Lace knitting: Not unlike organizing
Last night, as I worked on the Estonian Garden Wrap, a seemingly complicated and sort of overwhelming (for this novice lace knitter) knitting pattern, I realized that broken down to its simplest elements, it’s really pretty easy. And that’s not unlike any overwhelming project, like getting organized. Let me explain.
Filed under: Organizing Knitting || Tagged with: decluttering· empowerment· knitting· lace· motivation· perfectionism· productivity
Flylady: Blog of the Week
This week’s Blog of the Week is an oldie but goodie. I first became aware of Flylady back in the late nineties, before I ever dreamt of becoming a professional organizer. Technically, it’s not a blog. (It predates blogs.) But it’s frequently updated and full of treasures.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: 15 minutes· blog of the week· decluttering· flylady· routines
Olympic training
In anticipation of finishing the lace squares from the Learn to Knit Afghan for the Ravelympics, I picked up a lace project that I’d abandoned a couple of years ago. It’s the Branching Out scarf, a lovely bit of lace that I knit out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. I decided that Branching Out would help me train for the Knitting Olympics (which start August 8), so that my fingers and mind would get accustomed to knitting lace.
Filed under: Knitting Sharing || Tagged with: knitpicks· knitting needles· knitting olympics· learn to knit afghan· yarn
A compilation of organizing principles
Claire Josefine, an organizer in California and the author of The Spiritual Art of Being Organized, was interviewed on The Organizing Playground radio show recently. (The interview was aired on July 8—you can listen to it now by clicking here.) I really enjoyed listening to the interview, and it made me want to read her book.
Filed under: Organizing Resources || Tagged with: claire josefine· organizing playground· organizing principles
Instant calm
When I viewed this YouTube video of a man singing to a litter of Boxer puppies, who fall asleep one by one, I instantly felt calm and peace within. In case you’re not one of the 2 million people who have already viewed it, let me share it with you here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Filed under: Sharing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: dogs
The uncluttered car
I have to admit that my car usually looks pretty messy. That’s not surprising, since I’m a messy person, in general. But I did clean it out prior to my big trip to IKEA and it was very nice to have the clutter removed. Unfortunately, it’s encroaching again.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: car· decluttering· unclutterer
Crazy Aunt Purl: Blog of the Week
One of my favorite knitting blogs, Crazy Aunt Purl, justified its permanent status on the Links section of this organizing blog (where it’s been since Day One), with yesterday’s post.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: blog of the week· blogs· crazy aunt purl· decluttering· knitting· laurie perry
Knitting Olympics update
I’ve chosen my project for the Ravelympics 2008 (on Ravelry, which I posted about last Thursday. According to the rules, you can actually work on completing a project you started in the past, one that’s been hibernating awhile. That Event is called WIP Wrestling. I’ll be playing on Team St. Louis.
Filed under: Knitting Sharing || Tagged with: knitting· knitting olympics· lace· learn to knit afghan· ravelry
Just a few minutes
Some days I look around my home or office and say to myself, “I really need to xxxxx” and it’s a general task like, “get organized” or “reorganize my closet.” Sometimes it’s just “create some order around here” when things have gotten out of hand.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: 15 minutes· order· procrastination· productivity· time management· unclutterer
Olympic knitting
Two years ago, during the 2006 Winter Olympics in , the Yarn Harlot organized the Knitting Olympics, in which participants cast on for a new knitting project during the Opening Ceremonies. Medal winners finished their project by the Closing Ceremonies.
Filed under: Knitting Sharing || Tagged with: knitting· knitting olympics· knitty couture· ravelry
The Clutter Diet Blog: Blog of the Week
This week’s BOTW is Lorie Marrero’s The Clutter Diet Blog.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: blog of the week· blogs· clutter· clutter diet· decluttering· lori marrero
Self-care
I’m always struck how clutter gets in the way of life. I have many clients who constantly feel an obligation to deal with their clutter. They plan to devote a weekend to decluttering, then they start to feel overwhelmed, so they don’t actually deal with it. (Until they call me.)
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: 15 minutes· decluttering· empowerment· self-care· shannon wilkinson
Easy furniture transformation
About 15 years ago, my husband and I became a two-computer household, so we bought a computer stand at Office Depot or somewhere. At the time it didn’t seem too ugly (or maybe there was no such thing as pretty computer furniture back then).
Filed under: Living Organizing || Tagged with: crafts· furniture· repurposing· sally brown· workspace
My punctuality solution
Being on time to client appointments has been a challenge for me. I blogged about this three months ago, at which time I vowed to make some changes to my morning routine, including implementing some checklists, so that I’d be on time instead of rushing like a mad woman in the morning.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: control· punctuality· routines· time management
Some fun craft organizers
I’d been lusting over the Total Knitting Tote that I’d seen in the Knitpicks catalog
Filed under: Organizing Knitting || Tagged with: crafts· knitpicks· organizing products· scrapbooking· shopping· storage
Declutter You: Blog of the Week
This week’s Blog of the Week is Declutter You, the newly revamped and re-energized blog of Washington DC-based organizer Scott Roewer.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: blog of the week· blogs· scott roewer
PocketMod - a recyclable pocket-size planner
Through a circuitous but interesting path, I found myself at PocketMod. It’s a simple website with instructions and templates for creating a customized paper planner, printed on one sheet of paper and folded to create a little book that would fit in your shirt pocket (if you were inclined to put your calendar in your shirt pocket).
Filed under: Organizing Resources || Tagged with: calendars· hipster pda· organizing products· planners· pocket mod
My new home office space
That stressful trip to IKEA was all about purchasing storage furniture for my new adjunct home office. I had an extra room in my house, adjacent to my home office, and I decided to create a second office out of it.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: elfa· home office· ikea· storage· workspace· yarn
Director of Wow
Yesterday I heard a little story on NPR’s Morning Edition about the fact that High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, has a Director of Wow, whose job it is to make the college experience extraordinary for the students. According to the NPR story, the university has instituted programs like ice cream trucks, valet parking, a concierge desk, and free snacks
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: business· priorities· success· wow
Unclutterer: Blog of the Week
If you’ve found your way to my blog, you probably already know about Unclutterer. Just in case, though, let me sing the praises of my Blog of the Week.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: blog of the week· blogs· erin doland· unclutterer
The tyranny of the heirloom
There was a fascinating article in the New York Times last week about how difficult it is for people to part with furniture (or art or other artifacts) that had belonged to relatives. Even if the furniture did not fit in their home, physically, or clashed with their other furnishings, the people interviewed for the article still hung on to it.
Filed under: Organizing Sharing || Tagged with: antiques· clutter· family· heirlooms
