Fancy New Desktop

I spent my frigid President's Day cleaning up my computer. This meant organizing my documents, clearing up all the random icons/docs on my desktop, archiving old emails, and just basically do a technological spring cleaning.

My crazy cluttered desktop was one of the biggest problems. Here is the before: 

When I take away the background you can really see all the junk I had on it:

Files! Files! Everywhere! I couldn't stand it anymore - not only was it lacking a serious cute factor but it was completely unorganized. If  I needed to access something quickly - aka my Spring Conference schedule, I was hunting . . . where is it in the rows of unidentifiable icons? 

After probably spending - more time the I probably should have - voila! a cute organized desktop - where everything is easy to find! 

Yes - this is my desktop now! Blow it up and you will see it is screenshot I just took. Don't you just LOVE it ?!? Everything organized and pretty and neat. Don't worry if you don't want to organize by blogs, programs, documents, to-dos and notes - you don't have too. I added those titles. So here's how I did it.

Getting the cute desktop organizer: 
First I picked up the super cute background from Inspired VA Services. She has several different designs to choose from and even offers to customize one for you if you contact her! Super nice right?!

After choosing the design I added the text using PicMonkey and fonts I had from DJ Inkers. Next I set it as my background and started arranging icons.

Creating Custom Icons:
But that ended up bothering me too - this adorable background and ugly little file folders and chrome icons all over. So I decided to learn how to create my own icons and it's unbelievably easy.

First drag the shortcut to the webpage (in my case blogs) or files you want on your desktop. Then find an image you'd like to use for the icon - save it to your pictures. Then go to Free Online Icon Generator and use the generator to create an icon. I used the 48 x 48 size. Finally right click on the old icon, then properties, and change icon. Browse to find the one you created online. Easy shemeasy lemon peasy.  Soon you will be creating icons for everything! See my heart box - I even created them for my different network folders.

Now the trick is locking the icons in place. I read that you need to:
- right click on the desktop
- go to view
- uncheck autoarrange and align to grid
- place your icons
- go back to view and click refresh

I'm worried though that when I reboot or link to my projector they will move. I will most likely cry if that happens.

But until that I'm happens it calms my soul to look at such and organized desktop - not if only my real desk looked this nice. :-)


Update: I have rebooted my computer, connected it to a projector, and used extend screen option and my icons have stayed nicely in place. :-) Yay!