Store Stuff in Style

What does the average person do after a special trip?  He or she will gather receipts like airline tickets, museum entry stubs, city maps etc  and toss them into a bag or box and shove them to the back of a closet.  We are convinced that one day we will indeed make an incredibly special album.  Or maybe we'll take out our special box and share the contents with our children and friends.  Or maybe in our dotage we'll take out the spoils of fun times and pour over them lest we forget our adventure. What's a professional organizer to do when confronted by these bags and cardboard boxes?  Why suggest a better way of course!

The boxes seen above are a great idea because the labeled contents call out to us and beg to be handled. When we look up on a dreary day we're forced to smile at the happy memories that flood our mind just looking at words like 'Japan' or 'London.' These boxes are from the Martha Stewart Collection but you can get similar project boxes at places like The Container Store. If you're a 'crafty person' you might want to jazz up some old shoe boxes and create your own memory box. Just be careful you don't go crazy with design and size.  Try and have a consistent theme and size/shape box.

What I also admire about these shelves and it's something you'll find I mention frequently is the creative way the shelves themselves have been put together.  Items weren't just slapped up to get them out of the way.  Everything has been artfully arranged so that it's pleasing to the eye and yet logical and organized at the same time.  There is never any reason that beauty and function can't be married! Now that you're inspired, what projects will you schedule on your calendar? Until things are planned they remain wishes and dreams.  That's a great place to start but it will never get you over the finish line.