See Jane Work | Office Style and Organization Ideas

Join Me At The ltdLive Conference

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Holly

Pardon me for straying from my usual blog post content, but I needed to let you know about an exciting event that I will be attending, it’s ltdLive in Pasadena on February 1^st and 2^nd.

If you’ve started a business or are thinking about starting a business you won’t want to miss this event. Get all your start-up questions answered and meet other women who share your passion. I’ll be part of a panel on February 1st and would love to meet you. So if you can make it please pull me aside to say hi!

Here are the details:

To sign up or for additional information, including the complete list of participating speakers, visit www.ltd365live.com.

Can’t make it? Don’t worry you can join me (@seejaneworkbuzz), Britt Michaelian (@MamaBritt) and Liz Dennery Sanders (@SheBrandLiz) for an ltdLive (@ltdlive) Twitter Chat (#ltdlive). We’ll be talking about building your brand. It’s January 26th, that’s tomorrow, at 11 am PST or 2 pm EST. You’ll even get an opportunity to ask questions. Don’t miss it.

Posted in Holly Bohn-Weiss | Comments Off

Making Sense of Color Trends

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Holly

Yes, yes, I’ve heard. The Pantone color of the year is Tangerine Tango, shown below in case your internet has been down for the last few months and you have no idea what I’m talking about.

But what does this mean??? Does it mean you need to incorporate this color into your wardrobe in order to be stylish? Does it mean you need to repaint a wall in your home or buy orange throw pillows for the couch? Don’t freak out just yet. You are still stylish and trendy even if you hate the color orange.

Personally, I love it. I can’t wear safety cone orange, but I can wear peach. As for décor, the blue and orange color combination is one of my favorites. As an orange lover I’m not too worried about the color of the year. As a designer it’s a little irritating because it’s all I hear about. Can’t every color have a color of the year? Why can’t they forecast the most popular shade of blue, green and orange?

I don’t have all the answers (just ask my husband). And if you remember from past posts, designing is my second career, my first was as an accountant, but what I do know is that personal preference doesn’t change every year. In fact, I don’t know a single person who has chosen their favorite color based on a trend forecast. When I break down website product sales by color it’s about the same every year, no matter what the trend.

So don’t worry, buy whatever color you like. Just know that orange accessories will be easy to find in 2012 so if you like orange or have wanted to experiment with it in your office or home this is the time to find it.

Brown and orange is a great choice for the office. It has a luxe feel thanks to a well-known brand that shall remain nameless for legal reasons (but has orange bags and is completely out of my budget). Here is an example of a brown and orange home office.

Another office color combination I love is blue and orange. Here is an example from a back issue of Martha Stewart Living. Spray paint an inexpensive plastic tape dispenser to the get the same look as the one in the photo.

So what do you think about the color of the year?

Posted in Home Office, Office Style | 4

Time Management With I Heart Organizing’s Jennifer Jones

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Holly

The whole blogging craze has me feeling a little inadequate. Not a “go out and buy a Corvette” kind of inadequate. It’s the girl kind, you know the “she does it better” inadequate. I visit great blogs, like I Heart Organizing and see entire homes that are both stylish and organized. I don’t know about you, but when I finish one room it seems like another room has managed to come undone. How do other women find the time? Well, I decided to ask the lovely Jennifer Jones of I Heart Organizing.

Holly Bohn-Weiss: I wanted to interview you because I think you’ve done such a great job of combining style and organization, especially considering you are a busy mother and blogger. I love the transformations in your house. What’s your favorite room?

Jennifer Jones: My living room. It’s this vibrant green color that makes me smile whenever I walk in the room. We spend most of our time there. It’s the room I’m completely done with—one of the only rooms I can say that about.

HBW: Is your house always perfect?

JJ:I’m glad you asked that. I get asked that a lot. We are a family of 5 in a house that isn’t very big so a mess can look like a mess pretty quickly, but because we have so many systems in place we can also get it cleaned up quickly. It’s lived in for sure. I do show some pictures of it messy.

HBW: People ask me about my desk all the time. “Is this really what your desk looks like?” No, of course not! Trust me, people only think they want to see it messy. A photo should be pretty. On the subject of photography, who does your photography?

JJ: I do.

HBW: Are you professionally trained?

JJ: No

HBW: That’s amazing! You have great photography. I would never know. I’ve been at a lot of photo shoots with highly trained photographers and your photography can compare.

