My mom was picking up some new pieces to create a display of glass in various shades of blue while we were on a shopping adventure in the quaint downtown area of Franklin. She was getting ready to decorate a new home in an independent living apartment. I thought that downsizing meant letting go of things to have less, but with all of her shopping bags on my arm, I hear her explain to the clerk that she had that particular blue pitcher that she was purchasing in a larger size but that she was downsizing…. Hahahahahaha well ok! We saw a bar tray setup and another tray with a variety of colored glass. Both of those displays were gorgeous, and I thought about the mastery of design here, to tray it up for display and organization purposes, transforming pieces into a collection. Further, I was reminded of pieces that I already had at home, mostly stored away in cupboards and closets.
This year has been a beautiful string of adventurous outings and “innings” for me. The story above is an example of an outing that led to an “inning”. Making time to enjoy adventures and get inspired has become a daily habit. I see, hear, feel, and smell things that lead me to get into closets and drawers to refine and repurpose supplies and treasures that although have been neatly stored, are out of sight. They might as well be at Goodwill! Initially I set up a blue glass bar tray and enjoyed that for a few weeks. Then a thick bubbly orange saucer during a thrift store adventure screamed at me to pull together a tray with all colored glass. Changing things up only takes a few minutes and always gives the room ambiance a boost.
A quick project to purposefully use an open receptacle with a flat bottom and a low rim to exhibit articles better, accentuating the visual aesthetic of a collection, while holding the articles to be able to carry or move the collection with less trouble as needed.
Gain valuable storage space taking tray out that is never used.
Creativity flows as possibilities are unlimited.
Exhibits elevate the aura of a space.
Scattered items become organized, with a place.
Joy is all about the journey and how we approach each day and all that is on our path. Remain open to all that you sense along the way. Making time, say 15 minutes, to embellish your home or do other projects in this series can be quite satisfying. Tray in your cupboard? Break it out! Beautiful colored glass objects from storage will sparkle in the open, even on a gloomy day!
Other collections to “tray up”
- Knickknacks on your dresser
- Bathroom sink essentials
- Appetizer array
- Bar Stash
- Produce just harvested or purchased
- Candles
- Plants
Got Tray? Knicknacks?
Take Action, Bring it out, Tray it Up, oh so Organized and Beautiful
Things often look better on a tray. In short, a tray gathers and organizes miscellaneous chotskes or useful items that you want left out, purposefully. Pulling beautiful things out of your cupboard and enjoying them is simply #zentastic. So, try your hand at a new tablescape or vignette today. This should only take 15 minutes but you will enjoy a tremendous creative reward on an ongoing basis. Rearranging, repurposing, changing your surrounding visual over and over again keeps life spicy. In between changes, you will sense greater organization and ease to find things and to move collections as needed for cleaning or utilizing the space for another purpose. Tray it up!
Take 15 minutes to do this, and other projects in this series like this. Transform more, refine more, innovate more, master more. TRIM. Be selective and expose your senses to beautiful things more often. Intentional self-care is powerful. Surround yourself with supportive elements. Bring it in! Break it out! Breathe it in! Liberate yourself by making choices to engage all of your senses during experiences and moments wherever you are in life. Slow down and appreciate the paradise that is right here. One way to do this is to tray it up.