Lots of things really.

Traveling:

To India!

For a visit with my twin brother (who lives there with his fun family) and an inspirational journey to take in the sights, the amazing colors and the experience of it all.

And quite honestly, the Taj is on my bucket list.

I’ve climbed temples in the jungles of Guatemala, ridden a camel around the pyramids of Cairo, Egypt and recently went whale watching in Puerto Vallarta (not to mention zip lining through the rain forest there)…

And I, being a true Sagittarius (oh yes, you read that correctly) have a bit of wanderlust and a great love for adventure and new experience.

As an interior designer, I believe it is crucial to expand one’s mind beyond the current issue of our favorite shelter mags and really see things for ourselves.  I always come back from my travels a different person.

My soul gets expanded, my brain is abuzz with new data and  I have a renewed passion for my work.

Any trip, anywhere can be inspirational, it doesn’t have to be an across the world journey.

Because Mr. V will probably stay home with the Beans (and we have some other trips planned together), I will most likely travel with my dear friend Lori:

Who will undoubtedly poison me for posting this picture of her at my bridal shower 6 years ago (it was an English tea/hat party).

Lori and I have been friends for many moons and get each other.

She is also a very talented interior designer and a world traveler.

I think that fact she has a slight British accent will add to our shenanigans.

So…as torn up as I am that I won’t be experiencing India with my incredible other half (and truly my best friend), Mr. V, I am looking forward to the journey with a fellow artist.

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And I’m thinking about:

ORGANIZATION!

(Always)

Looking for better systems, a slight obsession with office supplies and the compulsive need to put things in things has my wheels turning.

(Always)

In the summer (when it’s supposedly slower-but never is) I try to redo the library in our studio and clean up samples etc.

Leah, my office manager is super organized and I just know she will love the tasks on next week’s list.

BINS (for fabrics, trims, carpets etc):

We currently have several walls of this:

Which have certainly been functional over the years, but not very attractive.

So I’d like to do something more like this with tags attached:

These are from the Container Store which is opening on August 13th in Charlotte!  I was very sad to see Joseph Beth Booksellers go but at least another one of my obsessions could take it’s place.

It’s funny how when you are thinking of something, it seems to pop up everywhere.

Just watched an epi of Million Dollar Decorators (MY NEW FAVORITE SHOW- Bravo Tuesday night)

and Jeffrey Alan Marks had these all over his office.

That’s a blurry pic of Ross, (JAM’s partner and keep it together guy) in their office with rattan baskets with tags (even though it’s hard to tell- sorry)

And Suzanne Kasler’s office:

More “wickery” baskets

Bunny Williams seems to go for the woven baskets too:

One of my design crushes, Celerie Kemble, has shelves that seem to be a little more realistic:

Although, I found this on Eclectic:

Celerie Kemble’s bins-yay!

Sidney Wagner (from Eclectic) organizes her samples in canvas bins:

How do you organize yours?

And:

New PEN ALERT!!!

The Foray Liquid Rollerball Pen

has surpassed my love of the Pilot Precise V7.

The Foray comes in fine or medium.

My heart belongs to medium.

And:

My fellow designer and blogger friend: Traci Zeller

alerted me to my new favorite App:

My friends, I give you EVERNOTE

It’s free and it’s fantastic.

It is available for desktop, (Mac and PC), iPhone, Android, and iPad.

Traci told me she organizes all her client information with folders that she can put pictures in and notes.

I downloaded the clip feature to my tool bar so whenever I am surfing the web I can clip a selected picture or a whole page and place it in whatever folder I would like.

This is a screen shot of rugs I have been looking at for my home.  I simply created a “Home” folder and have put pictures of rugs (and I can tag each picture “rug” for easy searching) that I am interested in.

I can also take pictures with my phone camera and download directly to a folder…

This is my “camera” folder and I snapped this picture with my iPad of a lens I want to buy when I was in Office Depot the other day, (buying Foray pens).

I haven’t even scratched the surface of what this App can do (note taking, sharing folders and notes etc) but I am loving finding new features…

THANKS for sharing Traci!

Please share your organization ideas…I never get tired of it.

Enjoy,

@