Re-organizing my work space

While I do a good job of keeping the rest of my house neat and tidy... my office is another story! But, I'm working on that. I have lots and lots and lots of paperwork. Here we go - see my desk? I don't like "office" desks - instead I prefer a cheap-o table and set of drawers combined with the smallest, cheapest computer work station. My 1st desk was actually an old door balanced on file cabinets. Worked fine. I also do not like office chairs - I like my 2 straight back chairs (just ignore the fact that the seats need to be recovered, ok?). I was just in the middle of a BIG sort when I took this photo - right before I decided to re-organize my office. So, yeah - the table is crowded, extra stuff to sort is on the floor, the file cabinet is open... I have 2 computers because I use both of them - really need to get the stuff moved from one over to the other because right now I have to switch the wires back and forth. I know, I know - you techies are rolling your eyes. But figuring out these things takes time and I don't always have time. So, I switch. Back and forth. Which surely does not take any time at all.

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Over along the wall I have/HAD this great row of cabinets. There is an empty tub - ready for a big sort in the corner of the photo. Can't start any big sort without empty tubs, you know? Several. Actually, the cabinets are pretty empty too. I like to SEE my stuff, which means I tend to use my surface areas more than my storage areas. Except I don't really like to SEE all my stuff, that is just my system and it can be a bit overwhelming so I am really working hard on creating files for everything and filing instead of piling. Now the pilers amonst us probably take pride in the fact that they KNOW where everything is and in what pile. That is me. That's my system too and it works great... for me. But what if something every happens to me? Think anyone else could ever make sense of my system for organization? Doubtful, very doubtful. So, I've been working on filing. And I am actually seeing progress. And I am actually looking forward to the day when I step into my office and am greeted by a nice, clean, CLEAR work surface. Not sure what is going on here but my ways of thinking have been changing alot lately!

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So you can see, I have a nice, bright, sunny office. Yeah, but THAT is a big part of the problem. SUNNY!!! Constant glare. Gives me a headache. Ah, yeah - maybe the paperwork contributes to the headache, but it really isn't that bad if I can keep on a schedule. But it is hard to come up with a schedule between all the other things I need to do and the SUN, not to be confused with my SON.

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Add said son to the office mix and things can get hectic - especially if I am trying to wrap something up and all of a sudden he is interested in the shredder (which is kept unplugged at all times, but... well you probably get what I am trying to say here). Before he was born I used to rent office space, but that was a different business, a different country, but still - it was nice to have a seperate office. I went to work, was focused, left work and was done. Ah, but working from home is different - you grab bits of time here and there and your personal stuff tends to blend/meld with your business stuff. It is a bit of a juggling act, but it is handy to have the office at home.

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Then again, all of a sudden I am trying to do paperwork AND supervise/entertain my son. Now, that is a challenge!!! I've tried the little desk for him in his own area. Does not work out really well - before I know it he has my highlighters, the tape, the stapler, whatever. And if he is making a BIG mess then I have a very hard time concentrating on my own work - oh gee - what is he cutting up? Have I mentioned that he is pretty good with scissors? It works sometimes, but not all the time - like the times I need it to work! All this leaves me the option of getting up super early to do paperwork or... late at night. Neither of those options are ideal. I consider early morning "MY" time and late at night - sorry, but my brain just won't work. But - I do have some time during the day when I could be very productive at my desk - except - that would be when the sun is shining right across all my work areas. That is when I tend to just open the door and throw things on the desk. Oh so not good when there are deadlines and other important stuff in those envelopes. Which means I am giving up "my" early morning time or working late! Obviously something needed to be done.
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So, I started out this week by emptying what was in those cabinets, purging, re-organizing - and MOVING them over to the other side of my desk - or at least 2 of them got moved there. The other went somewhere else.

And here is what I came up with - feeling fairly smug with myself - got my computer desk moved away from the window and into the back corner. Oh, except for 2 little tiny problems - the afternoon SUN hits that corner - I had never noticed before. That is, not until I moved my computer. No good. And see - I have 2 printers - 1 is a printer/copier/fax and the other 1 is an older color laserjet and they don't make the plug anymore and the cord/plug I have is not long enough for this configuration. Sigh. Besides the fact that my filing cabinet isn't really convenient. And I would have to move my chair back and forth. Still, my table is looking lots better - only have the stuff that needs to be tended to by weeks end on top. Oh and look there on the back side of those 2 cabinets (which are STILL almost empty) - I was able to create an additional work area - still thinking if I am going to keep that there or not, but for now it can stay for a bit. That little cabinet of drawers is empty. The totes are 1/2 empty, but each holds different things... Little Boy has been fairly happy here coloring and stuff...

