-having-things-smooshed-out-the-back-into-the-trash-below nonsense (smooshed is the technical term). And I bought a drawer insert from Ikea.

Seeing as our kitchen is from Ikea, it fits perfectly. But it seems to be a standard size that would fit in most kitchen drawers (although you never know-- those Scandinavians have some funky sizes). I forgot to take a before picture but if you have a junk drawer, and chances are you do, you'll be able to appreciate the after. I.LOVE.IT.

Now to tackle the junk drawer in the bedroom dresser. Sigh.

***SNEAK PEAK***
New project (also of the organizing nature). Details to come...

Gladys get a makeover

So, we all know my English home's gots some storage is-sues. I've been sucking it up and making do; I hate clutter and having things on display, so I've become somewhat of an expert at maximizing storage (and shoving things where they can't be seen).

My biggest challenge to date has been shoe storage. One day when I'm fabulously wealthy, I'll have one of those MTV cribs closets that are bigger than the average bedroom and has a whole wall of little cubbies to display—err, store shoes. But until then, I'm forced to get creative in my limited space.

Enter Gladys.

Gladys is a china cabinet I bought on eBay for £20 (that about $32). I don't know anything about her origin or age, but the seller was able to tell me that she came from an estate sale of the belongings of a woman named Gladys. Of course the name stuck. It's a classic-- like every good grandmother name (Matilda, Frances, Mildred...). It was, as they say, kismet. Small enough to not take up too much space; stylish enough to be on display; and big enough to house, oh, at least 15 -18 pairs of shoes.

Alas, while Gladys had great bones, the old girl was a bit of a wreck. Cracked and peeling, various layers and shades of stain, she was in need of an overhaul. After trolling the internet for inspiration, I decided that I would bite the bullet and apply a coat (or four) of glossy black paint-- 1) because I fell in love with all the makeovers I found online; 2) because she was a bit old fashioned for my taste and I felt like she deserved some sprucing up; 3) because I loved her curves, which reminded me of a piano; and 4) because I couldn't bear the time commitment of sanding, re-sanding and then more sanding it would take before I could apply stain (umm—so much for that; it required multiple rounds of sanding which, coupled with the dismal weather and not being able to do anything outside made this project drag on for about 4 months). Oh, and 5) because I had an idea that I could use the awesome Orla Kiely wallpaper I bought a few years ago for another project but never used.

So, below is Gladys' journey from great to even more awesome (if I do say so myself). The wallpaper worked terrifically as a way to brighten up the dark interior and serve as a backdrop for my art-- err, shoes (and in fact, it’s a bit of a shame that the shoes cover it up). And the black gloss paint? LOVE. It really does make her look like a piano. Alas, my clodhoppers mean that only the high-high heels fit on the shelves straight on, but I've managed to get 18 pairs in there, so not too bad. I plead the 5th on how many pairs I have in total.

Meet the original Gladys.

The cupboard under the stairs

No Harry Potter room for us-- couldn't fit a bed in it if you tried. But given the teeny quarters we live in (with no storage space... have I mentioned that enough?), we are trying to maximize every good quality for what it's worth. High ceilings mean cabinets and bookshelves to the rafters. Oddly shaped alcoves get shelved and faced with interesting fabric as a door. Even the bed frame doubles as storage, with some fancy spring action that allows you to lift the foot up to reveal our linen closet. You have to be creative when you're dealing with 100 year old houses b.c. (before closets).

Under the stairs is the latest transformation. The refrigerator, washer and dryer were shoved underneath, but with things piled high on top, we weren't using the available space to the best of its ability. Not to mention it was both unsightly and super loud. I don't know why but washers and dryers in England are ridiculously loud. They may very well be the same decibel as the U.S., and really? What do I know-- I've only experienced them in a garage, basement or a separate laundry room. But all the same in such close quarters (here), if the washing machine was running, forget about watching TV. Even turned up all the way you literally couldn't hear anything.

Enter the ever-handy MRN. We started with some damp-proof and new plaster. Then a vent was fitted through the wall, under the stairs, to the exterior for the dryer. Next came the framing and boxing in to house the washer and dryer and create shelving followed by a new light (since the single bulb hanging from the ceiling really wasn't doing it for me; not to mention it kept burning through boxes and bags I was storing up there above the microwave... a teeny bit of a fire hazard). And finally? The piéce de résistance-- bespoke (English-ism meaning custom) doors to match our kitchen, made by hand by the talented MRN.

The awesomely crazy thing about the feat is that there is literally not a straight wall in this house. Partially to do with its age, although I suspect much of it to do with the cowboys who called themselves builders, it means lots and lots of extra work to make anything look right or doors to actually open. This project was no different, but sheer genius has prevailed. The result? Amazing cabinets that even have room for the vacuum (courtesy of yet another custom shelf) and a laundry basket. All hidden away by beautiful doors.

Can you tell I'm excited??

damp course treatment and new plaster































lovely light bulb













yes-- sooooo attractive...













boxed in and getting tidier (new refrigerator... the teeny one broke... thank goodness)
















new doors going in, pre-sanding and painting



































painted and beautiful, color matched to kitchen cabinets

















and another bonus-- a place to hide keys and (finally) hang my key ring key (that i love). oh-- and get things off the front of the refrigerator (which MRN hates).

Paper Snob

I'm not sure from where this love originated, exactly... perhaps it started with stationery because even as a child I loved to write letters... and it then branched out to include every which kind. I have a big box of notecards, paper, cards of every size, color and shape; envelopes, paper and templates to create custom envelope liners... and all the acoutremonts to go with it (fountain pens, ballpoint pens, inky pens, pencils, stamps, and more). I still use a paper planner-- even though I've had a palm pilot and now iPhone, there's something eternally satisfying to putting pen to paper. I have lots of fancy notebooks, which are are a combination of my oldest (miquelrius) and newest (russel+hazel) obsessions.
Russel+Hazel I owe to my sister (or, curse my sister for?). They are "office products for the soul." When I found out I was going to move to working at home full time, I wanted to make my home office an extension of me, not of my work... so beautiful paper and supplies were a must. I'm still getting there, but it's coming along. R+H has a genius binder system that offers the nostalgia of back to school days (yes, I was a nerd who looked forward to back to school-- as much for the friends and books as for the school supplies), but with a chic and sophisticated twist that's certainly not kid-like. The beautiful patterns and mix-and-match paper, dividers, post-it notes and other tools, as well as accessories like file boxes and folders and more give endless choice to make your office effortlessly stylish. I'm still outfitting mine and the biggest disappointment is that R+H doesn't retail in England, and they don't ship internationally either. So I have to covet from afar and when I go to the U.S., have things shipped to my location to hand carry back here. *Sigh.* Even the price of paper keeps going up.

My sis gave me the ultimate R+H planner recently-- their wedding book. I finally broke it out and threw away my ratty old plastic binder for this beautiful gem. It's so pretty I don't want to ruin it by writing in it. Haha-- but I will. Vendors are going to think I'm nuts when I walk in with this thing, but my friends and family won't be too surprised... I'm nothing if not organized-- at least, on the surface! Now I'm prepared to actually start planning the wedding! (it's about time, right??)