I put a lot of pressure on myself. Really, I do. I judiciously attempt to be the right Mom. I crave being the right wife and partner. I attempt to be the right worker.  I challenge myself to be the right friend and family member. And you know what? There is always opportunity to fall short.

I won’t always get it right.  I will continue to adjust the recipe to find the right balance.  A little more laughter with the kids here.  A little more intentional togetherness with my husband there.  Learning to put the paint brush down and feel the existance around me.  Sometimes life is about meeting deadlines.  Sometimes it isn’t.  Do I recognize how to differentiate, define, and prioritize between the two?

Last night I took the time to be still for a few minutes as I watered the roses.  How do you fit time in your day to reflect on your priorities?

Does anyone out there struggle with getting behind on their to-do list?  I  always seem to be more ambitious with my intentions than there is time in the day.  And then there are the little hiccups that life throws at you to make you want to rip that list up into teenie, tiny little bitty pieces…but instead you just smile and press forward. 

Recently we transformed our study into a more functional living space for the family.  I hope you will recall the wood framed settee that “Committed Chaos” helped me find at World Market.  This is a super comfortable sitting area where I now enjoy reading and watching the kids play games.  I am not the only one who thinks this is the most comfy place to rest my tootsies.

Now I realize that going for the clean white look is all the rage.  As much as I love the look of a crisp, clean white room and accessories, it would never last in my color punched home.   I had no delusions that this settee would remain white…I had just hoped my need to change it wouldn’t come within three weeks of its humble beginnings.

Enter “Canine Chaos”…I love all of my babies, both human and furry, but it comes at a price.  Cameo is not the brightest bulb in the box.  Let’s just say her wattage is low…or the filament is flickering…well, she is just special.  But when you scold her she simply looks wide-eyed with that goofy tongue hanging out and says “Wha-a-a-at!?!”  (Yes, each animal has its own voice and accent…color me crazy.)

Since Cameo left her footprint signature so easily on the fabric, we needed a new option.  The seat cushion is very wide and would require several yards of upholstery fabric to cover it without leaving seams in obvious places.  My budget cringes at the idea of multiple yards of upholstery fabric…too expensive.  So I ran to our favorite red tag escape, Target, with “Commited Chaos” (he is really great about picking out linens, fabrics and textiles.)  Together we found a fabulous garnet colored, quilted…shower curtain.  You heard me right.  A shower curtain. On sale for $13.00 no less.  That would be enough fabric to cover the front, but what about the back?  Wouldn’t you know that there was a heavy polished linen table cloth in the exact same color for $9.00.  Done and Done.

I was super excited to have my step-mother in town for the weekend and we got busy with this idea of doing a gigantic pillow sham for the cushion out of the fabric we found (Thanks, MeMe!)  I was so excited about getting it done…that I forgot to take during pictures. Doh! One of these days I will get the hang of this blogging thing.

So the back of the cushion cover now has an opening of overlapping fabric (like a standard pillow sham) to slide the cushion in and out so it can be washed.  In each corner we did an inverted seam to fit to the depth of the cushion.  After the seat cushion was complete I found two coordinating taffeta fabrics at Jo-Ann’s on clearance for $7.00 a yard…bonus that it was an additional 50% off.  Two yards and $7.00 later, I had covered my four throw pillows.  

Now for a grand total of $30.00, it is not only comfortable, but it is vibrant, luxurious, and washable!!!!  Which is good because the second Cameo finds a mud puddle, she is looking for a place to wipe her paws.

Spring has rekindled my desire for cleanliness and order.  The windows have been opened.  Closets and cabinets are purged and organized.  In my last post we addressed my enjoyment of ribbon and how it can be incorporated into decorating, crafting and organizing.  So, during my recent cleaning spree it occurred to me that there might be a better way to store my extra spools of ribbon than the Sterlite plastic container they currently inhabit. 

I have been wanting to build a wrapping paper/ribbon station (because I am too cheap to buy one,) similar to the one pictured below at Centsational Girl.  It is so pretty and functional.  This is still an option, but I don’t know if I have the wall space in my laundry room where I would like it to go.  I began seeking more efficient and decorative ways to store ribbon.

I thought the  Papertrey Ink’s suggestion of ribbon clothespin storage was unique and inspired.  There is something timeless about the clothespins, they are an efficient use of space, and allow you to visualize and sort your ribbon easily.

Using special made cards and a ribbon ring, you can display your inventory from any hook.  The benefit to this system is that you can easily see and access your ribbon while working on projects.  To cut cost, you can hand make similar cards and use binder rings from an office supply store.

I have seen bottle drying racks used for storing ribbon and other spooled items.   This one at  Laurie Anna’s Vintage Home is classically beautiful…sigh…yet out of my price range.

 Here is a nifty wooden box  that stores ribbon and is $5.00, but it only holds six rolls at a time.  That wouldn’t be meet  my needs.  This option would be convenient if you wanted a few rolls handy for frequent projects.

 

Over at Spotted Canary, I was captivated by the use of tension rods (cafe curtain rods that you don’t need to drill holes for) to display rows of ribbons on bookshelves.

So what unique storage challenge do you have this spring? What ways have you thought of to make your life more organized?

UPDATE:

How about this cutie $1 thrift store find, painted black and hung on a wall.  Ribbon art!