Knocked my socks off....



If you read my blog very often, you know I love office supplies and that a trip to Staples is like taking a kid to a candy store. Well, I went there this week and all the new stuff just blew me away.

First thing that caught my fancy was this display of (can you believe it) duct tape (or duck tape as some call it). Anyway, the new colors are fabulous and it is very apparent they are geared toward the female market. I want to put a big sign up that says, "Duct tape. It's not just for men anymore." Check out the cool colors and designs. You can even buy it by the sheet or the roll.

Then I walked to one of my favorite sections that has some cute file folders and binders. They have some new designs in that are just precious.

And have you checked out all the neat Post-It tabs that are available. It is mind boggling.

But what really knocked my socks off was when I went around the corner and there, in the middle aisle was an entire section where both sides of the shelves were dedicated to the entire new line of Martha Stewart Office Products. I had to hold my tummy because I got a little nauseous and was totally overwhelmed by what all is available.

First thing that caught my eye was top load file folders instead of the normal side load. Now, really, I couldn't imagine what these would be good for. They wouldn't fit in a standard file cabinet as a stand up file. But they could be good on a desk in an organizer/sorter maybe. But whatever you would use them for, I thought they were pretty unique.

The next thing that blew my mind was the sheer variety of notebooks and journals. The choices in style, size and color were unbelievable.

And the Build A Binder section is phenomenal. Buy your binder in your favorite size and color and then buy the "insides" for it based on what you are using it for. Kinda like Build-a-Bear for adults.

They had tons of folders and organizing file pockets. You could literally find something here to fit any need as far as folders and paper organizers go.

Something they have that I had never seen before that really impressed me was a section of boxes and trays. You apparently select the sizes, styles, and colors you want and build your own desktop tray system. Check it out.

Then there were tons of labels and tags so you could customize and organize every box, bottle, jar and container in your whole house. I didn't get a picture of that section because I was so impressed with one item in that section that everything else just faded away. I fell absolutely in love with this one item....Labels. But not just any label. But a blackboard label...with chalk. You simply peel them off and place them where you want them and you can change what it says on it with your very own Martha Stewart Chalk. How cool is this...

And the good part is that nothing is extremely expensive. I had an appointment and had just stopped in for a printer cartridge and had to hurry home so I didn't buy anything yesterday. But you can bet another trip to Staples will be in my near future.

How can it be....

Where has this week gone? Can't believe it is Thursday already. I guess with all my rearranging and house cleaning, the week has gotten away from me.

I did find time to do a little pinning this week. I haven't been on Pinterest for almost 2 weeks so I was having withdrawal.

I haven't even had a chance to check for good yard sales this week.

Saturday should be an interesting day for me. I will be attending a meeting for Thirty One. We get to see a sneak preview of the new summer catalog that is being released in May. I was holding an online party for a mystery hostess and was going to announce the winner yesterday. Guess my idea was a little before it's time because we didn't have any contestants. That's okay though as I have two parties to turn in this week. I'm excited about that because I will be earning some free new products from the summer catalog. They are going to be releasing some new patterns and lots of other exciting news. I can't wait to see what they have planned.

My daughter and I have been planning a bridal shower for the end of this month. I am really excited about it. The bride-to-be is one of my daughters best friends and the mother of the bride-to-be is one of my best friends.

We have been plotting and planning for weeks. The bride knows the date and location of the shower and she has given us a guest list plus we are inviting the ladies at church since we all go to church together. But we have kept everything else a secret from the Bride and her Mom because we want this to be a special day.

We have already selected the colors to match her wedding, which she has seen the sample of the napkins to get the approval on color scheme. Her wedding is in black and a beautiful blue that is a cross between a robins egg and a turquoise. But she knows nothing else.

There are several "tricks up our sleeves" that I think she will be thrilled with. Our Bride is going to be pleasantly surprised with several of the things we have found.