DH to the rescue! Me snapping the tape measure and him begging me to just put it away and trust him... I can not visualize anything - I like to move it here, move it there -try it over there. DH does not work that way. He sees something in his mind and then goes to it. We had to move my computer station to a different corner - where the sun won't hit it. My BIG printer is located at the end of the table - so the cables reach. Lamp all plugged in. 10-key in place. Phone now fits on my desk (wow!). Scanner is on the table. Label maker fits on the bottom shelf of the computer desk. Computer hooked up. Can you see that DH has already secured all the wires along the wall!!! Unfortunately the BIG heavy printer is in the middle of the floor and we try to keep the weight to the sides. I use that printer all the time so it is needed. I just wish it were about 1/2 that size. And 1/2 the weight because now I am wondering about that much weight in the middle of the floor. Because I worry about stuff like that. Only because the floor already slopes a bit. But truthfully, it is very, very doubtful that it will bring the floor crashing down so I should stop fretting about it.

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My office is looking better, more functional and actually gives me alot more floor space (beside the fact that I moved 1 of those cabinets out of the room altogether). This is acutally 1/2 of my office room - the other 1/2 I try not to use for work... except right now everything is co-mingled as I get this all sorted out. Fingers crossed that this new arrangement will help me be more productive and I will be able to get things that need to be getting done - done. I actually got some things done today that needed tending to... without the sun in my eyes. Oh, it is so nice to do paperwork without squinting. Everything is still in progress, but I will post photos as I go along.

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NOT sure when that will be because tomorrow is going to be a very busy day with the food 'biz seeing that it is Valentine's Day and all and then look who all of a sudden came down with a fever of over 104 today... ALL work came to a sudden stand still because a sick boy wants 100% of Momma's attention. But I did manage to knit about 8 rows on my scarf while sitting on the couch with him. As difficult as it can be some days, I am really thankful that I have a fairly flexible schedule... this little someone will NOT be going to pre-school tomorrow (he only goes 3X a week for 2.5 hours anyway, but that is usually my BIG chance to get things done!). And me, well I am going to set the alarm for every few hours so I can keep checking his temperature although thankfully it does go down with a dose of children's tylenol...and that dose will wear off sometime in the middle of the night, so I will wake up and check. Still - if he isn't better by morning - add a doctor's visit to our list of things to do tomorrow.

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Stashbusting Sunday

See my heart blocks? ALL from fabric that Susan sent to me (except the background). How special is that? I didn't even have to go to the store, look, decide - nope - there it was, all in a box for me - ready to use.

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Here is a close up of some of the batiks in the blocks. If I had just put this fabric on my shelf - it would be special. But - it is even more special that it is being made into blocks. And it will be still even more special once it is a finished quilt. To me. And look how perfectly all those fabrics go together! I just love all the different color variations - I would have never picked them on my own, but altogether - they work!

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If you were to die tomorrow - do you think that your family would cherish your fabric stash, your stack of UFO's or your finished quilts? Or do you definately think that they would most value your huge stack of magazines? LOL! Can you guess what they would donate, yardsale, throw out (gasp) or keep. Bet you they would keep the finished quilts. Everything else is questionable.

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I don't know why I think like this, honestly I don't. But - it does motivate me to finish my quilts. "Finish" them all the way to the binding. The label part - well I really, really have to work on that aspect. I can't handquilt myself - I have carpal tunnel and quilting bothers it. And most my quilts are rather large so would be difficult to push through my sewing machine. So instead of spending money on more fabric for my shelf, I save it up for long arm quilting services (currently I have 3 out right now). And my quilts get finished. They get put on my beds. They get snuggled under. Some get given away. Some that are not my favorites when they are tops become a favorite once quilted. And the flannel backed quilts - oh so snuggly!!!

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I will be the first to admit - some of my quilts take FAR longer than others to finish, but eventually, they all do get finished and really, I don't have a huge amount of UFO's. And when I am tired and really feel like I haven't accomplished much for the day it is great to walk into my room and see my quilts. My finished quilts. Because maybe if I didn't get everything done that day that I wanted to - my quilts are proof positive that I do get things done, if not today - then eventually. Unlike housework which has to be done over and over and over again - once a quilt is made, done, finished - it stays that way!!!