JJ: Thank you. I am taking a photography class. I just adjust my shutter speeds.

HBW: Impressive

JJ: [laugh]

HBW: Did you grow up with organized parents?

JJ: They were pretty average. My mom and grandmother are collectors. They have a hard time letting go and purging and I see that when I visit. Growing up my stepdad would give me a garbage bag to clean out my room every couple months.

HBW: Were you always organized through the years?

JJ: I noticed it in high school when I would organize my backpack. Also I worked in life insurance and I managed a team so I had to be pretty organized. I worked 60 hours a week and commuted one hour each way between work and as a mother of three I had to be organized.

HBW: So that’s what you did preblog days?

JJ: Yeah, then it just got to be too much. When I first stayed at home I would watch other kids. That’s when I started blogging. Then blogging started taking up too much time and I had to stop doing the daycare.

HBW: I see that you use binders a lot. Do you use them for the business side of things as well?

JJ: I do. Binders work best for me. I can find exactly what I’m looking for without having to dig through a file. I only use files for archive items, like tax returns or for the kids’ school stuff. I mostly use binders or go paperless.

HBW: Does paperless make you nervous?

JJ: I like that I can easily retrieve things online. There is some risk that you have to manage. We keep extremely important documents off site in a safety deposit box.

HBW: Do you have a backup system for your computer?

JJ: We have an external backup and are researching online backup systems.

HBW: Once you put a system in place do you ever find the need to fine tune it or redo it?

JJ: Yes, My projects are always evolving as I’m learning or being inspired.

HBW: When are you most inspired? Walking the aisles of stores? Middle of the night? Reading magazines?

JJ: I find inspiration everywhere, magazines were one of the places I turned first, but now the blog world has changed all of that. There are so many amazing, creative and inspiring blogs. I also love Pinterest and walking through stores like IKEA.

HBW: How do you balance work and motherhood?

JJ: There are days that are hard to juggle. I’m growing faster than I anticipated—so managing all the emails, working with sponsors, giveaways and my Etsy shop is a lot. There have been moments when I’m overwhelmed. I have to chunk out my day and turn it all off when my family is home. I work when they are sleeping or at school.

HBW: When did you start officially?

JJ: September 2009

HBW: Wow, you’ve grown so quickly.

JJ: I was featured on Young House Love soon after I started blogging. The social networking, the Facebooking and a lot of other blog features contributed to my growth. I also get a lot of traffic from Pinterest.

HBW: From your Pinterest?

JJ: No, I don’t upload my own work. My readers pin from my blog and then it gets repined. It’s been amazing.

HBW: Do you teach your kids to be organized?

JJ: I work with all of them on being organized. We have chore charts that help. We also stay on top of them and have them pick up when they are done. The biggest thing I do is communicate that when we all work together or have a place for everything we have more time together as a family. My oldest son does have some organizing trouble. My husband crashed [décor blog lingo for a surprise visit] his desk at school and it was a total mess.

HBW: You better work on him he’s going to give you a bad rap.

JJ: [laugh] He just doesn’t have that organizing bug. They’re all so different.

HBW: How do you manage your time? Do you really turn it all off? Do you have a smart phone?

JJ: I do and it’s really tempting to go look when I hear the ding of a new email. I’m getting better about ignoring those sounds. There are so many things that make it easy to get sucked in, which is not fair to anyone. I’m reading emails, but not taking action. Then I read the same emails again later so no one ends up getting my undivided attention, my readers or my kids.

HBW: What do you do during family time?

JJ: We have a thousand games, we play games even at dinner. We’re never home during the summer, we’re traveling—going to parks, movies, relatives’ homes.

HBW: I always feel like such a bad mom so I’m going off track here with this family time stuff. I’m trying to figure out if I can redeem myself. What are all these games? This sounds like something I can do.

JJ: [laugh] Monopoly, a family dinner board game, a dice game.

HBW: I’m going straight to the store to load up my cart with games. The only hard part will be actually making the time to play them. Do you schedule family time?

JJ: I used to write it into my planner and now we just do it.

HBW: Do you schedule time for exercise? What things do you write in your planner?

JJ: I usually record appointments and things the kids need for school. I’m not good about personal time. The blog ends up being my personal time. Being a mom I’m not good about making time for myself.