I was going over my list today. We have the games planned out and I have a list of what to get for the prizes. We have also planned the menu and scouted out price comparisons. I am here to tell you that Sam's cannot be beat for pricing when it comes to the disposable dinnerware. They have some elegant choices and the prices are awesome.

We have the decorations except for a couple of last minute items that I am picking up tomorrow for the decor.

We have some neat "stuff" that I have found and I cannot wait to share it with you. But since the Bride and the Mom read my blog, you will have to wait for the pics of the shower to see all the neat goodies we have found. The shower is at the end of the month so we just have about two weeks to go. I can't wait.

We are still tossing around ideas for her gift. She is one of those people you just love to do stuff for and one that you know will be thrilled with whatever we decide on so the gift has to be something special since she is so special to us. I need to go to her registry lists to get some ideas, but we also have some ideas of our own so we will just have to see what we come up with.

Well, it's going to be a busy day today. Hope everyone has a great Thursday.



A rearranging frenzy...



Yesterday, I mentioned how changing one thing in the house can lead to changing others. Well, I am proof positive about that philosophy. It started out yesterday with taking 6 little plastic eggs out of a candy dish. I decided that my office was in need of a major change. Let me explain....

When we moved in, I placed my desk in front of the window so I could have a see outside while I was working. Not one of my better ideas. It appears that the sun comes around the corner of that end of the house around 11:30 and stays until it is almost time for it to go down.

Now I love sunlight, don't get me wrong. But not when it is coming through a set of tall double windows and beating right down on my desk and in my face. I hung mini blinds and a friend loaned me a set of heavy backed drapes to help reduce the glare and heat. It didn't work.

As the sun would come around the corner, I would have to close the blinds and shut the drapes and you could still see and feel the heat of the sun through the window. Everyday, I would end up with a fan on....even when it was 30 degrees outside this winter. I thought, "What is the sense of having my desk in front of the window if I never opened the curtains?" But I didn't really want to move the desk and then NOT like where I moved it to.

So I came up with a new solution. As you know, I'm wanting a bigger desk anyway. Well, I have a craft table that wasn't being used for anything except to catch clutter in the office. So I decided to move my laptop and work area over to the table until I can get a bigger desk.

Turns out that I ended up doing more than that. I moved my trays and papers with my laptop over to the table as a desk. That is where I will do all my work for my company. I did have to move my printer as well so it would be by the computer. Here is how it ended up. I still need to get it a little more organized, but you can see where I'm headed.

I love the way my pink storage bins fit in the printer stand. One holds some odd and end craft supplies and the other holds printer paper, card stock, labels, etc. The little Rubbermaid chest is going to get cleaned out this week and that will serve as my "desk drawers" for now until I can find a full size desk I want.

Then I had to figure out what to do with the little student desk, because I needed to keep it for the drawer space. Inspiration hit. I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One. Every time I work on my Thirty-One business, I have to move all my other stuff out of the way and pull out the Thirty-One stuff. So I created a desk area just for my Thirty-One business. I always work on it either first thing early morning or in the evening after the sun is down, so it can stay at the window and I can work there without burning up. I put my catalogs in the little basket my daughter gave me (or rather, the one I begged her for) The Thirty One Organizing Utility tote holds my Thirty-One files and paper work. It is easily accessible on the desk, and I am able to pick it up and take it with me to parties. I had to make do with what I had for that desk, but I see a trip to Staples in my future. (Please disregard the way the drapes hang. They are too long for the windows, but since I am returning them when I find new ones, I didn't want to hem them. She needs them the length they are.)

 

I had a little black chest that I used for craft supplies. I put the printer where it used to be, so I moved it to where the printer had been. I love the resulting look.

By the way, check out my little blue fan on the bottom shelf behind the tea cup. I love it. There is new scrapbook material that looks like lace doilies and I made the fan out of that. Maybe I could do a tutorial some day and pin it to Pinterest.

