Custom Nike Shox Design by Annick

Check out the Nike Shox Turbo+ VI iD Running Shoe I designed at NIKEiD.com

I have been wanting to design my own sneakers for a while. My boyfriend and I are obsessed with cool trainers and are also very picky about the styles we wear. My current gym shoes are worn out and begging to be retired. I have been having a difficult time finding a style/color that I like, which is hard to believe considering how many stores I have been to.

Nike's online store has a Custom iD option which let's you pick out a style and choose every design detail. I have been wanting to try this out for a while. Today, I finally pulled the plug, designed and ordered these Nike Shox pictured above. I have found that Nike Shox work well for me at the gym. They have the right support and firmness for me. These will be my fifth pair! It was an easy process to design the sneakers, but a pain in the neck to get the order through. I had to call customer service and process the order over the phone. I should receive them in about four weeks. I will post once I get them.

Note: Nike did not sponsor this post. However,... if they ever wanted to sponsor me, I would be game!!! ;)

Victoria Gardens - Nursery, Blog, and Consulting

Photo from http://theshopatvictoriagardens.blogspot.com/

It has finally stopped raining for the moment and although it is slightly chilly, it finally feels like spring. As soon as the weather gets like this, I feel the itch to plant. I have two large planters on my front porch that I do up every year. For inspiration and my plants, I go to Victoria Gardens in Rosendale, NY.

Photo from http://theshopatvictoriagardens.blogspot.com/

This nursery and gift shop has the best selection in the area for unusual perennials, annuals, bushes, trees, etc. The nursery is situated on a rock outcropping that sets a natural stage for all the beautiful plant vignettes they set up. I could easily spend hours hanging out and looking at everything they have. Luckily, I have a great friend who works there and points me in the focused direction of what I want. My plant knowledge is limited and I base all my decisions on aesthetics. Being able to bounce questions off the friendly and knowledgable staff is a huge help. I have never been steered in the wrong direction. Every year, I get tons of compliments on my planters.

In addition to the nursery, they also have a landscape division and are available for on-site consultations. One of the best things Victoria Gardens offers is their blog, which is written by Kerry McQuaide, The Shop At Victoria Gardens. Besides the photos being stunning and inspiring all year long, the blog offers a wealth of knowledge. It's like reading a high end gardening magazine. I have it book marked and there is a link to it from my blog. It's a definite must read for anyone who loves gardening.

This past week, I went and began to pick out my flowers. Its a little early to plant, but I just couldn't help myself. Pictured above is the beginning of this years planters. I will need to go back to Victoria Gardens to pick out a few more plants to fill the empty spots. I will post some pictures in the middle of summer, when everything fills out and looks the best.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend visiting Victoria Gardens at 1 Cottekill Rd., Rosendale, NY 12472, 845-658-9007. If you live too far away, check out the The Shop At Victoria Gardens blog.

Getting Ready For The Saugerties Artists Studio Tour

I am going to be part of the SAT this year. I participated in 2009, but took 2010 off because I thought I would be moving to New Mexico. The move, thankfully, fell through. However, by the time it did it was too late for me to be part of the tour. In 2009, over 200 people came to visit my studio. Although I had invited a lot of friends, about half the people who visited I did not know. It was a great experience and I met a lot of people. I truly enjoyed opening up my studio to people and getting their feedback on my space and work. I also sold some pieces, which is always nice. I'm excited about this year's tour!


I spent this weekend gathering ideas for new work I want to create. As I prepare for the tour, I will post on my progress.

Blacksmithing Class Number Three

Although no one posted a comment, many people asked to see my finished project that I had forgotten to take a photo of at the end of Class Number Two. SO,..... Here it is!

It may not be very exciting to the casual observer, but I am very proud of it! I am making progress in understanding the basics of smithing. The object was to take two horseshoes, straighten them out, fold one horseshoe over the other and weld them together, and then draw the metal out to the original thickness of one horseshoe. The project makes you work on straightening, welding, moving metal, and forging a taper. The close up picture shows the left side is welded and how it moves to showing the three layers of metal; proof that it isn't one piece of metal!

Class Number Three, we spent the first part going over tools in the shop. The tool above is called a power hammer. Instead of hammering a piece by hand, a person brings it over to this machine and with a foot pedal controls a 'hammer head' that drops down to sandwich your metal between the head and a surface. Its loud, dangerous, archaic, and very cool. Plus, it keeps you from getting tired from hammering.