HBW: Working moms sometimes get a rough deal because our family counts our work time as our free time. When I get home from a business trip my husband wants to hand the kids over. Speaking of husbands, do you schedule time with your husband?

JJ: Yes we do, his family is great for babysitting so we can go out. Our DIY projects are our time together or we play games after the kids go to bed. We spend a lot of time together with the blog.

HBW: Do you use a digital or written calendar?

JJ: I write it down. I tried to go digital and didn’t like it. I’m old school—I use a planner write everything down. I take it with me everywhere. I use an Erin Condren planner. Everything she makes is personalized.

HBW: Do you use a wall calendar for your kids?

JJ: We have something newer we are using. I’m getting schedules—I’ll be blogging about this in the future—every kid has their own schedule—I put their chores in there and their obligations for school, schedules, etc. They stay the same from week to week. I just put them in a frame. My husband and I look at them every week. They have their own calendar/chore chart. Combining it all into one place has helped simplify the process.

HBW: Do you often find yourself refining and redoing processes?

JJ: With every major life change my husband and I have rehashed what is working and not working and try to problem solve some of that stuff. Like when I started daycare or when I started blogging full-time. Every life change forces us to take a step back and reevaluate, but there are some things that evolve on their own.

HBW: It sounds like you guys communicate well.

JJ: I’m an over communicator. We talk about the schedule—who will do what. Do we need to schedule time away? We have a Sunday pow-wow. My husband is such a big help. I look at single moms and I don’t know how they do it.

HBW: This is all really great advice for families trying to balance life and work. I really struggle with balance in my life.

JJ: The time-management thing is something I struggle with as well. It’s something I don’t feel like I do well. I don’t take time for myself. I recently had to stop taking on clients. My goal in 2012 is to not be so burned out. This year I’m going to learn to say no.

HBW: That has to be really hard to turn away work?

JJ: I was a “yes” girl. I wouldn’t turn away work. It’s hard to go back to posting 4 days a week instead of 5. It’s hard to say I can’t make labels. My youngest is still home a half-day. The number of hours in a day just isn’t enough.

HBW: Switching gears again. What are some hot stylish organizing projects on your list?

JJ: We have a big wall in our kitchen that I want to take down to better use the space we have in our kitchen living room area. I think it could be a more functional space—easier to watch the kids—better storage—better flow. We’ve been putting some pennies away and hope this is the year it will happen.

HBW: Do you have magazine tears you save for inspiration?

JJ: I have Pinterest. I’ve pinned so many inspirational kitchens. I can pin pictures that have the traits I’m looking for. Then I show my husband the commonalities. If I show my husband pictures he gets it.

HBW: Do your kids have to make their beds in the morning?

JJ: No they don’t. I gave up. It’s a time-management issue and it just wasn’t worth it.

HBW: Oh finally I feel better.

JJ: [laugh] 80-90% of the population doesn’t make their beds in the morning. It’s all so much work.

HBW: Any SJW products on your wish list? [You can’t blame a girl for trying.]

JJ: I go to your website all the time. It’s so pretty and I love the bright colors, the stacking boxes.

HBW: Our new storage collection will be here soon. We will even have binders to match the See Jane Work Basics.

JJ: Everything I can put in a box I will put in a box.

HBW: That’s the perfect ending to this interview. A great organizing tip for any space—put it in a box!

Jennifer is in the process of creating a new home office in her basement. While I eagerly await pictures of that completed space, I’ll share her current “closet” home office to inspire you.

Click here to visit Jennifer’s blog I Heart Organizing.

Posted in Home Office, Office Style, Time-Management | 8

Kitchen Counter Clutter, An Interview With Melissa Picheny

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Holly

Holly Bohn-Weiss: How did you get started?

Melissa Picheny:I had a natural desire to help friends and family get organized. I found that once they could let go of old habits they were able to move forward with their lives.

HBW: That’s a really profound observation, we could probably stop now [smile], but I have too many questions. Were your parents organized? Were you organized growing up?

MP: My mom was very organized, but my dad would hold onto things. My room was pretty organized, but I placed an emotional attachment to everything I owned. After moving to the city [NYC] and into a tiny apartment there was one weekend that I was stuck in my apartment and surrounded by my stuff. There was a particular moment that I was staring at all of my stuff and I began evaluating my things, questioning my reasons for holding onto them and it was a life-changing moment. It started with tossing just one item, but once I started letting go of these “things”, it felt so good I kept going. I spent the weekend going through my entire apartment and donating or tossing what I no longer needed. That process definitely changed me; helped me grow up. I loved the way I felt and I knew I wanted to help others have that same feeling of letting go.

