Spring cleaning

I was looking forward to Daylight Savings time so much, but got sick the weekend of and had to take most of the following week off. One day, when I finally mustered enough strength to get out of bed, I managed to squeeze in a spot of spring cleaning:



Ah, those old days of paper statements and returning cashed checks! I used to be quite fastidious with my bookkeeping: stapling receipts, in chronological order, to their corresponding statements. Boy am I thankful for paperless everything these days ! I finally let go of old, no longer applicable paperwork, too -- like AP and SAT scores, college acceptance letters, check stubs from part time college jobs (when I thought $11/hour was a killing!), etc.

I feel so much lighter and freer.  Next steps: my inbox and closet!

What's on your spring cleaning list?

Mini Moleskine

When I first saw the Moleskine mini daily planner online, I immediately dismissed it as useless: it was way too small.  I saw it in person when I went in search of a 2012 planner at my local bookstore, and after a bit of handling, I determined again that it wouldn't be functional for me.

But some kinda bug had gotten a hold, and the desire to acquire grew stronger and stronger.  Was it the cute factor?  The chubby factor?  I'm not sure.  As I looked ahead to 2012 I knew I wanted to get back to being more creative.  I thought about doing a daily sketch.  And maybe a gratitude journal. And by the bye, this tiny little Moleskine became a necessity.

Still, I hesitated.  In SF I stopped in at Phoenix and Dog-Eared books, half looking for the planner.  I found one, and convinced myself that I didn't want a navy blue one.  Of course, once January 1 hit I realized that I had to have one.  But by then they were nowhere to be found--of course.  Oh man, did I kick myself.

I considered ordering one online, but my need for instant gratification could not be stopped.  I spent all of last week looking for it -- Vroman's, Dick Blick, Barnes & Noble, MOCA gift shop, WDCH gift shop, Kinokuniya, Urban Outfitters, Paper Source, and a couple of shops in my neighborhood -- all to no avail.  Finally, last Saturday, I shimmied into a Papyrus store, hope all but gone... and sitting on a shelf were three of these wee guys!  I grabbed one immediately and rushed to the cashier counter... where it was rung up for 50% off!  Eep!

Can you guess what my first gratitude entry was?!  I'd been mentally cataloging some of my gratitudes for the week, and  jotted them down on the corresponding dates, too.  I haven't sketched anything yet, but a slightly-larger-than-credit-card sized sheet of paper seems a feasible nad no-pressure space upon which to unleash my creative juices.  So far I like sitting for a few moments at the end of the day to think about what I'm grateful for.  It's a good way to wind down.

We'll see how this works.  If all goes well, I'll have a cute little memento of the year, and perhaps, even a new tradition to continue.  And who knows what else -- wishmeluck!

Hyper organization hack

So I pretty much decided that I was going to use the hyper organized (chou seiri) system, to which end I needed to create a case for my hacked calendar.  I considered upcycling a pair of suede pants into a nice cover, but realized that I don't need a nice one; rather, one that's just nice and functionanl enough.  I found a large wall calender envelope, made of heavy cardstock, and cut around its creases to create the "spine" of my chou seiri calendar. 

For the inside, I added just a couple of pieces of the envelope to make flaps, which I secured to the main cover with some teal colored duct tape I found lying around.  Instead of adding more layers of the cardstock to create pockets, I made some strategic cutouts to accoummodate credit cards, slips of paper, and a pen clip.

Here's what it looks like with stuff put into it:

The final touch was the addition of a Rhodia No. 8 notebook.  I'm glad to say it fits perfectly!  Lots of pages on which to jot down notes and doodles throughout the days.

Now, the only thing is to make sure I use it each and every day.  Knowing that I put a lot of work into making it will help with that.  Not only do I want to keep a good outlook on plans and projects for the year, I also want to see how the cover and tape hold up to daily use.  Never to late to improve, right?  Just the right attitude for the new year.

Hyper organization

Delving into pen, ink, and paper blogs has sent me down a rabbit hole into an entirely new-to-me world. Amidst all the reviews and advice, there are stories about actually using these everyday items. And, in turn, the question of personal organization and productivity is asked and answered in many, many ways.

I discovered people who use a different planner for different aspects of their life (e.g. knitting, health & fitness, finances, professional, etc.). That's too much for me; I want to keep as little as possible on me at all times. And as I clicked on to more and more blogs, I found that a lot of people go the DIY or hack route to personalize a calendar or organization scheme to meet their personal needs. Fair enough, right? It's fun and encouraging to read about and see people's ingenuity and creativity. But it also added a lot of options for me, in addition to what's available commercially.