This tool is called a Screw Press. Its a little hard to see from the photo, but on the table surface you set dies, place your metal across it, then turn the screw handle up top. As the top portion compresses against the table it forms your metal into shapes. You can create waves, hard angles, divets in plate, etc.

We also went over anvils. Who knew there were so many different types? Italian pattern, London pattern,... I can only imagine a bad joke starting as, there was an Italian, an Englishman, and a Frenchman standing around a blacksmith shop... (I don't know where that goes. I need my friend Reed Karen around to tell me the punch line! He is the ultimate joke teller and also a super talented woodworker/designer.)

The second half of the class we started to make a drive hook. This piece started off as a piece of 1/4" round stock. I beat it into square stock and formed the right angle. While this looks pretty simple, it is quite tricky to get a right angle. The hook portion also is shaped into a taper on all four sides, which is hard to see in the photograph. I cannot wait to finish this piece.

Blacksmithing Class Number Two

Because I will be traveling for work, I was going to miss my second blacksmith class. Luckily my instructor, Jonathan Nebor, let me come in over the weekend and he gave me a private lesson, so I won't be behind in class when I return. Again, it was AWESOME!

I continued to work on the horseshoe project. I tried to build my own fire and set up the chimney. I then worked on forging and learned how to weld with flux. Welding through a fire is very different then welding with a machine, like TIG welding. The principle is the same between the different methods. Welding is bringing different pieces of metal together to become one piece.

I kept laying the hammer down in the wrong direction on the anvil. The brush is to take the scale off when finishing a piece. It was really nice to be able to work by myself at the fire. I felt like I had the time to try different ways of holding the piece and working the metal. Jonathan is a great teacher. He knows how to give instruction and then to back off so you can take your time to absorb the information and try it out.

I got to throw some big sparks, which was exciting. I need to work on the positioning of my body in relation to the anvil and piece. I kept standing too far from the work and not having enough leverage to hammer properly. Because I am a small person, I have to be especially cognizant of where I am working so I don't have to do extra work to make a piece or tire my muscles out. I finished my project and forgot to take a photo of it! I did get some nice shots of Jonathan's shop.

One Forty Three Blog Post On DIY Potence Lamp

Image by One Forty Three

One Forty Three posted on their DIY version of Jean Prouve's Potence Lamp. I like their interpretation of the original design, shown below.

Image found on Google Images

One Forty Three did a second post where they played with their design/interpretation.

Image by One Forty Three

I am really liking the white version. I think the proportions are better then the other two. I would like to see the angle of the top bend to the bulb be a little tighter. It's a tic too doughy in relation to the other bends in the piece. One Forty Three did a great job of pulling these lights together. Now, they should think about putting these up for sale! 

My Sister's Birthday Cake

For one of my sister's monumental birthdays, and since a lady never discloses her age we'll leave it at that, my family threw her a surprise party. I have to say, we did a damn good job!  My sister was about as surprised as one can get and it was a pleasure to see her so happy and surrounded by so many great friends.

I was in charge of the cake and it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do. My sister and I have always loved this cake by Martha Stewart, so I decided to use it as my inspiration.

Gail Watson cake for Martha Stewart

I really like how the flowers are grouped together at the top and fan out as they proceed down the tiers. I decided I did not want to cover her cake in fondant and made a chocolate buttercream icing. I also decided to play with the overall shape of the cake and used these oval pans.

The cake was eight layers tall and measured about one foot in height! It is hard to tell from the top photo what the actual size is because of the angle of the shot, but it looked impressive in person.

For color inspiration, I used this bouquet of zinnias I picked and placed in my beloved Meg Oliver ceramic vase. I piped the mum shapes out of royal icing and made about 100. This is a great thing to do while watching TV or listening to a pod cast. It took me several nights to finish them. 

Overall, the cake was a success. My sister loved it and everyone enjoyed eating it. What more can a lady ask for!

How To Reupholster and Repair Danish Modern Chairs

Every so often these Danish modern chairs come up for sale or for free from an older relative or friend. Because these chairs can now be anywhere between 30 to 50 years old, they often need to be refreshed and repaired. Over time, the interior foam breaks down, the fabric wears out, and the wood can be cracked. Other unforeseen issues can come up, especially if you buy them online and only see them in a photo. These particular chairs that I found, had to have been in the house of a smoker. As you can see in the Before photo, you cannot see that the wood was covered in a thick residue of grime. When I went to pick them up, my reaction was- Yuck. But, I got them for a good deal. So with a little patience and perseverance, they ended up coming out quite nicely.
Below is a step by step guide on how to reupholster and repair Danish modern chairs. Please let me know if you have questions on any of the steps.