HBW: When did you actually start organizing as a business?

MP: In 2004. I started doing it part-time for two years, while I was working as a TV Producer. It was a natural transition because producing has a similar skill-set to organizing. You have to be able to visualize the end result and all the little steps it takes to get there.

HBW: So you were a TV Producer and organizing on evenings and weekends? You must be organized. I’ve known people in production and that is one crazy busy job. I don’t know how you did it. Those are two very demanding jobs.

MP: The word lazy is not in my vocabulary. [Laugh]

HBW: Obviously! Were you scared to leave your “real” job?

MP: Not really. I had this blind faith that it was going to work out. Kind of like when you first fall in love.

HBW: That’s such a great analogy. I imagine that most entrepreneurs experience that same feeling or they wouldn’t take the leap.

MP: I have been very fortunate in that I’ve had a lot of encouragement from friends and family; my parents were really supportive. I also took a very methodical approach to starting the business. During the two years I still had my other job I was building the business on the side. I saved money, created a business plan, and networked. By the time I took the leap to organize full-time I had enough organizing clients and booked my first staging job.

HBW: So would you consider yourself a type A personality? Do you think all organizers are?

MP: When I saw that you were going to ask this question I went and looked it up. I realized that if I’m looking it up then I am Type A.

HBW: [Laugh] That’s going to be the gold standard now for assessing whether or not someone is Type A. So now we know you’re Type A, but what about Type C. Everyone tells me I’m Type C, which stands for crazy because I’m not only obsessed with organization, but I’m obsessed with closets and storage being perfect—you know matching containers and labeling.

MP: [Laugh] No I’m not like that at all. If you’re too perfect it will make you crazy. I tell my clients that on a daily basis not everything has to be in its perfect place; it’s not realistic. You have to be able to live and enjoy life. I tell my clients they are successfully organized if they can put it all away within 30-60 min. Let’s say someone calls to say they are stopping by, if you feel comfortable having them come over because you can get everything in its place, then you’ve reached the goal.

HBW: You have so many great one-liners. That’s a great way to assess personal organization. It’s ok to have stuff out, but can you put it away quickly when you need to? I want to ask you a million more questions, but I better get to the subject matter. Have you ever struggled with kitchen counter clutter?

MP: No

HBW: Really, never—that’s annoying I thought everyone did. Is it a major problem for your clients?

MP: It’s a big problem.

HBW: Is it a problem for people with kids or everyone? I like to blame my kids for all my problems so I’m just checking.

MP: Many people struggle with kitchen counter clutter-or KCC as I like to call it-whether they’re single, married or have kids.

HBW: KCC, I’m using your buzzword for Kitchen Counter Clutter, was a struggle for me because my kitchen is very visible from anywhere in the house and I didn’t want ugly organizing stuff all over the counter. Have you had this same concern from clients?

MP: Clutter is debilitating no matter where it is. It just happens in the kitchen because it’s a home base; it’s where most people use as a dumping ground for all of the “stuff’ that comes into their home.

HBW: You work in NYC and with the popularity of the TV Show Selling New York I think everyone wants to know if the people in those luxurious 5th Avenue apartments have a problem with clutter.

MP: I work in those apartments all the time. Kitchen Counter Clutter is not a financial issue; it’s a time-management issue.

HBW: So the only difference with those clients is they have the space for a dedicated area in their kitchen and can afford to build custom cabinets to your specifications?

MP: Yes [laugh]

HBW: I’m jealous. Is there one system you recommend or do you come up with a new plan for each client?

MP: I create an individual plan for each client so there is no one method. You have to consider someone’s personality and schedule before creating their system. The one commonality is teaching them to make this a priority, to better manage their time and to learn to deal with things immediately rather than putting them off.

HBW: Without giving away your trade secrets can you tell us what steps someone should take to come up with a plan?

MP: Set aside time. Evaluate incoming paperwork. Make rules. Set locations.

HBW: Can you give me an example of a rule?