A few weeks ago, as I was pondering and exploring the options, my eye was piqued by the phrase 'nifty Japanese planner' on the sidebar of the DIY planner blog. And it was like falling down yet another, wonderful rabbit hole. Said planner is nifty indeed, a uniquely accordion-folded format, each panel a quarter sheet, each panel divided into eight columns for days of the week plus notes. I like the accordion style because it doesn't necessitate a separate month view (which Moleskine's weekly doesn't have and desperately needs!). Which means I wouldn't have to write things twice (once on the monthly, once on the week view). Each panel is 1/4 of a regular sheet of paper; printed double-sided, I can get a whole year in six pages. Not bad!

Of course I obsessed about the origin and evolution of this system. It was designed by an economist named Yukio Noguchi. There's not a whole lot of information in English, despite the face that he spent time at Yale and Stanford. The best one I found was on Postalco's site:

Chou seiri translates to " hyper-organized." These planners (chou seiri techou,「超」整理手帳) are still popular in Japan, and have, in the 15 or so years since their debut, a league of imitators. As you can see above, Postalco reimagined their version of the calendar, complete with leather or pressed cotton folio cover. Standard inserts and covers are easily available on Amazon Japan, too, but I won't have anyone buy it for me for two reasons: standard paper size in Japan is A4; and the weeks are printed with Monday as the first day. Secondarily, Japanese holidays are kind of irrelevant to me.

I found the link to one that someone created (can't find the link anymore) but it still didn't meet my needs: the week still begins on Monday and there is too much wasted margin space. Plus, Tuesday is written, "Tun" and Wednesday, "Wen." Small details, but still. How to get around this? A little DIY with Excel. I set all the margins to zero, created a basic grid, and drew in some boxes. Then I punched in each date separately (couldn't wrap my head around doing it by formulas). A little but of a PITA but not overly taxing. (And I can always leave it blank and write dates in as I go.) Fiddled around some more with formatting, shading the weekends and putting in a grid; and finally came up with this:

It might work! Now I'm cooking up ideas to create some sort of holder, with slots for cards, sticky notes, and blank paper for notes and doodles. Kinda like the original. But custom built for 8 1/2 x 11 and the U.S. calendar. I've been using my beta version for the past month and will give myself until about mid-January to decide what to do for the remainder of 2012. Here's to gettin' everything together for a productive year!

Searching for 2012

I've been buying an analog calendar every year, not so much for plans and productivity but as a means of recording things I've done. I want to pivot more towards using a planner to, well... plan. My default is the Moleskine weekly + notes that has a blank page on the right for notes. A couple of years ago I tried to get by with the pocket monthly, which didn't work for me at all. This year I have a simple, checkbook size (slightly slimmer, slightly longer than Moleskine), which I like because I can use my fountain pen without ink feathering or bleeding all over the place (new vocabulary words!). But, for some reason, I haven't really loved it.

As the year winds down, I am thinking more and more of how to organize myself for 2012. What to do? Will I go back to the Moleskine pocket weekly? Or try the vertical or panoramic versions? Or should I check out the Muji calendar, which my friend swears by? Or dig up my old Day Runner (when they were in, in high school -- can I find it?!) and get a refill?

I spent a good hour flipping through the wide selection of panners and calendars at my local independent bookstore. Quo Vadis, Letts, At-A-Glance, Moleskine (the tiny day-per-page planners are so cute but entirely not functional for me), and tons more, including the Standard Daily that is the reason I alwasy keep an analog calendar (my parents used to get one of these from the office each year. One year I found and old one and spent hours poring through its contents, many of which were milestones and small moments in my brother's and my life -- first day of school, dentist appointment, etc. -- in my mom's distinct hand, complete with little hearts. Call me narcissistic, but I want my child(ren) to have the same experience one day). Sadly, after flipping through dozens of planners, I still wasn't able to commit to any of the ones at the store.

Last weekend I stopped by Kinokuniya to see their collection of Japanese planners.  They're awfully, awfully cute, and so nostalgic, but the Japanese week begins on Monday, which skews my monthly view.  When I lived there it made sense to go with the flow, but back here I need the week to visually start on Sunday when I look at a monthlong spread.  Unfortunately, this makes J planners categorically unusable for me.  *sigh* I've got three weeks to make a decision, and, ideally, the quicker the better, as I'm already scheduling appointments for January (yikes!). How are you organizing your day and your life for 2012?

