Taming the Gmail Beast

That's the only way to describe my Between Naps on the Porch Gmail Inbox; it's a runnaway Beast that's out of control! When I took this snapshot it was at 4,560 e-mails and that was AFTER I had deleted quite a few. I think at its highest it hit the 4,800 mark. Scary.

Time to put this Inbox on a diet. :) Not me...the Inbox. I don't like that evil word, diet. When I hear it, I want to rush out and buy a big, fudge sundae piled high with whipped topping. And chocolate syrup. And nuts. One extra-large sundae, please. Uh, where was I?

I think we were talking about my over-blown, out-of-control Inbox before my fudge sundae fantasy took over. I am determined to whip (no pun intended) this Inbox back into shape. Just as putting on unwanted pounds doesn't happen over night, 4,560 e-mails didn't happen overnight, either. It took my Inbox 2 years and 9 months to get this bloated. Just as taking off unwanted pounds doesn't happen in a day, I know it will take a little while to whittle this bad boy back down to size.

If you use Gmail and your Inbox runneth over, too, you may find the following information helpful. If you do not use Gmail or have a skinnier Inbox, you may not need this post. Feel free to forward it to someone who does.

While I was reading through e-mails today, I realized one of the problems that's gotten me into my Inbox pickle, are all the subscription e-mails I receive and love. :) For example, there are a number of blogs I prefer to read via e-mail as opposed to a reader. I also, subscribe to Groupon and Scoutmob. And, I subscribe to coupons from certain stores I occasionally frequent, like Hobby Lobby. Those are just a few of the e-mails that arrive in my Gmail Inbox on a weekly or even daily basis.

Hobby Lobby is going to serve as our example for today. It's a great one to use because it's one of those e-mails that shows up weekly in my Inbox, doesn't get deleted right away and eventually contributes to filing it up. Yep, I know you can go to their site and print a coupon before you go shopping, but it's easier for me if it just comes to me each week, that is if I can find a good way to stay organized so I'm controlling it and it isn't controlling me. :)

How to Manage Recurring e-Mails:
So, the question is, how to deal with those e-mails that appear automatically on a daily or weekly basis in your Inbox, emails that don't need your immediate attention but are important to keep in case you need them later. You could just "archive" them which removes them from you Inbox and stores them in what Gmail calls "All Mail." But then if you need them again, you'll have to conduct a "search" which can sometimes be a daunting task. I wanted to "archive" certain e-mails (like Hobby Lobby) but I wanted to be able to easily find them again when needed.

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: Getting Organized
I did a little research and discovered a couple of things you can do with Gmail to help stay a bit more in control. I thought I'd share them with you today, just in case you have a run-a-way Inbox on your hands, too.

Gmail doesn't really have "folders" to organize and group the e-mails you wish to save. Instead, they have something called "labels." Labels act very much like folders, but they can do a lot more than folders, so Gmail has chosen to call them labels. When you see the word label(s) in this post, just think folder(s) and it will make more sense. OK? OK.

E-mail Butler: Couldn't We All Use One of Those?
I've been using labels/folders for a while, dragging e-mails into particular labels to save them when I thought I might need to refer back to them some day. But what I really wanted was for those e-mails to automatically go into their label/folder upon arrival, with zero help from me. That way they wouldn't fill up my Inbox, pushing important emails further down and out of sight. Instead, they would be filed away, nice and organized, just waiting for me in their label/folder for when I was ready to check them out on my own schedule. Now, we're talking!

Our Example: Hobby Lobby
Let's use the Hobby Lobby e-mail I receive each week as our example.

Goal: To have the Hobby Lobby e-mail automatically go into a label/folder each week upon arrival, instead of landing in my Inbox where I would have to physically see it and put it into a folder. When I needed an HL coupon, I would be able to open that particular label/folder and the latest, shiny HL coupon would be there waiting for me. :)

HERE'S HOW: A Tutorial
Gmail calls this process of removing an e-mail from your inbox and saving it for later use, "Archiving." Here's how you can have Gmail archive e-mails automatically so they will be saved to a label/folder for future reference when needed:

First you'll want to create a folder (again, Gmail calls them labels) where your e-mails will be stored for future access. In this case, the e-mail we wish to have automatically stored when it arrives is the Hobby Lobby e-mail; so let's create a folder for it. That way, we'll know where to find it when we need it.

Click on "Create a filter" at the top of your Gmail page.

