Practical Storage for Electronic Bits & Pieces

iPods, iPhones, Cameras, Kindles, Tablets....... So many bits and pieces for all our electronics - but where to put them? My goal was to be able to get to the items easily, without actually having to see a bunch of wires in a tangled mess.

 Found some cute fabric bins at Target.

And some adhesive metal bookplates at Staples.

Created some custom labels on my computer and printed them on some Full-Sheet Labels from Avery. I love love love these as I can cut them to any size I want.

Put the paper bits (receipts, manuals, how to guides, and other paper info) into envelopes with my custom labels.

Sorted all the bits and pieces and put them into the bins along with the envelopes. Stuck on the adhesive metal bookplates - these worked perfectly on the fabric bins. Used my fab Epson LabelWorkslabel maker to print out individual labels.

So cute and functional. Wires and paperwork, along with all the other bits and pieces, are hidden from plain site, but I can grab them in a second whenever I need them.

Happy Organizing!  Love, Steph


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Create a Custom & Cute Computer Shelf in a few hours



I don't know about you, but I NEVER have enough room on my desk. Papers seem to multiply and even with having my keyboard and mouse under the desk, I still felt like I didn't have any working space.

So, I decided to create my own computer shelf and, of course, it couldn't be boring AND had to match the chocolate/teal colors in my office.  Hit Home Depot and a scrapbook store to get started.

Supplies
  • Board (6' long x 12"wide x 1" thick) 
  • 8 Screws (at least 1 1/2 inches long)
  • Glue (used E6000 but any type of wood glue would work also)
  • Square (to make sure it was square - haha)
  • My trusty Makita Drill/Screwdriver
  • Scrapbook Paper (at least 15-20 sheets of coordinating colors/patterns)
  • Mod Podge & Foam Brush
  • Heat Gun (optional, but it helped with the drying time)
  • Adhesive Felt Pads

My desk is 48 inches wide so I wanted the shelf to be 46" wide x 8" high (wanted to be able to fit my stuff underneath, but not too wide that I'd worry it slip off the side of the desk). Home Depot very kindly cut the wood for me (one 46" piece and two 7" pieces). Note: Figure out what size/height works for you and have the wood cut accordingly - I wanted a taller shelf but you may prefer something shorter.

Glued the sides to the top and then added the screws for stability. Used the square to double check the corners. One of the sides wasn't quite level so I sanded it a bit.

Cut my scrapbook paper into a bunch of strips (different widths and lengths).

Using the Mod Podge, started gluing the strips, layering them and varying the pattern. I wrapped them around the top and sides. (Did the underneath side last). 

Kept layering.

More layers until the whole thing was covered and I liked the look. Took about 2 hours. Then I put two more coats of Mod Podge on the entire shelf for some extra protection (you could also use some gloss spray paint for extra sealing).  Let it set for an hour to make sure everything was dry and that everything looked glued down. (If you see any pieces not completely covered, just pull out more Mod Podge and give it another layer). Added the Adhesive Felt Pads to the bottom

Finished!!! It turned out soooo cute! Was able to put my sweet little Martha Stewart Supply Drawer underneath with my router on top. Will probably put some project boxes underneath - still working on them.


Hope the creative bug hits you this week!  Love, Steph




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Excellent Adventures: Portland

I love love love to explore new places.
Many times I just pick a nearby town or city and type in the computer what to do in that town and then head out with family and friends on what we call our "Excellent Adventures".

I met up with friends in Portland a couple times this past year.
It's such a fun and funky city and there is SO much to do and see...walking around the town, outdoor musicians/concerts, great restaurants, cute little shops, etc.

A few of the places we visited last time...

 Pittock Mansion (amazing at Christmas time)

 Powell's Bookstore (every book you could think of)

Voodoo Donuts (the bacon maple is a fav)

This time the city was in bloom. We took this cool Trolley Tour that allowed us to hop on and off throughout the city (so no worries about driving or parking).



  

South West Park Ave
 Block after block of parks lining the avenue.

I love seeing so much color and everything blooming. 
What is your favorite Excellent Adventure?

-Steph