*
After reading the number 1 book on organization (highly recommended!), I decided that every single thing in our new house will have a designated place. Not just any place, but one that makes life easier on the daily basis. To accomplish this, I’m building some special boxes to contain things. This box in particular is for my skin products and it will be located in my bathroom, on a nice piece of furniture with a marble top.
I can’t wait for you (and me!) to see this box in its final destination. We’re getting ready for our move on March 1st. Time is flying fast and the construction is going as planned. Our contractor and his crew of brave men have been working really hard regardless of the weather. If I had to rate them in stars I would give them 100 stars! That’s how amazing they have been.
To make this box I first built the “bones” using acid-free foam board. I glued the pieces together using this acid-free glue. Then I covered the box with professional quality paper by gluing the paper to the surface of the box using this same glue. Then, to seal the paper and give the whole box strength I applied a layer of acrylic matte varnish on it, inside and outside. After the box dried I painted strange things on it with acrylic paint. To finish the piece I applied 3 layers of the matte varnish inside and outside. And then I had a snack and drank some tea while attempting to do a psychoanalysis of what I had just painted. Read on to find out what it came to mind:
↑ A bird and a woman having a conversation about a certain hair style from another planet. The bird is agitated because the woman is distracted looking at the tree behind him. The woman wonders what kind of fruit that tree offers. In the meantime a rare animal shows up with something growing on his head. Perhaps he ate the forgiven fruits from the tree. The animal’s tail starts growing at an alarming fast rate↓
The tail then turns into a second woman. Before the face of this woman is totally formed she asks two birds from the area if they could lend her a mirror. They say OK, but first let us know what you think about our out-of-this-world hair style. She says: it is elegant. The birds hand the mirror to her. She finally sees herself and says: I must run! So she runs and runs without any specific destination in mind↓
She makes a stop in the desert and sees some nice succulents that are striving in the dry soil. So she remembers what her friend Kirsten told her once; that whenever you see a little bit of life in the desert you should think about how much work it took. The woman then decides to stop running so she lays down to take a nap↓
But then her body starts ascending like a balloon. Now that the woman is up there, she decides to spend the rest of her life as a cloud up in the sky. She learns how to turn into different shapes and how to make rain and other atmospheric wonders. People look at her from planet Earth and wonder what she is going to turn into next↓
Then she wakes up and realizes that it was all a dream about change and about embracing the unknown 🙂 The End.
Now back to reality, this is how my box looks inside. I built different rooms for my skin products to live in. They felt important when I measured their bodies. This is the first custom house that they ever had. It makes me excited to know that they will all live happily ever after in here, or at least happily ever until their expiration dates.
I hope that you enjoyed my box.
Sending much love and have a wonderful day!
Elsita
Facts about this box:
*The varnish makes it water-safe. It can be wiped with a damp rag.
* After all the layers of paper, paint and varnish, the surface is as hard as wood.
*If it falls down, it keeps the shape, (I dropped like 5 times by accident).
*I glued 6 little clear rubber feet to the bottom for protection.
Wow – empowerment through box building. Me likey! Organization is powerful medicine.
Yes Allegra! Organization is something nice to live with. Around us and inside our heads too 🙂
Elsa Mora recently posted..I Made a Box for my New House.
Your little box for skin care products is beautiful. I so enjoyed your psychological interpretation of your box’s story, like the retelling of a dream, all the more real for being so surreal. You’ve come through so much Elsita, you and your litte family; I hope the 100 stars come back to light all the nights in your new home.
Thanks, Lorraine! I’m looking forward to those 100 stars 🙂
Elsa Mora recently posted..I Made a Box for my New House.
This is gorgeous! Love the story too! (What is the #1 book on organization? link is not working for me)
Sorry Phebe! I just fixed the link. The book is ‘Organizing from the Inside Out’ by Julie Morgenstern. I have read many books on organization, some of them great, but this one is special. It helps you look at organization in a totally different way.
Here’s the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Organizing-Inside-Out-Second-Foolproof/dp/0805075895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421770252&sr=1-1&keywords=organizing+from+the+inside+out
Elsa Mora recently posted..I Made a Box for my New House.
Awesome interpretation and finding meaning in what comes out of your creative brain 🙂 … I like how you put this clean line box together. About the top, is it hinged by the paper you added? … Also happy that your builders are doing what is required and not stressing you out.
Hi Joy! Yes, the top is hinged by paper. I glued 2 layers of paper there for strength and it works perfect. I have used that method for years and it is very strong.
Elsa Mora recently posted..I Made a Box for my New House.
A wonderfully interesting post Elsa – many thanks. Your new creation is gorgeous as well a practical.
Thanks, Denise! 🙂
Elsa Mora recently posted..I Made a Box for my New House.
a wonderful way of clearing your mind and your place… an honoring gesture to your new home, as well! I can see boxes popping up in so many corners of the new space, each one telling a story… oh, they could become illustrated short stories in little accordeon books, as well 🙂
Yes Catharina! I have so many ideas for boxes. I’m thinking about making a special one for my meditation area 🙂
Elsa Mora recently posted..A Portrait of my Daughter.
I saw a great cartoon recently from artist Hugh MacLeod. It said “The agony of change is the start of something good.” I love the box, it is so much easier to find things if they have their own home to live in.
Janet M recently posted..Flotsam
Hi Janet! I love what Hugh MacLeod said and I agree with it. I’m also loving having all things located in their own homes. It makes life sooo much more enjoyable.
Elsa Mora recently posted..A Portrait of my Daughter.
I LOVE the box and the story! I think I have Mundane Brain—thanks for the inspiration
and the how-to. 🙂