organization 101.
i am an avid list maker. i can’t keep straight anything i need to get done if i don’t make neat little ‘to do’ lists, complete with small check-off boxes. if i didn’t make these lists, well, you might be staring at a blank blog right about now. i make in them in pretty little journals by cath kidston or the ones above from camilla engman you can find here in san francisco (or online) at rare device.
i also need my folders, lots and lots of pretty folders.i like these thomas paul file folders you can find at see jane work. in those, i catalog my many magazine clippings, blog and photo ideas, bills (ugh!), and just about every other scrap of paper in the house. i keep the folders in baskets or bins — like this white one which is actually a bike basket from design stockholm house.
but i also use lots of vintage metal filing bins, like this one below. i find them on etsy vintage (like this one below i just got from lucky little dot to hold my overflowing magazine collection) and at the flea market. they all work well, and look pretty attractive, too. there may be piles, but heck, they better be pretty piles. what are your organizing tips? wanna share?
i have always loved that you use the “carrie” basket for files!
I take school composition books I get at Staples and cover them with vintage prints and wallpaper. Purple folders are my staple, purple binders, purple pens. I have lots of vintage drawers that I use to put stuff in.
Fab post.
What is it about lists? I am definitely a list-maker too – my brain just can’t get a handle on something until I’ve made a list about it! I am also a big fan of baskets – probably a remnant of my years as a preschool teacher – and I would be lost without my magazine files as well :)
lists, filing and bills… so much more fun when you get to use cute note books, folders and pens. love all your little picks.
I know what you mean about lists! I need one to get practically anything done. It’s a terrible day when I lose my list, then I’m really lost.
Still, I’m not very good at organization. Need to work on that.
Hey Victoria,
I just recently came across you blog and I’m loving it. I’m an avid listmaker, too (althoug I haven’t added chackboxes to my lists yet), I love your storage basket ideas for all the papers and the magazines. I bet even those ugly bills look pretty in those folders! My magazines, bills, and all types of papers are overcrowding my bookshelves, so I might just go out there hunting for some baskets!!!
Thanks for sharing!!!
I’m all about my Moleskin day planner to keep me organized. I use recipe cards or post it notes for disposable lists that are the perfect size for the small day planner.
My files, however, are not organized, so thanks for the tips! I’ve been looking for a filing cabinet, but it never occured to me to get pretty folders leave them out in the open…
I LOVE lists… it helps though when I don’t lose my lists. Yeah.
I love those metal bins! I have bigger ones for all my magazines too!
I love this post. It’s not only nice to see what someone organizes with but also have actual product links to them! So helpful, thank you!
Love the industrial metal bins, use them myself!
i desperately need a new filing system! kiwi and i have papers scattered all over the house…
i was thinking of painting a filing cabinet or magazine holder with chalkboard paint!
Great links here. Thanks!
Hi V. Love your website. The 2nd and 3rd photos are not downloading correctly. Can you please fix? Thank u.
thanks kathy – no sure what happened there. i’ll fix that!
I love lists, too!
Hello! I LOVE being organized although it seems to elude parts of my household. I used to keep notes and lists in thick notebooks but I love how you use small (and pretty ones). I like to use index cards for their portability. I like to keep things in binders but the idea of having pretty folders and keeping them in a basket for me to peruse and access easily is such a wonderful idea. I will definitely be using your tips!