a tour of my home office

welcome to my home! i am excited to show you around my art studio and craft closet. being a work-at-home / stay-at-home mama, i am lucky to claim a corner of our apartment and dub it as my office. since my workspace is out in the open (with no door to shut out the mess, cords and drawers full of supplies) it has been an interesting challenge as my little boy grows more mobile and curious.

i try to keep my computer desk free of clutter, with only the essentials on it. this way i can bring binders or books over and there is actually a spot for them to rest open. i like the good advice i read once about making a habit of clearing your desk off at the end of every work day to prepare for the next morning. more about my favorite desk essentials over on formspring. we got this desk at ikea and i am very happy with its size, sturdiness and overall look. the printer is on a little shelf underneath, which means benji can now work at a printshop, after exploring every nook and cranny. now, into the craft closet...


after reading Organizing For Your Brain Type, i realized (and am embracing the fact) that i am the type of person who loves having everything out in the open. i forget about it if it's tucked in a file or lost inside a deep dark drawer. (i just discovered some really cute christmas cards that i could've used had i remembered i had placed them in a special spot. oh well.)

since i cannot have things literally out in the open since we are in a small space and i live with a tiny blender, i had to reinvent my workspace. i utilized the closet bar by hanging clothing and shoe cubby shelves. they are lightweight and less expensive then fancy scrapbook shelves and the perfect fit for all my odds and ends. the materials i don't need often (bookbinding supplies, files for the archives, tax stuff, etc.) went into labeled boxes on the top shelf. i packed the everyday necessities into the cubicles and clear drawers for easy access. i also love my set of white drawers from ikea. the large drawers are wonderful for 12x12 scrapbook paper, maps and oversized artwork. i love the fact that they are on casters and can roll out easily if i need an extra table top space. i used white round stickers and a sharpie pen to create my labels, i plan on sticking another label over one if i need to revamp a drawer or two. take a look at the contents inside...

i love that every item has its own space. all the effort i put into giving each important item a spot will hopefully help me keep it that way. i've created a mailing center with various shipping boxes, a place for cellophane & glassine bags, a ribbon drawer (which still needs to be tamed), drawers for mini mart products, a cubby for gift tags and notecards, a place for my works in progress (notebooks, journals, albums, photo prints), and drawers devoted to patterned paper, printer paper, envelopes and scraps. pretty paper scraps can rule your life if you let them. am no longer a slave to scraps. i only keep the best scraps in a handy drawer (for re-use) and save the rest in a big box labeled craft box for times when little ones come over to craft.

i have a shelf of A2 and 4 Bar (my favorite sized) envelopes. a box of small gifts (soaps, books, candles, tea towels) sits on a shelf too. i love having a gift shelf inside my craft closet. something about it feels very legit and grown up. it is liberating to give yourself the time to purge your messy space and give it the complete makeover it deserves. my bulletin board is next. i must admit, the march issue of Oprah magazine was a great motivator in my clean-out project.

i also have a craft desk, in the other corner that is perfect for cutting, mailing, crafting, labeling, drawing and writing. it is my go-to space when i am writing a note card, tying ribbons on gifts, filling orders or when i feel like making something with paper.

i made two simple files to hang up. i cut a simple v-shape into large manilla envelopes. one holds my mailing labels and the other is for round sticker labels. i use these items constantly and was tired of opening up my binder to get to them. (yes, indeed you're learning about my lazy ways.) i prefer my craft station ready-to-go, it makes my creative process so much smoother. which means i can have more time to create new ideas and so on. having an organized workspace makes life efficient and enjoyable.

so enjoyable, in fact, others will want in on the fun too. after the episode of spying benji climbing on the table, i called my mom and asked her what happens when little boys turn two? or three? or four? she just laughed.

that about sums up my workspace. thank you for visiting! i've found that making a home office a nice place to be, in whatever way works best for you, will make your job much more pleasant. do you have favorite office supplies or organizing tips? when my studio is tidy, organized and ready, i love it. it's what i call going to my happy place.

see you tomorrow for the final day of our workshop. many of you have come up with great questions, so i'll try to continue our blog & business discussion in the coming weeks. have a great weekend. xo.