Materials:

Clean area to work

Screwdriver

Chisel

Hammer

Pliers

220 sandpaper

Steel wool

Gorilla glue

Water

Murphy's Soap

Rubber gloves

Scotchbrite

Watco Danish Oil

Rags

Vinyl - 3 yd for 4 chairs

Black fabric for under the seats - 3 yd

1/2" thick foam - 2 1/2 yd

3M Super 77

Felt feet to protect floors

Staple gun

Staples

Scribe tool

How To Reupholster and Repair Danish Modern Chairs:

Step 1- Assemble all materials and prepare a large enough area to work in. An area will be needed to clean the chairs and another area to lay out the fabric and foam. My studio has a ceramic tile floor. While it is not the prettiest, it allows me to get the floor wet and to then mop it up or vacuum easily. As you start to disassemble the chairs, you will have a mess as the old foam crumbles and the fabric starts to shed. If you don't have much room inside, a couple of these steps can be done outside, weather permitting.

Step 2- Disassemble the chairs. Take photos or notes while you are disassembling. Everyone always thinks they will remember how they took something apart, but they never do! It will make your life a lot easier if you document your process.

With these chairs, you need to remove the wooden buttons to get to the screws that hold the chair together. The buttons will pop out if you place a Scribe tool in the corner and pry them out. Sometimes, you will have to sacrifice one that splits. They can also be repaired with glue, as they are just cosmetic. Put all your screws, buttons, and parts together with each chair. Label each chair and each part to that chair. This is very important. Wood can get tired and cranky when its old. Most likely you will not be able to interchange parts from different chairs and you will be just as tired and cranky if you have to try to make them fit.

Step 3- Clean the teak wood. Depending on the condition of the chairs you are working with, you may be able to skip this step. As I mentioned, the chairs I was working with had a layer of grime on them from cigarettes. I could run my thumb nail along the surface and scrape a black coat of filth off. Gross. Using hot water with a bit of Murphy's Oil, scrub the chairs with Scotchbrite. Change the water often. If you can get away with only using a rag, try to. It took a long time to remove all the dirt. Allow the chairs to thoroughly dry.

Step 4- Examine the wood for any cracks, splits, and damage. If the chairs are perfect, skip this step. Because teak is an oily wood, regular wood glue will not work for repairs. Gorilla Glue will need to be used. One of the chairs had a split on the side member. I dampened the wood and shoved the Gorilla Glue into the split. I then clamped two scrap pieces of wood on each side to hold the repaired piece in shape. I let it sit overnight for the best results. When taking the assembly apart, carefully use a chisel to scrape any glue that has oozed out of the crack and onto the surface.

Step 5- Sand the entire surface of the chairs with 220 sandpaper. Teak wood can dry out overtime and needs to have oil reapplied. Sanding the surface will ensure that there is no residue or foreign material on the wood. By creating an even surface, the oil will absorb nicely.

Step 6- Apply the Danish Oil or Teak Oil. Using a clean dry rag, follow the instructions on the back of the Watco Danish Oil can. I like to use the Danish Oil Natural, but feel free to use the Teak Oil. There isn't much of a difference between the two types. Between coats, let the wood dry overnight. Before applying the next coat, rub the entire surface with superfine steel wool. Put 2 to 3 coats of oil on the wood. After final coat, rub entire surface with superfine steel wool. It will bring up a nice shine to the finish and make the wood sing. Place wood frames to the side.

Step 7- Remove old reupholstery. Take the seats and remove the staples from under the chair with a screwdriver.

As seen in this photo, I put newspaper over my table. When taking the old upholstery off, a lot of it just crumbles and falls apart. When I'm done, I can gather up the paper with all the debris and throw it away. Follow the same method with the backs.

Often when I reupholster, I will find out that I am not the first person to redo the piece. It can become a mini excavation. Based on the different layers and fabrics, you can figure out the approximate time someone did a reupholstery. It's interesting to see the history of a piece. 

Once all the fabric and foam is removed, use the chisel to scrape any remaining foam that may be stuck to the wood.

