A Well-Oiled...Desk

 

A few months ago I wrote a post about my quiet corner of a desk that I love so much. Not much has changed in the look of this corner since I wrote that post, but I have discovered that even though I know I need to make some changes to the functionality of the extra room that serves as overflow storage space, this desk works so well. I have all the things I need to function on a daily basis – for my job and my personal work – so I thought I would share with you some of the tools I keep at hand for everyday work! Maybe it will inspire you in your own desk space!

Pen and Highlighter Mug: My friend Amber gifted me this mug, featuring The Friends picture frame, and as part of the gift, she actually printed off a handful of pictures of the two of us and put them inside. I love this mug so much for so many reasons, but it doesn’t make a great drinking mug because of the picture insert. So I use it to hold my pens and highlighters! I always stock up on many colors of Flair pens during school supply sales, and then I use them all year long for everything. I color code my planner with these pens, I write notes in them, and I use them for…well…basically everything. I also found these highlighters that I use in my planner. They have a rounded tip, rather than a chisel tip, so you can make circles in your planner to check off items. You can get them in different color schemes. I went with pastels! I use all of these multiple times a day every single day!

Sharpies in a Typewriter: Back when we lived in Kokomo and I worked for the church, Ryan gifted me this little typewriter pen holder. Because I was filling in for someone, I didn’t mess with anything on her desk, but he wanted me to have something to see every day that was mine. SO, he gave me this, and I still love it. It’s perfect for my writer-heart. I stock it with fine tip Sharpies, which I also use every day. There are times when the Flair Pen isn’t the right type of pen for a surface (or for permanence) so the Sharpies come to the rescue then!

Lipstick and Essential Oil: I don’t keep a bunch of loose things on the desk, but I do keep a tube of lipstick there for when I have online meetings and need to look alive. I’ve been using Elf brand makeup lately, so the lipstick I keep on hand is called “Shameless.” It’s on the red end of lipstick, but it has a browner tone to it, so it’s not SO bright. I also have a bottle of Immune Strength Essential oil. (This one came from Rocky Mountain Oils a while ago, but I have been buying from Selah Essential Oils most recently, so here is the link to their version.) I just like being able to put on (or inhale) some immune system strengthening oil in these colder days.

Family Photo. The frame is just cheap from wherever, and I need to update the picture to show one from this year, but I love having our family picture on my desk. Having their faces right here motivates me to do my very best! 😊

Card Catalog Supply organizer. Ryan gifted me this for our 10^th anniversary, and I love it. It holds rubber bands, sticky notes, paper clips, the whole bit. I love having those things easily accessible and yet hidden away in something pretty!

Colored Pencils. I used an extra mason jar I had on hand to hold these, but I keep a supply of colored pencils on my desk for marking verses in my Bible and coloring in tracker bubbles in my planner. I really love the erasable pencils from Crayola, because I do sometimes mess up with my color coding, and I like being able to erase! (I learned that not all colored pencils erase!) The little saying hanging around them was done by my friend Amber. I’d love to give you a link to order one, but she doesn’t have a shop. Yet. 😊

Inspirational Print and Tiny Pitcher. This inspirational print came from a blog I read years ago. I tried to find it recently and the site no longer exists. I just printed it off in black and white and put it in a frame I had, and it’s been here ever since! The dreamer in me needs this reminder. The tiny pitcher came from a TJ Maxx or Hobby Lobby or some such store, and I bought it quickly before speaking at a retreat – about pouring into lives. I keep it here as a reminder to pour into others’ lives!

Fan and Lamp. I shared this fan link on my top ten investments of the year post, but here it is again. This little fan was a gift from Ryan, and I love it on warm days. It hides away nicely in the corner on days like we’re having now, when I don’t need a fan! The lamp is one I’ve owned forever and if I had to guess, I would say I got it at Walmart. Especially with mornings and evenings being so dark so late/early, I love having this little soft spot of light to brighten my desk. I HATE bright, overhead lights, so I will pick a lamp every time.

Plant and planter. I bought the plant in Grabill right before we moved, and I know it needs a bigger home, but I love this coffee cup planter! I bought it at a little shop in Ohio right after Ryan and I were married, when I was on a field trip for WBCL. It reminded me of our love of coffee, and we’ve used it every year since I bought it! I love having a plant on my desk, because it just brings some texture and color to the space!

Business Card File and Art. I got this little business card holder years ago, and I love it because it’s unique and hides the cards. I’m not a Rolodex kind of girl. But I do love having business cards on hand when I need to reach someone! The art on top is a wooden block ink print also made by my friend Amber. She needs a site, right? 😊

Planner and Holder. I’ve been using the Prayerful Planner for a couple of years and really love it. It is the perfect layout for me with monthly and daily pages, and I keep it right here beside me all day so I can keep track of my chores! (The exact cover I have is sold out, but the insides of this one are the same.) I recently bought this acrylic holder that keeps it elevated so I can see it easily! Heads up: this is a two-pack, and I didn’t realize it when I bought it. I gifted the spare to one of my friends, and she uses it to hold recipes in her kitchen, so she can see them while she cooks!

Drawer Organizers. This is my most recent desk space purchase, and it completed everything for me. Multiple sizes of shallow organizers so I can keep track of things like scissors, tape, stamps, etc. Perfect! Stuff isn’t sliding around in the drawer anymore, and I love that.

Phone stand. I also bought this phone stand this year and love it. I can prop my phone up while I’m facetiming or Marco Poloing, and it’s easy to see what I’m doing! I can also prop it up in the kitchen if I’m using a website or app for a recipe. I basically tote this little thing all over the house with me and use it wherever I happen to be working!

Pillows and Blankets. My desk chair is this really cool wooden chair that holds a piece of history from a local school torn down years ago. It’s cool, but it’s not comfortable! I snagged a large decorative pillow my sister had for sale in a rummage and sit on it every day. (It’s flat and square) and then in the Aldi fun-aisle, I found a lumbar pillow that helps me from having a sore back after hours in this chair. This one is similar. I also keep a throw blanket folded up on the chair to use during the colder days. I got it years ago at Walmart on clearance, but this is similar.

Random Art and Reminders. From there, everything in my space is a piece of art that inspires me. Reminders of my value in the Lord, my love for Ryan, my affinity for coffee, and sticky notes that remind me to pray for people and to think on ideas to write about someday. I also print out the verses I’m working to memorize and hang those in my space. I do also have this clock that Ryan gifted me for Valentine’s Day this year. It’s so beachy, and I love it.

            It’s all been working for me really well for the past few months, and I love showing up to this little desk every day. There is something particularly satisfying about loving a desk space. I hope you love yours, too!