Organizing Children's Art

This article got me thinking about the many ways to organize and display children's art work. May I share with you my personal favorite: the clothesline/cable system. Not that I have put it to use just yet. My daughter is only 21 months. But I hear once the kiddie artwork starts coming, it doesn't let up. 




Here's why I like the clothesline as the first line of defense in dealing with artwork. 


1. It's not permanent. You can quickly put up a new piece of art whether you love it or hate it and constantly edit and rotate as the child brings more home. 


2. It changes up the decor on a regular basis and adds new pops of unique color and design to the wall. 


3. It can work in several different places in the house. I like the kitchen (because it gets it off your fridge and can become a conversation piece around the dinner table), the hallway (think of it as a gallery, maybe install real gallery lighting to make it more special), the playroom or child's bedroom (where the child can take control and rotate it as they choose). 


After the art moves out of the clothesline rotation and you and/or your child have chosen the favorites, it could be put into frames and moved to a more permanent art wall. Then when it's time to let it go, decide what to keep and what to trash, and put the keepers in a long term file folder for each child.


Here are a couple photos of the clothesline approach.


You could easily work with what you already have to create one; pictured above is twine and office clips, below is string and clothes pins.

Or Etsy has some cute supplies to made your own, like these colorful tiny clothespins and baker's twine. Secure the ends on the wall with faux metal Command hooks.

These colorful clips come from The Land of Nod.

 Here's a crisp look with the IKEA curtain rings and clips.

Pottery Barn Kids has several cable systems, with a variety of gender specific versions.

What do you think, readers? Have you put this to use yet or do you go for another approach? What works for you in managing and organizing your children's art?


Happy Friday!


*Martha


images 1. Hybrid Simplicity 2. houzz 3 & 4. Bella Creationz 5 & 6. Land of Nod 7. OhDeeDoh 8 & 9. Pottery Barn Kids 

6 Things to Do Every Day

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I'm still feeling that New Year's organization fire. It feels good! My goal is to work on one of these per day. So far it's been slow going, but I am undeterred. Organization is always a process so as long as I work on it consistently, there will be progress. Here's the list I made on January 1st:


* Coat closet
* Craft supplies
* My bedroom closet {done}
* Nightstand drawer
* Christmas stuff {done}
* Nursery closet {almost done}
* Kitchen junk drawer
* Garage 


Alright, so that's the big list. Now for the daily stuff. I'm always wondering what I should be doing daily to keep the organization process going. I found this list, and I think it's totally doable. I've been doing the sweeping one for awhile now, and it has made a huge difference. 


6 Things to Do Every Day (click here for a printable version)


Make the Bed
Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you’ll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it.


Manage Clutter
Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn’t where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same.


Sort the Mail
Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing.


Clean as You Cook
Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal.


Wipe Up Spills While They’re Fresh
Whether it’s tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.


Sweep the Kitchen Floor
Every evening, once you’ve finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker.


Any tips that help you keep chaos at bay?


*Martha

2011 Calendars

Happy New Year! How were your holidays? We hope you have had some time to regroup after all the crazy, happy, family-togetherness-wonderfulness and take it easy before "real life" starts again. For my family that day was yesterday. It's always a harsh one. But it was made sweeter by the fact that we found out that we are having a BOY come this May. I've already asked Cyndi what to expect ... and so far I think I'm excited. If ya'll have any insight on what it's like to have a little boy, do tell. I don't know how it's possible to love another child as much as I adore my daughter, but people tell me it's possible. 

Anyway, January is here. And I can't get organized unless I have new calendars and planners, so that sent me searching the ol' web. Here are some of my favies that I've used or seen or been inspired by or whathaveyou.

A Little Hut has some darling little calendars that you can download for mega cheap ($5 - 6) and print on card stock from your own printer. I've used the one on the right before and it's the perfect kitchen calendar for quick reference.

Cavallini calendars always excite me. Especially because when you're done you could use any of their pages as framed art in your house. Bonus!

Kate Spade always brings color and whimsy to the world, and I'd imagine seeing her calendar everyday would just make me want to skip.

Sarah Pinto's day planners have been my standby for several years now. I can't go a day without having it practically attached to my arm. And when I close it up for the night, the cover is just the happiest little happy thing. It's like, "Open me up! Let's plan!" 

These planners are just fantastic to the max.

If you're into making your own family photo calendars, Minted can pretty much rock your world in that category. Not the cheapest route, but you could easily make framed art out of these, too! 

And have mercy! Look at these mini calendars to download and print. SO many possibilities here. And for $3! I'm thinking of buying it right now and stringing it across my fireplace this instant. Wait, is it Christmas again? I don't know. But I love them.

And if you've got a cute desk that you want to make even cuter ... here's a cute desktop calendar. Cute!

Here's another beautiful (and eco-friendly) option!

Happy planning for an excellent year!

*Martha

Jewelry as Decor

Jewelry looks good on your body, why not make it look just as good when it's off your body? Treat it as something to enhance the look of your vanity, bedside table, or bathroom. Here are a couple things I've done as well as other ideas from the web.

I use a turquoise Anthropologie cupcake stand as a catch-all for stud earrings and rings. Here's a similar one on Amazon in pink! It's a bit tricky because without any curvature, you can't pile it too high or bump it because things will fall off. But because of that, you can see everything and access it easily.

When it comes to dangly earrings and necklaces, I've used a frame-turned-clothesline-for-earrings-thingy that I made several years ago from a Martha Stewart idea. 

I would love to turn another frame into something like this (from Sweet Pea & Co). It's shiny and classy. Both qualities I like in my jewelry, too!

Here's a thrift store slab of wood with scrapbook paper and three Anthropologie knobs (from the discount section) that I normally use for an apron hanger but since there's no room in my new kitchen, I moved it to the bathroom to hold my necklaces.

Or just secure buttons or knobs right to the wall like this idea from Decor8. This can be an addition to a wall that already contains art.

I dig this option in the closet (from Arianna Belle). Makes me think I'd keep my closet a prettier place if I had my jewels there to inspire me.

 This photo also seen on Arianna Belle, I like the combination of things happening here. If you had a table to devote to jewelry, I'd go for this set up. Pretty bowls, various stands plus art and flowers. Yeah. Lovely.

This hanging wonder is from my friend Mad Mim. This is a great idea if you don't have wall space or surface space. Or if you just want a funky and functional chandelier but don't need more lighting.

What are your favorite ways to display your jewelry?

*Martha