Getting Organized with HomeSense

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend.

I've spent the weekend tidying up, after the holidays, and getting a little more organized with help from HomeSense.  Thought I'd start the week off by giving away a gift card for $150 to one lucky person, courtesy of HomeSense!  Here's a look at some of the baskets and boxes I chose....

This burlap and canvas basket now houses the blankets that seem to kick around our living room during the winter. Mixes well with our mid-century furniture. 

Playing cards and small games are now stored in this simple leatherette box. 

Instead of just tossing scarves, gloves and toques anywhere there's space, they're now easy to find in this vintage inspired green metal basket. 

Ah, my office/studio. I spend a lot of time up here, editing images, packaging up prints, and working on sewing projects. It's now officially organized. Love these canvas baskets alongside the metal mesh

baskets. 

Because I don't totally trust storing all my digital images on external hard drives only, I like tossing them onto dvd's as well. I know, it's kind of silly, but at least it gave me an excuse to get these perfect dvd storage boxes ;) 

If you'd like a chance to win the HomeSense gift card, just leave a comment for me and I'll make the draw on Friday January 10th. Contest is open to Canadians only this time around. For another chance to win, enter the HomeSense Neat Storage Solutions contest for a $100 gift card! 

To preserve or not to preserve

I came across this sign pinned to a power pole near our house.  Our neighbourhood is pretty good for keeping old homes intact but not always, apparently. I can understand, but sometimes you just don't have a choice. Some old homes are rotting, the electrical is dangerous, and then there is asbestos to mull over. I'm definitely all for salvaging an old home versus tearing down, if you can. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

This couple is all for preserving, reusing and recycling. I shot this home, and the homeowner's many animals, a couple of years ago. I don't think they ever bought anything new, and their home was lovely. Todd built the garden table and chairs with reclaimed wood, and created the "chandelier" in their dining room. Pretty clever guy.

I'm a big believer in reusing and recycling as well, so when I spotted these old wood boxes at Stepback, I picked them up for all my back up dvds. They hold hundreds! Apparently these boxes were used to house fire extinguishers. I'm trying to sort out my office, so these will help as well as look kinda happy.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Back on Monday with a cookie.

Do you have a craft room?

If you do, I'm not sure that we can be friends. I'd be too envious that you had that much space that you could devote an entire room to crafts and gift wrapping.

I'm in the middle of ripping apart my our office so I can actually work in it, and I have nowhere to put anything let alone a little row of porcelain holders for my pencil crayons and scissors. Mise, do you have this? Heather, what about you? I think "our" office is mine, but my husband keeps adding stuff to it. Nerve. Oh well...it'll get sorted out, and I will share the before and after with you.

In the meantime, this happy yellow room (that is not my office, unfortunately) is just simply for creating magical little crafts and wrapping the perfect present. What the what? I just use the dining table, as that's the only space available. I shot this house for House and Home with Kate Keeler and Kelly Deck , who designed this room. It is quite cute, I'll give it that. Kelly, can you come and help me?

Ok. There are way worse troubles at sea , but it's hot and my office is a disaster. ;)

I hope you all have a lovely, organized, clutter free day!

Paul Smith Is Right

According to Paul Smith, you really can find inspiration in everything.  

These little party place cards were discovered buried in a bunch of  junk in my mom's storage space.  She doesn't know why she has them (that is the running theme of her storage space), but I'm happy she does.  They appear to be from the 60's and kind of brittle.  

I have now been inspired to have some green tea and plan a Japanese Sake party.   I've also decided to never, ever, have a storage space.