MP: Well a lot of city clients get their mail as they come into their building and then they have the ride in the elevator up to their apartment. I encourage them to use the elevator time to make decisions about each piece of mail. By the time they get into their apartment they can quickly put it where it goes, rather than piling it on a counter or chair because they know where everything should go.

HBW: What are some tools that you use? Go to places for supplies? [Whispering] Please say seejanework.com, please say seejanework.com. Just kidding, be honest tell me where you go.

MP: [laugh] I do go to See Jane Work a lot. I also like Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store. I like to go where there is a nice looking consistent offering.

HBW: Favorite products?

MP: It’s hard to recommend products because everyone is so different.

HBW: I can understand that. I am sometimes hesitant to recommend a product because people with organizing issues run out and buy it thinking that that one product is going to solve their problems.

MP: That’s so true. That’s why I named my firm declutter + design. First you declutter, and then you design. Don’t buy ANYTHING [she didn’t yell anything, but she did emphasize it], until you have a plan. I also try to repurpose items in my client’s home, there’s no sense in buying more stuff if it’s not necessary.

HBW: Do you have an area for paperwork or a junk drawer in your kitchen?

MP:No

HBW: Nothing, what about take-out menus?

MP: Nope I use Seamless Web. [www.seamless.com, sadly this is not available in all cities.]

HBW: What about a junk drawer? I have bins in my junk drawer so everything has a place, even little pieces to my kids’ toys. [I thought she would be impressed that my junk drawer is organized. I was wrong.]

MP: Why do you keep pieces to the toys?

HBW: Well they break off and if I throw them away the kids get upset.

MP: Do their toys have a place that they belong?

HBW: Yes

MP: Then why don’t the pieces go there as well?

HBW: I guess because I’m too lazy to take the tiny piece to their room. I could have a weekly family meeting and everyone takes their stuff and puts it away or I throw it away.

MP: That’s a good idea.

HBW: Thank you so much for talking with me today. When I’m next in NYC let’s have lunch [I’m really just trying to find a way to get into her house and look in her kitchen drawers.]

Melissa is like a therapist. She led me to a solution rather than suggesting it for me. She didn’t even come to my house and she helped me get organized. But wait, I’m supposed to be an organizing professional. Now I can’t decide if I feel better or worse.

To learn more about Melissa and her services visit her website at www.declutteranddesign.com.

Here are some fun images of kitchens that Melissa decluttered and designed.

Posted in Organize Your..., Time-Management | 9

Organize Your Storage

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Holly

Organizing your storage doesn’t have to be complicated, but somehow it ends up being just that. If you’re not a weirdo, like me, you should probably stop reading. In other words, if mismatched plastic bins and labels written in permanent marker don’t bother you then just keep doing what you’re doing.

I don’t understand why stores change plastic storage bin colors, latches and shapes every season. Does anyone really care if their storage is in this season’s hottest color? My garage or office storage ends up being a mess. New bin sizes don’t stack properly or fit on my existing shelving. When I’ve tried to reorganize it all again and stock up on extra bins, I still end up needing more than I purchased.

I took a look at various sizes of bins, prices and of course how long the design has been around. I also looked at different ways to label the storage so I can easily find what I’m looking for and easily change the label with the contents.

My favorite bin right now is the Office Depot Clear File Tote. They also have fun colors, but I decided to stick with clear as I know it won’t change. These bins are the right size for most items including letter and legal size files. Office Depot also runs frequent promotions on this item. At this moment they are having double-reward points.

To label the bins I affix an M.O. Document Pocket available on www.seejanework.com. The Document Pockets are intended for customizing project or presentation folders, but they work great for holding labels on plastic storage bins.

Why use Document Pockets for labeling? I can print the labels on regular 8.5” x 11” paper and simply cut it in half and insert into the pocket. I can easily change the label if the contents change. The label is really large and easy to read and the size is consistent among the items being stored. Also the document pocket provides protection from the label rubbing or falling off.

Here are the steps:

The Label being used is a simple Word Document printed on standard letter size paper. I can print two labels per page and simply cut them in half to fit into the pocket. Save the document on your computer so that you are consistent with font style and size.

The labeled bin is easy to read.

The clear file totes from Office Depot stack well.

Posted in Home Office, Office Organization, Organize Your... | 3

Resolution Planning

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Holly

Lose 10 lbs, spend more time with family, create a budget and stick to it… it’s good to have lofty goals, but sometimes you need to break those goals into smaller more manageable steps in order to stay on course and actually achieve those resolutions.