Step 8- Apply foam to seat and back. Carefully layout the seat and back parts on the foam. Cut the foam to size. Do this outside or in a well ventilated space.- Spray Super 77 onto the wood and the matching side of the foam. Place the foam on the wood and work the two materials together. Super 77 is sneaky to work with. Try to keep from getting any on your hands, or you will be amazed how everything that becomes stuck to you- lint, dirt, foam, your dog, etc. Let the Super 77 dry according to the directions on the can.

Step 9- Carefully layout the seat and back parts on the fabric. I used black vinyl because I find it to be era correct and desirable to the market. I chose a more expensive vinyl that looked fancier and was a better quality to work with. Vinyl, in general, is hard to work with because it is stiff. To make the process easier, choose a fabric without a repeating pattern.

Also cut out the pieces of black fabric for the underside of the seat. It is a nice finishing detail.

Step 10- Attach the fabric to the seat and back. This will be the hardest step in the whole process. Use a staple gun with the appropriate staple length. I use an electric staple gun because it is hard to have the strength to staple through all the layers manually. For the seat, start in the center of one side, secure your fabric in place and begin to staple around the perimeter, pulling the fabric tightly. Unless you have meaty hands, your fingers will be sore from this. Staple the corners last and try to work the fabric over the corners smoothly. 

Applying the black fabric after will create a nice finish detail and make the underside of the chair disappear. For the back, start by stapling on the bottom edge. Wrap the fabric over the front to the back and fold the edge. Place the folded edge on the bottom and staple to secure. Then, wrap the sides and staple the sides cleanly. Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the back assembly. So, let me know if there are any questions. Sometimes the staples will not seat all the way down when stapling. Use the hammer to nail them fully in.

Step 11- Reassemble the chairs. Using your notes or photos, labeled screws and wooden buttons, put the chairs back together. Apply felt feet.

Step 12- Fini! Stand back and admire your work.

These Danish modern chairs, which have no official name that I am aware of, are really great. They have survived the test of time because the design is well thought out. It has minimal pieces and assembles easily with screws. Teak is a durable wood. The proportions are perfect. Whether you are small or large, you will fit comfortably in them. They also do not take up a lot of room and they are fairly easy to find.

Good luck with your project!

What To Do With Your Old Keepsakes

I came across an article about a photographer at hippopota.com who takes photos of keepsakes, such as cherished stuffed animals and sentimental objects. I believe it was in the NY Times. I thought that was such a good idea. What better way to capture a fond memory and comfort, without holding onto a stinky torn up toy for the rest of your life.

(Don't worry, Pierot. I will never give you away... Come to think of it, I have no idea where you are right now...)

Shinya Kimura

Shinya Kimura from Adam Richards on Vimeo.


Knowing my passion for motorcycles, my friend, Cheryl Paff sent me this beautiful video on Shinya Kimura. I have seen images of his bikes before, but I have not seen one in person. The motorcycle world is small, so I hope to meet him in the future or at least see one of his creations.
What makes this video effective is that the montage of images show Kimura's interests and inspirations. The lighting and color of the film sets the mood. A shop is a personal space and usually reflects the owner's personality. We are able to get this intimate view of Kimura's life. While he comes across as serious, the shot of him riding a kid's bicycle displays a last laugh quality. It is a quality that also seems to come from the motorcycles. - You don't think this old looking hand made bike will work. Its just here for show. Ha ha, I will show you... - And with that, off he goes.

The Front Porch '09 and '10

Front Porch Summer 2009

Some years are better then others... for gardens, at least. In the summer of 2009, all the planters were lush, the grass was green, the birds were chirping,... everything was happy! 

Front Porch Fall 2010

In 2010- work became incredibly busy, there was a record dry summer, hardly any time was spent at home, and I unfortunately picked out plants that were all monochromatic. It seemed like a great idea at the time. In May, I spent hours at the most wonderful nursery, Victoria Gardens, painstakingly choosing my plants- all in orange hues. Now that I look at the planters in the fall, they're boring and much too subtle. I'm so bored with them, I don't even want to water. Believe me, the plants are pissed and about to uproot themselves and move out. Secretly, I hope they do. I'm already thinking about what my scheme will be for 2011. 

