Back to School with So Sew Organized

Every student, WAHM, and secretary needs to pay attention because lookee!! There are new super cute pencil pouches in the So Sew Organized shop!

(Oh wait, you don't fall into one of those categories?? It doesn't matter...you will probably want one too!)

There are eight, yesyoureadthatright, EIGHT fun prints that your geeky, retro side will love! Several of them are appropriate for males or females. Plus you can get two different styles: the slim pouch or the boxed one that can stand alone! They are specially designed for pencils (even No.2's fit!) but there are dozens of uses for these cute pouches, so use your imagination!

But enough of the gab, I'll let the pictures do the talking. :)

Slim style

Boxed style

You can see them all and order them right here. Which print is your favourite? What could you use these for besides pencils? 


Linked up with Joy Dare blog, Fridays Unfolded, Say G'Day

Organizing your Vehicle for Summer Fun!

Now that summer weather has finally arrived, I for one find myself spending a lot of time in my vehicle! Between work, events with family, local events such as this, or church events, there are lots of great reasons to be on the go. The lack of organization in my car, however, was starting to drive me nuts! For something we use often, it is easy to let the cleanliness slide.

So I decided to do something about it!

I started by cleaning and vacuuming out the entire inside. I found all kinds of garbage under the seats…gross! How does that happen?

Once it was all sparkling clean, I made a list of the different items I wanted to put back in the car to be prepared for whatever a day might bring.

Read the rest of my contributor post at Imperfect Homemaker!



Linked up to the Weekend Wind-Down Party, Link Party Palooza, The Creative Collection, Say G'day, The DIY Dreamer

Shop Update: Large Canvas Beach Tote!

I am always excited when I can share a brand new shop item with you, and this time is no exception!

Introducing: the first canvas tote from So Sew Organized!

This is the largest tote I've ever offered!

Details:
Pink, White and Gray Geometric Design
Finished size: 13"x18"
Handles: 14" hang
7 inner pockets - three that are 7" deep, three that are 5" deep, and one pen slot
6" wide square bottom
Pretty gray bow! :)

This tote also has more and bigger pockets than any tote I've offered, too! See that slot for a pen? So handy!

I have used this tote practically every weekend for the last month or so. It can easily fit a couple changes of clothes, shoes, and all the toiletries that I need for a weekend away. It would be great for the beach or pool, too!

This is the item you need to organize your summer activities and weekends away! Why not pick up a couple now? You are going to need at least one, and your friends would love one as a gift. :)

Do you generally use a tote for summer outings? What other items help you organize your activities?

Organization in 2014: Baby steps

Every year when the holidays are past I find myself feeling like I'm drowning. Drowning in presents, used gift wrap, laundry, sweets, unscheduled days and un-organized spaces. Do you share my plight? As nice as the holidays are, it sure is nice to get back into a routine!

Part of the drowning feeling this year comes from the fact that I'm a woman without a home. So not only do I have the holidays to recover from, but I'm back in Maine after a visit to Canada, and trying to get settled back in to my home away from home.

At the beginning of the week, my sewing room looked like this...

And this doesn't include the massive pile of laundry.

Which leads me to wonder...how does one person end up with so much STUFF! I mean, it is all "necessary" (a word I use loosely) like clothes and toiletries and fabric. But how did it all get here? Where is it all going to go?

Which leads me to one of my goals for this new year: to be content and organized.

I want to work on better organizational habits (not just sprees) in keeping clutter at a minimum. I want to have systems in place that help me use my time wisely. And I want to be content with the things I have to avoid collecting even more stuff...stuff I do.not.need!

Things are already looking better...

I'm excited to see where this goal takes me! I'll be sharing some of my processes along the way, and you know it will include some free printables. :) I can't help myself in that area! Until then, I'd love to hear what has helped you in the past to create some organization and what you do to maintain the clutter in your home. Also, do you have any goals for 2014? I'd love to cheer you along!

New Year's Party at So Sew Organized

I'm excited to open this week with a party! I've got coupons and freebies for you this week from my shop...who's ready to get started?