My goal in 2012 is to spend smarter. While having more funds available for charitable purposes or a rainy day is important, it’s not my main objective. The goal here is to model sound financial practices for my three children. Well, that and the fact that smart purposeful spending is always in style.

In order to track my progress I needed to break this goal into realistic steps. I thought I would share a few of those steps with you.

Organize Receipts

The ability to locate a receipt is critical for work reimbursements, tax write-offs or simply store returns. And if you’ve ever spent an hour dumping out handbags or combing through the center console of your vehicle only to end up donating your new, but too small, cashmere sweater to the thrift store you know the waste of lost receipts.

I’m going to use the Galison Accordion Organizer in black, but you could also use the Receiptables-Money, the Receipt Catcher-Car, or a small accordion check file. I’m going to keep it in my purse while traveling and in my car when running errands. EVERY receipt is going in there. Each week or month I’ll get rid of any receipts that should be saved temporarily to match to a bank statement or for consumables like groceries. At the same time I’ll fill out my expense report and make a note on any receipts that are tax related.

Receiptables-Money

Galison Accordion Organizer

Receipt Catcher-Car

As an added bonus I’ll be better able to track how I’ve spent cash.

I’ll save online shopping receipts in a folder in my email box; printing out or backing up any receipts that are needed for tax purposes.

Plan Menus

Growing up in a house with a mother that can best be described as spontaneous I never knew what it meant to plan dinner. One month we were vegetarians and my mom prepared meals like cottage cheese loaf (yes, there is such a thing) and falafels, the next month she served only soup. The point is there was no plan, she bought what looked good at the store and then made a plan about an hour before we were to eat. Now don’t get me wrong I love my mom and my house was certainly a fun place to grow up, but there is a time and place for spontaneity and if you want to save money, the grocery store is not it.

When planning my weekly menu I’m going to focus on buying seasonal produce. I’ll use the See Jane Work What to Eat/What to Buy list each Friday morning or afternoon. I’ll pick up what I can at Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning and then shop for the rest over the weekend. When the chaotic week hits I’ll be relieved to know exactly what my family is eating and have the necessary ingredients on hand. I’ll save money, time and hopefully calories.

As a bonus I’m going to save the meal plans so at the year’s end I’ll have a year of meal plans that I can reuse. Routine can be boring for some, but for a working mother it’s a necessity.

Follow a Daily Checklist

Whether it’s workday tasks, running errands, Saturday chores or time for myself I’m going to make a plan each day and stick to it (well-mostly).

I’ll use the See Jane Work To Do List, the Bob’s Your Uncle No Tomorrow Planner Pad or maybe even the Kate Spade Long List Pad at the start of each morning. I’ll prioritize my tasks and plan the most expedient route to completion. I hope to save gas, time and frustration. (You might wonder how frustration comes into saving money. I can assure you that more money is spent on wine, food and/or long distance calls at the end of frustrating days.)

Bob’s Your Uncle No Tomorrow Planner Pad

Kate Spade Long List Pad

Whether it’s over my morning coffee or before everyone else arrives at work, I’m going to better plan how I want my day to go and what I hope to accomplish.

Remember whether you have a lot or a little, money (like everything else) should never be wasted. In addition to my financial organization, there are some additional things I’ll be working on in the New Year. I’ve illustrated them for you.

Posted in Financial Organization, Holly Bohn-Weiss, Motivational | 1

Fashion Inspired Office Décor-Yellow

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Holly

The runways for spring 2012 are full of bright yellows in a variety of hues. My complexion doesn’t favor yellow so I was thrilled to see so many options from purses to pants. I decided that if worn away from my face yellow could work for me so I invested in some yellow J. Crew pants. I’ve been amazed at yellow’s versatility. I’ve worn the pants with navy blue, pink, grey and of course black. In decorating I’ve always loved yellow and grey together, but the runways and this personal fashion experience have given me lots of new ideas.

Pair the yellow Bella Leather Desk Set with Semikolon paperboard boxes or binders in navy, black, grey or even tan. The See Jane Work Basic Storage in chocolate also looks great with yellow. You’ll be surprised and inspired by the versatility of this color in fashion and décor. Give this trend a try!

