Life is full of change. One moment you’re single and carefree the next you have three kids and a mortgage. Well maybe it wasn’t exactly a moment, but sometimes it feels that way.

About 1% of the population plans their life out perfectly; you know the ones who prepare for each chapter of their life long before they’ve gotten through the introduction. The other 99% of us figure it out as we go. It’s not that we don’t try to plan; it’s just that sometimes the best laid plans don’t work out.

I’ve learned to adapt quickly. As a recovering planner I thought I could control every direction and aspect of my life. I learned the hard way that the only thing I could do well was laugh and make the best of my current situation.

Sometimes making the best of a current situation means using what’s on hand to solve a storage dilemma. Remember I started See Jane Work in 2003 when office supplies were ugly, but I still needed to decorate my office. I did it by re-purposing items.

A candle holder for a pencil cup, a basket as an inbox, and an egg holder for…………

• Your nightstand to hold jewelry that you remove each night
• Small office supplies that can otherwise clutter your desktop
• Beads and other small craft supplies in your workshop

You may be wondering why I would suggest using household items rather than the actual office supplies I design.  Well, I’m not a matchy-matchy person, so an office with a few well-designed office supplies (See Jane Work of course) and one repurposed item–something meaningful or beautiful–is my idea of a great looking office.  Plus, why keep your candle holders hidden away in a closet? Let them earn their keep in your workspace.

xoxo-Holly