I inherited this lamp from the ex this week. It’s a lovely hand-me-down piece that I’ve been wanting for some time. Target has sold it for awhile, and I always looked longingly. Well now it’s mine. I haven’t quite figured out what to put on each shelf, or what to do with the plants, but I really like it better than my previous lamp, which was a simple and cheap silver floor lamp. One thing I learned from this lamp already: my floor sloops away from the wall!

I scored this lamp at Ikea. (I love Ikea. It’s the best.) At first I thought of using the lamp on my nightstand, but because my bed stands pretty high off the ground, and a lot taller than my nightstand, the light beaming from below was weird. So instead I moved it to my entry way. I am still getting used to using it, and actually I think I need to find a different bulb. The light is really bright, so I want to find a warm CFL that fits the lamp that would cast a more natural glow.

Look. at. this. It’s a teal ottoman I found at Target. You know that shopping moment when you’re looking for something specific, and right when you’re giving up hope, the store gray clouds part, the fluorescent light beams down and you discover what you’ve been seeking all along. Finding this ottoman was kind of like that.

The cubby has some great upholstery, a lot nicer than the cheap suede version also available. It also has some extra storage within, which should come in handy. I haven’t decided what to store in there, but the options are endless. (Alright, not actually endless considering the size of the cubby.)

It sits perfectly in the corner by my doorway where I can drop my bags on the way in. Now I don’t have to pile my bags on the floor. And did I mention it’s teal? Squeeee.

I’ve had this rolling desk cart since my college years. My desk, which is quite large, didn’t have any drawers, so in order to solve a girl’s need to put her desk supplies in drawers, I got this.

And for year’s it’s collected dust. And all the objects that sat upon it, collected dust. And it would drive my little cleaning self crazy to deal with cleaning the dust off of staplers, staple removers, white out bottles and other miscellaneous office supplies.

Until I had a revelation:

Why not turn my little desk drawer cart into an end table instead? Of course, because the top of the cart has a bunch of little cubbies, I needed to come up with a way for other objects to sit on top of it. I found this mat that fit the dimensions pretty well, and was able to put a vase and candle votive on top of my cart. Now, what once was an eye sore, is now a beautiful element in my bedroom. Rehab success!

Well, doesn’t that sound exciting? Yeah, I thought so too. That’s why I’m itching to teach a class on a topic that I have a little know-how.

Of course, knitting is already being taken care of by Nina Rubin, store owner and knitter extraordinaire. So what other skills do I have that pay the bills, or at least I would be able to lead a class on? I asked a lot of my friends and Twitter followers what I know that they’d like to learn from me. The resounding opinion was: party planning.

I guess I have a knack for throwing a nice shindig. Who knew? Well, actually, I’m being modest. I know I can throw a halfway decent get-together. So now I’m going to lead a class and pass on some tips to some eager folks.

Party planning and party throwing have always come naturally to me. I’ve been the cook, baker, organizer for so long, I don’t even know how to start as a beginner. So here’s what I need: what do you want to know? What party planning questions are you craving for answers? When you’re gearing up for a party, what trips you up? How would you like to enhance your party planning skills?

Leave a comment with the kinds of tips and questions you have about party planning, and I’ll incorporate these ideas into my class. When I’ve set up my class, I’ll let you know so you can sign up. Then we can get to the good stuff: partying!

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