You'll get a page that looks like this. In the "From" box, type in the name of where your e-mail is coming from. This info needs to exactly match the "from" name of the e-mail so type it in just as it is named when it's in your Inbox. For example, I wouldn't type in "HL" because when this e-mail arrives in my Inbox, the from is always "Hobby Lobby," not HL.

Then click, "Next Step." (There are other ways to make folder/labels, but this is a quick way to get all the existing e-mails in your Inbox filed into/under your new folder/label.)

The next screen should look like this one below. Notice it says (Hobby Lobby) in parentheses there at the top and all the Hobby Lobby e-mails that were in my Inbox are all listed below...all 16 of them. At this point, we just want to get them all organized under a particular label so they can be found later. We'll worry about automatic archiving in a sec.

So, next you'll click in the box beside, "Apply the label." Go ahead and click that little box beside, "Also, apply filter to 16 conversations below, too." That way the label will be applied to all the HL e-mails already in your Inbox. Then, click on the drop down arrow beside "Choose label" and select "New label" from the options available.

Give your new label/folder a name. You can name it whatever you like. In this case I called it "Hobby Lobby." Then click, "Create."

(At first I forgot to click the little box that says "Also, apply filter to 16 conversations below." So, I checked that and clicked on "Create filter" a second time and it worked. They were all labeled.)

Next you should see a screen (like this one below) with a little message like the one I have circled. You'll know your messages were labeled or filed under your new Hobby Lobby label/folder when you see that little message.

Take a look at this screen below. See how all the Hobby Lobby e-mails are labeled "Hobby Lobby" in green? Success!

Make G-mail Work For You! Archive Automatically!
Now, let's set up the automatic archive filter. It's so easy. Here's all you need to do to have Gmail automatically store the Hobby Lobby e-mails into the new label/folder as they arrive, instead of having them camping out in your Inbox taking up space and your valuable time and attention.

Once again, click on "Create a filter" at the top of your Gmail.

You can filter messages by a variety of parameters. Again, I chose to use the "From" parameter, which in this case is, Hobby Lobby. That seemed to be the easiest way to identify the HL e-mails as they come in. Then, click "Next Step."

Click on "Skip the Inbox (Archive it)." Also, check the box beside, "Also, apply filter to 16 conversations below." I don't know if that's really necessary, but I did it anyway. :)

Of course, depending on what you are archiving, you will most likely have a different number than 16. That's just how many HL e-mails I had in my Inbox. Now truthfully, I'll be deleting most of those because the coupons will have all expired, but it worked well as an example e-mail for this tutorial.

Then Click "Create filter."


Shortcut: Save a few steps
If you like, right after the step where you've created the label and the little message is showing that says your label was created, you can check the box that says, "Skip the Inbox (Archive it) and click "Create Filter" and that will create the Archive Filter/Action, as well. That saves you a step or two. Don't forget to check the "Also apply filter to X conversations below" box, so it will grab those conversations and archive them for you, too.

You're Done:
You'll find all your HL e-mails in a folder called "Hobby Lobby" on the left column of your Gmail account/page. And all future Hobby Lobby e-mails will automatically go into that folder.

The really cool thing is when a new HL e-mail arrives, the name of the folder turns BOLD. This lets you know at a glance a new e-mail has arrived and has been filed under your HL label. Excellent!

See All Your Filters:
If you'd like to see all the filters you've created, click on the blue asterisk at the top right corner and select "Mail Settings." Across the top you'll see the header, "Filters." Click on that header and all the filters you've created will appear on that page.

Additional Uses for Filters: Banishing Spam
I've also used this filter action to automatically "trash" recurring Spam emails that I may be getting. I don't know if this happens to you, but I will get the same spam email every day from the same source and it will be left on the same old post each time. When I see this happening, I just create a filter with the "Subject" line that the spam filter always uses (not the "From" in this case since it usually just says Anonymous) and I will choose the "Delete" action. The filter automatically trashes the spam comment every time it comes in. :)

An organized Gmail Inbox is a happy Gmail Inbox! :) Ok, I'm off to read and organize 4,500+ e-mails...wish me luck! Send fudge sundaes. Reinforcement is needed! ;)

Dish Storage Welcome to the 54th Metamorphosis Monday!

For this week's Met Monday, I'm sharing a small but fun little metamorphosis in my china closet. You may remember when I posted a while back about the little redo of this space...it was really being poorly utilized. It was being used to store deck cushions that were rarely used.