Packed

I'm packed and ready to head to Italy! Here's what I have for nine days and nights:



In the backpack (above):

• Peep toe platforms


• Flip flops


• B&W striped calf length leggings


• Black leggings


• Lacy foot socks, 3 pr


• Bathing suit


• Goggles


• Black capris (channeling Ms. Hepburn)


• Gold high-waisted pants


• LT grey khaki cutofffs


• Long sleeve denim snap shirt


• Tan merino cardigan


• Travel skirt (can pull up to strapless dress)


• Grey cotton dress (pajamas that can double as an outfit w/ leggings)


• Tanks, white, yellow & white, magenta


• Camisoles, navy, white


• Sheer hexagon print top


• Sheer metallic ribbon top


• Brown cotton ruffle lace t shirt


• Floral print t shirt


• Ribbon hat


• Pink handknit shawl


• Leopard print neck scarf


• Cosmetics


• Toiletries

 

Worn:

• Black cashmere sweater


• Dark wash jeans


• Foot socks


• White blazer


• Loafers

Purse (above):

• Wallet


• Passport


• Phone


• Earphones


• Adapter


• Charging cord


• Travel wetnaps


• DSLR camera


• Scarf-cum-camera wrap


• Glasses


• Sunglasses


• Eye patch


• Ear plugs


• Umbrella (rain forecasted!)


• Handkerchiefs, 2


• Moleskine


• Lip balm


• Eco bag

Tucked in a linen napkin and tenugui after reading an email, from the trip coordinator, warning that Italian hotels tend not to provide washcloths.

We'll see how well I did as the trip goes. Weather us supposed to be like So Cal, in which case I am quite confident. Off I go--ciao!

Big-girl bag

When it comes to the perfect Metro-commuter-friendly bag, all I need are for it to be large enough for a book, a knitting project, and maybe lunch; a side slip pocket for easy access (and for quickly throwing things in when hurried); compartments and zippered pockets inside; and a detachable wallet for my work ID and TAP card.  And it needs to look nice enough to take to meetings.  Doesn't seem like a lot to ask, but finding such a bag was proving quite the challenge! 

DC and I looked at the messenger bags at REI, but they were all too sporty or campy.  My brother had a very nice bag, compact with all the necessary pockets and compartments -- but it was made of green military canvas.  I looked into the LeSportsac and Timbuk2 lines, but they ended up being too casual, too.  We tried the local Ross, with no luck, either.  And with the Internets being so overwhelming, I decided that the best way to "shop" for a new bag was to see what people around me were carrying. 

I approached a lady whose bag I'd been eyeing for a couple of days.  She gladly opened it to show me its innards, and totally raved about it.  Then she told me she got it at the Container Store.  I would never have thought to look there!  Remembering that they are having their annual Travel gear sale, I headed over to my nearest store to hold it and play with it in person, and ended up buying the last bag they had in stock.

And now, let me introduce you to my perfect big-girl-Metro-commuter-friendly bag: the Baggalini Milano.

[bag, front]

[bag, back]

It's made of lightweight nylon, but the grey color matches the hardware and the shape of the bag is not sporty. In fact, I find it quite unique.  Timbuk2 bags are trapezoidal, too, but I didn't like that it narrowed towards the bottom.

In addition to the loveliness of the yellow contrast lining, there are two inside zippered pouches, on on each side -- hooray!  Plus, a pocket panel for pens and the "S" hook which I often use to keep my lap free.  The elastic band for stashing something horizontally is a neat idea, but practically, items tend to slip out.

The wallet is detachable!  There is even another shorter cord for keys.  Genius.

The small slip pouch between the zippered outer compartments has a magnetic clasp.  There is also a magnetic clasp on the other side's slip pocket.  I love magnets.

Turns out that Bagallini was started by flight attendants, so the bags are designed with lots of practicality in mind.  I'm looking forward to being able to try it out on a weekend trip or even on the plane.  I promise I'm not advertising, but as a big fan of form+function, this bag totally meets all my needs, and I just wanted to share the great find.  Hooray!

Spring cleaning: kitchens

When I was packing to move out of my old apartment, I didn't realize how much kitchen stuff I had accummulated!  All those drawers and cabinets that helped me organize everything neatly also led me to believe it wasn't that much stuff.  Now that it's divided -- or added to -- two already-furnished households, the big purge kitchen clean really has to happen.

[my old kitchen]

I am hanging on to my old pots and pans and some extra plates, as well as any doubles between DC and me, as a "starter set" for my younger brother.  He's moving back home from college this summer and I will keep these essentials on hand for him so that when he moves out he won't have the added expense of buying all new.  It's agreed that I'll keep these things from nine to 12 months; if he's still living at home, they're going to be donated.