Heath Ceramics

While I tend to prefer tableware with thinner, delicate edges, I appreciate the simplicity and warmth of Heath Ceramics. Founded in 1948, this American company has been producing tableware and tile in Sausalito, California. I took this image in their boutique stand at the San Francisco Ferry Building. They have a great website that shows their full collection and now have a blog.

I especially love their Dimensional Tiles. (Image pulled from website.) Someday, I would love to do the full length of a hallway wall, in a residential space, with one of their tiles. I think that it would add such great texture and interest to a space.

Simple Hallway Redesign

A client wanted to update their apartment, quickly and cheaply. They have a lovely modern apartment, in Brooklyn, with floor to ceiling windows. We ended up using some of their old pieces and mixing in some new buys. I wish I had a photo of the foyer before. It was all white with nothing hanging on the walls and no where to place keys and mail, when they entered. To give the entrance a little zing, we painted one accent wall Benjamin Moore- Stem Green in eggshell, $50.00. I purchased the BluDot Strut Console in olive, for its color, price of $399.00, and slim dimensions. I found this large mirror at Home Goods for $68.00. A total bargain for its size and detail. Then, I picked up the glossy vase at Pier One, on clearance for $10.00. Total: $650.00 with taxes and delivery.

Lucie's Wedding Cake

I am very fortunate to have many friends who are talented artists. However, its always difficult to give them gifts because they all have such discerning tastes. So, when an incredibly talented ceramic artist marries an equally talented glass blower, what does one give to them as a wedding gift? After much consideration, I offered Lucie that I would make her wedding cake to celebrate her union to Chad. Luckily, Lucie accepted and was ecstatic! She made no requests as to size, color, theme, etc. She gave me the ultimate carte blanche.

I knew I wanted to make a cake that reflected their interests and loves. I decided to do a wooded outdoorsy cake, as Lucie and Chad had decided to marry on their property. They own many acres in upstate NY and live in an underground home! Did I mention that they are not only talented but also very, very cool. They have an enormous garden where they grow most of their food, a coop full of chickens with quirky personalities, and a beautiful natural swimming hole on their property. They live the life that hipsters in Williamsburg want.

To create the wooded outdoorsy cake, I started with the structure. I wanted to, literally, incorporate wood. I took a scrap piece of natural walnut wood and finished it to create the base. I then took a scrap piece of sycamore, finished it, and created the top stand portion. Lucie had requested red velvet cake. I opted for a buttercream frosting knowing that it would hold up better in the summertime heat then cream cheese frosting. I mixed a pale green frosting for the base of the cake. On the bottom two tiers, I piped on ferns. Their property has the most beautiful ferns growing everywhere. For the top tier, I did a basket weave pattern. I thought that it would compliment the country style wedding they were having. When it came time to cut the cake, I lit sparklers and put them on the top the cake, like you would do with candles. That was a big hit with the kids, both young and old!

Overall, Lucie and Chad were happy with the cake, which made me happy. The best thing to give artists as a gift, is something you made. They understand and appreciate the labor of love in creating something.

Hudson Quadricentennial Treasure Hunt

The Saugerties Artists Studio Tour was awarded a grant to participate in the Hudson Quadricentennial Celebration. The Artists decided to devise a Treasure Hunt with artwork dedicated to the the themes of the Hudson River. Twenty four artists, including myself, have made boxes which have been placed in and around the Town and Village of Saugerties, NY. Each week, for the past few weeks, clues have been published in the local paper for people to find the boxes. If someone finds all twenty four boxes, they can win a gift certificate to a local restaurant. For details and images of the artwork, check out the Saugerties Artists Studio Tour Website.

SO, the whole point of a Treasure Hunt is to NOT tell where the Treasure is. BUT, I'm not really telling you WHERE it is if I don't verbalize it, right? I mean, can you even find my artwork in the image above??? Are you even sure you know where this is??? If I get kicked out of the Tour because you ratted me out, its all your fault. So, if you figure it out, keep it on the down low and tell Suzanne and Jordan I say hello and thank you!

How To Whitewash Or Pickle A Wood Wall With Paint

I have clients who have bought a house in upstate New York. They are a NYC couple who are transitioning their lives to working and living full time upstate and going into the city as they need to. They admired this house from afar, and when it came onto the market a year later, they snatched it up immediately. They are now going through the process of renovating it to become the home of their dreams. Like any renovation project, they are discovering all sorts of issues and dilemmas that are creeping up room by room. 

