Got the Organizing Bug: Bookcases

Some of our basement bookcases. They are Ikea Billy bookcases that we built dry wall around, fastened together and secured,  and then finished with simple trim moulding to save on having custom built ins done.

I think its partly a symptom of the time of the year but all week I have been going around the house and taking stock of all the things I want to reorganize or redecorate in the house. And I must tell you that I have a long punch list right now. Most of the items are projects that will not require much money but could make a big difference in the look of a room. One of the projects that I started 5 am Friday morning was reorganizing our bookcases.

I am a book hoarder and there are books in practically every room in the house.  I have always been a voracious reader and it was a hobby that my mother developed in me. Every Saturday she would take me to the bookstore and buy me one book. She also bought books for me on my birthday, for Christmas, and as rewards for good behavior.  When I became old enough I went to the library every day after school and would spend hours upon hours reading my weekly selections. Even now I find it a special treat to be able to spend the whole day in Barnes & Noble. To accommodate all the books we have 5 bookcases in the basement and 4 bookcases in the office. However, I want the bookcases to be a little more stylish looking and not look so packed.

(I am also seriously contemplating thinning out our collection. Just writing that causes a pain in my chest. I love my books. But I reluctantly admit that every book is not worth keeping after being read. Some books are purely light reading, a distraction for the moment, a form of escape from the daily stress of reality, and after they are done should be passed on. While others are great books that I digest in small pieces and come back to again and again.)

Yesterday I put together an inspiration board of ideas I would like to put to use in our bookcases throughout the house.

All photos except for the bottom right are from HGTV, I can't remember where I found that one.

Some of the tips I want to use are

• Arrange books by color. I think this will be somewhat time intensive trying to categorize them by color and also insuring there are enough books in one color grouping to make an impact. I mean who actually considers the color of the book cover when making their purchase decision of a book. But arranging them by color just looks so cool. I think we have enough books throughout the house to be able to do it.
• Vary how you display the books - lay some on their side and others up and down.
• Be asymmetrical - vary shelf heights, use dd number of display objects, place display items off center.
• Vary the height of your accessories - mix large, medium, and small.
• Be creative with your display objects and use a variety. You can use photos, vases, bowls, cake stands, statues, large rocks, plants, flowers, etc
• Create layers with display objects - overlap photos, place objects in front of others, etc

I am going to see what items we have around the house to integrate into the bookshelves but it may require a trip to Ikea or Home Goods.

I will post pictures after my revamp. But I think this may be an ongoing process of edits but I know there is definitely room for improvement now.

Next up my closet!

Read more...

Did I do that?

Mathematics has always been a life long love of mine. It was my favorite subject in school and I would past the time as girl working the math puzzle books my mother bought me. So it was just natural for me to major in mathematics in college and I was even a PhD student in applied mathematics (I dropped out after 3 years - a story for another day).

A page from my numerical analysis textbook.

A couple of days ago I was happened to pick up one of my old math text books and was just stunned at the fact that I once fully comprehended everything in the book. If the notes in the margins weren't in my handwriting I would think that I was peeking at the work of a completely different person.  It made me think "Am I getting dumber in my old age? Is my mental capacity actually diminishing?" The hardest math problem I tackle now are applying percents and ratios in order to forecast revenue and expenses, the sudoku variation puzzles I do  for leisure, and calculating sales prices and tips. This is a far cry from the young woman who studied math theory and application ranging from number theory, statistics, optimization. I just sat there thinking what happened?

Well it is a classic example of use or loose it. I had trained and conditioned my brain for years to think a certain way and process a very specific type of information, namely mathematical theory. And like any skill set they get rusty without use - it has been almost 10 years since I was in my graduate program.

The most challenging math I do now. Look at the difference.

I always say that I will take the time to pick up one of my math texts and began to seriously study again, but it just gets pushed to the bottom of the list in terms of priorities. Right now I am more interested in cooking, photography, dance, and arts & crafts. Maybe one day I will be able to go back to my first love.

Did you work for years developing a talent or skill that you no longer use?

Read more...

Snow Day

Here is what our yard looks like.

Needless to say it will be a lazy day at home instead of the frantic day of last minute Christmas shopping I had planned. I willing be catching up on Tivo (something I never get to do), working on my business, gift shopping on the internet, and just taking occasional cat naps throughout the day.  Once the roads are cleared I will go out tomorrow.

Enjoy the snow and be safe.

Read more...

Making Laundry Fun - Is it Possible?

Is it possible to make doing laundry fun? My answer would be a definitive NO.

Laundry is the household chore I hate the most. I wait until its absolutely necessary to do my laundry. Thank God my husband does his own (I truly count that as a blessing). Roosevelt is very disciplined in doing his laundry and takes it very seriously. Every Sunday afternoon is his wash day where he goes to the basement to enjoy football and do his laundry. While most of us separate our items into whites, light coloreds, and dark coloreds, he on the other hand has a complex sorting system based on color, fabric and use of garment. I was a little intrigued at first but at this point it is beyond my mental processing and makes sense to only him.

So laundry day which is really 2-3 times a week is the most despised task in my house. (I have to do laundry at least twice a week to keep up on all our linens. I am a towel fanatic and change towels daily so they pile up.)

