Known as the “world’s most reliable organizer,” author Jamie Novak has the solution we’ve all been looking for: the Get Organized Answer Book.

Clutter isn’t just about haphazardly-placed stuff – it drags down your entire life. According to Jamie, about 80% of all the clutter in every home or office is a result of disorganization, not lack of space. So why do we keep buying big houses and storage units? Because we need a simple, easy-to-use organizational system that we can extend throughout our lives.

Step-by-step, question-by-question, Jamie guides us readers through how, when, and where to start – plus motivation to keep going day in and day out. Her repeated advice: start small. Just like getting into shape, every little bit of action counts, and once you start sorting one area, you will be inspired to start again with another.

I openly admit that I am quite partial to the Get Organized Answer Book’s last chapter, entitled “Simply Green Organizing.” That obvious note aside, the entire book is a perfect reference tool to have on your shelf. While reading through the whole book is immensly useful, you can easily look at the start of each chapter to see a full list of the questions Jamie answers – jump to the one you need and it is all explained in less than a page.

Though I consider myself naturally organized, I can always use a bit of extra help. Jamie Novak’s Get Organized Answer Book is just what I need to keep my occassional clutter in check (especially my unnatural interest in anything made of out paper, haha).

Two pieces in the May 2009 issue grabbed my attention:

First up is a great older home in Minneapolis that was updated both stylishly and economically with 6 easy tips.

1) Refresh with white

2) Make it livable

3) Spotlight accents

4) Create cohesion

5) Soften the edges

6) Scale back furniture

I was surprised to see that the kitchen had the most color - usually it is the living or bedrooms.

Second and still swank is a small, remodeled kitchen in Minneapolis … I see an odd location trend here. FYI: I lived in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area for 1 year after high school.

Tis amazing what a few changes can do to make a room feel more open and comfortable. Too many kitchen cabinets + random oven placement = hell. Natural light + a wall oven away from the fridge = heaven.

The DIY gods have shined on us eco-crafters by bringing us the new Re-Construct DVD from Jeanee Ledoux and Garth Johnson.

Full of 11 different home decor projects of different difficulties and time commitments, Re-Construct also includes eco-friendly tips and interviews with both hosts.

Jeanee is the project creator and executor, while Garth is a great co-presenter with amusing anecdotes and intelligent questions. You won’t find any flashy video editing effects here (sorry HGTV) – this DVD is all about the hands-on crafts minus the frills.

Out of all the projects on Re-Construct, I’m itching to try the:

• Cardboard Ottoman
• Scooter Dish
• Fabric Painting
• Painted Candle holders
• Eggshell Planter
• Book Shelf

This particular DVD is labeled as #1, so I’m hoping that Jeanee and Garth have plans for #2, 3, 4, and beyond! Visit the Re-Construct website for a preview of the DVD, links to cool fellow crafters, and how to buy your own copy online (makes a great gift … hint hint).

The April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens featured a great house in suburban Minnesota that made my heart flutter. Lots of wide wood, white paint, and varying textures. Somehow, owner Kelly Welsh managed to combine the worlds of modern minimalism and family-friendly cozy seamlessly in a farmhouse-esque style.

Not-to-be-missed: the brand new bathroom (last picture) – winter white, yet somehow charming (I think its the planked walls). This whole house is a delight and great inspiration for my own future home, though I would certainly use more vividly-colored art and accessories.

The classy-yet-cheerful living room (pieced together from 2 scanned images). Loving the succulent plants on the fireplace mantel.

Now that’s a kitchen to cook in! Since this house was shown in the April 2009 issue, you can guess that it has some eco-friendly features: reclaimed oak boards for the floors & numerous furniture pieces and accessories from flea markets and roadsides.

It’s the little things that matter the most.

1. I’ve been a fan of open shelves (instead of cabinets) for years; you can expect them in my future kitchen!

2. Another shot of the great plank walls and mantel succulents.

3. Simple accessories with strong lines are better than lots of small, distracting pieces.

The aforementioned bathroom. Love the tub, walls, floors (hooray for large tiles!), and the vanity – less cabinets means less places to store stuff you don’t need to buy in the first place.

Photographer: Susan Gilmore

Stylist: Jessica Thomas

Below are a few of my favorite eco-finds from their cultivated selection (make sure to click on the product links – see the note below!):

Moso Lamp with Bamboo Vertical Grain

Amenity “Cove” Organic Cotton Duvet Cover

Bambu Bowls (available in 3 sizes are many colors!)

Transglass Lidded Carafe

A Scent of Scandal Soy Candles (so many “naughty” versions; some of my favorites: Down Under, D-Cup, Cat Fight, Late Bloomer, Rough Patch)

Note: This post is part of the Inhabitatshop Grand Opening Blogger Contest. Please click on the product links to visit the Inhabitatshop – by doing so, you will be helping me (Victoria Everman) to be named as one of the Most Influential Green Bloggers!

What does this all mean? I’ve never decorated my living space … never. The idea of buying a house is both exhilarating and terrifying. This will be my first chance to make a space that truly reflects my personal passions (which is fun and frightful all on its own), but it is also a very expensive, long-term commitment (there’s that “adulthood” part). We plan on staying in our first house for roughly 10 years, so there are sure to be big and small undertakings abound!

Thanks to this intense & enlivening change, it is about time that I start documenting what, I feel, makes a house feel like a home. You know what that means? A new series of posts for Victoria-E.com! Crafting a Happy Home will include everything from companies & online shops I adore, DIY projects I hope to undertake, photos from magazines that features homes I’d move into in a heartbeat … and anything else that sparks that cozy, cuddle feeling I’ve been longing for for years.

XXXXX     XXXXX     XXXXX     XXXXX     XXXXX

For the first post of many, I’m starting off on a (somewhat) sad note, featuring homes in the final issue of Country Home Magazine. Personally, I find the kitchen to be one of the most important rooms in the entire house. My fiance gets irked at me when I lose interest in a house just because the kitchen is outdated. Thanks to the Kitchen Makeover on a Budget piece (page 40), I feel a bit better about taking on a full kitchen remodel – though I’ll still avoid it if I can! (sorry about the scanned pics – Country Home is no longer updating their website)

My style doesn’t include an uber-modern kitchen. I prefer something that feels a bit more “country” and “lived-in” (especially those huge ceramic sinks!), but I’m impressed these folks were able to accomplish for around $10,000 & with oodles of items from IKEA.

The same magazine issue features an inspirational kitchen nestled in a remodeled 1837 log tavern in Canada (Second Chance, page 48).

Looking around my web bookmarks and saved magazines, it is clear that I have enough ideas to fill a few books. Sp expect many Crafting a Happy Home updates in the near future (less words, more pics!).