After a little renovation, (you may read about HERE) it looked like this...cushions stored in the top, birdseed and birding items in large containers on the floor, and china on the shelves in between.




Later, I decided to move the birdseed and birding containers back to the laundry room and I ended up storing my tall candlesticks on the floor, instead.




This closet has now gone through yet, another little change. The deck cushions were moved to an upstairs linen closet, since they are so rarely used. Most of my outdoor time is spent on the screened-in porch (not the decks) due to the mean ole mosquitoes we have here in the south.




Do you see the "After" there on the top shelf? I totally stole Bonnie's idea from her amazing dish room...remember that post HERE? I was shopping in The Home Depot and they had plastic "shoebox size" containers for only .99 cents each. I remembered Bonnie's dish room and bought 20 of them.




Next, I took pics of the items I planned to store in the boxes. I found the photos turned out better if the items were photographed on a white surface or white piece of paper, as opposed to a dark table. I took black and white photos, sized them down to what Microsoft Picture Manager calls "E-mail Large," and printed them out. It took a little experimenting around to find the best size pic for the box. I could have taken them in color...and printed them in color, but I just decided to go with black and white.

I used double-sided tape to stick them onto the containers. I saved the pics on my computer just in case one gets ripped off or damaged. Of course, you could take wide clear tape and place it across the top of each photo/label to ensure they stay secure and undamaged...I may eventually do that. The boxes are large enough to store 2-3 sets of napkin rings in one box, depending, of course, on the size of the napkin ring.


Much better use of this space now, I think. There's not much I love more than organizing. Okay, blogging...I love blogging more than organizing...but organizing may be a close second. :-)

Update: Bonnie just e-mailed and gave me some additional information that you may find helpful: "Another way to do the pictures on the bins is to use a label printing software, add the picture to the design and print on large labels. Or, you can also use a "Xyron" to add adhesive to the back of your printed pictures." Thanks, Bonnie, for those suggestions!

Looking forward to seeing all your "Before and Afters."



If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click HERE for detailed instructions.

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Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

Fabulous "Before and Afters" await your visit:

The Ultimate Christmas Ornament Storage

Looking for the ultimate Christmas ornament storage? Over ten years ago, I purchased these two, fabric-covered, ornament storage boxes.


I was impressed with their good looks, their sturdy construction and that they come with acid-free archival paper.


Here's a view of the inside...


I really like how the interior panels adjust to fit the size of the ornament.


Their website states: "The ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT STORAGE box is the only Acid Free archival quality decorative box on the market, making it suitable for archival storage of family heirlooms and collectibles." I was impressed when I "googled" their name tonight, to find they are still in business all these years later. I think that says a lot about the product and the company itself.


My boxes have held up beautifully...they still look virtually brand new. But the best part...the ornaments I've stored inside are perfect. So, if you have some very special ornaments for which you'd like very special storage, the Ultimate Christmas Storage just might be your answer. For more information, you may visit their website by clicking HERE.
(Above photo from Ultimate Christmas Storage website)

Dish Heaven!

If you are a regular follower of BNOTP, you've seen some beautiful tablescapes I've posted recently that were created by Bonnie, a very talented and creative reader of BNOTP. Bonnie and I have become fast friends as we've shared our love for tablescaping and all things, dishes. But tonight...well tonight is extra special because we are going on a field trip! Bonnie has generously agreed to let us into the inner sanctum. But first, you must take the official Dishaholic Oath.

OK, hold up your right hand, and say after me: I promise I will not attempt to sneak anything from the shelves of Bonnie's dishroom, no matter how tempted I may be. :-) I will also, try to not drool or slobber on her beautiful glassware...much. :-) And finally, I will not grab hold to the shelves with a death grip, refusing to leave, making it necessary for Bonnie to call the Dish Police! :-)


Ok, now that you are all sworn in...hold onto your tablescaping hats and step right through that door...you will not soon forget this space!




Here we are! :-) Ready to explore and take all this dish-licious scenery in? Bonnie's dishroom measures 9' x 14' and was added by her wonderful husband.

Ummm, wonder what those boxes are over there against that wall...let's go see.




Wowzer! Imagine, having all this great flatware available for your tablescaping! BJ, put that plate down. No, Kathleen...the candlestick has to stay. Errh, Sue, let me have that big purse you brought along; and may I ask...why is it so heavy?