This room, pictured above, is technically the third bedroom. They will be using it as their media room. While the rest of the room has sheet rock walls, this one wall with the fireplace is paneled in pine boards. Previous to the 'Before' photo being taken, the pine wall was covered in hideous layers of cracking paint. After going over various options for the wall, my clients and I decided to whitewash it. We had the wall striped with an eco friendly paint remover and then sanded down to 220 grit with palm sanders. From there, I rolled my sleeves up and got started on the Whitewash Project, which is sometimes called Pickling. Please note that this is technically NOT whitewashing. Traditionally, Whitewashing is a process that involves mixing water, lime, and various materials to make a thin paintable plaster. However, there is no technical phrase for the process pictured above. It is generally referred to as Whitewashing. (Confusing, I know!) Below, are the materials and steps involved.

Materials:

Drop cloth

Chisel (optional)

Screwdriver

220 sandpaper

Vacuum cleaner

Paintbrush

Rags

Water

Paint

Container

Steel wool (optional)

How To Whitewash A Wall With Paint:

Step 1-  Prepare the area for painting by laying down a drop cloth or paper to protect the floors. If the trim and baseboard need to be protected, use blue tape to cover them. Also, make sure to remove outlet covers and light fixtures from walls.

Step 2- Since someone else removed the old paint and sanded the wall, I went over the wall to inspect it and remove any paint that was left over in the crevices of the panels or along the mantle and trim. I used a chisel to gently scrape some of the paint off. But in most cases, this step will not be needed. The cleaner your wall is to begin with, the cleaner the outcome will be. Whitewashing allows the grain of the wood to be highlighted. So, any imperfections will also be highlighted!

Step 3- Go over the wall and quickly hand sand it with 220 grit sandpaper to make sure the surface is smooth and the flecks of old paint are gone. Vacuum the wall with the brush attachment and then take a dry rag and wipe the wall down. It is amazing how much wood dust sticks to everything.

Step 4- MIx your Whitewash solution in a container using clean water and interior paint. In this project, I used Benjamin Moore's Aura Paint in Acadia, as the rest of the room is painted this color and we wanted a lighter version of the other walls. Most interior paints and colored wood stains, in flat to satin finish, will work for this application. I used a ratio of 25% paint and 75% water. Always start with more water and play around with the ratios until you are happy with the results. Remember to continually stir the solution throughout the project to keep it evenly mixed.

Step 5- Working in small areas, apply the solution to the wall with a paintbrush. As you paint the solution on, have a rag ready to rub the wall and pick up the excess paint. Beware of splinters when you rub the walls! As you move across the wall, you will notice that the solution does not look even due to the wood absorbing the paint. Don't fret! Let the wall dry completely and inspect the results, as it will most likely dry evenly. In the photo above, I did one coat of the whitewash solution. I am happy with the amount of wood grain showing through. As you add more coats of whitewash, the wood wall will become more opaque and show less wood grain.

Step 6- (Optional) Go over the wall with steel wool to make the raised grain smooth.

Good luck with your project!

Take Control

Oh how I wish I had taken a before shot!!! (I sometimes get so excited about starting a project that I forget to document it.) One of the services I offer clients is organizing. Often times, before you can get down to designing or decorating, you have to focus on getting rid of the clutter so you can actually see the room. This particular client has an awesome walk-in closet, but it was looking like a small pipe bomb had gone off inside it! She had boxes of stuff that she had not even opened in three cross country moves, bills and papers strewn over the floor, and stuff stacked on top of more stuff. So, how does this happen? Well, very easily. This client works a lot of hours and every time she moved she didn't have time to properly sort through her stuff. Her belongings got crammed into boxes and she kept shoving papers into bags to be sorted later. Every time she had people over, she would scoop everything up in her bedroom and put it in her closet. Out of sight, out of mind. BUT, not anymore!!! It took us four full days of going through her belongings and setting up systems for everything. We bought a filing cabinet to store all her papers and documents and set up a home office. We then tackled the storage situation and bought a bunch of containers. Now, like items go into particular containers. For instance, all her travel bags go in one container, her christmas decorations are in another, and so on. She still has some stacks of papers to go through, but she now has designated places to put everything. Best of all, she is getting rid of all this mental weight in her life. She now is not embarrassed to have people walk into her bedroom and she is organized in her personal life. It lifts a tremendous amount of stress off her shoulders. And better yet, we can now get down to the fun part of redecorating her space!