Hello AT,
As an avid magazine and blog reader I am constantly collecting ideas for future projects- pictures of tiles, articles on ovens, paint samples, etc
So, I am looking for advice on how to keep all of those scraps of papers/clippings and digital information organized. I need whatever system I use to be simple, so that I will actually keep it up..."
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In the past I tried keeping everything in hanging files- but those got jumbled and were hard to sort through. I then tried using binders and slipping scraps into sheet protectors- but that proved to be labor intensive.
And I now have the dilemma of wanted to save and catalogue ideas from the internet- so I am not constantly asking myself where was it that I saw that great ____ Any ideas of attractive, simple solutions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Karen Marie
Dear KM,
This is a great question and one that our good search box and detailed archive only partially answers. What we really need online is a place where you can collect all your ideas in bookmark form for when you need them next.
A number of other websites have begun experimenting with bookmarklets and with tagging, so that you can build your own archive. Typically this only allows you to bookmark what you find in that site and not elsewhere and the picture bookmarking services - Delicious, Wists, Stylehive - are only in their infancy.
We are watching to see what we should do; what we should copy. We'd like to allow each reader to have an online room where they store their decorating ideas from ANY site. Let us know what would work best for you and we'll look into it.
Having a site where we can store all our design info, from other sites as well would be AMAZING!
One suggestion is also to allow us to store ideas from shops, etc. I know that when moving you want to keep your ideas in a place, and not go out and get them until afterwards. This would help in situations like those.
On the digital side, it sounds as if Google Notebook would do it for you. It allows you to collect text/images from any website, and organize/describe/annotate it in "notebooks" that are all web-accessible. Because it's Google, the notebooks are searchable. You can also selectively share them (or keep them all private). See http://www.google.com/googlenotebook/overview.html for an overview.
I bookmark interesting web pages in a bookmark folder named "decor." I use Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/), which might be more amenable for easier organization, and it's free.
I hate paper so any clippings or pictures that I want to hold onto, I scan and I have a folder named "decor" (surprise)in "my documents." I picked up a very cool refurbished vertical HP scanner (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1306984,00.asp) for under $100 on ebay.
If something on the web is interesting, I'll print it into a pdf file with a free program called pdf995 (http://www.pdf995.com/) and file it under "decor" in my documents.
As soon as "decor" gets too big, I'll break it down into subfolders, like "bedroom" "living room" "kitchen" et al.
Maxwell-
Epicurious.com has an interesting way of saving recipes on the "my recipe box" section. Just a thought.
I shouldn't have put parenthisis around the sites on my previous post. Hopefully, they will work here:
http://www.mozilla.com/firefox
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1306984,00.asp
http://www.pdf995.com
Google Notebooks turns out to be really easy to use.
Seeing the linens I was considering side-by-side convinced me that I hated all of them, but better now than later, I guess.
In the same vein as the google notebook...I use iPhoto to organize things...as I come across and image, ctrl-click it and you can send it direct to iPhoto. In there I tag the image with its room, "kitchen," and any other relevant tag, "furniture, barstools," etc. Place the name of the company and any other ideas in the comments. You can then search and sort through your inspirations using keywords, move pictures into folders as you think of your new designs, and the biggest thing is see all your images at once. Helps you get a visual of what is working/not working/color combos/style really quickly.
To address the paper based systems:
There was a discussion on this thread that has some ideas, and in this thread Holly of decor8 suggests a "look book."
http://tinyurl.com/jcv27
And here is the link to her website that describes how to do it:
http://tinyurl.com/zzjc4
If binders with page protectors are too labor intensive, what about just binders and a 3 hole punch? To me that is easier than something like a look book, although I love (and would love to do) what Holly does.
Thanks to all for the other great ideas. I am getting just a little bit excited about this google notebook thing.
I use a bookmarking website called del.icio.us - http://del.icio.us
It's really helpful to keep all my finds organized.
Thanks for the Look Book mention Lori 2, I'm happy someone enjoyed that mini project. I couldn't live without mine, and guests love them when they pop over, they are more popular than my photo albums, but of course I can understand why... :)
Design Milk had a great idea for virtual scrapbooking. I prefer a home organizational system since I like to have something in hand at times when I am looking to find an item in a store, for instance... But the e-bookmarking is lots of fun. Have you tried a site like StyleHive or StyleFeeder?
http://www.stylefeeder.com
http://www.stylehive.com
Both help me when I'm bookmarking items I either want to shop for online, or things that I want to blog about.
Holly
del.icio.us has been an amazing source as well as a perfect way of keeping my bookmarks organized. I trully enjoy the cross-referencing tool that allows you to see other people's bookmarks tagged the same as you.
if you're on a mac, try macjournal. you can drag & drop text and images from your desktop or web sites directly onto macjournal pages. edit and reorganize and store the pages in category folders.
it's also great for recipes, how-to, or any articles you want to keep.
dug --
I'm on a mac -- both at work & home. Where's macjournal?
thx
Yeah, where's macjournal? I've an extensive array of PowerPoints by room, category and concept. As well as clippings tray.
There is a product called the Decorating Assistant, that was designed to organize everything you accumulate when you are decorating a specific room or even your whole space. Room files hold paint chips fabric samples, warranties and everything in between. You even get magnetic furniture pieces to plan your layout before you move or buy furniture. The organizing system comes with a desktop file holder and a great mesh bag for shopping (an alternative to shopping with a plastic baggie!) When you are finished decorating, the bag and file holder is great for the office and traveling.
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