1. Bella Blotter

2. Bella Pencil Cup

3. Bella Leather Mousepad

4. Susy Jack Notebook

5. Semikolon Notebook

6. Semikolon Magazine Box

7. Semikolon Document Box

Posted in Fashion Inspired Decor, Office Style | 3

Repurposed Storage

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Holly

Life is full of change. One moment you’re single and carefree the next you have three kids and a mortgage. Well maybe it wasn’t exactly a moment, but sometimes it feels that way.

About 1% of the population plans their life out perfectly; you know the ones who prepare for each chapter of their life long before they’ve gotten through the introduction. The other 99% of us figure it out as we go. It’s not that we don’t try to plan; it’s just that sometimes the best laid plans don’t work out.

I’ve learned to adapt quickly. A recovering planner I thought I could control every direction and aspect of my life. I learned the hard way that the only thing I could do well was laugh and make the best of my current situation.

Sometimes making the best of a current situation means using what’s on hand to solve a storage dilemma. Remember I started See Jane Work in 2003 when office supplies were ugly, but I still needed to decorate my office. I did it by repurposing items. A vase for a pencil cup, same size shoe boxes covered in fabric and used as storage, and an egg holder for…………

• Your nightstand to hold jewelry that you remove each night

• Small office supplies that can otherwise clutter your desktop

• Beads and other small craft supplies in your workshop

Here is how it looks on the desktop:

Egg holder available at Anthropologie.

Post your unique office storage solution in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift certificate from See Jane Work.

Posted in Home Office, Office Organization, Office Style | 19

Useful Collections

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Holly

Like love handles and grey hair, collections have a way of popping up. Take my mother-in-law for example, she loves jam and jelly. As a result she buys more than she can possibly consume, so now she has a jelly collection that we lovingly refer to as her Jelly Museum. I collect striped ceramics. Here are a few pieces from my collection:

Jonathan Adler Prozac Jar available at www.jonathanadler.com

Terramoto Ceramics Striped Bowls available at Coastline Tabletop

Accidental collector or not, at some point you have to set limits based on the amount of space you have to actually store or display your collection; unless of course you want to end up in an intervention on an episode of Hoarders. Why not focus on collecting something that can actually be put to good use?

I’ve always spoken out against displaying collections in the office, but recently I’ve had a change of heart. My newest collection of silver trophy cups and vases is being put to use in my office.

(I love silver and white almost as much as I love black and white stripes.)

By limiting my collections to objects that are useful, I have more storage and spend less time dusting. My silver trophy cups and vases hold paper clips, paint brushes and pencils in my office. My striped bowls are used in the kitchen to hold fruit while the striped jar holds sugar. I’ve also got my eye on a striped pitcher that I’ll use for flowers. Collecting becomes a fun challenge when it serves a purpose. It can also add style and individuality to your workspace.

What are you collecting?

Posted in Office Style, Organize Your... | 3

Decorate Your Office Walls

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Holly

Sometimes art is the inspiration behind a room and other times it’s the last thing you need to complete a room. When outfitting an office decorating your walls becomes an even greater challenge. Whether you like it or not, you will be judged by your coworkers, clients, boss and anyone else who sets foot in your office, so choose your artwork wisely.

I am very particular about what I put on my walls. I don’t “decorate.” There is no pressure for me to cover every available surface. Art has to be meaningful to me; it has to make me laugh, jog a memory or otherwise inspire me.

I’ve done several blog posts that relate back to office walls. I’ve hung chairs as shelves, artists’ canvas as bulletin boards and magnet boards in a grouping, but I haven’t shown you true art that will look great in your office.

There are a few styles that I think are fun for the office.

Here is some message art. I consider this type of art to be a stylish version of the tacky inspirational office posters.

1. Nick Agin, Pick Your Battles.

2. Mike Monteiro, Untitled.

3. Austin Kleon, Open Road.

4. Artist: Craig Damrauer, The New Math of Relationships.

(All prints above available at 20 x 200.com, a great new place to shop for art.)

I love prints from Sugar Fresh, but they might be too juvenile for the office. On the other hand juvenile art might be better understood by some of the people you work with.

To see more Sugar Fresh art here is the link.

I was so inspired by this message art that, together with a graphics person (Heather Doyle) I work with, I created my own office message art. Humor helps me at work, so please don’t be offended. I think it’s so funny I might end up printing it and selling it. Let me know what you think.