Love how it's all labeled beautifully, so you can find just the one you want. Just grab the box you need and head for the table...fantastic!



Gasp! Someone catch me, I'm think I'm going to faint! Did I mention that Bonnie and her husband, Leon, entertain often? This dish room isn't just for looks...no siree, it gets a regular workout! No "saving the good stuff for later" going on here.



Did anyone bring a defibrillator? Seriously?! Beat heart, beat!



A few close-ups...love those green, pineapple plates!



Oooh, I believe we may have found the Christmas section! I have visions of Christmas tablescapes dancing through my head. Do you suppose we could talk Bonnie into a Christmas tablescape? :-)

Watermelon bowls for summer and pretty fall dishes right below!




Lots of beautiful, springtime china here!



Aren't these gorgeous?! Bet these dragonfly plates look fantastic in Bonnie's breakfast room...remember her dragonfly chairs from Met Monday.




One look into Bonnie's dish room and you just know she enjoys a bit of whimsy in her tablescapes...so many fun, delightful dishes!



Ok, would someone please, get Gloria, Sue and Laurie some cold water...they're all three hyperventilating over there! I see some more pink for Pink Saturday. And blue...lots of pretty blue. Hey, this could be a Blue Monday post over at Smiling Sally, too! Isn't this a dream...stemware in all the colors you could ever possibly need.



Here's a great way to store all those napkin rings.



Yep, I've died and gone to tablescape heaven!



Bonnie, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful dish room! The idea of having a dish room is just brilliant...kind of a Butler's Pantry...but oh, so much better! :-)

A Few Changes to My China Closet! Welcome to the 35th Metamorphosis Monday

Where in the world do you store allll that china?

That question is perhaps the question I am most frequently asked. :-)Since several folks have left comments or e-mailed recently asking about china storage, I'm pulling out an oldie but goodie post for this Met Monday. I'm also including a few more recent photos showing some of the changes I've made. And, I'm including a link to a post from December 2008 (HERE) showing more of the places I store allll that china. :-)


Since I'm sharing an older post, for Met Monday, I'll also be linking to Sunday Favorites, a fabulous event hosted by Chari at Happy to Design!


Originally posted on April 6, 2009
(New photos have been added at the end of the original post)

Welcome to Metamorphosis Monday...where it's all about "Before and Afters." I decided this weekend to tackle a project I've been putting off...the redo of a 35" x 24" coat closet in my kitchen/breakfast room. The previous owner of my home had a shell niche installed in the foyer/entry, where others houses in my neighborhood frequently have a coat closet. Then they took a corner in the kitchen and installed the closet there. I've never used it for coats; instead it had become a storage area for all the cushions for my deck furniture. Here's a before pic...note the scuffed up walls from 25 years of wear and tear. This closet was just not working well for my needs.

Yesterday I cleared everything out, drove over to Lowe's and purchased these huge wooden shelves that they cut down to the size I requested. I also purchased some lumber that they cut to the size we mutually decided I would need for the supports. I'm not sure how most closet shelving is done these days, but I just decided to copy the way the supports had been done in my other closets. I didn't want to use the wire shelving that is so readily available at Home Depot and Lowe's, because I wanted to take advantage of the full depth of the closet. The wire shelves at Lowe's and HD weren't very deep.

Here's the closet all cleaned out and ready for it's redo. Note the stained trim...at one time, all the doors and molding/trim in my kitchen was stained. I long ago had it all painted for a lighter, brighter look...all except for the closet...time to fix that.

In this pic, I had just finished priming the existing wooden shelf and baseboard with a primer that covers stain and had finished "cutting in" with the yellow wall paint.

I considered using the hanging rod for tablecloths, a la Bunny William's pantry in An Affair with a House...but ultimately decided I didn't want to use the space that way.


Next, I painted the walls the same yellow as the kitchen walls...Duron Sugar Cookie. I painted the existing shelf and baseboard, white...to match the trim in the kitchen.


I wasn't able to use the supports Lowes had cut for me because once I started tapping along the walls, I realized there were no studs anywhere except at the far corners. So all the supports were about an inch too short. :-(

It was time to face the big, heavy, power saw that lives in my basement. Yikes! It is unbelievably loud and a little bit scary. Think of Kevin in the movie, Home Alone, when he goes downstairs to the basement and has to face their furnace...that's how I feel when I use that saw! (LOL)



I cut all new supports using a piece of lumber left over from the screened-in porch addition. Here they are, all ready to be installed.



