Inspirational Office Moment on Shine

Inspirational Office Moment: The most beautiful file folders in the world? I think so

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Allow me to welcome you back from your (hopefully) long, relaxing holiday weekend with a little office cheer in the form of The Most Beautiful File Folders In The World. Design whiz (and righteous blogger) Joy Deangdeelert Cho's Nantaka Joy paper goods line now includes recycled-paper kraft file folders detailed with gorgeous copper and silver floral and leaf patterns. Not exaggerating, they are like jewelry for your desk. I especially love the combination of rough brown paper with shiny, feminine details, which I've been appreciating in the notebook form for some time...

Cute and functional storage shelf

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Want a workspace that's both functional and pretty? Clear an ample work surface, keeping it free of piles of paperwork and clutter. Items that you use regularly — phone, computer, reference books, writing implements — should be within reach, while nonessentials can be neatly stowed on shelved or filed in drawers. To maximize space and for visual appeal, attach jelly jars to a shelf above your desk. Fill them with colorful craft and office supplies.

What grown-up school supplies do you have your eye on?

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I can't possibly be the only one (over age 12) who still gets the powerful craving for new pens and notebooks when fall starts rolling in, can I? This year my back-to-school wish list has expanded to include elaborately patterned sticky notes, like this unicorns-and-headphones style from...

Inspirational Office Moment: pencil sharpeners

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Okay, so maybe the idea of needing a pencil sharpener on your desk is sort of antiquated, but I think it's nice to have something so basic (and even tactile) in a high-tech workspace. Plus, having a nice full cup of sharpened pencils in view might inspire you to practice your handwriting: You do still have to sign credit card receipts and thank you notes, after all.

The "Pencilvilla" handheld that Anh-Minh posted last week reminds me of the incense holder from our Mother's Day gift roundup. It's such a charming, simple shape. $13 at Rare Device

Inspirational Office Moment: binder clips can be exciting

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You may have already gotten excited by all the 'extracurricular' uses for binder clips, like hanging art and serving as a ipod dock stand-ins, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring on the desk, doing what they were actually designed to do. Jessica Jones over at How About Orange posted a great, easy d.i.y. project last week for making binder clips (and other office supplies) a lot more interesting and I couldn't resist posting about it here.

Inspirational Office Moment: off-kilter bookcase

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Although my heart remains with the industrial-looking Wisteria model, D.Sharp's bookcase post last Friday may have made room somewhere near my left ventricle for this honeycomb-with-a-hangover shaped unit by designer Sean Woo. I love the haphazard shapes and sizes of the compartments, and how it would make it easy to lump your books into categories like, "Would definitely read again," "Just keeping it around to look smart," and "Borrowed titles I need to return to friends": So much more fun than arranging them by color.

Inspirational Office Moment: Rex Ray calendars

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Graphic designer and artist Rex Ray has been getting a lot of blog love lately—Design for Mankind posted about his new book, Rex Ray Art + Design, How About Orange blogged his Jonathan-Adler-exclusive prints, and Leah Hennen found framed RR prints on eBay for her More Ways To Waste Time post—but frankly, we're more excited about his new line of desktop paper products for Chronicle Books, particularly the address book and the wall calendar (which doesn't actually come out until July 16, but you can start wanting one now).

The address book, which is available now, is about 4 by 6 inches and has a clear vinyl jacket to protect the pretty paper cover (at left), and goes for $13.95. Scroll down for a detail shot of the inside.

Inspirational Office Moment: channel your inner librarian

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Business cards seem to reproduce on my desk faster than rabbits in springtime. If you are like me, clutter = confusion. On a recent inspirational excursion through Flickr.com, I came across a fresh yet vintage-y idea for categorizing and organizing all of my contacts: antique library card catalog...

Inspirational Office Moment: crazy pens

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Taking notes during the Monday-morning "touch-base" is no thrill, but I firmly believe it can be made less painful with a really great writing implement. Most people forge pen allegiances based on practical things—how fine the point is, how smoothly it writes, whether anyone else in the office uses the exact fuchsia shade that's become your signature ink color. While I appreciate these functional concerns, sometimes I just want a pen that's sort of ridiculous and distracting. In an attempt to rein in my most puerile impulse (sigh, Weepul pens), I plan to doodle through my next conference call with a slightly more sophisticated ballpoint feather pen.

Inspirational Office Moment: fancy sticky notes

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Sticky notes can be used for good (cheap, post-modern wall art), evil (passive-aggressive notes from bosses), or the mundane ("don't forget to mail the electric bill"). Somehow, eschewing the traditional manila versions takes away a little of the evil and the mundane. Galison sells ten styles of sticky note "portfolios", each containing 3 sizes of note (which I'd categorize as list-size, squares, and flags) for $9.50 each.