Imagine this scenario. It’s the fall of 1776 and British battleships are gathering off the coastline of Staten Island. George Washington has been ordered by Congress to hold New York City. Remarkably, he stops reviewing his maps and documents – and writes a letter.

It wasn't just any letter. This letter, to the steward of Mount Vernon, Washington’s estate in Virginia, provided exact instructions on how he wanted one of his gardens laid out....

Albert Einstein was known to have a notoriously messy desk. Think it bothered him? Not in the least. He responded to critics by pointing out, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign of?”

Scientific geniuses like Einstein, Mark Twain and Steve Jobs were well known for their sloppy desks. In their defense, there’s a good amount of research showing that messiness makes us more creative. Visual clutter supposedly allows...

Christmas shopping used to be fun and we looked forward to it. Matter of fact, we couldn’t wait. Holiday shopping meant dressing up, driving to a real downtown, and browsing happily through most of the local department stores and small shops. If you only needed a small gift, you could usually find one at the Woolworth’s Five-and-Dime store.

If it couldn’t be found downtown, the Sears Holiday Catalog was really the only other option.The day it came in the mailbox was a really big deal. As kids, my two sisters and I would sit on the sofa and mark the pages for the really special toys and clothes we liked (a “wish list” not an “I want this” list)...

I get a lot of questions about “bling” storage. If you’re a crafter or collector of any type, you’ve more than likely collected lots of stuff over the years. Our “bling” is stored in boxes, bins, on shelves and in drawers.

When stuff is scattered and stuffed all over, it’s easy to forget what you have. My hobby is collecting flair pins. And I have lots. I recently changed the way I store them - using a case-style three-ring binder -- and I’m sharing it here. I took a few pictures the other day so I could show you what works for me, and maybe it can help someone else, too...