I've always loved art that draws out the beauty in the commonplace. Numbers by Jasper Johns is one of my favorite paintings, and I love the work of artists of the Pop Art movement.
Because I love the simplicity of everyday objects, and because my kids are always looking for something, I started years ago putting all the stuff we use regularly in plain sight. Instead of investing energy in looking for stuff all the time, I invest energy in thinking of ways to make my Qtips, toilet paper and votive candles look pretty.
Glass jars are the center of my universe when it comes to organizing our stuff:
In a house with three kids, you can't have enough soap and Qtips. My bathroom counter always has two huge jars filled with unwrapped white bars of soap and Qtips. Because those things are all white, they look great. I also keep a huge basket in the bathroom that's always filled with about 50 rolls of toilet paper. Another thing you can't have enough of in a house with three kids.
Our home office is designed for grownups on one side and kids on the other, and someone always seems to need a pen, a pencil, tape, a post-it, a glue stick for something. We have big glass jars in the office, most of them filled with one of those things. I reserved a few for my own stuff -- twig colored pencils I bought in Argentina, currency my husband and I have collected from around the world, matchbooks -- and the jars look like a pretty collection.
My kitchen counter is lined with glass jars that are always filled with good snacks for the kids -- pretzels, crackers, sometimes cookies. I even keep one filled with little squares of chocolate for me. The power of suggestion overtakes my kids and they eat the healthy snacks I put out for them. Between my snack jars, the fruity centerpiece on my counter and my super-organized fridge (see post "I Love My Fridge" 5/29/08), I think I have the healthiest kids in my suburb.
The secret is to buy the biggest jars you can find -- the bigger the better -- and go for it. Here are my favorite secret sources for good glass jars:
Ace Mart Restaurant Supply
Williams Sonoma
Container Store
I like to think of my house as a sort of version of Andy Warhol's The American Supermarket with everyday objects displayed as works of art. Well, maybe I just like to think of my house as a place where I can find a roll of toilet paper when I need one.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
I'm no Andy Warhol, but...
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1 comments:
Dear Daughter, you have made it easy to be a guest in your home as well. No need to ask where something is as it is usually in a big jar in plain sight. And the jars are inviting, just reach in, take what you need..........and smile. You and mom both have this thing for jars. Seems like everything we own eventually makes its way to a jar. Our pantry is just lined with glass jars of varying size, some full, some partially full and others simply waiting for their turn to be of service. Totally removes the guess work. I need to think about unbreakable jars for the garage.
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