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What have I done, sewing wise this week? I've continued to work on my batik hearts and have lots of those blocks done. Also, there are 6 more Wondercut Ruler stars added to my collection - I had enough fabric to make more, so I figured why stop at 12 - and now I have 18 blocks. Settings always seem to slow me down, but here are photos of 3 options - only 1 uses all 18 blocks so that is probably what I will go with. This project is now up to the "need to buy background fabric" stage. On my current knitting project - I've knit 1 skein of yarn. Oh - and I've spent equal amounts of time cleaning as sewing. Yup. If there is sewing going on, you can just bet that my house is all sparkly clean too. Maybe it is my subconcious way of pitting things that stay done against things that don't.

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Otherwise? I've been busy! You all know that I don't blog much about w-o-r-k, but believe me - it is there simmering away (or even boiling!) in the background!!! And of course, let's not forget that 4 year old certain somebody! Who, incidentally, thinks that his Momma makes the best chocolate cake in the world! I made 3 different versions this week trying to come up with a favorite... he likes the job of taste tester!

50 book limit and other doings

We go to the library at least once a week - usually on Wednesday night. It is a nice little library and we enjoy it! They have a 50 book limit - and believe it or not, Little Boy and I hit the limit this week! He likes to keep back his favorites for an extra week - kids enjoy having the same story read to them... over and over and over and over again. So we usually hold back maybe 10. There is an entire collection of Clifford books and usually 5 will come home with us. Then there is the collection of Tonka truck books. An assortment of picture/story books. The non-fiction section comes next and this week the selections were monster trucks, motorcross bikes a WWI pictorial, a book about how the Canadian flag came into being and a biography on Benjamin Franklin. His interests vary widely from dinasaurs, the solar system, battleships, the Titantic, submarines, gardening, insects, etc. Next - the chapter books. His very favorite are the Magic Schoolbus and Scooby Doo (oh my poor voice - I will only read 3 chapters max at a time!). And then Momma usually has about 5 books too. Plus 1 video. So, 50 isn't a hard number for us to hit. ALL of my son's library books have to go in that little pink basket next to the couch - so far, we have not lost 1 book! When we are done with a book it goes into a pink bag (our library bag) in the closet - to be returned next trip. I usually read him 3 shorter books every night just before bed. The simple, entertaining books. The other books are read/looked at during different times of the day when he isn't tired.

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Here are 2 fun photos from an entire week of making paper airplanes - instructions from a library book!!! I gave the book to DH with a pile of paper and set him to work, LOL!!! After the planes were sufficiently "test flighted" they were then decorated with crayons, markers and stickers. The simpliest toys are usually the most entertaining. He is wearing a NEW pair of PJ's that I made for him. I don't always get a chance to blog about all the other little sewing projects I do on the side - but I am usually making clothes here and there - behind the scenes! Little Boy will only wear PJ's that I make for him and right after Christmas he started tugging on his sleeves - getting too short. So, here is 1 pair the next size up and I still have to make the 2nd pair - he gets 2 pairs at a time. And, YES, I did make those pant legs nice and long!

Here is a photo collage of some of our activities this week. Painting is always a favorite past-time - and you know those old desk calendars - the backs make GREAT painting paper! He is wearing a $3 from the "dollar store" - the adult size makes a perfect art smock. Bella the bear - I made her before my son was born and several months ago he had me take her down from her high shelf perch and has been loving her ever since. I figured that since he is dragging her everywhere it was high time I embroidered her nose on over the nose template. I got it 1/2 done and poor Little Boy was beside himself because that just isn't the way Bella is supposed to look. OK. So - I have to take off the embroidery and re-glue the edges of her nose template - he loves her just the way she is! My heart blocks progress - got all the big bottom squares - which become triangles when you trim them sewn on and all the little ones (on 1 side) positioned. And the box? Well - don't you all know that a BOX is a very favorite toy. This is the box that Little Boy's new booster seat for the car came in - and he has been having the best time playing hide-and-go seek in it! He and DH have a rousing game of some sort that involves that box too. A funny thing about that seat - he insisted that we get the pink one with flowers because it is soooo beautiful and don't I know he loves flowers? He was soooo excited because it was the ONLY pink seat with flowers. I sure hope he still likes that seat in another few years, LOL!!!

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And just because I couldn't resist a fun little collage of what we do when the weather is just too cold outside and I am plum out of ideas for entertaining my son. Nothing a LITTLE bit of Spic & Span won't cure. What child doesn't love to play in water? Ummm - his bucket has maybe 1 TBS of S&S while mine is the full dose! And, we have nice clean walls for all our efforts. Now - a bit of warning about wall washing and kids - I don't recommend you let them wash the walls where you have carpeted floors! And - watch out that they don't decide to "wash" your laptop while they are at it - close call in that department in my household! He is wearing those terry sport bands - they keep the water from running down your arm when you have your hands up over your head. Ingenious, huh? TOLD you that I like to clean!!!