Compass & Coffee Spoons

Gratuitous Rug Closeup

Sometimes Freedom Means...

freedom from a rug that's been annoying you for a long time. Mom visited this weekend and was the perfect enabler for my purchase of a new rug. It was serendipitous. One of my favorite Capitol Hill stores, Homebody, had several of their last stock Angela Adams rugs on sale. From what the proprietors said, Adams is going back to doing custom only orders, so they'll no longer be carrying them.  

This means I was able to finally find a replacement for the Crate & Barrel "arts and crafts"y style rug that has been with me for awhile. It served me well for many years, but suffered from too much moving of furniture around on it with many little snags. It also was too light and moved around a lot, and the tassles vexed me so, always going this way and that. It was time to say goodbye.

Before:

 

And after with my new Angela Adams "Kelly" rug:

Okay, it also helps that I cleaned up the paper clutter on my table, but I still think it's amazing what a difference a simple change can make!

My New Sweethearts

I have had my daisies for several weeks now...and they're still on my coffee table. But, I bought 2 new bunches today. I am in love with my sweetheart roses. I put them in a stemless wine glass on my nightstand.

I also boughts some tulips that I arranged in a way I saw on some blog (I have tried in vain to re-find it) which they said is all the rage in Paris. So ooh la la to you!

   

Flowers of the Week

Not that my blossom experience wasn't gratifying enough, but I still bought some flowers for the week. Harris Teeter had Alstroemeria and Daisies on sale for $3 a bunch. I hadn't gotten flowers last week, so I decided to get 2 kinds. Some of my old Alstroemeria were hanging in there, but they fell apart finally when I moved them. I bought three bunches--2 daisies and 1 alstroemeria. The little vase in my bathroom is all the little not-quite-formed daisies.

10 Days Clean and Sober

It's been 10 days since I read AT. It's hard some days, but I realize the benefits too. I've had more time to check other design and non-design blogs. I've also spent a lot less time at work reading things on the Web, thereby improving my productivity and making me feel better about myself. Wow, a clean life feels so great! :) Truth is, I went there so often because it was updated frequently and it was an easy way to waste time...so if at work when I was confronted with an unfun task (not that that happens at...work) or wanted to procrastinate, it was an easy fill in. I hadn't been liking it as much as I once had anyway...the insultingish comment was the last straw. Going cold turkey for me is the only way to go!

Resource: Archival Storage

I recently bought some archival file boxes from University Products. They sell archival products to, as their name suggests, university libraries and museums. However, they're also a good resource for home organizing and crafts. I got several of the same (or at least they appear exactly the same) file boxes that the Container Store sells for $19.99 each for $5.20 each. They give volume discounts (for small to large orders), and my mom and I split an order of 10.

I particularly like these because they look unobtrusive on a shelf. And, when you split up your files into different boxes, they aren't as heavy or bulky, which I feel is key to actually using the files. Having separate boxes gives you flexibility that drawers just don't.

In addition to these, they sell all kinds of useful products, including,(Beware, this can excite "oh hey look at this, I need it" syndrome):

• Display cases and stands
• Photo and scrapbooking supplies
• Bone folders, cutting tools and other things used for paper crafting/book binding (including cool French marbled paper)
• Framing supplies
• Stools and shelving

Check 'em out!

Fun Gadget: Can Colander

I thought I'd share one of my favorite kitchen utensils. It has the makings of what Unclutterer calls a "unitasker," but it's not. I admit that when I bought it, I was thinking "Here I go buying another thing to collect dust," but it turned out to be very helpful. It both fits into a tuna can to press out all the liquid without risk of cutting yourself on the can edge and over a bean can to drain them. I am a big canned bean fan, so it's indispensible for that. It's also helpful for little colander tasks; I've used it for rinsing small quantities of berries, too. It's also affordable. Available at Ace Hardware online for $3.89 or at pretty much every home goods or hardware store. I have also seen it in stainless steel for slightly more money.

100th Post! Nothing Special

I felt like with this being my 100th post, I should post something meaningful and spectacular. So, instead, I'm posting a pretty picture of my green apples! I recently got the hurricane at (of all places) Ross Dress for Less for $4.

Week 2 Flowers

Bought these blue irises at CRAZY CRAZY Whole Foods today for $6.99. They are gracing my nightstand in the bottom part of my cocktail shaker, since my Astroemeria are still livin' in my living room!

Cure Me: This week's flowers

Alstroemeria--$4 for the bunch at Harris Teeter. Pretty, cheaper,and longer lasting!