I can't wait to introduce you to some new styles and products for 2014. The last year was a growing year for my shop, more so than ever before. I want this year to be even better! I am so excited to share it all with you, but first, will you help me clear out some extra stock? I'll be adding a few other original pieces over the course of the week, so keep checking back in. You'll love using these items to help make your new year so, sew organized! =)

Feel free to share...what are your favourite items from So Sew Organized, and what would you like to see offered in the coming months?

Post-Autumn sale: 50% off!

Autumn is winding to a close - some areas already have snow! We've seen flurries, but nothing significant yet, thank goodness. So for a limited time, I'm marking down the Autumn-inspired zippered pouches in my shop. No coupon is needed, I've simply lowered the price 50%!!

Falling Leaves

Stitcher's Block

Sunflowers

Now would be a great time to stock up on a few of these - either for yourself, or to give as gifts! I guarantee that if you have a few laying around, you will find uses for them on a regular basis. =)

These pouches have so many uses. I've used mine to organize the tote I carry every day. It is handy for things like business cards, makeup, or other little things that get lost in the bottom of my bag otherwise! And I don't even carry a large bag!

How fun would it be to fill one up - say as a sewing kit as seen above - and give it as a gift?

I'm kind of in love with these, and the whole concept of using pouches like this to organize my totes and purses. I look forward to adding more styles to my shop in the future!

Grab yours today while the price is low! And leave me a comment - how would you use these pouches?

So Organized: Bookshelves {again!}

You know me - I love a good organizing project! I’m coming to realize as I tackle more and more areas that you can’t just organize a space and be done with it. No, that space takes maintenance and occasionally some re-evaluation. Nothing wrong with that!

So recently I re-tackled a neglected area...these bookshelves in my room.

I had fixed them up nicely before, and even gone the extra mile to make them pretty...but the system had stopped working. I have since gotten new books, my needs have changed for the space, and my siblings have borrowed from these shelves several times over. :) A slight change and re-evaluation was in order!

In order to fit all my books in, I put double rows on some shelves with cereal boxes as props in the back row. You can see how I prettied up the boxes here. I love this system, but the boxes had a little problem…

There was just a lot of general messiness in this space! I had allowed it to become a catch-all, which is a very bad habit, I know. I need to be better about finding a place for a new item as soon as I get it. Any tips for me in that area? How do you make that a reality?

I took everything off the shelves and got to work. I finally decided to jump on the organize-by-color train. I have never been sure if I would like it that way, but so far I’m pretty happy with it!

The only areas that I didn’t use this method were on the kids books. For one thing, these are mostly in sets or series, so I figure those need to stay together. Plus my siblings use these books the most, and I KNOW they wouldn’t keep them that organized. :) There were also some larger books that only fit on the one tall shelf, so those had to stay there.

I decided to take advantage of the top of the shelf and put a row of books there along side of the little caddy that sits there. I had tried previously to keep this space more open, just because the open surface seemed to make the room feel less cluttered. The problem was, I always let it get cluttered with things :( so I decided I might as well put some books there instead! Plus it makes a nice backdrop for my kleenex. Or something like that.

Also on the top are my sewing and craft books. And the button jar.

Recently in a blog comment someone mentioned that the “experts” say a correctly styled bookshelf should be one third books, one third knick-knacks, and one third white space. In theory, that works very well, and I definitely wish I had the space to make that a reality. But I have too many books. :) I think that is a good problem to have! So instead, I let the books be the backdrop and I style a little in front of them.

My huge Jane Austen volume didn’t fit in the “green” section, so I used it to prop up this picture instead. I really love the beauty of the cover of that book anyway, so I’m glad it is front and center!

Below is a cloth bin that is holding some flip flops and sandals in easy reach.

A few birthday cards that I wanted to keep are hanging out on one shelf. I’m on the lookout for something to put them in that will add to the decor. I’m not one for sentimentality, but there were a handful this year that were really special to me that I didn’t want to just toss!

My various vintage-inspired tins make great bookends! Oh, and those boxes I use as props? I just popped a smaller box inside the larger, paper covered one, and that solved the caving-in issue! {If you are using a cereal box, a cracker box is about the perfect size!}

A final before:

...and after....

So far it is looking pretty good...and it always feels so great to have this area organized. It just makes the whole room feel so much better! I’d love some tips on how to keep it that way!


Linking up with: Womanhood with Purpose, Diana Rambles, My Romantic Home, Sundae Scoop,