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The Office

February 4, 2012 by Crafty Teacher Lady +

It’s no secret that The Office is one of my favorite shows, but this post isn’t about that office, it’s about this office:

This is one of two bedrooms in my home but I’m using it as an all purpose room.  It’s tiny, roughly 10′ x10′, so I’ve really got make the best use of the space.  My main purpose for this room is to sew, craft, store office-type things like the printer, and use as a place to edit and store photography.  The photo above is what the room looked like upon moving in. I’ve been a busy bee, and, drum roll please, this is what it looks like now:

You can read about how I made the wrapping paper organizer here.  I kept the desk and chair and hung a fabric covered bulletin board above for notes, bills, and reminders.  The floating shelf above the desk area is from Ikea.

To the right of the desk area, I replaced the plastic storage drawers with Martha Stewart line white ‘cubbies’ from Home Depot.  The price for the shelves and for the canvas cubes, were the lowest I could find after shopping around, even lower than Wal-Mart. Very easy for me to assemble and attach to the wall all by myself!

Small office organization ideas

Along the opposite side of the room sits my giant 4’x4′ work table.  In my condo, I used it as my kitchen table because the sides fold up nicely so the entire table can sit up against the wall.  However, in this room it stays open all the time because I use it to cut fabric and as a large surface for whatever project I may be working on.

Painted wall stripes Driftwood gray by Martha Stewart

The stripes were the very first thing I did in this room, even before moving in.  The painters, who were still working on the other rooms, thought I was crazy to try and paint stripes.  Little did they know, I’ve been reading design blogs for a long time and had gathered an arsenal of stripe-painting tips!  They turned out great!  Paint colors are Driftwood (gray) and Picket Fence (white) both by Martha Stewart for Home Depot. The black chandelier is from Ikea and the oval mirror is from Wal-Mart.

To bring the turquoise color to this side of the room, I designed the ‘Keep Calm’ print with that in mind.  It’s a gentle reminder to stop and take a deep breath any time a project seems to be going rogue!  This space is so much more organized than it was two months ago and now allows me to keep pursuing all of those fun projects I love to create!

Filed Under: decor, office, Uncategorized

Hello! I’m Kelly-Anne!

I’m an avid DIY and home decor enthusiast, wife and new mom, teacher of 15 years, and a Mainer now living on a farm in Virginia. Here you’ll find creative endeavors of all sorts!

Now offering Interior Decorating Services at  Dirigo & Dogwood

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Little glimpses of pattern mixing around our home! Little glimpses of pattern mixing around our home! 😍💗

Please don’t be fooled, though…these are close up shots for a reason- the house is FULL of moving boxes, piles of stuff to be organized and put away, and the DIY project list is LONG! 

But finding small little pretty corners is bringing me a little bit of joy and I hope they do the same for you, friend! 💗🙂#
I’m nowhere near unpacked or ready to “properly” d I’m nowhere near unpacked or ready to “properly” decorate,  but we needed some functional storage and a “drop zone” near the entrance we most use so I threw together this little area with things I already had…and the best part is, everything is thrifted! 😍 

Eventually, I’ll put wallpaper above the beadboard and will give the fireplace a makeover. But for now, just trying to tackle the endless boxes to unpack and breakdown (peep that pile of cardboard at the end of the video)!!
Life Update: I bought a house! This has been in th Life Update: I bought a house! This has been in the works for a while but I wasn’t quite sure how/when/what I wanted to share. If you’ve been here since my Maine days, you know just how much I enjoy sharing all things DIY and home decor and I’m looking forward to doing just that. 

I know questions will inevitably arise about the circumstances of this move but I will likely keep those details private. We are still in Virginia, not too far from the farm, and are settling into our new routine. 

In true ‘Crafty Teacher Lady’ style, this house is a fixer upper, just like most of my previous homes. It’s in a lovely neighborhood in an adorable town and I’m excited to make some happy memories here as I turn this little house into our home! 
 
C requested pink walls (which I obliged) and Stanley has also already come to visit a few times during family movie nights and he has given his ‘seal of approval’ to the fenced-in backyard! 🤣🥰🐕 

More to share soon (likely in stories) as I continue to tackle my very long list of home projects! 💗
🎨 Virginia parents + teachers! The Virginia Lotter 🎨 Virginia parents + teachers! The Virginia Lottery Thank a Teacher Art Contest is officially open! It’s such a fun way for K-12 students to show appreciation for the amazing teachers who make a difference every day. Submit your child or student’s artwork now through February 2 at ThankaTeacherVA.com! 💌 #VALPartner

As a former classroom teacher, some of my most treasured keepsakes are the thank-you notes and student artwork I’ve received over the years. There’s something so special about seeing gratitude expressed through creativity, and this contest celebrates exactly that. 🧡

Here’s what you need to know:
✏️ Who can enter: K–12 Virginia public school students
🏆 Prizes for winners from elementary, middle & high school:
 • $200 Visa Gift Card
 • $2,000 credit for supplies for their school’s art department from The Supply Room
 • Their artwork featured on thousands of thank-you notes sent across Virginia

🎨 How to create: Use 8.5×11 in. paper or digital! Colored pencils, crayons, paint, or even graphic design.

And did you know? 100% of Virginia Lottery profits support public education. This contest is just one of the many ways they give back to our schools.

Let’s encourage our young artists to create, celebrate teachers, and spread a little gratitude! 💫

#ThankaTeacherVA #VALottery #ArtContest #SupportPublicEducation #CreativeKids
I’m so grateful she gets to experience the magic t I’m so grateful she gets to experience the magic that is Maine at Christmastime, just like I did growing up! ❄️❤️🌲
She’s doing it! 🥹🥹🥹 If you’ve been following our She’s doing it! 🥹🥹🥹 

If you’ve been following our journey since the beginning, you know just how much time, effort, dedication, sacrifice, prayers, cost, and hard work has gone in to getting her here. 

There’s still a lot of work to be done but I cannot believe the progress she has made and that we’ve gotten to this point! We are so very hopeful for her future as an independent walker!! 💗💗💗

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