I wish I had taken some before pictures, but when the idea to move things around hit me, I just jumped right in and started working....forgot all about pics for a blog post. GASP! That isn't like me at all.

Would love to hear about any changes or rearranging you have been doing. 

One thing leads to another.....

Yesterday, I was showing you the beautiful flowers that my Secret Sister gave me for Easter.

This led to my decision to keep flowers as my centerpiece on the table. You remember my post about my Easter decor and this was what the table looked like?

Well, I took the flowers out and put everything else away until next year. I put those flowers with my new flowers to figure out which ones I wanted to use.

Since I wanted to use my new flowers, I needed something tall. I found the vintage McCoy pitcher that belonged to my Mamaw Eden. My cousin Patty and I had bought it for her around 40-45 years ago for Mother's Day one year. It normally sets on top of the cabinets.

So I arranged the flowers and put them in the center of the table with my basket of napkins and the basket with our salt and pepper shakers.

That led me to notice the little Easter tea for one that I had sat on my wine rack.

The color goes so good with my tablecloth, but I didn't want bunnies and eggs after Easter. So I simply turned it around and rearranged the shelf. Notice the teapot with flowers I moved to this shelf?

Well, it had been "visiting" my little 75 cent shelf over on the baker's rack.

When I moved it, I put my favorite rooster over with the cookbooks. I am experimenting with that little shelf so I am not for sure what will end up on it. But for now Mr. Rooster has come home to roost on it.

Why is it when we move one thing in our house, it leads to one more...and one more...and one more. You get the picture.

Monday Morning Madness....

Nothing like a Monday morning after three days off to make you feel rough. I woke up with the onset of a cold. Sunrise service was beautiful yesterday morning. But sitting up on that hill in 40 degree weather when you have been used to it in the 70's just didn't agree with the old body. It was freezing cold but worth every minute of it.

I am changing my blog look since Easter is over. But with this head cold, I am so foggy on what I want. Bear with me if it changes several times this week until I find what I'm looking for. I need to take a design course so I can figure out how to do this myself instead of having to use the free templates offered online. It takes me forever to find what I want when I change it out.

I ended up getting a new top for Easter and wore it with my white pants and white sandles. It was shades of pink and peach. I got two new pairs of earrings this weekend as well. Just cheapy ones at Target, but I love them. They were $4.99 for two pairs.

Flat Stanley is visiting me. My great-nephew Cody sent him to stay. He arrived in Saturday's mail so he was able to go to sunrise service with me and got to play with the kids in Sunday School class. Not sure where all he will end up going this week.



Mom made me a new table runner for my coffee table. I love it. It goes so good with my pitcher and bowl. I had gotten this pitcher and bowl for my mother-in-law from Home Interior about 30 years ago. When she passed away, my father-in-law wanted me to have it. I love the way it looks on the new table runner.

My secret sister at church had me a goodie bag yesterday. It contained these beautiful flowers. The colors in them are some of the same colors in my spring tablecloth. I'm going to make a new flower arrangement and redo the table centerpiece now that Easter is over. I'll incorporate these flowers into it. Stay tuned tomorrow for new pics on the results.

Well, lots to get done today so I need to get busy. Hope everyone has a great week.



Easter Blessings

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ. But at Easter we rejoice that He arose from the grave. The circle was completed. He was sent to this earth to make the supreme sacrifice for our sins. The day they nailed him to the cross was the darkest day in the history of the world. He made the supreme sacrifice that would set us free. It was over. They placed Him in a tomb and mourned the passing of their dear friend.

But He did not stay. He arose. In victory, He triumphed over death and set us free.

There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

  And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees and rise
I will rise

Oh, to have been there on that morning. To look upon the face of our risen Savior. To know that He did it all for me. The pain, the agony, the suffering. The one single most important day in the history of the world. The day He arose. The day that promises us hope for a world lost in sin.

 

Happy Easter!