I found this blog post helpful when it comes to the basics.  But in terms of my own needs/desires/whatever, how do I know what or how much to throw away?  For example, Whatabout the silverware? I'd like to keep some handy for entertaining, so that what I'm cutting down on is disposables.  But are three full sets for 12 really necessary?

[new kitchen]

Don't worry, I'm not all worked up about it.  Things will work themselves out.  My task for the next week is just to clean out and re-line the cabinets (drawers already done!).  That's manageable, especially with DC coming to help!

Spring cleaning: closet

I'm a fan of the Makeunder My Life blog because of the author's intentionality to create a quality life.  I like the term "makeunder" as opposed to the ubiquitous "makeover," which connotes that if we're not happy with our lives or ourselves, we can simply do it "[all] over."  Which is not really the case, right?  I love Jess' definition of a makeunder: "any action that improves one’s life through addition by subtraction."

Back in January, DC and I edited our closets and had at least three bagfulls to donate to Beach Cities Interfaith Services.

Taking a cue from MML's "end of the week exfoliation" (another brilliant word choice that evokes the image of scrubbing out to reveal something nicer underneath) series, right after the move I went through my closet and purged a fully-stuffed-paper-grocery-bag-size load of clothes, which DC donated -- along with a host of other things, including pillows and drapes from old roommates and apartments -- to the local American Veterans.

[part of the pile to donate]

I don't think I would have actually gotten rid of anything if it weren't for BCIS having a drop off at DC's church, or if DC hadn't already made an appointment for a pickup by AmVets.  How many times have I had bags of recyclables or donations nicely bagged, yet sitting by the front door for weeks on end?!  Remember, equally important to selecting and gathering the items to purge is actually taking them out of the house!

New reading nook

In addition to cleaning, this spring we have organizing and arranging.  Which is enjoyable in two households: I get to play interior designer using a mix of my stuff and items that are already there at each place.  Another fun instance of slowly but surely merging lives.

The first project was to create a reading nook at DC's.  Previously he simply had a chair (the ever-recognizable Poang) and footstool in a corner of his bedroom.  It looked nice, but functionally, just held a lot of clothes or bags.

We put one of my old floor lamps in the corner (this one), along with a small bookshelf, and a pillow for some color contrast.  Result:

[new reading nook]

A cozy corner where DC can read or grade papers, with room for his books and a glass of water.  All it needs is some art on the walls.  I have some small pieces picked out, specifically us-related as it's in a private part of the house -- with plenty of space on the walls for our collection to grow.

DC was super excited about his new area, and began using it immediately.  "What's going on here?!" he asked in disbelief, from his chair, with books within arm's reach.

Your house is becoming functional, dear.

Laundry by color

My college friends still remember me bringing two laundry baskets home on weekends: mine and my brother's.  They hailed me Best Sister Ever.  Me?  I just like doing laundry.  (Don't bring up doing dishes, though.  Boo.)

A number of years ago I switched to drying clothes outside.  Something feasible and eco-friendly.  Which saves a bit of $.  Plus, with the kind of sunshine we get here in SoCal, it's a shame not to.  This workhorse of a drying rack -- which collapses to be completely flat, easily stored right next to the washer -- makes things much easier.  It's one of the first gifts I ever got for DC, who enjoys laundry, too.  Romantic, no?

Recently I started arranging clothes on the rack by color.  I must have been really bored or something, but the effect has been revolutionary.

[laundry rainbow]

This has infinitely increased my laundering enjoyment.  I can't go back!  Go ahead, give it a try!

More old apt. pictures

I decided that I don't need the internets at home so cancelled my service when I moved to my new apt.  Since then I've been blogging in my mind, jotting drafts in my journal, and uploading at work.  And I'm taking pictures on two different cameras, so it's a juggling act to remember which pictures are on which memory stick.  DC has a mobile wireless device that he leaves with me when he's not using it, but it's been acting kinda wonky these days, so we've opted not to use it rather than be frustrated about it.  Needless to say, then, technical difficulties abound these days.  Luckily, I've been saving this post in draft form for such a rainy day.  In lieu of all that I've been doing these days (not a whole lot, admittedly), I give you more pictures of my old apartment.

Last time I showed you pix of the common areas.  Voila the private areas--my bedroom and bathroom! 

Here's my old desk area, next to the east facing window.  The table is one of my best purchases ever from Ikea.  It's solid wood and collapsible for storage, the perfect writing desk and small dinner table--alas, it's no longer available.  Could do with a refinish.  Maybe this summer.

