Chez Larsson Organizing Tips

I'm so excited that Benita of Chez Larsson has shared her organizing tips with all of us. See her top tips and more pictures of her house right here.

Returning Home and Rearranging

As I mentioned on AT today, I traveled pretty light through China and got a little obsessed with keeping things to a minimum. So when I came home I started rearranging and purging. Here is a during and after of my desk/office area. The after only shows the part I'm happy with. The desk itself, well, you'll have to use your imagination for that. Hint: It might involve a 'yikes!'.


These were the best homecoming gift. My mom brought me two stems from the orchid she inherited from my gramma.

The Move

So I'm in Day 2 of the move. How did things go from this to what I'm living in now? I'm looking forward to everything having a place (and being in it)...

Good stuff to take a look at

Inspiration Hacks for Creative People via Zen Habits
How to be a better guest and How to get a jump on '08 Christmas Shopping via 43 Folders
Great projrct for the weekend and the importance of saying no via unclutterer
Incredible work spaces via swiss miss
25 Firefox extenstion to make life easier via LifeDev

We really ought to have a Habitat

But we don't and the rest of the world seems to. Maybe one day LA will have a Muji, too. Anyway, I love this box which is specifically storage for under the bed. So pragmatic and simple. Charming.

I also love these boxes. I'd like them in every color lining perfectly whte shelves, nothing out of place:


This magazine rack would be a step up from piles:


And I'd love to set my coffee down on this:

This is nuts

I'm thinking about christmas.

I have this crazy obsession (?) with the idea that I could have fabulous presents picked out for every single one of my nearest and dearest, all wrapped, all tagged, all beautiful by thanksgiving. This would free me up to do all those things you're supposed to do during the holidays: see people, bake stuff, decorate, hang. You get it. So, here's what I'm considering AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER. Geez.


Felt Mistletoe




gift tags from every jot and tittle


Turns out I/m not the only one with this dream. Phew.

So on we go:


Winter cards from Redbean



New Ornaments from Jonathan Adler

oh wait, I'm really not alone (also, apparently I could learn a thing or two)

The Cure

It might be cluttered but there is so much potential in TommiAnn's studio. Her use of turquoise is amazing. And the emboidery circles work perfectly! See more of the pics here.

Speaking of bags...

Take a look at what's in Joy's bag from Oh Joy!. Nice presentation!
(There is so much great stuff on her blog, I might wait until you have time to thoroughly explore it before you click the link!)

Slacking/Organizing

I'm taking a brief break from my French themed July to bring you a topic I can never get enough of: de-cluttering. In fact, my computer bookmarks and files are totally cluttered with de-cluttering tips (sort of..well, not really, but you get what I'm saying). There's a great post today on Unclutterer of ideas for what you can do in 10 minutes to tackle clutter.

My favorite on the list is to sit down and do nothing. Seriously. Clear out your mind and suddenly it's a lot easier to navigate your day and let things go. There are also some more practical and less esoteric tips. Read them all here.

(And for giggles, the picture below was a challenge to see how messy I could make my kitchen in 1 minute. Mission accomplished, it took 15 to straighten it up again).

What we all want

I just noticed this new magazine dedicated to organizing your home. I love the photography, it makes me want to be organized like an art directed photo. They had some interesting statistics on their website:

* 80% of what we file never gets looked at again.
* 40% of housework can be eliminated by getting rid of clutter.

I have to say that this rings true for me. I try to keep an organized home, but I also just love things. Don't you?