Counter Corralling: A tray keeps things tidy

I used to be someone who cleared almost everything off my kitchen counters each day. The toaster, tea bags, sugar bowl — everything went away. But my mom is currently living with us and she has a severe visual impairment and some short-term memory issues, so I thought I would leave some items out so she, or one of her visitors, can easily put together a cup of tea without having to root around in the cupboards.

A tray is a great way to make a group of items look more organized.

I pulled out an old silver tray and am using it to hold a few tea-making items. There’s a kettle and sugar bowl and the creamer holds a clutch of teaspoons. A crystal-looking lidded jar from Homesense contains an assortment of tea bags.

A tray is a great way to corral items in so they look purposeful and organized, and not like clutter. You might use one on the kitchen counter to keep various oils close-at-hand or to create an after-school snack tray.

Do you use trays on your kitchen counters?


Word Art: Show it with words

I am not much of a romantic and — thankfully for our marriage — my husband is not either, but I see this Christina Rossetti line everytime I come down my hallway. I don’t know whether this was one of her more religious poems, but it speaks to me and how I feel about my wonderful partner….

 

 

 

 


Baby Steps: Blogging or organizing — take it one step at a time

For a few years now I have been talking about starting a blog. But being a rather technically challenged gal, I put off delving into the world of social media — until now.

So what brought about this first blog post?

Well, I decided to push down my sense of posting panic and to approach this new adventure the way I advise my clients to tackle an organizing or decorating project:

One. Step. At. A. Time.

Whether you are organizing or decorating your space, don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once. Instead, break down the project into incremental steps. My baby steps into the world of social media includes an Edited Interiors blog and Facebook page.

Another similarity? Just as I received some incredible help from Lara Wellman and Trisha Bond in learning about blogging and WordPress this week, I encourage potential organizing and decorating clients to seek out help from trained professional home organizers and accredited interior decorators. Step-by-step we can help you deal with your challenging spaces so you can enjoy a beautiful, calm and uncluttered home.