  

Here's where I used to sleep.  But if you know me, you also know that this was also my work station.  Books, yarn, stationery all within arm's reach.  Sometimes they even shared the bed with me!  Yes, the bed's at an angle.  I decided that centering it on the wall meant a lot of wasted space, but didn't want to square the bed up into the corner (too college dorm room style for me).  Now that I'm looking at it here, I'm thinking that my current setup could use a similar refresher to open up the room a bit more...

 

The closet, which I tried my best to keep organized by color.  As you can see, I am a firm believer that a gal can never have enough pairs of black trousers.  In the move I purged less than a dozen pieces from my wardrobe, but I think I can do better this summer.  Would like to add more purples, by the bye...

And finally, the bathroom.  Luckily, the old apt. had 1 3/4 bathrooms, so I didn't need to share.  I made this my "Japan room" by putting up all the gifts I'd received from various friends over the years.  The one you can see up close here (in the cubby above the toilet) is most dear, hand-painted by a friend and taiko team member.  Over on the wall are a Japanese translation of Psalm 121:8 ("the Lord will watch over your coming and going now and forever more"), gifted by the pastor's wife on a missions trip; a framed calendar; cute Japanese sayings; and a message on a photograph from a very good friend, given to me the first time I left Japan.

Reminiscing with these photos reminds me that my new place, although already dear to me, still needs a lot of work to really reflect me!  Luckily my landlord will put up my art for me (they want it done their way, it's an old building), so I'd better get to arranging it soon!

And yes, this is still primarily a crafting blog.  I've haven't been particularly successful of late, but will post an update as soon as technologically possible!  Byefornow (but not for long, mehopes)!

4 p.m. - 10 a.m.

Before regular sleeping hours, on a free evening, one can:

• balance a checkbook (even after years of not looking at a register)


• draw a rudimentary but fairly accurate floor plan of one's new apartment

• reorganize one's kitchen a bit better

• cook a just-what's-in-the-fridge dinner (egg noodles and bok choy stir-fry)


• wash the dishes (doesn't always happen the same night, don't tell my mom)


• overturn a pot of succulents and break them all (but replant tips and keep fingers crossed)


• wash a skein of newly acquired secondhand yarn

• paint one's toenails; and


• fix and restore photos to previous blog posts.

Then, when a bout of insomnia has one tossing at 3 a.m., one may decide to get out of bed at 3:30 and:

• organize mail, coupons, and receipts


• wind leftover and stray yarn into balls


• clean off the coffee table


• finish a sock; and

• still get two hours of sleep.

After waking up and getting ready, one may even have time to take photos of some accomplishments before leaving for work. This may cause one to miss breakfast and be 10 minutes late, but, in any case, one may start the second sock on the bus.

And, if one, is lucky, one may find a trail bar in one's desk drawer, and be blessed by coffee and strawberries from a coworker.

What an incredible 18 hours for one!

Progress: kitchen

After the initial furniture placement (which I'm already reconsidering), my unpacking priority has been the kitchen. This has involved wipe-downs and once-overs, as well as lining shelves and surfaces, before taking anything out of boxes.

It's always fun for me to start organizing from scratch. I am trying to make the most of the space available in what is a slightly awkward cooking area.

One challenge is the dearth of counter space. I've decided to keep the dishrack under the sink when not in use, but I don't know how that will work long term. Although it will give me more counterspace, it might also mean that dishes start piling up in the sink when I'm cooking (I usually like to wash all the prep stuff as I go).

The color scheme also irks me, just because it's not the best paint job, and the colors aren't really my style. I would much prefer a neutral palette that I can add bursts of color to. In this particular kitchen, I think all white cabinets would open up the space. Or, for a bit of dimension, a less dramatic color would be more fitting than the red -- perhaps the grayish color in the dining nook. I thought about removing the cabinet doors, but fear that exposed goods may make it look more cluttered. Still thinking about this.

There's a lot of open space above the cabinets, and I'd like to do something here -- but not fill it up with *stuff*. I put my spider plant up there by the window, but it actually started to yellow and die!

I really enjoy the nook/booth, though. For one thing, it removes the necessity for a dining set (my old one is at My Supernova's now). It adds a bit of prep space, too. I am thinking of a collage on the wall, maybe my smaller Japanese ones? Or finding an antique mirror? I'll definitely need padding for the bench, as well. Am thinking something red, maybe striped, to coordinate with the kitchen.

Things are happening, peeps! The other day I finished lining the cupboard and unloaded all my glassware. I think most things are where I need them to be, intuitively and for maximum efficiency.  All that's left is for my gas to be (re)connected, which should happen sometime today.  Huzzah!