Several years ago, I made what we call in our family “a red choice.” Out of space for the kids’ art materials, I threw a couple of coloring books into the storage drawer underneath the stove. Most people use that space for pots and pans…things that can get hot. Duh.
As time passed, the drawer started filling up with crayons and markers and papers. I seriously thought nothing of it. Again, duh. Then, our handy man friend Mike came over to fix something in the kitchen and found papers {with super cute scribbles on them, I’m sure} stuck behind the oven. Total fire hazard. We’re super lucky nothing ever burned.
So, for a couple of weeks I’ve had a giant pile of the kids’ art stuff in my studio. Plus, we had another full art drawer right next to the oven. So, this past weekend, I took on the project of creating a new Imagination Station for the kids {they think that sounds a lot cooler than “art cabinet.”}
I weeded through all those papers and supplies, and tested every single marker {could not believe how many were out of ink!}. I was shocked how many treasures I found – sketches by my brother, an illustration of Santa Fe that my dad drew for Ryder {possibly the only thing he ever drew in his life!}, artwork by the boys I’d forgotten.
I tossed TONS of stuff. And I got bins to separate the markers and pencils, crayons, paints, and other supplies. I put all of the paper pads and coloring books into one bin that sits behind the smaller bins. And I got a large storage drawer for saving artwork. I did just sign up for ArtKive, an awesome iPhone app that chronologically stores photos of your kids’ artwork and then turns them into a book when you’re ready. However, I know years down the road I’ll want some of the actual artwork to have and to hold.
So, here’s the final result:
The kids totally love it – and have re-discovered coloring books and journals they’d forgotten {yay!}. And I have peace of mind: everything’s organized and it won’t catch on fire. That’s what we call a “green choice!”
