Files, Files Everywhere

For years, before I was married, I was a receptionist/secretary.  I also was a film librarian.  (Yes, it's a job.  Basically, I filed a LOT of x-ray, sonogram, mammogram and CT scan films.)  Most of my work experience has been filing.  Making files, filing work orders, bills, payments, x-rays, you name it.  I know my filing.

One of the greatest arguments between me and my husband was about the filing.  He didn't like the way I filed things, or the way I set the files up.  So, I told him to take care of it.  I stopped doing any of the filing.  Everything started to pile up.  At last check, we had THREE YEARS of unfiled papers laying around the house.  I was done.  

So, now that I'm taking control of the filing again, I decided I had to get the filing cabinet out of the guest room/man cave/playroom and into the living room, so I would have better access to it.  When I did that, I realized that an ugly black filing cabinet isn't really going to fit into the style of the living room.  

So now, the projected goal is to paint the file cabinet, and organize all the files in it.  I'm planning on painting it a high gloss white, which will help to lighten up the living room some.   

It's not pretty, but it's functional.  And I will be able to make do.  A fresh coat of paint, and some wonderful vinyl decals or labels from Sunhoney Studio  will certainly give it a great lift.  Maybe I'll even switch out the handles, if I can get them off the drawer front.  

I've got it all laid out in my mind.  It's just going to take a little time, and some cooperation from the weather.  Spray painting on a porch when it's raining outside don't really mix very well.  

I'm excited to show you the progress as it comes along.  Right now, I'm being impressed that I moved the full (overly full) filing cabinet from a very tight corner in the playroom to the living room, all by myself, without injury.  

Always keep moving forward, and when life tries to throw glitches at you, run right over those suckers!  

Spring Break? What Spring Break?

Ahhhh, spring break... a time for a quick family getaway, or a fun filled week getting ready for Easter.  Time to relax and have fun.
Right? 
Seriously? 
The only thing different different about Spring  Break for me is the kids are home from school. 
The time around major holidays are not a time when my husband can easily take off from work, so it is pretty much status quo around here.  The only real difference is Frick and Frack will be helping me get the work done.  I hope.

My goal for spring break this year is to work in the morning, and have time in the afternoon for something fun.  So far, we haven't quite made it.  But we're working on it. 

Today I'm having Frick and Frack go through their bookshelf and get rid of all the magazines that are in bad shape, separate out any books that are too young for them, and basically tidying up that area. 

MUCH more neat and tidy... Now, to get rid of the trash.

I need for them to help me make some room for the pegboard I'm going to be hanging in there for their backpacks, so we aren't tripping over them at the front door anymore.  

They just don't stay on the pegs.  Plus, the pegs are falling out.

This is soooo much better!  And out of my way!

I'm really happy with the way it has turned out.  One side is red, for Frick, and one side is blue, for Frack.  I have a friend who makes vinyl wall decals and sells them on Etsy in her shop, Sunhoney Studio.  She will be receiving a custom order from me for two sets with the kids' names, one for where their backpacks hang, and then one for where their coats/seasonal jackets will hang. I can't wait to see order them and see them!  (Shhhh..... if the boys are still into Minecraft around Christmas time, I'm also going to be ordering some wall decals in a Minecraft theme for them. But don't tell!) 

Tomorrow I will be taking Frick and Frack to the library to drop a bunch of stuff off for the summer program.  They needed a bunch of stuff (tee shirts, fake flowers, embroidery floss....) that I happen to no longer need, so I'm more than willing to donate supplies and stuff to that cause.  (Just wait until I really clean out my craft closet and go through all my beads and stuff.  They are going to have much more than they know what to do with.  Just saying.)  

All in all, we're planning on having a productive spring break.  Some fun, some work.  We're on a time limit for our house, and plan to put it on the market in 3 years, so we have a LOT of work to do before we can do that, so everyday has to be a concentrated effort on one or two projects of home improvement.  It might not always be a perfect way to live for some people, but it's perfect for us.  

Stay perfectly you!

Everything Old is New Again

When living on a restricted budget, and in a very small house, the search for attractive storage is almost continual.  Especially when one is an avid rabid reader.  Books accumulate.  Stuff accumulates.  And even if this stuff is used on a weekly basis, it still needs to be stored somewhere.

Have you priced furniture lately?  It's expensive.  Even trying to buy used furniture can add up.

I'm always trying to figure out ways to redecorate on the cheap.

I had these two great pieces that I acquired from my mom. Two sets of drawers with hutches on top.

Initially, I had them in my dining room.  The hutches made a nice display for things that I used every day, or at least every week.  But they were too small for what I wanted.  My cookbooks didn't fit on them, either.  I wanted something a little more all inclusive.  

After examining the bookshelves in my living room, I realized that this one that I had painted in lovely pastel shades.  I cleared all the books off it, and cleaned it up a bit.  I switched the sets and it became an excellent exchange.  

I'm now looking into exchanging the set of cabinets and drawers just to the left of the bookshelf into the playroom/man cave/guest room.  There's another bookshelf in there, and since it matches the one that is in the dining room, it would be much better in there.  It would offer storage space for some of my appliances (toaster oven, yogurt maker, blender, things like that), and will make life a little more convenient.  

Because I have managed to organize things a little better, I might be able to swing getting a worktable for things like my bread maker and mixer.  

This is what life is all about.  Compromises and simplicity.