To make laundry tolerable I splurged last week and bought new detergent from The Laundress. I was introduced to The Laundress a couple of years ago via a magazine article that exalted the benefits of their products and how the two founders, Lindsey and Gwen, have taken laundry to an art form. These two ladies definitely know about laundry and have great tips about proper washing and care of your garments on their site. I made the investment of buying their product after purchasing custom high end bedding. I figured that after making such a large investment in linen that I should also invest in proper care so that it wear as well as possible over time.

I absolutely love their detergents. They truly are gentle on fabrics and the smell alone is a dream. I love when I sink into fresh sheets that have been laundered with their products. It is like heaven. Plus their products don't have harsh chemicals and are more eco friendly than most brands you buy in the supermarket.

I may take the complete plunge and do all my wash with their products and not just our bedding and table linen.

Here are the products I use, but go over to their website and check out their complete line. They have specialized detergents for baby (which we will definitely use when that time comes), denim, wools & cashmeres, and even pet wash.

Signature Detergent

Whites Detergent

Stain Solution

Wash and Stain Bar

Please note that I have not been paid in any way to review products by The Laundress. These are simply my views as as an ordinary Jane telling my personal experience from a product I use on a regular basis in my own household.

Read more...

Christmas Wish List

Hopefully Santa feels I have been a good little girl this year.

UGG Australia 'Coquette' Slipper (Women)

Kindle Reader

xcessrize - XcessRize Designs CUSTOM CAMERA LENS PHOTOGRAPHER BAG sofia black white BOXY STYLE w/ hard bottom base

Read more...

The Fabulous Mrs O

I have a fascination with Martha but I also have a love affair with Michelle Obama.  I am always struck by her pose, down to earth attitude, and her clean yet simply elegant style. Yes I am a Martha Wannabee but I am a bigger Michelle Obama groupie.

So I was like a kid on Christmas when I rediscovered the Mrs O blog. I had it in my reader but somehow missed the message that they changed platforms and to update the subscription link.

Well they are back bigger and better! And Mary Tomer the author of the blog also has a book. I wish I had known about the book earlier so it could have made my Christmas list.

Check out some of the recent stylings of Michelle from the Mrs. O blog. (All photos courtesy of mrs-o.org)

Read more...

Faux Stay at Home Wife

I am a stay at home wife. A faux stay at home wife.

I hold down a full time job in corporate America, however, I don't drive or catch a train to work I just roll out of bed and walk less than 20 feet to my desk. See I telecommute. After years of driving at least 100 miles a day roundtrip to work I now work out of the comfort of my home.  Most of my day is spent  with a phone glued to my ear ( I really need to invest in a headset) on conference calls with my colleagues in our central office.  And  the other half of the day I am banging out Excel spreadsheets looking at a bizillion numbers and calculating all the ways we can turn a profit.

Here is a pic of what my desk typically looks like by about 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

I have been working full time from home for over a year now and as winter and the holidays approach I think back to last winter when I actually got a case of cabin fever and quite frankly went a little batty. It is not hard for me not to go out the house for days on end and to easily wear sweat pants or my nightgown all day.   Maybe I shouldn't admit this but sometimes I go days without combing my hair too.) And having as your only source of social interaction your cat and husband for days on end can feel as though you are being socially and intellectually starved. (Nothing against my husband because we have wonderful conversations but I think he also gets stressed from the burden of being my only social outlet most days).

When I tell people that I telecommute, their eyes literally light up and their voice goes up an octave and say with some envy "Wow, that must be sweet." Well it has its pros and cons.

Pros

• You don't have the stress of a long commute
• You have more flexibility in your daily schedule
• You don't have to worry about office politics as much
• You don't have the annoying coworker
• You have the most comfortable work environment possible
• You are always close to the bathroom
• Your pet is with you all day providing companionship and love
• You get more laundry and cleaning done than you normally would
• You have the freedom to wear whatever you want, you set the dress code

Cons

• You have absolutely no meaningful live human contact or stimulation (talking on the phone gets tiresome after a while)
• You are more apt to miscommunication because you do not have key signals via facial expressions and body language
• Becoming lax on personal appearance is easy to do (My husband has come a couple of times and utteredd "Have you even showered yet?")
• No office parties, Secret Santas, or potlucks at holiday time
• No best friend co-worker to console you when you have rough patches at work or when you want to share good news
• You are not in the loop on office gossip
• Sometimes the mantra is true "Out of sight, out of mind" which makes career advancement a little more challenging

Misconceptions

• You work shorter hours while in fact you may actually work longer hours than your counterparts. I can start my day 1-2 hours earlier and I usually finish around the same time.
• You watch TV all day while in fact I don't watch any TV during the day. Nada. Zip. NOT AT ALL. Not even morning shows which I used to catch before I left out when I was commuting. I do listen to NPR till about 8:30 then its silence for the rest of the day. The TV if it comes on does not get turned on till my husband comes home.
• You have so much free time, while if work is really busy I barely have any.  During busy periods it easy to put in at least a 12 hour day and between juggling making dinner and taking of other household stuff that leaves very little free time.

I truly love my work situation but I do need to find away to avoid the cabin fever I had last year and insure I  get out the house every day.

I will leave for a latter post the pressure I feel in staying home and juggling the household chores as if I am a "real" stay at home wife. Pressure which is totally self inflicted.

Does anyone else juggle being a faux stay at home wife? What are the perks or drawbacks to working from home?

Read more...