small places

Jonathan built me a little house 5 years ago (I love to say that though I guess it wasn't actually for me but for us, but, just the same, I feel like it was for me).  It is small and lovely and unfinished still.  Because it is so small, and seeing how our kids are not staying small, I feel like I am constantly trying to come up with ways to keep our heads above the rubble ( I mean, creative work) that is washing in on the high tide of childhood business.  

Ava is very attached to her animals and creates very comfortable worlds for them to live in.  What this looks like in our little home: All available windowsills, cardboard boxes, and shelves are desireable real estate and the critters just keep moving in.  Now, despite not actually having a well organized house without overwhelming clutter, I really really dream of such clean spaces.  It is a dilemma.  I want my kids to express themselves fully and the worlds Ava creates are truly awesome, but alas, such clutter makes me a grump.  I fight it.  I lose.  So, like I said, I continue to be confronted with the puzzle to solve and a balance to strike.  IKEA shelves have been very helpful, certainly, but here is a sweet little idea that not only provides a home for wayward stuffed animals, but allows Ava's creativity and attention to the sweet little details to shine.

I bought simple wooden shadow boxes at the craft store, and they have become her animal's homes, right there on her bedroom wall.  They serve as a sort of doll house that she could rearrange if she wanted (though generally, she doesn't), and are compact/neat/modern/artistic/smart.  Windowsills are cleared!