One thing leads to another...

So, last week I talked about my love of boxes... well, those Paris boxes from Michael's were just calling my name.  I went right out and got them.  Then I wondered what I would do with them...

Of course, it meant completely reworking my office to accommodate those beautiful boxes.  I searched high and low, but could not find compatible magazine and accessory supply boxes to go with them, so I popped into Paper Source, on Fourth Street, and low and behold - they had everything I needed for an office redo, right down to file folders with the Eiffel Tower.

I must say straight out that am not a "craft" person.  In fact, I rail against most craftors (except for Martha) and their excessive need for TONS of stuff and crafts that NEVER seem to get finished, but that's another blog... Anyway, I ended up spending $100 on bookbinding cloth and papers and glue and brushes to transform my formerly orange and green boxes into these beauties!

 Then I added new labels and drawer pulls, and six hours with an aching back - voila - my organizing office has transformed to - a travel agency - well, not quite, but I do feel a trip coming on... I wonder where I might go?

Little boxes...

I love boxes.  Boxes contain things so very nicely.  They stack one upon another.  They fit on shelves and can sit on the floor.  They can be colorful or plain.  Made of wood, leather, metal, cardboard or wicker - I prefer organic materials.  They should have a lid, otherwise they wouldn't be box, they'd be a bin.

Yes, boxes are a good thing to have in a workspace.

My own group of wooden boxes came from Ikea.

My favorite boxes - Semikolon -  I am waiting for them to come out in teal.   Stockholm boxes, all from The Container Store

Love these from Bellocchio.

I am off to Michael's to see if I can find these in the store.    These lovelies are from Paper Source.

Red Pandan from Cost Plus and the green ones from Home Storage Concepts.

Good pens

I recently bought a new "good" pen to use only at my desk.  I've always liked good pens, defined as pens a bit more expensive than your average throwaways, and having some style.  I remember my first good pen was a Parker.

After losing all the good pens I ever bought, and now using a keyboard more than handwriting, I had forgotten about having a good pen.  But I saw this one, and even though blue is not my usual color choice, I decided I wanted it.  I love this pen now.  It will not leave my desk, so there is hope of keeping it for a while.

It appears from my brief researching on the net that fountains pens get a lot of attention in the "beautiful pens" category.  There is even a Fountain Pen Network.  There's a large site devoted to pen collectors at PenBookMarks.com.  The best site I found is PenHero.com, a very attractive site with beautiful photos of beautiful pens.  

This pen is reported to be the most expensive in the world...

A joint creation between Mont Blanc and Van Cleef and Arpels, it sold for $730,000, with 840 diamonds and 20 carats of gemstones.  It's actually called a "writing instrument", rather than pen...

 

David Oscarson's "Pierrot" pen is only $5,000.

Alas, my new pen is not listed in their pen gallery... but I think that's just because it hasn't been photographed properly.

So, here it is - my inspiring new pen - it's called "Riveria" by Monte Verde, $60.

All I can say is WOW!

These days on the internet one place leads to another...somehow I was lead to this blog, Frenchie and Flea.  I am thrilled to find Emily Baker and even happier that she is based in San Francisco.   This woman is brilliant and inspired, as you can see from her post about her new workspace...

Well, without further ado, here it is! My new kitchen nook / workspace! Its a small little space but its filled with inspiration and organized supplies for easy access and crafting time!

I bought all my white storage containers and files from The Container Store, the shelfing unit from IKEA(now only $69!). I used apothecary jars to hold my labels and paint brushes, and repurposed candle sticks (made by my friend Ellie) to hold my twine & string. I reused one some of my wedding decorations to hold cards and paper goodies I've collected...and I framed some Kraft paper and use drafting tape (easily removeable) to create inspiration boards that can change on a whim!

This table is something I found at the fabulous Alameda Flea Market the first time I went with Allegra. It's a vintage card table from London and is one of my favorite colors! I love that it can fold up if I need extra space too....oh ya, and it was only $40!

Make sure you check out our House Tour on Apartment Therapy today for more pics of our little city nest! The wonderful Jess Watson has taken the most fabulous photos of our home! THANK YOU JESS!


{all photos by Jess Watson}