I had originally planned on using my drill to install the supports, with these long screws the Lowe's guy recommended. But, because of the studs being just in the corners of the closet, I didn't think I could get the fat drill close enough up against the wall to use it. I probably could have angled them in, but I decided to just use good old nails....sure wish I had a nail gun! :-) After LOTS of measuring, mathematics, agonizing and more measuring...here are the supports which were installed and freshly painted just this morning. Update: A few weeks later, when my handyman was by to give me an estimate for some work, I asked him to check for studs. He was able to find them and added some additional screws, although he kept telling me he thought the shelves were just fine without them. I felt better knowing there was some additional support. :-)

I had primed and painted the shelving yesterday, so today I just did a little light sanding along the rough edges and placed them onto the supports.


After pressing down hard on the shelves to sort of test them out...it was with great fear and trepidation, I began putting china onto the shelves. I didn't hear any creaking or groaning, all went well.



Here's where the 8 cushions and 2 pillows ended up...stacked on the top shelf, all the way up to the ceiling.



And here are the 3 shelves I added...all loaded down with goodies. These china sets and serving pieces had been stored in hard to reach cabinets and in my food pantry...much better having it all together here and easily accessible.



I started the bottom shelf up high enough to fit two storage containers in...one holds birdseed and the other holds miscellaneous bird stuff like hummingbird feeders, suet holders and meal worm trays.



So, we went from this...



To this...ahhh, much better! :-)



And this? Well, that's the big glass of Merlot I poured my aching self once the last dish had been placed inside the new china closet. :-)


(End of previous post.)

Now for a few current pics to show how the closet looks today. The main thing I've changed is I've decided to keep some of my candle holders in the bottom of the closet. I put a little nail in the door so I could store one my summer wreaths inside this closet, too.



You'll find 8 place settings of Syracuse, Orchard china, a St. Patrick's Day tea set, 6 Bordallo Pinheiro plates, 6 Wedgwood floral salad plates, and lots of pitchers, etc...stored on the top shelf. Do you see the Thanksgiving platter standing up in back? Bet many of you who live here in the south, recognize those from having been sold in Publix Grocery stores, along with the cute little Salt & Pepper shakers that come to life in all their commercials. :-) I have the S & P shakers stored elsewhere....maybe I should reunite them with their platter. :-)



Next shelf down holds 12 place settings of Lenox, Butler's Pantry, Gourmet, 8 chargers and salad plates of Spode, Emma's Garland, designed by Kim Parker, a sweet pink, and a bluebird mug from my friend, Charlene (Heart's Ease). The long handle you see is my Colonial Candle candle snuffer. The large, green platter standing up in back is more Bordallo Pinheiro .



And the final shelf holds 12 place settings of cream ware I found at HomeGoods (no name on the back) along with 6 place settings of colorful (fall) china I found at Pier 1 last summer at 60% off. Most of the Pier 1 china (and some of the Lenox, Butler's Pantry) is out on the porch where I've been playing with a possible fall tablescape. You'll also find pink, heart shaped custard dishes, a bunny tureen, hob nail candle holders, crystal candle holders that you can barely see on the right side and a small, silver plate vase. Another platter from the Pier 1 collection is standing up in back.


And finally...now located on the very bottom, are some of the pillar candle holders you frequently see used in tablescapes. Shell holders are from Home Goods, red ceramic and iron holders are from Hobby Lobby. One set of cream ones in back are from A Classy Flea while the white set is from Colonial Candle. The tall amber one in back and the reindeer holders are from Hobby Lobby. And the beautiful birdie lantern and white butterfly votive are from Colonial Candle.


Hope you had fun taking a peek into my china closet for this Met Monday.

Let's go see what everyone else has been working on...lots of wonderful "Before and Afters" await!





If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. If you aren't sure how to obtain your permalink or have any questions about using Mr. Linky for this post, just click on the Metamorphosis Monday logo in my sidebar for detailed instructions.

Don't forget to copy and paste the Met Monday logo button to your computer so you can add it to your side bar and your Met Monday post. That way visitors will know that your are participating in Metamorphosis Monday.

Please be sure to link back to the host blog, Between Naps on the Porch, so your fellow bloggers who are participating today, will get lots of visits, as well.

Please do not add your link below until your Met Monday post is actually published to your blog.

The following blogs are participating in this Metamorphosis Monday: